My Return (Vampire Diaries) (Book Seven)

Cold as Ice

Flash Forward - 2016 

Tyler and I were in our apartment. 

The news was playing on the news station that Caroline was a producer of. 

But it wasn't a regular news segment on.

My half-sister Sarah was forced to sit at the desk, crying and reaching out to me. She appeared to be calm, but her voice was shaking, and blood was dripping down from a wound on her hairline. "We apologize for the interruption to your current program. My name is Sarah. Please listen carefully. I have an urgent message for my sister, Nicola Salvatore."

I angrily, hurriedly packing a duffel bag.

Tyler turned off the TV. "Nikki, you can't go."

I threw my bag onto the couch, anxiously peeking out through the closed blinds over the window to make sure the mysterious huntress hadn't followed me. I was sure the coast was clear, turning to Tyler. "She has Sarah, she has Stefan, she has Damon. She has my entire family."

Tyler looked at me in frustrated worry. "Because she wants you."

I returned to packing my bag, throwing in several vervain grenades and one of my swords. "Well, then she's gonna get me. Oh, and, I, uh, burned my car, so I kind of need to borrow your car."

Tyler walked toward me seriously. "I'm coming with you."

I turned to face him. "No, you're not."

Tyler tilted his head. "Nikki."

"She already has three people that I care about," I told him. I sighed, stepping closer, holding a hand to his cheek. "I'm not gonna let her have a fourth, okay?"

Tyler sighed in defeat, visibly unhappy about having to stay behind, giving me a very serious look. "If anything happens to you, I will rain hell down on anyone responsible."

I smiled weakly, chuckling softly. "Don't be so dramatic." I leaned closer to kiss Tyler softly for a long moment, pulling away, sighing unhappily at the thought of leaving him again. "I'll be back before you know it."

I grabbed my bag, walking out, leaving to go walk into a trap without knowing exactly what I was walking into.

     ~~~~~~~     

Now

It was night now.

Stefan, Damon, Nora, Valerie and I were giving Lily a funeral.

Stefan and Damon were silently carrying Lily's coffin to the family plot where they had dug a hole to bury her. They put the coffin down, walking toward Nora, Valerie and me, joining us.

I had bouquet of white flowers in my hands.

Damon looked unimpressed. "Well, this is it? This the whole funeral party?" He looked at Nora. "Where's your girlfriend?"

"Not your concern," Nora told him uncomfortably.

"Trouble in paradise?" Damon asked in amusement.

"What about Julian?" I asked. "Where is he?"

Nora looked even more uncomfortable. "I haven't heard from either of them in days. I sided with Lily, or did you forget?"

"It's just us," Valerie told us. She looked at the coffin holding Lily's body. "Beau couldn't bring himself to say goodbye."