infatuation ✓

11.

Jeremy the Witch

ACT SAD, Elena recalled Alaska's words from the previous day. Don't let them doubt for a second that you are faking your emotions. Act as if I am truly dead. I am putting my faith in you, Gilbert, don't let me down.

Surprisingly, she was quite the actor.

There was an empty coffin placed in front of her and her friends as they stood in the middle of the graveyard. Elena hid her face in Caroline's shoulder, faking the tears that fell from her eyes. She let out a sob, unable to look at the burial. Her friend sympathized with her. Although she didn't know Alaska well, she could tell her death took a toll on the doppelgänger.

Katherine stood to the side, not wanting to intervene. She was surprised the girl could act so sad, but she supposed it came with the Petrova gene. They were impeccable liars. It was seen as a way of survival.

Caroline tried not to say anything rude, for the girl was mourning. She said in a low, soft voice, "You've gotta let her go, Elena."

She looked up at the vampire with tears in her eyes. She'd been sobbing for the past day, it felt like she was dying herself. She'd never felt so weak. "How can I let her go? I've lost almost everyone. And for what? Just so that Klaus won't make any hybrids. If I knew Alaska would've paid for this with her life I would've given Klaus gallons of my blood. She died because of me, Care. She died trying to save me. How can I live with myself after that?"

Although she supposedly wasn't ready to face the death of the girl who'd opened her heart to her on various occasions, she stood in front of her newly dug grave. She didn't know what she was supposed to say when approaching her grave. So, without any explanation as to why she missed the girl, she placed a rose on her grave.

"Goodbye, Alaska Rose."

Jeremy gasped when he saw the girl standing not too far from the burial ground, leaning against a tree. He supposed she was a ghost and fled the scene to get closer to her. When he successfully made it into the woods, he questioned, "You're really dead, aren't you? I can tell your death affected Elena in many ways. Why is that?"

"I don't kiss and tell," she said with a small smirk. She glanced at her grave and sighed solemnly. "I need your help, Jeremy. You're the only one who can bring me back. And I need you to do so."

And so every day he'd visit the girl, making sure he wasn't being followed. It was easy, seeing that no one focused much on the boy during those times. That's what made the plan so easy. He did everything she told him. The only thing boy really wanted was attention, and she was giving him every bit of hers.

On the second to last day, she guided him to where she used to live when she was human. To make it more believable, there she made him dig up the place where Esther was once buried-without telling him that was her grave, of course.

There he found a necklace with a rose pendent in the middle. She'd given him one of her most prized possessions, all to go through with the plan. When he wasn't looking, she spelled the necklace to give him temporary powers as a witch. Then, she told him to wear the necklace.

When he did, he could feel a surge of power overcome him and he had to sit down for a while. After getting over the feeling, she gave him a list of fake spells. They were to bring him more confidence in himself, and it worked. After all, he'd do anything to make his sister happy.

The day continued as planned, the boy practicing all the spells she'd given him. Entrusting him with her Grimoire proved to him just how serious she was with the spells. "You better not rip any of the pages, little Gilbert," she warned. "That book is very important to me."

"These look like Aztec spells," he commented.

"I did live in Viking times, Jeremy. Anyways, since you're doing this for me, I'll let you cash in a favor."

He didn't care about her favors but accepted nonetheless. He just wanted his sister to be happy again. He'd said to Alaska once, "Your death took a toll on Elena. I don't know what went on between you two, but she was hurt. For some reason, you make her happy, and that's all I want for her."

The final day they met Jeremy had memorized each spell. Alaska kept the coffin closed for her own amusement, her arms by her side. He looked around him and saw no sign of the Rose. Suddenly, she opened the coffin and sat up.

Her brown eyes drifted to the boy who helped her and felt the veins protrude from under her eyes. She sunk her fangs into his jugular, drinking his blood until he law limp. She knew she had his ring on him, which enabled her to drain him of his blood. She grinned when she saw the necklace around his neck glow brightly, the rose pendent looking for its rightful owner. She tore it from his neck, speeding away to allow Elena the courtesy of finding her brother's temporary corpse.