Unstoppable | The Vampire Diaries

123. Let the Right One In

"Where is she now?"

"There's a preserved body at the Armory called 'the final Everlasting'."

"Whether we believe them or not, it's Riley's only chance."

"Oh, you mean the ambiguously terrifying monster from the vault?"

"You can't get in."

"The cutest little Plan C's you've ever seen."

"So that we don't have to run anymore."

"She can probably hear what we're saying right now."

Riley groaned as the different voices filled her head at varying volumes, getting half of her friends' out-of-context conversations that caused her headache to pound against her skull harder and harder.

"So what's it like when you see them?" Matt asked curiously. He was driving his cruiser, Bonnie was in the passenger seat, and Riley was in the back, fighting against the ropes that they'd tied her up with.

"I get snippets of conversations, an image here or there, y'know? But the strongest thing is the feeling I get. I can feel what they feel – it's like being a psychic but kicked up a thousand notches. They're... scared."

Bonnie sighed, wondering what it would feel like to be in Riley's position. "You know they're never gonna give up, right?"

Riley nodded. Of course she knew that. Her friends were the most determined bunch of people she'd ever met. Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones. "They're trying to find a way to open up the Armory, to kill the final Everlasting. I'm gonna get to them before they do."

"We won't let that happen," Matt promised firmly. "Just focus on something else. We'll get you as far away as possible."

"It won't work, we both know that," Riley practically spat. "They can't hide from me, and it's only a matter of time before I break out of here and start hunting them again. Please tell me you have a better plan than a piece of rope?"

Bonnie turned around in her seat to look at her friend. "Riles, this isn't just up to us. We can keep driving, we can keep you away from them for a while, but we can't make you stop. You're the only one who can fight it. You have to keep trying."

"I'm fighting as hard as I can," she said angrily. "Do you think I really want to hurt them? Care is my sister, the mother of my nieces, Enzo's my best friend and your boyfriend and... I love Damon. And in my heart, I know that I could never hurt them. But my head hates vampires. And if I get close to any of them, I'll kill them without even thinking about it."

Suddenly, voices burst into her head, and she had to close her eyes to concentrate on them, clenching her hands together to try and suppress the pain it caused.

"This doesn't let you off the hook, you know. For leaving," Caroline was saying to Stefan, her tone playful.

"No?"

"No."

"Not even a little bit?"

"Nope. Not even a little bit."

"Call Caroline!" Riley urged, screaming through the ache in her head as their conversation continued in her mind,

"What's wrong?" Matt asked while Bonnie started calling. "What happened?"

"We're gaining on them," Riley told him through gritted teeth. "We need to turn around, and they need to move faster. Tell Stefan to drive faster!"

The closer she got to them, the more powerful her urges became. It felt like everything in her body was tying her to them. Getting closer was like almost being able to finally scratch an itch; to have some relief for the first time in forever. She had no choice but to scratch the itch, no matter who it hurt.