Book Two: Aquiver (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Nine

Alaric and Damon walk through the Carnival looking for Caroline. Alaric keeps glancing back towards the school, his worry clear. He lets out a breath and looks at Damon. 

"You didn't seem as surprised as the rest of us" Alaric points out, Damon nods.

"Yep," He agrees. "She told me"

"When did she figure it out?" Alaric asks. "That...Eva was X"

"About three days ago" Damon answers, Alaric looks at him. "She's the kind of person where you crack one secret...and then find ten more under it" Damon points out.

"What are you talking about?" Alaric asks him.

"Diana....you think you get some answers but then...." Alaric frowns at him, not following. "Go through the conversation we just witnessed....anything about it seem off?" Damon asks, Alaric frowns as he thinks back. Damon can see the second Alaric realizes what was wrong.

"If...Diana killed Eva....how the hell is she here?" Damon nods and points at Alaric.

"Gold star for you" Alaric glares at Damon.

"If you know something...."

"I do" Damon answers and smirks. Alaric shakes his head. Damon then notices a wooden tent peg in the ground. He walks over and takes it out.

..............

Back at the school, Diana hits the ground with a cry and Eva smirks lowering her fist. Diana groans and rolls onto her back, a few bruises already forming on her face from the fight.

"You're weak" Eva comments. "All that power in your blood going to waste because you let Artemis deceive you"

"Deceive me?" Diana asks.

"You believed her when she told you that locking away the darkest parts of us was a good thing, that taking part of our souls away was a good thing...."

"It was" Diana defends. "How much of you is even human any more? How much of the old gods are left? The darkness takes over, spreads like an infection until it corrupts every inch of us...it had to be removed. To save us. To save everyone...."

"But it feels so good" Eva counters. "Diana, you should feel this power...." Eva then smirks and holds up Diana's necklace, Diana's hand snaps to her chest to find it gone. "I think you should..."

"No" Diana begs of her.

"We could walk the Earth together" Eva states.

"We would destroy it" Diana argues.

"And what is worth saving?" Eva asks her. The two of them share a look, Diana pushes herself to her feet. "We're going to have so much fun together"

....................

Elsewhere at the Carnival, Elena and Stefan are walking around and looking for Caroline too.

"You agree with Damon, don't you? Stefan?" Elena asks, Stefan punches the side of a trailer. "Stefan. Hey."

"Damon's right, not about what we should do but about what's gonna happen. Katherine already signed Caroline's death sentence."

"Well, we can't let it end that way. She's doing this to me, isn't she?"

"Actually, she's doing it to me." Stefan corrects sadly and then lets out a soft sigh. He starts to walk onward, Elena jogging to catch up with him.

"Where could she be?" Elena asks and notices something up with Stefan. "What is it? Do you hear her? What's going on Stefan, what is it?"

"Blood. I can smell blood." He admits, the two of them share a look and then hurry towards the smell.