Book Three: Ineffable (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Twenty-One

Alaric walks with Diana as she heads towards her jeep. He's still not okay with her going to meet up with Eva alone. His pregnant wife heading off to face the woman that tried to destroy her life, to kill her, that did what she did to Derek.

"Ric" Diana warns a little.

"This is Eva" Alaric reminds her. "Stalker. Attempted murderer.....put that demon inside of you"

"But she's the old Eva now" Diana defends as she turns to him. "Before she let herself be taken over by the darkest parts of herself..." Alaric sighs. "This is for a weapon to help us kill Klaus" He nods. "Even if she was the same...I would still have to do this" he looks at her sadly. "You know I do" He nods again and touches her hand. "He has to pay for what he did to us, to my family, to our friends. Ric..." he leans closer and kisses her forehead.

"Yeah, he does" he agrees, he knows she has to do this, she has to go alone, she has to find out what can kill Klaus.

"Trust me," She asks of him.

"You know I do" He argues softly. "It's her I don't trust" she leans up and kisses him.

"I'll be okay" She whispers against his lips. "This is for justice" he nods as she pulls back. He takes a deep breath and then lets it out.

"Okay" he offers, she touches his hand before heading away from him, Alaric remains where he is and nods to himself. This is the right thing to do. To get justice. To kill Klaus.

.......

At the old Lockwood Cellar, Eva is leaning against a wall waiting for Diana, she hums a little and then glances to the entrance as Diana arrives. Eva raises an eyebrow at her, Diana sighs.

"I'm alone" She assures Eva who nods a little.

"I'm surprised you showed at all" Eva admits.

"You put a snag in our only other Klaus lead. So I'd say I'm highly motivated." Diana comments. Eva leans and hands Diana one of the two lanterns from the ground.

"Mikael? Yeah. That didn't turn out so great, did it?" Eva asks her.

"How do you know so much?"

"There's not much to do on the other side but sit around and watch other people screw things up." Eva admits.

"Why are you helping Tyler?" Diana asks. "Why help Mason?"

"Mason pointed out that I screwed with his nephew" Eva admits. "No demon side means I actually feel bad about that. Derek...he didn't deserve what I did to him. So to help...amend, I promised Mason that I would help Tyler, that I would help you help Tyler, so Mason could find his peace"

"Why didn't you do to the underworld?" Diana asks her. "You should have gone..."

"No drachma" Eva answers. "No ferry ride" She looks at Diana.

"I left you drachma" Diana defends. Eva nods.

"Gave it to Mason" She admits, Diana stops and stares at her. "He deserved peace...I don't" Eva adds.

"Eva" Diana whispers. "I am actually sorry for killing you" Eva nods. "You are my sister, and I..."

"I know" Eva stops her. "And I am mad you did it" she admits. "But...new perspective, I know why you did...And I am so sorry, Diana. Athena was right about what was inside of us" Diana blinks letting a few tears roll down her cheek. "And I should have let her lock it up, as she did for you" Eva looks down a little. "I hurt so many people," Eva tells her. "And none of them deserved it, so I will stay and fix my mistakes for as long as I can" Eva steps closer to Diana. "Starting with you" They share a look.

"This is how it should have been between us" Diana motions between the two of them. Eva nods in agreement. Diana clears her throat. "So...what exactly are we looking for down here?"

"There's an old Lockwood family legend about a weapon that can kill an Original vampire. Like the rest of their secrets, they kept it buried." Eva tries to break a wall with the shovel but it doesn't work. Eva clears her throat. "Demi powers don't work when dead" Eva admits quietly. "No strength" Diana takes the shovel from her.

"It's okay, I got it" Diana assures her and then uses the shove and her demi-strength to break the wall. Soon she's broken a hole in it and they stick their heads and the lantern through to see what's on the other side. Eva and Diana share a look. Eva smiles widely at her, but there is no longer anything manic or crazed about her smile. It's pure.

"Go for it." Eva offers.

"You first" Diana counters, Eva climbs through the wall and Diana follows her.

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

Diana and Eva stop when they reach a crossroads of tunnels. Eva lets out a breath and looks at Diana.

"All right. Which way?" Diana asks her.

"I don't know. Flip a drachma"

"Aren't you supposed to be all-knowing?" Diana teases, Eva shoots her a look.

"I'm a ghost. I'm not an Oracle. Go left." Diana heads that way but there's nothing there. "Or not" Eva offers with a shrug. Diana walks a little further and suddenly sharp wooden poles move out from the walls, Diana's eyes widen and she holds up her hands, wrapping herself in a vibration bubble, the wooden poles hit the barrier but shatter on impact. "Di, you okay?" Eva asks. Diana lowers the barrier and nods.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good"

"Did you know we could do that?"

"No, that's something new I've been working on"

"I like it" Eva admits as they walk together. Eva sobers slightly and takes a deep breath. "Do you know what the other side is like?" Eva asks as they continue walking, Diana hums a little. "It's nothing like the stories we were told" Diana looks at her. "We're all alone. We watch the people we left behind and we regret our decisions." Eva looks at her. "I can't change what happened to me. But maybe I can change what happens to Tyler," Eva steps closer to Diana. "I'm not looking for revenge, Di..." She assures her sister. "I am seeking redemption for the things that I did...If I can help Tyler, then maybe Derek will forgive me, maybe you will" Diana gives her a sad smile and then suddenly hugs Eva who is surprised by the action. Her hands hang limply at her side, unsure what to do here, no one has ever hugged her before, not even when she was living. She takes a breath and lifts her arms around Diana, hugging her back.