I smile, rolling over in bed as I hear footsteps outside the door. Stefan leans against the doorframe, his eyebrows raised at me. âI see you and my brother had a good night.â he comments.
âYes we did.â Damon yells from the shower.
I laugh, jumping out of bed, with only my bra and underwear on. Trust me, I would not be jumping out of bed naked with Stefan in the room. That would be really weird, and awkward. Just no.
I walk over to Damonâs dresser, pulling on a tank top and putting on a pair of dark jeans. I grab my jacket, slipping it on. I look at my reflection in the mirror, and frown, seeing my hair a ratted mess. I pull it back in a bun, really not wanting to deal with it.
Damon walks out of the bathroom in only a towel, his hair still dripping wet. He smirks at me, wiggling his eyebrows. âMorning.â Damon greets his brother.
âYou two are late. We are supposed to meet Bonnie at the old witch house in 10 minutes.â Stefan sighs.
âIâm ready to go, so only Damon is late.â I point out.
âRelax brother, you donât want your hair to fall out.â Damon teases, ignoring me.
âWould you hurry up? We have work to do. You know Klaus isnât gonna spontaneously self-destruct.â Stefan glares, obviously not in a good mood this morning. Guess he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. âOh, and you two, mellow down, youâre both practically radiating this morning. I really donât want to know how happy you guys are because you finally had sex again.â
âDonât be mad Stefan. You might get a hook up again one day.â I wink.
âJust hurry up.â he mutters.
=============
âYou didnât say anything to Elena about the coffins right?â Stefan asks, as we head towards the witch house.
âNo, I said I wouldnât.â Damon frowns.
âI know what you said.â Stefan shrugs.
âThen why are you asking?â Damon demands.
âBecause protecting the location of Klausâ family is my number one priority right now. The fewer people that know the better.â Stefan says, and I swear I hear something. I hold my hand out, stopping them from walking further. There is definitely someone else here other than Bonnie.
Damon looks around a little confused. âWhat?â
âI think one of Klausâ goons is here.â I whisper, âDamon, go check downstairs.â Damon speeds off, no questions asked. Stefan and I quietly walk toward the house.
âBack door.â he mouths to me. I nod, stopping in front of the door. We wait for a few moments before a hybrid walks out the door. He stops when he sees us, surprise that weâre here.
He snarls at us, his eyes glowing yellow. âThat is not a very attractive face.â I comment, right as the guy lets out a cry of pain. He falls to the floor, Damon standing there with the hybridâs heart in his hands.
âThese hybridsâ¦â Damon sighs, throwing the heart on top of the guy, ââ¦theyâre really bringing the neighborhood down.â
===========
âYouâre giving me a headache.â I complain as Damon continues to vampire bang the shovel against the one coffin that is locked up tight. Oh, you want to know something shitty? Iâm not allowed in here alone because they think Iâll wake up Elijah. Which I just might if I get a chance.
âYouâre wasting your time, it wonât open.â Stefan sighs, done with the banging too. Apparently vampires can get headaches too. âDid you two bury the body?â
âEw no. He buried it, and I supervised.â I smirk.
âAny sign of our little hybrid buddies?â Damon asks.
âNope, just the dead one.â Stefan answers.
âAlright, Klaus has six siblings. Rebekah is now with Klaus. There was one dead kid in the old world and one dead kid in the new world. Which leaves Elijah and two others, three sleeping Originals.â Damon gestures to the three coffins in front of him. âFour coffins, three Originalsâ¦so who is in the locked box?â Damon whispers, looking at the fourth one.
âNo idea, but whatever is in here Bonnie seems to think itâll help us kill Klaus.â I shrug, âSo the sooner she can get this thing open, the sooner we will know if she is right.â
âWell youâd think the spirits of a bunch of dead witches that could make a coffin invisible, that they would figure out how to open one!â Damon yells, and I think he thinks that the coffin will just pop open because he said that. âFine. Donât help.â Damon sighs when nothing happens.
âYou know, none of this is going to do us any good if Klausâ hybrid friends find our hiding spot. Right? They need to go away.â Stefan states.
âOh yeah, thatâs a great idea Stefan. Why donât you just ask him to pack a bag and take a long vacation while youâre at it. How about you keep the peace? Donât draw attention to the very things weâre trying to hide.â Damon suggests sarcastically.
âNo, Iâm not going to play defense when I have what Klaus wants. He does what I say or I dump his family to the bottom of the ocean.â Stefan glares.
âThen he kills you, and everyone you know. Like I donât know, me.â I argue, giving Stefan a warning look. Heâs talking crazy.
âNo, heâs bluffing. His family means more to him than anything else.â Stefan says, and I swear he looks at me a little weird.
âAre you sure about that?â Damon hisses.
âWell I donât know Damon, I guess there is only one way to find out right? Call his bluff.â Stefan smirks.
âThe only way to call someoneâs bluff Stefan is to be willing to loose everything if youâre wrong.â I warn.
Stefan gives me a grin, âIâm not calling his bluff Aria, you are.â
==============
I lean against the door, knowing that he can sense me. I have to admit, this mansion heâs building. Itâs pretty damn impressive. My eyes drift over to the girl pushing Rebekahâs coffin away. Great. Klaus didnât wake her upâ¦
âI thought you and Stefan would have ditched town by now. I gave you tow your freedom, you could have gone anywhere.â Klaus says, acknowledging me finally.
âI live here Klaus.â I shrug.
âWell if weâre playing this game then, I was here first.â Klaus smirks slightly.
âYou know, I donât like your hybrid friends very much. Theyâre ugly, and theyâre everywhere. A girl has got to have some privacy. Plus theyâre like fleas. Soâ¦I want them gone.â I smirk back, taking a few steps towards him. Iâm saying exactly what Stefan told me. For some reason he thought I would have a better chance with Klaus.
âYeah well ahâ¦I kind of like having them around.â Klaus responds, âYou know Iâm kind of hurt. I thought that I would free Stefan, and we would all pick up where we left off. Or at least I thought you would stick by my side.â
Klaus is so close to me I can practically feel his breath on my skin. Heâs staring at me so intensely, I donât know if heâs trying to compel me or not. âIâm drinking vervain now Klaus. You canât compel me to do anything.â
Klaus rolls his eyes, âI thought we were friends Aria.â
âFriends donât force friends to leave everything they know and kill people. Youâre not my friend Klaus.â I glare.
âDonât act like you donât like what Iâve turned you into love. Youâre better this way, and you know it.â Klaus smirks.
âI used to think I was better this way, I used to think you did me a favor. I donât anymore Klaus. All I think now is that youâve cursed me.â I say, fighting back tears.
âIf you think that love, why are you still wearing the necklace I gave you?â he asks, causing my hand to go up to the necklace I never take off. Heâs rightâ¦if I truly thought what I said was true, I wouldnât be wearing this. Klausâ hand travels gently down my arm, âI know that you have feelings for me Aria. I can see it.â
I pull away from him, trying to regain my calm. âDonât ever touch me like that again Klaus.â Klaus gives me a smile, not looking sorry at all. That pisses me off even more. âGet your hybrids out of Mystic Falls, or I will remove them myself.â I growl.
âYou see if your continue to threaten me love, Iâm going to be forced to retaliate. Kill people, and itâll get messy. Again.â Klaus warns, looking all smug with himself.
âDo what you want, I donât really care. Or you know what, maybe I do care. Maybe I care so much that I drop one of your siblings in the arctic.â I threaten.
âWell maybe Iâd be willing to loose one brother if it meant killing yours.â Klaus grins. Doesnât he have a deal with Elena not to harm Jeremy?
âYouâve turned me into the monster I am today, so why donât you try me Klaus. Take a chance.â I smirk, not backing down.
âIs everything okay?â a girl asks, walking into the room. Hybrid. Great.
âEverything is fine Mindy. Aria was just leaving after failing to make her point.â Klaus tells her, causing me to narrow my eyes at him.
I quickly grab the blade on the work table next to me, swinging the blade and cutting off Mindyâs head. I grin over at Klausâ shocked expression. âWell, one down. You might want to send the rest of them away before it getsâ¦messy. Again.â I mock him before throwing the blade back onto the table, and sauntering out of the room.
==============
My phone rings, and I sigh, setting my drink down. Seriously? Canât I have a night off or something. âHello?â I answer.
âAria, are you willing to do something for me?â Stefan asks, not even bothering to say hello.
âDependsâ¦â I trail off.
âI want you to try and kill Elena.â Stefan states, causing my mouth to drop open.
âExcuse me?â I demand.
âThink about, if Elena dies Klaus canât make more hybrids. He knows how much you hate Elena right now, he might actually think youâll kill her. Threatening him wasnât enough, but threatening Elena. Itâll work.â Stefan insists.
âAnd how do you want me to fake kill my sister?â I question.
âI donât care, just make Klaus believe it.â Stefan hangs up, the line going dead.
I sit there for a moment, debating whether I should do this or not. If Klaus doesnât stop me, I might just have to kill my own sisterâ¦.heâll stop me though. I trust Stefan, if he thinks this will work, then I have to too. I have to take the risk.
I speed out of the house, running as fast as I can to the graveyard. Bonnie told me something about how they were going to go there for Caroline. I donât really care about the details right now.
I hear Matt and Elena near the Fell cellar, and speed off toward them. I stop when I see Matt and Elena standing there, joking around with each other. They both actually look happy for onceâ¦
I push myself to speed over to Matt, throwing him into the wall. Good. I knocked him out. I wrap my hand around Elenaâs mouth, making sure she doesnât scream. The last thing I need is Caroline running over here and starting a fight.
Elena looks at me terrified, and I stare back at her with a crazy glint in my eyes.
Time to really get crazyâ¦
==========
I speed down the road in Stefanâs red Porsche that was sitting in the garage. I had to knock Elena out for a little bit, so I could run back to the Salvatore house and grab the car. It was a lot of work. Stefan better be happy about this.
âWhat are you doing Aria?â Elena demands, sounding majorly pissed off. She looks down when her phone starts ringing, Damonâs called ID popping up. I swipe it from her hands.
âHello Damon. Sheâs a little busy right now.â I answer, angry that Damon is calling her.
âWhy do you have Elenaâs phone?â Damon probably frowns.
âStefan and I are making our next move. Let me ask you something, whatâs Klaus going to do if he canât make anymore hybrids?â I smirk, looking over at Elena.
Elena finally starts to get it, âWhat?â she whispers.
âAria, donât do this. We were finally good again, donât-â
âIf me threatening Elena bothers you so much then maybe we shouldnât be good anymore. Not like it lasted long anyways. It never does.â I growl, before rolling down the window, and throwing the phone out.
âWhat are you doing?!â Elena yells panicked, âAria, let me out of this car. Aria?! Do you hear me?!â
âYes I hear you Elena, so please, shut up.â I command, keeping my eyes on the road.
âSo whatâs the plan Aria? Whatâs the big move you and Stefan are making?â Elena glares, being quiet for a whole zero seconds there.
âWe took his family to make him suffer, Iâm not going to let Klausâ hybrids become a problem.â I explain.
âThen what are you going to do huh? Are you going to lock me in some cave and keep me hostage?â Elena questions.
I look over at her, hoping I look pretty threatening right now. âMaybe Iâll just turn you into a vampire.â
âStop the car Aria.â Elena commands, and when I donât respond, she practically screams, âStop the car Aria!â Ah, no. That would defeat me point.
I pull out my phone, dialing Klausâ number. I set the phone on the dashboard, Klaus answering immediately. âAh Aria love, so nice to hear your voice.â
âTell your hybrids to get out of town Klaus.â I say, pushing the gas pedal harder. Iâm going about 115 right now. I feel pretty badass.
âThatâs not going to happen until I get my coffins back.â Klaus replies calmly.
I let out a little laugh, âOkay well then, Iâm going to drive your blood source off Wikery Bridge.â I know, itâs kind of ironic. Elena and I went over Wikery Bridge when our parents died in that crash, now Iâm threatening to do it again.
âI donât believe you Aria, you wonât kill her. Sheâs your sister.â Klaus says.
I bite into my wrist, letting go of the wheel, and shoving it into Elenaâs mouth. She chokes down the blood, frantically fighting against me. I let go of her, grabbing the wheel again. She coughs a few times, blood on her lips.
âWhat are you doing?â Elena exclaims.
âWhatâs going on?â Klaus worries from the other end.
âI just fed her my blood. No more hybrids if sheâs a vampire.â I grin, pressing the gas once again even harder.
âI donât believe youâll do it.â Klaus states.
âReally? Try me. Cause your coffins are next to go.â I seethe, shifting into a faster gear, causing the car to jerk. Elena cries out, her head bouncing against the seat. Wikery Bridge is in front of us now. âSay goodbye to your family Klaus.â
âAria! Aria slow down! Aria, stop it!â Elena screams frantically, the bridge getting closer.
âFine Iâll send them away, you win.â Klaus says, but I still don'tâ stop the car. I think Iâm going 150 now, itâs pretty cool.
âAria! Aria stop it!â Elena cries, when I donât slow down any.
âStop the car Aria.â I hear Klaus command. I smirk, slamming down on the breaks. Elena screams as the tires screech, smoke coming off them. The car comes to a stop, Elena gasping from the passenger seat.
She looks over at me with disgust, getting out of the car. Wonderful, I have to deal with this now.
I follow her out of the car, âElena. Elena get back in the car.â I sigh.
âStay away from me.â she warns, continuing to walk away from me.
âElena get back here.â I growl.
She spins around, tears streaming down her face. âHow could you? Our parents died on this bridge, we almost diedâ¦how could you do this Aria?â
âLook he had to believe that I would do it. Your fear sold it.â I explain, actually feeling bad.
âWhat if he hadnât?â Elena cries.
âHe did.â I respond.
âWell what if he hadnât?!â she questions, her voice rising.
âHe did Elena! He backed down! He has a weakness, if we know his weakness we can destroy him!â I yell, my voice cracking.
âAfter everything, thatâs what matters? Destroying Klaus?â she whispers, turning her back to me.
I stare at her for a few moments, âItâs all I have left now.â
Elena spins back around, âYou had Damon! You had me! Both you and Stefan.â
âI lost both you and Damon the second I left town. The second Klaus made me into a monster. You just havenât admitted it yet. Neither has Damon.â I say, feeling a few tears run down my cheek. Itâs true. I did loose Damon when I became what I am now. Stefan lost Elena too.
âIs that what youâre doing? Trying to make everyone hate you?â Elena asks.
âI donât care what anyone thinks about me.â I lie, starting to walk back towards the car.
âI know it hurts you Aria. Making the people you love hate you. Donât act like it doesnât.â Elena argues.
I close my eyes for a second, âMaybe I should make it stop hurting then.â
âNo, donât. You need to feel that hurt Aria. Itâs the only thing that can bring you back.â Elena insists.
âNothing can bring me back anymore Elena. Iâm sorry butâ¦your sister, sheâs dead.â I state before getting back into the car. I press the gas pedal speeding away from Elena, off the bridge I hate so much.
I drive a few miles before I stop the car again, stumbling out. I lean against the car, trying to fight the sobs that are working there way up. I canât do this anymore. I canât keep feeling like this.
Turn it off
A voice whispers in my head, but I push it back. I wonât turn off my humanity. I canât.
I let out a sob, sliding down the car onto the road. I scream as loud as I can, just wanting to get it out. My phone buzzes, and I look up, seeing a text fromâ¦Klaus.
I pick up the phone, my hand shaking when I open the message. I bite my lip to keep from screaming again. I stare at the phone in shock for a few moments, not knowing what to do.
I throw the phone as hard as I can at the tree next to the road. It shatters, the pieces falling down to the floor. âI hate you!â I sob, as the message burns itself into my mind. It was a photo.
Of Damon and Elena kissing.