Chapter Text
My life would have been perfect if I'd never returned to the picturesque town of Mystic Falls. I would have been safe, secure, and had a much higher chance of survival if I just stayed in my apartment in Paris, tucked away with books, free to sip hot chocolate and delicious Parisian blood.
But upon receiving an email overflowing with information about my brothers who had gotten themselves into yet another life-threatening mess, I knew any chance of having a peaceful life in Paris was obliterated. Pleasure soon lost its sweet caress when one was painfully aware their loved ones were suffering.
So, several sailor-worthy curses, a rush of packing, and a plane ride later I found myself in the state of Virginia, hurrying to my brothers’ aid.
The email sent from my source had been characteristically vague, meant to perplex any unwanted eyes. But it had been enough to propel me to another continent. The fact that Stefan and Damon were back together was the fact that had shaken me to my core. In recent decades, after many failed attempts at reconciliation, their relationship had been strained and separate. What had compelled them to reunite after so many years apart?
But the threat that endangered them was the real reason I was now sitting in the back of a taxi, getting closer to Mystic Falls with every tumble of the wheels. Vampires were plaguing the town, trying to expose the Salvatore brothers for what they were. But not just any vampires: tomb vampires. The same vampires I’d been led to believe had been burned in the church in 1864. Clearly, I had been lied to. What else was I wrong about?
I would be demanding the answers from my brothers as soon as I saved their asses.
The taxi drove by the postcard-worthy sign stating “ Welcome to Mystic Falls”. Or as I like to call it: home. Even though it’s been centuries since this town resembled the home I grew up in, a calming wave of nostalgia washed over me, anchoring my body and mind. Here, I had died and been reborn again. A new chance at a new life. The universe had been kind and graced my eternal life with my brothers’ presence, granting them the same gift I was given. Back then I had naively believed that the three of us would be a family forever. The impossible desire of a child long gone.
“Where do you want me to drop you off?” The guy in the front asked, sparing a glance in the rearview mirror. His baseball cap rimmed the top of his eyes, shadows stretching across his face as the car drove by yellow streetlights.
I gave him the address, watching the rows of houses placed on emerald lawns go by, lights off, and occupants resting in a deep slumber.
We entered the main square, but instead of a quiet grassy lawn and closed shops, our greeting was much more abrupt. Several police cars and firetrucks were stationed in front of a building, water shooting from coils of hose at the dying breath of what appeared to be a tragic fire.
The driver slowed as the cops directed the oncoming cars away from the blackened building. I leaned forward, eyebrows pulling together as I took in the crowds of anxious people being held back by police. What had happened here?
Past the heavy scents that permeated the car —tobacco, mint gum, and smeared oil— my enhanced sense of smell could detect the lingering musk of fire and sulfur tainting the air outside. Frowning, I relaxed into the seat. Yet another question to ask Damon and Stefan.
The car left the wake of chaos behind us and the welcoming shops and restaurants gradually faded away, replaced by the stretching evergreen pines cloaked by the night's shadows. Despite the gnawing worry, the bubble of excitement in my chest grew larger with every bend in the road. It had been far too long since I’d seen my brothers, especially both of them at the same time. It wasn’t until now, my home just around the corner, that I realized how much I’ve missed them.
The driver let out a low whistle as when he saw the Boarding House. I silently agreed with him. The early twentieth-century architecture illuminated by the soft glow of the yellow lights mounted into the ground was remarkable. Despite my original home having been the old Salvatore mansion, I’d spent enough time here in my long life to have come to consider this place home.
“You live here?” The man asked, leaning down as we approached so he could marvel at the house's intricate and old foundation.
“My brothers do.” I am unable to contain a small smile as I take in the building before me.
The man helps me with the bags and after paying he drives away, his taillights eventually disappearing around the bend.
After a moment of careful listening, I discovered that my brothers weren’t here. A flash of relief was swallowed by a tsunami of disappointment. Perhaps a part of me had been afraid to show up here without warning. I’ve never been unwelcome when it comes to the Salvatores but if I appear amid the chaos, that might be too much for them to handle.
Especially since I still don't know what they’re doing in Mystic Falls anyway.
I tried the handle to the front door, unsurprised when it opened easily. After all of these years, they still don’t lock the damn doors. The interior was the same: dark, opulent, and occupied with enough relics to fill a museum.
Damon and Stefan’s scent was marked everywhere, which I’d expected, but I found an unfamiliar one lingering between them. Sweet, like flowers.
Had they been here long enough to establish connections? To build relationships? I thought they’d decided against that years ago. Forming attachments to creatures who were bound to die in half a century was an unnecessary road that ended in torment and grief.
Curiosity piqued, I wandered around, leaving my suitcase by the stairs. I didn’t let myself drift farther than the parlor, my nose twitching at the sharp scent of bourbon. The amber liquid awaited me in crystal decanters. Pouring a glass, I debated my next move.
If Damon and Stefan were indeed in danger then there was no sense in lingering in the house, waiting for their return. I had to go and find them, marching on foot if necessary. Gulping the bourbon down, wincing as it seared my throat, I stepped out into the night.
This town wasn’t the largest I'd seen, but it was still fairly expansive. But I was betting whatever I’d seen in the square had something to do with my brothers. I pushed off the concrete and my body defied all laws of possibility.
One of my favorite things about being a vampire was the enhanced speed. Racing across the world as if it belonged to me, the rush of the wind in my hair and the devious feeling of knowing I couldn’t be seen by ordinary eyes, was exhilarating.
My phone was heavy in my back pocket as I ran, a frustrating reminder that I was unable to call my brothers. The three of us go through so many new phones and numbers it is easier to just keep in contact through email. I haven't had either of their numbers in years. As soon as I saved them, I would remedy that.
My speed slowed to a normal jog when I reached the square. The huddles of people had been dispersed by the police and the fire was completely out. All that remained of the building was a charred shell of what it had been.
Firefighters were packing up and police were lingering. I approached a police officer, going unnoticed until I stood right in front of him. The man jumped slightly, his heart rate spiking with adrenaline as I materialized from the shadows. “Where did you come from?” He asked, hand placed over his chest.
I tilted my head, staring into his honey-brown eyes deeply. His facial muscles relaxed as the lure of my compulsion took effect. Another thing I adored about being a vampire. “What happened here?”
The glazed look in his eyes confirmed the compulsion and when he spoke his voice lacked any emotion, a puppet to pry information from whenever I wished. “A fire.”
“What was the cause?”
“Faulty wiring,” he responded evenly.
“Anything unusual?”
The man hesitated for a brief moment like his subconscious knew he wasn’t meant to share this information. But after another second of staring into my eyes, he complied, all resistance stripped away. “There were bodies in the basement. Burned beyond recognition. We’re not supposed to mention it.” The man blinked, slowly coming back to his senses, bewilderment overcoming his features as he realized what delicate information he’d just shared.
Information that spawned a flutter of panic to rise in my throat. Bodies? Had Damon and Stefan been one of them? “Forget this conversation and me,” I compelled him, my voice made sharper from the whetstone of fear.
The officer nodded and turned back to the building, heading to his parked car. It took a moment to find the strength to move. They can’t be dead. It wasn’t possible. My informant would have known; they would have told me. No, they were still alive somewhere.
I will scour every inch of this town if that’s what it takes to find them.
The task of finding them took longer than expected. I had latched onto their scent, specifically Damon’s, and followed it all over town, sometimes having to retrace my steps when it was lost or confused for someone else’s.
It was nearly dawn when I arrived back at the Salvatore Boarding House, throat itching with thirst and my panic having doubled during my tedious hunt for the brothers. I scowled at the house awaiting me. Inside, I could hear Damon pouring himself a drink, the sound of clinking glass unmistakable.
Despite the wild goose chase he’d led me on, I couldn’t deny the overwhelming relief I felt knowing he was safe and alive.
I walked in through the front door, the hinges soundless as I stepped inside. Regardless, his sensitive ears picked up on the shifting air and he paused. I waited in front of the door, observing his turned back, raven hair matching his shirt almost perfectly.
His head tilted imperceptibly and he slowly turned, facing me for the first time in years. The joy in his cerulean eyes was impossible to miss as he studied my form, a grin creeping onto his face.
“Just when this night couldn’t get any crazier…” he muttered to himself, shaking his head.
“I take it that’s a good thing?” My voice crossed the cosmic distance between us.
“Hell yeah, that’s a good thing!” Damon finally took a step, breaching the space separating us, a silent assurance that my presence was welcomed. A laugh escaped my lips as we embraced, strong arms around each other.
I closed my eyes, inhaling his scent and if I let my focus slip I could pretend we were back home in 1864... Back to when my brother offered wordless comfort after a difficult day of waiting on our father like I was his servant and not his flesh and blood. His hugs had brought me a sense of peace back then too.
I pulled away first and Damon looked down at me, the smile on his lips indestructible. “I missed you, Evie.” His childhood nickname for me evoked a nostalgic comfort in my bones.
“I missed you too.” I truly had. The hole in my heart that had been carved when my brothers and I were separated was achingly noticeable now that I had him right in front of me. “But that’s not why I’m here.”
Damon’s blissful grin morphed into an easy smirk, playful and nonchalant. “You didn’t come all the way from Paris to see your brothers? Ouch, Evie, that hurts.” He winced and placed a hand over his heart as if I’d struck him, but his teasing tone remained evident.
“I came from Paris to save my brothers,” I corrected, brushing past him to the table laden with blood and alcohol. I poured a glass of crimson blood, the sight of it only increasing the burn scalding my throat.
“Save us?” Damon scoffed. “I’m not a damsel in distress who needs saving.” I sipped the blood, savoring in the metallic undertones woven into the sweet liquid. It temporarily alleviated the burning hunger that would persistently return as it always did. A notable downside of my immortal gift.
I raised an eyebrow, facing him once more. “If I believed that, then I wouldn’t be here, would I?” It was amusing how his expression twisted into a pout at the words. “A little bird told me you were in danger. That the vampires from 1864 were running amuck and trying to kill you.”
Damon’s eyes narrowed as he processed my words. “Where is this little bird? I’m going to snap its neck.”
“Unimportant.” I waved a hand, dismissing the identity of my informant. “What the hell has been going on, Damon? I thought those vampires burned in the old church along with Katherine!”
Damon huffed loudly, glancing upwards as if asking for strength. “There is so much to catch you up on.” His eyes slid to me and my unwavering expression. “What happened to those emails we promised to send in the eighties? Maybe you’d be more caught up if you’d stayed in touch.”
Another sip of blood. “We both know you’re the one who stopped responding to my emails, which we’ll discuss later.” I set down the empty glass and the sound of the glass hitting the wood made Damon grimace. “Tell me what’s going on.”
Damon held my glare for a long while, neither of us blinking, knowing that in doing so we’d concede and lose. Something the pair did as children that had survived the decades since then. After an alarming amount of minutes passed, Damon’s eyes began to water and I smirked, blowing into them.
He flinched, hand reaching up to rub his eyes that had closed, making me the victor. “You still cheat!” But he didn’t sound angry, and when his hand fell away he was smiling.
I shrugged, gloating slightly. “And I win. Now tell me.”
Damon walked around the couch, collapsing into the red plush chair by the fire. “Fine, you little cheater.” I plopped on the couch, waiting eagerly. Damon’s lips twitched at my display of enthusiasm but when he spoke his voice was too heavy to be happy. “Katherine never died in the church.”
Confusion flooded my body. “But she was in the church. That’s what the records say.”
A bitter expression had masked Damon’s features. “She struck a deal. She wasn’t in there when it burned. So for the past one hundred and forty-five years, she’s been walking the earth. Alive.”
“That sneaky bitch,” I grumbled, my hatred for the immortal increasing. I wasn’t as surprised as one might think. I had known Katherine in 1864 when she had Salvatore brothers under her spell, turning them against each other and pretending to be my friend only to stab me in the back.
“Yep,” Damon agreed, staring at the blue ring on his finger. The one that allowed him to walk in the sun. “She abandoned the vampires, her family, for her freedom.”
“But how did they survive?” I asked, this tale growing more complex by the second.
“There was a tomb under the church,” Damon explained. “They were trapped in there by Emily, Katherine’s maid.”
I recalled the eerie woman with startling clarity. “I remember her.”
“Well, they got out and tried to kill the founding families for putting them in there. Long story short, they were all barbecued and I almost burned with them.”
“What?” I was alert now, propelled to my feet by panic.
Damon waved the concern off. “Relax, Stefan got me out. Can’t say the same for those vampires though…”
I sat back down, going over the facts in my head. One thing didn’t add up. “How did they escape?” If Emily had trapped them inside then her spell couldn't erode or fade away. Emily had been an extremely powerful witch, as any Bennett was.
Damon winced and the guilty expression he wore didn’t bolster my confidence at all. “Yeah…about that…I may have let them out.”
A long moment of silence as I contemplated my idiotic brother. “And why,” voice strained, “did you do that?”
“To free Katherine,” Damon said plainly, her name spoken like poison. “Turns out she wasn’t even in there in the first place.” Damon stared dully at the carpet, shaking his head. “I spent my entire immortal life searching for a way to free her only to be given the universe’s biggest middle finger.”
Pity surged within me and I resisted the urge to pull him into a hug. “I’m sorry, Damon.” Damon cut a wry smirk that hid his pain poorly.
“No, you’re not. You never liked me with her.”
“Yeah, because she was using you. She treated you like nothing, Damon. You deserve so much better than her.” Damon managed a weak smile.
He didn’t respond to my statement, leading me to believe that a part of him was still healing. A part of him still desired her. How could it not when he’d loved her for over a century?
“See?” Damon cleared his throat. “No damsel in distress here.”
I accepted his change of subject and fell against the couch. “So, I wasted a trip?”
Damon shrugged, a mischievous light glinting in his eyes. “Says who?” He stood up, offering his hands. I take them and he pulls me to my feet. “I haven’t seen you in decades, little sister. And I know Stefan is going to be sickeningly happy that you’re back…why not stay for a while?”
“Damon…”
“I know, I know,” he said quickly, “you have a life in Paris, gazing at the Eiffel Tower while eating bonbons and wearing a beret.” My scoff only encouraged him. “But we could all use some sibling bonding. Just for a week or two.” The corners of his eyes softened and his smile reminded me of when he was younger. “Come on, haven’t you missed us?”
Saying anything other than yes was a lie. “I have,” I confessed and he smirks victoriously. “Okay-” he pumps his fist and grins, “-but only for a week or two.”
Damon chuckled deviously. “When those two weeks are done you won’t want to leave,” he promised and I just shot him a doubtful look. He picked up my suitcase and began ascending the stairs to the second floor. I trailed behind him, careful to make sure he didn’t scuff the walls with the wheels of the case.
“Speaking of sibling bonding,” I mentioned, eager to voice the question that’s been bugging me since I'd received the email, “What’s up with you and Stef?”
“There’s nothing ‘up’ with us,” Damon insisted, his back turned to me. A faint trace of acidity polluted his words.
“Really? Because last I checked you both hated each other.” He led me down the hall towards my bedroom.
Damon opened the door, giving a forced smirk. “Well, things change.” He gestured for me to go inside, clearly intending to leave this conversation behind.
I didn’t take the bait. “Nothing changes that much.” Damon huffed, rolling his eyes as his smirk melted off his face once he realized I wasn’t dropping this. “What united you? I’m sure it wasn’t Katherine.”
I was fully aware of the timeline of Stefan’s love for her. That love quickly faded as the decades went on, the extent of how she manipulated him becoming clearer with each passing day. There was no way he would help Damon free her, if anything, it should have caused more animosity between them.
“Okay,” Damon said, wrinkling his face at my choice of wording, “United is pushing it. I’d say it’s more that we tolerate each other. We’re able to put aside our differences for…the tomb vampires.”
I caught the slight pause he left in his sentence. “You hesitated.”
Damon glared. “I did not,” he lied. “They were going to expose us because of their vengeance. It was a matter of banding together to take down a common threat.”
“I don’t believe you,” I pushed, irritated by his obstinance.
Damon sneered. “I don’t care.” He pushed the suitcase past the threshold, wheels rolling it across the worn wooden floors. “Go see your room, you snooping vampire. It’s missed you and your snoring.”
I playfully pushed him, earning a brotherly laugh. I wasn’t letting go of their previous topic. I knew something else had forced Stefan and Damon’s hatred to be put on hiatus and I would find out what it was. Eventually. For now, I let him think he’s succeeded in distracting me from what he’s avoiding.
“I do not snore!” I argued, finally entering the room that’s been mine on and off for decades.
“Lies,” Damon insisted. “I can hear your snores from across the house.” I reached for a pencil, my movements lightning fast and threw it at him with deadly force. Damon caught it easily, his infuriating smirk still in place. I grinned despite myself, shaking my head.
The room is relatively the same since I last saw it in the late eighties. The relic of a desk was situated in the corner in front of the wall covered with leather-bound books I'd collected throughout the years. The window that overlooked the backyard let in the early morning light, the gentle rays illuminating the familiar space.
I dragged my finger across the desk, impressed it came back clean without any dust clinging to the skin. “We had housekeeping, you know,” Damon taunted, rolling his eyes. “The Salvatore descendants aren’t animals.”
I shrugged, inspecting the trinkets that were lined up on the desk. “I didn’t know if cleaning was your top priority when I was gone.”
Damon leaned against the doorframe, his dark hair and clothes a sharp contrast to the pale walls. “Oh, it wasn’t. Trust me. I preferred…other activities.”
I hum knowingly, running a finger over a glass figurine I’d bought decades before. “I’m well aware of your other activities, Damon.”
He tilted his head. “What do you think they are?”
“Sex, bourbon, and murder,” I stated plainly, moving on to examine the books stacked on the floor-to-ceiling shelf.
I heard a mocking sniff from behind. “Aw, you do know what I like.” I hid my smile, letting my fingertips run over the smooth leather spines. “At least my past thirty years have been interesting. Better than Stefan’s. All he’s done is cry, journal, and brood.”
“Speaking of our brother, where is he?” I turned around, everything else falling away except Stefan.
Damon shrugged. “Here, there, somewhere.”
“You’re deflecting.”
Damon heaved a dramatic sigh. “Why do we need to find him? We all know I’m your favorite.”
“I have no favorites,” I declared. “And I came here to see both of you, remember? I want to see how he’s doing.”
“He’s doing fine.” The exaggerated snark caught my attention.
“Why? What’s going on?”
Damon held up his hands at my sharp tone. “Easy, he’s fine. Really. He just has a new fascination he’s been obsessed with recently.”
My eyebrows furrowed. “Like that time in the sixties, he was obsessed with crocheting?”
Damon shuddered at the memory. “God, no. We never speak of that. Those sweaters still hurt my eyes just thinking about them.” He turned to leave and I hurried after him, still curious.
“Wait, what is he obsessed with?”
“Not what, who.”
A gasp left my body and Damon spared a glance. “A human?! Who are they?”
Damon stopped ahead and forced a smile on his face. “Why don’t we find him and you can ask him yourself?”
I should have known better than to let Damon drive. Giving him control of any situation was dangerous, and almost always resulted in bodies or blood. I’d realized something was off when Damon turned into a long driveway that led to a brick mansion with blinding white support columns.
People were crowding the lawn, squeezing into the open door of the house.
“Where the hell are we?” I asked, somewhat grumpy that I'd fallen for his tricks.
Damon was smirking smugly as he parked his iconic blue car. “Aw, don’t look so glum, Evie,” Damon teased, the morning sunlight turning his eyes to sparkling sapphires. “This is a good way for you to meet people.”
“Is Stefan here?” I inspected the plethora of people crossing the stretch of meticulously mowed lawn, each carrying plates of wrapped food. I was eager to see my younger brother and my patience was thinning.
“He will be,” Damon promised, opening his door and stepping out. “The whole town is here.”
“What’s going on?” I exited the car as well, pushing dark hair off of my shoulder. My daylight ring glinted in the sunlight and my thumb found the rounded blue jewel, rubbing it for comfort in this unknown situation.
“It’s a memorial for Mayor Lockwood,” Damon explained as he led me down the white sidewalk towards the front door where a steady line had already formed. Damon leaned down, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “He was in the fire that killed the tomb vampires.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Was he a vampire?”
“Absolutely not. He was spearheading the Founder’s Council.” A noise of disgust escaped me at the mention of the centuries-old group that dedicated their pathetic lives to the eradication of vampires in Mystic Falls. They had been a pain in the ass in 1864.
“So then how did he end up there?” We melded into the line smoothly, waiting for our turn to enter the house.
“That is exactly what I want to know,” Damon said. Despite the somber mood that hung over everyone, he stood with his back straight, radiating a soft glow of joy from his body.
“Why are you so chipper? I haven’t been to a funeral in a while, but I’m pretty sure you don’t have the right attitude.”
“Maybe I’m just glad to have my sister back,” Damon said, swinging his arm around my shoulders.
I shrugged him off, biting back a laugh. “When did you get so nice? The last time I saw you, you were an ass.”
Damon flashed a grin as the line moved up. “Oh, I’m still an ass.”
I rolled my eyes, not doubting that for a second. We were next in line to meet with the thin woman standing by the door. Her face was arranged into a grieving mask, as she gestured for the couple ahead of us to come inside.
Her blue eyes lit up, some of the grief dissipating, once she saw Damon approach. His giddy smile from before was gone, replaced by a more appropriate grimace of grief to match hers. “Carol.” His voice was laden with so much sympathy it was a miracle he didn’t buckle under it. He took his hands in hers. “I am so sorry for what happened. It’s just awful.”
Carol pressed her lips together, squeezing his hands. “We’re just trying to make it through today,” she admitted, lowering her voice slightly.
“Of course. If there is anything you need, I’m here, okay?” Damon’s act was beautiful- the downward tilt of his lips, the softening of his baby blue eyes- Carol was falling for it while I was struggling not to scoff.
“Thank you, Damon,” Carol said somberly. Her attention shifted to me and she hastily wiped a tear away, placing a shaky smile on her face. “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Carol Lockwood.” She extended her hand, the bangles on her wrist jangling.
“I’m Eve Frost,” I say, shaking her chilled hand briskly. “Damon’s sister.”
Carol raised her eyebrows, glancing between us. “I was unaware Damon had a sister.”
Damon allowed a flicker of a smirk to dance across his lips. “She’s a family secret,” he whispered, earning a chuckle from Carol.
“Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Eve. Please, come in,” she greeted, gesturing to the open door that led into the hall.
“Thank you.” I step through the threshold with ease. For someone whose husband was on the founder’s council, she should be more selective about whom she invites into her home.
“See? You’re already off the potential vampire list,” Damon whispered, the pep in his step returning as we weaved through the throng of people.
“How so?” I took in the opulent marble floors and graceful swell of the staircase that led to a hidden upstairs. The flowers adorning the vases were freshly picked, the petals still bright and young.
“The council thinks vampires can’t walk in the sun,” Damon explained, keeping his voice low. “And there you were: waltzing around in the daylight.”
“I don’t waltz,” I corrected, nudging him with my elbow.
“Sure you do,” Damon persisted, eyes scanning the crowd. “I’ve seen you dance. You’re pretty average.”
My scoff didn’t match the swell of pride I felt at his compliment. “‘Pretty average?’ That’s the biggest compliment you’ve given me in decades.”
“Oh shush,” Damon said, brushing off the teasing. “Come with me, I want to introduce you to someone.”
I obliged his request, following him through the cluster of people to an officer standing by the stairs, brown eyes tight as she observed the crowd. The anxiety noticeably lessened when she saw Damon making his way over to her. I had to applaud my brother’s way with the women in this town- no wonder they didn’t suspect him, he had them all wrapped around his finger.
“Damon,” she uttered his name as if it were a blessing. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Of course, I am,” Damon assured her, his soft and kind tone returning. “How is Caroline?”
“She’s recovering. The doctors think she’ll be okay, but she’ll be in the hospital for a few more days at least.” Emotion choked the woman’s voice as she spoke and she was quick to clear it away with a small cough.
Damon placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “She’s going to be okay, Liz. She’s strong.”
I don’t know who Caroline was, but judging from the extent this woman cared for her, I assumed Caroline was her daughter. Liz seemed to appreciate his words, some tension fleeing her shoulders. Her dark eyes moved to me and she forced a polite smile onto her thin lips. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“This is my sister, Eve,” Damon said, placing his arm around me and giving me a shake. I grit my teeth through a smile, placing my hand on his shoulder, and squeezing hard enough that he let out a yelp and released me. He quickly disguised the yelp with a cough, cutting me a glare.
“I didn’t know you had a sister,” Liz said, extending her hand. “I thought it was just Stefan and Damon.”
“They haven’t bragged about me?” I give Damon a playful scowl. “I’m offended.” Liz chuckled at the joke.
“I’m Liz Forbes, sheriff of this town,” she introduced. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“A pleasure to meet you as well, Liz,” I said, turning up the charm on my smile. Damon wasn’t the only one who knew how to enchant women with charisma. “I’m sorry it had to be under such grim circumstances.”
Liz’s pleasant face dampened at the reminder of where we were and why we were here. “Yes, so am I.” Her gaze flickered to Damon, hinting at untold information she wished to share without my presence. “Can I speak with you?”
Damon’s eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch and he nodded, solemnity overcoming his features. “Absolutely.” I don't need a dismissal to take my leave.
“I’ll be over by the food,” I said, and he nods.
“Stay out of trouble,” he muttered as I retreated into the crowd. His warning was unnecessary. Out of the Salvatore children, I was the one who had the most control over my vampiric instincts. Damon was impulsive and gave in to his need to kill whenever his emotions were heightened. Stefan was unrecognizable when he drank human blood, losing himself to the urges completely. I, however, prided myself in my unflinching ability to control the bloodlust and desire to tear into these people’s tracheas.
It took a special kind of restraint to resist pulling a person into a darkened corner and feasting on their sweet blood. Especially when the thrumming of their pulses rang in my ears like a melodious symphony.
I glanced back over my shoulder at my brother and Liz, noticing briefly that Carol had joined them and the two women were engaging in a heated argument, Damon failing to make peace between them.
Jostling into someone diverted my attention back to what lay ahead of me. A small girl with a soft brown complexion and dark waves of hair stood before me, mild surprise from our collision contorting her features.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized, placing an apologetic hand on her forearm for a brief second before brushing past her, intent on the table of food. My steps were halted as a rush of power swarmed from behind, a faint buzzing filling my head, causing a wince. I had encountered this before in the presence of witches- it was like my body could sense their power. I turned to see who the witch in question was, and my eyes locked with the girl I'd bumped into.
Her jaw was clenched tight and her brown eyes were like steel: unbreakable. Judging from her rigid stance and the flurry of magic around her, it wasn’t hard to assume she knew what I was.
I waited for her to attack, as most witches did when they felt threatened by a vampire. But she did nothing, just observed me warily, like she was preparing to snap my neck if I tried to harm any of the guests.
Something about the little witch’s spirit incited a small smile on my lips. I nodded, holding eye contact before turning and continuing on my way, leaving the witch behind. So this town wasn’t simply a host for vampires but also witches…another fact Damon conveniently forgot to share with me.
What other secrets was he keeping? And why have both Stefan and Damon stayed in Mystic Falls for so long, tolerable of each other after decades of loathing? Something bigger was going on and the not knowing crept under my skin, irritating me with an itch I couldn’t seem to scratch.
I wandered through the opulent twentieth-century rooms, plucking a few grapes from a serving table as I did so. The mourners were clustered in groups, holding plates of food and speaking in soft tones, smiles adorning their faces. They didn’t appear to be very upset that the mayor was dead.
My eyes roamed the room before catching on a lone figure by the window, back turned to me. She was tall and slender, wearing a leather jacket that was partially hidden by her luscious chocolate curls. I paused, a flicker of something familiar sparking in the back of my mind upon seeing the woman.
She was a ghost in my subconscious, there but not quite tangible. I should have recognized her, known who she was and why she seemed so familiar, but my mind drew a blank.
I took a step forward to see her face but Damon appeared by my side, diverting my attention to him. “Meet anyone?”
I glanced at the window and did a double-take. The woman was gone, all traces of her vanished. With a furrowed brow, my uneasy feeling grew. “No.” I cleared my throat, pushing the strange encounter out of my mind. “What about you? That looked pretty heated.”
Damon shrugged, blue eyes taking in the room. “Carol and Liz were just having a disagreement that I smoothed over.”
“About what?”
“Carol’s husband,” Damon answered. “He wasn’t a vampire and yet Liz’s deputies took him under the church. They think it’s a mistake but I think it’s something else.”
I raised a brow. “Like what, dear brother?”
Damon scowled at my teasing. “I’m still working on that part.”
“Perhaps it was just human error,” I offered as we walked together through the expansive house. “Humans make mistakes embarrassingly often.”
“No,” Damon countered, completely set on his theory that the Lockwoods were something other. “I was down there with him. He was incapacitated by the device.”
I stopped. My grip on Damon’s arm was like metal, forcing him to stop as well. “You never mentioned a device.”
Damon winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t?” I slapped him on the arm and he leaped back, huffing. “Okay, fine, I may have left out some details! The council managed to get their grubby hands on the device that incapacitated the vampires in 1864. They used it to weed out who was a vampire and who wasn’t.”
“That’s an important detail, Damon!” I hissed, glancing around to make sure we were alone in the room. “What else have you been hiding from me?”
Damon shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Really? Then what about the witch I ran into earlier?”
Damon’s brow furrowed. “Witch? Oh! You ran into Bonnie?”
“Apparently,” I snapped, irritated with my older brother. “Where is Stefan? If I spend any more time with you I’m going to kill someone.”
Damon followed me as I briskly left the room, returning to the hustle and bustle of the party. “Don’t be like that, Eve,” he insisted, jogging to catch up with me. “If I take you to Stefan will you forgive me?”
I paused and considered him for a moment, seeing a genuine apology in his blue eyes. “No detours?”
He raised his right hand, mock seriousness overcoming his face. “On my credible honor.”
I raised an eyebrow, doubting how credible anything he did was, but I nodded, just desperate to see my younger brother.
“Deal,” Damon smirked victoriously and gestured for me to follow him. He led me through the gathering of grieving guests and out into the open air. The sunlight made me wince despite my ring that protected me from its scalding rays. No matter how many years I’ve spent walking in the sunlight, the burning memory of its scorching touch never left my mind. The green lawn seemed to glow under the brightness of the sky and I narrowed my eyes as Damon led me farther away from the house, through unoccupied garden paths.
“Why are we going away from the house?” I asked, not seeing any reason why Stefan would be out here.
“Your anxiousness to see little bro is affecting your quick senses,” Damon commented, throwing a cavalier glance over his shoulder at me. I stiffened with offense at his comment. “Take a deep breath. What do you smell?”
Still scowling, I inhaled deeply, my breath catching in my throat when I caught the metallic scent of blood trapped in the breeze. Not just any blood, Stefan’s blood. “He’s bleeding,” I whispered, a century-old protectiveness for my baby brother spiking in my chest.
Damon’s scoff was the opposite of my heightened panic. “He’s fine. He’s up ahead.” His smirk didn’t reach his eyes. “You’ll finally get to meet that ‘who’ we were discussing earlier.”
I inhaled again, quickening my pace. Enhanced healing or not, my brother was still injured and it set my nerves on edge. The breeze was laced with a flowery scent I matched with the fragrance I found at the boarding house. My curiosity was piqued. Who could have captured my little brother’s attention so tightly that he’d risk everything to remain here?
We rounded a corner and my eyes landed on him immediately. Even though it’s been decades since we saw each other last, seldom has changed. He has the same defined jawline, deep green eyes, and ridiculous hairstyle.
A smile cracked on my lips, unable to be contained upon seeing him. But it quickly fell when I noticed his shirt was pulled up, revealing a toned midriff covered in crimson blood. “What the hell happened?”
Stefan’s gaze shot up, surprise filling his face as he took me in. I wrinkled my nose against the acrid smell of vampire blood. I could detect no visible wound, meaning he’s already healed from whatever injury he sustained.
“Eve?” He stood, dropping his shirt.
I met his hopeful gaze and matched his elated grin. “Hello, Stef. Did you miss me?” A joyous laugh escaped my brother as he opened his arms and I closed the distance between us, allowing him to scoop me into a tight embrace. I sighed, closing my eyes as I felt the tension drain from both of our bodies. The way he embraced me let me know that I wasn’t the only one who had missed my sibling over these past several decades.
“Of course, I did,” Stefan whispered, pulling away to look down at me. “What are you doing back here?” His eyes cut to Damon, hardening instantly. “It’s not safe.” His tone was accusing as he glared at our older brother.
“I didn’t summon her!” Damon insisted, raising his hands in surrender. “Besides, we know Eve can take care of herself.”
I stepped away, sensing the palpable tension between them. “I came back because I thought the tomb vampires were going to kill you, but it seems you’ve already handled that problem.” The blood was beginning to seep through Stefan’s thin navy shirt. “Why are you bleeding?”
“I was attacked,” Stefan explained, still sending hard glances Damon’s way. “How much do you know?”
I huffed, trying to recall the information Damon dumped on me before. “The vampires escaped the tomb because apparently they didn't burn in 1864 like I was led to believe for over a century. They were hunting the founding families as revenge and you and Damon nearly died in the process.” They both shrunk under my rigid glare. “You both have a lot of explaining to do.”
Seeing them standing so close after so long was strange and a part of me questioned if I was dreaming or not. A quick and discreet pinch to my arm revealed that I was not, and my brothers had somehow reconciled after all these years of hatred. But what united them?
“I promise I will tell you everything,” Stefan vowed, face open and sincere. He glanced at Damon. “Does she know about-?”
“No, I figured you could do the honors,” Damon answered with a salty smirk.
Stefan’s scowl proved he wasn't amused. “She should know about them, Damon! It’s a lot to process!”
Before the rising tension could escalate into a full-blown fight, I cut in with annoyance. “One of you tell me before I smack some sense into you.”
“Stefan, I got some towels!” I spun around, breath lodging in my throat as a girl rounded the corner with a face I’d seen for over a hundred years in my nightmares and revenge fantasies.
She stopped when she saw me, her face twisting with an innocent confusion. Instinct dominated everything else and sped in front of her in a second, an iron grip wrapped around her delicate throat. “Katherine.” The hiss of her name was bitter on my tongue, like poison I thought I’d cleansed myself of.
“Eve, no!” I heard both brothers protest behind me and their strong arms pulled me off of her before I could react. Katherine gasped, rubbing her throat with fear in her brown eyes as Stefan rushed to comfort her.
“Why are you acting like she’s the victim?” I demanded through clenched teeth. Damon had a firm grip around my body, keeping me in place as I strained against him, the intrinsic desire to tear the traitor’s heart out overwhelming my mind. “Have you forgotten what she did to us?”
“Stefan?” Katherine whispered, trembling in his arms.
“She’s not Katherine,” Stefan assured me, still holding onto the girl protectively. She clung to him as if he would keep every wicked thing from harming her. “Damon thought it would be amusing to not tell you-” we both shot our brother a glare- “but Katherine has a doppelganger. This is Elena.”
I shook my head, Damon’s arms tightening around me like chains. “That’s not possible, Stefan. She’s in your head again.” Katherine was devious and cunning. My brothers had always been dangerously susceptible to her charms.
“No,” Damon whispered to me, grimacing. “Katherine is not Elena, trust me.”
“Focus, Eve,” Stefan implored, still standing protectively in front of the girl. “Listen to her body.”
Despite every instinct inside of me screaming to fight the woman who nearly ruined our lives, I listened to my brother. How could I not when he gave me that pitiful face?
I breathed deeply, straining to hear past the rushing of hot blood in my veins. I drowned out the sound of nature, and the gathering down the hill, solely focusing on the frightened girl’s body. The beat of a fast human heart echoed in my ears, the terrified pace a melody born of instinctive fear from predators. Or, in this case, me.
“She’s…she’s human,” I mumbled, shock numbing my limbs. Damon’s grip on me loosened and I stepped back, breaking away from his arms. All anger was replaced with curiosity as I studied the girl who peered at me with wide eyes over Stefan’s shoulder. “Fascinating.” Now that my animalistic urges were tucked away, it was easier to see the differences between Katherine and Elena. Though their faces were eerily the same, Elena’s doe eyes held a warmth and kindness Katherine’s never did.
I took a step forward and Stefan tensed, his body still rooted defensively in front of her. “Relax, Stef. I’m not going to hurt her. I promise.” Stefan regarded me for a moment, but stepped aside, allowing me to fully see the human girl.
“Who are you?” Elena’s posture was as rigid as a board, her gaze darting to Stefan nervously. “Stefan?”
“I’m Eve,” I introduced myself, stopping a few feet away, not wanting to startle the girl into fleeing. When prey was close to its natural predator, instinct often overruled the mind. “Stefan and Damon’s half-sister.” The surprise blooming on her face caused me to direct disappointed looks toward my brothers, both of them watching the interaction warily. “You didn’t tell her about me?”
“They mentioned you,” Elena cut in, braver than I expected. “I just didn’t know you were in town.”
“I didn’t either,” Stefan reassured her gently. “It was a surprise.”
“A good one, I hope?”
Stefan’s smile was warm. “A very good one.”
Beaming, I turn back to Elena, still marveling at the resemblance between her and my ex-best friend. “You look just like her.”
“So everyone keeps telling me,” Elena muttered, tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear.
“Sorry for earlier,” I tell her, slightly embarrassed by my outburst. “If you knew what Katherine had done, you’d have reacted the same way.”
Elena grimaced. “I know some of it.” Her gaze moved to the blood that stained Stefan’s shirt and pieces fell into place. I rounded on them both, mouth agape.
“Katherine is here?!”
Damon held up his hands as Stefan and I sent menacing glares his way. “Did you tell her anything?” Stefan snapped.
“I was a little distracted by my sister whom I haven’t seen in thirty years!” Damon’s excuse didn’t appease me.
“Will someone catch me up?”
Damon sighed, ignoring Stefan’s stern expression. “Yes, the tomb vampires are dead, but guess who’s decided to stop by for a visit?”
“And Katherine is the one who hurt you?”
Stefan nodded. “She says she’s in town for me, whatever that means.”
“It means that Katherine is trying to get you back.” He smirked at Elena. “Careful, she’s going to steal your man.” Her man? Eyebrows raised, I absorbed this new information. My brother has fallen in love? After a century of distancing himself from humans to prevent pain for himself and them? And Katherine’s doppelganger is his first choice?
“That’s not what’s happening,” Stefan assured Elena, shaking his head.
“Isn’t it?” Damon pressed, seeming to enjoy sowing seeds of doubt in the dirt of their relationship. “I mean, it’s only fair since I went after your girl.”
“Holy shit, you did not,” I muttered, this news cracking open an entirely new problem: Damon was in love with Elena. Who Stefan was also in love with. A tragic love story that was cursed to repeat itself throughout time, only this time it was the same face but a different person.
Idiots. This is 1864 all over again.
“Both of you stop,” Elena said, stepping between them as Stefan rolled his shoulders, anger simmering around the two brothers. “We have bigger problems to deal with than this. Like Katherine being in Mystic Falls. She has to be here for a bigger reason than Stefan.”
My brothers glared daggers at one another, the anger broiling the air around them. I wondered how long this infatuation with this one human girl had been going on. How long has Damon loved Stefan’s girl and how long has Stefan known about it? This anger and frustration has been building for a long time, brick by fucking brick. Eventually, it would collapse, hurting one if not both of them in the process.
“She’s right.” Stefan backed down first, always the one to see reason and avoid violence. But the tension in his body suggested he’d love nothing more than to swing at Damon. “Katherine is the enemy here.”
Damon didn’t seem too sure of that statement but remained silent, his eyes locked on Elena as she moved. “I need to go check on Jeremy and Jenna.” She glanced between them uncertainly. “Can I leave you two alone?”
“Don’t worry,” I step forward, arms crossed, “I’ll make sure they don’t fight like children.”
Elena gave me a nod, some lingering mistrust in her gaze before she set off down the path back toward the house. Now that the girl was gone, my brother's bravado vanished, turning two grown men into children who acted as if they knew they were about to get a lecture.
And when do I ever disappoint?
“You’re both fucking idiots,” I snapped and Stefan’s eyes widened at my language while Damon just smirked dryly. “Where do I even begin? Firstly, you’re both in love with the same girl, a human girl might I add, and not only that but Katherine is somehow back in town. She’s a jealous bitch and you know it! That girl is in danger because of her ties with you, Stefan!” Stefan’s head hung low, shame coloring his features. I took a slow breath, trying to reign in my emotions. Lecturing him about this was pointless, I know my brother has already gone over these facts a thousand times in his head, the guilt piling up each time. “I thought we agreed on not falling in love with humans. It just hurts everyone in the end.”
“I didn’t mean for it to happen,” Stefan objected, “it just did.”
“Oh, please,” Damon drawled, rolling his eyes.
“Don’t act like you’re in the clear either,” I snapped at him and he scowled but fell silent. “You didn’t tell me about Elena or Katherine. Nor the fact that you’re in love with the girl Stefan is with. God, it’s 1864 all over again.”
The two brothers were silent, the air buzzing with the absence of my emotion-fueled words.
“Do you feel better?” Damon whispered, leaning forward a little.
“Yes, actually,” I confessed, heaving a sigh. The knots of anxiety in my chest had loosened with every word. “I’m sorry, this is just a lot. It’s foolish and dangerous. I don’t want either of you getting hurt.”
Stefan tilted his head, a soft smile in place. “We can handle ourselves, Eve.”
“Yeah, but this is Katherine! You two don’t think when you’re around her. You never have.” When Katherine came into our home nearly two hundred years ago, I noticed the way she’d have my brothers fawning over her by simply batting her eyelashes. I used to find it amusing and sweet, but now I see that it was manipulative and cruel.
“I don’t love her anymore, Eve. I love Elena. The power Katherine had on me is long gone.” Stefan stepped closer, resting his hands on my shoulders, and looked into my eyes. “I can handle it.”
My gaze slid over Stefan’s shoulder to Damon who watched us with contempt. “Yeah, but can he?”
Damon’s face twisted. “Yes, I can handle it.” The doubtful look we gave him forced a scoff out of his body. “Look, she let me believe she was trapped in that tomb for over a century…she’s nothing to me now.”
Love is a fickle thing. It is sickly sweet recklessness that drives those under its spell to danger. It still had its scarlet claws in my older brother, but I trusted that he was fighting to dislodge the hold it had on his heart and mind.
I nodded and managed a dry smile. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I decided to stay those extra weeks, isn’t it?”
Stefan’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “Staying? You’re not staying!”
I scoffed. “Says who, little brother?”
“Says me! This is too dangerous-”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” I interrupted while Damon was muffling his laughter behind Stefan. “Trust that I can take care of myself just like I trust that you can take care of yourself. Besides, you’re going to need all the help you can get.”
“But…” Guilt crippled his features. “You have a life in Paris. We can’t take that happiness from you.”
I shrugged, pulling him into a hug. His head rested on top of mine, his tall stature dwarfing my short figure. “I’m not happy without my brothers by my side,” I confessed, pulling away to look at both of them. “I think the Salvatore siblings have been separated for long enough, don't you?”
“Hell, yeah.” Damon bounded forward, throwing an arm around my shoulder, grinning boyishly.
Stefan’s grim expression didn’t falter, however. “I don’t like it.”
Damon groaned, rolling his eyes. “Enough, Stefan. Do you want my favorite sibling to go back to France for another thirty years?”
Stefan’s scowl lessened at his words. “No, of course not,” he answered, looking at me. “I have missed you.”
“Ditto.” I looped my arms through theirs, a brother on each side. “Now let’s get you a change of clothes. Blood stains stopped being chic in the eighteenth century.”
“This room hasn’t changed in thirty years.” The same creaky wooden beams and plaid bedspread from thirty years ago. “It’s sad, Stef.”
Stefan scoffed from the closet, hidden behind the partially opened door. “I did not invite you in here just so you could criticize my room.”
“I thought you knew me better than that,” I say, letting my gaze slide over the antique desk covered in paper and pens. “You and Damon are pathetic when it comes to decorating.” Stefan’s mocking laugh only made me smile wider. “Why am I here then?”
Stefan emerged from the closet, now wearing a new shirt, free of any blood stains. “I just wanted to check up on you.”
“Check up on me?” My smile twisted as Stefan leaned against the closet door, arms crossed over his chest. “Aren’t you the one who was just stabbed by your immortal ex-girlfriend?”
“I healed,” he stated simply, his unwavering gaze of concern still obvious on his features. “Come on, Eve. Are you sure you’re okay with staying?”
My brother’s compassion for everyone else but himself still amazes me. When he was a human it was an admirable trait but now that it’s been amplified by his vampiristic nature it was a way of deflection and neglect to himself and his feelings. “I meant what I said before- Paris isn’t the same without my family. I’ve missed you and Damon. “
The look in his eyes let me know the feeling was reciprocated. “This town isn’t quiet or safe, Eve. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
I huffed. “Who’s the older sibling here?” His solemn expression didn’t lessen. “Isn’t it better to have all of us looking out for each other? Besides, I never thought you and Damon would be amicable towards each other for at least another century.”
Stefan grunted as some of that previous anger he’d reigned in at the Lockwood’s broke free. “We’re trying. But he makes it difficult.”
“Damon makes everything difficult,” I countered, offering a small smile. “Think of it this way: now Elena has three immortal vampires looking out for her.”
Stefan frowned, tilting his head. “You don’t have to-”
“What? Protect the love of my little brother’s life?” Stefan blushes and glances at his feet, the gesture oddly youthful for someone so old. “I’ll see if she’s good enough for you.” Stefan groaned, shaking his head.
“Please don’t give her the ‘older sister’ speech.”
I smirked. “Oh, I’m absolutely giving her the ‘older sister’ speech.” The soft smile that pulled at his lips revealed that he wasn’t upset about this and the warmth in his eyes showed me that he’d missed me just as much as I missed him.
His phone rang, cutting the comfortable silence between us. He checked the screen and his smile widened, heartbeat speeding up. I didn’t have to guess who it was.
“Hey, Elena-” A stutter of sobs emitted from the other end and his joy quickly morphed into panic, the lines of his face hardening. “What’s wrong?”
“Damon!” His name was spat out like a hateful curse, weakened by the warbling of her teary voice. “He…he killed Jeremy!”
Stefan’s face fell and I stood, alert now.
“He’s dead?”
“No, he was wearing his ring,” Elena assured him, tears blurring her words. “But he…I thought he…” Another muffled sob came across and Stefan’s face fell into one of agony, as if her pain was a torture for him as well. “Please come over.”
He didn’t hesitate. “I’m on my way.”
He hung up, face torn between stone and misery. “Why would he do that?” Stefan demanded, shoving his phone into his jacket pocket.
“I’ll find him,” I promised, setting a reassuring hand on my brother’s arm. “Go to Elena.”
He tensed, torn between the need to comfort his girl and the overwhelming desire to find his brother and deal with him himself. But he met my eyes and saw the steely resolve in them, a calm knowing washing over him. I was his older sister, and I’d handle this.
He nodded and then was gone, his enhanced speed carrying him toward Elena and her tears.
I found my brother on the roof of the Salvatore House, a glass of bourbon in his grip. His feet dangled over the edge, head tilted up and eyes lost in the stars smeared across the sky above.
Without speaking, I lowered myself down next to him, my feet taunting the drop below. Looking up, I let my eyes travel over the constellations that had been watching over everything since before I was born and would continue to do so long after.
“I remember the last time we were up here.” My voice rolled through the silence, deafening in the quiet night. “You’d just told me you were leaving again.” He and Stefan had gotten into another brutal fight, the words dealing more damage than any weapon ever could. I had listened from upstairs, a growing dread gnawing on me as their shouting echoed through the house. “I didn’t want you to go. I said I’d miss you. But then you looked up at the stars and picked one out.” Even now, my eyes found it in the ocean of diamonds; a twinkling light that had been a beacon of calm and happy memories for decades.
“You told me to look at it whenever I felt alone and-”
“And that I’d be looking at it too,” Damon cut in, his voice rough. “So that you’d know that you’re not alone.”
Both of our eyes locked onto the star, a bright light for both of us in our lowest moments. I nudged him gently. “Who’s Jeremy?”
Damon sighed, throwing back the rest of his bourbon. “Elena’s brother.” The rigid way he spoke revealed he was bracing himself for a lecture.
“Why did you do it?” My voice remained quiet and unchanging. Damon didn’t take well to accusations. He never had.
“If I tell you, you’ll only say ‘I told you so.’”
“I promise I won’t.”
A long pause. “Katherine.”
I nodded, keeping my face neutral despite the twisting hate that filled my chest. Yet again, she’s screwed with my brother’s head. Pushing him in a direction that benefitted no one. “Have I ever mentioned how much I hate her?”
Damon’s scoff held a modicum of amusement. “Repeatedly.” He seemed to relax once he realized I wasn’t going to chastise him. Another few moments of silence before I asked, “Do you want to talk about it?” The dark look Damon sent me was answer enough. “Okay. Fair.” I backed off, fiddling with my hands. “But you owe Elena and her brother an apology.”
Damon didn’t respond, staring at the empty glass in his knuckle-white grip. I began to get up when his voice made me pause, ragged and insecure. “Do you think I’m a terrible person? That I deserve…” He fell silent, his jaw clenching.
Another surge of rage swarmed inside of me, seeing the effect of what Katherine had done to my brother. She always made him feel like a second choice- like he wasn’t worth much more than a quick fuck. God, how I’d love to tear her heart out.
“I know you’re a good person,” I confess, getting comfortable again. “I just think sometimes you do bad things. Especially when Katherine is involved.” Damon met my gaze for the first time, doubt reflected in his features. “I think she makes you feel like less than you are. And you really should kick her ass to the curb.”
Damon released a weak chuckle and nodded. “I think you’re right.”
I grinned, pleased that I’d gotten him into a lighter mood. “Of course I am. Now, get up. You’re going to show me what’s changed in this town.”
Damon observed my outstretched hand cautiously before smirking and grasping it, allowing me to haul him to his feet. Without another word, the two of us dropped from the roof. The thrill of freefall embraced us before our feet hit the ground. We took off into the night, the only signs of our presence being the whisper of the wind.