Tangled Fate

Klaus

April 27, 2010

Louise sank to the cold cellar floor, the dagger heavy in her hand. There was a dark, magnetic pull to the metal, a phantom itch in her palm that made her want to sink it right back into Elijah's chest. But she couldn't. Not now—not when she finally understood the depth of Damon's ruthlessness.

"I don't mind being the bad guy." he had told Stefan, unaware she was listening. "I'll make the life and death decisions, while you're busy worrying about collateral damage. I'll even let Louise hate me for it. But at the end of the day, I'll be the one to keep her safe."

She closed her eyes, a weary sigh escaping her. Damon was impossible. Even when he was armed with the best intentions, he managed to upend her world, complicating every truth until she didn't know which way was up. In less than twenty-four hours, he had provoked her, disarmed her, and brought her to her knees—only to pull her out of the very darkness she had been ready to dissolve into.

He was right, and that was the terrifying part. He would keep her alive even if she begged him not to. He would protect her even if it meant burning every bridge between them. With Damon, there was no moral compass—only the question of how far he was willing to go for her.

"How long is it going to take?" Elena's nervous whisper broke the silence. She was hovering in the doorway, acting as a lookout for Stefan or Damon. Louise didn't answer, merely twisting the dagger between her fingers.

A sudden, violent gasp tore through the room.

Both girls jumped as Elijah began to thrash on the floor, his lungs screaming for air. Elena rushed to his side, hands hovering over him as she tried to hush the awakening Original.

"Elijah." she urged.

His eyes snapped open, wide and wild. "Katerina!"

"Elijah! It's me, it's Elena."

"Oh, my God." The fear in his gaze was visceral. He abruptly rolled onto his stomach, punching the stone floor with enough force to make the room vibrate. Louise scrambled up, dragging Elena back as Elijah struggled to his feet, gasping for breath. "I can't—I can't breathe! What's happening to me?"

Elena shook her head, her face pale. "I...I don't know."

He stumbled toward the exit, slamming into the doorframe and collapsing again. Louise moved to help him, her heart hammering. "I can't...I can't be in this house." he wheezed.

Realisation struck Louise like a physical blow. "You're not invited in."

"Then get me out of here!"

He slipped from her grasp before she could steady him, crashing against the walls as he scrambled toward the stairs. The girls raced after him, Louise's mind racing with the terrifying thought that she might have just unleashed a monster she couldn't control.

They found him on the doorstep, slumped over and gasping. He looked up, his glare sharp enough to cut, and made a move to lunge at them—only to hit the invisible threshold, frozen by the laws of the house.

"What happened—?"

"Shh!" Elena cut him off, pointing toward the ceiling to indicate the vampires upstairs. "We'll tell you. But not here. Can we trust you?"

Elijah's eyes flickered between the two sisters, his voice a low, dangerous rasp. "Can I trust you?"

Louise reached into her back pocket and pulled out the silver dagger. She let the moonlight catch the blade, watching Elijah's gaze track it with predatory focus. Without a word, she stepped forward and handed it over to him.