Fight With Me

Chapter 23

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CAROLINE'S POV

"I mean... yes," I admitted quietly, my arms folded tight across my chest. "She's been more erratic lately. Shorter fuse. Bigger swings." My voice dropped. "But Lizzie promised me. She swore she'd never go back to that version of herself."

Alaric exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples like his head might split open.
"I'm tired of lying to Josie," he said. "She sees it. She always has. And now that Hope's involved, the contrast is worse." He hesitated. "It's not fair to let her live with a sister who could implode at any second."

My throat tightened. "She's her twin," I said softly. "If we tell her the truth, it won't just hurt. It'll break her."

Alaric didn't argue. That scared me more than anything.

Neither of us noticed the faint creak in the hallway.

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LIZZIE'S POV

I pressed my ear harder against the door, my pulse roaring in my head.

Ticking time bomb.

True self.

Lying.

My vision blurred. My chest burned. They weren't talking about my magic. They were talking about me.

I backed away before they could open the door, before they could see me fall apart. I ran. Down the hall. Into my room. Slamming the door behind me like it could keep the truth out.

It didn't.

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NEW ORLEANS – HOPE'S POV

The house felt full again in a way it hadn't in years.

Kol sprawled across a chair like he owned it. Marcel leaned against the doorway, relaxed but watchful. Davina stood close to him. Freya tried to keep the peace. Rebekah hovered like she was waiting for something to go wrong.

Josie squeezed my hand under the noise.

I leaned down. "Rooftop?" I murmured.

She nodded immediately.

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The city stretched beneath us, warm air brushing against my skin. Josie was quiet, too quiet.

"You okay, love?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said quickly. Then her knees buckled.

I caught her just in time. "Jo. Hey. Look at me."

Her eyes refocused slowly, like she was tuning into a different frequency.

"Hope," she said, voice steady in a way that made my blood go cold. "Did you know the bond lets me access your memories?"

I swallowed. "Some of them. Not everything."

She shook her head. "Not just the surface ones. The ones you locked away."

My heart started pounding. "Josie..."

"Your dad wasn't gone because he didn't choose you," she said quietly. "He was imprisoned. Marcel kept him locked up. For years."

The world tilted.

"What did you just say?" I whispered.

"And Davina," Josie continued, tears slipping down her cheeks, "tried to kill him. More than once."

The air around us cracked. Stone groaned beneath my feet.

Behind us, footsteps stopped.

I turned slowly.

Every single one of them had heard.

My chest burned with something raw and vicious as I looked straight at Marcel.
"Does anyone want to explain," I said, my voice shaking the rooftop, "why the man who stole my father from me is standing in my house?"

No one spoke.

That silence felt like betrayal.

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MYSTIC FALLS – LIZZIE'S POV

I screamed.

The sound ripped out of me, magic detonating through the walls like a shockwave. Glass shattered. Lights flickered. The floor cracked beneath my knees as I collapsed, clutching my head.

Too loud. Too much. Too real.

The door burst open.

Dad and Mom rushed in, panic written all over their faces.

Alaric froze when he felt the magic in the room.
"...It's happening again," he said hoarsely.

My Moms hand trembled as she reached for me. "Lizzie, sweetheart—"

Alaric turned to her, jaw set. "We don't have a choice anymore."

Her eyes filled with fear.

"It's time," he said, "to initiate the emergency protocol."

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