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SEVENTEEN, "The Serpent beguiled me, and I ate."
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THERE HADN'T BEEN a moment in Himari's entire existence where she had felt as anxious as she was right now besides the night of her own ritual. The amount of bloodshed, of betrayal that occurred during it was nothing compared to the chaos that would unfold if things went wrong. She hated to be so pessimistic but it was reality. She knew if she didn't play her cards right— if she miscalculated a step, the loss would fall on her. And she didn't know if she could live with that.
The fact that Alaric was back in his own body was even more troubling because that now meant the real Klaus was roaming about in Mystic Falls. The full moon was close as well. She knew it was only a matter of time before Klaus made himself known to take what was needed for the ritual. She assumed he already had the moonstone, a vampire, and possibly a werewolf too. He still needed Elena and maybe Himari if Slater was correct.
The witch stared down into the untouched glass before her, its amber contents reflecting her troubled face. She'd thought a drink might steady her nerves, but alcohol was no comfort— she wasn't even much of a drinker. Around her, the bustling environment of the Grill made it hard to think. The noise grated against her already frayed nerves, and with a sigh of frustration, she pushed the glass away from her, wondering why she'd even come here in the first place.
The glass got picked up— not by Himari— but by someone else. The witch looked up, furrowing her eyebrows as she met eyes with another woman. Her hair was cut to a sleek bob, her ears were adorned with silver jewelry, and she was wearing minimal makeup. Himari guessed it was because she was at work.
Before Himari could say a word, the woman tipped the glass, pouring its contents down the sink behind the bar.
"I wasn't done with that," Himari said, her voice tight with irritation.
"You were never going to finish it." The woman replied, matter-of-factly, her tone clipped and aloof. She raised an eyebrow. "Were you?"
Himari blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness. For a moment, she simply stared at the stranger, unsure of how to respond or if she even should. Maybe this was a sign that she should just get up and leave. It's unlikely alcohol would solve her problems. But instead, she stayed rooted in place.
