An Elemental Difference - FIRE - Book 2 (Stefan Salvatore)

Chapter 91 - What a sight to see

SHEILA'S HOUSEHOLD

Aella eased Sheila into the soft embrace of her bed, her grandmother visibly drained from the exhilarating, yet exhausting journey they'd just undertaken. The weariness etched deep lines on Sheila's face, a testament to the toll the night had exacted on her.

"I should have realized this would be too much for you," Aella murmured, her voice tinged with concern.

But Sheila, despite her fatigue, mustered enough energy to shoot Aella a sharp glare. "If you hadn't taken me, I would have haunted you for life," she retorted, a hint of playful defiance in her weary eyes.

A small smile danced on Aella's lips as she took charge, gently arranging the covers around her grandmother. Sheila sighed, her amazement palpable, her mind still reeling from the extraordinary events of the night.

"Another doppelganger so close, all this time," Sheila mused aloud, her voice a mix of wonder and realization.

Seated beside her grandmother on the bed, Aella absentmindedly picked at a loose thread, her thoughts swirling with newfound revelations. "Elijah lied to me," she confessed, her tone tinged with betrayal. "He told me the Petrova line was the only one."

Sheila huffed, her skepticism evident. "Well, that should have been your first clue. Nothing is singular in this world, especially in the supernatural realm."

As she pondered the events of the night, Sheila couldn't shake the sense of connection she felt with Asta. "Although until an hour ago, I believed you to be an anomaly," she admitted, her voice tinged with curiosity. "From what Ayana described, it sounds like you and Asta were like two peas in a pod. Not just doppelgangers in appearances."

FLASHBACK

In the dimly lit cave, Aella's gaze lingered on Asta, nestled within her coffin like a slumbering princess in a macabre fairy tale. Her eyes traced the contours of the unconscious woman's form, so achingly familiar yet cloaked in mystery. Sheila stood by her side, a mirroring smile of astonishment gracing her features as they beheld the surreal sight before them.

"I thought it was freaky seeing Elena and Katherine together, but this...?" Aella's voice trailed off, her words echoing in the cavernous space.

Sheila couldn't help but exhale in wonder, the magnitude of the moment settling upon her like a heavy cloak. "It's incredible," she murmured, her fingers tenderly brushing Asta's brunette locks, feeling the thrum of magic pulsating beneath her touch. As her gaze drifted to a small beauty spot on Asta's right lobe, identical to Aella's own, Sheila's breath caught in her throat, a shiver running down her spine.

Ayana, a figure of ancient wisdom, spoke in measured tones, her presence commanding reverence in the hallowed chamber. "Those who have shadow selves are a phenomenon that only nature knows why they created such beings," she intoned, her words carrying the weight of centuries-old knowledge.

Aella furrowed her brow in contemplation, skepticism etched in the furrow of her brow. "But Asta and I can't be the only ones because of Elena and Katherine," she reasoned, her mind racing to unravel the enigma before them. "To bind Klaus' curse, they used the blood of a girl, the blood that Katherine and Elena are doppelgangers of."

Ayana's lips curved into a knowing smile, her eyes alight with recognition. "Her name was Tatia; she and Asta were good friends," she revealed, a sense of reverence coloring her words.

As Sheila pondered the intricate tapestry of fate that bound them all together, a thought struck her. "It seems not just looks that make up a doppelganger," she mused aloud, drawing parallels between their own lives and those of the legendary figures they resembled.