My Return (Vampire Diaries) (Book Seven)

Best Served Cold

Stefan, Damon and I were still at the Lockwood mansion.

Stefan had let Valerie stay here because she had nowhere else to go, and if Lily or the Heretics found her, she would probably end up dead.

It was the next morning.

The doorbell rang.

I answered it to find Beau standing on the porch with an envelope in hand.

Beau handed it to me, walking away, leaving.

I looked at the envelope in confusion, closing the door.

Stefan and Damon walked toward me.

I opened the envelope to reveal an invitation inside, reading aloud in a sarcastic tone. "'Lily Salvatore requests your presence to celebrate our town's peaceful spirit and introduce a new friend. This evening, 5:00'."

Damon crossed his arms over his chest. "Hmm. Looks like Mom raised her man-crush from the dead."

Damon and I weren't pleased by this information.

Stefan was upset by the fact that Julian had been resurrected.

~~~~~~~

Stefan was in Mayor Lockwood's study, standing in front of a full-length mirror, dressing for the party tonight, in a suit. He was in the middle of wrapping a tie around his neck, turning to face Damon and me.

Damon was already ready in his suit. 

Stefan noticed that I hadn't dressed for the party, giving me a look. "Ah, going casual? From the looks of the information, it looks like a formal party."

Stefan slid the untied-tie from around his neck.

I gave them a look. "Not just casual. No going."

Damon gave me a look. "You saw her invite. Julian's back. You're going."

"To watch Lily at her eyes at her zombie douche-brain boy toy?" I asked in boredom, skeptically. "Thanks, but I'd rather stay home and stub my toe. Repeatedly."

Stefan turned to the mirror, slipping on his jacket, continuing to talk. "You do realize that 'zombie douche-brain boy toy' is living in your house? Bathing in your tub, eating your Froot Loops?"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Oh, I know."

"He's also the love of our mother's life," Damon told me, gesturing from Stefan to himself. Stefan turned to face me. "Our mom, who convinced Kai to link Elena's life with Bonnie's so I'd be miserable for the next six-plus decades."

"I thought that you were waiting for your revenge," I told him.

Stefan looked between us in confusion. "What's his revenge?"

I looked at Damon, sighing, turning to Stefan. "Julian makes Lily happy, Stefan. More time they spend together, the happier she gets, the more tragic it'll be in six months when Damon hand-delivers his heart to her."

Stefan frowned in confusion. "Six months?"

"Yeah, you know, give or take," Damon told him.

"Wait, so you two actually talked about this?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah," I answered. "Damon wants to let Lily get her hops up. Let her start planning their entire eternity, and... squish, he's dead." I looked at Damon. "So why do you want to go to the party tonight?"

"Because I want to see how happy she is with Julian tonight and compare it to how devastated and crushed she will be in six months when I take him away from her," Damon answered. "That, Nikki, is gratifying satisfaction."