Bloom • Mikaelson

X. The last dance

IVONNA HAS FINALLY EXPLAINED SOME things about our past. Mostly things that had to do with the immortality spell. I'm just glad she didn't tell them that besides the immortality spell, there's an aging spell and you could live forever without the consequences of vampirism. Granted, you kept up with a witch and the spell. My mind goes back to when my mother turned us back in the tenth century.

My mother looks distraught and I wish I knew why, however all I feel is the pounding in my head. Ivonna has yet to wake and experience the same pounding in her mind. We are no longer in Esther's home surrounded by her family and lit candles. My mother is quick with her actions and she doesn't plan on stopping. She holds a spell in her hands, taking a deep breath before burning it to dust. My mother turns on her heels and takes a look at me. I swallow, both afraid for what's going on and for the pain still pounding in my head. She gives me a stern look for Ivonna has yet to wake and I was the eldest. I hold my breath, terrified on the inside and out.

"Nadia, my love." She starts, handing me a goblet of red liquid.

I flinch away from the substance I know all to well as blood. She forces it to my lips anyway.

"You must never turn it off for you will forget the ones you care most about. You must never tell anyone your secret for many will not believe." She's vague, but sadly I understand.

Ivonna stirs next to me and I reach for my twin sister. She experiences the same pounding in her brain, gets the same taste of blood to her lips and the exact speech. I search for my father but he is no where to be found and I silently wish for him to appear. My mother tells things my poor ears wish to block out but I hear everything from her words to the fire's crackle to the footsteps acres away. She starts to say the words to a new bed time story but my twenty one year old mind does not wish to hear.

"Close your eyes and say goodnight." She whispers

"Nadia." Ivonna calls me back to reality, her eyes as glossy as my own.

She allowed herself in my head and witnessed the memories I suffered through once again. Lived a thousand years and I felt as though as I have died a thousand times. As always, I go to run out on my issues to somewhere my sister and I know, but Ivonna wouldn't dream or imagine I'd ever go back to. Damon grabs my wrist just as I'm about to turn and dash out the door. I frown towards the Salvatore and wonder why he cares what goes on with me. However, I already know the answer — it's because I hold all the secrets to keeping Elena Gilbert, the Petrova doppelgänger alive.

"I need some air." I whisper.

"I'll go with her." Damon says.

I take a seat on the bench in front of the garden and have to take a couple deep breaths. Damon joins me and starts to rub circles on my back to soothe me — or get me to talk without compulsion. Seduction doesn't only work for women. And comfort is only a type of seduction.

"Why do you always run away?" Damon asks.

"Why do you always spiral?" I question.

Silence engulfs us because no one has dared to ask him that question ever. I know that he wanted to help but I couldn't stop myself from firing the same question back at him. So I decide to answer both our questions.

"We've been through too much to be so weak, but we're just like everyone else. We break and we don't know what else to do, so we spiral or run away — whatever best fits our spiraling minds." I whisper, my voice hoarse.

I look up, our eyes locking and we both see how well we understand each other. Maybe it's because we're both broken, broken people understand broken people. We sit staring at each other, both our minds travelling to our most broken places. Mine seems to be Niklaus, not my dead parents or people trying to kill me over an amulet. Finally, Damon moves in closer and keeps his eyes locked with mine. He wants to know all my secrets to save the one girl he loves, the person he cares most about. However, what he doesn't know is that knowing me, secrets and all will probably lead Niklaus to want him dead. Even if Damon and I have nothing going, Niklaus has a super jealous side.