The Original: Book 3

Chapter 13

Clamping my mouth tighter around the neck of my victim, I pulled him closer, draining more of his blood. My phone vibrated in my back pocket, so I pulled away, my eyes and teeth changing back to normal. As I licked my lips, I opened the text that I had received from Nik, who was in Italy, searching for the sword.

'We have a problem.'

Furrowing my eyebrows in confusion, I dialed his number, still holding my victim against the wall. He picked up on the first ring, "Good morning, kitten. I see you received my text."

"Yeah, I did. What do you mean we have a problem?"

"Gather Stefan. I'm going to need you both on this," he stated and I hung up.

"Is everything all right?" My victim, I think his name was Gary, asked.

"Go home. Forget everything that happened here," I compelled before walking over to my car. I sent Stefan a text telling him to meet me at Nik's house.

***

"How the hell did Connor escape?" Stefan asked Nik, who was on speakerphone. We had gotten to Nik's house and found the body of a hybrid.

"I blame mind-numbing incompetence, but pointing fingers isn't going to help," I remarked.

"You're right, kitten, it won't. You two are going to help me."

"Well, he could be anywhere now," Stefan commented.

"Think, Stefan."

"He took the hybrid's head, which means he wants werewolf toxin," I concluded.

"Which means he plans to stay in Mystic Falls to kill vampires," Stefan stated, looking over at me.

"Which is a pity. As I'm half a world away, digging up a dead hunter. You'll have no access to my blood and therefore the antidote. Nevertheless, his tattoo is our only map to the cure, so your task is quite simple. Find him, catch him, and above all, keep him alive. He's no good to us dead."

"Damon's been looking everywhere for him. If they cross paths –," Stefan was cut off.

"You need to keep Damon in check," Nik proclaimed, his tone harsh.

"It would be a lot easier if I could just tell him the truth."

"You trust Damon with the cure?" I asked, skeptical. "I imagine he prefers Elena the way she is."

"Nice try, Ellie, but I trust Damon a hell of a lot more than I trust either of you."

"And I trust no one, but Ellie. Which is why my sister is lying daggered in a box. The more who find out about the cure, the more who will go after it. Nations have gone to war over less. You mark my words – tell one soul and I will throw the hunter's sword in the Mediterranean and we can end this quest right now. Am I understood?" I looked up at Stefan, who hung up the phone instead of answering.

***

"So we each take a different entrance, hit him at the same time," I heard Damon say as Stefan and I walked into the Lockwood house. Elena quickly got up, hugging Stefan. "Where the hell have you been? And why the hell are you with her?" Damon sent me a glare, so I faked a smile, putting my hand up to my chest.

"Ouch, Damon. It hurts that you aren't happier to see me," I stated, sarcastically.

"We've been coming up with a plan. The plan is I'm going to rip Connor's heart out and I'm going to feed it to him," Damon insinuated.

"No, you're not. He needs to stay alive," I chimed in.

"Oh, and I suppose Klaus sent you to make sure we don't kill him? Like a little guard dog? Like you're his little bitch," Damon sneered and I growled, speeding over to him and shoving my hand into his chest.

"I've never liked you, Damon. Ever since you daggered Elijah and staked me, I've wanted to kill you. Elijah and I kept our promise to Elena that we wouldn't hurt you, but things have changed. There's nothing stopping me from doing it now," I threatened, speaking through clenched teeth. Stefan pulled me back, getting in between us.

"That's not a plan. We need to be careful. Connor has Jeremy and who knows how many other hostages," Stefan said, turning to Damon.

"Hence the open heart surgery."

"Damon's right. Connor's strong, but he's not going to be able to take all of us," Elena cut in.

"I called in the hybrids to help, too," Tyler said, speaking for the first time.

"My mom put squad cars blocking the streets," Caroline interrupted, walking into the room. "They're saying it's a faulty gas main. We're good to go." Her eyes flickered over to me, surprised to see me there, "Ellie."

"Caroline," I grumbled, turning away.

"Good. Great. No cops, no witnesses, no reason to wait around," Damon proposed.

"All right, hold on, you're not all going," Stefan commented.

"He shot me like nine times," Tyler countered. "If we're killing him, I want in."

"He's got Jeremy, I'm going," Elena added. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest. This was getting out of hand.

"Listen, nobody is going anywhere!" I barked, silencing everyone.

"Not until I figure out what we're walking into," Stefan avowed. Damon narrowed his eyes at him, suspiciously.

"Until you figure it out? Is that where you've been all morning, out buying bossy pants?"

"This guy's known for setting traps, right? We'd be pretty dumb to walk into one, especially if he has werewolf venom," Stefan declared.

"Does he?" Elena asked, looking up at him.

"He's had it before," Stefan replied, careful not to give anything away. Damon looked like he was going to argue again, but then thought better of it.

"Fine. You want some time to do recon, you get one hour. But we're going to need some extra help, so where the hell's the wicked witch of the west?"

"She can't do magic," Caroline disclosed, shrugging.

"Really? Well, call her, tell her Jeremy's life is in danger. Maybe that'll bring her out of retirement." Damon walked out, bumping my shoulder on his way. I growled, but let it go.

Hope you guys enjoy. For those in the U.S., Mother's Day is coming up on Sunday, so make sure to treat your mom to something special :)

My character and her story are of my own imagination. They belong to me and nobody else. Please do not steal. Copyright 2017.