The Original Hybrid

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Anna, what the hell are we doing here?”

She ignores me and focuses on the road. We just passed an entering Mystic Falls sign. “Seriously, Anna, why are we back in Mystic Falls?”

“I’ve heard rumors…” Anna trails off and I wait for her to continue. A giant sign with the words ‘Mystic Grill’ is coming up on the right. I am surprised when Anna pulls over and parks in front of the bar. She turns to face me. “Your brothers are here and they are trying to open the tomb.”

“My brothers?” I ask with wide eyes. I am not in the mood to deal with Stefan and Damon. It has been so long since we’ve seen each other, and I have heard all about their lives. Stefan is the infamous ripper, he spent time with the Mikaelsons, his memories were compelled away from him, and his best friend Lexi (who I actually took a liking to when I met her back in 1905) was killed by none other than Damon. I’ve heard more about Stefan than Damon. All I know about Damon is that he has turned off his humanity at least three times, he slept with Lexi (which I only know because I was the one to save her from that freaking rooftop), and he was taken by a Whitmore a few years ago. I did think about saving him from being tested one, but then I figured that I would be very useful to those scientists if they catch me… So I decided against being the hero. Now I can just say that is payback for killing Lexi.

“They don’t know that I’m alive,” I say as Anna opens her car door. She laughs and gets out.

“I guess it’s time for a Salvatore reunion then.”

~

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!”

I whine, trying to dig my feet into the sidewalk to make me stop, but Anna is stronger than me lately. I haven’t been able to eat much the past few weeks.

Anna pulls me through the door of this Mystic Grill. Really, they couldn’t be a little more creative when naming the only place in town that sells alcohol? I only know this is the only place because I have checked in on Mystic Falls a few times. Just to make sure that the Salvatore bloodline is going strong and there is not a vampire infestation once again. Sometimes I would go to the ruins of the old church and think about Katherine. I haven’t seen her since 1865 when she left me with Anna and Emily Bennett to help me adapt to the vampire life. I thought that she might come back to Mystic Falls looking for me, but she never could. I know that now.

“You have to face them sometime, Kari,” Anna says once she sees I have pushed my hair forward to hide my face. I know that they are here. I can sense them nearby. “They have to know you’re alive.”

“Don’t bullshit me, Anna. I know we’re only here so we can get your mom out of the tomb and go.” I immediately know that I’ve struck a chord by the way her grip tightens on my wrist. If you spend 145 years running around with one person, you get to know all the little things that make them. Whatever makes Anna angry, upset, excited, nostalgic, bloodthirsty, I know. I’m sure she could say the same for me.

“Anna!” A voice calls and my head snaps up along with hers. “Hey! Jeremy Gilbert, remember? From the library.” The boy standing in front of us says to Anna, and I have to hold back a laugh. Gilbert? Are you kidding me? She cannot be friends with someone already, never mind a freaking Gilbert!

“Jeremy, right. Hey,” Anna says with a huge smile, and a small laugh escapes my lips. Not only has Anna befriended a Gilbert, but she is crushing on him too! “Do you happen to know where we can find Stefan or Damon Salvatore by any chance?” I shoot her a look, but she ignores me.

“Yeah, Damon’s at the bar with Alaric,” Jeremy says. I resist the urge to look to the bar. “And Stefan’s over there with my sister.” I can’t help but look at Stefan. My mouth hangs open when I see the girl my twin brother is sitting with. “Katherine?” I whisper and Anna is quick to elbow my side.

“Your sister’s name is Elena, right?” Jeremy nods before finally looking at me. “Who are you?”

“Oh, this is just my friend,” Anna says, but I zone out when I hear someone say Jeremy’s name. I tuck my hair behind my ear and concentrate on the voice. “Do you know who Jeremy is talking to?” Her voice sounds exactly like Katherine’s…. But Jeremy said her name is Elena. Is Katherine pretending to be some girl named Elena? No, my brother would have picked up on the act.

“Uh, I know one of them. Annabelle. Her mom is trapped in the tomb with Katherine,” Stefan says to Katherine’s twin. “But I have no idea who the other girl is.”

“I don’t like her hair. That white highlight makes her look like an old lady.”

My fists clench when I hear my brother laugh. This girl is definitely not Katherine. She would know better than to speak about me when I am within a five mile radius. Also, Stefan would never laugh at Katherine’s joke. So whoever this girl is, I don’t like her. And I definitely don’t like her near my brother.

“Sorry, I don’t think I’ve introduced myself,” I say in a loud voice. I can feel quite a few pairs of eyes on me from people eating their dinner or drinking their sorrows away. All I care about are two pairs. One sits at the bar, and one sits next to the rude Katherine imposter. Jeremy looks surprised by my sudden outburst, but Anna is smiling. She knows what I am doing.

“My name is Kariana Salvatore, but you should call me Ariana.”