Burnin' Up | J. Saltzman - Legacies [1]

T H I R T Y - O N E

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The dark forest provides the perfect cover for the retro van to park on the side of the road, its headlights off to avoid detection. Everyone contained within the car is close to sleep but waits silently for the last piece to fit into place. "So, where is she?" Alaric asks.

Kaleb sends him an annoyed look. "You doubting my skills?" He glances outside the car to see a woman hiding behind one of the trees. He motions for her to approach, and she does.

He hears Stella hiss under her breath as he takes the urn from the woman. "Thank you. Oh, and you may want to lay low for a little bit, sweetie."

The woman just walks back into the dense forest of darkness.

Kaleb turns back with a smirk on his face. "You're welcome."

Stella leans forward, slapping Kaleb's arm. As he yelps, she snaps, "Never do that again. I see you manipulating some poor human again, I'll kill you myself."

Coughing awkwardly, Alaric says, "On that lovely note, let's go home."

A light turns on from behind them. Stella instinctively reaches for the twins on either side of her, pushing their shoulders down as she glances out the back window. "Shit," she mutters, sliding down in her seat.

Agent Clarke steps out from the dark car boxing them in. Emma and Dorian slowly emerge from the vehicle, both wearing nervous expressions.

"They have Dorian and Emma," Stella whispers. She feels Josie wrap her hand around her's.

With a heavy sigh, Alaric takes the urn and turns it over in his grasp. "Alright. Stay here."

Before he can open the door, Stella takes her hand off of Lizzie and grabs his shoulder. "You can't be serious," she says. He sends her a defeated look in the mirror. "Let me out. I'll get them back without giving up the urn."

Josie's grip tightens as Alaric shakes his head. "No. Too many variables."

"Stella, they have guns and hostages," Josie says, her voice barely above a whisper.

"My mother always says you shouldn't bring guns to a fight with a witch." Stella narrows her eyes as she glances back at Clarke. "Let me deal with them."

"They have guns," Alaric repeats.

"And I have magic."

He shakes his head. "Too many people could get hurt. I'm not risking it."

Stella opens her mouth to speak; Josie pushes her back into her seat as Alaric gets out of the car. "No," Josie says. "Just...Stay here. Don't do anything."

Reluctantly, Stella slouches in her seat with her arms crossed over her chest. She pouts as the adults climb back into the car silently—Alaric at the front and the couple in the very back. No one speaks as they begin the long trek back to Mystic Falls.

Soon enough, Stella finds herself unable to keep her eyes open. Against her better judgment, she leans her head to the side, resting it against Josie's shoulder. The siphoner lets her own head drop above Stella's as her body relaxes. Their clasped hands stay on Josie's thigh.

Another hour of almost sleep passes before a thought pops into Stella's head. She opens her eyes to see Lizzie staring out the window. As Stella sits up, the blonde turns to her with narrowed eyes.

With a hesitant sigh, Stella says, "My girlfriend died in a church. That's why I don't like them."

Lizzie stares at the witch as a new light ignites her gaze. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Stella shakes her head. "It's in the past." Another moment of silence passes before she speaks again. "If you really thought Hope said all those things about you, then you hating her makes sense. I get it, but with a family like ours, we're not immune to those issues that you deal with. Neither one of us takes it lightly, and neither one of us would ever make fun of you for it."

"I believe you," Lizzie replies. Stella sees tears gathering in Lizzie's eyes.

"What I don't get is why anyone would accuse her of that. Who did you hear it from?"

Slowly, Lizzie moves her eyes from Stella to the brunette at the window. Her sister's expression is scrunched up in guilt as she glances back at the other two witches.

Stella untangles her fingers and forces her eyes forward.

~~~~~

The twins' room is full of silent tension as they unpack. Josie refuses to meet Lizzie's angry gaze as the two change into pajamas. Finally, Lizzie asks the one question she's wanted to for hours. "Why would you drive a wedge between me and Hope?" she asks. Josie straightens up with a helpless look on her face. "Why lie?"

"I was gonna ask the same thing." Josie turns at the voice to see Stella, clad in a tank top and pajama shorts, leaning against the door frame.

Josie's heart sinks. She can see by the forced neutrality on Stella's face that the witch is hurting. The stance, too casual to be normal, tells Josie that the Hale witch is fighting with herself for the answer only she can give.

Turning back to her sister, she says, "I didn't just lie. I started the fire."

At the sharp inhale, Josie looks back at Stella. The witch stares with her lips slightly parted as her hands drop to her sides.

"Lizzie had made some remark about me being obsessed with Hope," Josie admits. As she crosses her arms over her chest, she feels like she can't breathe. The guilt builds up in her throat as she continues. "I just blurted out 'How could I be obsessed with somebody who would say such mean things about my twin.'"

Stella blinks. "But she didn't."

"I know. I just made it up."

Shaking her head, Lizzie sighs. "Why?"

"Because I didn't want Lizzie to know the truth." Even now, as the words form on her tongue, Josie feels like vomiting. She would do anything to keep the truth to herself, to save Stella and Lizzie the knowledge of what she truly is. "I had a crush on Hope."

The Hale witch closes her eyes and purses her lips. She dips her head down as Josie rushes to explain. "And I had slipped a note into her room that morning, and I don't know, I just immediately regretted it, but I couldn't get in by then. So, I did a fire spell under the door. I was really only aiming for the note."

"Why would it matter that I knew?" Lizzie asks, but Josie keeps staring at Stella. The Hale girl looks at her feet.

"Because my whole life, any time I've ever liked anyone, you go for them," Josie replies, only glancing at her sister. "And you always win."

"You had a crush on Hope?" Stella asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

For some reason, Josie feels her heart contract. It is as if someone were tuning her heart to play a certain melody, but they couldn't find the right sound. Her guilt is like a punch to the stomach as she nods.

Stella scoffs, glancing up at the ceiling as she bites her bottom lip. "Of course you did," Stella replies. "Who wouldn't, right? She's Hope Mikaelson, the legendary broken trybrid."

She runs her hand over her face as she steps away from the door. Without a glance in Josie's direction, Stella returns to her room. A moment later, the door closes with a soft click.

CONFLICT!! AHHHH!

Hope you enjoyed!

-L