FALLEN FROM GRACE-katherine pierce!

CHAPTER NINE: THE VEIL BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE

SOMETHING WITHIN INGRUD CRUMBLES.

Kneeling down next to her lover, she examines Diana's body. Dead body, that is. It was obvious how she died. Her neck was bent at an unnatural angle, leading Ingrid to believe that her neck had been snapped. A minuscule part of the Original vampire is relieved, which surprises even her, that it had been a clean death. The larger part begins to weep, tears flowing down her porcelain cheeks. A part of her had died when she did a thousand years ago. Another part had withered and abandoned her with Katherine. The last part of her humanity now lay deceased in her arms.

Ingrid cradles Diana close and whispers nothings in her ear, as if the girl could hear her. She tells her lover how excited she was to move in together. How much she loved her. How they were going to get married and live in one of those pleasant townhouses
That was her way. To deny, deny, deny. Deny the fact that she was a blood craving monster. Deny the fact that her family was broken. Deny that Katerina or Katherine or whatever it is she called herself these days only cared about herself and had no room left in her heart for Ingrid. Vampirism had taken Ingrid's naivety and stabbed her with it over and over again. She wished it had killed her the first time.

"Diana," Ingrid forces out. "Wake up," she whispers. The wind blew heartily then and rustled the windowpane. "Diana, wake up," Ingrid nearly screeches. A heavy sob wracks her body. Such a stupid, insipid girl she was. Nik was right. She needed to stop playing pretend, needed to face the real world, needed to do this and that and everything in between. Ingrid was the one who needed to wake up.

"Ingrid, stop that," Diana said playfully, nudging the vampire with her shoulder. Said vampire grinned and continued to tickle the woman she had recently began to call her girlfriend. "I can't help it," she said, dimpled cheeks spreading into a wide grin. Ingrid observed the scene before her and felt a wave of contentment settle on her like snow to a field. Central Park was full of life, and it reminded Ingrid of when she was a child. When life had surrounded and enraptured and intrigued her. She was much, much older now, and her perspective on living had changed (mostly due to the fact that she wasn't alive at all). Ingrid had first been so taken with Diana because of how lively she was. Diana was vibrant and bright, which fascinated her. Meanwhile, her older brother was out on some expedition, leaving her to enjoy the presence of the wonderful girl beside her. He had no doubt that she would not leave New York. This newfound trust that he placed on her made her very uneasy. Nik had never even trusted his own shadow. However, it pleased Ingrid to no end that he hadn't dragged her along to whatever desolate region he saw fit to sulk in.

"Earth to Ingrid." Ingrid's attention was abruptly drawn from her half brother to Diana, who had a puzzled look on her features. She quickly apologized, and the two of them continued the playful banter that had occurred before Ingrid's attention had been temporarily averted. Later that night, Ingrid found herself alone in her bed, musing on herself. How she had changed and grew and possibly even found love. How life was goingrather splendidly. And how she felt finally over a certain curly haired doppelgänger. Ingrid had finally reached a checkpoint. She, at last, decided she was content never to see the Petrova descendent for as long as she didn't breathe.

"This is very touching."

Ingrid whirled around. She kept the body of her dead girlfriend secured within her arms and bared her fangs at the vampire before her. Katherine's eyes widened as she gazed upon the dead human. "Someone looks to be in over their head," she remarked, the weight of the situation lost on her. That was the last straw for Ingrid. She used her vampiric speed to pin Katherine against the wall, her hand slowly crushing the younger vampire's windpipe. Tears once again sprung in her eyes. "It was you. I know it was you. You couldn't let me be happy," Ingrid declared, wetness gushing down her face.

"It wasn't me, Ingrid," Katherine hisses. The denial only angered Ingrid further, and she began to apply more pressure. "It wasn't," the doppelgänger managed to choke out. "I have no motive. Why would I want to draw attention to myself? Why kill one of your lovers? There's nothing for me to gain besides your ire, and I wouldn't want that ever."

Ingrid drops Katherine to the floor. Katherine coughed and smiles her small, little Katherine smile. "You know I do care about you; I'm here to help you because your little toy died," the master manipulator whispers, and Ingrid furrows her brows. "No, that can't be it. You make a point of knowing exactly what your enemies are up to. You would've known exactly what Diana meant to me."

Katherine smiles coyly. "Who says you're my enemy?" Ingrid rolls her eyes. She had no time for Katherine's games right now. Ingrid had always found room for Katherine despite any kind of grief, but now was not one of those times. "Get out," she snaps and gathers Diana into her arms once more.

There's something in Katherine's eyes then. Something Ingrid couldn't quite place. It isn't regret or even sorrow. It's an emotion she'd never seen on the younger vampire before. Katherine stalks off, slamming the door behind her, leaving Ingrid and her dead girlfriend alone.

Ingrid had stopped crying, and a steely sort of resolve had begun to form in her brain. She was going to murder the person that did this, and if she found out that person was Katerina Petrova, it wouldn't change a damn thing.

a/n hiii so I wrote this last night at 3am so I apologize if it sucks, I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy❤️ ty for reading even though I'm possibly the worst as updating my stories in the whole world