A Mirror's Reflection

Chapter 12 : A Game of Trust

"Why does that guy want to sacrifice you?" He snapped irritated.

"It doesn't matter, Damon," I sighed, "it has nothing to do with you. It's— you could say it's me fulfilling my destiny. It's inescapable and there is nothing you, or anyone else for that matter, can do. I can't do anything about it, Damon. The best I can do is to let it all happen on my terms."

"Because some guy is cursed?" He snarled and I flinched.

"Damon—"

"He won't have anyone to sacrifice if—"

"No! Damon, I mean it, no!" I gasped understanding his reasoning immediately. "You can't turn me!"

"If you want to die so badly—"

"I don't. Damon, I don't. I have no choice. You don't understand." I tried, my heart speeding up, gut-clenching in dismay. "And you're not going to. I'm sorry. I don't understand why you'd even want to? You have your girlfriend…"

"You knew, didn't you?" He asked and my heartbeat sped up until it felt as if it was trying to escape my ribcage, my fingers twitching. Damon pretended not to notice. I could tell. His eyebrows rose and his eyes wandered from my face, flitting down my neck and skimming over my collarbones. I ignored the urge to clap my hand over my fast beating carotid artery.

My heart was beating erratically and I tucked a fluttering lock of hair behind my ear. What did I know? I assumed this was about Katherine. I assumed he'd learned she hadn't been in the tomb and something akin to pain swirled through my stomach. "You knew."

"Is this about—"

"Katherine!" He growled and sped forward, kicking over the Adirondack chair and the side table. It made a dull clunk when it hit one of the trees, splinters of wood spraying over the grass, and for a moment, he had his back to me. Breathing hard, shoulders quivering, he slowly turned his head towards me and I met his eyes from across the lawn. The next sentence sounded broken, "You knew Katherine wasn't in the tomb. You knew. And yet—"

"I did." I agreed softly and his face twisted in anger.

"And you didn't—"

"No, you don't understand. If I'd told you she wasn't there, you wouldn't have believed me."

He snarled, "Oh, so now you're an expert to what I think and feel?"

"No!" I mumbled. "No, that's not fair. You wouldn't have believed me, and you know it. You would have thought I was trying to drive a wedge between you and her. You wouldn't— And why would you? The only connection I have to you is the face I wear. The face of your past love."

"Why?"

"I— I can't say," I mumbled.

Katherine's story was Katherine's. Not mine. The Doppelgänger who'd thought she was courting a Lord. Who'd thought she'd found a way into high society, yet instead, Klaus and Elijah had been preparing her for the sacrifice.

It wasn't my story— It wasn't my life.

Her actions had unknowingly condemned her to a life of forever looking over her shoulder and running. In the beginning, she had been an innocent but at some point transformed into a manipulative bitch doing anything she could to survive. Then again, I doubted anyone would come out fine and dandy after someone murdered your entire family.

"I'm sorry, Damon."

"Yeah, sure." He hissed, voice hoarse and scratchy, and for a moment I thought he would come for me. Would take hold of my head and crack my skull open against the hard wall of Elena's house. My feet slipped onto the moss-covered ground and I trembled.