❛ THEN EARN IT ❜
・₊˚៹ . ❪ lucky again - act one ❫ ˖ ₊˚.⋆ 。✧˖°
࿐⠀┊ ⠀CH. 15⠀┊ 🧛♀️💐💀
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THE DIM LIGHTING IN the house flickered as Bonnie knelt before the coffin, her fingers tracing the ancient carvings on its surface. The air was thick with the scent of burning herbs, the remnants of her spellwork swirling around her like a phantom presence.
She shut her eyes, inhaling deeply, and resumed her chanting, the Latin words flowing from her lips in a steady, commanding rhythm.
Her voice grew louder, more insistent. She could feel the magic humming beneath her skin, pulsing through her veins like an electric current. She pressed her hands flat against the coffin, willing it to obey. The room trembled ever so slightly, a whisper of movement shuddering through the floor.
Bonnie's heart pounded in anticipation, her breath caught in her throat. But then ─ nothing. The lid remained sealed, unmoved, as if her magic was simply bouncing off an invisible wall.
Frustration surged through her. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.
"Why won't you open?!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the empty house.
As if in response, the coffins suddenly vanished before her eyes. One moment they were there ─ solid, immovable ─ and the next, they were simply gone, like shadows erased by the morning sun.
The silence that followed was deafening. Bonnie's breath hitched as she heard it: the soft creak of floorboards shifting under the weight of someone else. Her spine stiffened, every muscle in her body going taut. She wasn't alone.
A prickle of unease slithered down her spine. She turned her head slowly, her pulse hammering against her ribs.
"Hello?" Her voice was steady, but barely above a whisper. "Is someone there?" The silence stretched. The only sound was her own breathing, quick and shallow.
Outside, footsteps crunched against the gravel path leading to the house.
"You didn't say anything to Elena about the coffins, right?" Stefan's voice, low and serious.
"No," Damon replied easily. "I said I wouldn't."
"I know what you said," Stefan pressed, his eyes narrowing.
Damon sighed, exasperated. "Why are you asking?"
"Because protecting the location of Klaus' family is my number one priority right now," Stefan answered sharply. "And the fewer people who know, the better."
Something in Damon's expression shifted ─ his instincts kicking in. He stopped walking.
Stefan frowned. "What?"
Before Damon could answer, the front door burst open. A hybrid lunged forward, moving too fast to be human. His fangs bared, his eyes a vicious golden hue, he slammed into Stefan, knocking him back with supernatural force. Stefan barely had time to react before the hybrid's teeth snapped toward his throat.
A blur of movement and a sickening, wet crack. The hybrid froze, his eyes wide with shock. Blood dribbled from his lips as his body seized. Damon stood behind him, his arm shoved clean through the hybrid's chest, his fingers curled around his still heart.
With an almost bored expression, Damon ripped the heart free. The hybrid collapsed lifelessly to the ground. Damon held the dripping organ up for a moment, then casually tossed it onto the dirt path.
"These hybrids," he quipped, wiping his hands on his jeans, "really bringing the neighborhood down."
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THE DIM GLOW OF THE chandelier flickered as Klaus closed Rebekah's coffin with a quiet finality. The polished wood gleamed under the candlelight, reflecting his own expression back at him ─ a mixture of calculation and amusement. He ran a hand along the surface, exhaling slowly.
"Sweet dreams, Rebekah," he murmured, his voice tinged with something close to affection. Then, turning his head slightly, he called out, "Mindy, love, show her to her room, would you?"
Mindy, ever the obedient follower, nodded with a small smile. "Sure thing." She gripped the handles of the gurney and began wheeling the coffin away, disappearing down the hall.
Klaus turned, expecting solitude, but instead, he found Stefan leaning lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. The flickering light cast shadows across his face, making his smirk appear even more mocking.
"I'm surprised you're still in town," Klaus mused, tilting his head slightly. "I gave you your freedom ─ you could have gone anywhere."
Stefan's smirk widened, his fingers tapping against the wood. "I live here, Klaus."
Klaus let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "Well, if we're playing this game, then..." He spread his arms in a grand gesture. "I was here first."
Stefan pushed off the doorframe, stepping further into the room, his eyes sharp and unyielding. "You know, I don't like your hybrid friends. They're everywhere ─ kind of like fleas." His lips curled. "I want them gone."
Klaus scoffed, reaching for the glass of whiskey on the table beside him. "Yeah, well, I rather like having them around." He took a sip before glancing back at Stefan. "You know, I'm hurt. I hoped that when I freed you, we'd pick up where we left off. But here you are, guzzling vervain like the rest of them, I'm sure. So much for friendship."
Stefan let out a dry laugh, stepping closer. "Friends don't strip friends of their free will."
"Okay, granted," Klaus admitted, waving a hand. "Yeah, that was a little extreme. But I get moody. Just ask my siblings." His expression darkened slightly before he continued, "Speaking of whom, isn't it time you handed them over?"
Stefan's smirk vanished. "Klaus, get your hybrids out of Mystic Falls, or I will remove them myself." His voice was ice.
Klaus tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Hmm. You see, if you continue to threaten me, I'll be forced to retaliate." He set his glass down, stepping closer to Stefan, his voice lowering to a dangerous murmur. "Kill people. And it will get messy again."
Stefan barely blinked. "Do whatever you want. I don't really care." He paused, then, almost as if reconsidering, he smirked again. "Or, you know what? Maybe I do. Maybe I care so much that I'll drop Elijah in the Arctic."
Klaus' expression barely shifted, but something in his eyes burned. "Well," he murmured, stepping closer, his voice like silk over steel, "maybe I'd be willing to lose one brother... if it meant killing yours."
Stefan's smirk remained intact. "Try me. Let's find out."
Before Klaus could respond, Mindy returned, stepping into the doorway hesitantly. "Is everything okay?"
Klaus barely glanced at her. "Everything is fine, Mindy. Stefan was just leaving after failing to make his point."
But Stefan moved before Klaus could process it. In one swift, fluid motion, he grabbed a saw from the work table, its sharp edge catching the light. Before Mindy could react, he swung it across her neck with brutal precision.
Blood sprayed across the floor as her head separated cleanly from her body. A dull thud echoed as it hit the ground, her body collapsing a second later.
Klaus remained still, his expression unreadable as Stefan casually tossed the saw back onto the table.
"Well, one down," Stefan said smoothly, brushing imaginary dust off his hands. "You may want to send the rest of them away before it gets messy again."
Before Klaus could respond, another voice cut through the tension.
"Oh, thank God," Kara drawled, stepping into the room with effortless grace. She cast a disinterested glance at Mindy's lifeless body. "She was so annoying."
Stefan smirked at her before striding out of the room, his point made. Silence followed.
Klaus sighed, lifting his whiskey glass once more and taking a slow sip. "Well," he muttered under his breath, "that was dramatic."
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THE EVENING AIR WAS THICK with the scent of aged wood and fresh varnish as Kara moved through the halls of her estate. The construction workers had mostly cleared out for the night, leaving behind the soft hum of silence, interrupted only by the occasional creak of the floorboards beneath her heels.
She was still irritated ─ Stefan had left without a second thought, and her brother, as usual, was more interested in playing his power games than listening to her frustrations. She poured herself a glass of wine, swirling it idly as she made her way to the grand sitting room, ready to collapse onto the velvet chaise.
But she couldn't help but pause at the sight of a man lounging casually on one of her plush velvet chairs. He was a striking figure ─ tall, with dark hair that fell into his eyes just enough to give him a brooding, mysterious vibe. His dark leather jacket was worn just enough to look effortlessly cool, and his piercing green eyes met hers as she stepped inside.
"Well, well," she murmured, her lips curling into a playful smile, "Look what the cat dragged in."
He stood up with a smirk, stretching his long limbs before moving toward her. "I was told you were in desperate need of company," he said, his voice smooth and confident.
Kara rolled her eyes, but there was a warmth to the interaction. "You can call it what you want, but I'd hardly call it 'desperate.'"
The man grinned, clearly amused. "Sure, sure. But you know, you're lucky I showed up when I did. Otherwise, who knows what your brother would've done to you by now."
Kara arched an eyebrow, her expression turning a bit more serious. "You're not wrong there."
He chuckled softly and leaned against the wall. "So, how's the family drama? Still trying to keep your brother in check?"
Kara sighed dramatically, moving past him toward the bar. "You know Klaus ─ always making things worse than they need to be."
He watched her for a moment, his eyes flicking over her as if to assess her mood. "Well, I'm here now. So, let's see if we can keep the chaos to a minimum for a bit, yeah?"
Kara met his gaze, her playful smirk returning. "You better, or I'll send you back to wherever you came from."
He smirked right back at her, clearly unfazed. "You wouldn't dare."
She poured herself a drink, taking a sip before responding. "I might, but I'll let you stay ─ for now."
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LUCA JAMES WAS EXACTLY the kind of person who never needed to say much but always seemed to understand what was left unsaid. He had an air of mystery about him, like he carried stories that no one had the privilege of hearing. His dark hair was slightly tousled, and his eyes ─ deep, unreadable eyes ─ always seemed to be weighing the situation before he chose to speak.
He had always been there when Kara needed someone to lean on, whether it was for advice or simply a moment of silence. Their history together was a blend of shared laughter and comfort during moments of uncertainty, two souls intertwined by circumstances, both carrying their own weight but always managing to lift each other.
They met years ago at one of Kara's more reckless ventures ─ a night where they were both looking to escape their respective realities. She had been dealing with her brothers', Klaus, demands, and it just happened that, Luca had his own dark past to run from. Despite the weight they carried, there was an undeniable connection between them.
A companionship. Over the years, their bond grew from mere acquaintances to the kind of friendship where no words were needed. It was always understood that, no matter what, they had each other's back.
Luca was someone she knew would never betray her trust, not even under the most intense pressure. He had become a silent guardian in her life, the calm in her storm. He had witnessed her darkest moments but never judged her. If anything, he helped her feel seen for more than the complex web of her family's choices and chaotic natures.
Kara leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed as she observed Luca from across the room. He was standing by the fireplace, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp, as though he was always alert, no matter how at ease he seemed.
"You've been quiet," Kara remarked, her voice breaking the silence.
Luca turned his head slightly, giving her a small smirk. "Not my thing to break the quiet unless it's necessary."
She raised an eyebrow, walking further into the room. "And what do you think about the situation with Stefan?"
Luca's face remained unreadable, but there was a flicker of something behind his eyes. "Well, I still think it's morbid that you guys just carry their bodies around in coffins. But you're used to that, aren't you?"
Kara couldn't help but laugh bitterly, the sound tinged with frustration. "Used to it? I'm drowning in it, Luca. Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it. Every time I take a step forward, something pulls me right back."
Luca's gaze softened, and he closed the gap between them, resting a hand on her shoulder in a rare moment of comfort. "You don't have to do it alone, Kara. You never have to. You have me."
She met his gaze, her shoulders relaxing under his touch. "I know."
"I get it. Believe me, I do." He lowered his hand and took a step back, giving her space once more. "But you're stronger than you think. You've been through worse."
Her expression softened, and she smiled, appreciating the comfort his presence provided. "Always the optimist, huh?"
He shrugged with a grin. "Someone has to keep you grounded."
"I... I slept with Stefan," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, eyes still focused on the distant horizon.
Luca didn't flinch. Instead, he stepped back, crossing his arms as he studied her. "More than once, I gather," he said after a beat, giving her a knowing look.
Kara's lips curved into a bitter, tight smile. "Yeah. More than once," she replied, staring at her hands now, as if they held the key to everything she couldn't figure out.
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CASSANDRA HADN'T BOTHERED TO knock before entering Caroline's bedroom. Maybe that had been the issue, maybe it was her fault ─ no, they never knocked, so why should she have in that moment? As far as she could remember, they never knocked.
Not when they were little girls playing dress-up, not when they were teenagers stealing each other's clothes, and certainly not now, when they were both vampires dealing with the mess of their existence.
Besides, Caroline had skipped school today, and that meant Cassie had skipped too. What kind of sister would she be if she let Caroline wallow in birthday misery alone?
"Hey, so I was thinking red velvet," Cassie began as she pushed the door open, her voice light, carrying the kind of forced enthusiasm she hoped would snap Caroline out of her funk. "Or maybe something classic, like that chocolate cake Dad used to make us. But then I thought, why not go all out? We could do one of those insane cakes with different flavors in every-"
Her words came to an abrupt stop. Her hands freezing in the air, having gone to push her hair back into its place behind right ear. Cassie's brain barely had time to process what she was seeing before the air in the room seemed to shift into an awkward silence.
The sound of bodies breaking apart, of desperate, guilty movement. Tyler. Caroline. Tyler Lockwood and Caroline Forbes ─ her boyfriend... and her only friend in the world, her sister. Too close. Cassie couldn't even remember the last time she had been that close to her boyfriend.
Her boyfriend ─ her sweet, charming, and occasionally infuriating jerk of a boyfriend ─ had been kissing her sister. Her sister! Blood sister! Same parents, same DNA, and apparently same taste in men sister!
Cassandra blinked, her breath catching, though it was pointless. Her sight blurred with unshed tears as the scene before her finally began to clarify itself, bringing forth a new batch of pain. It was then that she realized that she was truly undead. She couldn't feel her heart, but could hear the short breath Tyler let out.
Her chest ached anyway, a phantom pain where her heart should have been beating wildly. But it wasn't. It never would again.
Caroline had the decency to look stricken, her blue eyes wide, guilt written all over her face. Tyler, on the other hand, looked... panicked. Like he wanted to say something but didn't know where to start.
Cassie's fingers curled into fists. Her body felt frozen, her mind screaming at her to do something, anything ─ but what? Rage? Scream? Cry? None of those things would fix what had already happened.
Her voice, when she finally found it, was quiet. Too quiet.
"Linnie?" she questioned before her words became sharp as broken glass, "What the actual hell?"
Tyler stepped forward like he wanted to explain, but she took a step back, shaking her head.
"Cassie, it's not─"
"Don't." The word was a warning, an unspoken threat laced with the kind of hurt she didn't even know she could feel anymore. "Don't even say my name."
She turned to Caroline, and something in her chest twisted, because this wasn't just betrayal. It wasn't just Tyler. It was her sister. Her best friend. Her blood, and the one person in the whole wide world that knew her better than anyone. Her person.
Caroline opened her mouth, but Cassie wasn't sure she could stand to hear whatever excuse was coming next. So she left, and she ran as fast and far as she could. Then, for the first time since turning into a vampire, she wished she could just... die.
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THE FOUNDERS' HALL WAS alive with the usual pomp and circumstance ─ laughter that didn't quite reach the eyes, glasses clinking in celebration of a town built on secrets, and music humming softly beneath the chatter. Kara had no interest in any of it. She leaned against the bar, swirling the amber liquid in her glass, barely paying attention to the people flitting around like moths to a flame.
Her twin brother had, as always, insisted on her presence, dragging her to yet another event that, in his mind, demanded a Mikaelson touch. And as always, Klaus had been predictably smug about it, slipping seamlessly into his role as the charming benefactor while chaos brewed beneath the surface.
Kara's attention was drawn across the room as Damon approached Klaus, a purposeful stride in his step. She watched as he murmured something to her brother, whose expression shifted just slightly ─ interest piqued.
That was enough for Kara to toss back the rest of her drink, set the empty glass on the bar, and follow after them.
As she stepped through the doorway, "Now, now, why so secretive boys?" She questioned with a smirk.
"No clue." Klaus answered shrugging his shoulders. "This... nuisance just pulled me away from a fascinating conversation about landscaping the Town Square." Gesturing towards Damon with disgust, that made his twin sister scoff out a laugh.
Kara leaned against the frame, arching a brow. "As if you care about landscaping."
Klaus gasped theatrically, pressing a hand to his chest. "I like to appreciate the art."
She scoffed. "Yeah, right."
He smirked, dropping the act. "Fine. You caught me. I was getting bored. But that doesn't give this man the right to drag me away." He turned to Damon. "Now, what is it that you want?"
Damon barely spared Kara a glance before cutting straight to the point. "Stefan just grabbed Elena."
Klaus exhaled sharply through his nose, clearly unimpressed. "Well, he's getting desperate."
Damon took a step forward. "He's gonna try and use her against you. Do what he says ─ get rid of your hybrids."
Klaus tilted his head, studying him with amusement. "Or what? Stefan would never dream of killing her."
Damon's jaw tightened. "You sure about that? He just tried to behead someone in the middle of a Council party. He's operating on crazy right now, and Kara won't call him off." His gaze flicked to her then, expecting her to deny it, to offer some kind of explanation.
Instead, she merely shrugged, arms crossed over her chest. "He's not a dog I can control. His actions are his own."
Damon scoffed. "He listens to you."
Kara let out a short, humorless laugh. "No, he doesn't. He sleeps with me. But when it comes to listening?" She smirked. "He tells me to go to hell."
Klaus chuckled, clearly entertained. "Well, crazy or not, that kind of love never dies. He's bluffing."
Kara rolled her eyes. "Ah, yes, the love he has for Elena ─ sweet and innocent, boringly sweet. No wonder he wants to kill her." She scoffed.
Damon's patience was wearing thin. "Maybe he is lying, maybe he isn't, but if you don't want to believe him, believe me. I know my brother better than anyone, and right now, I don't have a clue how far he's willing to take this. So if he says blink, I suggest you blink."
Kara sighed dramatically, pushing off the doorframe. "Oh, brother, you lads have fun. But I, for one, am in no mood to listen to Stefan's voice at the moment." She turned on her heel, throwing a careless wave over her shoulder. "Toodaloo."
And with that, she exited the room, leaving them to deal with the mess.
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KARA SAT CROSS-LEGGED on Stefan's bed, humming idly to herself as she pretended to read the newspaper. The pages were open, but her eyes weren't scanning the words. She was simply passing the time, waiting. She knew he'd be back soon ─ she had been listening for him, sensing the shift in the air that always seemed to come before his arrival.
The door opened with little ceremony, and there he was, his presence filling the room with a quiet tension.
Stefan barely spared her a glance as he shrugged out of his jacket. "Why are you here?"
Kara smirked, folding the newspaper and setting it aside. "If you talked nicer, then maybe you'd know."
His jaw tightened. "You can tell me, or you can get out."
She tsked, tilting her head. "So rude."
"I don't care."
"But you do," she countered smoothly, shifting to lean on her elbow. "That's why you keep compelling people to watch me."
Stefan stilled, his eyes narrowing. "How did you─"
"I see everything. I hear everything. And, well, honey," she smirked, dragging out the words, "I know everything."
"I just wanted to see what you were up to." His lips pressed into a thin line, but the sharp edge of his curiosity was undeniable.
Kara sighed dramatically. "Then ask me. I'm tired of compelling them away."
His brows furrowed slightly. "You're difficult."
Kara chuckled, pushing herself up from the bed. "Me? No. You are." She took a step closer, her eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "Almost killing Elena tonight? That's a low blow, Stefan. Even for you."
Something flickered across his face ─ annoyance, maybe even regret ─ but it was gone before she could place it.
"She'll never forgive you," Kara added, voice softer now, almost teasing.
Stefan exhaled sharply, taking a slow step toward her. "Maybe she's not the girl I want forgiveness from."
Kara's smirk faltered just slightly as he closed the distance between them, the space between them now charged with something electric. He was close enough that she could feel the ghost of his breath against her lips, close enough that all it would take was the smallest tilt forward ─
"Them earn it," she murmured.
And then, just before his lips could brush against hers ─ she was gone.
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( CLARISSA'S NOTE : another short chapter, but hoped you enjoyed! )