Chapter Text
(A/N: I imagine my OC as portrayed by Miranda Kerr. Here is a picture of her. Miranda Kerr)
My name is Amelia Fell and I am 16 years old. Today was the historical society’s high tea party for some visiting writer that was writing a book on small town Virginia. I have always been fascinated by history so I’ve been an honorary member for years now since you couldn’t be an official member until you were 18. As an honorary member, I was invited to all of the historical society’s events including this one. I was happy to go since there was no school because it was good Friday and it gave me an excuse to be out of the house.
I spent every day either helping the historical society or at my special spot in the woods when I wasn’t in school because anywhere was better than home. The man that the town knew as my father, Thomas Fell, was horribly abusive towards me. When I was eight years old, my mother was dying of cancer and she confessed to him that I wasn’t actually his daughter. Ever since then he has been horrible to me, he beat me, called me horrible names, starved me, anything he could do to make my life miserable, he did.
To the outside world, he was the perfect father with a clumsy daughter. He was one of the founding families after all so everyone turned a blind eye to my pain. The only one that ever actually cared was Sheriff Forbes but I knew that if I ever told her what he was doing, he would reveal that I wasn’t his daughter and since my mother had no family, I would go into foster care. I would be ripped from my friends and my life here in Mystic Falls so even though my life sucked, it was better than being dumped into the unknown.
So I grit my teeth and bear it. I spend as much time as possible outside of the house when he is there and I do my chores after he has gone to bed. He’s an accountant so we have a nice house and he drives a nice car. I wonder sometimes if my mother hadn’t told him the truth then maybe I could have had a comfortable life free of abuse but playing the what if game never got me anywhere. I just await the day when I could leave and never come back.
I had several people that I considered to be close friends, Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and even Tyler when he wasn’t being an asshole but none of them knew about my father. I was really close with Caroline, I considered her my best friend but her mom was the sheriff so I never told her.
I woke up at 5am and got ready for the tea party which was at 11am. I got up so early so I wouldn’t be harrassed by Thomas as I showered. Sometimes when I was showering and he was up, he’d drag me out of the shower by my hair and beat me so I showered early to avoid that. I wasn’t allowed to wear or have any jewelry, although I did have my mother’s jewelry stashed away underneath the floorboards under my bed, but I was allowed makeup since I could use it to hide the bruises he caused. I was an expert makeup artist now and could hide any bruise flawlessly which is what I did now. There were bruises around my neck where he choked me last night and on my biceps where he gripped me. There were others but they were covered by my dress so I didn’t need to use makeup.
My dress was a pretty, blue, 50’s style dress that fell to about my knees and I paired it with a pair of black, 3 inch heels. Thomas wouldn’t let me get heels that were more than 3 inches even though I was only 5’1” and could really use the boost in height. But I always followed my father’s rules because it meant I would get less of a beating. I pushed the thought aside and did my hair and makeup. I covered the bruises and the dark circles beneath my eyes with makeup and put my hair in a low bun.
Once I was done, I went into my room and sat in the dark, not making a sound. I heard him as he got up and went downstairs. I turned on my light now that he couldn’t see it and got out my sketchbook. I started sketching a dragon sleeping on top of its treasure but listened for the sound of him coming back upstairs. Hours passed and he never did. At 9am, I put away my sketchbook and grabbed my silver clutch before heading downstairs as quickly as possible. Thankfully the front door was near the bottom of the stairs and I was able to get out the door before he even registered that I had come down the stairs.
It took an hour to walk to the Lockwoods but I didn’t care. When I got there, I said hi to Mrs. Lockwood and then got to work helping everyone get things set up. At 11am, the party began and I mingled with the guests. When the writer arrived, I looked over at him and made eye contact. I felt this warmth in my chest that I couldn’t explain but I ignored the feeling and looked away.
*Elijah’s POV*
I arrived at the historical society’s high tea party and as I walked up the steps to the Lockwood’s mansion, I caught a trace scent of something. Mate. After a thousand years, I had given up hope that I would ever find my mate but she was here at this party somewhere. The scent was only an hour or so old so she was definitely here. I made sure to hide my excitement as I walked through the doors and scanned the crowd.
There!
I made eye contact with my mate and I could feel the bond between us. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen but she was obviously still a teenager. Her chestnut brown hair was pulled back in a bun and she was wearing a modest, royal blue, 50’s style dress. Her face was heart shaped with a small, button nose, full lips, prominent cheekbones, and a small chin. I immediately started towards her even as she looked away shyly. When I reached her, I noticed that she was over half a foot shorter than me and that was in heels.
“Hello there, I’m Elijah Smith. What’s your name?” I asked with a gentle smile.
She looked surprised that I was speaking with her. “Oh, um, I’m Amelia Fell.”
She held out her hand to shake so I took it and brought it to my lips. I gently kissed her knuckles and relished in the way she blushed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Amelia.”
“You can just call me Amy if you want.” She said with a shy smile.
“Now why would I call you that when Amelia is such a beautiful name.” I said with a smile.
She blushed again. “Oh, well, it’s just that’s what everyone calls me.”
“I think you’ll find that I’m not quite like anyone else.” I said a tad smugly.
Mayor Lockwood came over to us before Amelia could respond. “Elijah, I see you’ve met Amy here. Her family is actually one of Mystic Falls’ founding families and Amy is in fact an honorary member of our Historical Society. If you want to learn about this town, Amy is an excellent resource.”
“Why is she not an official member then?” I asked, curious.
Amelia answered for Mayor Lockwood. “You have to be 18 to be an official member and I’m only 16 but I’ll be turning 17 tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is your birthday?” I would have to remember that in the future and maybe I could even get her a gift tomorrow.
“April 3rd.” She confirmed with a smile.
“And what are you doing to celebrate?” I asked so I would know where to give her a gift.
“I actually don’t have any plans other than breakfast with my dad.” What was odd was that her smile became strained as she mentioned her father.
“Oh, actually Amy, I was wondering if you’d go with Jenna and Elijah as they toured the old property lines tomorrow but I don’t want to interfere with your birthday breakfast plans with your dad.” Mayor Lockwood said.
“Actually, we’re both early risers so we eat really early. I would be happy to accompany Elijah and Jenna and offer any help I can as long as Mr. Smith doesn’t mind?” She looked at me as she asked.
This was the perfect opportunity. “I would love for you to accompany us, Amelia and please, call me Elijah.”
She smiled brightly and I knew that I would do anything I could to keep her smiling like that. “Okay, Elijah.”
Mayor Lockwood decided to change the subject. “Have you spent much time in Richmond for your book? There’s such a wealth of history there.”
“No, I’m focusing mostly on, uh, smaller regions of Virginia. Lots of research, strictly academic.” I answered.
“That’s fascinating, don’t you think Amy?” Mayor Lockwood looked at Amelia.
Amelia smiled politely. “Yes, it is fascinating. I hope that I can help you with your research here tomorrow, Elijah.”
“I’m sure you will be a great help.” I assured her.
Her smile became more genuine and it was then that spotted Damon Salvatore walking towards us. The mayor had as well. “Damon.” She greeted.
“Carol.” He greeted in return.
“What a surprise.” Mayor Lockwood said before embracing Damon in a brief hug.
Damon kissed her cheek. “Hi.”
Mayor Lockwood pulled back. “Elijah, I want you to meet Damon Salvatore. His family is another one of the Mystic Falls’ founding families.”
“Mm-hmm.” Damon smirked. “Such a pleasure to meet you.” He said, his voice dripping with false sincerity, as he held out his hand to shake.
“No, pleasure’s mine.” I said just as falsely as I shook his hand.
“Oh and I don’t think you’ve met Amy here, have you Damon?” Mayor Lockwood gestured to Amelia.
Damon briefly glanced at Amelia before looking back at me. “No, sorry. Actually, Elijah, I was hoping to have a word with you in private, do you mind?” He gestured towards the mayor’s study.
I didn’t want to leave my mate but I wasn’t about to let Damon know of her importance to me. “Of course, after you.”
*Amelia’s POV*
Elijah left with Mr. Salvatore and I went to mingle with the guests again. At one point, I went to check on the wait staff to make sure everything was running smoothly and when I came back, I ran right into Elijah. He steadied me so I didn’t fall but he gripped my arms in the exact same place as my bruises so I winced. “Oh, I’m so sorry Elijah, I should have been looking where I was going.”
He was still pressing on the bruises on my arms and it hurt but I was able to keep the pain off my face. “It’s quite alright, I wasn’t paying attention either.” He said and I noticed that I wasn’t just feeling pain but also an almost electric feeling from where he was touching me.
I purposely took a step back so he would have to release me and thankfully he did. I smiled at him. “Well, I should go now.”
I went to walk past him but he stepped in my way. “Actually I was hoping to talk to you, Amelia.”
Now I was curious. “About what?”
“About you, what are your interests? What are your hobbies? Anything you’re willing to share with me.” His face was open and honest but I couldn’t fathom why he was interested in me.
“Well I like books and art for the most part. In my free time, I like to read or draw in my sketchbook. I’m the treasurer of the dance committee and the secretary of the student council. Um, I don’t really know what else to say, my life isn’t very interesting.” I tried to think of something else to say about myself. “Um, I prefer fantasy and sci-fi books over anything else.” I shrugged helplessly. “Sorry, I can’t think of anything else.”
“What is your favorite book?” He asked.
“Um, probably Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling but I love all the Harry Potter books. Have you read them?”
“I’m afraid I haven’t.” He answered.
“Well, you’re missing out, they’re great. The next time you find yourself with time to read, you should check out the first one, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” I informed him.
We continued to talk for the rest of the party and I told him about all my favorite things and even got him to share some of his favorite things. I could tell that he didn’t like to talk about himself so I was happy with what he did share with me. We talked about what our lives are like currently. “I’m in five AP classes so I have a lot of homework everyday but it’ll be worth it when I get into a good college. I like to do my homework either at the Grill or at my secret spot in the woods.”
“Your secret spot? Will you show me one day?” Elijah asked.
I smiled coyly. “Maybe one day.”
We talked more about books and I found myself in an avid debate about watching a movie before reading the book or the other way around. “But the book always has more, Elijah! If you read the book and then watch the movie, you’re disappointed that they left things out but if you watch the movie and then read the book, you’re never disappointed!”
Elijah conceded with a nod. “You have a point.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
We talked until the party was over and I left Elijah to walk home by myself. I didn’t want to go home but there was a chance that Thomas wasn’t there right now and I didn’t want to ruin my dress and heels by traipsing through the woods to get to my secret spot. I suppose I could have gone to the Grill but they close at 11pm and then I would have had to go home and Thomas would definitely be home then. As I was walking, a nice black car stopped beside me and the window rolled down to reveal Elijah. “Do you need a ride home?”
I smiled since it would be nice to not have to walk for another hour in heels. “I would love one, thank you.” I climbed into the passenger’s seat and smiled at him again. “It’s really nice of you to offer me a ride home, walking for an hour in heels sucks.”
“Why didn’t you get a ride home from someone?” Elijah asked.
“I didn’t want to bother anyone but since you offered, I decided to say yes.” I explained.
Elijah nodded and we sat in a companionable silence for the rest of the car ride with me giving directions when needed. When we pulled up to my house, I saw Thomas’ car in the driveway and I was filled with dread. I had hoped he had gone out with friends since it was good Friday. I pasted a smile on my face and said goodbye to Elijah before quickly exiting the car and walking up to the front door. I got out my key and unlocked the door. I looked back and saw Elijah was still there so I waved before opening the door and stepping inside.
Once I closed the door behind me, I was about to go straight to my room when I heard Thomas’ voice shout. “Come here, bitch!”
I left my clutch on the end table next to the door and walked into the living room. “Yes, sir?”
He stood up and sneered. “Who the hell was that dropping you off? One of your johns?”
“No, sir. It was the writer that’s in town writing about small town Virginia.” I said as I looked at the ground.
“So are you trying to say that you’re not a whore?” He demanded.
I closed my eyes in dismay because this was one of his trick questions where no matter what I answer, I get punished. “No, sir.” I whispered.
He backhanded me and I fell to the floor. “Wrong answer! We both know that you’re a whore so don’t lie to me.” He kicked me in the stomach. “You’re a sniveling, pathetic, little whore.” He punctured each word with a kick before standing back. “Now get the hell out of my sight.”
I crawled away from him and picked myself up. I grabbed my clutch from where I left it and practically ran to my room. Once I was there, I changed out of my dress and heels and into a green sweater and jeans. I pulled on my sneakers and transferred my stuff from my clutch to my backpack. Then I ran downstairs and out the door before Thomas could catch me. I snatched my bike from the front yard and I was off.
I rode my bike all the way to my favorite spot in the woods. In the middle of the woods, there is a huge, abandoned house and whenever I’m inside of it, I feel warm and welcome and there is an indescribable electric feeling in the air. I abandoned my bike outside and walked inside. No one other than me ever comes here as far as I know which makes it the perfect spot to avoid Thomas. I got out my sketchbook and started drawing. I kept sketching until the sun went down and then I pulled out my flashlight and the book I was currently reading, ‘Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo’ by Obert Skye.
I stayed there until midnight. By then, Thomas was always asleep and I was in the clear. I packed up my things and walked back to my bike. I picked it up but didn’t get on it until I was out of the woods and back on the road. I held the flashlight in one hand as I held the handlebars in the other. When I got home, I left my bike in its usual spot and quietly entered the house. I locked the door behind me and crept up the stairs. I quickly used the bathroom and then I cleaned the house according to Thomas’ standards before going to my room. I changed into my pajamas after wiping off all my makeup and got into bed. I quickly fell asleep.
*Elijah’s POV*
I was concerned about Amelia. When we bumped into each other, I gripped her arms to steady her and she winced in pain. I knew that I wasn't gripping her hard and when I let go, there was makeup on my hands so she must have bruises on her arms that she covered up with makeup. But the question was, where did she get those bruises? She was also severely underweight and I wanted to know if it was genetics or something serious. I wanted to compel her to tell me but it would be wrong to force her to open up and since she was from a founding family, she might be on vervain. I would have to get her to trust me and open up on her own. Hopefully, it won't be too difficult.
After I dropped her off, I went to the closest high end jewelry store which was several towns over and bought a sapphire infinity swirl pendant with diamonds. The diamonds went along half of the infinity symbol while the other half was silver and the sapphire was in the lower loop of the symbol. I got the best quality gems possible and I had them gift wrap it for me. She had said that her favorite gemstone was sapphire so I hoped she liked it.
After that, I got word from Dr. Martin that someone on Elena’s list of loved ones was being attacked so I went to deal with that. It turned out to be the werewolves again so I left Amelia’s gift in the car as I dealt with them. When I got back to my apartment, I got ready for bed after having a blood bag. As I went to sleep, I was hopeful for the future for the first time in a long time and it was all thanks to Amelia.
The next day, I drove to Amelia’s house to pick her up since I doubted she had a ride and sure enough when I pulled up, she was getting on a bicycle. She looked stunning in black jeans and a blue top with her hair in a braid. I parked the car and got out. When she noticed me, she looked alarmed for some reason and anxiously glanced back at her house.
It only lasted a moment though before she smoothed her expression into a smile. “Elijah, what a pleasant surprise! I was planning on meeting you and Jenna there.”
I walked over to her. “Well I correctly assumed that you didn’t have a ride so I wanted to offer you one.” When I was close enough, I noticed that she was bleeding from several cuts on her thighs. The bleeding was very slight but I could still smell it. “Are you okay?”
She smiled but I could tell it was forced. “I’m fine, thank you for asking and I would love a ride.”
I gestured to the car. “Then let’s go.”
We walked back to my car and her smile became genuine when I opened the passenger’s door for her. I closed the door once she was in and went over to the driver’s side. Again we sat in companionable silence as I drove us to the spot Jenna and I had agreed upon. We were early because Amelia was originally planning on riding her bike there but I didn’t mind since it gave me time to give Amelia her present without Jenna there.
I reached into the backseat and pulled the present out of the black bag I had hidden it in. “Happy birthday, Amelia.” I handed it to her.
Her eyebrows raised in shock. “Elijah, you didn’t have to get me anything.”
“It was my pleasure.” I insisted.
She didn’t rip the wrapping paper open but instead carefully unwrapped it. She set it aside and opened the black, velvet box and her jaw dropped in shock. “Oh my god! It’s gorgeous!” She looked at me with wide eyes. “I can’t accept this!” She closed the box and tried to hand it back to me.
I pushed it back towards her. “You can and you will, Amelia. I want you to have it.”
“But it looks expensive!” She protested.
“You deserve it.” I would give her the whole world if I could.
She sputtered. “You barely know me! What makes you think I deserve something like this?”
“Because even though I met you yesterday, I can tell you have a beautiful soul. You’re kind, compassionate, hardworking, when you talk about something that you’re passionate about, you are utterly captivating and you deserve the world so let me give you this.”
She stared at me before nodding hesitantly. “O-okay.” She put the box in her purse and zipped it closed so it wouldn’t fall out. “Thank you, Elijah.”
“You’re welcome, Amelia.” I said but before I could say anything else, Jenna pulled up in her car so we got out.
We started walking and Jenna pointed at a fence in the distance. “The old Fell property actually starts just beyond that fence.”
“Ah, the Fells.” I smiled at Amelia. “One of the founding families.” I said with a hint of sarcasm.
“Why do you say it like that?” Jenna asked.
“My research showed me that this area was actually settled almost two full centuries earlier. It was a migration of townsfolk from the northeast, um, it was Salem, to be precise.” I explained.
“Massachusetts. As in the witch trials?” Jenna asked.
I nodded. “Which means the ever lauded founding families didn’t actually found anything.”
“Well, I bet it was the men who made a big deal about being founders back in 1860. Men are very territorial.” Jenna said as I noticed Alaric Saltzman walking towards us.
“Yes, they are.” I agreed.
“Uh, Elijah, this is my friend, Alaric Saltzman.” Jenna introduced him.
“Yeah, I got your, uh, your message about walking Elijah here through the old property lines with Amy. I thought I would, uh, tag along. You know, being a history buff and all. Where to next?” Alaric said.
“I’m pretty curious about the freed slave property owners. Some say, you know, the descendants of the slaves are the true keepers of American history.” I said.
“Well, I only brought the surveys. I got that list in my car, just give me a sec.” Jenna said before leaving.
Amelia glanced between Alaric and I and obviously noticed the tension so she spoke up. “Yeah, I’m gonna go with her.” Then she took off after Jenna.
“Alaric Saltzman. You’re one of those people on Elena’s list of loved ones to protect.” I said casually.
“Yeah, so is Jenna.”
“You don’t have to be jealous, I’ve found my mate.” I informed him.
“Your mate?” He asked skeptically.
“Have the Salvatores not explained the concept of mates to you? Every vampire and werewolf has one and they are supposed to be your other half, the person that completes you. Not all mates are romantic but most are.” I explained.
“I didn’t know that was a thing.”
“Well the more you know.” I patted his shoulder and started walking towards Amelia and Jenna.
*Amelia’s POV*
We walked through the property lines with Jenna directing us and me adding little tidbits I knew about the different families Jenna talked about. Mr. Saltzman left at one point but we kept going. At several points, Elijah touched the small of my back and each time I felt the same indescribable electric feeling as when I’m in that abandoned house and when I touch some of my friends. I honestly don’t know what to make of it. Jenna suggested we get lunch at the Grill and Elijah and I agreed. I rode with Elijah there and when we went inside, I saw Mr. Saltzman with Mr. Salvatore and the newslady, Ms. Star. “Hi.” Mr. Salvatore waved at us so Jenna went over to the table he was sitting at and Elijah and I followed.
“Hey guys.” Jenna greeted.
“So I hear that you three had quite a meeting of historical minds today.” Damon said smugly.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Jenna said with a smile.
Mr. Saltzman was obviously uncomfortable. “Well, as much as I’d love to continue this I, uh, I’ve got papers to grade.” He took out some money and left it on the table.
As he stood up, Ms. Star spoke up. “No, you know what? We should continue this. Let’s have a dinner party.”
“Oh, my girl, full of good ideas. I’ll be happy to host.” Mr. Salvatore smiled but there was an edge to it. “Say tonight? Maybe?”
“It’s good for me. Jenna?” Ms. Star said.
“I don’t know if tonight works–” Mr. Saltzman tried to decline but Jenna spoke over him.
“Yeah, I’m free.” She looked at Mr. Saltzman challengingly and I could tell there was a lot of drama there.
They all looked at Elijah and he smiled. “It’d be a pleasure.” He looked at me. “As long as Amelia comes.”
I hesitantly nodded in agreement.
“Great.” Mr. Salvatore said and Jenna took that as our cue to sit at our own table. We walked to an empty table and sat down. I sat down across from Jenna and Elijah sat next to me. Jenna and Elijah started looking at the menu but I didn’t touch mine. I didn’t have enough money to get something other than a soda.
Elijah looked over at me. “Do you already know what you want?”
“Oh, I only have enough money for a soda.” The sugar in the soda would be good for me.
“I don’t mind paying for your meal, consider it a birthday present.” Elijah smiled at me with concern in his eyes.
I didn’t like the concern in his eyes but Jenna suddenly exclaimed. “I didn’t know it was your birthday! Happy birthday, Amy!” She smiled brightly at me.
“Thank you, Jenna.” I turned to Elijah. “You already got me that beautiful necklace, I can’t ask for anything more.”
Jenna looked at Elijah strangely for a moment before saying. “Well I haven’t gotten you anything so how about I pay for your lunch, okay?”
I sighed. “Thank you, Jenna, that’s very nice of you.”
Jenna waved away my thanks and we enjoyed lunch together. Jenna paid for my meal but then she had to leave so it was just Elijah and I. I debated in my head briefly if my idea was a good one before mentally saying ‘fuck it’ because it is my birthday and I wanted to do what I want for once. After Elijah stood up and turned to me to say goodbye, I spoke up. “Would you like to see my secret spot?”
Elijah smiled. “The one you talked about yesterday?”
“That’s the one.” I confirmed as I stood up.
“I would be honored if you showed me.”
I smiled brightly. “Come on, then.” I walked out to his car and he opened the passenger’s door for me again. I smiled at him as I got in and after he started the car, I started directing him to my favorite spot. “It’s a bit of a hike but it’s worth it, I promise.”
“I’m sure it is.” He said as he parked on the side of the road. I led him through the woods until we could see the house in the distance. As we walked closer, the wind started to pick up but I ignored it. “This is your favorite spot?” He asked.
“Yes. I always feel warm and welcome here, I can’t really explain it.” I said as we walked up the steps and inside the house. We were only a few steps inside when the door slammed shut behind us. I whirled around to look at it. “Woah, must be the wind.” I said unsurely. We kept walking inside when Elijah suddenly stopped moving. I turned to look at him and he was looking around in bewilderment when his skin suddenly started to burn. “Oh my god!” I exclaimed in horror as he kept burning. I ran towards him and knocked him to the ground. “Elijah! Are you okay?” I looked at his skin but it seemed to be healing somehow. “What?”
Elijah groaned and that’s when I noticed that I was on top of him. I scrambled off of him and he suddenly disappeared. I looked around for him and saw he was standing just outside the door which was open again. “This is not how I wanted you to find out.”
“Find out what? How did you move so fast?” I was seriously starting to freak out. “And your skin! It was burning and now it’s perfectly fine. What the hell is going on?”
“I’m a vampire.” He said seriously and I just stared for a moment before laughing.
“That’s funny.” I stopped laughing when he remained stoic. “You’re serious? Vampires are real?”
“Very, as are werewolves and witches.” He paused for a moment. “You said that you feel welcome here, correct?” I nodded and he continued. “That feeling you have leads me to believe that you might be a witch.”
“What? No way, I would know if I was a witch.” I protested.
“Many witches only come into their power in adolescence and this place that you’ve brought me is the place where a hundred witches were burned. When they died, they marked the area with power and that’s what caused me to burn just now. Witches don’t like vampires very much.” He said the last bit with a smirk.
I stared at him, dumbfounded. “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and you’re telling me this place is where a hundred witches burned to death?”
He nodded. “That is correct.”
I took a moment to accept that horrible fact before looking at Elijah. “How old are you?”
“I am over a thousand years old. I am one of the Original vampires which means I am one of the first vampires ever created.” He answered.
“Holy shit.” I paused as something occurred to me. “Are there any other vampires in town?”
“There are four other vampires in town currently: Damon and Stefan Salvatore, Caroline Forbes, and Katerina Petrova.” He informed me.
“Stefan and Caroline are vampires?!” I said incredulously. “But I go to school with them and I’ve known Caroline my whole life!”
“Caroline was only recently turned as far as I know.” Elijah said.
“And who is this Katerina Petrova person? I’ve never heard of her.”
“She is Elena Gilbert’s doppelganger which means she looks exactly like Elena and she has even impersonated Elena several times.” He said.
I took a deep breath as I processed all of this. “Okay, so Stefan, Caroline, Mr. Salvatore, and a girl that looks exactly like Elena are vampires, are there any other supernatural creatures in Mystic Falls? You mentioned werewolves and witches.”
“Yes, Bonnie Bennett along with Luka and Jonas Martin are all witches and Tyler Lockwood is a werewolf but he left with another werewolf last night.”
“Who else knows about this?” I asked desperately.
“Elena, Jeremy, and John Gilbert know but I think that’s it.” He answered.
“So pretty much all of my friends know about the supernatural and none of them told me?” I asked incredulously.
“I’m sorry.” Was all he said in response. After a moment of silence he spoke up again. “Would you like to know for certain if you are a witch?”
“Yes please, I need to know if I’m riding this crazy train as well.” I joked.
Elijah chuckled. “My friends, Jonas and Luka Martin, are witches and they can tell you for certain if you are a witch.”
“Okay, when can we go see them?” I was eager to know.
“We can go right now if you’d like.” Elijah offered and I nodded. I stood up from where I was still kneeling on the ground and went over to him. He stopped me from going any further though. “There is one more thing I need to tell you.”
“What is it?” I asked, wondering what else he could possibly throw at me.
“Every vampire and werewolf has a mate, a person that is their other half, that completes them. Amelia, you are my mate.” Elijah said seriously.
The first thought in my mind was. “But I’m only 17! That’s illegal!”
“I can assure that the concept of mates transcends any human law.”
My mouth opened in shock as I thought about that. Why would supernatural beings adhere to human laws? “Um, I don’t know if I’m ready…” I trailed off.
“I will never force you to do anything you don’t want to do, Amelia, I give you my word.” Elijah said seriously.
For some reason, I believed him and so I smiled hesitantly. “Okay, then let’s go talk to some witches.”
I led us back to his car in silence and Elijah drove us to an apartment complex. He rang the buzzer and when asked who it was, Elijah gave his name and we were buzzed in. We rode up to the eighth floor and knocked on apartment 8B. A black, middle-aged man answered the door. “What is it?”
“I would like to introduce you to my mate, Amelia.” Elijah gestured towards me. “I suspect that she is a witch and I would like you to confirm it.”
The man, who I assumed is Jonas Martin, nodded and stepped back so we could enter. The first thing I noticed was all the books, there were books everywhere, on the shelves, on the table, stacked on the floor. “Give me your hand.” Mr. Martin said to me. I gave him my hand and he closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath. I could feel the same indescribable electric feeling I felt when I touched Elijah and as Mr. Martin spoke under his breath, the feeling grew. I suddenly wanted more of it and as I focused on feeling more, my hand started to glow red. Mr. Martin abruptly released my hand but I could still feel the buzzy, electric feeling inside of me. He looked at Elijah. “She’s a siphoner witch.”
“What’s a siphoner witch?” I asked.
“It’s a witch that doesn’t have magic of their own, they have to take it from other things like a magical being or a magical object. Just now, you took some of my magic, can you feel it?” He asked me.
I nodded. “Yeah, it’s that same feeling I get when I touch Elijah or when I’m at my favorite spot.”
“Amelia found the location of where the witches were burned.” Elijah spoke up.
“Really? How?” Mr. Martin asked and they both looked at me.
I shrugged. “I liked to explore the woods when I was younger and one day I came across it and I just felt welcome there so it became my favorite spot.”
“Where is it?” Mr. Martin asked.
“Deep in the woods off of route 12. I’ll show you tomorrow but Ms. Fell and I have a dinner party to get to right now.” Elijah said as he looked at me.
I nodded. “A dinner party with two vampires, wow.” Elijah guided me out of the apartment and I looked at him when we were in the elevator. “Is there anything else I should know?”
Elijah then explained the sun and moon curse, his deal with Elena, and about Klaus. When he was done, I was reeling. A curse placed on two whole species and Elena has to die to break it? And Elijah was going to kill this big bad Klaus guy before he could break it? It was a lot to take in. By now we were nearing the Salvatore boarding house. Elijah looked at me as he drove. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone that I am your mate. I fear the Salvatores will try and use you against me if they knew.”
“I promise not to tell anyone.” This man had opened my eyes to the reality of the world, the least I could do was keep a secret for him. When he pulled up in the Salvatore’s driveway, I took a deep breath. “You can do this.” I whispered to myself.
“Yes you can.” Elijah encouraged.
I smiled at him before getting out of the car and walking next to him to the front door. He knocked and a moment later, Mr. Salvatore opened the door. “Good evening.” Elijah greeted.
“Thank you for coming. Please, come in.” Mr. Salvatore said.
“Thank you for inviting us, Mr. Salvatore.” I said politely.
“Please call me Damon.” He smiled widely at me but I could tell it was fake.
I started to go in but Elijah stopped me. “Just one moment. Can I just say that if you have less than honorable intentions about how this evening is going to proceed, I suggest you reconsider.”
Damon shrugged innocently even as he eyed me. “No, nothing, nothing dishonorable. Just, uh, getting to know you.”
“Hmm, well, that’s good.” Elijah finally walked inside and I followed but then he paused again. “Because, you know, although Elena and I have this deal, if you so much as make a move to cross me, I’ll kill you and I’ll kill everyone in this house other than Amelia. Are we clear?”
I stared at Elijah in shock as Damon said. “Crystal.”
“Elijah!” I objected. “What the hell?”
Damon put his hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. “Relax and shut up.” His eyes were dilating weirdly.
I scoffed. “I will not. Why would you think that I would shut up just because you asked?”
Damon looked confused and Elijah answered my question. “Damon was trying to compel you but since you are a witch, you can’t be compelled.”
“What do you mean compel?” I asked.
“Compulsion is a form of mind control; vampires can compel humans and Originals can compel vampires. Witches can’t be compelled and neither can humans or vampires that drink or wear an herb called vervain.” Elijah explained.
“Okay, let’s just get this dinner over with before my head explodes.” I spotted Jenna and walked over to her.
Eventually we all went over to the dining table to eat. Elijah pulled out my chair for me which was next to his and I smiled at him. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled back.
As we ate, the conversation was kept light until Jenna suddenly said. “I hate to break it to you, Damon but according to Elijah, your family is so not a founder of this town.”
“Hmm, do tell.” Damon said as he grabbed his wine glass.
“Well as I mentioned to Jenna and Amelia earlier, a faction of settlers migrated from Salem after the witch trials in the 1690’s. Over the next hundred years, they developed this community where they could feel safe from persecution.” Elijah explained.
“Mmm, because they were witches.” Jenna joked.
“Yeah there’s no tangible proof that there were witches in Salem.” Ms. Star said.
“Andie’s a journalist. Big on facts.” Damon added.
“Well, the lore says that there was this wave of anti-witch hysteria. It broke out in the neighboring settlement so these witches were rounded up. They were tied to stakes in a field together and, uh, burned. Some say you could hear the screams from miles around as they were consumed by the fire. Could you pass the…” He gestured to the salt and I handed it to him.
“I wouldn’t repeat this to the historical society.” Jenna said and Ms. Star and I chuckled.
“It’s starting to sound a little like a ghost story to me.” Mr. Gilbert said.
“So why do you want to know the location of these alleged massacres?” Damon asked.
Elijah shrugged. “You know… a healthy historian’s curiosity, of course.”
“Of course.” Damon agreed.
The conversation drifted back into lighter topics and soon dinner was over. “Would anyone care for some cognac?” Damon asked once it was clear everyone was done. “I have a bottle I’ve been saving for ages.”
“None for me, thanks.” Mr. Saltzman declined. “Nine bottles of wine is my limit.” He joked.
As everyone stood up, Ms. Star spoke up. “The gentlemen should take their drinks in the study.”
I inwardly balked at the sexist statement but didn’t say anything.
“I have to say that the food was almost as wonderful as the company.” Elijah looked at me as he said that.
Ms. Star smiled at Elijah. “I like you.”
Jenna picked up some plates and handed them to Mr. Gilbert. “You’re not a gentleman, make yourself useful.”
I smothered my chuckle with a cough and grabbed some plates to bring to the kitchen. Once they were all in the kitchen sink, I helped Jenna bring out new plates for dessert. Once everything was set, Jenna poured some tea for me and herself. Elijah and Ms. Star came in from the study. “Sorry, guys, dessert is taking longer than I thought. I usually just unwrap food.” Jenna said.
Everyone chuckled as they retook their seats and Jenna left for the kitchen again. “So… I know this is a social thing but I, I would really love to ask you some more questions about the work that you’re doing here.”
“I’d love to answer.” Elijah replied.
“Great, oh that’s so great.” Damon and Mr. Saltzman came in from the study and Ms. Star looked at Mr. Saltzman. “Ric, would you do me a favor and grab the notebook out of my bag?”
Mr. Saltzman left to do as asked and Damon spoke up. “Elijah, did John tell you he’s Elena’s uncle/father?”
My jaw dropped at that revelation but Elijah seemed unperturbed. “Yes, I’m well aware of that.”
“Of course, she hates him, so there’s absolutely no need to keep him on the endangered species list.” Damon said as he glared at Mr. Gilbert.
Ms. Star was looking at what Mr. Saltzman was doing and not paying attention. “No, Ric, it’s in the front pocket on the… you know what? Excuse me guys, sorry.” She got up and left the table.
“What I’d like to know, Elijah, is how you intend on killing Klaus?” Mr. Gilbert asked.
“Gentlemen, there’s a few things we should probably get clear right now.” Elijah’s voice was deadly calm. “I allow you to live solely to keep an eye on Elena. I allow Elena to remain in her house living her life with her friends as she does as a courtesy. If you become a liability, I’ll take her away from you and you’ll never see her again.”
I gaped at Elijah as this was very different from the man I was getting to know when Ms. Star came back into the room. “Okay, my first question is, when you got here to Mystic–”
She was cut off by Elijah yelling in pain. I gasped and looked over at Elijah and saw a silver dagger protruding from his chest. I looked behind him and saw Mr. Saltzman standing there. I stood up in shock. My history teacher just stabbed Elijah! Elijah’s skin turned grey and veins protruded all along his skin. I was completely horrified. “Is he dead?” I whispered.
“Yes.” Mr. Saltzman answered and put the dagger on the table. “Now get rid of him before Jenna comes back with dessert.”
“Alright.” Damon said before grabbing Elijah’s body and dragging him away. Mr. Saltzman followed him. I sat back down as I processed what just happened. Elijah was dead. I grabbed my purse where the necklace he had given me was. That necklace was all that I had left of my mate. I felt tears pool in my eyes but I refused to let them fall.
I looked at Ms. Star. “I’m gonna go.” Without another word, I got up and left the boarding house. I checked the time and saw it was 8:30pm which meant I had quite a lot of time to kill before I could go home so I walked to Caroline’s house.
When I got there, I knocked on the door and Caroline answered. “Amy? What are you doing here?”
“I know, Care.” I glanced behind her to see if her mom was there before whispering. “I know you’re a vampire.”
Caroline’s jaw dropped. “How?”
“Turns out I’m a witch so Elijah explained everything to me and I just watched him die.” The tears that I refused to let fall earlier were back.
Caroline grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. “Oh my god, what happened?”
“Mr. Saltzman stabbed him with this silver dagger. I just watched my history teacher kill someone!” I finally felt myself break and I started to sob into Caroline’s chest. She gently guided the two of us to her room and then closed the door behind her.
“If it makes you feel better, Elijah was the bad guy.” Caroline tried to reassure me.
“He wasn’t the bad guy!” I protested. “He told me about the supernatural, he told me I was a witch! He’s been nothing but nice to me since I met him.”
“He was planning on sacrificing Elena in order to kill Klaus.” Caroline said sadly.
My mouth opened in shock. “What? But he said that—“
Caroline cut me off. “He lied, okay? Bonnie magicked the truth out of Luka and the truth is that Elijah wanted to sacrifice Elena so he could kill Klaus.”
I stared at the wall, dejected. “He said I was his mate.” I whispered.
“What?”
“He said that every vampire and werewolf has a mate, their other half, a person that completes them and that I was his.” I elaborated.
“You’re the mate of an Original vampire?” Caroline asked incredulously.
“I was.” I whispered.
“Oh.” Caroline came over to me and smothered me in a hug. “You’re sleeping over, no discussion.”
I didn’t put up a fight like I usually do. “Okay.”
“Good.” Caroline let go of me and went to her dresser to grab some pajamas. She handed them to me. “Get dressed.”
“Okay.” I accepted the clothes and went to the bathroom to change. Her clothes swamped me since she was 5’8” while I was only 5’1” and severely underweight but I didn’t mind. I also took the opportunity to wipe off the makeup on my face since there were no bruises on my face currently and I left the makeup on my neck alone. I was glad that the shirt Caroline gave me was long sleeved so I didn’t have to use Caroline’s makeup to cover up the bruises on my arms. I went back into Caroline’s room and collapsed on the bed. Caroline was sitting against her bed’s headboard.
We were both quiet for several minutes before Caroline spoke quietly. “I know that you cut yourself.”
I sat up and stared at her with wide eyes. “I don’t know—“
She cut me off. “I can smell it, Amy. You cut your thighs so no one will notice but ever since I became a vampire, I’ve been able to tell. But I couldn’t say anything because you didn’t know I was a vampire and the only reason I knew was because I could smell the cuts.” The whole time she was looking at her bedspread but now she looked at me. “Why do you do it?”
“Because it gives me a sense of relief from the pain that is my life. When I cut myself, I control the pain but I can’t control—“ I cut myself off before I could reveal the abuse.
“What? What can’t you control?” Caroline asked desperately.
I crawled over to her and took her hands. “Please don’t tell anyone, Care. Promise me you won’t tell anyone, please.”
“Only if you promise to stop hurting yourself.” Caroline said stubbornly.
My face crumbled. “I can’t stop, Caroline, please. I need this, okay? It helps me keep going and I just can’t stop.”
Caroline looked at me for a moment. “Do you want to die?”
“No, of course not, Care.” I was being honest. I only had a year left of being in hell before I would be finally free, there was no way I would kill myself when I was so close to freedom. “Please, as my friend, promise me you won’t tell anyone about this.”
Caroline looked despondent. “Is there nothing I can do to help you stop?”
I shook my head. “No, there isn’t.”
She sighed. “Then I promise.”
Relief flooded through me and I hugged her. “Thank you, Care, this means a lot to me.”
She hugged me back. “You know that I’ll always be here if you need me, right?”
“I know, Care.” After our hug, we got ready for bed and went to sleep. The next day, we enjoyed a lighthearted easter breakfast with Caroline’s mom and then I went home. I hoped that Thomas would be out but no such luck.
The moment I stepped through the door, Thomas shouted. “Come here you fat bitch!”
I obediently went into the living room and stood in front of him with my eyes on the floor. “Yes, sir?”
He eyed me for a moment. “You’re wearing the same clothes as yesterday, were you fucking some john?” His words dripped with disdain.
“No, sir, I had a sleepover at Caroline’s.” I hoped that would be the end of it but it never was.
He stood up. “I don’t believe you, whore.” He punched me in the face and I fell back. “You were out fucking some guy and so help me if you get pregnant, I’ll kill you. Do you hear me? I’ll kill you, you fat bitch.” He kicked my stomach several times before punching me in the face again. I could taste blood in my mouth from where I bit down on my cheek. “Get out of my sight, whore.”
I crawled away from him and shakily stood up. One of his kicks hit my hip really hard so I limped up the stairs to my room. I chanced taking a shower and thankfully, he didn’t disturb me. I dressed quickly and covered the bruises on my face with makeup. I took the necklace that Elijah gave me and hid it underneath the floorboards under my bed with my mom’s jewelry. Then I grabbed my bag from my room and hightailed it out of there. Once I was outside, I grabbed my bike and rode it to my favorite spot which I would now refer to as the witch house.
I spent the whole day there reading and drawing before making my way back at midnight. When I got home, I did my chores and went to bed.