Prologue
Alaric shuffled around the apartment, his hand swiping across his face, fingers pressing into his stinging eyes. A knock sounded at his door. He rolled his eyes, fighting the urge to hurl something towards the sound and instead picked up the empty plate on the coffee table, heading towards the sink fully intending on ignoring who he presumed was Damon at the door. The raven haired vampire had been persistent all day in trying to gain his favour and after the Mason Lockwood ghost drama of the day, he was now insistent that he needed Alaric's help. The hunter however was dead on his feet, the days events had left him mentally and physically exhausted and he honestly didn't have the energy to deal with Damon Salvatore for one more minute of the day. The knock sounded again, this time more persistent. He waited for a snarky comment to sound through the door and frowned when none came. Damon seemed to be playing the long game tonight, the vampire usually lost all pretense of patience when he was ignored. He made to turn on the tap but flinched instead when another knock came, this one loud and demanding, the door rattling in its frame for a moment. He reached into the drawer to his right, his hand grasping the gun that was nestled in there, a finger releasing the safety before slowly making his way to the doorway. His free hand grasped the handle tentatively, he hesitated a moment, his muscles tensing preparing to aim his gun. The door swung open and his arm went slack in shock.
"Kenna?"
A young woman stood before him, lightly tanned skin, blue eyes surrounded by long black lashes as dark as the midnight tresses that were flung over one shoulder. She would have been stunning if it weren't for the ugly scowl spread across her face.
"I warned you." She muttered before she stomped past him, her shoulder bumping his with bruising force.
He winced as he stumbled out her way, quickly closing the door behind her. He dropped his gun on the end table before walking further into the room, his eyes following the dark haired woman as she turned to face him. He opened his mouth several times unsure where to start before what she said clicked.
"Wait." He held up a hand, confusion plain on his face, "What do you mean you warned me?"
She glanced pointedly at the hand held between them and he followed her gaze until they came to rest on the ring that adorned his finger. He lowered the hand slowly, his throat suddenly tight.
He sat down on the arm chair behind him blindly, his knees all but buckling beneath him, "How long?"
She shrugged, her features smoothing out to a more sympathetic expression though there was still a hardness to her eyes, "Months, weeks, days. How many times have you died now?"
He hesitated a moment, a lie on the tip of his tongue before giving a weary sigh realising it was pointless now, "Too many."
"You're an idiot. I told you-"
"I know!" He snapped before turning pleading eyes towards her, "I didn't set out to die, Ken."
She sat down opposite him, though she made no move to comfort him, "It doesn't matter now, they'll be coming for you."
The piercing shrill of a cellphone broke through the tense atmosphere. Alaric didn't hesitate before reaching into his pocket to pull out the device, Damon's name flashed across the screen. He hit answer, ignoring Kenna's disapproving look. He stared at her for a long minute as he listened to Damon on the other end before pulling himself from his seat and out the door without a backwards glance at the woman who was trying to save his life.
Kenna scowled at the irritating young vampire before her as he insistently pestered Alaric about her presence for the third time. Alaric sighed and repeated his previous answer, that she was a friend from his hunting days before Mystic Falls and that he'd asked her for help when he discovered she was nearby. The lie was flimsy at best and she could understand why Damon was questioning it but frankly Kenna could not be bothered to repeat the same conversation over and over again. She was still having a hard time understanding why Alaric was here helping a mortal girl instead of saving himself.
Alaric had returned late last night and wasn't shocked to discover Kenna sprawled along his couch as if she belonged there. While not shocked relief had still spread through his body like a tidal wave, he had rushed back as soon as could for fear that she would be gone and he would have to deal with his impending doom on his own. He had barely slept a wink despite the relief he felt in her presence and when it came time to meet Elena and Damon in the morning he had all but pleaded with her to stay. He reasoned with himself that she may actually have valuable information on Klaus given who she was but deep down he knew it was for purely selfish reasons. She'd merely arched a condescending brow at his request but hadn't denied him. Thought he could tell now from her facial expression as she glanced between him and Damon that she was wishing she'd left him to rot.
Kenna had little to none of the situation explained to her and so she was picking it up in pieces from eavesdropping. Damon was one of the most distrustful beings she'd ever come across and Elena while eager to accept any and all help, seemed skittish to explain due to Damon's unease. So she'd moved on to snooping. She skimmed her eyes over the photographs that littered the dining room table before coming to rest on one in particular. She griped it, the corners curving with the force that she held it.
Clearly her throat she turned, wagging the picture to gain Alaric's attention, "Why are you messing with Elijah Mikaelson?"
Elena's lips parted, her brow furrowed as she stared at the older girl, "You know him?"
Kenna sneered, "Sweetheart, anyone worth a damn in the supernatural community knows of Elijah." She paused her gaze turning incredulous as all the wrong pieces started to fall into place, "Ric, please tell me you are not a complete idiot and that you are not only attempting to kill an ancient vampire but kill his brother Klaus."
Alaric gaped for a moment, "How did you-"
She flung the photograph harshly to the side, striding forward to jab a finger against his chest, "Why am I here attempting to save your miserable existence if you intend on committing suicide by hybrid anyway?"
Damon waved a hand in-between them, "Hold up. What does she mean, save your life?"
"Oh, he didn't tell you? Ric has all sorts of nasty things nipping at his heels."
"Alaric, what is she saying?" Elena looks so utterly lost that Alaric can barely stand to look at her but he forces himself to.
"Death has rules, apparently. When you die, you're meant to stay dead or hell at least transition to a vampire but I don't." He gestures to his ring almost bitterly, "I've came back one too many times, Elena."
Damon shrugs attempting to appear unaffected when no one offers up an additional explanation, "Okay, so we kill the big bad hybrid and then we kill whatever's after Ric. Easy."
Kenna rolls her eyes so hard she fears they may roll completely out of her head, "You can't kill death, you idiot."
"I'm sure we can come up with something, Princess." Damon smirks. "We always do."
Alaric huffs, caught between a sob and a laugh, "Best we can do is delay it." He turns dark eyes towards his only source of hope, "Right?"
"We can but ultimately it won't matter." Kenna smiles bitterly, "Death always collects."
