This is the second chapter of Princess of the Night! I really hope you guys like it! Please keep on reviewing! The next one is already being written!
P.S.: The characters are borrowed and the mythology is all research!
Elena recognized Stefan's voice immediately and panicked. Yes, they were still broken up, but she still loved him, didn't she? Yes, a part of her said with full conviction. Then what are you doing making out, half naked with his brother?, asked the other part. She didn't know which one to answer, which part was right.
She exchanged glances with Damon. He looked panicked for about half a millisecond, and then was quick to the punch. Before you could say Salvatore he was dressed and so was she. The bed was more or less organized, looking only as if they were only sitting on it, and there was a thick book between them.
-You look flushed.- His voice was flat, concealing all emotion.
She couldn't manage to be so cool. Of course she was flushed! Her body still longed for his, for his touch. She could still feel his touch on her skin even though they were sitting respectably away from one another. Her memories alone…
But she decided she had to focus, to try to be more like Damon, to leave Stefan clueless about her make out session with his brother.
-In here.- Her voice was shaky as she yelled so he could find out her location.
Damon gave her a disapproving sarcastic look. Be cool, he muttered with a mocking smile on his lips, the lips that only a few seconds ago were…
She pushed back the memory, trying very hard to focus. But then she remembered the bite mark and panic took again.
Damon must have noticed, since quickly produced a scarf, out of God knows where and tied it around her neck. He was just sitting back down when Stefan walked through the door.
-Hello brother! Nice to see how seriously you take your education. You barely left to go to school and already are back? … Now what kind of example are you setting for young Ms. Gilbert here?- His voice was sarcastically mocking. He sounded totally like himself!
Stefan took in the room , quickly at first, but when his eyes spotted Elena, he looked it over, this time slowly, as if not to miss anything. His eyes focused on her neck as he , discreetly, sniffed the air. He shook his head slightly before answering his brother.
-I only went to look for Elena, to see if she was okay, but Jeremy said she was home sick. There was no one there so I came home and found your car on the drive way.-
Elena notice he was speaking formally, sounding cold. That gave her the creeps. She had never heard him so … weird. Did he know the truth? The thought made her freeze in place.
-Well, Elena came here looking for you. She was still a little freaked from all that happened yesterday, so I decided to show her some of the research I did.
Damon pointed to the thick book between them, and for the first time Elena noticed what it was. The recognition stunned her. How had he managed to do that so fast?
The book was about mythology, and it was opened on a page about Doppelganger.
Stefan came closer, sitting on the bed, closer to Elena than his brother. He began to read it and se pay full attention, leaving her astonishment and her memories behind for a while to focus on something extremely important: her life in the literal sense.
Stefan also looked focused, his weird behavior left behind. –What did you find?-
-Well,- Damon began, sounding all business like, the way he always did when Elena's safety was at stake- a doppelganger is said to be and actual double of someone, a tangible copy. The word comes from the German language, meaning something like look- alike or double-walker. Some think it's similar to an evil twin, believing, in many cases that seeing a doppelganger of yourself is an omen of death.
There are many cultures with reference to this particular myth, including Roman, Indian, Norse, Native American, Egyptian and Greek mythology. It's said to cause mischief and bad luck. Some say the doppelganger messes around with the people the real person knew, sometimes even planting thoughts in their heads. Some even link it to a single person being in two places at the same time. There are mentions of it in various European novels and even president Lincoln claims to have seen his own.-
-So what does that mean?- Elena asked, fully recovered from previous events.
-That is what I don't know. You don't look like a bad omen to me. Maybe that's Katherine's part.- Damon said, sounding amused.
Stefan was serious. He really didn't know what to think of this situation. All he wanted to do was save Elena. -How could killing Elena break the curse? Are doppelgangers that frequent?-, he asked.
-The book doesn't say, but if Klaus looked so hard for Katherine, I'm guessing not.- Damon answered, lost in thought.
Elena suddenly felt like she couldn't take it anymore, like her emotions were a heartbeat away from overtaking her and come rushing needed to leave their house before she gave it away.
-I guess it's best if we research more. But I have to go now. Jenna will be back soon and she has to find me home or she'll freak.- She sounded cool, but looked nervous. At least she thought so.
The brothers looked at her suspiciously. They both thought she sounded way too cool( or at least was trying to) and found it fishy.
-I'll walk you out.- Stefan said before Damon could comment. He gave his brother a meaningful look and Damon said nothing.
Elena and Stefan headed out, his hand at the small of her back. When they reached the door, Elena didn't say much. She only thanked him, gave him a hug and called a see you later over her shoulder.
As she got into her car she allowed all of her repressed thoughts and emotions to come rushing in. Her mind had a lot to process, and she barely knew where to start. A waterfall of tears came rushing at once. She had more information about the doppelganger but still couldn't make sense of any of it. She needed to know more in order to protect the ones she loved. Speaking of… another information crept into her mind, a memory, a name, a face: Damon. Her hand went up to touch her scarf. How could she have done that. Simple: she was in love with him.
But how could she? He was a cynical, selfish, self-absorbed bastard. How could anyone love someone like that? That part came out loud, but her inner voice corrected her immediately. You know that's not true. Think back- he has always been there for you. Every single time he came to aid you. He has rescued you so many times you even lost count.
Now that she remembered the last time they had rescued her from Elijah. She had run straight to Stefan's arms, looking at Damon to thank him. Looking back she recalled the look on his face, something she had missed before- he looked miserable, heartbroken. How could she had been so mean to him? Yes, he pretended not to care, pretended not to feel, but she knew the truth, knew how fragile he was. She remembered how he was when he came into her room and told him he loved her, saying that it was a selfish action and that he didn't deserve her. She remembered the single tear falling from his eye as he tried to make her forget.
Now, sitting at her car, driving home, she realized two things: 1- he did deserve her and 2-she really loved him back and hoped he did the selfish thing, corresponding her love. She wiped her waterfall of tears and made up her mind: she was going to the only person who could to get more information, the only person who knew the whole story: Katherine.