Chapter 13

As much as she hated to admit it, Kol was right about taking off the dress. She needed to get to her room before the blood would ruin the dress. She carefully opened the door make sure that no one was looking at her and then she rushed up, hoping that no one would notice. She locked the door to her room and began to take of the dress. She found some shorts and a long shirt to wear as she putted the dress on the bed. With a wet tower she began to clean the wounds, which was much easier with the shirt instead of the dress. It was still painful and the bleeding continued.

Three knocks on the door panicked her but she heard that it was Elijah, she quietly opened the door. 'Why have you changed...' He suddenly stopped talking, and his eyes turned to my back. 'Are you hurt?'

'It was Klaus. He drilled his fingers in me.'

He stepped behind her and took away the tower from her hands. The blood was stil running down so he placed it back. His fingers touched her skin, and she tried to take the tower from his hands, but he wouldn't allow it. 'My blood will heal the wounds.' She turned around to look at him but he never moved the tower from her waist, which caused her to stand near him with his right hand around her. She didn't say anything but he managed to understand anyway, and with one bite he made his wrist bleed.

Gently and frighten, she moved her lips closer to his left wrist and began to drink but she only took three very small sips. When she moved her lips away, there was one drop of blood by them, which he gently whipped away with his thumb. His hand didn't move from her face or her waist. He stepped closer to her, and their lips were touching gently as she asked, 'should we go back to party.'

'It can wait.'

'Esther said it was important.'

'It can wait.'

He placed on kiss her lips and then moved to her neck to leave another kiss. She tried to move back as she knew that she shouldn't be with a vampire. She took as many steps as she could but Elijah kept moving closer, and suddenly the wall stopped her again. 'You have to stop, Elijah.' She whispered but he merely brushed away a curly toft of hair from her dark lips and said, 'I don't want to.' His lips pressed against hers, and she didn't protest. More passionate than before he pressed himself closer to her as his hands pulled her closer. Their lips greedily asked for more, and Chiara moved her hands to his shoulders and gently tighten her grip for every second. Elijah had moved both his hands to her waist and was pulling her closer and closer. With a sudden movement and with his incredible speed, he placed her in the bed. Elijah left trail of kisses from her lips to her shoulders. But as his lips were about to move back to her lips, he stopped. 'I think someone is coming here.' Slowly, Chiara returned from her trance and got up from the bed as Elijah arranged his clothes. Before leaving he briefly stared at Chiara and kissed her.

He walked out, and less than seconds later Damon walked up with Stefan. 'Why did you change your clothes?' Damon asked in wonder.

'Long story; what are you doing here?'

'Jeremy is meeting Esther, and we are making sure that he won't be killed.'

'You can't handle Esther.'

'Thanks for trust.'

'She is an original witch.'

'I can't hear what they are talking about.' Stefan interrupted.

'Well, Jeremy will probably tell you anyway.'

'But why is she hiding it?' Damon asked.

'Why are you so paranoid?'

'I don't trust them.'

'They probably don't trust you either.'

'You are annoying.'

'I will take that as a complement.'

Stefan couldn't help to smile so they both turned toward him and asked simultaneously, 'What are you smiling at?'

'Nothing; please let me know when the wedding is set to.'

'I liked you better when you were sucking on bunnies.'

'I need to put on my dress again and return to the party, so you will have to excuse me.'

'Why are you so worked up?'

Chiara desperately tried to hide her colouring face as she thought of a smart comment to give, but after some thinking she realized something else and merely closed the door on their faces. Getting back into the dress was a bit harder than she remembered but after some struggle she managed to do it and rushed down to the party. More looks were directed toward her when she came down for the second time, but luckily she was too busy to notice. When she reached the bottom of the chair, she looked desperately around for Elijah but he couldn't be found. As she mingled with the crowd a hand grabbed her, she was pulled into the embrace of Elijah. 'Were you looking for me?'

'Actually, I was.'

'What is the matter?'

'I remembered something about Kayla's dead. When we visit her home, there were ashes on the floor and one of the rooms had three smoking sticks.'

'What do you mean?'

'I hadn't thought about it before but I think that Kayla is alive. The ashes were from a spell. It is a protecting spell, which protects her from every kind locater spell and changes her appearance.'

'I know that spell, but why would she hide from you.'

'I don't think she is, but I think that she is protecting herself. If she was dead the apartment would have been cleaned and sold but it wasn't.'

'It will make it quite problematic to find her.'

'I need to go back to her apartment. She didn't sell it because there was something there. I am sure of it.'

'It seems quite dangerous'

'But it is necessary.'

'I understand.' His tone was calm. They got closer to each other and Elijah held her tighter, 'I will go with you.' He almost whispered.

'You don't have to do that.'

I want to do it.'

'I am not sure where this will take me.'

'I could use a break from my family.'

'I don't think that you can... not yet.'

'What do you mean?'

'You are the only one among your family, who is actually listening to your mother. I think that she needs you. If you go away, then God knows what will happen here. She needs you.'

'I am sure that she can handle it. But I think that you are trying to say something else with this?'

There was small silent but after a deep breath and nervous swallow, Chiara managed to say what was on her mind; 'Elijah, I can't do this. I can't start thinking about you while everything else is going apart. I am not the kind of girl who is looking for an epic love story. I am just... a girl who is looking for my family. I don't want to be anyone else; not right now.

'Chiara, you don't have to worry about me.'

'I know that but falling in love with someone means to think about them all the time; to worry about them; to wonder about them; and frankly, I can't do that right now. I can't fall in love when my friend is missing and when I don't even know what I am a part of.'

'I am not sure I understand.'

She swallowed again, 'I want you to stay here. I want you to be here '

'Chiara, I don't think you want that... but I will respect your choice.' Elijah let go of her and walked away, Chiara watched him as she heavily breathed. Everything seemed surreal. Lees than twenty four hours ago she only had to worry about Angie but suddenly she felt the urge to worry about Elijah. In only three hours he had become someone more than stranger and friend. She breathed heavily but managed walk away from the dance floor too.

'Aren't you a heartbreaker?' Damon smiled evilly as she reached the bar again.

'Shut up, Damon. I don't need this. Shouldn't you be upstairs and be paranoid.

'Jeremy has already come down. Apparently, everything is just fine.'

'Well, at least the night has been good for one of us.'

'What are you talking about? This has been an epic night for you.'

'I am sorry; are you already drunk or... high? I didn't want this.'

'Maybe not but you loved it. And maybe Elijah hate to admit it but he loved it too. The best thing about being a vampire is the feeling of love, and it is worth all the pain that comes with it. His emotions are heightened and the experience is like a paradise to him.'

'Damon being poetic... I had never seen that one coming.'

'I might be a bit drunk.'

'I will agree on that.' She might have changed the topic with Damon but her mind refused to do the same.