26: I Fear There Will Be Nothing Good Left of You.

"Good to see your pile snooping into my fiance's life has grown about as much as nose with all the lies, little brother," Damon spoke casually when Stefan appeared in his sight. He didn't stop going through his own pile of things from Connor's RV.

Stefan sat opposite his brother with the Vasile grimoire, stacks of papers, and the newspaper. "Seventeen people were found in the woods with their hearts ripped out of their chests. Turns out they were all werewolves." He slapped the paper down in front of Damon. "What's all this?" He gestured to the ravenette's findings.

The elder brother cursed when he saw the article; he knew exactly what that meant. Seventeen was no random number, not for a quantity of wolf corpses without their hearts. "The guy magically appeared just as someone blows up the entire Founders Council. He's covered in a tattoo that only Jeremy Gilbert - of all people in the world - seems to be able to see. Klaus mentioned something about him being one of The Five. Then he kamikazes himself with explosives. Sound natural to you?"

"What's The Five? Does it involve the dead wolves? Because it's not in anything I've found."

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, that was Lethia." Stefan's eyes widened. "That's what happens to her because of their link. It's why they had to separate for so long; once the link is opened it seems to linger or something making it easier to corrupt the girls. It drives them mad because it just draws them together and bounces their respective bloodlusts off one another."

"Will it affect Elena in any way? Does it affect you?"

He scoffed. "You're the one with all the Vasile information. What I know is through experience which hasn't happened frequently."

Stefan was still on edge. "How many times has Elena fed from Nova? Before and after she turned?"

"You're just full of questions I have no answers to today, Steffie. The memorial was the first I'd heard of it. Try asking your girlfriend or her sire." The two shared an uncomfortable silence and Damon started going back through Connor's things. "They didn't find any remains at the explosion site. Hunter's not dead."

Stefan remained quiet and looked down at an old photo of Nova staring up at him. "She knows Klaus is alive now," he finally spoke, almost in a whisper. "I called her when Elena had been poisoned but I had called Klaus too and she got there after him."

Damon looked up slowly from his paperwork, almost with a glare. "And how well did she take it?"

"She and Elena attacked Matt when he walked in...I got Elena to stop, but Nova…" He shook his head. "I'm surprised she let him live."

"She did it as a favor to Elena, that's all." Stefan's attention snapped to his brother who spoke to him icily. "Whatever happens next isn't going to be good. I suggest you prepare yourself."

Elena fumbled hopelessly with the massive bow in her hands. She was surprised Nova had still showed up in the morning to train. She looked over at the ravenette who shot off arrow after arrow without even trying. Her face was calm but it was clearly only a poker face; Elena could still feel her sire's rage beneath. "I should have told you Klaus was still alive."

"And you didn't. Too late to matter now. Get over it." Nova didn't even look at her; she just fired off another arrow that landed perfectly with her others.

The younger vampire tried again to shoot an arrow but it landed in the ground. She fiddled with the bow and cleared her throat. "I uh, I got in touch with Sheriff Forbes and asked her about Zarya Deighton." She noticed Nova stop and look at her through the corner of her eye with her arrow still drawn and ready to launch. "Turns out there's been a missing person report filed by one of her coworkers about two years ago when she never returned from her leave. The girl had gone to Zarya's house and she was just gone. Sheriff Forbes went to talk with her when I said she was at the boarding house but her stuff and car was gone."

Nova's eyes didn't move from their corners where they locked with Elena. Her long fingers snapped open and released the arrow, sending it flying into the mass of arrows already deep into one tree. Elena tried again to mimic what her sire was doing so easily, but she couldn't even fiddle the arrow into the bow correctly. Seeing her struggle, the ravenette laughed a little and put down her own bow. She walked up behind Elena, putting her hands over her progeny's, and shuffled her around until they were at the right stance.

"Don't lock your knees," Nova spoke quietly near her ear. "Relax your elbows, and draw the string back. Ah, hang on," she flicked a couple of Elena's fingers off the string, "pointer and middle. Pull, I'm not going to do it."

"Won't it cut into my fingers?"

"If you're an idiot," she smirked. "Pull." Her arm extended back as Elena's did beneath her. "I've seen leaves shake less. It's an arrow."

It's not just the archery, the brunette though, cheeks starting to warm and turn pink. You're actually really intimidating...and your perfume smells nice...and your hair really is soft…

She had closed her eyes involuntarily and the next thing she knew she was releasing the arrow. She cursed loudly in her mind, doe eyes going wide; she hadn't heard Nova say to release yet. The arrow landed loudly in the tree with Nova's practice shots from before, the blue feather of Elena's arrow sticking out against her green in the center. Still Nova didn't back off or let her go. She grinned, leaning her chin on her progeny's shoulder. "See? Not so hard. You just need to feel more than you think."

Elena shivered a little when the ravenette pulled slowly away, gently dragging her fingers across Elena's arms. She turned after a moment to collect herself and found Nova packing up the quivers and arrows. "Did you eat breakfast this morning?" She asked nonchalantly.

The brunette shrugged and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I had half a bowl of cereal…"

Nova started to laugh. "Not what I meant but that's not much better."

"It's still weird to think about, you know? Especially after Matt…"

The Romanian shrugged and put her quiver back over her shoulder. "If you hadn't been there and jumped the gun first I would have killed him without a second thought. Be thankful, not guilty." She clapped her progeny's shoulder comfortingly and started to head out of the forest with Elena staring after her.

Lethia groaned when she heard them and ordered a shot of the strongest vodka. After everything Klaus Mikaelson still not only walked, but traipsed all over Mystic Falls. She considered snatching up Damon and Nova and fleeing, but they had all gotten in too deep for that anymore. She tipped back the shot and flipped the glass upside down on the bar. Dark circles plagued her amber eyes; she anxiously kept clawing the dirt and dried blood from beneath her nails. When their argument started going south she quickly ordered one more shot, tipped it back, and put down some money. She stood and got barely two steps before groaning up at Klaus.

He smirked down at the blonde wolf. "Pretty thing like yourself looks awfully bent out of shape today."

Lethia scowled, lips twitching. "And you look awfully lively for someone who's supposed to be dead."

"Funny thing about that, you see." She crossed her arms and humored him. "I was going to leave town with this chance at life, but it seems things here keep getting more and more interesting."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes, it's not everyday you find out the Brotherhood of the Five is still alive and working and see a magnificent Kross wolf on a self-loathing and starving binger."

"I'm gonna give you sixty seconds to get out of my eyesight or I'll claw your eyes out."

"Fearful of The Five or that I'll see you looking like a mess?"

"How about you just shut the fuck up about The Five?"

"Ah, good, so you have heard of them."

She sighed. "My clan has had a few nasty run ins with them before. My oldest brother killed one once and went mad after…" She looked away absentmindedly. "I had to kill him or he was going to kill all of us."

"You see?" Klaus smirked. "And like that, bygones. Come on luv, work to do."

Lethia snarled up at him. "Piss off. We don't have anything to do. There is no we. I don't care about The Five and I don't care about you after all you've done to Nova."

He laughed a little. "How is sweet Nova? She seemed pretty upset the other night when she saw me as well. I had the sneaking feeling Damon couldn't bear to tell her." She balled her fists at her sides and swung her right as harshly as she could at him. He caught her fist in his hand and shook his head. "And here I would have thought you'd be more of a challenge after chowing down on 17 werewolves' hearts."

Her amber eyes widened with shock and fear. She tried to pull her hand back but he bettered his grip on her and dragged her out of the Grill.

Elena looked around at Whitmore's campus and then to Bonnie. "Are you sure that you're okay with this?"

The (former) witch shrugged. "If I could spell you out of wanting blood, I would, but I can't, so better you learn this now than at freshman orientation."

Nova looked around at the campus and made a face. "I don't like this place; something doesn't feel right about it."

"Something tells me that college isn't in my future anymore," the brunette sighed.

"Oh, stop with the pity party." Damon rolled his eyes. "If Nova and I can go to college, you can go to college."

"You two went to college?" Bonnie asked with disbelief as they walked.

"Sure, plenty of times. I always had a thing for sorority girls after Nova joined one." He smirked.

"You're disgusting."

"I know." He grinned and Nova punched his arm.

They walked across a good portion of the campus until they reached a class taught by Professor Shane. The four slipped in in the middle of his lecture about witches. Nova couldn't help but roll her eyes as they sat down in the back. "Now, in reality, or in this reality at least, witches appear to cross every culture in history. They're the architects of the supernatural; responsible for everything that goes bump in the night from ghosts to vampires to doppelgängers."

Damon and Nova had to resist making comments or laughing. As they settled in to the class, Elena let out a soft sigh and leaned closer to her sire. "What if I'm a Ripper?" She whispered.

The Romanian rolled her eyes. "You're not a Ripper. Your boyfriend is. I'm sure if he sired someone they'd be a Ripper." She shrugged.

"What if I am?"

"Then pick someone to find out," Damon whispered back.

"That's an awful suggestion," Nova chastised.

He ignored her and started looking around at the class. "Stoner guys are no good to grab. They're too paranoid and you don't want the extra buzz."

She started to groan when her emerald eyes caught sight of a little blonde thing ahead of them. Her brow quirked and she shrugged. "Pretty girl checking herself out in a mirror behind her book."

Damon grinned. "Self absorbed, easily flattered, you just have to separate her from the pack and make your move."

Elena was about to smack them both when Professor Shane's voice broke up the entire conversation. "Am I interrupting you guys? Or is it maybe the other way around?"

Damon smirked slyly. "Sorry, I was just saying how much I love witches."

Lethia's frown was deep as Klaus dragged her through his mansion to the back. He unlocked a door and showed her Connor all chained up and battered. "He's mum about the Council fire and he's not saying anything about this greater evil we're all supposed to be shivering over."

She snatched her arm back and crossed them both over her chest. "Do I get to know eventually why I'm being dragged around by someone who's supposed to be dead and why he's got a fucking hunter chained up in his red room of pain?"

His eyes lingered on her for an extra moment, a playful smirk spreading on his face. "It's from the Inquisition. I thought it was a nice touch."

Connor let out a grunt. "Didn't think there were any Kross wolves still breathing. This town really does have a pollution problem."

"Stuff it, dick." Lethia snapped. "I don't give a damn about you, or The Five, or anything. Fuck off." She stormed past Klaus and got as far as the foyer before he locked Connor back up and cut her off. She snarled up at him, eyes flashing gold.

"That hunter in there holds the answer to all your prayers."

She laughed. "Jokes on you then - I don't pray to anyone or anything. No one is listening."

Klaus let out an annoyed growl. "Our friend Stefan is going to get some intel from little sister since she doesn't want to talk to me. She fell in love with a hunter once upon a time, you see. That one's already gotten his greedy hands on wolf venom; the last thing we need is him getting ahold of you or Nova."

"What caused your bipolar to give you a mood swing? If you listen very carefully is almost sounds like you give a damn about my existence." She faked a dramatic gasp. "Getting in on my good graces still won't make Nova marry you though." She gave him a pout.

"I had an epiphany in my brush with death," he smirked. "I no longer seek to marry a Vasile."

Lethia started to squirm under his gaze, cheeks slowly turning pink. "S-so, what? You're gonna try for her best friend?!" She jumped back a couple of steps. "Don't you go and try to put any moves on me, asshat!"

Klaus laughed. "Of course not; not when it's evidently so easy for women to fall for my baby brother's shenanigans." She huffed and looked away. "I happen to have information on Zina Vasile neither Salvatore will ever be able to dig up."

Her head whipped back to glare at him. "Then keep it; I'm not working for dirty intel." She stormed past him again and that time he grabbed her upper arm warningly.

"I wasn't asking you to nor do I care about them finding out about Zina. I offered as a kind gesture to you. Perhaps I'll just tell them about the seventeen wolves instead."

She smirked up at him defiantly. "Go ahead. No way they don't already know and not the first time I've done it."

He shrugged. "So be it then. I suppose I'll just have to taunt Nova until she shuts off her humanity again. With your link already affecting the two of you, I wonder how it'll feel to feel nothing entirely. Do you think it'll be another 17 wolves? Maybe 170, or 1700. I understand you're fond of the number seventeen, luv."

She stared up at him helplessly and grit her teeth. It was only downhill from there.

"She's young and healthy; she'll heal up like a charm. Just keep your eye on the ball. Okay?"

Nova groaned. "It's not a game, Damon."

"Fine, it's not a game. It's a high stakes dangerous maneuver. Now, just go, just like we practiced. That's all you have to do."

They had wandered around after Shane's class looking for someone to test Elena with while Bonnie spoke to the professor. Nova put a hand on the small of her progeny's back and gave her a smile. "You can do it. Feel it, don't overthink."

Elena worked up the courage to go up to the girl and started to compel her when her phone screen caught the vampire's eyes. "Who's that?"

"It's my little sister."

The brunette cursed under her breath and compelled the girl away. Damon sighed with frustration, earning a slap from his fiance. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I just...I saw the picture and I –" Elena stuttered, looking at the ground.

"Everybody is someone's uncle or father or camp counselor or bible study teacher. Elena, you don't know these people, why do you care so much?" Nova questioned as gently as she could. "It's like vegans using the argument what animals are pets and food because all animal lives matter. Some are more necessary to be food than others." She shrugged.

"What's going on?" Bonnie questioned when she returned.

"Nothing. Elena is educating me on the importance of feelings." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Did you talk to the professor?" Elena changed the subject.

"For a second. He found some stuff of my Grams' in his office and he's gonna dig it up for me. Oh, uh, this."

Damon grinned when he saw the flyer. "Oh, nice, the answer to all of our problems. A frat party: douche central." Bonnie's face immediately turned to disgust while Elena looked twice as anxious. "So, what should we go as? Victims or killers?"

"That's a lot of sired hybrids," Lethia muttered as she peaked out from beneath her door. She realized if she opened it then a wall of hybrids formed until she shut it. With her ear pressed to the floor she could at least hear the conversation below.

"My sister's suitor was unwilling to tell us anything. Rebekah, however, was more than willing to investigate. Isn't that right?" She heard Klaus and held her breath. "My sister's boyfriend threw a slumber party that night. He and his brothers put us all down in our sleep. Elijah, Kol, Finn, and me."

"How was I supposed to know?"

"Cheers, to my sister's uncanny ability to choose men."

Dammit, Rebekah, defend yourself! Lethia screamed in her head. She contemplated fighting her way through the wall of hybrids.

"Go ahead, Rebekah. Tell him. Tell him what the hunter told you the tattoo leads to. What is this great weapon that could bring about the end of the vampire species?"

Rebekah was quiet; the blonde wolf had hope she wouldn't give in but she did. "A cure. He said there was a cure."

Lethia cursed and jumped up, looking around the room for some sort of distraction. If Rebekah kept talking all she was doing was jeopardizing herself for nothing. She picked up a decorative paper weight and threw it as hard as she could at the window, shattering it and jumping behind where the door would open. As soon as it did and hybrids rushed in she snapped their necks and snuck through the shadows down the stairs.

"What the hell was that?" Stefan questioned upon hearing the glass break.

Klaus laughed a little. "None of your concern. When the hunters drew their final breath that night, the marks disappeared from their body, the map was gone, the brotherhood of the Five extinct. For nine hundred years, there was not a whisper of another hunter, until our friend in there showed up in town."

"You want the cure for Elena, don't you? So you can go back to mass producing your hybrids. That's why you brought Stefan here, because you knew that he'd help you even though he hates your guts! You know what? You can shove your cure right up your arse."

Lethia leaned against a wall in the stairwell trying not to panic. She closed her eyes and ignored the stupidity in trying to use the link again. With her heart thumping wildly in her chest, she focused and channeled Nova. She heard bits and bobs about a sword, Jeremy having drawn the tattoo on Connor's arm out, and Rebekah storming out. Her right eye flickered emerald.

"What do you need me to find out?" Stefan asked.

"The map is useless without the tool to decipher it."

"The sword."

"She knows where it is. And you're gonna get her to tell you. You have a chance to save Elena from the very thing that is going to destroy her. You can call it a deal with the devil, if you like. But you know you won't walk away from it."

Come on, Nova, the blonde thought impatiently. Before Rebekah tells one of them where the sword is!

Occupied with trying to open the link, she missed Stefan and Klaus part ways briefly. She finally felt some sort of door to Nova and went to take off to find Rebekah when she was grabbed from behind. Klaus' hand slapped over her mouth; he couldn't see her eye glow emerald for a minute. "Listen carefully, luv," he whispered to her, holding her firmly. "My little sister is not someone to trust secrets with."

"I wanted it back then. The cure. I was willing to leave behind my family for it." Rebekah admitted. Lethia writhed and thrashed beneath Klaus' grip, screaming behind his hand in the hopes that she'd hear. "Would you take it if you had the chance? Or is it just for Elena?"

"A part of me wishes that she and I could have an eternity together," Stefan answered solemnly. "But Damon's right, there's not a single vampire who hasn't killed a human. Elena will kill and then there will be the pain, the guilt, and then…"

"The humanity switch."

"But Elena, she's driven by love; by compassion. If she turns off her humanity, then I don't think we'll ever get her back. So, I'd do anything to save her."

"I envy that. You and Elena. I've always truly envied Damon and Nova since she spilled her bleeding heart to me. I envy the love you have. I really did believe Alex when he said he loved me. He promised we'd be married. We even picked out a church. San Vittore in Brienno. I know you want my help, Stefan. But I just can't do anything that lets my brother get what he wants."

Rebekah was quiet a moment and Lethia still screaming. She tried to be as loud as possible as Klaus dragged her forward, knowing his sister was about to divulge what he needed. "I buried him. Even after everything. I laid him to rest in the place where we were to be married. What kind of hopeless fool does that?" The blonde vampire realized what she was saying and laughed dryly at herself. Finally she could hear Lethia's muffled screams. "Oh, but that's what you wanted to know, isn't it? Because I buried him with his sword."

"I'm sorry little sister, but you're right."

Stefan's eyes widened when he saw Lethia struggling against him. She tried to kick and punch as he tugged a dagger from his pocket. Finally able to slap away his hand on her mouth she yelled at the blonde vampire. "Run, Rebekah! Fuck! Please!"

"You really are a hopeless fool," Klaus told her. Rebekah tried to run but thanks to his deal Stefan stopped her. "You see, sister, the funny thing about the church you picked is that it was opened and ran by a faction of the Kross clan. They consecrated the ground with their leader's wolf blood. Your sweet Alexander knew he'd be buried safely there because you need a Kross wolf's blood to gain entry beneath the dirt." He carefully released Lethia from his grasp but eyed her carefully. "Stay put. We both know I can catch you." He smirked.

"Fine," she huffed, sticking her tongue out at him. She closed her eyes and looked away.

Klaus daggered Rebekah but Stefan couldn't look away from the blonde wolf. Klaus must have found her after her little spiral and gotten the jump on her. He wanted to grab her and run, to bring her back to Nova, but he just found out why she was even there - Klaus needed her blood in Italy. Stefan's hands were tied; the hole he was digging was getting deeper and deeper.

When Klaus grabbed Lethia's hand and started to walk away with her, she looked over her shoulder to Stefan one more time, her eyes open again. He nearly missed it, but her right eye was blazing emerald. Before he could yell and beg her to close the link they vanished out the door.

"Hey. I'm Frankie, unassuming serial killer."

Nova rolled her eyes and Damon put an arm around her shoulders with a grin. Bonnie immediately darted off to find Professor Shane, leaving Elena behind with Jack the Ripper and his fiance the Blood Countess. "Slimeball doing roofies - ten o'clock," Nova groaned with disgust.

Elena shyly shrugged. "I guess he'd be...a good target, then."

The two ravenettes smirked at one another. "Alright, follow my lead then. Take over when you're comfortable."

The girls walked up to the bar, acting like they'd already been drinking and having fun, and bumped into the roofie guy. "I'm so sorry," Nova laughed.

"Would you like a drink?" Elena offered with a smile.

The guy grinned and took a cup. "Great party, right?" He asked as they started to make their way further back.

"Fantastic," the ravenette purred, fangs popping out. She gave him a good push into the wall, the cup falling from his hands. "You're not going to make a sound." She winked.

When he didn't move, Elena lunged and dug her own fangs into the guy's neck. Nova supervised with a grin. "Now remember the idea is not to kill him," she reminded her progeny. As she watched his blood dripping down his neck she started to feel light headed. The grin slowly vanished, hunger setting in rapidly. Unseen by anyone, her left eye flickered gold a few times. Her mouth started to run dry; it felt like she hadn't fed in days. "The idea is not to kill him…" she breathed, staring at his carotid pumping violently. She inched closer but it was long before she latched onto his other side.

Damon came storming up and pulled both girls off of the guy looking at them both like troubled children. Elena licked her lips and turned to the stranger. "Leave, and forget about this." Without a second thought he vanished into the crowd.

"What the hell was that?" He chastised Nova in particular. "You're supposed to teach her how not to kill."

Nova started to laugh and leaned her back against the cold wall. Blood dripped from her teeth and lips down her chin and dripped onto her chest. She closed her eyes and lolled her head a bit, her hair covering her face so they couldn't see her left eye turning gold again. With both eyes emerald she flung herself at her fiance with her arms around his neck. He could smell the warm blood still on her. "We're good," she assured him, leaning her chin on his shoulder. Her left eye turned gold without wavering. "I want more."

Her eyes returned to normal and she kissed him with a smile, making him relax a bit. Looking to Elena the brunette seemed to agree. With Bonnie out of sight the three took to the rave's floor and sought out their victims. One by one a good handful of the unsuspecting party goers were fed on without even knowing it. Nova in particular bounced person to person so frequently otherwise she might have killed someone. Through the music, however, she started to hear something else. Something inside of her head.

Blood dripped down her chest as she fed from another coed. She started to realize that every time she fed she was getting glimpses of something; a car ride, a charm bracelet, a jet… She started to get angry. Another person to dig her fangs into. That time she picked up an all too familiar accent and flung the victim away from her. "Lethia," she panted, everything around her starting to spin. "Oh Gods," she sobbed, "Thea!" Her hand shot out and grabbed the first person out of the crowd, burying her fangs deep into the girl's jugular mercilessly until she could get a clear picture.

The jet was taking off. Lethia and Klaus were arguing. She needed more before it was too late. In an instant she was ripped from the victim by an ever appalled Damon. "Are you unhinging right now? What the hell is going on?"

She stared up at him at a loss for words. Blood dripped slowly off her lips and her left eye flicked gold. His breath caught in his throat. Elena ran by both of them, the guilt having finally gotten to her. Nova's eye returned to emerald and they both went after the brunette, Nova behind her fiance a few paces absentmindedly.

"I should be here with Stefan. I shouldn't be here with him. I should be going through all this with Stefan." Elena vented to Bonnie outside.

"Relax, you're fine. If anything it was Nova and Lethia's link affecting you," Damon tried to assure her.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie questioned.

Nova came stumbling out, using the wall for support, her left eye fighting to be gold. "Klaus has Lethia," she panted. "She's trying to open the link this time." She looked to Elena apologetically. "I'm so sorry for this, Elena."

"What's going on?" She asked with concern. She took a step towards her sire but Damon stopped her and gave her a push back.

"You and Bonnie need to get out of here now." He told her sternly. "Nova, don't you dare do it. We're already in enough shit right now."

"Do what?"

"I'm sorry, Damon, but I have to. She already opened her end. I need to find her before it's too late regardless of what it'll do to me or you two." Nova slid down the wall onto the steps and closed her eyes, desperately trying to regain control of her vitals and open her end of the link.

"Dammit, Nova!" Damon yelled. "You two go, understand?!" When Elena and Bonnie took off running he leaped for his fiance and grabbed hold of her hands that clutched her head as she let out a piercing scream, both eyes blazing gold.