Disclaimer: See prologue.
AN: soooo we still have some readers?
and on another note, you should know that I have published my original fiction. epub anyways. It's available at Smashwords and is shipping to all retailers this week. I currently have 25% sample for free and it's only 99 cents to buy right now, if you're interested, let me know, I'll send you the link. or you can go to my profile page and follow the links. It's been "shipped" to all major retailers. The book is called Cursed. the author is C.D. Blaire so look for it on any ebooks site. let me know what you think.
thanks
... ... ...
He's a cold-hearted snake
Look into his eyes
Oh oh oh oh
He's been tellin' lies
He's a lover boy at play
He don't play by rules
Oh oh oh oh
Girl don't play the fool-no
Kenzie woke up to someone walking into the room, demanding to know what was going on. She opened an eye to look at some woman standing at the doorway, looking extremely put out.
"Who are you?" The woman demanded to know.
Kenzie rolled over with a yawn. "Let me guess, Andie Starr."
"What are you doing in Damon's room? Where is he?"
"Right here." He replied, coming up behind her. "Kenzie, meet my fake girlfriend Andie. Andie, this is Kenzie, who is a lot of fun in bed."
"Aren't I more fun?" the reporter asked with a pout.
"I wouldn't know." Damon replied, glancing over at Kenzie with a roll of his eyes.
"But of course you would." Andie protested.
Damon spun her around to stare in her eyes. "We'll meet at the Grill to eat later. You showed up to say good morning before going to work, we had a great morning." He smirked raising his eyebrows to show exactly what he meant. "And you'll remember nothing of Kenzie."
"I'll remember nothing of Kenzie." She agreed.
"Good. Now go."
Andie left and Damon looked to the redhead still in his bed who raised an eyebrow at him. "Darn, I thought we were going to have to have a rumble."
"If you want to, by all means, I won't stop you, it would be really hot."
"Pfft, I could so take her."
"Of course you can." He replied in a condescending tone as he pulled out a phone and dialed a number.
She only stuck her tongue out at him, listening to him talk to whom she could only assume was his brother, her curiosity piqued when he announced that Tyler had run away from home and how that chapter was closed and they could focus on… he didn't finish that sentence and she guessed that Stefan did because he began mentioning a dagger and how he was checking everything over because he didn't want surprises. Damon turned to her with a roll of his eyes.
"Yes, Stefan, I've become you. How tragic for both of us. Got to run. I've a murder to plan. Busy day." He hung up and tossed the phone aside, moving towards the bed with a smirk.
"And what are you up to today?"
She shrugged. "I dunno, grab some food at the Grill."
"Coming to spy on me?"
"No." Kenzie scoffed, getting up. "I need food too, you know."
"Sure." His tone, showed he clearly didn't believe her. "Listen, I have to go plan this murder and I'm going to get Andie to plan us a cute little dinner party for said murder."
"Who are you murdering?" She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.
"Elijah." He replied.
She pouted. "But he has pretty cheekbones and acts all old fashioned and stuff. Plus I like how it bugs you when he flirts with me."
"It doesn't bug me." He denied. "But, considering the whole flirting thing, you're coming now."
"Am I?"
"Yes. We can lull him into a sense of security with you and your charm."
"Unless he figures it out and decides to kill me."
He waved her off. "You'll be fine. See you back here tonight?"
She rolled her eyes, leaning forward to kiss him, taking him by surprise at the softness and gentleness of it. "I'll be here."
"Good, now I'm going to go before I take you and decide to ravage you all over again."
"And that would be so bad?" Kenzie asked with a mock pout.
"In the sense that it would distract me from my planning a murder, yes. I'll see you later."
This time, he leaned forward to kiss her and she grinned as he pulled away and left. She watched him before getting up and deciding that today would be a great day to put her plan that she had forgotten about into action. He would be distracted so there was no way he would follow her.
She got up and quickly changed, sneaking into Stefan's room to steal some of Elena's clothes before making a quick trip into the basement for some blood packs before leaving the Salvatore house to go to the tomb. The whole way there, she drank a huge water bottle mixed with vervain just in case and when she arrived, she looked around to make sure she wasn't followed before hurrying down the steps.
Katherine was in the tomb, looking severely desiccated and Kenzie knelt in front of her, pulling out a blood bag and pouring some into a cup for the vampire to drink.
"More." She rasped, weakly reaching for Kenzie.
"Here's the thing, I know you can't leave here, which admittedly sucks for you, so I know I can stand right outside the tomb and talk to you but you won't tell me anything that way, will you?"
"More." The vampire rasped.
Kenzie poured some more blood, just holding it out of reach. "I'll give this to you now and when we're done chatting, I'll give you all the blood bags I swiped for you, if I like your answers."
Katherine took the blood, greedily gulping it down and Kenzie gave her one more cup before settling back.
"I could kill you again before you even blink." Katherine whispered, only a bit of color having returned. "But something tells me it still won't take."
"Again?" Kenzie shook her head. "Wait, before you answer that, you should know, my veins are chock full of vervain so my blood is of no use to you."
"I could kill you over and over until it leaves your system."
The redhead frowned. "How do you plan on killing me over and over?"
"Lots of ways, spitfire. I can become very creative if I have the time to do it again and again."
Kenzie sighed. "I'm not a Gilbert, I don't have a special ring that will bring me back to life, it only protects me from Vampires."
"Then explain the masquerade." Katherine said with a raised brow.
"What are you talking about?"
"I killed you, I broke your neck and yet, here you stand before me."
A frown from the teenager as she asked again "What are you talking about?"
Katherine smirked. "Looks like your boy compelled you after you came back to life."
Kenzie shook her head. "No, you're lying. Damon said if I came here you would fill my head with lies."
The vampire used the wall to pull herself up into a sitting position. "Or perhaps Damon didn't want you coming here because he knew you would find out the truth. I killed you, your ring saved you and he made you forget. Pity I didn't think of the ring before but how was I to know your parents would give it to you and not your sister."
"What do you know about my ring?" Kenzie demanded to know, not correcting her on her sister being gone. "What do you know about my family?"
"A lot more than you think."
"Will you tell me?
"And what do I get out of the deal?"
Kenzie held up the blood bags. "These are all yours, plus anything else you want while you're down here."
"Clothes and more blood to start and if you can get me out of here, I'll tell you everything."
"I'm not a witch, I can't do that."
"Pity." Katherine replied with a mock pout.
"I have blood and clothes and if I can find a way to get you out, I will."
"Then what do you wanna know, Red?"
"Who are Jack and Jill Miller?"
"The founding family Millers." Katherine told her "But I heard they were stricken from that record once Jill was turned."
"Who turned her?" Kenzie asked, even though she was sure she knew the answer.
"Why me, of course."
"Why?"
"Because she asked. I was trying to keep a low profile but Jill threatened to go public with who I was if I didn't turn her, so I killed her. But she was wearing that nifty little ring you have there and besides being able to resist compulsion, it protects the wearer from a Supernatural Death."
Kenzie stared down at her ring in shock, wanting to ask more about it but needing to hear about Jack and Jill more.
"Jill just came back when she awoke." Katherine continued. "So this time I heard her out. She just had Cynthia and was sick and knew she would die without my help so asked me to change her. In exchange, she would do whatever I asked of her."
"Then where was Jack?"
"He came home after he heard his wife had given birth and he found her changed, different. So she removed his ring and turned him. Not long after, the Vampires were locked in this tomb, Jack and Jill included."
"What happened to Cynthia?"
"When Jill learned that the families were planning a hunt, she warned me but was unsure of when. She made me promise that if I ever got out, I would take Cynthia to her family out west, she made me promise to keep her safe."
"Is that what happened? You escaped and took her to her family?"
Katherine's mouth twisted into a smirk. "I escaped, even took Baby Miller with me, at the time, I had no idea why. But I did."
"Who ended up raising her?"
Katherine met her eyes, slowly raising an eyebrow. "Me."
… … …
Kenzie's head was spinning as she left the tomb, the blood bags and clothes left for Katherine as promised. She didn't know what to make of everything she had learned. Katherine raised Cynthia, Katherine kept tabs on the Miller family and Katherine was the one who had given her and Mads that jewelry box all those years ago. When she asked her why, the vampire had replied that she had turned Cynthia all those years ago after she had her own family and her husband died. Unfortunately, Cynthia was staked almost 15 years ago and something had prompted Katherine to find the remaining Millers that Cynthia kept tabs on and pass on the box Cynthia had held so dear, as well as the ring Kenzie now wore. Kenzie had told her that her dad said the ring was in the family for years but Katherine only waved her away. The jewelry box was given to the girls who were made to not remember exactly what Katherine looked like and the ring was given to their parents and compelled to think it was always in the family.
Kenzie was so confused, it didn't make any sense. First off, why would Katherine care enough to look after a child? Second of all, why would she look for the Millers after all those years to give them Cynthia's worldly possession? Third, why go through all the trouble to put the stuff back into the family, which brought her to point number four, or rather, point one again. Why would Katherine care?
After that, Kenzie had wanted to know why Katherine had said she killed her. Why, where, when and then she had to try and somehow put the pieces together about what happened to make her forget. She had drilled Katherine on the rings, asking if they made you forget but the vampire had only shook her head. The rings didn't work like that and it didn't make everyone else forget so chances were she was compelled to forget and everyone didn't talk about it, which would explain why everyone was acting so weird with her after the ball.
So that begged the question, who compelled her and why? She never took the ring off, meaning someone had gotten it off of her. She very much doubted Caroline would have done that to her. She didn't see Stefan doing it either, which left Damon but why would he do that to her? She trusted him with everything and she thought he had enough respect for her to not pull a stunt like compelling her. But if it had to do with her death, did something happen that he thought it would be better if she forgot? Or did she, for some weird reason, ask him to make her forget?
She needed to go home, she needed to think. There was no way she could ask Damon this, he would just be super pissed that she went to see Katherine in the first place then tell her Katherine was lying, even if the vampire wasn't. For some reason, she just had a feeling that Katherine wasn't lying but there was no way she could prove that without the memory she had lost, if she had lost it.
She was only confusing herself.
So she went home, writing down everything Katherine had told her. She wasn't one for keeping a diary but all of a sudden, it was important for her to start. She needed to remember these things, just in case something like this happened again.
When she was done, she looked at the time, realizing she had to get ready and get to Damon's house and charm Elijah. She threw open her closet, grabbing the first thing she came across, a white flowy dress with an empress waist and threw it on, not bothering with her hair. She touched up her make up and asked her father for a ride on his way to work.
The ride there was tense and her father asked her multiple times what was wrong but she only replied that it was nothing, she was just thinking about a project that her and Elena were starting after the family dinner the Salvatore's were having. Her dad, as usual, didn't question her and she kissed him on the cheek, wiping off the smudge of red lipstick before exiting the car.
As she reached the steps, someone joined her and she gave a small start of surprise.
"Ever thought of wearing a bell?" She wryly asked.
"I am sorry for startling you. I was unaware you would be joining us tonight." Elijah said with a small smile.
Kenzie shrugged, "What can I say, I like playing the adult."
"Can I assume you are here as Damon's date?"
She gave a strained smile as they reached the front door. "Damon and I- we're not- he's here with Andie. Wasn't she the one who planned this?"
"True. She was the one who invited me but I assumed they were friends. I apologize. May I accompany you?" He held out an arm and Kenzie took it without hesitation.
"Thank you."
"No, thank you, the pleasure is all mine."
Kenzie looked away shyly as she rang the doorbell, her hand still in the crook of Elijah's arm as Damon answered the door.
"Ah yes, our last two guests have arrived. And together." He noted, trying to keep the look of annoyance off his face.
"We ran in to each other." Kenzie coolly replied, pushing past him and into the house.
"One moment." Elijah halted her as he turned to Damon. "Can I just say that if you have less than honourable intentions about how this evening is going to proceed, I suggest you reconsider."
"No, nothing, nothing dishonourable. Just getting to know you." Damon assured him.
"That's good." Elijah said with a small smile. "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. Are we clear?"
Kenzie froze and tried to extract her arm from Elijah but he tightened his grip, not letting her.
"Don't worry dear, I wouldn't dream of getting anything on that lovely little dress of yours."
"I'm not worried." Kenzie replied. "I was just going to leave you two to your posturing and see what the women folk are doing."
"I believe Damon and I are done here." The Original looked at the other vampire, who nodded. "great, then let us see if dinner is ready, yes?"
"John's here." Damon whispered, moving up on her other side.
Kenzie's head whipped to the side to glare at him, causing Elijah to stop their progress to see what had her so angry.
"Who invited him?" she seethed.
"No one, he appeared and won't leave."
"And who is this John you speak of?" Elijah asked.
"Elena's Uncle Father." Damon replied with a smirk. "Him and Redbird don't get along."
"Right because I'm usually friends with guys who knock me out and throw me into a burning basement full of Vampires."
"Shall I dispose of him?" Elijah asked.
"I would love that." Kenzie said with a smile. "But as much as I would love that, Elena might consider him to be on her do not kill list, god only knows why. So I guess he can live for now."
Everyone moved into the dining room where Jenna and Andie were setting the table.
"Elijah." Jenna smiled warmly at him before noticing Kenzie. "Kenzie, I didn't know you were joining us."
The redhead smiled. "Well, you know how dad and I can't cook and he's working so here I am."
"How nice to meet you." Andie gushed, stepping forward to shake her hand. "Kenzie is it?"
"Yes and you're Andie Starr, how nice to meet you." Kenzie replied, letting go of Elijah and shaking her hand before turning to the remaining two. "Hello Mr. Saltzman and you-" She sneered at John. "-You can leave now."
"Good to see you again, Kenzie."
"You can call me Mackenzie." She told him with a big fake smile. "Because we're in no way friends."
"Come on now." John said. "We're all here for a delightful meal."
"That you weren't invited to." Kenzie snapped. "So why are you even here?"
"Um, dinner's ready." Jenna called, in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "Why don't we all sit down."
Everyone moved to their seats, Elijah holding out Kenzie's chair for her before taking the seat beside her.
"I never did get to tell you how lovely you look tonight." Elijah told her.
Kenzie blushed. "Thank you."
Jenna poured some wine for everyone, hesitating beside Kenzie's glass.
"Did you want some water or juice?" she asked.
"Why not stick me at the kiddie's table too while you're at it." Kenzie muttered.
"One drink can do no harm." Elijah suggested. "I will take responsibility for her."
"I don't need a babysitter." Kenzie muttered, rolling her eyes.
"If you think so." Jenna said, pouring Kenzie a glass before taking a seat.
"I did not think so, I was merely trying to alienate you less." He assured Kenzie, who shot him a grateful smile.
The dinner started and the conversation moving towards the founding of Mystic Falls.
"I hate to break it to you Damon, Kenzie but according to Elijah, your families are so not founders of this town."
"Hmm, do tell." Damon prompted.
"I did not realize you were from what they refer to as a founding family." Elijah ignored Damon to speak with Kenzie who only shrugged.
"I moved here recently but there's been a lot speculation, I don't really pay attention to it. Can you pass the potatoes please?"
Conversation carried on around her and while she knew she was supposed to be charming Elijah, her mind was on everything she had learned today and what exactly it could mean.
"Your mind is elsewhere." Elijah whispered, leaning close to speak in her ear.
Kenzie glanced up at Damon, whose knuckles were white but motioned for her to continue.
"It's nothing." She whispered. "Just family business."
"If that is all."
"It is." She assured him.
"Would anyone care for some cognac? I have a bottle that I've been saving for ages." Damon stood up from the table, looking around.
Kenzie stopped herself from letting out a snort, wondering just how long that was.
"None for me thanks." Alaric announced as he and everyone else began to stand. "Nine bottles of wine is my limit."
Kenzie also stood, watching the look Damon gave Andie.
"The gentlemen should take their drinks in the study."
"What are we, in the middle ages?" Kenzie asked, shooting Andie a look of disbelief before glancing at Damon who was making eyes at Andie. "If you suggest us women folk do the dishes, I'm out, I don't do dishes."
The adults all looked at her and she shrugged. "Just being honest."
"Well, I must say the food was almost as wonderful as the company." Elijah told them.
"I like you." Andie said with a grin and Kenzie bit back a really nasty insult.
Her phone began to ring and Kenzie excused herself to answer it. She pulled it out of her purse as she stepped outside, seeing it was Stefan.
"Hello?"
"Kenzie. Where are you? Tell me you're with Damon, that you got dragged into this plan for tonight."
"I'm at your place, if that's what you're wondering and kind of yes, I think I'm Elijah's date."
"Wait, what? No, never mind. Look, you need to stop him. Whatever he has planned, stop it."
"Why?"
"Because we found something. John gave Damon this knife meant to kill an original but John is trying to kill Damon and Elijah, listen. 'It must be brandished by humans alone, for it will bring death to all demons who wield it.'"
"Oh god." She whispered. "I'm on it."
She ran back into the house, ignoring the calls of Jenna and Andie as she ran for the study and burst in, seeing Damon drop what she could only assume was the dagger as Elijah turned to her.
"Hey." Kenzie cried, walking further into the study, stopping by Damon, who looked ready to murder her. "Hi, um, dessert? Soon anyways? I was wondering, Elijah, did you want to get some fresh air with me?"
"That sounds lovely." Elijah smiled, handing his drink to Damon as Kenzie pulled out her phone and tapped out a message as Elijah held out a hand for her to take and she grabbed it, slipping Damon the phone with her other hand.
Damon looked down at the phone to see the message. If you use the dagger, it will kill you.
Kenzie allowed Elijah to lead her outside.
"Thanks for coming with me." She said. "I guess the wine hit me a little."
"I was delighted you asked me." He said with a warm smile. "But I must ask, are you sure you are okay?"
She shrugged. "Sure, I guess. Like I said, family stuff."
"I have been around a long time Mackenzie, perhaps I can offer my insight?"
Another shrug. "I don't know. The whole founding family thing, I've been looking into it and I think… I think my family was a founding family but my relatives were turned before the whole tomb thing, which I'm guessing you know about."
He nodded.
"I think they're around, following me, watching me and I don't know, I just want to talk to them, is that crazy?"
"Not at all. It's healthy to have a curiosity about your family, no matter how old."
"Then why won't they just talk to me." She let out a frustrated noise before turning to him. "I'm sorry, excuse my rant."
"Do not apologize, I understand your frustration."
She shivered a little from the cold and he removed his jacket to wrap around her.
"You're very old fashioned." She noted. "Chivalrous."
"Contrary to popular belief, chivalry is not dead." Elijah smiled.
"For super old Vampires, anyways. What's it like? Living for so long."
He glanced sideways at her. "I've learned a lot, experienced a lot."
She looked up the stars. "Must be lonely." She said softly.
"Not always." He replied.
"I've been alive for 18 years and I'm really lonely."
"You are surrounded by many friends." He reminded her.
The petite teen could only shrug as she turned to look at him. "I'm pretty sure I'm only on Elena's do not kill list by default. Really, you could go ahead and kill me and your deal would not be broken."
He stepped forward with a small frown, his hands coming up to rub her arms. "Why would I want to kill you?"
"What if I tried to stop you from killing Elena?"
He looked surprised and she could only shrug. "I heard about your deal, you look after her friends, nothing is said about her but she reminds me of my sister and having that feels like a part of my sister is here so I don't want you to kill her."
"Your sister is… gone?"
"Yes, so is my mother. Why do you have to kill Elena? Can't you like, take me instead? Identical twin and all that?"
"You are not a true doppelganger." He gently told her. "And why are you so willing to hand over your life?"
"Do you compel people all the time?" She suddenly asked, her words coming out in a rapid fire.
Elijah was slightly confused. "No, only if I have to."
"You can't compel me, that's not a challenge to try though but would you compel someone you care about, if you think it's for their own good?"
"I feel there is more than just your family on your mind."
Kenzie shook her head. "It doesn't matter, I need to go home." She turned to leave but he caught her arm.
"You should not walk alone. Something may happen. Please, let me say my goodbyes and I will walk you home."
"No, stay for dessert, I'm fine."
"I would feel better." He told her.
"Because Elena said so?" she bitterly asked
"No because I said so."
She bit her bottom lip before nodding. "Thank you."
"I will be but a moment and I will give them your regards."
She nodded, watching him return to the house and she resumed looking at the stars, her mind still racing, wondering why she was willingly letting Elijah walk her home. Despite what he said, she was positive that he was only doing this for Elena but more than anything, she just wanted to go home now. She hated the thought that Damon would have compelled her. She trusted him, she thought they had this mutual understanding. And if others knew and they didn't say anything around her… How could they say they were her friends?
"He's not coming back."
She spun around in shock, seeing Damon there. "What did you do?" she demanded to know.
"Me? Nothing, thanks to your heads up. Alaric killed him."
"Oh." She replied, knowing she should be happy but a part of her wasn't.
"You seem almost upset about that." Damon noted with a raised eyebrow.
"No, he was just…really nice to me and he was going to take me home."
"Stay here." Damon said.
Kenzie shook her head. "No, I need to go home, I need to do some homework."
"What did you guys talk about? Why are you wearing his jacket?"
"Nothing and I was cold." She replied. "I should go home."
She turned to leave only to find Damon had moved quickly in front of her.
"What's wrong, Redbird?"
"Nothing." She lied.
"You're lying."
"I am not." She snapped. "Now give me my phone, I need to go home."
She held out her hand, waiting for him to return her phone before she stepped around him and this time he let her go as she rushed away from the Salvatore house, wanting nothing more than to be left alone. She walked down the street, hugging herself as she continued turning everything over in her mind.
She was almost home when her body tensed and she looked around, trying to find the source of her sudden discomfort. Someone was out there watching her but she couldn't see anyone. She continued walking, her ears picking up the faint sound of someone walking behind her. She stopped and turned but there was no one there. She picked up speed, just wanting to make it home and the footsteps behind her also moved faster. Kenzie glanced behind her but again there was no one there. Something ran past her, too fast for her to see and she knew without a doubt it was a vampire as it ran behind her just as quickly.
Not knowing what they planned or wanted from her, she didn't know whether to be afraid or not, so she slipped off her shoes, picked them up and began to run, as fast as she could to her house. She heard footsteps behind her, running to keep pace and whoever it was, they were toying with her, they were turning this into a cat and mouse game. She sprinted to her house, running up the walkway, glancing behind her to see who it was when she ran full tilt into someone. Arms came up to steady her as Kenzie let out a noise of surprise, her head whipping back to the front to see Elijah was there.
She breathed a small sigh of relief before looking behind her and realizing that whomever was following her was gone.
"Was that you? Were you following me?" she demanded to know.
He smiled. "I did ask you to wait for me, Mackenzie."
She shook her head. "Damon said you weren't coming, that he-"
She stopped, unsure how to tell him that she knew of Damon's plans.
"Had disposed of me? Yes, I know, he tried and it was completely foolish."
"Why are you here then?" Kenzie asked, confused as he led the way up the steps to her front porch.
He smiled, both hands coming up to caress her cheeks. "You are quite good at your lies Ms. Miller. Even I believed them. But now, the deal is off."
Her eyes widened in disbelief, then betrayal as she realized what he meant. His grip slightly tightened and he twisted, breaking her neck and killing her instantly.
Mackenzie Madeline Miller died. Again. And all she could think as he gripped her neck was, oh well, not like it would take.
… … …