I looked at Caroline in disbelief, trying to understand what was actually happening right now.
"Are you sure?"
"I know, it's not exactly what we want to hear right now," Carrie muttered, dropping down onto the bed beside me.
Why did it always seem like crazy shit hit the fan in Mystic Falls? Who could believe that a bunch of vampire ghosts were going to attack the council?
"I suppose I'm going to have to go then aren't I?" I grumbled, running my hand over my stomach as the baby kicked. Ever since meeting her daddy she'd been getting active. Moving around more and letting me know she was here.
"Bonnie doesn't know what she's doing," Carrie admitted reluctantly. She didn't want to admit that her friend wasn't as skilled as the witch liked to believe, but compared to me, she'd had less than a year to learn her magic.
"I have offered to help her with her magic, I said I could get her in contact with a couple of witches that would be willing to help but she's too prideful to take my help." I had never met a witch as stubborn as Bonnie Bennett and I had to wonder if it was a Bennett trait or because I was a Mikaelson. "I need to go where my magic will be strongest, where magic lingers." I thought about the very place and couldn't help but shiver. "I need to go to the place Niklaus broke his curse."
I was surprised everyone listened to me about being alone. Damon didn't want to let me venture out here without him, but I told him I couldn't trust anyone being around while I did this spell.
I needed to be alone to concentrate and I didn't want anyone with me.
"I was wondering if you'd turn up," Luke said, a sad smile on his face as I approached him. Although he was a ghost, I could still see the ghost of him, lying on the floor where he'd been killed.
"I was wondering if you'd be here," I replied, giving him a sad smile in return. "Bonnie's spell was a bit messed up. She doesn't know how to close the gate."
"You're going to close it for her?" He didn't have to ask because he knew. "And you came here to do it? It would have been easier for you to do it at home, where it was safe." His eyes dropped to my stomach, giving me a pointed look. It was a disapproving look.
"I wanted to come here. To see you." It was hard to admit. I may have seemed like I never liked Luke, but he was Charlie's love and I was happy they had each other. Until I ruined it. "I need to apologise to you."
"It wasn't your fault, Ethel, we both know that. I never would have wanted it to be Jenna. I know you love me in your weird twisted way and would have never wished for this to happen, but you would have never let Jenna die in my place. I wouldn't have wanted that."
"I didn't want you to die, Luke. I tried to stop him," I sobbed, pressing my hand against my mouth to prevent me from ugly crying.
"I know that. I saw. I know what he did to you."
Before I even knew what was happening, Luke had me wrapped in his arms, his cold aura washing over me and causing me to break into a terrible sneezing fit. With a tug on my curls, he pressed a kiss to my forehead and broke away from the hug.
"Go ahead and end this before anyone else gets hurt."
"Will you stay with me?" I asked, wiping away my tears, very aware that there was snot running from my nose. "Until I finish the spell?"
"I'll be here until you send me back," he promised, ushering me over to the altar where he'd been killed. "Can you just tell Charlie I'm proud of him?"
"Of course," I whispered, adjusting myself until I was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the altar, eyes closed as I imagined what I planned to do.
I reached out with my magic, feeling the different auras of everyone around me until I hit at the hint of a shield that separated this world from The Inbetween. As my magic spread over the shield, it grew thicker, sticking itself back together, sucking in all the auras of the ghosts that didn't belong in this world. As the shield grew stronger, the magic in the air grew lighter, the traces of the cold auras from the ghosts disappeared until something within me clicked into place and the shield between here and there closed.
With a sigh, I opened my eyes only to be surprised to find Luke standing in front of me waiting.
"You're still here?" I muttered beyond confusion. "But you should be gone," I whispered, reaching out for him as he helped me from the floor. When his fingers brushed against mine, I no longer felt the cold aura that surrounded him as a ghost, but instead felt the airy touch of death I got from vampires. "Luke?"
"I think you might need to call Charlie."
Jenna was waiting by the door as we arrived, her eyes filled with concern as she hovered in the hall, her eyes flicking to the kitchen.
"Ethel—"
"Is Henrik still here?" I asked her, cutting her off before she could say anything. I already knew from the look she was giving me that he was.
Pushing past her, I came into the kitchen to see Henrik sitting at the table in some of Jeremy's clothes, the older boy looking fascinated as Luke followed behind me.
"Did you know anything about this?" I asked him, gesturing between him and Luke. "Did you know Henrik?"
"I knew there could be a possibility." I didn't like the look on his face.
"You knew I'd bring you back? It's why you touched me, isn't it?"
"You've been spoken about for thousands of years, Ethel. Your magic is the strongest in your family. Your ancestor, Etheldred, came to me and told me this would happen. She said I had to be here."
"She said that?" I asked, feeling myself growing annoyed at the interference my ancestors seemed to be having. "Why?"
"I'm here to guide you. Me and my magic," he said, waving his hand to show that he had inherited the magic his mother had. "I've learnt a lot over the thousand years I've been watching. I know all kinds of magic that can help protect your daughter."
"If you knew you'd be brought back Henrik, why did you stop me from telling Klaus?" This is what I didn't understand. He knew he was going to be brought back but he didn't want to tell his brother or his sister.
"That's not important right now, how many other ghosts touched you?"
I paused to think back to what he mentioned. How many other ghosts had touched me?
"Mason, when we were at the boarding house," I said, remembering how my uncle had grabbed me to stop me from falling.
"Lexi shook your hand," Jeremy added, remembering when the blonde came gushing over to me.
"They're the only ones. And Luke," I said, gesturing to the vampire behind me. "Was this meant to happen or were you the only one meant to be brought back?"
"No, everyone was brought back for a reason." Henrik paused, his eyes flicking to Luke before he decided it was alright to say whatever it was he needed to say. "We were brought back to protect and guide you. None of the others will remember being spoken to by Etheldred, not until they need to know, but there was a reason for them all being brought back."
"That's just fantastic." I knew I was being childish over it but I didn't like being kept in the dark.
Jenna's phone ringing seemed to break whatever tension was growing in the room as she answered it, letting it go out on speaker phone.
"We're going to have to change the plan," Damon said, clearly knowing he was speaking to us all. "Katherine is going to take Effie to Klaus before Mikael gets here."
"Why?" I didn't like the idea of changing the plan. It seemed we had everything sorted and in order.
"Because Lexi, who is still here by the way, as well as Uncle Mason, overheard Stefan say he was going to use you to draw Klaus back. It's not safe for you to be here without Klaus."
That must have hurt Damon to say because he was so adamant that he was strong enough to protect me.
"Rebecka is here. That's another Original to protect me," I argued, not believing it was good enough to change the plan. "Henrik's still here too and he's a witch, so that's something Mikael won't be expecting."
"Katherine called. She was worried too. I don't like the idea of Katherine being worried, not when it involves you."
"Fine." I was too tired to argue anymore. "Don't worry about Kitty taking me to Klaus, I'll sort that out. I'd rather you have enough people here to deal with Stefan and Mikael. Give me half an hour to sort myself out and then I'll be gone."
"Can we talk about the ghosts not disappearing like you said they would," Damon cut in before Jenna could end the call.
"Some stupid magic and ancestors interfering. Jenna and Henrik can explain once I'm safe with Niklaus."
I gave them all a pointed look as I turned on my heel, already beyond annoyed at how the evening's events turned out. This was meant to be simple. I was meant to close the shield between this world and The Inbetween, the ghosts were all meant to go back, the plan was meant to go smoothly with Mikael believing he had the chance to kill Klaus only for us to turn it on him without Stefan suspecting anything.
I was not meant to be leaving Mystic Falls.
Caroline, who had gotten wind of the new plans, was lounging on my bed as I packed, moaning about Elena and how she was so selfish.
"God, I wish she could see what trouble she's causing," groaned Carrie, throwing my pillow onto the floor for the third time, "It's not fair that you have to leave. She's scared for all the wrong reasons. Klaus doesn't even need her anymore. He's able to make Hybrids with his own blood so why would he need her? She's so self obsessed she thinks everything's about her! Why does she think he's going to kill her? I mean, I know she's annoying, but that's not a valid reason for her to try and get you all killed."
"You said it yourself, Carrie, she has to make it all about herself," I muttered, carefully folding some of my comfy pajamas and popping them into my bag.
"Um excuse me, but you are not taking those pajamas with you," Caroline said, using her vampire speed to sit up.
"Why not?" I was almost offended by the sharp edge in her voice.
"They are not sexy!"
I couldn't hold in the snort and stop my eyes from rolling as I shook my head at her. Now she was being silly.
"Why would I need sexy pajamas?"
I knew exactly what she was going to say.
"Because you're spending time on a romantic getaway with your husband. You cannot be wearing comfy pajamas," she said, reaching over to remove said comfy pajamas. "Hey!" She looked at me in annoyance as I used my magic to shock her hand away. "That's not nice."
"One, stop removing stuff from my bag. Two, it's not a romantic getaway, it's a protection detail basically. Three, the last thing my husband is going to do is try and get some 'sexy time' with his pregnant wife when we have more important things to do," I told her, zipping my bag shut with a huff.
"You're oblivious if you think Klaus is going to ignore you when you're there in front of him."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I didn't know why I was getting so angry with her. Maybe I was still stressed over fixing Bonnie's mistakes and being tricked by my deceased ancestors.
"You may deny the feelings blooming inside you for him, but he definitely isn't ignoring his feelings for you. God, I thought it would be the other way round with him being the one all constipated over his love. It is very obvious that he's in love with you. I think he'd take any opportunity he can to have sex with you, especially while carrying his daughter." I don't think I liked the way Caroline was looking at me with this knowing smirk on her face. She reminded me of Niklaus. "I saw him for all of five minutes when he was here and he was oozing with this stench of pride and lust. He was definitely enjoying the fact that he'd gotten you knocked up."
"That's vile, Caroline," I grumbled, somehow knowing she wasn't lying. If I knew anything about werewolves, it was their pride at expanding the pack. Klaus was the biggest Alpha I knew, he would be anything but prideful for the fact that he was continuing his pack through the conception of a pup. "I'll deal with Niklaus after we've dealt with Mikael."
"Fine," Carrie grumbled as if she'd just lost a game or something. Rising from the bed, she gave me a pointed look as she rested her hand on my shoulder. "Let me know when you're there safe."
"Keep me updated on everything going on here," I said, knowing Damon would try to keep it all hidden from me. "Kitty is going to keep me in the loop, but I know they'll try to keep her out of it as much as possible. Remember we're all working on the same thing here, we're not enemies."
"Hey, I'm the one that actually likes your husband, I think I'll be fine with Katherine being around."
