The fight had taken its toll on her. Elena had a fitful night, with a disturbed sleep, but it was far less than she deserved for doing nothing as the girl died.

But it was more than that. It was his words that kept coming back to haunt her.

That she wanted to justify his actions to keep her own conscience clear.

She'd gone back to her room after that, too angry to speak to him.

She wondered if she was angry at him for saying it, or if she was angry that it was true.

Because part of her did try to make sense of last night.

Everything Klaus had done was exactly what she had expected of him when she'd met him for the first time. Until a few weeks ago, even.

Last night though, it seemed….orchestrated.
She wondered if that was because her instincts were right or if she just wanted to absolve him of guilt.

Absolve herself of guilt.

She slid out of the bed, instantly missing the warmth of the comforter, and could see the sun was already high in the sky.

She turned at the knock on her door, frowning as the door opened to show an impassive Adrian.

She wondered where Klaus was.

"You need to get dressed and eat something, Klaus needs some blood." He turned and shut the door before she could protest.

She had given him blood just a few weeks ago, at this rate he could expand into Europe and Asia.

She got dressed, not really looking forward to the day ahead.

A small part of her, the part that had gotten too comfortable at the feeling of his arms around her, had been jarred back into reality.

When she walked out into the room, it was just Adrian with a nurse.

She took the proffered seat, and held out her arm, her fingers clenched into a fist around the small ball. The needle went through the skin easily, once the nurse found her vein, and she could see the blood flowing from her arm, into the tubes and then the bag.

The entire process was mechanical to her by now,

"Where's Klaus?" She asked squeezing the stress ball a little too forcefully.

She wouldn't put it above him to have orchestrated this entire thing to prove a point.

It seemed unlikely though.

If he had, he would've made sure he was there to gloat about it.

"He's arranging a meeting with the witch."

"When will he be back?"

"He won't, we have to go see him."

"So we're leaving after this?" She asked pointing to the tube.

"After you've eaten." She frowned.

"Is that a requirement to leave here?"

"Yes." She looked away wishing she had her phone or a book, something to distract her from the thoughts going through her mind.

They sat in silence till the bag of blood was full, and she looked with morbid curiosity as her blood flowed into the bag.


They left after she got a heavy breakfast she didn't want, but clearly needed.

Klaus was waiting outside the house when they got there.

She wanted to ask him why he wasn't there in the morning, but it was clear to her that they weren't ready to talk after their fight.

The anger in her was bubbling just beneath the surface.

"I hope everything went well." He said to Adrian who nodded and went back to his car. Klaus turned to her then, their first interaction since the previous night, and she could feel the awkwardness between them. Wondered if he could too. "Her name is Alice and you're better off not asking how old she is."

She frowned at his words, wondering what kind of person asks a woman their age in the first meeting before side eying him.

He'd do it.

They walked in silence to the front door, it was a nice suburban house in Brooklyn, the kind she used to fantasise about as a child.

The door opened without them knocking and Klaus stepped inside making her come face to face with the witch.

She had beautiful, rich skin, dark eyes and the kind of hair that made Elena jealous. The lines on her face showed just how long she'd been around and the smile she gave Elena was cool, professional.

She didn't seem friendly, but she seemed nice enough. Tough, no nonsense.

"Elena, this is Alice, and Alice-"

"Yes, I got it. Come in." She said, cutting Klaus off, and Elena walked inside.

The house looked warm and lived in, a blanket thrown over the back of the couch, shoes by the entrance and knick knacks strewn about the room.

It was the kind of house that reminded her of when she still had a…family.

They were led to a room inside the house, this one filled with various charms and grimoires. There were some masks in the corner, and a globe in the centre of the table, the kind fortune tellers used, and Elena looked around in wonder.

Bonnie would love this house.

She saw that Klaus and Alice were discussing something by the table and walked towards them.

"So what is happening to this man?" The witch asked Elena.

"He has blackouts, times when he doesn't remember anything. He's already killed two people because of it, and attempted one murder."

"And the ring?" She pulled her bag close, and removed the small box.

"Here." The woman took the ring, turning it over in her palm, before setting it down on the table.

"You wouldn't have the spell used to make this, would you?"

"Oh, I do, here." Bonnie had given a copy of the spell.

Alice frowned at it, reading it over before looking at the ring.

"There's no way to undo this spell. Not without the passing of a comet." It seemed Emily had liked to draw on the energy of the comet.

"But what about the effect it has had on him? Isn't there some way to reverse it?"

The witch sighed, looking drawn out and Elena wondered why.

"These curses, when they begin, in the early stages are reversible, and can be undone. They do not require much effort. But the stage he's in, where he's killing people, it seems to be the stage where the curse has taken root in his brain. I could try to give you something to slow down further progression, but I can't undo what's been done."

Elena felt her hope crashing at the witches words, could feel Klaus' eyes on her as it did.

"Okay. You said you could reverse it in the early stages, how?" She asked, her mind almost in auto pilot. She couldn't really think, her heart was heavy, but her mind had taken over.

"There is a protection spell I can cast on the ring, so that even when the wearer is dead, they'll be protected from the effects of the purgatory they're in."

"Okay, well, can you do it?" She asked the witch, who nodded, and started making preparations for the spell.

"Who is that for?" Klaus asked.

"Jeremy." She didn't expand on it, and he didn't ask, instead leaving the room with his phone.

She wandered around the room as Alice worked, her attention drawn back to the masks. Giving into her natural curiosity, she walked over to where they were and wondered if she could wear one.

She reached out impulsively, grabbing one of the masks off the hook, and put it on tying the strings behind her head.

It felt…weird. Like there was some inexplicable weight over her, encasing her in its effects. She looked into a mirror on the wall, and stared, slack jawed, at her own reflection.

Gone was wavy brown hair, replaced by red curls instead, her eyes a deep shade of green. She looked shorter, somehow, her nose rounder and her cheeks fuller.

She yanked the mask off, wondering if she was crazy only to be met with her own reflection.

She looked down at it in wonder.

"It called to you didn't it?" The witch asked and Elena looked down, feeling guilty at trying it on.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh it's quite alright. It's one of my mother's creations. I was never very fond of it, but it can be quite useful."

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

"Just a regular mask. But my mother cast an extremely powerful glamour charm on it. On all of them. I've never met a woman they haven't called out to." She explained.

"So the colours.."

"Hair colour mostly. Except the golden, that changes the colour of clothes too."

"Oh. So it changes your appearance?" She asked curiously, she had never seen any magic like this. She'd probably have to tell Bonnie when she went back.

If they talked.

"Not exactly. It changes how your appearance is perceived."

"Well, that's convenient." He said putting the mask back in its place.

She walked back towards the witch, noticing the candle for the first time.

"Sage?" The witch looked at her in surprise.

"Yes, how do you know?"

"My best friend is a witch."

"Ah. And how does she feel about him?" She asked motioning to the direction Klaus had gone in.

"She hates him."

"Hmm... despite your connection?" She was crushing something in pestle as she asked.

"Our connection?"

"Yes, I could feel it the moment you were here. It's old magic, I can sense it."

"Oh. Can any witch?" She asked frowning, but Alice shook her head.

"No, it takes practice. And knowledge of such magic. I suppose you performed a ritual."

"Yeah, it was a ritual."

"Involving blood, likely. That's powerful magic." Elena frowned wondering. It wasn't as if she wanted to, but she had the question for quite a while, and Alice seemed to hold answers.

"Can it be undone?"

The witch looked up, smiling kindly at her, as she put the ring in the mixture.

"No, it can't. It's actually quite similar to spells they used in old marriage rituals." Elena felt her eyes widen and Alice let out a chuckle at her expense. "Oh don't worry, it isn't an actual marriage ritual. They would just use similar magic back then."

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Do you want to undo it?" The witch asked and she looked away.

She didn't want to undo it.

But maybe she needed to.

Then Alice started performing the spell and Klaus was back in the room. She squinted at his hand, he was holding the black card, the one Katherine had given her.

For a moment, she felt fear go through her, at the thought of being caught. But that wasn't possible, she still had it with her. She confirmed it by digging in her back pocket, relieved as her fingers touched the edge.

"What's that?" She asked him, pointing to the card and he frowned.

"Nothing for you to worry about love."

She nodded, not wanting to give herself away.

She still had that option, she could go see what Katherine had suggested. What deal she could make with her friends.

Alice handed the ring back, along with some more herbs for Alaric, and she was disappointed, nothing she had done had panned out so far.

She doubted Katherine's contacts would either.

But now that she had seen the card with Klaus, she was curious. She wanted to be sure that it wouldn't work.

She wondered if she should tell Klaus about it, but she knew that he would never trust Kathrine, and likely use the opportunity to find and torture the vampire instead.

Which meant she would get no help.

No, she had to do this herself but she would have to be careful.

Especially if Klaus was going to be there too.

She looked at the masks on the hook, and knew that she had to do find a way to get back here.


It turned out that it wasn't too hard to get back there.

"Where are you going?" She asked as he walked away from her towards the Range Rover she could see parked by the curb.

"I'm going to see Lucien. Care to join?" Adrian must really have taken his job seriously because she could feel his gaze on her.

"So I can see the two of you acting like old frat buddies? No thanks." She didn't know where it had come from, but it was clear she was still upset about the previous night.

"We don't-"

"Oh please, you do, it's ridiculous."

"Fine, then there's no reason for you to join us."

"Great, well then I'm going out." She announced unnecessarily, know he was likely to turn her down. But she wanted the opportunity to meet Alice again, and there would be no way to Klaus distracted without getting him angry.

"Where?"

"I don't know, it's New York." He walked towards her, but there was still a distance between them.

"You're not going anywhere."

"I wasn't asking for permission, I was telling you what I'm doing." He looked at her with narrowed eyes, almost angrily, but she held her ground.

She was tired of being pushed around.

"It wasn't a request."

"Oh really? Because it can't have been an order, seeing as I don't take them from you." He smirked at her.

"Is that so sweetheart?" He covered the distance between the, hand cupping her cheek, "well, you'll take them now."

She looked up at him.

"No."

His smirk faded, he didn't seem to have expected a direct refusal, and he looked around almost frustrated.

"Perhaps I could kill the nice family over in that house." He said motioning to one of the houses and she frowned.

"That one is for sale."

"What?" He followed her eyes, "not that one, the one next to it."

"The one with the retired couple?" She asked eyeing the couple white hair who looked to be in their seventies. "Really?"

"The point still stands-"

"You're not killing anyone."

"And why is that?" He seemed almost amused suddenly.

She wondered if vampires ever saw therapists.

"Because you're afraid of Alice." It had just been a guess, a good one apparently, but it seemed to sober him up.

"Why do you want to go anyway? It isn't as though you'll actually enjoy yourself. You should patent that sad face."

"That's only because I'm around you." He raised a hand to his chest at her words, stepping away from her, and she missed his warmth. "I could go see the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty."

"You can't see both in the same day."

"Or Coney Island."

"Wrong month."

"Why do you care anyway?" He was looking at her with clenched teeth, and she knew she had a spot, something neither of them were ready to talk about.

"Fine. Adrian, take her wherever the bloody hell she wants to go."

That had been it, she had told the hybrid she'd forgotten the ring inside and went back to talk to Alice.

"Did you forget something?" She asked at the door, and Elena nodded, careful of the hybrid who could still listen in.

She was led into the room again.

"I didn't forget anything." She said without preamble and the witch turned to look at her.

"Oh, I know. I was just wondering what you wanted."

She squared herself up, she had to take one of those masks before she got out of there. That was the only way she could go wherever Katherine had told her. She could bother about the million questions she had later, she needed to get there first.

"I would like to take one of those masks."

"They're not for sale you know."

"I can bring it back tomorrow." If she lived to tell the tale.

It was clear Alice knew it too, from the way she was looking at her.

"Even then...what do I get?"

"Well, what did Klaus give you?"

"He threatened to kill my niece." She looked at the witch with wide eyes.

"Oh. Well, um.. is there anything you...want?"

"Other than for him to leave my city, no."

"Well-"

"I know he's leaving in the morning."

"Then, what else?" The witch shook her head, and Elena was about to get desperate, but then she looked at her, really looked at her and sighed.

"Well you are the-"

"Doppelgänger."

"Yes, I'd like to have some of your blood."

"Sure." She said with a sigh making the witch raise her eyebrows.

"That was easy."

"I'm used to it." She said not elaborating.

"Alright then."

In the end, it had been easy to get the mask.

Almost too easy.

But even Katherine couldn't know what witch Klaus would go to. And she wouldn't know about the masks either. She should've asked Alice what she wanted her blood for, but she was tired.

She was tired of manipulations, tired of being used and tired of - hoping.

Because that's what it was.

Hope.

Hope that she could save Alaric.

Hope that Jenna wouldn't die.

Hope that Klaus would -

She didn't know.

But she still hoped.

It was the bane of her existence, things would be a lot easier if she just didn't hope.


It was really tall.

She thought stupidly as she looked up at the Empire State Building. After the argument she had with Klaus, she had to visit the place because Adrian had looked at her expectantly, and she hadn't known what to say.

She walked in the building, getting in line behind a professional looking woman. She had beautiful dark skin and carried herself with a confidence that Elena only hoped she'd have someday.

She walked in line behind the woman, feeling almost childish in her jeans and v neck, while she was wearing a black top with leather pants.

It was getting cold, Elena realised thinking she needed to switch to more layers.

"Is this your first time here?" The woman asked, and Elena could tell how rich her accent was.

"Yeah, is it that obvious?"

"You keep looking around the place in wonder." She casually commented, and Elena nodded.

When she turned back around, she allowed herself to frown at her back. The leather, all black, the heels, the observation skills, her accent-

"You're a vampire." She said softly and the woman turned around with an almost impressed look on her face.

"Well, that wasn't bad. And here I thought you weren't capable of such quick thinking." Elena ignored the snub.

"Have you been following me?" She asked.

"Yes, since the second you've come into town."

"How did -"

"You not know?" Klaus, how did Klaus not know? How had he missed it with his paranoia. "I'm good at covering my tracks." Her voice was like velvet, and she looked like she was used to being in control.

She didn't know how many people in the room were compelled.

"I'm not alone here."

"I know, I don't have intentions of hurting you." She didn't realise when they reached the registration desk, and the vampire took two tickets for them, slipping an arm around Elena's waist. To anyone looking from the outside, they'd look like close friends or a couple.

Why did vampires always have to find ways to make her uncomfortable?

"Then what do you want?"

"To confirm that you'll be attending tonight's event."

"Katherine sent you."

"Au contraire, I sent Katherine." Elena looked up in surprise as they reached the centre of the room.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Aya. And it's a masquerade, so dress...appropriately." She stepped towards her then, invading Elena's space, and she wanted to bolt. "I hope to see you tonight. I assure you, we will make it worth your while."

What was she getting into?


A/N - I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know Klaus is acting a bit different, but it'll all clear up in the next two chapters.

Next chapter is the masquerade.