The pair walked up the steps of the apartment building. As they neared the third floor, Araya started to tense. Surely the place would be deserted; maybe Katherine would be there, but Klaus . . . She really hoped Klaus wasn't there.
"I'm glad you decided to drink the blood."
"Damon, I'm only going with you because I want to help. I don't want conversation or smiles. I'm terrified. This was never what I wanted and you knew that, but you forced your blood down my throat anyway."
"So I'm not allowed to talk to you?"
"Not if you want a civil answer."
Araya and Damon approached the door and he pushed it open. Katherine was pacing back and forth.
"Damon, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. He tried to compel me, but I was on the vervain and I couldn't say no! He'd kill me if I said no!" Katherine paused. "Raya?"
The young vampire opened her mouth to say something, but Damon cut her off. "I didn't want her to die. Forced my blood down her throat, then she wrecked her car and died. Almost had to force blood down her throat again. Moving on! What did you do?"
"I didn't want to call her, Raya, Damon. Don't hate me."
"Too late. Who. Did. You. Call?"
"He wanted me to lure Jenna out."
Without another word the pair strutted out of the apartment. Damon got in the phone with Stefan and Araya waited in the car. When Damon got into the car she said, "We need to go to the witch-house."
"I know."
"Then start driving."
"Just don't do anything stupid tonight."
Araya didn't have time to appreciate the fact that she wasn't in bone shattering pain; tonight she was on a mission.
She saw the three rings of fire. Inside of them were Elena, Jenna, and Jules.
"How nice of you to show up, Ara. I hate to tell you that your spot has been filled."
Elena froze when she saw her friend. Elena thought that Stefan and Damon would keep her away. They knew how self-sacrificing Araya was. "No, Raya!"
"I'm sorry, Elena, but I came to watch."
Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Why would you watch this?"
"Why wouldn't I? I don't care about them. I just want to see the failure on Damon's face when he tries to save the night."
"Araya—"
"Shut up!" Araya shouted. "Damon Salvatore is number one on my hate list. Congratulations, Klaus, you've now moved to second."
"Yay me, sweetheart. Why is it you hate Salvatore so much?"
"He changed me from one monster into another."
Klaus stared at her for a moment, fighting every emotion that ran through him. Fucking Salvatore would pay.
"Have fun watching, love."
The circle around the shrieking werewolf Jules vanished and Klaus slowly walked toward her, anticipating the first kill of the ritual. As he pulled Jules to her feet, Araya zipped closer to the witch. Catching eyes with Elena, she smiled, and then ripped into the witch's throat. This blood was so much more powerful than the bagged stuff. It being witch blood probably had something to do with that as well.
Araya was pinned against a tree in seconds, a stake protruding from her stomach. Her first thought was that he betrayed her, but she quickly rushed into a river of insults and names. It hurt like a bitch.
"Araya, no!" Elena shrieked.
Klaus watched her stay still. "I'm sorry, love, but I need you to stay right there to watch."
Araya watched in horror as a woman's heart was ripped out before her eyes. She knew she couldn't just stay there watching on. Her hand gripped the wood sticking through her and tore it out of the tree and her body. She collapsed on the ground with a thud.
"Fuck," she groaned as she tried to stand up.
Klaus heard everything she did and he started to speak but he was quickly cut off by Araya's now pain filled voice. "Kill me, not Jenna. She doesn't deserve to die!"
Over the loud protests of Elena and Jenna, Klaus said, "Sorry, love, but no, I'm afraid I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"As far as I'm concerned, you don't deserve to die for what you did to that bloody werewolf Gareth." Araya's eyes widened. She hadn't mentioned his name or what he was before. How could Klaus know? "You could also be a very desirable companion in the future. Now quit bothering me."
She sucked in an unnecessary breath when she spotted Stefan standing up on the ridge. He had broken the plan because she was stupid.
"How nice of you to finally join us, Stefan?" Out of the blue, Klaus was right next to Stefan. "What, may I ask, do you want?"
"I want Araya and Jenna safe."
"Araya is very safe at the moment. Just a little scratched up. And as for Jenna, I'm afraid things will be ending for her very soon."
Araya heard a small choked sob and realized that Jenna could hear this too.
"I want to take her place."
"I very much enjoy the symmetry of three women. I also have very big plans, Stefan, big plans."
She made it to her feet, finally being close to healed, and as quickly as possible made her way to Elena and Jenna.
"Jenna, turn it off, please, I need you to turn it all off. It will be better."
She could feel his eyes on her as she tried to convince Jenna to turn it off and run. She thought perhaps she was just paranoid, until Elena confirmed it.
"Araya, he's watching you."
She nodded and dropped to the ground. When she looked back up, Stefan and Klaus were on the other side of the circles. Then Stefan dropped to the ground, a stake sticking out of his back, dangerously close to his heart. Klaus snapped the stake off inside of Stefan as Elena shouted in fear. Instantly, Araya was next to Stefan trying to help him.
Klaus knew he wasn't pushing or scarring her. This girl was strong and she could handle almost anything. She had proved that before . . . Klaus looked at the last two pieces of the sacrifice as Araya worked on Stefan.
A monstrous smile stretched on his face.
"Who's next?"