"So what did Esther say?" Elena asked. She and Bonnie sat cross-legged on Caroline's bed, a small brazier of burning sage between them. She and Damon had parted ways at the bed and breakfast; he claimed he still had something he had to do for Carol Lockwood. Elena had been planning to head home to get some homework done, but a text from Bonnie had given her an excellent reason to procrastinate.
Bonnie shrugged. "Wanted to introduce herself. Said it was only right, since she was channeling the power of the entire Bennett line through my m-" she broke off with a shake of her head, waving the sage through the air. "Through Abby and me. That's why we passed out when she got out of the coffin. She drew too much power from us at once. She apologized for that, too."
"Wait, she's channeling you? What does that even mean? Can you stop it?" Elena frowned at the burning sage. "There was more smoke when Esther did it. Maybe you need to keep it burning?"
"It's a tricky spell, give it a minute," Bonnie said. "Channeling just means she's using us as a focus, kind of, to draw power from our ancestors. Like how I can sometimes pull from the spirits in the Witch House." Bonnie dropped the little bundle of charred herbs into the brazier with a sigh. "And she wanted to let us know that it's happening tonight. The moon's full, we're going to be able to take down the Originals once and for all." Bonnie gave a satisfied smile, and for an instant, all Elena could see was Bonnie standing over Damon's prone body, that same smile on her face as he screamed and screamed.
The bedroom door opened and Caroline's voice broke Elena from her reverie. "First, this spell isn't working; I can hear everything you're saying. Second, that stuff is totally making my room smell like ass. And third, thank God we're finally getting rid of them. It's about time."
"Klaus told me to tell you hello, Caroline," Elena said, looking up at her friend. Granted, Elena didn't really have any room to judge other people's relationship choices, but at the same time, she had eyes. She'd seen the way they'd danced together, seen the flush in Caroline's cheeks when she'd talked about how Klaus had shown her the life she could have. Would Caroline really be so glad to see the end of him?
"Despite what you may think, I'm not an idiot," Caroline said. "His attention is...flattering. But I've never forgotten he's the reason Tyler's gone, he's the reason my dad's dead, and he nearly killed me. All the fancy dresses and drawings in the world won't change that. If we have a chance to kill him, then I say let the motherfucker burn," she said with quiet intensity.
Both Bonnie and Elena stared at their friend in stunned silence. Caroline was so good at adapting, so good at coping with the insanity they dealt with on a daily basis, it was easy to forget what she'd lost. But Caroline was no longer that silly girl who only cared about winning Miss Mystic Falls or planning the next decade dance at school. She was smart, she was cunning, and when she had to be, she was ruthless.
Elena sighed. "I wish I was as sure as you are. I just can't forget what Elijah did before the sun and moon ritual. How he found a way to save me, even when he didn't have to."
"No, he told you he found a way to save you. That bottle could have been full of colored water for all we know. It was in his best interest to get you to shut up and go along quietly with the ritual. And it's too late to get cold feet. It's happening," Bonnie said.
The girls gave up on the spell and engaged in half-hearted gossip about their classmates, but Elena couldn't focus. Caroline and Bonnie were both right: Klaus deserved to die. And if it had been just Klaus, Elena could have been just as happy as they were about sending him to hell. But Elijah was a good person. Could she really stand by while he died? She knew what Damon would call him. Collateral damage. But she didn't know if that was really okay.
Elena begged off, truthfully saying she needed to head home to that massive pile of schoolwork. She made her way slowly to her car, still lost in her thoughts. If she told Elijah, was there anything he could really do at this point to stop the inevitable? Elijah knew a lot, but he wasn't a warlock. And then there was the issue of Klaus. They'd run out of magical Klaus-killing devices. The ritual, Mikael, the white oak tree, the hope of what was in the coffin—they'd exhausted all their options for killing him. If she ruined this chance to kill Klaus, would there be another opportunity? How many ways were there to kill the unkillable?
She started to unlock her car door, but stopped when she felt the gust of wind at her back. After being around vampires for so long, she'd learned that the slight disturbance in the air was the only sure-fire way to know when one was creeping up on you. They were too quiet, too still, but even they couldn't fool the air.
"Elena," Stefan said. "We need to talk."
Elena rested her forehead against the cool glass of the car window. The very last thing she needed right now was to have a talk with Stefan. What she needed was to go home, turn off her phone and lock herself in her room until tomorrow morning when it was all be over. What she needed to do was get her head on straight and realize that this was her only chance at happiness and a real life. What she didn't need was to get wrapped up in an argument with Stefan that would surely only confuse her more.
She turned to face him, arms folded defensively across her chest. They'd better get this over with. "Stefan, there's nothing to talk about. But you should be happy—Klaus will be dead by the time the moon rises." She forced a smile, but it felt twisted and wrong on her lips. "You won. Congratulations."
Surprise lit Stefan's face. "He will? Tonight?"
She nodded. "All of them will. Esther's got some ritual planned; Bonnie and Abby are helping. They're all linked together so if one goes, they all go." Elena knew she should walk away right then and there, but she couldn't resist twisting the dagger. "So now that you've achieved the only thing in life that matters to you, what will you do next?"
Stefan had been lying to her. Maybe not all along, but what he'd said on the porch last night had been a bald-faced lie. She saw it then, as regret and sadness and loss danced across his face. There was no joy, no happiness in accomplishing his revenge. He felt, all right. He felt everything, and he hated himself for feeling it. Damon had been right all along—the switch was a lie. Maybe Klaus' compulsion had made him believe it was true, but Elena could see the guilt threatening to swallow Stefan whole.
"I'm sure the answer to that question is fascinating," an urbane voice called from the street. The pair turned, and Elijah came strolling up the driveway, his long coat flapping in the breeze. Stefan moved to stand in front of Elena. "But it's actually the first part of your confession that interests me most. Tell me more about what's happening tonight, Elena."
No. No. No. How was this possible? Was every vampire in Mystic Falls just stalking her, waiting for her to slip up? How could she have been so stupid?
"Deceit is not in your nature, Elena, so I was puzzled you would lie to my face about my mother's intentions." Elijah stopped in front of the pair, hands shoved casually into his pockets. "I can hear your heartbeat, you know. It...jumps when you lie. Right now though, it's racing with fear. Which is only natural; you should be afraid. But if you tell me what you know, no harm will come to you. You have my word."
"I'm sorry, Elijah. But you're too late. There's no way to stop it," Elena said, her voice wavering. Truth be told, she was terrified. But there simply wasn't anything any of them could do to stop the ritual tonight. Esther would get what she wanted, and her children would die.
"Interesting. You're not lying; not exactly. But you're a resourceful young woman, Elena. You and your Salvatores always manage to find another way, if you have the proper motivation."
Elena heard the crack before she saw him move. Stefan crumpled to the ground before her, Elijah at his side, pressing a syringe of vervain into his neck. A scream tore its way out of her throat. Elijah rose, slinging the corpse over his shoulder. "Perhaps this will provide you and the elder Salvatore with that motivation." He glanced at his watch. "You have until six minutes past nine tonight to find another way, or I will see to it that my last act on this earth is his death."
Elena stared after him, too stunned to move. Elijah turned to leave, but glanced over his shoulder at her. "Please believe me when I say that for both your sake and his, I hope you find another way. Don't fail me, Elena."
Then she was alone, with just over four hours to accomplish the impossible.