~Elijah~

When Elijah woke up from being daggered once again by his younger brother, his first thought was to find Riley. He was unsure how long he had been trapped in that coffin, whether it was hours, days, or even months. Knowing Klaus and his penchant for power, it would not take long for him to attempt to persuade Riley to his side. Riley was certainly a powerful witch despite not having much grasp over her abilities. He worried that Klaus would use her lack of control to his advantage, offering her counsel in how to better understand her magic. Though he wanted to find Riley as soon as he was free from the coffin, he was also wary that she would not be as willing to see him. Their last encounter had been far from enjoyable and the look of pure hatred in her eyes had not left his mind. Her arrival at the mansion with the Salvatores left him in a mixed state of shock and joy. It would be a lie if he told someone that he was merely happy to be reunited with Riley. He was relieved that she forgave him for his past actions and was unharmed, especially after hearing what had happened in his absence.

It took every bit of restraint within him to not punch Klaus for blackmailing Riley to join him on a little road trip to figure out how to make hybrids. In his daggered state, he had missed a lot of change in Mystic Falls. Riley's magical abilities seemed to increase tenfold and she was now much more adept at spells. Instead of him, her anger was now directed towards Elena. Elijah was not aware of what caused their latest argument yet knew that it would take quite some time before Riley so much as spoke to Elena again. A more pressing matter came to his attention when he met her in her room after his mother's surprise return from the dead.

Riley told him about her near-death experience from witches in Chicago, a strange prophecy that made many in the witch community want to murder her, and his own mother's attempt on her life. His mother had manipulated a girl on the Other Side to get rid of both Elena and Riley in exchange for remaining in the physical world. Elijah was far more concerned about his mother than a group of paranoid witches. He could not understand why these witches would perceive Riley, a young teenage girl, as a threat. She was not drawn to dark magic like her ancestors, who he had some experience with in the past.

Elijah was woken up by the sunlight filtering through a nearby window. Riley remained fast asleep, her head nestled on his chest. Last night had its ups and downs, including a few altercations, but it ended on a very good note. His hand brushed through her dark wavy locks. He glanced over each of her beautiful features, from her button nose that crinkled when she was being playful to her soft pink lips. His hand slid down to her tiny waist. He could not imagine how a girl that appeared as harmless as a doe had enough power to bring a vampire to their knees.

"You know, some people might find it creepy that you stare at them while they're sleeping" she said, her eyes still shut.

He grinned. "How can I help myself? You're the prettiest thing in this room"

"Just in this room?"

"The prettiest in Mystic Falls. Is that better?"

"I don't know. This old man who spends a lot of time drinking at the Mystic Grill told me that I'm the prettiest girl he's seen in seventy years. I think you have some competition, Mr. Mikaelson"

"Oh, do I? I didn't peg you as the type to fall for elderly men"

"Really? I'm kind of into this old fossil who always wears a suit. I'm surprised he doesn't walk around with a cane" she teased.

"Could an old fossil do this?"

Elijah lifted her up and pressed her against the headboard. He bit into her neck delicately as her legs wrapped around his waist. Her laughter was like music to his ears.

"What if your siblings hear us?"

"Let them. I've had to deal with listening to their bedroom affairs for centuries"

As he continued to kiss her neck, he ignored the sounds of his siblings moving around downstairs…

~Klaus~

Klaus was in the kitchen, pouring the contents of a blood bag into a glass. He was currently nursing a terrible hangover. After the ball last night, he shut himself in his room, drinking from at least a dozen girls. As the hours passed, he seemed to lose count, simply wanting to take out his aggression on some pretty girl compelled not to scream while he drained them dry. He had hoped the ball would be a good place to prove himself to Riley. Their relationship was complicated, to say the least, with her opinion of him constantly changing at a moment's notice. She could switch from regarding him with pure loathing to thinking he was a somewhat decent person. Having Elijah back made it much more difficult. It was obvious that she admired him for his honorable nature. Hearing them in his room late last night drove Klaus to getting drunk off of liquor and blood.

A unfinished drawing laid on the table beside him. The drawing, which was of Riley, so far only depicted her eyes. He sat at the table and picked up a pencil. Hearing Riley's familiar giggle, he let out a low growl and downed his glass in one sip. He attempted to tune out her laughter, focusing on his drawing. Kol walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, taking out another blood bag.

"I see they're at it again. To be a fly on that wall, eh?"

"I'd rather not watch my older brother in the bedroom"

He smirked. "Are you jealous, Nik?"

Klaus glared at him, nearly snapping the pencil in half. "Jealous of what?"

"It's written all over your face. You couldn't sweep her off her feet while Elijah was dead in a little box? If you ask me, almost killing her wasn't a good first impression"

"Be quiet" he hissed, angrily.

At the sound of someone descending down the staircase, Kol left the kitchen. Klaus heard his youngest brother greet Riley in a joyful tone. Quietly, he got up from the table, holding the drawing, and leaned against the doorway. Riley was wearing her dress from last night, covered by a black peacot. Her hair was brushed over to one side, purposely covering her neck. Klaus doubted that Elijah, being so noble, would bite her.

"I trust you had a good night's sleep…or perhaps not. You could tell me about your night in vivid detail" said Kol.

"How about next time, I make a video of it for you?" she joked.

"Even better"

She crossed her arms. "Is your mother here?"

"She left very early this morning, I'm afraid. Did you want to bond with her due to this budding romance between you and Elijah?"

"No. I wanted to tell her personally that we slept together. I bet her reaction would be priceless and I'd love to see it myself"

The glass in Klaus's hand shattered into pieces. He ignored the glass cutting into his hand. Kol, noticing the broken glass, made eye contact with Klaus, a small smirk on his face.

"Be a good friend and when she gets home, send her up to his room. I'm sure she'll be able to smell my scent all over that place. On the bed, on his dresser, against the wall…"

Riley wrote her phone number on Kol's hand, telling him to send a picture of their mother's reaction to her. Elijah was at the bottom of the stairs. Riley walked over to him. Klaus overheard her say that she would meet him at the Mystic Grill later in the afternoon. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Kol.

"She's far more fun than her ancestors. Do you remember Esme? Such a bore"

"She's lying to infuriate mother. Apparently, she tried to kill Riley before"

"Do you think she's lying or you're hoping that she is, Nik?"

"Shut up, Kol"

He glared at the sight of Riley kissing Elijah and watched her leave the house…

~Riley~

Riley was walking back to her house, hoping to not run into someone while she was still wearing her dress from last night. She turned on her phone and found over fifty messages from Damon, Bonnie, and Elena. She listened to the voicemails from Damon. Most of his messages were drunken calls, whining about his need for a drinking buddy. It was obvious that he was drowning his sorrows over his conversation with Elena. His other messages involved teasing her about Mr. Fancy Pants, his nickname for Elijah. She immediately deleted all of Elena's texts and voicemails then called Bonnie.

"Finally. I've been calling you for the past three hours, Riley"

"Sorry, Bon. I had a sleepover with Jayden and I was passed out in his room. What's going on?"

"Esther stopped by my house to talk to me and my mom"

"Mama Original wanted to talk to you? About what? Is she recruiting the witches in Mystic Falls to kill me?"

"No. It had nothing to do with you. You never even came up in the conversation"

Suddenly, Riley's vision began to get blurry. She leaned against a nearby tree, struggling to avoid another blackout.

"Bonnie, I have to go"

"Riley, it's important. I—"

A second later, Riley was laying in the middle of the woods, close to the lake. It was pitch black outside, the full moon looming in the sky. She panicked, seeing blood all over her hands, and quickly washed it off in the water. Jayden's car arrived at the lake. Confused, she questioned why he was randomly there. He told her that she called him to drive her home.

"You told me to come here…no questions asked. You don't remember calling me?"

"No. What time is it?"

"It's 8:15. Did you have another blackout? What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was talking to Bonnie. It was only like noon. How did I lose eight hours?"

"Riley, it's okay"

"This isn't okay. I thought they stopped. They were just a few minutes, at most. Why is it happening again?"

"Let me drive you home"

"I have to call Elijah. I was supposed to meet him at the grill. He probably thinks I ditched him. Give me a minute"

As she called Elijah, Jayden moved back to give her privacy. She was suspicious when there was no answer and noticed a voicemail from him. He apologized for running late for their date, having unexpected business. Hoping that this issue would not take long, he told her to wait for him at the grill and if he was not there by nine o'clock, she could yell at him for breaking his promise. She waved her hands over her body, changing out of her dress and into an off the shoulder long-sleeved shirt, dark skinny jeans, and knee-high boots. Jayden was standing a few feet away, looking down at the ground.

"Can you just drive me to the grill, Jay? Let's not mention the blackouts"

"Are you sure about that?"

She walked over to him. Following his gaze, she realized that they were surrounded by a large circle drawn in blood. The circle contained strange runic symbols. Some of them looked familiar to Riley, being part of her spell books.

"I think you did this, Ri. Maybe it's what you do when you black out?"

"That's impossible. I think people would notice if I was randomly running off to the woods in the middle of class"

"You woke up here. It can't be coincidence. When you lose time, you're somehow coming here to draw this circle thing"

"For what?"

"Does this look familiar?"

"No. I haven't gotten to the section on Creepy Blood Circles in my books yet" she said, sarcastically.

"We should look into it"

"We are doing nothing. I have enough problems to deal with, Jay. I have to leave town with my dad tonight and—I don't need to add this to my long list"

"Then I'll look into it"

"With what, Witchypedia.com?"

Ignoring her sarcastic remarks, he offered to find any information on her blackouts. He dropped her off at the Mystic Grill and headed straight for the town library. She doubted that library books would be useful in explaining her random blackouts. As she entered the grill, she saw Alaric and Meredith at one of the pool tables. He waved at her, looking slightly worried. She decided to wait for Elijah at the bar. It would be easy to convince the bartender to give her liquor. She called Elijah, hoping he would answer and tell her about this 'unexpected business'. The call went straight to voicemail.

"Hey. I'm at the grill. Is something wrong? I really need to talk to you. Please call me back"

"Riley" she heard.

Klaus and Kol were sitting at the bar, surrounded by empty shot glasses. Pouring scotch into a glass, Klaus handed it to her.

"Join us for a drink?"

"I'd rather freeze outside"

She downed the scotch and placed the empty glass on the counter. Leaving the grill, she sensed Klaus following her. He was nearly hit by a passing car.

"Stop following me, Klaus"

"Are you angry with me about last night, love? I didn't mean to fight with your parents. We have a long history and your mother's got quite the temper. I promise to stay civil from now on, for your sake. Something's bothering you"

"Nope. Just waiting for Elijah"

Klaus grabbed her wrist. He forced her to sit down on a wooden bench.

"Talk to me. I'm all ears"

"No. You've got a whole face"

When he chuckled, a smile tugged at her lips. "There's that smile. What's on your mind?"

"Fine, I'll talk to you. Just to be clear, this won't turn into a makeout session. We're just talking"

"That's why I like about you, Riley. You're not easily charmed by me…not even by my accent"

With a soft sigh, she told him about her returning blackout problem. Klaus had been aware of the blackouts before but this was the first time that she had been out for many hours. She mentioned waking up by the lake and her and Jayden discovering the blood circle. He believed the cause of the blackouts was related to magic, not some medical condition. She worried when he suggested that the witches outside of Mystic Falls could be causing the blackouts to mess with her mind. If she was unaware of her surroundings, it made her vulnerable. The blood circle was associated with rituals of dark magic. He jokingly told her that she was plotting to destroy the world in her sleepwalking state.

"So what, my blackouts cause my evil mastermind alter-ego to show up?"

"Or perhaps there's a reason your subconscious is turning to dark magic, Riley. You're very worried about these witches"

"Obviously. I don't feel like dying yet"

"You won't die. Your parents are fiercely protective of you. They would blow up every witch coven if it would keep you safe"

"I think about Chicago sometimes…what I did to those people"

His hand touched her cheek. "It was self defense. You protected yourself. If you had not, they would have killed you"

"It didn't feel like self defense. I could've just knocked them all out or—I don't know. When it happened, there was this small part of me that was happy. I liked it"

"You were in an awful situation. You are not a monster. If those cowardly witches want to see a real monster, they can meet me. I'm far more terrible than any monster written in stories"

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Oh shut up. You're not completely terrible. You're like a puppy"

"A puppy, am I?"

Riley laughed as he tickled her sides. She stopped, feeling a sharp pain in her chest. Klaus looked at her, concerned. The pain reminded her of when Elijah was daggered at the dinner party. This time, it was even worse, feeling as though she was being ripped apart from inside. She screamed out in pain and Klaus kept her from dropping onto the sidewalk.

"Riley? What's the matter?"

Before she could answer, she fell unconscious. The last thing she remembered was Klaus touching a similar spot on his chest. What felt like seconds later, her eyes popped open and she breathed heavily. She was laying at the top of the stairs that led to the back of the Mystic Grill. Elijah was bent down in front of her. Seeing her awake, he embraced her, whispering calmly in her ear.

"You're all right, Riley. You're safe"

"What the hell happened? I felt—were you daggered?"

"No, Kol was daggered by Alaric"

"But I felt it. I'm not linked to Kol"

Elijah explained that Elena had lied about his mother's intentions at the ball. When Elena met with her, his mother wanted her doppelganger blood to perform a linking spell. Her plan was to get rid of her children. The linking spell meant that what happened to one Original, the same happened to the rest of them. Due to her connection with Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah, Riley felt the same effects though the pain was far worse since she was feeling the effects of all five Originals. Elijah's business earlier in the day had been meeting with Elena to learn the truth and trap her in the underground caves with Rebekah. He tasked Damon and Stefan with stopping the ritual. Esther was drawing her power from the Bennett witches, both living and dead. Bonnie and her mother were aiding her with the ritual. He suggested that Esther knew of Riley's connection to three of her children and was using it as another method of killing her. A range of emotions passed through Riley.

She felt anger towards her friends for not telling her about the linking spell. Remembering Bonnie's call, she wondered if Bonnie was the only one intending to warn her. Most of her anger was directed at Elena. She knew about Riley's connection to the Originals, witnessing her comatose state after daggering Elijah the second time. Elena had lied to her face when Riley questioned her on Esther's true intentions. At the same time, she was feeling pure rage towards Esther. Though she was Elijah's mother, she had the strong urge to rip out her heart and crush it into dust. Elijah helped her to stand and she wiped the dirt from her jeans. At the bottom of the stairs, Alaric was unconscious, Kol's skin was returning to its normal color, and Stefan was holding his head. Klaus angrily confronted Damon, who insulted his mother.

"Leave him. We still need him, Niklaus" said Elijah.

Klaus turned around, annoyed. "What did mother do, Elijah?"

Elijah started to help Riley down the stairs. She gently moved his hand.

"I'm good. I can walk"

He kissed her forehead and moved between Klaus and Damon. Taking out his phone, he asked Damon about the location of Esther and the Bennetts. If he did not cooperate, Rebekah would kill Elena. As she passed Stefan on the stairs, Riley stamped her foot on his groin. He groaned, turning on his side. She picked up the dagger, hiding it in her back pocket. Kol was beginning to stir, rubbing his eyes. Riley held out her hand, picking him up from the ground. According to Damon, the ritual was being performed at the abandoned cottage.

"Riley, you will stay here until we return"

"Screw that. This is three times that your mother's messed with me now and I'm either going to watch her die or do it myself. Give me a second"

She stepped in front of Damon. He held up his hands, defensively.

"Hey, don't go all witchy on me. I didn't know that you were part of the link, shorty"

A piece of wood broke off of a wooden crate and zoomed into her hand. She stabbed him in the chest. He fell to his knees, panting heavily.

"You almost hit my heart"

"No, I got it right. I think it's much worse to see you in this much pain than just dead"

After a few minutes, he was able to remove the wood from his chest. Elijah urged them to end the ritual quickly or the cost would be Elena's life. He decided to give them a headstart on completing their task. Riley paced back and forth, anger boiling in the pit of her stomach. Passing by a window, she noticed something strange about her reflection. Her reflection showed her hand raised with the symbol of her mixed bloodline, two intertwining snakes, carved into her palm. The symbol glowed silver and she was taken aback by her reflection smirking back at her. She pressed her palm against her other arm. Part of her arm glowed the same color.

"Stronger" mouthed her reflection.

Her reflection returned to normal, showing her standing wide-eyed in front of the window. She jumped when someone gripped her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Klaus.

"Are you all right, love?"

"Yea. I was only unconscious for a minute, at most. I feel fine"

"I think we've given them enough time. If they haven't stopped mother by now, then we'll do it ourselves" said Kol, impatiently.

Riley followed the three brothers to the abandoned cottage. Along the way, she wondered how the ritual could be stopped if Esther was drawing her power from the Bennett bloodline. She worried that Damon would take drastic measures.

"How are Damon and Stefan supposed to stop the ritual?" she asked Elijah.

"By cutting off my mother's power"

"If you mean killing them, that won't work. If Esther is channeling the bloodline, it's both living and dead witches. I'm sure she made friends with the Bennett ancestors during card games and knitting circles on the Other Side. Killing them won't be enough"

"I know that, Riley"

"So how do you—one of them has to become a vampire? No, there has to be another way. When I was younger, one of my dad's witch friends told me that a spell could be broken if it's thrown off balance. We just break the spell and then the ritual won't work"

"And if that does not end my mother's plans? We have to be prepared for that, Riley. I apologize if your friend Bonnie must be turned into a vampire"

Esther and Finn were standing outside the abandoned cottage. A pentagram had been drawn on the ground with salt. Five torches were lit around the circle. Finn stood in the middle as some sort of sacrifice. Elijah warned Riley to stay hidden in the woods for her own protection. He did not want near his mother, who intended to harm her. Riley lingered behind two tall trees, listening to their conversation. Kol insulted Finn for being the favorite child and nothing more than a sacrificial lamb. Esther told the other three Originals that she regretted turning them into vampires and how she had to watch them torture and kill people over the centuries. Picking up a stick, Riley used magic to sharpen the end into a point. She winced as she drew the intertwined snakes symbol into her palm. The full moon was almost at its highest position.

"Take it" she heard.

She glanced around, checking for anyone behind her. The woods were completely empty.

"Take it"

"Take wh—oh god, I'm hearing voices in my head. I'm losing my mind. This day can't get any worse"

"A witch has to perform the ritual. Can't do that if there isn't a witch. You've done it before. Take it"

Riley realized that the voice wanted her to take away Esther's magic. "Okay, weird voice in my head. Good plan…but I don't know how to do that"

The symbol on her palm glowed silver. She remembered her reflection in the window of the Mystic Grill and how it grabbed its arm, causing it to glow the same silvery color. Putting the pieces together, she figured that touching Esther would drain her magic. Riley thought about the incident at Gloria's bar in Chicago after almost being killed by the witches. When she touched Gloria, an invisible force flowed through her body, followed by herself feeling stronger. Taking a chance, she stepped out from her hiding spot and snuck closer to the circle. Spotting her, Elijah shook his head very faintly.

"Trust me" she mouthed.

The blood from the cut on her hand dripped onto the salt. Once the blood made contact, the salt bubbled, steam rising into the air. She stepped into the circle.

"Insolent child" snarled Esther.

Before Finn could take a single step, she flicked her wrist, knocking him into the boundary spell. Esther grabbed her by the throat, lifting her into the air.

"Riley!"

She latched onto Esther's wrist, feeling a large amount of energy flow through her. Esther began to look paler and her grip loosened on Riley's throat. Riley also struggled, wanting to stop the connection between them. Something inside her was forcing her to keep her hand attached to Esther. The magic was too much at once, making blood seep from her nose. Esther managed to push Riley off of her.

"No! Sisters, do not abandon me!"

The flames inside the torches rose higher. Riley protected herself with an invisible shield and covered her face. As the flames extinguished, Finn and Esther had vanished from the circle. Elijah rushed over to her, checking her for any injuries.

"Elijah, I'm fine. Just a little nosebleed" she said, wiping the blood under her nose.

"What were you thinking?"

"That Esther couldn't finish the ritual if she wasn't a witch. I tried blocking her magic"

"Where would you get such an idea? You could've been killed, Riley"

"I didn't want Bonnie or her mother to get hurt. I wasn't the one who made the spirits go away. That means—I'll meet you at your place. I need to go check on Bonnie"

She pecked his cheek and ran into the abandoned cottage. Bonnie was kneeling beside her mother's lifeless body. Tears trickled down her face. Sniffling, she told Riley that Damon had turned her mother into a vampire. Riley called Caroline to drive over to the cottage. Minutes later, Caroline arrived and they placed Abby in the backseat. Riley consoled Bonnie, rubbing her back. Once they were at Bonnie's house, Caroline carried Abby inside and laid her down on Bonnie's bed. Bonnie wiped away her tears.

"Do you think she'll want to transition?" asked Riley.

"I—I don't know"

"Well, once she wakes up, she has a few hours to decide if she'll become a vampire or not. I'm sorry, Bonnie. This shouldn't have happened. If I got there with the guys earlier, I could've cut Esther off early"

"Cut her off?"

"I was draining her magic to stop the ritual. If she doesn't have magic, it wouldn't work. I waited too long"

"And where does that magic go?" said Caroline, confused.

"Well, it just doesn't disappear. It kind of…went into me"

Caroline smacked her in the face with a pillow. "Don't ever do that again! Who even thinks of that, Ri? You could've died from all that magic"

"I didn't get all of it. I was trying to keep Bonnie and her mother from becoming—they didn't need to be turned into vampires. I was thinking of an alternative, Caroline"

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. Caroline left the room. It was nearing half past nine. In less than twenty minutes, Riley needed to return home so she and her father could travel to Chicago. Knowing about the impending meeting, Bonnie assured her that she and Caroline could watch over Abby without her. Riley promised to call her tomorrow morning to check on them. She gave Bonnie a quick hug and walked towards the front door. Caroline was speaking to Elena, who looked upset. Saying goodbye to Caroline, she left the house. Elena followed after her, anxiously playing with her hair.

"Riley, a—are you okay? Please say something to me"

Against her better judgment, Riley turned towards her. "What do you want?"

"I—I'm sorry"

She scoffed. "You're sorry? That's all you have to say to me? You lied to my face last night. I asked you what Esther wanted and you told me she just wanted her family to be all happy. You knew that she planned on killing all of her children, including Elijah"

"There was nothing I could do"

"You could have told me last night. You could have been honest with me and maybe if I had more time to prepare, Bonnie's mother wouldn't be in transition right now. Let's ignore the fact that I am linked to three of the Originals, something that you knew ever since you daggered Elijah months ago and I was stuck in the hospital"

"I didn't think it would affect you too"

"That's your problem!" she shouted, making Elena jump.

"R—Riley"

"You don't think, Elena. I knew there was something off about what you told me last night but I chose to believe you because we're family. If I found out that Rebekah wanted to kill you, I would've told you the truth…even though we're fighting. I'm done, Elena. I am done saving your neck for every mistake you make and having to pay for your own stupidity. Unlike the Salvatores, my life doesn't revolve around you. I have my own problems. Not that you give a damn because you're too busy trying to save Stefan so he can be your perfect little boyfriend again. As far as I'm concerned, we're not family. Jeremy is my only cousin. If you find yourself in trouble again, probably because of some scheme by Stefan to get back at Klaus, don't ask me for help"

Riley walked over to the Mikaelson mansion. She kept her guard up in case Esther popped out of the bushes to attack her. Elijah and Rebekah were in the living room.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" asked Rebekah, nastily.

"Rebekah, be nice. Riley and I will be gone for awhile"

"Where are you two off to?"

"Private business. Stay clear of Esther and promise me that you and Niklaus will not cause havoc in my absence"

"Private business? You expect me to believe that? I suppose you two are going to some cute bed and breakfast for alone time. I heard you didn't care much for privacy last night when—"

"Rebekah, enough! I will see you in about two days. Please be safe"

Rebekah feigned an innocent smile. As they left the mansion, she shot Riley a scathing glare. On the way to her house, Elijah apologized for putting Elena in danger. Riley simply nodded, not wanting to even hear Elena's name.

"She's your family. I should not have put her life on the line for my own needs"

"Well, she almost let me die just to get rid of Klaus so…we'll call it even. Can we cut the Elena talk for the rest of this trip?"

"Of course"

Her father was placing suitcases in the trunk. He looked surprised to see Elijah. Riley awkwardly mentioned that he was accompanying them to Chicago. She brought up the meeting last night in Elijah's room and he agreed to join them, wanting to see for himself who intended to harm her. Her father asked for some privacy. Elijah gave him a slight nod and her father brought her into the house to avoid Elijah's enhanced hearing.

"Why is he coming with us?"

"Because he could be really helpful. He's being a friend"

"He's being a friend?" he asked, skeptically.

"Yep. Is it so hard to believe that he wants to protect me?"

"Move your hair back"

"Pfft, what?"

"Your hair that's covering your neck. Move it"

Hesitantly, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail, exposing the trail of hickeys along her neck. He stared at her in complete silence.

"It's terrible that I was hoping there would be a vampire bite. This is even worse"

"Dad, it's not—well, it is what it looks like but before you freak out"

"Oh, we're far past that point. I look calm but inside, I am freaking out that my only daughter has been—hanging around an Original vampire. We know your track record with boys"

"I'll admit that I've had terrible boyfriends in the past but Elijah is different. He's nice, compassionate, honorable, and…I can't explain it. I like him a lot and it would be great if you didn't judge him right away. I promise that we're not going to find a little wedding chapel, elope, and—Dad, it was a joke"

Her father was about to have a heart attack. "It better be a joke. I will try to give Elijah a chance. Let's just focus on Chicago"

The drive to Chicago was filled with awkward tension. Riley could not even risk catching Elijah's eye in the mirror. Her parents knew that Elijah was nothing like his other siblings yet they would not be comfortable with their daughter dating an Original vampire. Both she and Elijah decided against telling her father what happened earlier that evening. The next morning, when they reached Chicago, they stopped at a local hotel and paid for two rooms. Riley was repeatedly packing and unpacking her suitcase. Elijah stopped her from placing a pair of jeans back in the suitcase, his thumb rubbing against the back of her hand.

"You're nervous"

"About what?"

"This meeting. You don't know what to expect from these witches"

"Of course I do. They want to kill me because they think I'm some evil demon in a teenage girl's body"

"There is no reason to worry, Riley. Your father and I are here to protect you. If one of those witches so much as touches a hair on your head, they will deal with me"

The door opened and Elijah quickly let go of her hand. Her father was waiting in the hallway.

"It's time to go. I've got the location for the meeting. Riley, I think it's best that you try to disguise yourself. If we run into that man who was in charge of the Chicago coven, he may recognize you"

"Got it covered

Riley ran her fingers through her hair. Her chestnut brown locks turned a shade of platinum blonde and her eyebrows lightened to better match her new hair color. She tied her hair up and put the hood of her coat over her head to cover most of her face.

"You should change too" she told Elijah.

"I've never met these witches"

"They could recognize you. You're the Original who's always in a suit. You'll stand out. Do you own other clothes besides suits?"

He chuckled. "Yes. Give me a moment"

Elijah returned to his room, changing into casual attire. She had to admit that it was strange to see him dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved henley. They drove over to an abandoned, disheveled warehouse. The windows were covered with wooden boards and it looked like it had not been inhabited for many years. Clare, one of her parents' oldest witch friends, was waiting by the alley next to the warehouse. Riley had not seen her in five years but remembered that her mother brought Clare to Mystic Falls to help Riley out of her comatose state from the dagger. Clare embraced her in a warm hug.

"My little munchkin, all grown up. Let's just hear what they're planning and then, my friends and I will find the best way to keep you safe"

She looked at Elijah. "Well, you get out of dealing with the Original and move to the next"

"I have no underhanded intentions. I am solely here to ensure no innocent lives are in danger"

Her eyes flickered between him and Riley. She brought them into the warehouse. As she led them up the staircase, her father questioned how many covens showed up for the meeting.

"I don't have a list but most of them only show up to hear Alec's rants. I doubt even half of them actually believe in his cause. You know how people like him are…the vocal ones are the minority. From what I hear, the only coven that declined was the one in New Orleans. They've got the Harvest to plan"

"I heard about that when I went to New Orleans" said Riley.

Clare scoffed. "A bunch of nonsense, if you ask me. Every coven has their rituals but this one is very risky. They go to great lengths to maintain their ancestral magic. Stay close to me. Some of these covens are a bit strange"

At the top of the staircase, there was just a brick wall. Clare pressed her hand against the wall, whispering in Latin. A door appeared out of nowhere. As she opened the door, it revealed an enormous, ornate room. Riley had expected a hundred witches, at most, to be at the meeting. She was taken aback by the number going into the thousands and soon realized that these people were from all over the world. Clare quietly introduced her to some of her friends, who had traveled from places like New York City and London. Though her friends sympathized with her situation, Riley was not comforted by their support. She tensed up, seeing Alec step onto the stage with three other people, including an elderly man, a dark-skinned woman in her late twenties, and a middle-aged woman with a beak-like nose and red hair pulled into a tight bun. Clare had Riley, her father, and Elijah stand in the back of the large crowd. Elijah kept his hand on the small of Riley's back. The elderly man addressed the crowd, ceasing all side conversations. Clare whispered to Riley that he was Declan Proctor, a well-known member of the witch community and leader of the Salem coven. He used magic to slow the aging process down, being almost 200 years old.

"He's always in charge when these meetings are called. He looks harmless but you don't want to be on the wrong side of him"

"You have these meetings a lot, huh?"

"Usually, it's about a small matter. Declan is not going to want to harm you, Riley. He doesn't spill innocent blood, especially not a teenage girl"

"Who are the other two?"

"The older woman is Marie Delacour, head of the French coven. The French coven is the largest in the world. They used to be split into smaller ones but then joined together back in the 1800s. The younger girl is Gemma Rivers, head of the London coven. She just took over for her grandfather last year. The four of them are the Council. If there are problems in the witch community, it's handled by them"

"Good to know"

Proctor was making idle chitchat, talking about less grim matters. The people in the crowd did not look amused. He cleared his throat.

"You know why this meeting was called. We need to discuss the Gilbert girl"

"How are we dealing with her?" asked a woman in a shrill voice.

"Now, now, no need to jump right to violence. We are not barbarians"

"Declan, with all due respect, we are here for one reason. The girl has to be dealt with properly. She killed an entire coven…or have you forgotten my account of that day?" said Alec.

"That incident is still being investigated, Alec. You haven't explained why the girl was anywhere near your coven meeting"

"The hybrid sent her"

"What the f—"

Elijah covered Riley's mouth. She mumbled angrily into his hand, letting out a stream of curses. Alec began to tell a sob story, which was a complete lie. He made it seem like Riley was Klaus's partner in crime and purposely killed the witches in Chicago to serve his own ends. As he spoke, many of the witches looked concerned. He described her as violent, ill-tempered, and a monster.

"I watched her slaughter my fellow members. There was pure pleasure in those eyes. The girl's been a problem since she was young. She should have been brought in years ago but the council decided it was best to wait…a terrible mistake. By letting her live with her parents, who are known to be allied with the hybrid, we allowed her power to grow and we underestimated her. She's still young and yet she has enough power to take down an entire coven with a simple flick of her wrist. What's stopping her from helping the hybrid to get rid of witches completely?"

While some voiced their support for Alec, others remained reluctant. "Why isn't she here?" asked a man with a heavy Southern accent.

Alec chuckled. "Excuse me?"

"Only fair to hear her side of the story, isn't it? We're just supposed to take your word?"

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"There's two sides to every story. How do we know it wasn't self defense? You're not one to talk about her possibly conspiring with the hybrid when one of your own was helping him to figure out how to make more of his kind"

"I suggest you hold your tongue. I was there when she murdered the members of my coven. I speak the truth. She needs to be brought to justice before she causes more damage. Declan suggested that we strip her of her magic for a year…give her time to learn how to properly control it through instruction by the council. The other members and I have another solution"

The two women of the council had very different expressions. Delacour was nodding vigorously, showing that she sided with Alec's views, and Gemma looked like she just saw someone shoot a defenseless puppy. She was staring at the floor, playing with her hands. Riley would not be surprised if Alec blackmailed her support in his decision.

"She must die, my fellow witches. We cannot take the risk that she will come after us, one by one. It cannot be coincidence that the hybrid lives in the same town as her. They remain allies to this day. The girl is clever. She has put a powerful barrier spell around the town. If we attempt to cross it, we will die…but we cannot leave the task to a normal person. I propose that one of us take the trip to Mystic Falls to do what needs to be done. It is quite dangerous so I will volunteer myself for the job"

"Of course he will. Manipulative bastard" muttered her father.

"You must agree that her death is the only way to ensure our continued survival"

"But how will you get past the barrier?" asked a girl, Riley's age.

"With a little help from a powerful witch. I've been in contact with the hybrid's mother, the Original witch herself. The rumors are true. She has recently returned to the physical world and she agrees that the girl is an abomination. She has shown me the location of the perfect weapon against the girl"

He opened a metal box. Reaching into the box, he pulled out a sharp blade made of a curved bone with a golden handle. Riley noticed the frightened expressions on Clare and her friends' faces. Other witches in the crowd looked similar to them, covering their mouths and whispering in hushed voices.

"What the hell is that?" said Riley.

"Oh dear"

"Clare, what is it?"

"He can't be serious. He's gone mad"

Elijah's grip tightened on her waist. He looked just as disturbed as the witches. She poked his chest.

"Don't go all quiet on me too. What is that?"

"Riley, it is very dark magic. I've only seen it used once and it was used for a terrible purpose"

"It's just a knife made out of bone. What's so scary about it?"

Alec explained that the blade was used for sacrificial magic. With each death caused by the blade, its power increased, absorbing the strength of a supernatural creature. If witches were sacrificed, their magic would all be combined into the single blade. The blade, with enough power, would be able to cut through Riley's barrier spell around Mystic Falls. He planned to sneak into the town and stab Riley with it, causing her unimaginable pain. Once she was weakened, he would be able to kill her. Objections voiced by the witches, including Proctor, were ignored by Alec. He had a manic gleam in his eyes as he told the witches to give themselves for this noble cause. Riley was forced out of the room by Elijah. He did not speak until they were outside the warehouse. Her father and Clare joined them.

"He's a complete psychopath, Clare. You didn't tell me that he was that insane"

"Brendon, I didn't think he'd go to that extreme. I thought he'd propose luring her out of Mystic Falls and then attack her. I was prepared for that…not his crazy plan. That's why he invited those covens"

"What do you mean?" asked Riley.

"He sent those letters to covens with very powerful witches. Many of them contain extremists like him. I'm sure he bribed Gemma to go along with the plan. She's not as strong-willed as her grandfather. Marie's been his lapdog for years so it's not a surprise that she would agree to using that blade"

"That's why he had such an impassioned speech. He was hoping for their sympathies so they would aid his cause. Many of them seemed willing to sacrifice themselves" said Elijah.

"That blade is powerful with just a few hundred vampires. If it takes in the power of those witches, he could slice through that barrier like butter. I know what he's going to do, Brendon. Alec is obsessed with power. He'll weaken Riley with that blade, steal her magic, then kill her. The council will wonder where the power went…I bet he'll promise to spread it among the remaining witches and then pin the stolen power on some idiot"

"Okay, I know that we're all freaking out at the moment but what's the plan? There has to be a way to get rid of the blade" said Riley.

Clare pulled her aside. She seemed far more preoccupied than at the start of the meeting.

"Listen to me, Riley. This isn't a laughing matter. Alec is serious about stealing your magic. Those witches in there…many of them are brainless sheep. They listen to his every word because he's got looks and power. I'll return to the meeting to see how many he sacrifices with the blade. It will give me some idea of just how much power it contains and I can warn you. You need to be prepared"

"Prepared for what?"

"I'll try to warn you when he plans to head to Mystic Falls but knowing Alec, he'll keep all the details to himself. You need to be prepared at any moment. Right now, you need to return home before one of his little minions spots you in the city. I'll research ways to negate the blade's power but it may be impossible. Just promise me one thing. You will not kill anyone…not even Alec"

"If it's self defense"

"No. What happened to the Chicago coven was out of your control. They brought it on themselves by frightening you when you had a weak grasp of your magic. No matter what, you won't give into the darkness. You need to hold onto your light. Dabbling in dark magic has terrible consequences"

"I get it. I promise not to kill anyone"

"It won't be like this forever. Once Alec is taken care of, the other witches will see that you are not a bad person"

After checking out of their hotel, they headed back to Mystic Falls. Riley sat quietly in the back seat with Elijah. She started to feel drowsy as it neared midnight.

"Rest. You've had…an eventful day"

"Yea. I just learned that witches all over the world are willing to give up their lives to see me dead. Who knew I was so popular?"

He kissed the side of her head. "We will find a way to deal with these witches. I will protect you with my life, Riley" he whispered.

Managing a weak smile, she rested her head on his shoulder and drifted off to sleep…

A/N: Thanks for reading. Sorry about the long wait between updates. Computer issues, personal matters, and work got in the way of working on this story. The next few chapters are going to focus on Riley preparing for Alec's impending journey to Mystic Falls. She learns the cause of her blackouts and the reason she ended up at the lake. In the next chapter, there will be a shift in her relationship with Rebekah, thanks to Riley's animosity towards Elena and the Salvatore brothers. The next chapter will show Riley manipulating the people around her to further her own agenda and the consequences of Riley stealing some of Esther's magic.