In all honesty, Riley had hoped for a few more days outside of Mystic Falls. She would not have minded some time away from the crazy happenings in the small town. It seemed that every day, a new danger surfaced to threaten any bit of peacefulness. She would rather be hiding out in a hotel in Chicago than having to eventually face her friends, who would want her to work out her issues with Elena. Though they were gone for one day, the insanity did not end and her mother filled them in on what they had missed during their short road trip. Alaric had been arrested for the recent murders, including a medical examiner and Caroline's father, due to testimony from Meredith Fell. Though Alaric himself had been attacked, Meredith believed that the stab wounds were self-inflicted. The only connection between the two deaths was that they were members of the council. Elena and Matt broke into Meredith's house to find evidence of Alaric's innocence. They were able to find files on Alaric's past and an old Gilbert journal. Surprisingly, Meredith had been the one to get Alaric out of jail by giving Liz the corrected death certificate for the medical examiner, providing him with an alibi.
The Gilbert journal showed the truth. It had belonged to Samantha Gilbert, who had committed similar murders in 1912, and she was believed to be insane. Meredith suggested that the Gilbert ring had adverse effects on the wearer with each death. Riley's mother agreed that the supernatural properties of the ring could have caused Alaric to have a vampire-hating alter ego. When he was in this state, he blacked out and had no recollection of commiting the murders. While Elena played junior detective, Damon acted as Stefan's sober coach. Stefan had not drank any human blood since the night he almost drove Elena off of Wickery Bridge. Damon tried to teach him moderation when drinking human blood, with Rebekah's help, but it ended badly. Using a girl in the alley near Mystic Grill as bait, he had Stefan feed from her but Stefan, being a blood alcoholic, struggled to stop himself. Matt and Elena spotted them as Damon healed the girl and, to no one's surprise, Elena was aghast at the sight of blood on Stefan's lips. Riley had to bite back a sarcastic comment about Elena's ignorance of vampires needing blood for survival. After their trip to Chicago and the news that Esther and Finn were still missing, her father told her to maintain some normalcy in her life. He wanted her to focus on school, not evil witches or vampires.
Riley woke up, feeling the cold, wet ground beneath her. She shivered from a passing wind and lifted her head, seeing the lake just inches from her. The last thing she remembered was answering a call from Caroline. While Riley was in Chicago, Caroline helped Bonnie bring her mother back to her house in North Carolina. Caroline wanted her help with her mother's transition to being a vampire and comforting Bonnie. Riley wiped wet leaves off of her hand and groaned at the sight of dirt on her jeans. Waving her hand, she removed the stains from her clothing.
"Damn it" she muttered.
Her phone was filled with voicemails from Caroline, reminding her about her promise to meet them at Abby's house. As she deleted a dozen voicemails, she noticed a video saved a minute before she woke up in the woods. She clicked the video, seeing herself in front of the blood circle. Shadows swirled behind her eyes.
"Hello Riley. I thought that I should make this video to help you understand what's been going on lately. I'm sure you think you're going crazy but trust me, you're not. I guess you could call me your conscience…the little voice inside your head. It was me that helped you when that witch bitch tried to kill you, along with her demented children. Consider me the devil on your shoulder. I've been causing your blackouts so I can become a more corporeal form like this and do what needs to be done to ensure our survival"
Riley watched the video, unsure if she was going insane like Alaric. Her so-called consience, who claimed to be the one that drove her darker impulses, told her that in the beginning, she was able to escape as a spirit. Leaving Riley's body caused the blackouts and the gaps in her memory. It explained why Riley would be listening to her math teacher and then minutes later, she was in the middle of a conversation with one of her friends. As Riley fought against the blackouts and more drastic measures needed to be taken, her darker conscience took control of her entire body, forcing her into the woods to perform certain spells.
"I'm sorry that you've had these blackouts but you've kept me locked up tight for so long. I've managed to surface before…like those incidents when you were younger and what happened in Chicago. That coven had it coming and you know it. There's no reason to feel bad. I hear everything you hear, see everything you see. I'm telling you now that you can't listen to that idiot Clare. She's in her own little bubble. In her mind, being a good little girl will ensure you won't die because of those psycho witches. She would call this dark magic but you should see it as magic used to keep you alive. This blood circle is the only way that you'll survive Alec's plan. You can't destroy that blade but with my help, you'll be safe. I've done most of the work but the final spell is up to you. I've written it on your hand. It's not a bad thing to give into darkness from time to time. It's been inside you since you were born. Embrace it"
As she glanced at the words written on the palm of her hand, she continued to listen to her conscience. She felt a small part of her agreeing with it, especially that Clare's advice sounded useless. Though she did not want to use dark magic, she wondered if the spells were actually dangerous. Her conscience warned her to break the linking spell between the Originals or she would be dead within weeks. It pointed out that she needed to look out for herself instead of others and ensure her own survival. Riley wrote the spell in her phone and washed it off of her hand. Walking around the woods, she thought up a text to send to Caroline to explain her absence.
"Hey Care, I was stuck helping my mom prepare for her lecture on—nope, Caroline wouldn't believe that. Maybe I could try—"
"Riley?"
Damon was standing between two bare trees with a tall, redheaded woman. He stepped towards her, warily.
"You're not going to shove a piece of wood in my chest again, right? If you are, at least give me a five second head start"
"No. I'm—I was just annoyed about falling unconscious. It's not fun"
"Well, we won't be doing that again. Sage, this is Riley. Don't let that innocent face fool you. She's a powerful witch and could probably even kick your ass so be nice to her. Riley, this is Sage, an old friend. We were just catching up"
Riley was surprised to learn that Sage was turned by Finn and they used to be lovers. She could not imagine Finn, with his uptight nature, dating any girl. His siblings, mainly Klaus and Rebekah, detested her and treated her like dirt. Despite being without Finn for centuries, she never stopped loving him. Damon met her when he returned to Mystic Falls in 1912 and she became a large influence on his life. He wanted to use Sage to figure out why Rebekah was interested in his family's history.
"Do you want to help, shorty? Promise I won't let Barbie Klaus feed on you"
"I was supposed to meet up with Bonnie and Caroline but your day sounds more fun. I'll head over to your place"
"Why are you out here alone?"
"I'm not. Jayden's down by the lake. We were working on a science project. See you later. Nice meeting you, Sage"
"You too"
Waving goodbye, she headed back to the lake. The blood circle remained intact, filled with more symbols than the last time. She called Caroline, apologizing for not returning her messages because Damon roped her into helping him with a problem. Caroline warned her not to get involved with any of his schemes. Riley promised not to get drunk around him or end up in his bed. Standing in the middle of the blood circle, she recited the spell on her phone. She tensed up as giant flames replaced the blood. The flames touched her boots but she felt no pain. Remembering the instructions from her conscience, she recited the spell seven times. The flames rose higher, surrounding her body. She was taken aback by one of the flames entering her mouth. Coughing violently, she clutched her chest. The flames vanished in an instant. She checked her face in the reflection of her phone, not seeing a single burn. The sound of her ringtone made her jump and almost trip over a small rock.
"Hey Elijah. I was just about call you. Are you at your house?"
"I'm in Chicago, Riley"
She giggled. "That better be the start to a really funny joke"
"I'm afraid not. I decided to head back there on my own…to get a better idea of Alec's plans. Clare and I have been tracking his men all day"
"Any luck?"
"All we know is that he sacrified at least three hundred witches after we left the meeting. He's been asking for more support but they are reluctant. Some outright refused to participate while others are requesting time to think it over before they decide to hand over their lives. I don't want you to worry"
"Well, too late for that. Your mother isn't in Mystic Falls. What if she comes after you?"
"I can handle her. She will not attack me. Niklaus is keeping an eye out for her. If she was anywhere near me, he would know it. How are you feeling? Have you experienced any blackouts?"
"Nope. I was just about to head over to a party. Promise me that you'll be careful"
"Of course. I'll be back in Mystic Falls soon. Stay safe"
Riley hung up her phone and placed it in her coat pocket. She felt uncomfortable about lying to Elijah but did not want to give him any more excuses to worry about her well-being. Half an hour later, she arrived at the boardinghouse. Damon was placing liquor battles on a table while Sage fed from the wrist of a man playing the piano. Riley heard him mention that Finn fled town. She rolled her eyes when Sage refused to believe that he left her.
"This is a boring party"
"We're just waiting on our last guest. I'm glad you didn't bring Mr. Fancy Pants"
"Mr. Who?" asked Sage, drinking a glass of scotch.
"You're not the only one who bagged an Original. She and Elijah are a cute little couple, traipsing through the daisies with hearts in their eyes"
Riley pushed his shoulder. "As if I would ever do that. He's out of town"
"Where did you two run off to, by the way? You missed the fun of angsty Stefan. Your mother said that you were getting some time away after Esther almost killed you but I don't believe that"
"I'm getting some rum. Tell me when you know who shows up"
She walked into the kitchen and opened the liquor cabinet. As she grabbed a couple bottles of rum, Damon stopped her. He knew that she was hiding a huge secret. Most of her friends had noticed her strange behavior, including how she seemed to space out at random moments. Before leaving for North Carolina with Bonnie, Caroline spotted Jayden entering the town library. She had never seen him near that building and followed him. He had been searching for books on witchcraft. After some prodding, Riley confessed to him about her blackouts, the incident in Chicago, and the group of witches intending to kill her.
"Only my parents, Elijah, Jayden, and Bonnie know. My dad thinks I should be locked up in the house"
"Is that such a bad idea?"
"Shut up, Damon. I'm not worried"
"Then you're an idiot"
"This is why I don't tell anyone about my own problems. You can barely handle Elena's weekly problems and no offense but it's not like you can help me. Elijah is in Chicago with one of my parents' witch friends"
"At least tell me you have a plan for protecting yourself in case this crazy warlock shows up before Elijah is back here"
"Of course I have a—well, Plan A is to avoid him and if that fails, Plan B is to knock him out, tie him up, and…"
"And let me rip off his head? Good plan"
"No. Clare doesn't want me to kill him"
"I would do the killing, not you. It's a win-win. If this guy has some powerful knife fueled by hundreds of witches, you need a better plan"
Their conversation was interrupted by Rebekah. Returning to the living room, they found her by the doorway, holding a liquor bottle.
"This is depressing. What happened to the party?"
Sage grabbed the bottle. "It just arrived"
Rebekah turned out to be a buzzkill during the party. She simply sat by the piano, pouting as Riley, Sage, and Damon drank liquor and danced around the room. After about five shots, Riley secretly replaced her liquor with water. Rebekah looked envious as Damon danced close to Riley, holding her waist. He walked over to her, stopping her from feeding on the compelled man. Dancing on the couch, pretending to drink from a bottle of rum, she watched him easily seduce Rebekah. Sage smirked at her, lying down on the couch. He kissed Rebekah and brought her up to his room.
"Won't take long before I can get inside her head" said Sage.
"Not sure there's a lot to get through"
"You're probably right"
"I'm part of that special club too. The one reserved for people that Rebekah just hates for no reason. Well, she think she has a reason but she's delusional. She thinks I'm toying with Klaus too"
"Ugh, don't even entertain that idea"
"Never wanted to and never will. You really like Finn, don't you?" she asked, sitting next to Sage.
"He's my one true love"
As Sage told her about her past with Finn, Riley's vision started to get blurry. She blinked a few times, finding herself in an abandoned apartment. Blood dripped from her nose. She wiped it away with a handkerchief. A laptop was in front of her, showing Alec and the two women on the council, Marie Delacour and Gemma Rivers. They seemed to be in an expensive hotel room. A menu on a nearby table read Hilton Chicago in large golden letters.
"You were right that this would be the perfect weapon. We'll be able to convince more witches to sacrifice themselves for the cause. Proctor is furious about the plan but three against one…he won't convince us to back down now"
"Good. Once the girl is out of the way, it will be much easier for me to deal with my children" she replied in Esther's voice.
Riley realized that she was in Esther's head. She listened to their conversation about the bone blade. Gemma worried that it was wrong to kill her. Esther explained to them that Riley was an abomination among witches. To allow her to have so much power would be a sin against the witch community. Once they killed her, she assured Gemma that her power would be spread throughout all of the witches. The malicious gleam in Alec's eyes told a different story.
"What if witches warn her about our plan?" asked Delacour.
"It's no matter. I will have a backup in case Alec fails in his task. I simply need time to recuperate. After the spirits fled, my magic is weakened. My son found us somewhere safe to hide from my other children. Have no worries, my dear. With the Gilbert girl dead, it will be much easier to dispose of my own children and witches will no longer need to fear vampires"
Delacour and Rivers disappeared from the screen to answer a knock at the door. Alec lowered his voice, placing the blade on a table. She could hear the two women greeting the visitor.
"I'm curious of how you plan to handle her if I can't do the job" said Alec.
"I need to find the right person. You remember your instructions?"
"Yes. I suspect that is Proctor at the door. Once I get them drunk enough, I will use the blade to take their magic. I can easily blame their deaths on some fool. Many witches aren't happy with the council and their decision to kill a young witch. Our deal stands, Esther?"
"Of course. As soon as you incapacitate her with the blade, we split her magic between us. I always keep my promises"
"I should get going. I've got quite a night ahead of me"
Riley left Esther's mind, being brought back to the boardinghouse. She could barely comprehend what had happened to her. The experience was similar to her blackouts where she lost track of time. Sage was smiling at her.
"You really like him"
"Wh—Elijah?"
"I can see it just by how you talk about him. He's one of the good guys…like Finn. I'm going to check on our blonde guest upstairs. I'm sure she's asleep by now"
As Sage walked up the staircase, Riley called Elijah. She hoped that he would answer, needing to tell someone about the conversation between Alec and Esther.
"Riley? Is everything all right?"
"No. You need to go to the Hilton hotel right now"
"The Hilton?"
"Alec is in a room with the other council members. He's planning on killing them with that blade to give it more power"
"How do you know this?"
"I kind of heard him telling your mother over a computer. I was inside her head. Before you ask how, I don't know but it might be a side effect of taking her magic. It was like I was her. I don't know where she is but I know that he's at the Hilton. You need to stop him before he kills the rest of the council"
"I will try my best. It's fortunate that you saw this conversation. If he absorbs their magic, that blade will be nearly unstoppable"
Riley tapped her foot on the floor impatiently, waiting for Elijah to call her with good news. If he did not save the other council members, she doubted that any spell would protect her against the bone blade. She tried to maintain a calm appearance as Damon and Sage walked down to the living room. He led her over to the library.
"Is there a reason you're just wearing a towel?"
"Sage and I took a little shower so she could tell me what she found out without Barbie Klaus hearing us"
He gave her a cheeky smile. "Like what you see?"
"Down, boy. What did Rebekah want?"
Through Sage, he witnessed a conversation between Rebekah and Mrs. Lockwood. When Rebekah had been tasked with guarding Elena in the underground caves, she found the cave near the Lockwood cellar, the one covered in runes. She noticed a marking that referred to a second White Oak tree that replaced the tree burned by the Originals shortly after being turned into vampires. Rebekah questioned Mrs. Lockwood about milling ledgers for the town. According to Damon, his family made their wealth by selling lumber. The library contained the ledgers, which was why Rebekah had been asking about the Salvatore family history. He sent Sage to keep Rebekah distracted in his room. Riley helped him search through the many books.
"So if we find out where the wood went, you could use it to kill Klaus"
"Riley, we'll figure out a way to do it without hurting you. If you just go unconscious when they're daggered, maybe you feel a little pain in your chest if they die…"
"Let's hope" she said, flipping through a book for 1864.
He opened his fifth book and chuckled. "You have to be kidding me"
She glanced over his shoulder. At the bottom of the page, there was mention of a White Oak tree being used for Wickery Bridge. He burned the book in the fireplace. A few minutes later, Sage returned, telling them that Rebekah left the boardinghouse. When she learned that the wood from the bridge could be used to permanently kill an Original, Riley could practically see the gears turning in her head. Damon promised that he would not harm Finn.
"Give me a minute to get dressed and we'll head over to the bridge"
Riley waited for him to leave the room. She poked at the burned remains of the milling ledger with a fire iron.
"Do you really trust Damon?"
Sage looked at her, curiously. "Shouldn't I?"
"Aren't you wondering why he's so eager to kill Rebekah? The Originals are linked through a spell, Sage. Their mother did the spell with my cousin's doppelganger blood. If one dies, they all die"
"Finn would die" she said, shocked.
"Glad you understand what linked means"
"No. He wouldn't—he promised me that he wouldn't hurt Finn"
"And he lied straight to your face. Not being a good friend, is he?"
"Why are you telling me this? Isn't he your friend?"
"Usually, yes…but I'm linked to the Originals too. It's a long, boring story. Short version? Mama Original hates me and wants me dead. If her kids die, I go with them and I'm not ready to die yet. They've lived for centuries but I haven't even made it to college. If someone was to tell Rebekah about the bridge, he'd lose his chance at killing any of the Originals. I would tell her myself but I don't think she'd believe me"
Sage vanished from the living room. "Sage, wait. Don't go" pleaded Riley, halfheartedly.
Hearing Damon leave his bedroom, she shouted Sage's name, begging her to not leave the boardinghouse. She ran her hand through her hair and bit her lip nervously. He hurried into the living room.
"What happened?"
"I think she knew that something was up and as she left, I heard her mention Rebekah. I tried to stop her but she was already gone by the time I reached the door. What do we do?"
"Damn it. Come on"
Riley followed him to his car, a slight smirk on her face. Driving down the street, he sped towards the bridge, nearly hitting cars in their path. When they reached the bridge, they discovered that it was on fire and Rebekah stood by the blaze, looking pleased. Damon stepped out of his car, slamming the door shut. Riley feigned anger, shooting a nasty glare at Rebekah.
"Your grand plans always seem to get ruined, don't they? Sorry to disappoint you"
Rebekah disappeared from the bridge. Turning around, they saw Sage next to the car.
"It was you. You told Rebekah about the bridge" said Riley, clenching her fists.
"You set us up" said Damon.
She watched the confrontation between Damon and Sage. He pinned her against the car, squeezing her throat. Riley attempted to separate them. Sage gained the upper hand, throwing him onto the hood of the car. Damon spitefully told her about Finn's willingness to sacrifice himself to kill the rest of his siblings.
"He doesn't love you, Sage. Now when I do find a way to kill those Originals, I'll start with Finn"
Riley conjured a ball of fire. "Just stay away from us, Sage. You've caused enough problems"
As she passed her, she slipped Sage a very subtle wink. Damon drove her back to her house, muttering curses under his breath during the entire ride. She assured him that they would find another weapon to kill Klaus.
"We'll get through this, Damon. One problem at a time"
"There's not enough alcohol in the world to deal with all these problems"
Riley hugged him. "It's just a setback" she said, her hand brushing against the back of his neck.
Entering her house, she found a note from her mother. Her parents were at a council meeting at the Lockwood mansion. As she finished cooking a bowl of macaroni and cheese in the microwave, she heard a knock at the door. She opened the door, seeing Rebekah on the porch.
"I was expecting a visit from an Original but this one is taller with brown hair and a nice suit"
"Believe me. I did not think I'd be visiting you at all tonight. When Sage warned me about the bridge, she mentioned that you told her the truth"
"We happen to have a common interest. I don't want to die. You don't want to die. If they got their hands on a White Oak stake, that would be trouble for both of us since clearly, they don't mind hurting me to get rid of you and your brothers"
"Damon has no idea that you betrayed him, does he?"
"Of course not. I played my part well. I have no intention of dying, especially at the hands of two lovesick vampires who think my cousin is a precious little snowflake whose lady parts spew sunshine and rainbows"
"I think this is the beginning of a very good friendship, Riley"
"I knew we'd get along eventually"
The next day, Caroline and Bonnie were back in Mystic Falls. Bonnie's mother vanished the previous night, not wanting to ruin her life. Riley was suspicious that none of her friends texted her, wanting to meet for lunch or forcing her to make amends with Elena. Instead of worrying about their lack of messages, she focused on the party that night at Cameron and Alison's house. Their parents left for a business trip and they decided to throw an early Halloween party since the actual holiday happened on a school day. Alison, thankfully, had been adjusting well at school. There were no signs of accidents or students being found dead with holes in their necks.
Riley was sitting in the living room with her mother, listening to her prepare a lecture for her archaeology class. She received a text from Elijah. He, Clare, and four other witches managed to save the council members. They created a diversion outside the hotel and managed to warn Proctor, Delacour, and Rivers about Alec's intention to kill them with the bone blade. The council members fled from the city to avoid being attacked by Alec or his followers.
"Does this sound too boring?"
"Not at all, Mom"
Her phone vibrated on the couch. "It's your father. I'll be right back. Look through these papers to see which article I should talk about with the class"
Answering the call, her mother left the living room. Riley heard a knock at the door. Peeking through the blinds, she saw Klaus. She opened the door quietly.
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, I thought we could spend the day together before that party"
"How did you know about—don't answer that. I'm just going to assume you stalk me, Klaus. I'm busy"
"I found Finn. I want to reverse the linking spell and who better to help me than a powerful witch like yourself? It will be far more exciting than listening to your mother's lectures and pretending that they're interesting. I could see you almost dozing off from out here"
"Fine. I'll come with you but I'll need Bonnie's help with the spell"
"Oh, I doubt that"
"Consider her my insurance policy that you'll keep your hands off me"
Her mother was leaving the kitchen. Riley pushed Klaus outside and shut the door. She lied to her mother that Jayden wanted to see a movie before heading over to the Halloween party. Shutting the door behind her, she bumped into Klaus's chest.
"You need to learn about personal space" she whispered.
He smirked. "Rebekah and I will retrieve Finn. I need you to bring Sage to the house. She'll be useful in persuading my naïve brother. She's staying in the same building as Alaric"
It did not take long for Riley to find Sage. She was residing in the only empty apartment. Telling her about Klaus's plan to unlink the Originals and bring Finn back to Mystic Falls, she convinced her to join her at the Mikaelson mansion. Bonnie was already there, standing by the staircase. She looked hesitant to perform the unlinking spell.
"Bonnie, if they're not unlinked, I could die with them"
"But Rebekah burned the bridge. There's no more White Oak"
"I'm not so sure. Last night, I was able to get in Damon's head for a few seconds. He was hiding something. He's always got a trick up his sleeve. I can't risk that he found another way and they're planning to kill one of them"
"They know that it would hurt you too, Riley"
"Yea, it could just hurt me for a little. Maybe if the Originals die, I'll end up in a coma for a few months and then wake up…but I'm not willing to take that risk. Besides, I don't want Elijah to die. He's—I just—please help me"
"You really think they're planning something?"
"It's possible. By now, Caroline would be texting me for pictures of my Halloween costume and joking that Elijah might have to kill a few idiots because it's too revealing. My phone has been quiet all day. They know how close I am to Elijah and I'm sure they want to keep me in the dark about any plans to get rid of him and his siblings. I feel like you're the only person I can trust"
"I don't want to risk your life either. I'll try to help with the spell. It should be easier with the two of us"
Sitting in the living room, they searched one of Riley's grimoires for the unlinking spell. Bonnie noted that it was a complicated spell and would require intense concentration. A couple hours later, Klaus entered the living room. He allowed Finn and Sage to reconnect around the town and Rebekah had her own personal business.
"I don't hear any chanting. Is there a problem? I should warn you, Bonnie. If you try to send for help, I'll kill anyone that comes here"
"This is the right spell but it's not easy"
"Surely two witches can manage it"
As he bent over her armchair, Riley could feel his breath on the back of her neck. He squeezed her shoulder gently.
"Have a little more faith. I have no doubt that you can handle it. Perhaps you should remember that Riley will suffer the same consequences. If you believe that she would not die along with me and my siblings, you're very mistaken. You don't want to see her dead"
When Bonnie was still reluctant, Klaus called Kol on his phone and asked him about a special friend. Riley's eyes widened as he showed them a streaming video of Jeremy with a dog. She knew that Kol had left Mystic Falls after his mother's failed ritual. Klaus never mentioned that Kol was in Colorado, the same place as Jeremy. Her nails dug into the edge of her armchair.
"I'll let you two get everything prepared"
He kissed Riley on the top of her head and left the room. Bonnie crossed her arms.
"Riley, he's threatening to hurt Jeremy"
"I saw that. All the more reason to do the spell. Klaus is right. Esther wants me dead and linking the Originals would accomplish that. We're unlinking them. If you don't want to help, that's fine. You can leave and I'll do it myself"
"And risk that you might kill yourself by just attempting the spell? No way"
Riley set up candles in a circle on a table and lit them with a quick flick of her wrist. She grabbed a glass goblet from the kitchen as Bonnie read through the spell in the grimoire. Klaus returned with a small case. Unzipping it, he revealed four vials. Each vial contained blood from an Original. He bit into his hand and let his blood drip into the goblet. Riley and Bonnie poured the vials into the goblet, beginning to the recite the spell. Bonnie poured the blood onto the table. As they continued the spell, the blood slowly separated in five directions. The flames in the fireplace and from the candles rose very high. Suddenly, Riley felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Klaus wrapped his arms around her from behind, keeping her steady. Blood seeped through her shirt. Lifting the shirt, she noticed a small gash, the size of a stake.
"You're all right, sweetheart. I've got you" he whispered in her ear.
The blood fully separated into five blobs. "It's done" said Bonnie.
Klaus led them towards the door. Passing by the nearest room, they saw Damon chained to the ceiling and badly wounded. He could barely open his eyes. Riley assumed that this was Rebekah's personal business. While they had been casting the unlinking spell, she was torturing Damon. Klaus offered for them to free him, reminding Bonnie that Damon had turned her mother into a vampire. Rebekah left the room, wiping blood off her hands with a rag.
"Thank you, Bonnie, Riley. See you in physics class"
Rebekah headed down the hallway. Bonnie looked at Riley, very distraught.
"You go ahead, Bon. I'll meet you at the party"
With a small nod, she left the house. "Do you want me to heal you, love? It could've been much worse"
Riley flicked her wrist. Klaus was thrown against the wall, restrained by a spell. She dragged a chair over and stood on it to be at eye level with him. Summoning a knife from the kitchen, she held it to his throat. He struggled against the invisible force on his body.
"I don't like when people threaten my family. Why is Kol in Colorado?"
"He's simply spending time with Jeremy. He's not going to hurt him"
She slid the knife along his neck. He groaned in pain.
"You weren't affected by that" he said, confused.
"Aren't you observant? I used this opportunity to remove the linking spell between me, you, Elijah, and Rebekah. My ancestor used the same spell so it was an added bonus. Now I won't feel your pain but as a precaution, I kept your connection to me. Everything that happens to me, you'll feel it. So if I decide to shove this knife into my stomach, you'll feel every bit of that pain. I want you to remember that the next time you try to threaten Jeremy. If Kol lays a hand on him, I'll—"
"Will you kill me? It's not possible, love"
Riley gripped his chin. Using magic, she forced his fangs to emerge and leaned closer to him. Their noses were lightly touching and she tapped his fangs with her finger.
"I'll rip out your fangs and wear them as earrings. You can spend the rest of eternity drinking blood from a sippy cup. I'll cut off that little worm between your legs"
"It's far from little"
She giggled. "Maybe, maybe not. You might be a powerful hybrid but I can still make you suffer"
"You act as if that's a punishment" he said in a flirting tone.
"There must be a reason why all those witches want me dead. Don't be the first to find out why that is, Klaus"
Stepping down from the chair, she reversed the spell. Klaus fell face-first onto the floor. She walked into the room where Damon was still bleeding from his many wounds. Hoarsely, he asked for her help. She cupped his face in her hands.
"You want me to help you?"
"We're friends. Convince Klaus to let me go"
"Are we friends? I mean, you were willing to put me in a coma to put down Klaus"
"Riley—"
"It's the truth. That's not what friends do, Damon. Let's call this getting even"
Riley used a compulsion spell on him to force him to tell the truth. She questioned him about the attack on Finn. He admitted that Elena and the others likely attempted to kill Finn that night. The original plan was to target Rebekah.
"There is no White Oak. I told Sage so she'd blab to Rebekah about what the wood on the bridge. Where did you find more?"
"The sign for the bridge"
"And you made stakes with it"
He looked up at her, blood dripping from his lip. "You told her that the Originals were linked last night. You played me the entire time"
"Of course I did, Damon. Did you seriously think I'd let you kill Elijah? I don't mind Kol and Klaus is pretty much my friend despite our ups and downs. I care about three of them…well let's say three and a half since Rebekah and I are like frenemies. I was linked to them. Some friend you are…letting me die to achieve your stupid scheme. Your plan failed. Bonnie and I undid the linking spell. While you're all busy protecting Saint Elena, I'm looking out for myself"
"Maybe Gloria was right about you. You are the devil in a mini skirt"
Her eyes narrowed. Damon screamed as she made his body rot from the inside. She reached into his chest, feeling his heart. Someone lifted her up from behind, forcing her out of the room. They stopped in the living room, next to the fireplace. Klaus was holding onto her.
"He's baiting you, love. Don't let his petty words get to you. Elijah wouldn't like it if you killed him…even if he deserved it"
Tears brimmed her eyes. Damon's words sunk in as she realized that her supposed friends planned to kill an Original that night, despite being aware of her link to all five siblings. They had no idea what effect the White Oak stake would have on her but were willing to risk her life. Stefan was obsessed with getting rid of Klaus but she could not understand how her closest friends, people she knew since she was born, went along with the plan.
"They were going to let me die" she whispered.
"What did he say to you?"
"They didn't care. I could've—"
"Klaus! I'm here!" she heard Stefan say outside the room.
"Stay here while I deal with him. It shouldn't take long"
Riley could hear most of their conversation. He told Klaus and Rebekah that Finn was dead and offered the remaining stakes in exchange for Damon's freedom. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Caroline was sending her multiple texts, all marked urgent. Angrily, she chucked her phone against the wall. The next text she received was from Jayden. He reminded her about the party. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she climbed out of a window and walked over to Alison's house. She grabbed a beer bottle and moved through the raucous crowd, searching for Jayden. Someone bumped into her. To her frustration, it was Cameron.
"Hey Ri. Want to dance?"
"Get out of my way. Where's Jayden?"
"I'm much better company"
"I said leave me alone"
"Your eyes are all red. Were you crying?"
"No. Screw off, Cam"
She shoved him aside roughly and walked into the backyard. Sitting on a wooden bench, she sipped from the beer bottle. Whenever it was empty, she refilled the bottle with magic. She noticed two shadowy figures by the woods.
"Leave me alone, Alison. I'm trying to call Riley"
"Who cares about her?"
"I do. She should've been here by now"
"Forget her"
"You can't compel me so stop trying and leave me alone. Get off me!"
Riley walked towards the two figures. Alison had Jayden pressed against a tree and was feeding off of him. He was not strong enough to stop her. She broke his wrist to remove his vervain bracelet and he began to slump, getting weaker by the second. Riley pushed her hand forward. Alison cried out in pain, holding the sides of her head. Jayden fell to the ground, breathing heavily. As Alison lunged at her, Riley waved her hand in a circular motion. Alison's body bent backwards, almost snapping in half.
"Stop it!"
"Get out of here, Montgomery!"
"Y—you can't tell me what to do"
"Get out or I'll rip out your heart and throw it across the yard! If I ever see you here again, I'll kill you myself!"
"I'm not scared of you, Gilbert!"
"Then you're even dumber than I thought. You have three seconds to get out of here. If I count to three, you're dead. I'll compel your family to think that you're living with another relative because of bad behavior. I'm sure everyone will believe that. Don't ever come back to Mystic Falls"
"Jayden, tell her to shut up. Tell her that I can—"
He stood up weakly, holding his wrist. "Just leave, Alison. If you stay, someone is going to kill you. You have no control. It's only a matter of time before the council finds out the truth and they won't care that you're the daughter of a founding family. You don't get any more chances. You're better off outside of here"
"This isn't over!"
Alison vanished from the yard. Riley rushed over to Jayden and healed his injuries. He popped the collar of his shirt to hide the bite marks on his neck.
"I really thought she was going to be okay"
"She was…just not around you"
"Where were you? You didn't answer any of my texts"
"Remember how I told you that the Originals are linked through a spell and it meant that I was linked too? I unlinked them. Finn's dead"
"One of the Originals? How?"
"I'm not sure who did it but they didn't know that I was unlinking them, Jay. They were planning on killing Finn even if it meant that I…"
"They wouldn't do that. I know you and Elena are fighting but she wouldn't—maybe Bonnie figured out that killing an Original would only hurt you a little bit"
"You know that's not true. They didn't even warn me"
Jayden put his arm around her shoulders. "Forget them. Let's ditch this lame party and go back to my house. From now on, we're swearing off all supernatural things. We are just two normal teenagers. Instead of facing off against evil witches and vampires, we're trying to survive calculus, chemistry, and boring school dances"
At that moment, only Jayden could make her laugh. She followed him to his car and they headed to his house for a sleepover like when they were children…
A/N: Thanks for reading. The next chapter is going to end the arc for season 3 episodes, including the twenties dance and Alaric trying to kill the Originals. At first, Riley will keep her pact with Jayden and want to avoid all things involving the supernatural. As Riley shuns the Mystic Falls gang, Elena refuses to lose Riley's friendship and gives a surprising reason for the attack on Finn, despite Riley being linked to the Originals at the time. There will be some unexpected twists and a very intense ending that will alter the rest of the story.