The Scars Remain

by DragonFlame91

"Death was not the end for her, just another adventure". Riley Gilbert is the cousin of Elena and Jeremy who left Mystic Falls years ago and always knew about the supernatural world. After a near-death encounter with a vampire, she returns and finds out that her family has kept many secrets from her, including the reason why vampires are dangerously attracted to her blood.

30. Promises

~Klaus~

In the aftermath of the drawing room incident, the tension in the plantation house was like sitting on a powder keg. No one was sure who would explode first: Riley, who had enough pent-up anger to last an eternity, or Klaus, who could not bring himself to apologize for his aggressive actions. If it was possible, Riley's anger towards Klaus had grown, to the point that a mere curl of her lip or a gleam in her eyes showed her contempt. She refused to spend so much as a second in the same room as him. Whether that was due to her disdain or out of fear that he may put his hands on her again, he was unsure but the hours spent locked in her room sent a clear message. Klaus could barely concentrate on his plans to overthrow Marcel and wrestle control of the young witch Davina for himself.

He was pacing in front of her door, wringing his hands. His shoes were imprinted into the carpet from constantly moving back and forth. He waited to hear any sign of her getting out of her bed, in hopes that he could speak with her privately. After what had transpired in the drawing room, he immediately regretted his actions. A thousand years of being set in his ways made it difficult for him to admit that he was wrong. His ears perked up at the sound of her sliding the closet open.

"Have you sunk this low, brother?" he heard.

His nostrils flared at the sight of Kol leaning against the staircase railing. The tension between him and Riley was perfect ammunition for his younger brother. Kol seized any opportunity to remind him that she despised him and likely imagined him burning in a pit of fire. It took less than a minute for him to tattle to Rebekah about the incident, though she had an inkling when Riley slammed her bedroom door. Rebekah was like a chattering bird in his ear, admonishing his actions and calling him a brainless wanker.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Well, you told me that I couldn't leave the house because the mere sight of me would send Marcel into a panic about your true intentions in New Orleans. Besides, it is far more entertaining to watch you fail over and over again at gaining our little witch's forgiveness. What do you think it was that solidified her hatred, Nik? Was it you insinuating that she knew you were speaking to her instead of Elijah or your hands up her dress?"

Klaus's fists clenched. "If you'd still like to have your teeth, you'll get out of my sight"

"I want to watch the show up here. What half-assed apology will you give today before you inevitably try to win her heart with your ill-timed flirting?"

Before Klaus could snap his neck, he was interrupted by three knocks on the inside of Riley's door. Kol nodded.

"Understood, darling. Nik, she wants you to go away"

"She knocked on the door"

"Yes, it's our secret code. I am her interpreter after all. A certain number of knocks means something specific. Three means get Klaus away from me. Eight means she's finally given into the idea of having a late night tryst with me"

There were two more knocks on the door. "She just told me to shut up. I think she'll come around soon. I've got a much better chance than you"

Klaus snarled, contemplating the idea of stabbing Kol with a dagger to relieve him of his torment. His phone vibrated in his pocket. There was a message on the screen, reminding him to meet Camille, Marcel's bartender crush, at Rousseau's to discuss her latest date with Marcel. She proved useful in keeping an eye on him though she had no idea that she was working as a spy, thanks to compulsion. He slipped a note under Riley's door and left the plantation house.

As he entered Rousseau's, he spotted Camille wiping down the bar counter. He sat in the chair in front of her.

"Hello Cami. I'd like to discuss Marcel" he said, making direct eye contact for compulsion.

"What am I doing?"

"We'll get to that but first, I thought I could ask you about something else. Seeing as you're the psychology expert—"

"Heh, hardly an expert" she said, wiping a stain on the counter.

"Far more experienced in the subject than me. It also helps that you're a girl. Perhaps you can help me with a little problem involving a friend. We got into a spat after I was a bit too forward with her and now she refuses to speak to me. She won't even be in the same room and if we happen to make eye contact, it's as if she's burning a hole through me"

"Girl troubles?"

"Yes. You see, she is sort of together with my older brother but I suppose I've fallen for her as well"

"Not to take sides but I don't think it's a good idea to go for your brother's girl. I'm sure you can find someone else"

"If you met this girl, you'd understand why that's impossible. She's a light to my darkness…she sees the good in me when everyone else sees me as a monster"

"You can't force her to feel the same way. If she doesn't, you have to respect that and if you can't, it's probably best if you're not friends. I can already tell that you won't accept that so at least try to be genuine with your apology. Show her how much you regret what you did"

Klaus doubted that Riley would be willing to hear any sort of apology. Just when he made some kind of progress, he ruined his chances with her. Riley was not the type of girl to give second chances lightly. She could be quite stubborn and changing her mind would require a miracle. Instead of lamenting about his troubles with Riley, he focused on his latest move against Marcel…

~Riley~

Riley was standing in the kitchen, preparing for her first day of college. The university was having a late start due to a fire on campus that destroyed many of the buildings. If she had a choice in her schedule, she would not have chosen a class that started at eight in the morning. The only upside was that she did not have to deal with Klaus in her sleepy state. She had a whole wheat bagel clenched between her teeth as she prepared for her first day of college. As she crammed her textbooks into her leopard print tote bag, she glanced over at Hayley, who was staring at her laptop. Hayley had not taken her eyes off of the screen for the past week. Riley noticed that she had been acting a bit jittery ever since the night of the charity gala.

"Alright, what's going on with you? I don't have werewolf super senses and I can tell that you reek of anxiety. Did Klaus threaten to rip out your heart as soon as you have the baby?"

"It's not about Klaus. Well…it sort of is but it isn't"

"That clears things up"

"Something happened while you were at Marcel's party"

On the night of the gala, Hayley had run into a wolf in the backyard. Sabine, one of the witches, stopped by the house to watch over her and offered to use an old trick to determine the gender of the baby. She had Hayley lay down on the kitchen island and swung a crystal over her stomach. After telling her that the baby was possibly a girl, Sabine entered a strange trance, her eyes rolling back in her head while she spoke a different language. Though Hayley did not understand the language, it sounded like some kind of omen.

"I've tried translating the parts I can remember but nothing comes up"

"Hayley, you are not having a demon baby. From experience, prophecies made by witches are useless. They sound all ominous and in the end, nothing really happens. That baby is not going to pop out with devil horns and a tail"

"She bolted pretty fast from the house. Sounds serious to me"

"Witches are drama queens. I met this really old one, like 150 years old, in Australia when I was younger. She always used to make these insane prophecies to everyone that she passed by. One day, she told my dad that he would drown"

"I'm guessing he didn't"

"No. Her so-called prophecy predicted that I was going to dump a bucket of water on his head as a joke. If these witches start treating you like you're carrying the spawn of Satan, tell me and I'll deal with them. Have you told Rebekah about what happened?"

Rebekah walked into the kitchen, her laptop tucked under her arm. She grabbed her car keys from a bowl on the counter.

"We're going into the city. Maybe if we drive around a bit, it will jog my memory of where Marcel is keeping Elijah. It's obvious that he doesn't intend to return him even after Klaus saved his life"

"Um hello?" said Riley, waving her bag.

"Why are you showing me your bag?"

"I have my first day of college, Rebekah"

"Oh, that. Why bother even attending college? What more can you learn?"

"I made a deal with my dad so that he'd let me move down here. If I miss one class, back to Mystic Falls. That's probably why Caroline kept calling me last night so that I'd sleep past my alarm"

"And how is he making sure that you don't miss any classes? He can't spy on you from Mystic Falls"

"Apparently, one of my professors is an old friend of his from Whitmore"

A car horn honked from outside. Kol had offered to drive her to the college though he was suspiciously quiet about where he bought the new car, leading them to suspect that it was stolen through compulsion. He was waiting in the driveway, wearing a pair of sunglasses as a disguise. On the way to the college, she received a call from her mother, wishing her a good first day. She could barely keep it together when her mother told her to say hello to Elijah for her. It was getting harder by the day to not tell her friends the truth about Elijah's situation. As far as they knew, they were being a happy couple in New Orleans.

"Thanks for dropping me off. I'll call you when my last class is over and then we can stop somewhere to get me a new car"

"Or I could stay with you"

"What?"

His eyes followed a pair of giggling girls in very short skirts. "It's easy to compel a professor to think I'm part of their class"

"Kol, you can't stay. Driving me for like ten minutes is one thing but—"

"But what? Marcel doesn't take college classes. No one will recognize me. Let me enjoy a day of freedom"

"Fine, but you have to stay with me the entire day. Don't go chasing after some girl for a snack or hooking up in the janitor's closet"

"I'll be on my best behavior"

"Doubtful but even if I told you to leave, you'd follow me anyway"

Riley slung her bag over her shoulder. To her confusion, Kol slipped his arm around her waist as they walked through the courtyard. He chuckled and poked her nose.

"You're hilarious, darling" he said loudly as a group of football players passed by them.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Keeping these pathetic boys from thinking you're available. They're like wolves and you're a tasty piece of meat. Seeing as Rebekah is busy looking at attics, and Klaus can hardly be in the same room as you without trying to rip off your knickers, it's up to me to make sure they stay away until Elijah is back"

"If he comes back" she replied, scrunching her nose at a guy who made an obscene hand gesture.

"He owes a debt to Nik. He'll repay it, willingly or not"

"I still think the witches are up to something. Klaus could have killed Marcel by now but they want to wait. What if they're not being entirely honest?"

"They're witches, Riley. It's in their nature to keep secrets. Your ancestors were very adept at hiding their true intentions. They could sneak things past Klaus and he wouldn't find out until it already happened. Enough talk of witches. What's our first class?"

"Ecology and Evolution"

He grimaced. "Sounds horrid. Why would you choose that?"

Riley explained the terms of her agreement with her parents, allowing her to move to New Orleans. Both of them were very against it, mostly because they believed she only wanted to be closer to Elijah. Her first choice of a major was art but to gain their approval for her decision, she needed to pursue a double major in art and biology, in hopes of going pre-med like her father. Her high AP scores allowed her to skip the usual freshman courses, meaning that all of her classes would be with upperclassmen.

The classroom was covered in posters of various animals and ecosystems. A series of animal skulls were displayed across the desk. Kol picked up a bird skull.

"Having fun?" she heard.

A blonde-haired woman in her late thirties was standing in the doorway. Judging by her business attire, including a pencil skirt, collared blouse, and blazer, she was the professor. Riley smacked Kol's hand and he placed the skull back on the desk.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Paxton. We didn't mean to—"

The woman smiled. "Don't worry. I encourage curiosity in my classroom. No need for the formalities when we're not in class. Your father is one of my dearest friends, Riley. You can call me Amanda"

"Did he uh mention anything else when you two talked?"

"Yes. All of the professors know to call you Mae. Such a terrible ordeal…to witness a crime. I promise that you're safe here. No one will know the truth until the police catch that criminal"

To maintain her fake identity, Riley had her father contact the university. He faked documents that claimed Riley was a witness to a crime back in Mystic Falls and needed to attend college under a different name. In class, she would be referred to as Mae Romero. Dr. Paxton looked at Kol curiously, not recognizing him from the roster.

"I'm sorry. Are you taking this class?"

"Yes, I'm a friend of Riley's, actually. The name's Kol"

"I don't remember a Kol on the list"

He looked deep into her eyes, resorting to compulsion. "Of course I'm on the list. Kol Mikaelson. I'm just sitting in on the class to see if I'd like to enroll here. I'm a last minute addition."

She blinked a few times. "That's wonderful. Mikaelson…you wouldn't be related to the family who helped build the town?"

"Very distantly related. You know your history"

"I've done my research over the years. New Orleans has enough interesting stories to fill a library. Every day, it feels like I learn something new"

A crowd of students walked into the classroom, discussing their summer vacations. While some traveled to different states and countries, others spent most of their break at home. Riley and Kol sat in the very back row of desks. She rolled her eyes at a trio of girls giggling and waving at him. He seemed to be enjoying the attention though she assumed that in his head, he was considering which girl to use as a lunchtime snack.

"Você tem olhos lindos"

Turning to her right, she saw a guy with lightly tanned skin and a mop of dark brown hair. He flashed her a crooked smile. She was taken aback when he lifted her hand, his thumb tracing the lines on her palm.

"Sua beleza é maior do que o sol" he said, speaking in a thick Brazilian accent.

Riley felt strangely drawn to his eyes, the color of espresso. She snapped out of her daze and moved his hand. With an awkward giggle, she brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.

"I bet a lot of girls get all mushy over that accent but even in another language, lame pickup lines don't work on me"

"Ignore him. He flirts with anything that walks on two legs"

Two girls settled into the same row, sitting on the other side of him. The shorter girl, who was a couple inches taller than Riley, placed her expensive leather tote on the back of her chair and dug her perfectly manicured fingers into his shoulder.

"Tony's sole mission in college isn't to graduate with good grades. It's to go back to Brazil and brag to his friends about how American college students will sleep with anything with a hot accent. His usual trick is to pretend he can't speak English so he just says a bunch of stuff in Portuguese that sounds romantic but he's really just saying a bunch of gibberish. I'm Lily, by the way. This Brazilian horndog is Antonio and the girl who always has her nose in a book is Erika"

Erika was the quieter of the two girls. Like Lily, she had a preppy clothing style but not as lavish. In a weird way, Riley was reminded of Caroline, due to their shared blonde hair, but Erika appeared to be more studious. She waved at Riley and Kol, her elbow covered in small purple-yellow bruises.

"I'm Mae. This is Kol. He's just sitting in for today to see if he wants to go here"

"Oh, you're that new freshman who got to skip all the boring beginner classes. Amanda told us about you"

Kol looked at her, confused. "You call your professor by her first name?"

"She doesn't mind. We're best friends with her son Ryan. He's probably running late because he had to talk with Coach Armstrong about tryouts today. Anyway, she mentioned that she knew your dad in college. She's usually tough on the freshman that get into this class but I'm sure she'll go easy on you. Word of advice? Don't raise your hand to answer a question unless you're definitely sure. I've seen her make the football players cry"

Just as Dr. Paxton began to shut the door, another guy hurried into the classroom. He looked very similar to her, both having light blonde hair and pale blue eyes. His clothes were disheveled though his hair was neatly styled with gel. He sat at the end of the row, next to Erika, and shoved his bulky duffel bag under the seat. Riley listened to Ryan tell Erika that if two new players were not found at the soccer tryouts, there would be no team. He was pessimistic about their chances, calling most of the students at the college, in his words, braindead monkeys. Dr. Paxton picked up a paper from her desk and did the roll call. Lily and Antonio raised their hands when she said Antonio Delgado and Lily Oshiro.

"Mae Romero"

When Riley raised her hand, she caught Ryan whipping his head in her direction out of the corner of her eye. He was practically burning a hole through her. After finishing the roll call, Dr. Paxton gave a short introduction of herself. Riley overheard a hushed conversation between Ryan and Erika. He mentioned her name multiple times. Crumpling up a piece of paper into a ball, she chucked it at his head.

"Hey. If you're gossiping about me, say it to my face or are you too chicken?"

"Look at that, the munchkin's got teeth"

Lily sighed. "This is a new record. Less than five minutes to get in a fight"

Riley's nostrils flared at his insult. Unless they were a very close friend, she did not appreciate someone making fun of her short stature. Munchkin had been the most hated nickname since she was in kindergarten. If they were not in a classroom, she would be tying Ryan to the flagpole and giving him a massive wedgie.

"What did you call me?"

"Oh, do you not like that name? How about pipsqueak?"

"Ryan" hissed Erika.

Kol gripped Riley's shoulder, spotting the flash of anger in her eyes. "Call me that again and you'll lose half your teeth"

"I'm guessing this is why my mom has to watch over you. Your mommy and daddy are scared that their precious baby bird can't handle the big city all by herself" he said, putting on a childish tone.

In her anger, she had not felt the sharp sensation digging into her palm. "Well, this baby bird has claws to scratch out those eyes. Keep talking, Zac Efron wannabe"

"If you insist, pipsqueak. How much did daddy have to pay to get you into these classes? It's not like you're actually smart. Maybe you just flirted with your teachers to get those good grades. Do they have a midget fetish?"

"Ryan, enough" said Erika, pinching his arm.

"Miss Williams, Mister Paxton, Miss Romero. Am I interrupting?"

Dr. Paxton was standing in front of her desk, arms crossed. Riley understood what meant by Lily's warning not to get on her bad side. Her usual friendly demeanor was replaced by a harsh expression that could make Klaus quake in fear.

"No, Mom. We were just talking about how excited we are to be in this class" said Ryan, sounding like a prat.

"Lovely. Now pay attention"

Riley glanced down at her hand. Her pen had somehow snapped in half and ink smeared all over her fingers. She wiped the black ink off with a tissue and placed the broken pen in her bag. Dr. Paxton was speaking about the basics of evolution.

"Too bad I can't drop this class" she muttered to Kol.

"Less than an hour and you already made an enemy?"

"He's annoying"

"Because he's like you?"

She scoffed. "Are you kidding me? How are we anything alike, Kol?"

"He's a smartass. If one of your friends had made that 'keep talking' comment, you would've done the same. I agree that he's a bit of a prat but he annoys you more because of those similarities"

"That's ridiculous. If you don't want me to send you back to the house, you won't say that ever again. Be my friend and hate this guy with me"

Dr. Paxton held up a human skull. "Even we are products of evolution. It doesn't just stop. The world around us…the plants, the animals…all evolving in different ways. Whose to say that we ourselves can't evolve further? Even at this very moment, there could be people that have evolved and we just haven't met them yet. People with the strength to lift a truck, who can hear beyond the normal limitations, who have moved past a food-based diet…"

"That sounds like something in a movie, professor" said a girl towards the front.

"Well, I believe that anything is possible. Look at where humans started and where we are now. Whose to say what we consider supernatural and impossible is just a well-hidden secret? Now, before we begin today's lecture, I need you to fill out these index cards with some personal information…name, phone number, email address" explained Dr. Paxton, passing out index cards to the person at the end of each row.

As Riley filled out the answer to each question, including a fun random fact about herself, she noticed a box in the top right corner of the card, Fingerprint written underneath it. She was not the only one curious about the box. When Lily questioned it, Dr. Paxton told the class that it was part of security measures, due to the spike in criminal activity in the area. The college wanted the fingerprints of each student to easily identify them if they were caught committing a crime and lied about their identity. She handed out a fingerprint pad to each row.

"Hey. Are you taking this or what?" asked the guy next to Kol.

Kol was staring at Dr. Paxton, warily. She grabbed the fingerprint pad, blaming Kol's behavior on the lack of an attention span.

"Can you please not feed from my professor on the first day? If you're hungry, pick someone less noticeable"

"Something's not right about her"

"What do you mean?" she asked, pressing her thumb against the pad.

"The things she was saying…it sounded like she was referring to vampires"

"You're being paranoid. It's an evolution class. She's supposed to talk about—ow!"

Riley's thumb stung as it touched the box. She slid the pad over to Antonio, wiping away the ink with her other hand. Kol, acting like a protective older brother, inspected her thumb for any shallow cuts.

"What happened?"

"Probably just static electricity. Relax"

She was unsure if it was mere coincidence when both Antonio and Lily winced after giving their fingerprints. Erika seemed unaffected, throwing the pad in disgust at Ryan when he whispered in her ear. At the end of the class, Lily offered to give her and Kol a quick tour of the college, including the usual hangouts. The rest of her classes before lunch were the typical first day classes, discussing the syllabus and general goals of the course. Kol did not let go of his suspicions of Dr. Paxton. When she was not listening to his conspiracy theories, she got to know more about her new friends. Ryan proved to be more irritating to her with each passing minute. If she still possessed her magic, she would have set him on fire after he, once again, insulted her height. She soon learned that Antonio was all about equal opportunity in terms of flirting with their peers. One second ,he would compliment a girl in their organic chemistry class, sounding even more charming with his accent, and the next, he would watch the admire a group of guys on the cross country team. Erika offered to give her notes from last year's courses, in case she was overwhelmed by the advanced material, while Lily told her about the different social cliques.

After her medieval history class, she met them at the bleachers by the soccer field. Kol had vanished in the crowd, likely searching for a quick snack. Ryan was yelling at potential new recruits for the team, mocking their poor running times. Lily rubbed coverup on her thumb.

"Do you always wear makeup on your fingers?" asked Riley, opening her fruit cup.

"No. There's this gross bruise right in the middle. I noticed it during my british literature class. I don't know where I got it from"

"I could kiss it to make it feel better" said Antonio.

"I don't want your STD-ridden lips on my skin. Who knows where they've been since this morning?"

"Don't pretend that I'm the only one who gets around, megera" he said with a sly wink.

"Can you not scare off Mae? She's barely hanging out with us because Ryan's being a jerk. Really sorry about him, by the way. He'll stop when he runs out of short jokes"

"It's okay. I've heard all of them before"

"He's not a complete jackass"

"I've seen turtles that can run faster! Move!" shouted Ryan, scaring a skinny freshman guy.

Kol sat beside her, looking smug. She followed his gaze to Ryan, who was continuing to berate the freshman. When she questioned Kol's smug expression, he acted clueless.

"Kol, you're not fooling me. What did you do? Please tell me there aren't dead bodies in the janitor's closet"

"I always show excellent restraint, darling. I happened to bump into one of the players before the tryout and we had a little chat about your frenemy"

"About what?"

"I thought you could use some cheering up. You'll thank me later"

"What's Bolton's problem?" she heard Erika say in confusion.

On the field, the players were having a scrimmage. One of the players, a very burly guy with arms the size of tree trunks, slammed into Ryan roughly. The force of his tackle drilled him into the ground. It was as if he was playing football instead of soccer. Despite the coach's warnings, he did not stop attacking Ryan. Kol sniggered under his breath.

"I didn't need you to compel a human bulldozer" she whispered to Kol.

"Admit it. You're enjoying this a little"

She struggled not to smile. "Okay, maybe it's—"

Ryan socked the guy across the face, knocking him unconscious. "Bloody hell. Wasn't expecting that" said Kol as the unconscious guy was carried off the field.

"He's stronger than he looks, huh?" said Riley.

"I'm sure the years of bottled up frustration towards Bolton helped too. Those anger management classes over the summer didn't improve his temper" replied Erika.

Riley's phone vibrated on her lap. There were twenty text messages, and counting, from Caroline. Being her first day at college, Riley passed off the supposedly urgent messages as Caroline's continued attempts to bring her to Whitmore. A chill ran down her spine.

"Look out!"

Without glancing up from her phone, she raised her hands. Something round brushed against her fingers. She was holding the soccer ball.

"Just roll it back, half pint, or would that tire you out? I wouldn't want you to hurt your wittle baby arms" teased Ryan, earning a few snickers from his teammates.

Her stomach was boiling with rage, as though a million wasps were swirling inside. She placed the ball on the ground and kicked it towards Ryan. Her eyes widened when it smacked his chest and knocked him onto his back. She immediately sat down, keeping her eyes on her phone.

"Someone ate their Wheaties today" said Kol.

"I didn't mean to kick it that hard"

"You!"

The coach, a muscular man in his late thirties with some scruff, was waving her towards him. Reluctantly, she left her bag on the bleachers and walked onto the field. Ryan was still sitting on the grass, holding his stomach. If looks could kill, the harsh glare directed at her would be chopping her into small pieces. She braced herself for the coach screaming at her for injuring the team captain.

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Mae Romero…"

"That was some kick. You ever play soccer before?"

"When I was six. I had to stop because I bit this idiot Cameron after he tried to pull down my shorts. His parents made me get kicked off because he needed twelve stitches on his arm"

"Short but scrappy. I like that. How would you like a spot on the team?"

"What?" chorused Riley and Ryan.

"Heh, Coach Armstrong, she's—this isn't a girls' team"

"All about being progressive, Paxton. She's been the most impressive today out of this band of monkeys"

Riley was at a loss for words. Though she played sports when she was younger and was a cheerleader, against her will, she was not an athlete like Jayden. She started to decline the offer until she caught Ryan's enraged expression.

"Sure. It sounds fun"

"Practice starts tomorrow at 5"

Returning to the bleachers, she picked up her bag. "What was that about?" asked Kol.

"The coach wanted me to join the team and I accepted"

"I didn't know you liked soccer"

"It's not my favorite thing in the world but any chance to annoy that prick? I'll gladly take it"

They walked towards the arts building for her course in advanced drawing. Kol was curious about the origins of Lily's bruise on her thumb. For a moment, he thought Antionio had a similar bruise in the same spot. She forced him down in a seat at a table in the back of the room.

"Kol, you're being paranoid"

"I'm never paranoid. They experienced the same thing as us when giving their fingerprint and it wasn't static electricity. My bruise would've healed but let me check your hand"

"There is nothing on my thumb. Stop thinking that my professor is—"

She was interrupted by Ryan joining their table. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be in Erika's drama class"

"I switched to this one. You want to mess with me by joining the soccer team, pipsqueak? I'll do the same to you by ruining something you love"

"You can't be in advanced drawing"

"Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. When your mother's a beloved professor, you can always get what you want. I told her that I felt protective of you…like a little sister. She agreed that when it would be a nice gesture if I'm in other classes with you. College is such a hard adjustment"

"Go to another table"

"I'd listen to her, mate. You don't want me to force you off that chair" said Kol, a thinly veiled threat in his voice.

The professor, a middle-aged man with graying black hair, entered the classroom, carrying a stack of boxes. He introduced himself as Professor Devereaux. She silently groaned when he said that their current seats would be their assigned seats for the rest of the semester. Instead of a boring lecture about the course, he wanted them to introduce themselves through a drawing. Riley had to pull double duty, drawing for both and Kol, who had no artistic talent. One by one, they would discuss the meaning of their drawings in respect to themselves. Though Kol was not an artist, he was an expert at telling a convincing lie. His drawing was of himself looking slightly different from others in a crowd. It represented him as 'different' due to being a vampire. With ten minutes left in the class, the other students began to present their drawings. As Ryan spoke about his, admittedly good, drawing, Kol made subtle funny faces at Riley. She stifled a laugh behind her sketchbook.

"One last final presentation. Miss Romero?"

Riley turned her sketchbook around, showing a drawing of herself. Half of her body was missing though part of her face was redrawn with subtle differences.

"I promise that this is actually finished"

Ryan was the only one not to laugh, simply rolling his eyes. "Interesting piece. Care to explain?" asked Devereaux.

"Well, I've gone through some rough stuff and it feels like I lost part of myself but it's coming back. It's just…in a different way"

At the end of the class, they were assigned their first piece of homework. Devereaux wanted them to sketch a portrait of a close friend or loved one. As she walked towards the door, Ryan stuck out his foot, causing her to stumble onto the floor. She winced, feeling a slight burn on her elbow. Ryan was peering down at her with a gleam of hope in his eyes. It was like he expected something else to happen besides a nasty glare from her. Kol quickly zoomed around the table and grabbed Ryan by his shirt collar. He was seconds away from revealing his identity as a vampire. Riley jumped up and pushed them apart.

"Kol, don't"

"I suggest you apologize"

"Or what?" challenged Ryan.

"Or I'll pop off your head and leave it on your mother's doorstep"

"Don't stoop to his level" pleaded Riley, gripping his arm.

"If you ever hurt her again, it will be the last thing you ever do. She's my family. I'm not the only one who would rip out your spine, teacher's pet. My siblings would enjoy ripping you apart, especially my brother if he heard you weren't being nice to her"

Ryan whispered something in his ear. Whatever he said set Kol off and if Riley was not standing between them, she was sure that he would be draining Ryan dry until he resembled a deflated balloon. She pushed Kol out of the classroom. Dark veins were protruding under his eyes. She pinched his arm.

"Hey, no vampire face. What did he say to you?"

"You can't always be there to protect your little mouse. I'm going to compel him to jump off the highest building on campus"

"No, you're not. I'm going to clean off this scrape on my elbow and then we'll head back to the house. Do not move from this spot"

Riley walked into the nearby bathroom and inspected her injured elbow in the mirror. The cut was very shallow. She grabbed a handful of paper towels from the counter and turned on the faucet. The knob broke off in her hand, squirting water at her face. She tried to reattach the knob but as her hand pressed against the sink, it detached completely, crashing onto the floor.

"What the f—"

The door burst open and Kol rushed into the bathroom. Before she could even open her mouth, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into the hallway. He stopped at the end of the hallway, covering her mouth with his hand. He put a finger to his lips and pointed around the corner. Taking a quick peek, she saw Ryan speaking quietly on his phone.

"Do you hear what he's saying?" asked Kol, moving his hand.

"No, my vampire hearing's a little off lately. It might be because I'm not a vampire but uh who knows?"

"He mentioned you"

"So? He's probably bitching about me to his soccer buddies"

"He called you by your actual name, Riley"

Ryan spoke a bit louder, sounding annoyed with whoever was on the other end of the call. Riley and Kol eavesdropped on the conversation.

"I did what you said. I know you told me to be nicer but I thought getting her pissed would produce faster results. You were right about what moving down here would do…she probably doesn't even realize it yet. I pushed her down and nothing. What if she really did lose it? I know it could be a lie but—no, I'm not doubting you. She's important…all of them are but with her, it'll get done faster. If you let me tell Marcel the truth...no, he probably wouldn't believe me without proof but it's easy to get that. She didn't change her appearance that much"

He lowered her voice again and she needed to rely on Kol's vampire hearing. "Can you tell who he's talking to?"

"No but they just yelled at him that telling Marcel would be foolish. Ryan said that he'll keep pushing you. Don't think he meant it in the literal sense. He just ended the call"

Ryan swiped a silver card through a keypad and placed his thumb at the disappeared behind the door, stuffing the card in his jeans pocket. Riley stopped Kol from ripping off the handle.

"If you do that, he'll know someone followed him. We need to be discrete"

"The door must unlock with his fingerprint. I say we take off the handle and blame it on shoddy workmanship"

"You might have your vampire strength but I have my smarts. Leave it to me"

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her powder blush. She sprinkled some of the powder on the keypad then brushed it away. Placing a piece of clear tape over the keypad exposed Ryan's fingerprint. The door swung open, showing a spiral staircase.

"The girls and I used to pretend to be cops after Caroline's mom let us hang out at the police station one day. She taught us that trick. Come on"

Kol shut the door behind him. Descending down the staircase, they discovered that it led to a series of labs. They entered the nearest room, which was filled with vials of colored liquids and complex diagrams. The diagrams depicted various types of bodies, ranging from human to fox. Kol sniffed one of the vials.

"Wolfsbane"

"Are you sure?"

"I know its scent well. My father kept it all over our home to ward off the werewolves. The one next to it is definitely vervain. I don't recognize the others"

A folder with photos laid open on the steel table. She recognized several people as part of Marcel's followers, mostly nightwalkers. There was also a photo of her at the charity gala with Rebekah and Klaus.

"He clearly knows about the supernatural. Whoever he was speaking to do as well…and they know about your magic. He's annoying you on purpose, Riley. He wants to see your magic for himself"

"But I lost my magic"

"His boss must not believe that"

"I'm not the only one in here. There are pictures of vampires that are with Marcel. They're younger looking so maybe they attend the college"

"Not all of them are young. Marcel is in here…Thierry…Diego…" said Kol, glancing at the photos.

"So are Lily and Antonio. That explains why they felt that sting from giving their fingerprint. It must be some system that weeds out the supernaturals at the college. They can't be vampires. I didn't see daylight rings on them"

"Possibly werewolves"

She picked up the last photo. "Kol? You're all in here too"

"Who?"

"This is a picture of you, Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah. It's from 1902"

Kol snatched the folder. While he tried to find a clue to the photos, Riley walked around the rest of the lab. A piece of paper was hidden under vials of vervain. She picked up the list, which contained many names. The names matched the people in the photos, including Lily, Antonio, Riley, Marcel, and the Originals. Next to each name was a series of X's, ranging from one to ten. Only Riley and the Originals had ten X's by their names. She jumped, hearing a loud scream of pain, followed by a howl.

"We should go before Ryan finds us here" said Riley.

Taking out her phone, she snapped a picture of the list. She was torn between helping whoever was being harmed down the hall and not letting Ryan see her in the lab. Sneaking back out the door, they blended into the crowd of students leaving the classrooms. Riley sat in the passenger seat of Kol's car, her mind racing. She looked at the list from her phone. A few names had been crossed off with red ink.

"We'll go back there tomorrow"

"No"

She turned towards Kol. "No? What do you—he was hurting someone. They had to be a werewolf. We can't just leave them down—"

"Riley, we can't go through that door again. We need to know more about what he's doing….who he's working for and why they have that list of supernaturals. Perhaps Lily and Antonio will have answers"

"I doubt that they know they're on that list and their so-called friend enjoys torturing supernaturals. Don't mention this to the others. Klaus might blow up the college if he thinks someone is trying to kill him"

Three days had passed since their adventure down to the lab. Ryan was not being very subtle about his intentions to anger her enough that she displayed any magical abilities. If the taunts were not bad enough, the constant 'accidental' shoving was like poking a sleeping bear. Lily stopped his aggressive attacks after he nearly broke Riley's arm. Though she knew that they were some kind of supernatural, Riley could not bring herself to discuss the list with her or Antonio. She worried that they would deny Ryan's involvement, due to their close friendship, or believe that the list was a prank. Even if he was not part of shady business in basement of the college, Riley was sure that she and Ryan could never be friends. His personality, in general, irritated her. It was like having a college version of Alison, except that he was much more intelligent and able to throw Riley's insults right back at her.

Riley lamented not being able to have a normal college experience. Instead of going to frat parties and staying up all night to finish homework, she was busy fretting over one of her classmates tying her up in his secret, evil basement lab, avoiding a persistent Klaus who wanted her forgiveness, distracting Hayley from her thoughts about her baby being a possible demon spawn, and helping Rebekah to find the attic where Marcel hid Elijah's coffin.

Klaus was no closer to overthrowing Marcel. He seemed more focused on stealing Davina for himself than taking over the city. With Riley giving him the silent treatment, he spent more time with Camille, the blonde bartender. He had been compelling her to write down his memoirs and even told her the truth about vampires. Camille was his way of spying on Marcel since the King of the Quarter harbored an obvious crush on her. Upon learning the truth about the supernatural world, Camille was understandably frightened and instead of being compassionate, Klaus merely compelled her fear away so that he did not have to deal with any actual human emotions.

Riley was sitting on her bed, her head between her knees. She just had a very long conversation with Elena about Bonnie. After a long search, they managed to find Stefan in a wooden cabin. He was being held hostage by Questiyah, who somehow traveled to the physical world from the Other Side. Quetsiyah hindered Silas's psychic abilities by creating a link between him and Stefan, destroying Stefan's mind in the process. Damon and Elena failed to jog his memories. Her friends decided that Bonnie would have the solution and since she was now on the Other Side, Jeremy had no other choice but to be honest about her death. Riley pretended that she was unaware of what happened to Bonnie and consoled an upset Elena and Caroline for nearly three hours. They begged her to return home to get one last goodbye.

She heard a knock on the door. "You can come in, Kol"

Kol sat beside her on the bed. He had been meeting with an old friend from the 1900s. The man was one of Marcel's daywalkers though he had little respect for Marcel. His loyalty was towards the Originals. Meeting his friend at a bar, he learned that there were several disappearances in New Orleans and surrounding areas over the past year, even before the Originals returned to the city. Those who disappeared were all supernatural, mostly vampires and werewolves. Marcel kept the disappearances a secret, not wanting to throw his followers into a panic.

"He thought Ryan looked familiar. He had seen him hanging around a bar where one of the girls worked and on the night she vanished, there were witnesses that saw them together"

"So he's definitely hiding something. Good job, Watson"

"I am not a Watson"

"Keep telling yourself that"

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you're scared of a soccer player"

"No. I was on the phone with Elena. They know about Bonnie. I've known for months but—now that everyone knows the truth, it feels so much worse. I'm glad Jeremy is back but I wish Bonnie didn't have to die for that to happen…"

"Are you planning to go back to Mystic Falls?"

"Maybe for a day. They're dealing with plenty of drama too and it'd be nice to see my parents. I'm going into town. Seeing as me and Hayley are the only ones who need actual food to survive, it's important to go shopping. Try not to get daggered by Klaus while I'm gone"

"Oh, he's far too busy with his plans to wrestle away Davina. I overheard him tell Rebekah of some plan to talk to her. Marcel's allowing the little witch to attend the festival tonight and sweet Cami was compelled to get Davina alone"

"Well, I hope that plan blows up in his face"

Hayley was lying on a couch in the living room, flipping through a baby book. Agnes stopped by the house to check on the baby. She offered to set up an appointment with a doctor in the bayou.

"Can you come with me? Rebekah is obsessed with attics and Klaus is busy trying to control a teenage witch"

"Sure. What time?"

"Eight"

"I'll be back by then"

"Are you going out?"

"Yea, to get groceries and meet up for a study group with some people from my evolution class. The teacher's tough. She already assigned a test on Friday"

"Brutal. Oh, Agnes dropped something off for you too"

"For me?"

"You're just as stressed as me lately, maybe more. You're not hiding it as well as you think. She said it would calm your nerves. Just try it. When Elijah gets back, you don't want him to see you as a big ball of nerves" she said, handing her a bottle of crushed red herbs. She poured a small amount in her hand and swallowed it, instantly feeling a giant weight off her shoulders.

"Better?"

"A little"

"Agnes said to take them twice a day, in the morning and an hour before bed"

Riley drove Kol's car into the city. A colorful sign with 22nd Annual Dauphine Street Festival hung high above the street and the streets were lined with all kinds of booths, selling food, drinks, jewelry, toys, and paintings. As she reached the door to Rousseau's, Marcel and members of his inner circle were walking down the same street. She hid behind a booth for henna tattoos. Marcel was giving orders for the festival. If any witches were spotted at the festival, the punishment would be death.

"And while we're at it, no Originals. I don't like how Rebekah's been snooping around. Keep an eye on their little witch friend too. Klaus says she doesn't have her magic but I don't trust her. I got my girl Cami coming, her and a little friend of hers. I want eyes on them at all times…eyes only. Alright? I don't want anyone getting anywhere near either of them. Everybody's got a post, everybody keeps an eye out"

Riley slipped through the door. The bar was teeming with people, both tourists and locals. Camille was standing behind the counter, serving beers to two middle-aged men.

"Hey. Has Sophie's shift ended yet?"

"No. She should be done in like ten minutes. Do you want anything while you wait?"

"No thanks"

Camille smiled. "You're Mae, right? Klaus's friend"

"That's a loose term at the moment"

"Oh, I heard you two were going through a rough patch"

"Another loose term. You're Cami. He told me that you're helping him write his memoirs or something"

"Yea, it's a little weird. Don't know why he would write one now. He's only in his twenties"

"Feeds into his already enormous ego"

"Mae!"

Lily and Antonio were sitting with a small group at a back table. Riley walked over to them. She waved when Lily introduced her to the others. They were working together on a global history project.

"Erika and Ryan are on their way too. After we finish up this lame project, we were going to walk around the festival. You want to join us? You have to do karoake. Antonio likes to hog the mic but he's a great singer so it's okay"

"I uh actually have a family thing but if it ends early, I might stop by. Could I uh talk to you two? It's about something in the reading for Paxton's class"

"Sure. Max, finish reading this paragraph for me" said Lily, tossing the book into a tall dark-haired guy's lap.

Sitting down at a different table, Riley contemplated how to bring up the supernatural list. She was almost a hundred percent sure that this conversation would end in disaster.

"Which part didn't you get? That last section? had trouble with it too"

"I actually wanted to talk about something else"

"Ryan didn't figure out your phone number and start prank calling you, did he?" asked Antonio.

"No. It's not about—maybe it's better if I show you"

She placed her phone on the table, showing the photo of the list. "I can't tell you where I found this but it's uh…well, I'm not sure what it is exactly. I just know that everyone on the list has something in common"

"We're on the list. So is your friend Kol"

"Yea, good eye. The list is people who are…different"

"Different?" asked Lily, her eyes still on the list.

"Supernatural. You know, vampires, werewolves, witches…so what are you two?"

"Mae, have you already been drinking?"

"You can stop playing dumb. I know you're something. You can't be vampires because you were out in the sun but you don't have daylight rings. You're not witches because I'd sense it. I don't have my magic anymore but I can still tell a witch from a regular human"

As they burst into a fit of laughter, Riley realized that they were honestly clueless. They were supernatural in some way but neither knew the truth about themselves. She awkwardly laughed with them.

"I almost got you. I was just kidding"

"You scared me for a minute. I thought you actually believed in that mythology stuff. Vampires…good one"

Sophie was leaving the kitchen, putting on her long cardigan. "Yep. As if they exist in real life. I have to get to that family thing but I'll text you if I get out early to meet up with you at the festival"

Following Sophie out of Rousseau's, she sent a text message to Kol, telling him about her encounter with her friends. He suggested that they could be werewolves that never activated the gene through killing someone. Hanging up the phone, she opened the door to Sophie's car and sat in the passenger seat.

"Hey Sophie. Forget about our meeting?"

"No. I was just...I didn't see you at the bar. What did you want?"

"I know that Marcel has the witches banned from using magic but you must have things hidden away in case you need to defend yourselves. Get me everything on this list. I want it in my bedroom by midnight. There's a key under a potted plant by the door. My room is on the second floor, third door on the right"

Sophie glanced at the list. "Wait, why would you need—"

"Don't ask questions, Sophie. You wanted me to forgive you for your part in Klaus's stupid plan and doing this will be a start. I should tell you now that I already took some witch stuff in Katie's shop. I left money to pay for it but you really need a better hiding spot"

"What did you take?"

"None of your business. Remember to have all that by midnight. Nice talking to you"

She returned to Kol's car and drove down to the cemetery. It was completely empty, except for the sounds of birds chirping in the trees. Hugging her leather jacket close to her body, she sneaked into her ancestors' mausoleum. Sprinkling black ash in a circle, she sat in the middle and closed her eyes tightly. Her moment of peace was interrupted by her phone, vibrating against the stone floor. She sighed in frustration and picked up the phone.

"What?"

"Someone's hostile"

"Someone had a few minutes of peace, Damon. If this is about Bonnie, yes I knew that she was dead since the night of graduation. I kept it a secret to give Elena and everyone else a break from grieving"

"I was just checking on you, shorty. You're slipping up on that weekly call promise"

"Sorry. Things are really hectic here. Whitmore isn't the only college that has secrets"

"What happened? Vampire attack?"

Riley told him about Ryan, her new rival, the secret labs in the basement of the college, and the list of supernaturals. When she mentioned her friends being on the list, he pointed out that their possible supernatural nature was not limited to the usual three: witch, vampire, or werewolf. In his years of being a vampire, he had traveled to many places and discovered that some myths were very real.

"Maybe rich girl is the tooth fairy"

"Funny. What do you think about the list?"

"Could be part of The Faction. It's like the council in Mystic Falls, exclusive to humans. I got on their bad side a few times when I lived down there. They're not pushovers. I always heard rumors that they had weapons against supernaturals"

"You think Ryan is part of the council?"

"Always possible. He had to learn about supernaturals from someone. I wouldn't put it past them to gain the trust of the vampires in the city while doing something behind their backs. From what I remember, The Faction had a compromise with them. Vampires could feed on tourists as long as they were discrete, werewolves could run around the woods and howl all night, and witches were free to practice magic. If the supernaturals didn't cause too much damage, the humans just cleaned up their messes. People are crazy, Riley"

"No kidding. How is everyone holding up after...the big news?"

"As well as they can. Bonnie had a message for you. She said to find an abandoned cottage in New Orleans tomorrow night at six…whatever the hell that means. Operation: Get Stefan's Memories is an epic fail. He left the boardinghouse and hates me and Elena. Oh and I'm trying to keep track of two very powerful 2,000 year old immortals. Just another day in Mystic Falls"

"Have you seen Silas?"

"Not since he tried to get Elena to kill me. I've got no clue what he wants anymore. On the bright side, Katherine is gone"

"Gone? Is she dead?"

"Sadly, no. She was taken by some vampire chick with a foreign accent. She's at the bottom of my list of problems. Still no word on why that professor messed with the death certificate either. Your mom didn't know much about him. He's only been teaching for about two years and he keeps to himself a lot…does little experiments in his lab. She did say that it wasn't the first vampire attack blamed on animals on the campus. It even happened once when she and your dad were on campus"

"I'm coming back there"

"Riley, no. You don't have to—"

"Yes, I do. I need some time away before my new frenemy shoves me down a well to see if I can use magic. Besides, I want to be there for the others and maybe I can find a way to get around Stefan's memory problem. When I figure out the best day, I'll text you. I should get going. Be careful and watch over them. With them dealing with Bonnie's death, it's the perfect time for that psychic lunatic or crazy witch to attack them for some convoluted reason"

Hanging up, she noticed that she had not spent a couple minutes in the mausoleum, but hours. She brushed away the ash and drove out to the bayou, using Hayley's directions in a text message. The doctor's clinic was a shoddy cabin deep in the woods. Riley was reminded of the creepy setting for a horror movie. Hayley and Agnes had already arrived, speaking in Agnes's car. Seeing Riley, she stepped out of the car.

"Cabin in the woods…this sounds like a great idea"

"It's just a checkup. We won't be here for long. I'm going to head inside"

As Hayley opened the door to the cabin, Riley tapped on the window of the car. Agnes rolled down the window.

"You must be Mae. How nice to finally put a face to the name"

"Let's cut the crap. Hayley thinks we should trust you but to be honest, I would trust a rabid dog before I trusted you or any of the witches here"

"Any other things you'd like to get off your chest, dear?"

"Oh, where to start? I think you're using Klaus and his pathological need for power to further your own secret agenda and wanting to overthrow Marcel isn't to free the city. It's so the witches can be in charge. I don't give a flying squirrel monkey if this is all a con for you and your witchy buddies can be the top dogs in the city. If anything happens to Hayley or that baby, I don't need magic to bash the skulls of your coven in until you look like squashed grapes. Baseball bats work just fine"

"Such confidence. I'm sure it worked well back in Mystic Falls, dear"

Riley tensed up, her nails digging into the underside of the window. She had never spoken about her hometown, especially around the witches.

"Never been there"

"Maybe I'm confusing you with someone else. The witches' council sends out little memos every year…informing each coven of the newest witches. Alec Burke thought it would give us a sense of community. God rest his soul"

"Never met him either but from what I hear, I'm not sure he ever had one. Have a nice night, Agnes"

Inside the cabin, Hayley was laying down on an exam table. The doctor, a blonde-haired woman in a long-sleeved floral print shirt and grey slacks, was spreading ultrasound gel on Hayley's stomach. She introduced herself as Dr. Paige.

"The exam shouldn't take long. You can sit, if you like"

"I'm fine"

Hayley looked anxious, waiting for the results of her checkup. Riley lacked the ability to read minds but it was easy to figure out that she was worried about the baby. If Sabine's vision was true, the ultrasound could show a baby with devil horns. She gripped Hayley's hand as a sign of reassurance. While Dr. Paige placed the ultrasound probe on her stomach, Riley received a text from Rebekah. She located the attic where Marcel kept both Davina and Marcel. It was part of St. Anne's church. Davina had been playing with the dagger earlier in the day, removing it from his chest and negating the dagger's effect. Elijah spoke to her by getting inside her head. He told Rebekah that he wanted to attempt a truce with Davina to end the fighting between the vampires and witches.

She barely contained her smile. It was one step closer to being reunited with Elijah. In a daze, thinking about seeing him for the first time since she left New Orleans, she barely listened to the results of the ultrasound. She was snapped out of the daze when she heard Dr. Paige comment on Hayley's crescent moon birthmark.

"We're pretty much done here, right?" asked Hayley, sending a text to Rebekah about their whereabouts.

"Your blood pressure is a bit high. I've got something for it"

She walked towards the waiting area where Agnes was standing by the door. "So does your baby have a tail?"

Hayley smiled. "No. She looks normal"

"See? You were paranoid over nothing. Now all you have to worry about is if that girl comes out looking like Klaus. You better hope she inherits your looks"

They were distracted by the sound of a loud wolf howl and bright lights shining through the window. Riley pulled back the curtain. A black jeep parked next to Agnes's car. Dr. Paige returned with a medicine cup filled with water and a few pills. Hayley claimed to struggle with swallowing pills. Riley peeked into the waiting area. A group of men, all dressed in dark clothing, were speaking with Agnes. She doubted that they were fellow doctors. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dr. Paige step towards Hayley with a syringe.

"Hayley!"

Hayley headbutted her in the face and stabbed the syringe into her neck. Hearing the commotion, the men rushed towards the door. Hayley quickly shut it, sliding in the lock, as Riley pushed open one of the windows. She helped Hayley out through the window and the two of them ran into the woods. They hid behind two tall trees.

"Who the hell are they?" said Hayley.

"Probably witches since they were working with Agnes. The whole thing was a trap" replied Riley, catching her breath.

"The baby"

"They won't hurt you, Hayley. I promise"

The men passed by their hiding place, carrying shotguns, knives, and crossbows. Hayley sneaked up on the closest man and threw him roughly to the ground. Riley grabbed his crossbow as Hayley kicked another man in the gut and snapped his neck. She pointed the crossbow at the man near her feet, who was reaching for a knife in his pocket.

"Don't move"

"You won't pull the trigger. You don't have the guts to—"

Arrows pierced his neck and stomach. "Oh, I have plenty of guts. Yours happen to be spilling onto the grass right now"

Both Riley and Hayley had their hands full with the witches. It was like a game of whack-a-mole where a new witch popped up out of nowhere. She shot an arrow to pin a man's hood to a nearby tree. Two more arrows pinned down his sleeves. Another man advanced on Hayley. A second later, he collapsed to the ground, his neck snapped. Rebekah was standing behind him.

"How did you find us?" asked Hayley as Riley joined them.

"Your text got me halfway. Vamp hearing did the rest. Who are they?"

"Psycho witches"

"Oh, a subject you know very well"

"They're trying to get to the baby. Agnes set it up somewhere far away from you, Kol, and Klaus so you couldn't interfere with—"

Riley stopped, seeing a carving in a partially burnt tree. The carving matched the symbol of her bloodline. Her fingers traced the intertwined snakes.

"There are more of them. Run, both of you! Riley, stop admiring the tree and go!" shouted Rebekah.

Rebekah was shot in the heart with two arrows, neutralizing her. The same happened to Hayley, who was shot in the shoulder. Before Riley could help them, she found herself inside her ancestors' mausoleum.

"Wh—you're kidding me. I don't know how the hell you…send me back. What do I have to do? Some wizard of oz crap? Click my heels three times? No, I'm not going to thank you for—I have to help Hayley and Rebekah. I don't give a damn about our bl—"

She winced, feeling a stinging sensation in the side of her head. "Okay, stop. I already sent Sophie to get what I need. It's not like I can get it to work right away. I'm going back to the house…unless you want me to sleep here from now on. No, I'm perfectly safe with them. They won't hurt me. Back off"

Stepping out of the mausoleum, she bumped into someone. Dr. Paxton was in front of her, holding a bouquet of posies.

"Dr. Paxton"

"Hello Riley. I thought I heard voices from inside there. What were you doing? I hope my son hasn't tricked you into performing some silly college initiation"

"No. I was just…the people buried here were friends with my grandmother. I wanted to pay my respects"

"It sounded like you were talking to yourself"

"No. I was on the phone with um…my dad. He can be a little overprotective sometimes. What brings you to the cemetery so late at night?"

"One of the professors in the biology department was found dead a few months ago…terrible animal attack. We were close friends. I like to leave flowers on her grave every week"

"That's sweet. I should get going before…is something on my shirt?"

Dr. Paxton had been staring at her neck. "No, I was simply admiring your necklace. It's very pretty"

"Thanks. My uh boyfriend gave it to me"

"You know, the gem looks like something I once saw in a book. It was when I was in college with your parents. Your father had this little mythology book and there was a picture of a gem that belonged to a supposed witch…the first witch"

"That sounds cool. Doubt it's the same one since witches don't exist but now I have a cool story to tell drunk people at parties. I'll see you in class on Friday. I'm pumped for that lecture on finches. Yay birds"

Unable to walk to the bayou from the cemetery, she headed back to the plantation house. She had barely opened the door when an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into the drawing room. Klaus was holding onto her, looking very concerned.

"What happened to you? Were you harmed by those witches?"

Her first instinct was to glare at him but all of her anger faded away in an instant, replaced by a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was lost in his pale blue eyes. A tiny, nagging voice in the back of her mind told her to leave the room yet her feet seemed to be glued to the floor.

"You were nowhere to be found. Enough with this silent treatment. If those witches laid a single hand on you, I'll"

"You'll what? What are you going to do?"

"I'll rip out their hearts"

"What else?" she asked, removing her leather jacket and letting it fall to the floor.

Klaus's eyes lingered down to her sheer, sleeveless blouse. She pushed him down on the couch and straddled him. He was taken aback by her aggressive behavior.

"Riley, are you feeling all right?"

"Amazing. Tell me what else you'd do to them"

"I'd…leave them in pieces scattered across the city"

"You're so nice to me, Klaus. I want to make you happy. What can I do?"

Her lips pressed against his neck, leaving small kisses. "Does this make me happy?"

She smiled, hearing him let out a quiet groan. A hard sensation bumped against her inner thigh. Klaus's grip tightened on her waist.

"Riley, you're not…Elijah—"

"Screw Elijah. He's never there for me…not like you. He's weak. Why would I want him when I can have you? I can't deny it anymore, Klaus. I want you. I want to feel your hands all over me…just like I imagined it during our conversations on the phone. I spent so many nights, dreaming about it. You, not Elijah"

He ripped open the front of her top. As he left a trail of kisses, she grinded her hips against his, her nails digging into the back of his neck. The nagging voice became much louder, drowning out her moans.

"Klaus"

"Say you're mine"

"I'm yours…only yours"

Riley's eyes popped open, gazing up at the cloudy night sky. She sat up, breathing heavily, and glanced around her surroundings. Instead of the drawing room, she was standing near the entrance to a church. She shuddered at the thought of the strange dream. It was like she had actually been inside the drawing room, feeling Klaus's lips on her skin. She double-checked her tanktop for any tears. A sign post by the steps read St. Anne's Church: Closed Until Further Notice. The inside of the church was littered with broken glass, papers, and tipped over pews. At the top of the rickety staircase was a single wooden door, wide open. The door led to a room with a queen-sized bed, many candles, a vanity table, paintings hung up on the wall, and an easel. A dark coffin was nestled against the far right wall. Barrier spells on the door prevented her from taking one step past the doorway. Davina placed a broken fiddle on the vanity table. Her cheeks were stained with tears. Judging by her distraught expression, Riley assumed that she met Klaus at the festival and, unsurprisingly, he upset her. Moving her hand, she used magic to produce music with the wind chimes.

"Davina"

At the sound of Riley's voice, she jumped and the candles flared up all at once. She turned around, very tense. Though it had not been very long since their last encounter, Davina looked considerably older. She was no longer the sweet, innocent girl, but someone hardened and mistrusting. Not saying a word, she squinted her eyes.

"Riley?"

"Good, you remember me. I thought you might not since I look different but—"

"No, you're not here. This is Sophie or…one of the other witches. Maybe even Klaus. You're all trying to trick me"

"It's not a trick. You know the witches can't use magic because if they do, you'll tell Marcel and he'll have them killed. It's me"

"Riley's dead! S—she died before the Harvest. I wanted to send her a letter to come see it because I thought she'd be excited that I was chosen but then the Elders told me that she was killed by a council member. She's buried back home. I thought it was a lie but when I used magic to communicate with her, I couldn't sense her…not even on the Other Side"

"Technically, I was dead for awhile but I came back"

"That's impossible. Show me your real face! Stop hiding like a coward!" she shouted, sending a vase flying into the air.

The vase smashed against the wall, inches from Riley's head. She was at a disadvantage, possessing no magic.

"Davina, it's not a lie. I died but I protected myself with a spell. It cost me my magic. I can prove that it's me. The day we met, you were having trouble with manipulating water from the pond. I helped you and made a little dog out of ice. You wanted to get ice cream with me after your lesson but I was really upse so you said if I came back here, we'd have a magic competition to see who's better. How would I know that unless I'm Riley?"

"You could've gotten into my memories with magic"

"Now you're just grasping at straws. Being trapped in this attic is making you paranoid. Just invite me in so we can talk…or at least let me see Elijah. Please"

"No. I don't trust you. If you want the Old One back, then you're working with Klaus"

"Not with…more like diagonally. I'm not here to convince you to join Klaus. I want to help you. As long as you stay in this attic, there's going to be a three way tug of war between Marcel, Klaus, and the witches. You're not safe with any of them"

"I'm staying with Marcel. He's protecting me"

"Only because he can use your magic to his advantage. Look at what he's done to the city. He's killing witches"

"They deserve it. They're traitors"

"Okay, I agree that the witches are really shady but it doesn't mean that they deserve to die. I know that they must've done something terrible to you. Maybe Marcel is protecting you but as soon as he thinks you're useless, he'll get rid of you like a piece of trash. Klaus is no better. Way, way, way, way deep down is someone decent but it's hidden by his obsession with being the alpha wolf or whatever and having power. I'm guessing you met him tonight. Who does the fiddle belong to?"

"A friend. His name's Tim" she replied, her voice cracking when she said his name.

"I know you're being stubborn since I'm the usually the one who's like that and instead of spending hours convincing you to trust me and that I'm here, not some witch trick, I'm going to make you a promise. I won't let you be used as some puppet. As long as I'm in New Orleans, I'll always have your back. I might not have magic but it doesn't mean I can't keep those idiots from manipulating you. I'll find a way to get back your freedom, instead of being trapped up here like a little bird, and I'll watch over Tim too"

"I didn't ask you to do any of that"

"I know"

Riley gave her a small smile and descended down the staircase. She walked back to the plantation house. Kol's car was parked in the driveway, a sign that Rebekah and Hayley made it home safely. Opening the door, she was face to face with Klaus, who had been pacing back and forth.

"Riley, what happened to you? Were you harmed by those witches?"

His words reminded her of her dream. That same warm, fuzzy sensation filled the pit of her stomach.

"Enough with this silent treatment. If those witches laid a single hand on you, I'll—"

"They didn't"

"Where have you been? I searched that entire bloody bayou for you"

"I'm fine. Drop it and get out of my way"

As she passed by him, he grabbed her wrist. She whipped around quickly, feeling his lips on the nape of her neck. Klaus was peering down at her. She wrenched her wrist from his grasp.

"Don't touch me"

"Apologies for my concern. You vanish after a witch attack and I'm supposed to be calm? Act like it never happened?"

"Exactly"

"Riley, do not walk away from me" he said, chasing her up the staircase.

"I can do whatever the hell I want. Despite what you think, you don't control me. If I don't want to talk to you, take the hint and leave me alone"

Riley slammed her bedroom door in his face. A red drawstring bag rested on her bed, jam-packed with the items on the list given to Sophie.

"Stop pacing in front of my door like I'm going to come out and apologize, Klaus. I said leave me alone"

"This conversation isn't over"

"For me, it is so you can just talk to yourself"

The next morning, Riley was sitting at her desk, finishing up an essay for her history class. One of her grimoires laid open beside her laptop. Typing up the last paragraph, she ate a handful of herbs to relieve some of the leftover anxiety from the previous night.

"Mae!" shouted Klaus.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to tune out his voice. "Mae, get down here now!"

Riley slammed her laptop shut and placed her grimoire in her tote bag. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she walked down to the living room. Sophie, looking slightly terrified, was sitting across from Klaus, Kol, and Rebekah. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes when Klaus pointed at the empty spot on the couch next to Kol. He tended to alternate between three moods and at the moment, he was furious. Not wanting to further his anger, she sat beside Kol, arms crossed.

"We had a deal! You protect my unborn child, I dismantle Marcel's army. Whilst I've been busy fulfilling my part of the bargain, you allowed Hayley and Mae to be attacked and almost killed by a gaggle of lunatic witches"

"Gaggle? Who talks like that?" muttered Riley.

"I had nothing to do with it, I swear. Hayley and I are linked, remember? She dies, I die" insisted Sophie.

Sophie explained that the witches who attacked at the clinic were members of an extremist group. They planned the attack because of Sabine's vision about Hayley's baby. Klaus seemed pleased by the idea of his child bringing death to the witches. While Rebekah questioned her about the extremists, Klaus sat down on the couch, his arm resting just inches from Riley's neck. She felt very hot when his fingers accidentally brushed against her skin. Though she wanted to listen to Sophie, her mind was consumed with thoughts about Klaus. She was noticing very subtle things, like the smell of his cologne and the crinkling of his brow. Kol's finger poked her side. Without even realizing it, she had been laying her head on Klaus's shoulder and her hand was on his thigh. As Sophie told them about the Harvest, she distracted herself with her phone.

"I need to go. College stuff"

"At this hour? It's eight in the morning" said Rebekah, bewildered.

"All part of a college life. I'd rather face those witches again than my parents if I get a bad grade on an assignment"

Riley grabbed Kol's car keys from the kitchen counter. The doorway was blocked by Klaus, who was eyeing her suspiciously.

"You care an awful lot about schoolwork these days"

"Well, if I fail a class, I get sent back to Mystic Falls. I have to go"

"Wait, I want to…apologize. Bear with me, sweetheart. It's very rare that I own up to my mistakes. I'm not apologizing for just last night but my actions after the gala as well. I was out of line"

"Just forget it. I have enough to deal with right now"

"Such as?"

"Nothing. I meant balancing college and trying to overthrow a vampire empire, that's all"

"If you get in any sort of trouble while you're out, I want you to call me"

"You're being paranoid over nothing. I'll see you later"

Her eyes widened when she pecked him on the lips. She was about to blame it on Red Bull and chocolate giving her a sugar high and making her crazy but her mind was suddenly empty. All she could think about was his soft lips on hers. In a split second, Klaus sat her on the counter and pulled her into a passionate kiss. She began to hear a nagging voice in her head, similar to one from her dream, telling her that all of this was wrong.

"Fight it. You don't want this" she heard.

Placing her hands on his chest, she gently pushed him away. He cupped her face in his hands.

"You feel the same" he whispered, a gleam of hope in his eyes.

"K—Klaus, I—no, it's not…something isn't—I didn't mean to do that"

"You don't have to deny your feelings"

"I'm not. My head's all messed up and—I can't do this right now"

Riley hurried out of the house and drove into the city. Parking on the sidewalk, she sat in the car for a few minutes in complete silence. She was unsure what was messing with her mind and causing her to have any sort of attraction to Klaus. Without a doubt, she knew that she had no romantic feelings for him. Once she calmed herself down, she stepped inside the church. A dark-haired man in his forties, wearing clerical attire, was sweeping up broken glass.

"It appears I need a better sign outside. The church is closed"

"Church isn't really my thing anyway. You're Father Kieran?"

"If you're not here for church services, I suppose you want to hear a firsthand account of the massacre that happened here. That's all anyone seems to associate this church with these days"

"Wrong again. I wanted to talk about The Faction and who better to discuss it with than the leader himself?"

He tensed up, his grip tightening on the broom. "I don't know what you're referring to but I'm a little busy cleaning up the aftermath of a gas leak"

"No. You're cleaning up a teenage witch's mess. You don't have to pretend with me. I know about the supernatural…the alleged monsters that aren't hiding under our beds but are sitting next to us at a restaurant or walking past us on the street. My hometown has something like this too. It's called the Founder's Council. Is it a requirement for these councils to have cool-sounding names? A friend of a friend told me that the priest of this church is in charge so I put two and two together"

"Well, you seem to know quite a lot and yet I know absolutely nothing about you"

"I'm Mae Romero. I moved here a few weeks ago for college. Since my parents are on the council back home, I'd like to do my part and join this council"

"The council members are influential members of the city and we don't normally allow…teenagers"

"Over the years, I've learned that money can get you pretty much anything. Davina really made a mess in here. I bet it will take awhile for the city to pull together enough money to fix it up. If only you knew an eighteen year old girl who had a large inheritance from her grandmother that technically shouldn't be touched until she's done with college but it doesn't matter if she does a little spending early and this girl could write you a check for five million dollars to make the church look all nice and pretty again"

"Are you bribing me?"

She pouted. "That's a harsh way of putting it. Call it an exchange. I give you the money and you let me join the council"

Taking out her checkbook, she wrote him a check for five million dollars. She dangled the check in front of his face. With a heavy sigh, he grabbed it.

"You'll get a trial run. If this is part of some prank or I find out that you are working for Marcel or the Originals, I'll rip up this check and you're out. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. I can assure you that I have no loyalty to either of them. All I want to do is help protect the humans in this city. With all this nasty vampire business lately and the rumors I've heard of a war brewing between the vampires and witches, someone needs to keep the humans safe"

Kieran led her down to the basement of the church. He opened the door to a room at the end of the corridor. The room contained a series of shelves from wall to wall, with books, boxes, and little trinkets. As he explained the rules of the council, she nodded, taking in her surroundings. He handed her a key that gave her access to the church when it was locked for meetings.

"Our next meeting is next Saturday at three. Make a good impression and don't be late"

"I'll be right on time" she said, secretly grabbing a small, leather-bound book behind her.

When he turned his back to pick up a dusty wooden box, she placed the book in her bag. "Thanks again for the opportunity. I should get going. I have class in twenty minutes"

She was thankful that she only needed to attend two classes and neither of them included Ryan. Rebekah had been texting her throughout the day. After Riley left the house, Klaus received a call from Marcel, who wanted help to investigate the dead witches in the bayou. Marcel believed that a werewolf was responsible, despite the lack of a full moon. While he distracted Marcel from meeting his informant, Sophie, Rebekah, Kol, and Hayley ventured into the bayou together. All four had different reasons for the trip. Sophie needed to consecrate the witches' remains to preserve their magic, Hayley hoped to spot the mysterious wolf that saved her, and Rebekah and Kol were stuck as their babysitters. Klaus was using his time with Marcel to learn more about the Harvest and his relationship with Davina.

Riley was trudging through the woods, swatting at flies and mosquitoes. Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

"Rebekah, when I said to keep me updated on your bayou adventure, I didn't mean that you should call me every five minutes"

"I need someone to talk to before I have to distract Marcel so Klaus can dispose of his informant"

"You couldn't talk to Kol?"

"He's too busy flirting with Sophie Devereaux. I almost threw up twice. I just wish he'd shag her already so he can toss her aside like trash and move onto the next girl"

"Good luck with distracting Marcel. I'll text you when I'm leaving campus"

She hung up the phone. "Hey Goldilocks"

Diego was leaning against a tree, two other daywalkers standing not too far behind him. She placed her phone back in her bag.

"All alone in the woods? There are a lot of animals that could hurt you"

"The only animals I see are the three trained monkeys in front of me"

His lips twisted into a smug smirk. "Look at that, boys. The little witch has a mouth on her. What are you doing out here?"

"Has Marcel declared himself King of the Forest now? I don't have to answer to you"

"No, you don't but I could make you and you don't have those Originals to save your ass"

"The only person who saves me is me. I may not look like much, Dora the Explorer's reject cousin, but if you think that you can scare me into talking, you are sadly mistaken. I've dealt with a lot worse than the likes of you three"

Dark veins protruded under his eyes and his fangs poked through his upper lip. His companions did the same.

"You're the one making a mistake, little girl"

As they sped towards her, she chucked a vervain grenade at the ground. The explosion sent shards of glass in all directions. A cloud of vervain rose into the air, seeping into their noses and mouths and choking them. The three vampires fell to the ground, unconscious with their faces covered in gashes. Riley bent down beside Diego and pulled out a syringe and vial from her bag. She pierced his neck with the syringe, drawing blood, then poured the blood into the vial. Continuing down the dirt path, she stopped by two intertwined oak trees. Her ancestors' symbol was carved into both trunks. She took out a pocket knife and used it to cut her palm. With her blood, she traced over the symbol.

A heavy wind moved through the trees. Riley sat, cross-legged, on the ground. Her grimoire laid open on her lap, turned to the second to last page.

"Do I really have to do this alone? Maybe if I had Sophie here, it would be easier to—"

Another heavy wind pushed her forward. "Okay, okay, point taken" she said, picking up the grimoire.

Around six, she moved to a familiar spot in the woods. It was the same place where Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah had murdered one of her ancestors. To Damon, Bonnie's message made no sense. Its hidden meaning was for Riley to locate a magic hotspot, a spot marked by the brutal death of a witch. She set up candles in a circle and drank a vial of purple liquid, which would allow her to communicate with the Other Side. The magical aid was one of the items she found stashed in Katie's shop.

"Bonnie?"

"I'm here. I knew you'd figure out my message. Damon thought I was talking witchy gibberish"

"Sorry I wasn't at your funeral"

"I didn't need you to be with the others, Riley. You were there in spirit…just like I am while you're in New Orleans. College isn't working out for any of us, is it?"

"We're cursed to never have normal lives"

"I saw those vampires following you. Is Klaus getting you into trouble?"

"I think trouble and Klaus go hand in hand. They're lackeys for this idiot vampire named Marcel. He acts like he's king of the city"

"Marcel? I've heard them talking about him"

"Who?"

"Your ancestors. The witches tend to group together on the Other Side. I've met some of them. Most are nice and then there are the not so nice ones. They don't like Marcel very much. A few of them blame him for putting them on the Other Side. I don't know the whole story but it sounds like they had their fair share of problems. I heard what they've been telling you too. I think it's a bad idea"

"Go ahead. Give me the Bonnie lecture. You can pretend to be Caroline too since I know she'd freak out"

"In the end, it's your decision. I just want you to be careful. They're family but it doesn't mean that they won't manipulate you. If it works, your life gets thrown into chaos again and that disguise will only work for so long"

"Well, one upside is that if it fails, I'll get to see you again"

"If I could touch you, I'd be pinching you right now. Don't talk like that. The connection's breaking. I'll talk to you soon"

On the way back to Kol's car, she spotted him leaning against the hood. She stashed the grimoire in her bag.

"Kol? Why are you—I thought you were out in the bayou"

"That trip ended, thankfully. The smell alone was enough to drive me insane. I went looking for you at the college but to my surprise, you were nowhere to be found and your compelled friend Erika told me that you left hours ago. Have you been sitting in the woods all this time?"

"I was…trying to contact Bonnie. It took longer than I thought"

"You couldn't tell Rebekah that?"

"Didn't want some sarcastic comment from her about calling a dead person"

"I suppose you spoke to her?"

"Yea, it was a nice talk"

"Then let's go home, shall we?"

They returned to the plantation house, Riley silently hoping that Kol believed her story. It had not been a complete lie, just a half truth. Klaus was sitting on the staircase, holding a glass of scotch. His expression was a mix of gloom and frustration. Seeing Riley, he stood up from the bottom step.

"Riley, could we—"

Her heart raced as someone left the drawing room. Elijah was standing in the doorway, dressed in the same suit that he wore the last time they saw each other. It was as if she gained temporary vampire speed, rushing towards him and throwing her arms around his neck. His hand cradled the back of her head.

"Don't ever leave me again" she whispered, tears trickling down her face.

"Never"

"As much as I enjoy a happy reunion, can I get a few words in before you two start snogging your faces off?" said Kol.

Elijah looked at his younger brother, stunned. "Kol?"

"Good to see you, brother"

"How is this possible?"

Riley wiped a tear from her cheek. "I uh brought him back. I knew something was wrong and he was my best chance at finding out what…it was my last bit of magic. Don't give me that look. It's okay. I don't need it. I mean, I still need to pretend to be someone else for now but…I'm okay without magic"

"Now that they're here, weren't you supposed to tell us what you learned from Davina?" said Klaus, not bothering to hide the bitterness in his voice.

"Yes. Rebekah and Hayley are waiting in the study. I'll be there in a moment" he replied, his eyes on Riley.

Kol forced Klaus up the staircase. Riley shifted awkwardly on her feet, aware that there was unfinished business between the two of them. She was diverted from those somber thoughts by Elijah brushing his hand against her cheek. She rested her hand over his, happy to feel his touch for the first time in months. A tiny giggle escaped her lips.

"I hope that you're laughing because you're happy to see me" he said, smiling.

"Of course I am. I thought of what I would say when I saw you and now my mind's completely blank. I missed you. If Marcel didn't give you back soon, I would've tore off his head myself"

"Not a day went by that I did not think of you. I never doubted that I would see you again"

"Davina let you out?"

"Yes. We had a long chat. She won't reveal your true identity to Marcel. I told her that her confusion was understandable, having gone through it myself, and when the time was right, you would tell her everything. I swore that you were as honorable as me and would keep your promises. As a sign of good faith, I offered that you could return Tim's fiddle. I fixed it"

"Over a thousand years old and one of the things you learn is how to fix a fiddle?"

"It came in handy today"

"Elijah, I haven't got all night!" shouted Klaus.

Riley heard a loud smack. "Nik, leave them be!"

Walking up the stairs, she felt his fingers intertwine with hers. His lips delicately brushed against her knuckles.

"After we discuss what I learned, I promise that every minute will be devoted to you"

Rebekah and Hayley were like giggling schoolgirls. They smiled at the sight of her and Elijah holding hands while Klaus's face was similar to that of a grumpy old man. He poured himself another glass of scotch. Elijah explained the truth about the Harvest. From Davina, he learned that the four girls chosen were used as a sacrifice. Davina was one of the girls, along with Sophie's niece Monique. The Elders, who led the coven in New Orleans, tricked them into thinking that they would be placed under an enchanted sleep. On the night of the Harvest, Bastiana slit the first girl's throat, sending the others into a panic. Sophie attempted to stop the ritual but was restrained by a member of the coven. Though she was unsuccessful, Marcel and his followers intervened, killing all of the witches present at the cemetery, except for Sophie, Agnes, and Davina. Marcel had been tipped off about the Harvest by Sophie herself. With the other three girls dead, Davina absorbed all of the magic and because she was never sacrificed, the ritual was not complete.

Riley understood why Davina seemed to have an enormous amount of power and her reasons for working with Marcel. Betrayed by the witches, including her own mother, she did not want to finish the Harvest. Instead, she wanted it to remain incomplete so that all of the magic would disappear, leaving every witch in New Orleans powerless. Sophie's story about a war between the witches and vampires was simply over Davina. If Marcel kept her on his side, the witches could not complete the ritual and would lose their magic permanently. Without her, he lacked the power to subjugate the witches. Sophie had used Hayley's pregnancy to lure Klaus to the city, allowing him to find Davina for her.

"Then we're protecting this girl as well? Perhaps we should open a shelter next for young girls in danger. Pregnant werewolves, witches perceived to be the devil incarnate, and now witches who need to die or they'll destroy thousands of years of ancestral magic…" said Kol.

"She will remain with Marcel. I hardly trust him but it is the safest place for her"

"And what about Sophie?"

"Well, we could threaten her with sex with you, Kol. That will get her to be completely honest with us" retorted Rebekah.

Later that night, after discussing how to confront Sophie, Riley and Elijah were lying down on her bed. She had spent a couple hours catching him up on what he missed while daggered in a coffin, from her ex-boyfriend being the Darkness to her first day at college. He was particularly tense when she mentioned Klaus's actions in the drawing room.

"Something else happened with him"

"Did he force himself on you?"

"No. We were talking in the kitchen this morning and I was feeling weird. I kissed him but I didn't mean to…I know this sounds like a lame excuse but I'm serious. Something came over me. It was like I couldn't control myself. Please don't be mad"

"What do you mean, you couldn't control yourself?"

"It's been going on since yesterday. I had this weird dream and when I was with him, I'd get this feeling in my stomach…like I had to have him. Maybe it was from a sugar high or—I swear it meant nothing"

"Perhaps Lukas is affecting you from the Other Side. It could be punishment. Have there been any strange occurrences lately?"

"No. I've gone to school, came back here...spent some time in the city. If Lukas was around, I'd feel him. It's driving me crazy and now there's this huge misunderstanding between me and Klaus"

"Riley, we will figure this out together. There is no reason to worry"

She leaned her head on his chest. "Do you like me less without my magic?"

"Of course not. I didn't fall in love with you because of your magic"

Hearing those words, she glanced up at him. He looked a bit flustered. She poked his chest.

"You love me?"

"I believe I said—"

"I heard what you said…and I love you more"

"Not possible"

"Very. What do you love about me?"

"You're intelligent, funny, compassionate…"

"Boring. I just like you for your butt" she teased.

Riley giggled when he pulled her onto his lap. "Oh, is that all? How shallow, Miss Gilbert"

"I was wrong. It's not just your butt. I like your hair too"

"Well, two can play this game. I honestly only like you for your cute button nose" he said, pecking her on the nose.

"That's it?"

"Your beautiful eyes, your dimples..."

As he named different parts, he kissed her there. He lightly bit her earlobe, his hands sliding up the back of her shirt.

"And you're supposed to be the honorable one, Mister Mikaelson"

They spent the rest of the night making up for lost time…

~Elijah~

Around midnight, Riley had fallen asleep. Running his fingers through her short blonde hair, all he could think about was how she endured far more than anyone should at her age. Instead of enjoying the college experience, she was busy with helping to overthrow a vampire army and worrying about the well-being of her friends back in Mystic Falls. He remembered his conversation in the church attic with Davina. She had clearly regarded Riley as an idol of sorts, not believing it at first when one of the elders mentioned that the girl she met was the famous Gilbert witch. Upon hearing the news of her death, she was very distraught, leading to her doubts when Riley visited her in the attic. Despite her young age, Riley had endured more than most though it was not obvious from her carefree nature.

Quietly slipping out of the bed, he walked down to the kitchen. Klaus was sitting at the table with a half empty bottle of scotch.

"Having trouble sleeping, Niklaus?"

"Surprised to see you, brother. Has the happy reunion ended early?"

"Riley is asleep. It gives us a chance to speak privately. She told me everything"

"Everything?" he asked, swirling the scotch in his glass.

"How you masqueraded as me for months, your inappropriate behavior after Marcel's charity event…"

"You're awfully calm"

"I will stoop to violence. I appreciate that you apologized to her but you understand that I can't allow you to be alone with her until you prove that you'll respect our relationship and not act inappropriately"

Klaus chuckled. "No"

Elijah was used to his brother's stubbornness. He rarely gave into another person's demands, especially if they conflicted with his own desires.

"Niklaus"

"Perhaps her affections have strayed in your absence"

"I highly doubt that. I know that you're referring to a kiss you shared this morning. Riley admitted to it and that it meant nothing. She was feeling unwell. It's possible that those extremist witches cursed her or it's a consequence of what happened on the night of graduation"

"Or you can admit the obvious answer. She's chosen the better option"

"Unlikely. Do you honestly believe that Riley would act in such a manner? If you do, you do not know her at all. She said herself that it meant nothing"

"Well, her lips may have been saying no but her body was begging for it. Seems you're not giving her the pleasure she seeks"

Letting out a low growl, Elijah knocked the bottle of scotch to the floor and slammed his younger brother against the wall. He had been very patient with Klaus, aware of his obvious feelings for Riley. Though he had complete loyalty to his family, he would not allow Klaus to speak about a girl he loved in such a vulgar manner.

"I am warning you, Niklaus. You will not ever touch her again. If you act inappropriately with her or make her feel uncomfortable in any way, you will deal with me" he hissed in a threatening tone.

Elijah released his grip and returned to Riley's bedroom. A bottle of red herbs had tipped over, spilling onto the bed. Riley had received the herbs from a witch to calm her anxiety. A few crushed petals were in her palm. He laid down beside her and she nuzzled his chin. She quietly moaned in her sleep, clutching his shirt.

"Klaus"

He glanced down, thinking that he misheard her. She repeated his name over and over again. The petals fell from her hand and onto the bed.

"K—get off me. I don't want to do that. Stop it"

Curiously, he scooped up herbs from the jar and placed them on her hand. Once again, she said Klaus. The moment he brushed away the herbs, she stopped as though the dream was over. He wondered if the witch had cursed the herbs to cause Riley's uncharacteristic behavior. It seemed that when she made any sort of contact with the herb, it created a deep attraction to Klaus. After throwing the herbs in a trash bin, he stayed up for the rest of the night, contemplating reasons for such a curse…

---

A/N: Thanks for reading. With Elijah back, there will be a very different dynamic in the house. He is going to keep everyone in line, especially Klaus, while he and Riley try to be an actual couple for the first time in months. In the next chapter, Riley will pay a visit to Mystic Falls, an old friend will show up in New Orleans, and the reasons for her sudden feelings towards Klaus will be revealed, the aftermath of which will cause even more tension between Elijah and Klaus.