Children Of The Damned

Eliana

I did the only thing I could think to do. I called Elena.

“Hello,” she said.

“Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have any more vervain, would you?” I asked her, trying to seem nonchalant about the whole thing.

“Yeah, I do. Why do you need it?”

“I was thinking it may be a good idea to get my parents to drink it in tea or something. I want to make sure they aren’t susceptible.”

“Yeah. I understand. Especially with the new vampire that has been attacking people in town. Stefan told me all about it a few days ago. He said they don’t really have much to go on as far as catching him.”

“Which is exactly why I want to protect my parents.”

____________________________________________________

Later that afternoon, I made tea for my parents, which I used to do all the time before we moved here to Virginia. But this time, I made it a little differently.

I brought it to them in their office, setting a cup and the kettle on the large desk between them. They had their desks pushed together, and they sat opposite to each other at the makeshift table.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” my mother said. My father barely looked up from his work, instead concentrating on tapping away at the keys.

I waited until they started to drink the tea before I left the room.

I wished I had someone else to confide in, but I found myself just as alone as when I first moved here. I knew that if I told Damon my insane stalker ex-boyfriend had turned vampire and come to kill me that Damon would only increase the security he and Stefan had already placed on me. It was clear (although dangerously risky) that the only way to be rid of Richard was to face him, something Damon would never allow me to do.

Then I realized there may be a way for me to get help without having to alert Damon. Stefan seemed to agree that my plan was the only one that work, and if I appealed to Stefan’s reason and told him to keep it between the two of us, then Damon would never have to know. The problem would be solved before he would eve have a chance to worry over me.

I decided I would have to wait for school on Monday to tell Stefan about this, when Damon wouldn’t be able to overhear our conversation.

_____________________________________________________________

“Stefan, can I talk to you?” I asked before we went to Government.

“Sure. When would you like to talk?”

“Right now,” I said, and he raised his eyebrows. I knew what he was thinking. I never skipped class.

But he didn’t protest, didn’t try to stop me as I pulled him through the hallway and outside. We walked out to a bench where the trees encroached over the walkway, and stopped.

Stefan sat on the bench and looked up at me expectantly. “So, what is this all about?”

“There is something I have to tell you, and you can’t tell Damon.”

Stefan’s expression became unreadable. “Ana, I promise that whatever you tell me will not leave the two of us, but do you really want to keep secrets from Damon? You are the only one in this world that he trusts without reservation. He loves you, and I would hate it if something that you kept from him were to break that trust he has in you.”

“I know that, Stefan. And I love him, which is why I want to get rid of this vampire as son as possible. I have something to tell you.”

“Yes?” he pressed.

“The rogue vampire is Richard.”

Stefan’s eyes widened.

“I take it you know who that is. It doesn’t surprise me that Damon told you. You should know about it.”

“How do you know it’s Richard.”

“He called me when I got home yesterday. So I got some more vervain from Elena and put it in my parents’ tea. That way he can’t compel them to let him in the house. And I started drinking it too, just in case I somehow lose the necklace or he takes it off me somehow. If he attacks me again, we’ll have him. Vervain kind of immobilizes you, right?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“Well, the point I am getting at is…I want you to help me with my plan of getting rid of him. Damon didn’t want to hear it, and I know if we tell him, he will only try to stop us. I want him gone. I would kill him myself if I got the chance. I don’t want him threatening us anymore, or hurting anyone I care about. Because what if next time he hurts Damon just because I care about him? What if he hurts Matt again? He already compelled him for information about me. And what if he…I don’t even want to think about what he might be capable of now that he is a vampire. He was crazy enough as a human.” I took a deep breath after I was finished with my speech, realizing I hadn’t exactly been breathing for most of it.

“What’s your plan exactly?”

“Well…”