For What You Are

Hailey Stanton had missed the plane.

Never mind the fact that she felt like a complete idiot but she also felt as though her vampire speed was lacking. Honestly, it had taken her more than five minutes to get to the airport. That was two minutes longer than her record.

So she was lounging about at home obviously put out as she revisited an old Russian classic that she had been the inspiration for.

But when her exceptional hearing heard something crash downstairs she put the book down on the cushion beside her and shot to the bottom floor in a second. She smiled in relief when she saw who it was.

“Decided to use the door this time?” she said going over to hug her friend. “I must admit, I'm glad you didn’t leave me behind.”

When the figure that she had her arms wrapped around stood stiff as a board with her arms pinned to her side, Hailey stepped back curiously and upon taking a second glance her mouth opened in a soft ‘o’.

“Just because we were once friends Hailey doesn’t mean I forgive you.”

Hailey smiled sheepishly. “It was a hundred years ago K. C’mon!”

“You compelled me to forget Nathaniel!”

“Yes and I get that he was a huge part of your life but I will forever be indebted to Jayne and you know that.”

“You were my friend before you were hers. You were the one who always hid the truth when I remembered who I was. Yet somehow she still found out. Do I need to look far to figure out how?” Kara stared at Hailey stonily. Her faith in her friend had wavered so many times it was only now that she could remember each and every time they’d met. Each and every time they’d parted.

“I would never betray you even if she asked it of me. You are closer to a sister than anyone I've ever known K.”

Kara regarded Hailey’s sincerity cautiously. True, Hailey was the one person Kara felt close to. She supposed it was the love/hate relationship that most siblings had.

Dodging the question, she said, “Your husband’s on his way over. I expect that we’re all going to sit and have a chat about what’s going on in this town.”

“Truthfully K?” Hailey said. “If you want the whole story you’re going to need a bigger group than just Kale and I.”

“How many people…” Kara shook her head. “Scratch that. How many vampires are involved.”

Hailey hesitated before she began to list them off. “Me, Kale, Quentin, Jayden, Rodney, Sarah, Damon, Stefan, Caroline, Katherine and E-that’s it.”

Kara raised her eyebrow at the smiling blonde. “Are you sure?” she inquired, crossing her arms and leaning against the staircase railing. “I could’ve sworn you were about to say someone else.”

“Elijah,” she sighed.

“Elijah?” Kara repeated in surprise before the word actually recognised in her brain. “Elijah’s involved AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME!”

She ignored the ringing in her ears that the rise in decibels had caused and continued on, approaching Hailey with a dangerous glint in her eye.

“He tried to kill me. Multiple times. He killed my husband. He is the reason my sister is dead. He forced my best friend into turning. Shall. I. Go. On. Don’t even get me started on Klaus.”

Hailey gulped as Kara came within an inch of her nose. “You should have told me.”

Spinning on her heel she walked out of the room and slammed the door behind her. She knew that she had just acted like a teen with angst issues, but that was who she’d been for God knows how long. And because of the stupid original witch, she forever would be.

Her children are going to pay, Kara thought adamantly as she walked through Mystic Falls slowly to get to Ally’s house. They will pay if it is the last thing I do.

All she could think of as she unlocked the door and walked up to her room was that she needed to get some training in before she went on a suicide mission. Kara’s hit list was getting longer, but some more dead people were going to be revisiting the netherworld that night.

For the first time in several hundred years, Kara was going hunting.