World So Cold

I opened my eyes slightly as a surge of Power came over my mind. It stirred me into consciousness. Blinking the fog clear I tried to focus on who was in front of me. The world spun but when it did come into focus I thought I’d faint again from joy or relief.

“Damon,” I mouthed, my throat torn and dry. I blinked back tears so that I could see his face. I had missed him. His black eyes were filled with relief yet still held concern.

“Juliet,” said Damon relieved that I hadn’t been dead. He pushed strands of my hair back to better see my face. Suddenly I felt her coming. I could feel the Power drawing nearer and she was angry. The hatred caused me to shudder.

Working up the strength I managed to whisper one word. “Katherine.” Then the world went black again and I was left to guess what would happen to him.

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I was awakened sometime later by another, stronger, blast of Power. I looked up into the blue eyes of Katherine with positive hatred. “They didn’t kill you,” I said disgustedly.

“No, they didn’t,” she said and looked at me like I was stupid. Then she yanked the chains off of my wrists and the thought of escape crossed my mind. But then she pulled out some rope and tied my hands behind my back. Next I was being pulled me along a tunnel towards some light. It was brighter due to the many candles that were lit.

She pushed me into the room and I stumbled. I almost fell but she caught me again and held me up. She was playing with me. Deep inside of me I felt anger surge up but I was too weak and exhausted to do anything about it.

I looked about the room and that’s when I felt more anger and hatred well up in my chest along with an overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness. I felt my knees practically give out, Katherine being the only thing holding me up.

She continued to drag me to an iron gate where she tied me up. I gave no struggle as I simply stared at the scene before me. As she let me go I sagged against the gate as I struggled to go to him. Damon lay on the floor. He was bloody and mangled. His throat had been chewed open. I would have thought he was dead if it hadn’t been for the fact that I could still sense a bit of his life force coming from him. It was weak but there.

“You did this,” I hissed, turning my gaze towards Katherine. My eyes were narrowed and focused on one thing, her. I was trying to see if I could manage to get free and kill her. I wanted to wring her neck and choke the life out of her.

“He was mean to me,” she pouted. “I have to go see how things are doing,” she said before disappearing. As soon as she left I broke down in huge, heaving sobs as I cried. I begged Damon to wake up, to get up and run away. But he stayed down, unmoving. He seemed to be barely hanging on. All hope was lost.

When I stopped sobbing, from exhaustion and lack of strength, Stefan woke up. I was aware of him and Elena when I entered but I had focused on what mattered to me most, Damon. Stefan and Elena were both still tied up like I was. Tears still ran down my face as I turned towards Stefan.

As Stefan opened his eyes I could see the haunted look in them. He was obviously haunted by the fact that Katherine was still alive. And by the fact that we were all going to die. “Stefan,” I whispered. His face turned to look at me and surprise registered in his face.

“Why are you here?” he asked. “I thought you left two weeks ago?”

“I tried,” I said still in a whisper. My throat hurt too much to speak above much else. “Katherine stopped me before I could.”

“What does she want with you?” I saw him flinch as the ropes twisted about his wrists.

“Same thing that she wants with Elena. She hates me because Damon loves me.” Saying out loud felt weird. I had never done it before. But I knew it was true when I said it. I could tell Stefan accepted it quite easily too. He simply nodded before turning his head and staring off at a portion of the wall.

“Where did she go?” asked Stefan after a moment.

“She said she went to see how things are doing. Whatever that means.” I leaned against the gate trying to relieve pressure from my hands and wrists. She really tied them tight.

“She’s sending the dogs to attack everyone. She’s trying to kill them all.” His voice was filled with hatred and disgust. But his tone also told me he’d given up. He had no hope for himself or anyone. We were all dead. Conversation died after that.

Elena woke soon after. She looked around somewhat dazedly. Damon? she thought as she looked at his still motionless body. I still wished he would wake up and just run. Just get away from here but there seemed to be no such hope.

Stefan? she thought turning her head the other way. Juliet? she said even more confused. I gave a slow nod of my head in acknowledgement before turning back to look at a section of wall. I was trying to avoid staring at Damon.

Elena Stefan returned. Elena didn’t yet know how to channel her thoughts to one specific person. She was like an open book. Apparently the Power was so new to Stefan he didn’t yet either. In a sense he was young too.

Where is she? Elena said.

She went up there awhile ago. Maybe to check on how the dogs are doing.

Elena, I’m sorry. I could hear Stefan’s voice filled with such emotion that words couldn’t express it.

It’s not your fault, Stefan. You didn’t do this to her. She did it to herself. Or—it just happened to her, because of what she is. What we are. It could have been me, she said.

No! said Stefan sharply. You could never become like that. Elena didn’t answer.

We all have those killer urges I said to Elena. What we do with them, defines us. Elena sent me a nod of recognition and thanks. Even if she didn’t fully believe it now, she appreciated the gesture.

I thought Damon was going to betray us, she said, this time to me and Stefan.

I did too, said Stefan. He looked at Damon with an odd expression.

Damon cares more than you know, I said to both of them as I looked at him also. I’m sure the longing in my gaze was easy to read.

Do you still hate him? Elena asked.

Stefan’s gaze darkened. No, he said quietly. No, I don’t hate him anymore. Elena nodded.

Juliet? she asked.

Really, I never did. I don’t think I could. Elena simply nodded at this too. Suddenly all of us tensed as something shadowed the entrance to the crypt.

She’s coming. Elena—

I love you, Stefan, Elena said hopelessly, as the misty white shape hurtled down.

Katherine took form in front of us. “I don’t know what’s happening,” she said, looking annoyed. “You’re blocking my tunnel.” She peered behind Elena again, toward the broken tomb and the hole in the wall. “That’s what I use for getting around,” she went on, seemingly unaware of Damon’s body at her feet. “It goes beneath the river. So I don’t have to cross over running water, you see. Instead, I cross under it.” She looked at us as if waiting for their appreciation of the joke.

“I’m going to kill you now,” Katherine said conversationally. “Then I’m going under the river to kill your friends. I don’t think the dogs have done it yet. But I’ll take care of it myself.”

“Let Elena go,” said Stefan. His voice was quenched but compelling all the same.

“I haven’t decided how to do it,” said Katherine, ignoring him. “I might roast you. There’s enough light for that now. And I’ve got these.” She reached down the front of her gown and brought her closed hand out. “One—two—three—four!” she said dropping two silver rings and two gold onto the ground. Their stones shone blue as Katherine’s eyes, blue as the stone in the necklace at Katherine’s throat.

“Without these you’ll die,” Katherine said, scuffing the rings carelessly with the toe of one foot. “But I don’t know if that’s slow enough.” She paced back to the far wall, her silver dress shimmering in the dim light. “There are other ways,” Katherine said. “I could cut you and watch you bleed. I like watching.”

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Elena’s hands moving against her ropes. I didn’t dare show any sign of noticing or recognition. I made sure to keep the same bored, hopeless expression on my face. “Or rats,” Katherine was saying pensively. “Rats could be fun. I could tell them when to start and when to stop.” Katherine went right up to Stefan.

“I think I’ll start with you,” she said pushing her face close to his. “I’m hungry again. And you’re so sweet, Stefan. I forgot how sweet you were. Or you,” she said turning to me. “You’re positively addicting.”

Katherine smiled suddenly, her blue eyes sparkling. “I know! I’ll drink you almost up,” she was saying to Stefan, “and make you watch while I kill her! I’ll leave you just enough strength so you see her die before you do. Doesn’t that sound like a good plan?” Blithely, she clapped her hands and pirouetted again, dancing away.

Katherine moved close to the rectangle of light coming from the opening. Katherine took one more step. “That’s it, then!” She started to turn around. “What a good—”

Elena suddenly rushed at Katherine. She struck Katherine with her full weight. The impact knocked both of them into the rectangle of light. Katherine’s head cracked against the stone floor. I could see Elena’s body immediately start to turn red from the sun.

“Elena!” Stefan screamed, with mind and voice. I saw him start to struggle to get out his ropes. Desperately he tried to get to Elena. He knew it would kill her to stay there longer.

My eyes were glued onto Katherine and Elena though. I felt Power surge from Katherine as her eyes focused on Elena. Her mouth twisted with rage, fangs bursting forth. They were so long they cut into the lower lip. That distorted mouth opened in a howl.

Elena’s hand fumbled at Katherine’s throat. Her fingers closed on the cool metal of Katherine’s blue necklace. With a sharp, quick pull she wrenched the chain free. Katherine’s clawing hand scrabbled at it wildly. She hit the necklace and it spun away into the shadows.

“Elena!” Stefan called again in that dreadful voice. I could tell Elena was dying as the tension went out of her body. She was completely red, with blisters and welts appearing on her skin. Katherine’s warped face looked directly up. Instead of a howl, there was a shrieking that kept rising in pitch.

Katherine’s face was rifting, cracking open. Lines of fire opened in it. The screaming reached a crescendo. Katherine’s hair was aflame, her skin was blackening. I saw Stefan lunge across the small space, reaching for Elena.

He grabbed her shoulders and yanked her out of the way of the sun. He immediately turned her over and cradled her in his arms, pulling her into his lap. Stefan’s own arms were red from the sun, his wrists bleeding from tearing free of the ropes. His face was filled with stricken horror and grief.

Elena’s eyes seemed to fill with tears before closing. That’s when Stefan began to cry. Tears ran down his face and onto Elena as he held her in his arms.