THIRTEEN, Backstabbers!

GUILT SETTLED WITHIN Himari as her mind replayed her last conversation with Bonnie. All she could think about was how hurt the girl was and how she was the one to cause it. She had thought about going back to the Grill to apologize and confess everything she'd been keeping from everyone. But she didn't. She couldn't face Bonnie again so soon. Instead, she allowed the guilt to fester, becoming this hollow pit in her stomach, an ache in her heart, because she knew she had lost her friend.

The guilt grew with a torrent of other worries, each other clawing at her sanity. Amongst them the looming question of how to defeat Klaus without the Kitsune heart. The fear of death was now more prominent than the others plaguing her mind, more tangible and menacing than ever. It was eating away at her slowly, almost painfully, a torturous erosion of hope. She was being chipped away, piece by piece, taunted in the worst way by the real possibility of her demise. It was torture. She hated it- she hated feeling so hopeless and tired.

Himari wondered why the universe cursed her with this fate. Back then, it was clear she was made to be more powerful than Klaus. She was made to win by any means necessary. Her mother told her so. But now, her path was so uncertain- so unknown. It felt like she was approaching impending doom rather than victory. There was so much hardship in the midst of everything- so many obstacles. She didn't know how much longer she could go on, how long she could keep convincing herself this would all be worth it in the end.

Deep down, she knew it wouldn't be.

Killing Klaus was a burden if anything- a burden she realized too late she didn't want to carry anymore. It had twisted her, made her become this wretched creature existing for a single purpose. She wondered what could have been had she not been chosen as the vessel.

Would she have regrets?

Would her brother still be alive?

If Himari was being honest, she just wanted to be with Junpei again. Even if it meant her own death, because at least she would be free from this suffocating responsibility and she wouldn't have to care anymore.

She let out a shaky breath as she looked down briefly at her hands resting on her lap, then back out the car window. She had become such an anxious mess overnight. She wasn't sure if anyone had noticed- if Elijah had noticed and just wasn't commenting on it. She knew he was counting on her, he made it very clear he believed in her, so she was trying her best to keep it together for him. Despite the lack of trust on Himari's end for him, he had shown her he was the only one on her side.

And that meant something to Himari.

So much so that she agreed to go with Elijah to this dinner party being hosted by Damon Salvatore, of all people.

Himari wasn't a fool. She knew this was a trap, a ploy against her and Elijah, dripping with bad intentions. Damon didn't trust either of them, from the beginning he made it obvious. But she had ignored him, let him alive, for the sake of Elena's safety.

"This invite was not out of the kindness of his heart, you know," Himari said, tearing her gaze away from the window to glance at Elijah, who was driving with a calm demeanor.

He was always so calm.

"I'm well aware." The Original replied, a small, amused smile playing on his lips. The idea of the Salvatore planning to take them down was almost laughable to him.

"He's too confident," Himari muttered, her suspicion bubbling to the surface.

"He's foolish." He corrected.

"And what does that make us? What if we're walking right into his trap just like he wants?" The witch expressed.

"If he attempts to harm us, I'll kill him and everyone in the house then we'll take Elena," Elijah declared with a chilling certainty.

Himari believed him. He kept his word, especially when it came to revenge. They were alike in that sense. If she was feeling nervous about this dinner, it had slightly subsided for now thanks to his reassurance.

Her body relaxed, settling into the passenger seat. "Did you find what you looking for?"

It made sense now- why Elijah toured with Jenna- he wanted to find the location of the witch burial grounds. While Himari had been busy with keeping Elena and her friends safe, the Original was finding a way that guaranteed her victory against Klaus. Having the power of a hundred witches would be a huge help, especially since Himari would not have the Kitsune's heart anymore.

She was aware of the burial grounds. She just had no reason to find it until now.

"Unfortunately, no." He admitted, a sigh escaping his lips. He paused, his gaze fixated on the road ahead. "But I know who might be able to find it."

"You mean, Bonnie," Himari tensed, growing a bit uncomfortable.

"Indeed," Elijah affirmed with a nod, his gaze probing gently. He sensed a reluctance in her to discuss the matter, uncertain if she would be receptive to addressing it. "Did something... happen?"

She didn't want to. But after their last conversation, she felt inclined to. "Bonnie... most likely doesn't trust me anymore."

"And why is that?"

"She wants to know about the ritual- about how to save Elena. I told her that she can't." Himari explained, crossing her arms. "If I tell her the truth, it'll ruin everything. This is the only advantage I have right now."

Elijah seemed to understand as he only hummed thoughtfully. "We'll just have to find the burial grounds ourselves. Any ideas?"

Himari was versed in witch history- of course, she was- Elijah knew this and she wondered why he didn't ask her sooner.

"Well, from what I know, in the 1690s the Bennett coven migrated to Mystic Falls from Salem due to the witch trials. They created a community here for some time until an anti-witch hysteria occurred and the town decided to round up everyone they believed to be guilty of witchcraft and burned them alive as you already know."

Elijah gave her a look, unimpressed with the witch dragging out her answer with unnecessary details.

She smiled, innocently. "I've spent years, before you came to me, reading ancient texts and obscure lore about different covens. There were many references to sacred grounds and the power they possess. I needed to know if there were other ways to defeat Klaus without the Kitsune's heart just in case I found myself in this exact predicament."

"So you know where it is?"

"I do."

"And you failed to mention this to me sooner, why?"

"You never asked?" She replied casually, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

Elijah soon pulled into the Salvatore boarding house. There were a few cars outside that Himari didn't quite recognize- the only one somewhat familiar was Jenna's car which she
remembered from earlier that day. She wondered how Elena's aunt was coerced into attending tonight. She wondered how tonight was going to go with the premonition of how badly things could turn out. Because despite the ongoing turmoil happening within her, Himari still needed to focus- to be on the lookout for anything suspicious once she stepped foot into unknown territory.

She reminded herself, that if she did suspect something was off, to let Elijah know immediately.

The sound of a car engine shutting off pulled the witch out of her thoughts. A wave of nerves washed over her as she got out of the vehicle, her eyes scanning the house- it was an old-looking house. Normal. However, the darkness looming over gave it an ominous appearance. She continued to stare for a moment, trying to pinpoint the exact feeling it was causing her. Maybe, she was on edge, and possibly dreading the idea of spending the evening with people she did not trust.

Himari felt a sharp pain in her head, making her bring a hand to her temple. It was minor, but it was there- it only lasted a second before it disappeared. Her hand fell as a frown crept onto her face and confusion consumed her.

"Are you alright?" Elijah asked. He had noticed her discomfort.

Himari blinked, turning to face him. "Yes. Let's just get this over with."

He didn't believe her, but he wouldn't argue with her. He had tested the waters enough for today.

They approached the main entrance, side by side. Elijah knocked and almost immediately, the door opened revealing Damon with a grin.

"Good evening." Elijah greeted.

"Thank you for coming." Damon stepped to the side, allowing room for them to enter. "Please, come in."

Himari observed the vampire intently, searching for any subtle clues- or tells- that let her know of his true intentions. She was mildly impressed by the calm demeanor, masking whatever ulterior motives he might have. She knew better than to trust this facade, but to keep him guessing, she would play along as if she were clueless.

"Just one moment." Elijah had a different approach. "Can I just say that if you have less than honorable intentions about how this evening is going to proceed, I suggest you reconsider."

"No, nothing, nothing dishonorable." Damon shook his head. "Just, uh, getting to know you both."

"Mhm. Well, that's good." Elijah smiled just barely as he finally entered.

"Yeah," Damon agreed, his gaze flickering briefly toward Himari.

Himari followed suit and then stopped in front of Damon. She met his gaze, again searching for something while maintaining her scrutiny. "You've seen what I've done to Katherine firsthand so if you're planning anything... impolite. I assure you, I'll do my absolute worst to you and whoever else is in this house."

The vampire cringed. "I'll be on my best behavior, just for you."

"Oh, I hope so." She responded tersely, brushing past him without another glance, eager to be away from his presence.

Himari spotted Jenna and Elijah further down the hall, already greeting each other. She soon approached them as the front door shut.

Himari didn't expect this dinner to go so smoothly. In all honesty, she anticipated complete chaos. She felt crazy for even considering the worst outcome of tonight. But despite the normalcy, she didn't trust Damon. Not even a little bit. She knew how to deceive people so his nice act wasn't going unnoticed by her. But making it obvious that she knew wasn't smart so she decided to eat her food and engage in conversation like everyone else even if she wanted no part in it.

It would make the time pass by quicker.

"I hate to break it to you, Damon, but according to Elijah, your family is so not the founder of this town," Jenna says while pouring the vampire another drink.

"Hmm, do tell." Damon turned to the Original.

"Well, as I mentioned to Jenna earlier a faction of settlers migrated from Salem after the witch trials in the 1690s. Over the next hundred years, they developed this community where they could feel safe from persecution." Elijah explained.

"Hmm, because they were witches." Jenna sounded unconvinced.

"Yeah, there's no tangible proof there were witches in Salem." Andie, Damon's... girlfriend, rebutted.

"Andie's a journalist. Big on facts." He agreed.

Himari couldn't refrain from commenting. "Well, technically, there's no tangible proof there weren't witches either." Her tone was light in a way. "Just imagine, Damon, your ancestors could have been hiding broomsticks and caldrons in the attic all this time."

Damon shot Himari a subtle glare, his lip curling into a grin.

Elijah raised an eyebrow, amused by her playful jab. He looked to Jenna, his expression serene. "Well, the lore says that there was this wave of anti-witch hysteria. It broke out in the neighboring settlement so these witches were rounded up. They were tied to stakes in a field together and, uh, burned. Some say you could hear the screams from miles around us. They were consumed by the fire. Could you pass the..."

Himari grew uncomfortable at his words. The retelling of witches being massacred made her lose the very little appetite she had. She looked down pushing the plate in front of her away, tuning out the rest of the conversation. She needed this night to be over. If this was just a dinner party then she didn't care to be here any longer. It was a waste of time- time she didn't have to spare. She needed to go find Elena and do the spell that would bind them together before Klaus arrived.

She couldn't dwell on the thought much longer as her head began to pound again. It was the same feeling from earlier just stronger, more aggressive. She attempted to hide it until it was over but then she smelled the familiar metallic tang. It was coming from her- from her nose. Himari wiped it subtly, the crimson substance staining her skin. Her brows knitted together as she swallowed harshly. She hasn't gotten a nosebleed since she was a child.

It didn't make sense.

She looked at Damon, who was already watching her closely. She hesitated, before standing up from her chair. "Where's your bathroom?"

"Oh, um, down the hall to your left." He replied casually, pointing in said direction.

Himari didn't stay to watch for reactions to her sudden departure. She hurriedly made her way to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. She slowly moved toward the sink -which had an oval-shaped mirror above it- placing her hands on either side of it. Her face twisted with confusion at the sight of the remnants of blood under her nose and how much continued to drip. She felt as if there were a band growing tighter and tighter around her head, with every passing second, squeezing relentlessly.

This has never happened to her before.

Maybe, it was punishment from her ancestors for not being able to get ahold of the Kitsune's heart.

She turned on the faucet, looking down at her hands, more specifically the one stained with blood, she put it under the running water. Her bracelets and rings clanged together as she did. She scrubbed and scrubbed until her hands were practically raw and the blood had disappeared. While doing so, she had noticed one of her bracelets were gone. It took her a moment to remember she had given it to Bonnie so that she could channel her whenever she needed to.

Then the realization set in.

Bonnie was channeling Himari.

But this felt like more than some stupid beginner spell. It was too much. Himari knew it was too much for Bonnie or else the girl wouldn't need to channel her.

Himari's gut told her Bonnie was performing a dangerous spell. It had to be for this sort of reaction. Whatever Bonnie was trying to do, it needed to stop or she could get hurt.

Through the dizziness and the endless pounding sensation, Himari couldn't even force herself to concentrate. She wanted to at least try to help Bonnie finish up so that the pain would cease and maybe as a way of apologizing. But a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Himari? Are you okay in there? You left in such a hurry."

It was Andie.

Disappointment settled within Himari, hoping it would've at least been Elijah. She held back the urge to groan and instead, she rolled her eyes. She dried her hands and composed herself before exiting the bathroom.

Andie stood there with this expression, Himari couldn't quite pinpoint. She looked void of any real emotions, even the smile she wore seemed fake. Whoever she was looking at seemed detached in a way.

"Sorry, I just needed some space."

"Is everything okay?" Andie asked, concern laced in her words.

"Yeah. Everything's fine." Himari forced a smile of her own.

"Well, the girls are being tasked with cleaning up while the gentlemen go to the study." She filled the witch in, leading her to the kitchen.

Himari grew annoyed. She didn't feel like cleaning up after anybody and she wouldn't. "Oh, I actually need to find Elijah. It's important."

"Oh, okay. You could meet us when you're done?" Andie suggested.

"Sure." Himarri lied, walking in the opposite direction.

She quickly made her to the study, her steps were urgent. Bonnie channeling her and Damon hosting this party couldn't be a coincidence. She needed to let Elijah know before something happened to either of them.

Entering the room, she found the Original admiring the collection of books Damon had while the Salvatore stayed suspiciously close to the liquor.

Elijah was the first to notice her presence. "Himari, finally someone I can tolerate."

A sense of relief filled him seeing the witch. After her sudden departure, he grew worried for her. It was unlike her to just leave without even sparing him a glance.

She managed a light chuckle. "Damon's company can't be that horrible."

"I much prefer yours."

"Don't flatter me, Elijah."

Damon's gaze remained fixated on Himari since she entered, his demeanor unreadable yet clearly assessing. She could almost feel his satisfaction at her evident discomfort since she abruptly left the dinner table.

"Get a room, you two," Damon quipped, taking a long swig of his drink.

Himari suppressed any retort she had, her focus now on taking Elijah somewhere with a little more privacy.

"Gentlemen," Alaric grunted as he opened the door. "...And, uh, lady. We forgot about dessert."

Himari narrowed her eyes at the man's awkward greeting, then turned back to Elijah and extended her hand out for him. The Original gave his drink back to Damom, who graciously downed it, before accepting her hand.

They left the room and the witch's face dropped, her entire demeanor changing in a split second. She led Elijah to somewhere quiet, letting his hand go.

"Something is wrong." She expressed, her voice was barely a whisper so that only he could hear.

"What happened?"

"Bonnie is channeling me and it's causing some... weird symptoms," Himari explained, "I'm feeling everything she feels. The reason I had left the dinner was because my nose started to bleed. Elijah, that's not normal. Not for me."

Elijah took in this information. "And you think... it's connected somehow?"

"It must be. It feels too coincidental for it not to be something."

Frustration took over Elijah, and Himari could also see anger slowly etching into his sharp features.

"We need to think about this," Himari told him, pulling him a bit closer. "If they think they have the upper hand then let them believe that. We'll stay calm- if they plan to weaken me only then it's going to take a lot more than channeling me."

Elijah sighed deeply, composing himself from acting on any irrational ideas. A tight smile pulled at his lips, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Inwardly, he was fuming.

So was she.

"Let us rejoin the party." He suggested, interlocking their arms.

Himari didn't fight it like she would've done before. She just went with it. She trusted Elijah knew what he was doing- that he wouldn't do something reckless. Because if he was anything, he was clever.

They entered the dining room, and Himari's keen eyes immediately fell on John Gilbert, Elena's father. As she settled back into her seat next to him, she noticed his deliberate avoidance of eye contact, his demeanor guarded and tense. He didn't really say much throughout the entire dinner, he had only spared her, Damon, and Elijah hostile glances, making it clear he harbored deep mistrust toward anything supernatural.

(Neither of them had noticed Alaric disappearing.)

"You don't want to be here." She remarked casually, her words catching the man off guard.

"Excuse me?"

"You look miserable. Why are you here?" She pressed further, her tone probing yet oddly playful.

John took the bait. He leaned forward as he regarded her. "Why are you?"

"It's in my... nature to be curious." Himari shrugged, taking a swig of her wine. She hated the dry, tart taste of it. She preferred something more sweet. "What's your excuse?"

"Jenna mentioned she'd be here, so I thought I'd tag along." He said, his reasoning was very vague.

"So, you invited yourself." The witch corrected, she found amusement in his evasive response.

"I guess you could say I was... curious too," John's voice was tinged with a bit of sarcasm and challenge.

Himari tilted her head, squinting her eyes ever so slightly as her gaze remained unwavering. She let out a small hum of amusement, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

"Curiosity can get you killed, you know," She taunted and his confidence faltered. She saw the uncertainty flickering over his features.

"Are you threatening me?" He questioned, almost in a whisper.

Himari noticed his hand had twitched.

"You're Elena's father, so I have to protect you." She placed her wine glass down deliberately before continuing. "But that doesn't mean I won't kill you if I find out you were complicit in Damon's true intentions for tonight."

"...Elena hates him, so there's absolutely no need to keep him on the endangered species list," Damon interjected smoothly, inserting himself into their conversation with a smirk.

Himari doubted Elena wanted that.

"What I'd like to know is how you intend to kill Klaus?" John ignored him, redirecting his question toward Elijah and Himari.

"Isn't that the million-dollar question?" The witch leaned back into her seat.

"Gentlemen, there's a few things we should probably get clear right now." Elijah's voice grew serious and the room tense. "I allow you to live solely to keep an eye on Elena. I allow Elena to remain in her house living her life with her friends as she does as a courtesy. If you become a liability, I'll take her and you'll never see her again."

Himari waited for Damon or John to say something- to argue with Elijah. But they remained silent as she expected.

The silence that overtook the room was deafening and uncomfortable.

Though it didn't last very long.

An agonizing scream consumed the stillness.

Himari pushed her chair back, the legs of it screeching against the wooden floor. Her eyes quickly found Elijah with a dagger through his heart, slowly desiccating before her. Alaric had stabbed him. Anger surged through her at the sight of her... friend in such a state.

Without hesitation, she made a gesture with her hand causing Alaric to fly across the room, knocking him out in the process, with the dagger still in his grasp.

It was out of Elijah. Good.

Her eyes found Damon's and before she could even think about hurting him, she felt a sharp pain in her neck, almost like a needle poking through her skin. The sensation was familiar- it was unwelcomed and it hurt. Her body immediately reacted to it as she let out a hiss of pain. She grabbed the syringe from her neck, smashing the glass barrel part of it as she turned around to confront the culprit.

It was John staring back at her with a look of slight terror and caution.

Her skin was burning now, it was like an itch in her veins that she couldn't reach. She knew exactly what it was- this feeling- it was the same as the day Elijah rescued her from those vampires Klaus had sent. She needed to leave this place- escape somehow. She couldn't go against them knowing her powers were going to fade.

The poison was spreading like wildfire.

Her connection to her necklace was being severed, she could feel the warmth of her necklace grow cold against her skin, and her vision was beginning to blur as fear engulfed her like flames.

How could they have access to the poison?

Damon took out his own syringe, seeing an opportunity in Himari's state of confusion, he sped towards her and slammed her against the wall.

Himari felt the air being knocked out of her. He held her in place for a moment in an attempt to inject her but the witch grabbed his wrist before he could. It was a power struggle and she was winning -she was much older, much stronger- and Damon knew that. The hand holding his wrist suddenly felt like fire like he was burning in the sun, making him loosen his grip on the syringe and enough for Himari to break free. She used the bits of magic she had left to snap Damon's neck.

She watched him fall to the ground, landing with a thud.

She quickly turned to John, contemplating just how she should deal with him. But then her eyes found Elijah's lifeless body, and she knew this would be her only chance to escape so she ran to him.

Without a second thought, she used her speed for the first time in a while to get them out of there.

Himari didn't know what to do- all she felt was anger. It boiled underneath her skin much like the poison coursing through her. She never expected things to go this way- she had hoped for the best so that Elena could live her life normally until it was time for the ritual. But that seemed to be too much to ask. She should've taken the doppelgänger when she had the chance instead of sparing her feelings and friends. They have proven to be a nuisance more than they were helpful.

She had grown tired of playing nice and controlling herself.

Obviously, it didn't seem to matter.

Her face twisted with discomfort and annoyance all at once as she approached Elena's lake house at an eerie pace. A red car was parked outside-it belonged to Stefan- it let her know she was at the right location.

She had left Elijah's body at home and had foolishly come by herself. She knew it wasn't a smart idea but common sense hadn't been her main priority.

The front door stood ajar, but no one was at the entrance. Himari walked up the stairs that led to the porch, her eyes scanned the area around her for any signs of life.

"Stefan, I know you can hear me. I want Elena." She called out menacingly, awaiting a response. At first, it was quiet. Himari's patience had been long worn out so this irritated her.

"Himari..." The wooden floorboards creaked as a soft voice finally replied. "I know you're upset."

"Elena," Himari responded sharply, her tone causing the doppelgänger to wince slightly. "I'm glad you know."

Elena emerged from the darkness, revealing the visage of guilt she wore. Her arms were crossed tightly against her chest to appear harmless. She didn't like the feeling that set in her stomach as she looked at the witch. It made her uneasy and a bit fearful of what she might do to her and her friends.

"Did you know?" The witch simply asked.

"No, no, I didn't." She shook her head vehemently. "I swear I didn't know anything."

Himari found that hard to believe but she was tired of arguing. She took a step closer to the doorframe, her hard gaze unwavering from Elena. "You know, I tried to be kind and let you live your life as you please. And still, your father tried to kill me- Alaric killed Elijah- these people you hold dear have become nothing but a bother."

"You must be angry- I get that-" She began tentatively.

"-Anger would be an understatement."

"I understand. I do." Elena uncrossed one of her arms as she took a step closer. "They were just worried for me, but they shouldn't have done what they did. I'm sorry."

"The deal is off." Himari didn't want to hear an apology, it fell on deaf ears. Words couldn't mend what was already done.

"I'm renegotiating."

"Oh, really?" Himari challenged. "I don't care to keep your friends safe anymore if they're just going to do whatever they want in the end. There's no point."

Elena then revealed a knife and Himari looked at her with a flat expression, unimpressed by this poor attempt at negotiation. However, a small part of her worried about how far Elena was willing to go.

"If you don't have a doppelgänger, you can't lore Klaus into Mystic Falls," Elena argued.

"Are you threatening me with your life?" The witch says, now face to face with her. "What's that your plan? To bleed to death in front of me as if I would ever let that happen."

Elena inhaled, swallowing harshly at the proximity between them. "No, you wouldn't." She repeated. "But you don't have your powers right now so Stefan will feed me his blood and I'll just kill myself and become a vampire just like Katherine did."

Himari scowled at the mention of the vampire. "I haven't stepped into this house yet as a courtesy- to give you a choice to come with me willingly. But my patience is wearing thin, Elena."

"Then promise me the same as before- promise me... you won't harm anyone that I love, even if they've harmed you. That you'll keep me and my friends safe like you said you would."

"That's not fair."

"Promise me."

Himari scoffed, taking a step back, her eyes challenging the doppelgänger. She was unconvinced.

Elena noticed the doubtful expression the witch had and she suddenly grew nervous at the idea of stabbing herself. But protecting her friends came easy to her so she took a deep breath, hesitating for a moment before she drove the knife straight through her stomach. Her knees buckled and she let out a cry. Elena quickly removed the knife and let it drop to the ground with a loud clank.

Himari gasped as her eyes widened at the sight, she immediately rushed forward to Elena and grabbed her before she could fall. She regretted ever challenging Elena to prove a point.

The blood was gushing rapidly from the wound- so much was coming out.

Himari put a hand on top of it in an attempt to stop the bleeding, unbothered by getting stained. She would've used her magic to help, but it hadn't come back yet. A sense of hopelessness washed over her at the realization.

"Promise... me," Elena whispered, trying again even through the pain.

"What?" Himari blinked, still in a daze.

"Promise me," Elena repeated, her eyes pleading.

Himari looked at her, confused by the way she was still fighting to renegotiate their deal. Elena's lack of will to live worried her.

"Okay. I... I promise." The witch agreed and she felt Elena's body relax against hers as her head now rested on Himari's shoulder.

Himari found herself holding her tightly as if she were going to disappear. It was quiet, the only thing that could be heard was Elena's staggered breathing.

The witch wondered why Stefan hadn't shown up yet to heal his girlfriend.

Himari grew wary, she began to loosen her hold on her-

"Elena..."

And then It happened again.

She felt the burning sensation in her back and she cried out in agony, crumbling to the ground.

She looked up at Elena, who was holding another needle filled with that same poison. At that moment, Himari had never felt so betrayed. For Elena, the person she trusted most, to inject her with the one thing that could render her powerless, it was almost like a cruel joke.

"I'm so sorry, Himari..."

It was the last thing she heard before darkness soon followed.