CHAPTER FIFTEEN | THE DINNER PARTY

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SINCE DAMON FLAT-OUT REGRETTED HER AFTER THEY KISSED, RILEY COULDN'T FACE BEING STUCK IN THE HOUSE WITH DAMON. Caroline had called and asked if they could meet for coffee, and Riley completely jumped at the chance to speak with the Forbes vampire since she needed advice. Riley couldn't bring herself to talk to Stefan about her complicated feelings for his brother. Elena was too consumed in her sacrifice drama and, Bonnie was too busy.

"Wait, let me get this right in my head." Caroline furrowed her brows as her index finger danced around the rim of her coffee cup. "You and Damon Salvatore?!"

Riley's eyes widened at how loud Caroline was being, especially since she didn't want the entire world to know what had happened. "Yes, please, Caroline. Tell the entire Grill that I got fricken rejected."

"Oh. Sorry, sorry! I just— I can't imagine it."

"Can't imagine what? Him and I kissing, or him rejecting me?" The witch raised an eyebrow as a small scoff left her lips.

"Uh. Both?" Caroline told her just as took a small sip of her coffee. "No. No, I just mean that you're you. And, Damon's Damon."

"And, up is up. And, down is down. You're correct, Caroline."

"What I mean is that you're way too good for someone like Damon, who quite literally only cares about killing innocent people, and killing people who have pissed him off." The Forbes girl heavily sighed as she saw the disappointed look on Riley's face. "When did this even start? Your feelings for Damon, I mean."

"I wish I knew. I guess he and I always had this bond. But, when Rose died she mentioned something. I guess, when I thought it was just me, I overlooked it." The strawberry-blonde witch rested her head in her hands. "But, now it's all I can think about."

"Have you spoken to Stefan about it?" Caroline raised an eyebrow as she watched Riley vigorously shake her head. "And, why not?"

"Hey, Stefan. How's it going? So, I know you're on a romantic break with your girlfriend, who's about to get sacrificed in some creepy blood ritual. But, I was wondering if I could have some advice about my complicated feelings for your brother and the fact that I kissed him." Riley rolled her eyes and glared at Caroline. "Doesn't sound great, does it?"

"Well, not when you say it like that." Caroline countered just as Riley's phone vibrated on the table. She watched the witch open the text, then roll her eyes. "Let me guess, jackass himself?"

"Yup. Apparently, there's something going down this afternoon involving Elijah. Which means, unless I want Damon dead, I should probably go." Riley rolled her eyes and carefully lifted herself from her chair.

"Look at it this way, if Damon dies, you're free of your rejection issue."

"If only it were that simple." Riley chuckled softly. "See you soon, Care."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Once Riley had arrived back at the Salvatore house, she had quickly become accustomed to Damon and Alaric's plan for Elijah. The Salvatore was hosting a dinner party where he would get all the information he needed from Elijah, then he was going to dagger him. The plan seemed simple enough, but Riley knew that something was bound to go wrong.

After getting ready for the dinner date, Riley headed back down the staircase just as the doorbell rang, and considering she was stood by the door, she was the one who answered it. As she pulled the door open, expecting Elijah, she was met with John Gilbert instead. "Oh. It's you."

"John." Damon stepped into a view as John sauntered into the house. "What a surprise. Leave."

"When Jenna told me she was coming to a dinner party for Elijah, I decided I couldn't miss out on all the fun and games," John told Damon and Riley, just as Jenna rolled her eyes and wandered off.

"They aren't gonna be any games tonight, John. It's just a friendly dinner party." Alaric told the Gilbert man with a serious look on his face.

"Right. Well, I think I'll stay. You know, just in case." John shrugged, tossed the Salvatore a smirk as he moved further into the house.

"Wonderful." Riley rolled her eyes, but just as she was about to head over to the table, the doorbell rang again. This time when she opened it, it was Elijah who stood at the doorstep. "Elijah. Welcome."

"Riley. What a pleasure. You look stunning." The Original vampire grinned as he admired the strawberry-blonde's outfit, but Damon stepped into view the moment he heard Elijah complimenting Riley. "Just one moment. Can I just say that if you have anything less than honorable intentions about how this evening is going to proceed, I suggest you reconsider?"

"No, no. Nothing dishonorable. Just, uh— getting to know you." Damon innocently smiled as he absentmindedly snaked his arm around Riley's waist, which suddenly made her tense up.

"Hm. That's good." Elijah stepped inside the Salvatore house but halted once he was beside Damon. "Because, you know, although Elena and I have this deal if you so much as to make a move to cross me I'll kill you both and everyone in this house." His eyes darted to Riley, then to Damon. "Apart from her. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Damon muttered Elijah's smile returned to his face the moment he saw Jenna.

"Behave," The strawberry-blonde witch warned Damon just before they all headed over to their seats at the large dining table that was situated in the center of the room.

"I hate to break it to you, Damon, but, according to Elijah, your family is so not a founder of this town," Jenna couldn't help but smirk as she poured herself and Riley a glass of wine.

"Really? That is strange. I was always under the impression his family was a founding family." Riley raised an eyebrow.

Damon rolled his eyes and glanced to the Original vampire who sat across from him. "Hm. Do tell?"

"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.

"Hm. Because they were witches." Elena's Aunt giggled to herself. Riley assumed that she clearly had far too much wine.

"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 miles around us. They were consumed by the fire. Could you pass the—" Elijah's eyes drifted to the food on the table that was out of reach.

"I wouldn't repeat this to the historical society."

"It's starting to sound a little like a ghost story to me." John Gilbert spoke up from the far end of the table, though it was clear nobody cared about his opinion.

"That's brilliant, John." The witch rolled her eyes in his direction. "Thanks for sharing."

Damon quietly scoffed about how blunt Riley was to John, but then attempted to compose himself as he turned his attention back to Elijah. "So, why do you wanna know the location of these alleged massacres?"

"You know, healthy historian's curiosity, of course." Elijah nodded with a smirk on his face. He knew that Damon was trying to get information out of him, and he had no intention of sharing out.

"Lovely," Riley mumbled.

After a short intermission between the main and dessert course of the meal, Elijah and Damon headed into the study to chat about the rest of the components for the sacrifice whilst Riley made sure that they could speak uninterrupted. But, once Damon and Elijah returned to their seats at the table, The Salvatore had an unreadable look on his face.

"Elijah, did John tell you he's Elena's uncle-slash-father." Damon raised an eyebrow toward the Gilbert man, who sat directly across from him.

"Yes. I'm well aware of that." Elijah nodded.

"Of course, she hates him. So, there's absolutely no need to keep him on the endangered species list." The Salvatore viciously spoke whilst Riley furrowed her brows. He knew that Damon hated John, but she assumed something must've transpired in the time he was away from the table.

"What I'd like to know, Elijah, is how you intend on killing Klaus?" John ignored Damon's comment and turned his attention to Elijah.

"There are a few things we should probably get clear right now. 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 away from you. You'll never see her again." Elijah bluntly responded, but just as he finished speaking a loud scream escaped his lips and his body dropped against the dining table.

"What the hell—" Riley gasped in horror as soon as Elijah's body dropped and she saw Alaric was responsible for daggering Elijah. "Jesus, Ric!"

"If a vampire daggers an Original, they die. Isn't that right, John?" Alaric explained for the benefit of the strawberry-blonde, whose eyes widened. Then, Alaric turned to Damon."Now, get rid of him before Jenna comes back with dessert."

"Alright." Damon shrugged with a slight smirk on his lips.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It turned out that once you removed the dagger from an Original vampire, they came back to life. Elijah had regained consciousness and went right after Elena, so Stefan and Damon managed to put him down once more and made sure that the dagger remains inside him.

Once the Salvatore's had finished making sure Elijah was safe in the downstairs basement, Damon appeared in Riley's bedroom doorway whilst she flipped throat a grimoire. "Little witch. Can we talk?"

"I suppose that depends on what we're talking about." Riley's gaze didn't leave the grimoire as she spoke. She couldn't bear to look at Damon, who had barely even spoken to her during the entire meal. She felt so in the dark about everything.

"Well, what'd hear first?" Damon revealed as he stepped slowly into Riley's bedroom. "What Elijah meant by keep them both safe. Or, my apology."

"Probably, your apology. Because, judging by that look on your face, the first answer is going to completely turn my world upside down." Riley softly chuckled to herself as she turned around to face the Salvatore.

"You were right. I— I do feel something for you, Riley. Part of me always has. But, I don't let people in. I can't." Damon's voice croaked a little as he tilted his head and pressed his hand against her cheek. "I care about you and have since the very first day that I met you. I promise that I'm gonna make this right, nothing is going to happen to you. I swear."

As Damon's apology had suddenly turned into a declaration of him proving he would keep her safe, Riley's heart suddenly began to pound within her chest. "Damon. What're you talking about? What did Elijah mean?"

"In order the break the curse, Klaus needs the blood of a firstborn Evans witch." Damon breathed out as Riley's eyes began to widen fearfully. "Which means—"

"He needs me." Riley's breath hitched in her throat. "Klaus needs me just as much as he needs Elena."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───