CHAPTER TWELVE | DANGEROUS LIAISONS

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THE MOMENT THAT REBEKAH WAS UNDAGGERED, SHE CAME AFTER ELENA. Fortunately, Elijah was there to stop the blonde Original vampire from tearing Elena apart. Elijah also revealed who was laying in the locked coffin Klaus was so terrified of parting with. It was their mother, Esther— the Original witch herself. Once Elena had learned of the information, she called over Stefan, Damon, and Riley to explain.

"It was their mother, Esther, who was sealed in that coffin," Elena told her friends with a knowing look on her face as she watched their eyebrows furrow with confusion.

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "As in the Original witch?"

"What?" Damon mumbled with a dumbfounded look. "How is she even alive? I thought her Hybrid freak of a son ripped her heart out a thousand years ago."

"I don't think the how is really the issue here, it's more the why. I mean, Esther's known as the Original witch. It's not a far-fetched assumption to guess that she probably has connections with other witches." Riley simply answered Damon's question with a shrug.

Elena nodded slowly with her gaze on the strawberry-blonde witch. "Elijah said that she wants to live in peace with her family. Including Klaus."

"She was supposed to be the weapon to help us kill Klaus."

"Well, not anymore." Elena sighed. "At least, not according to Elijah."

"No. That's got to be more to this." Riley shook her head in disbelief as she folded her arms over her chest. "The coffin was the only thing that stopped Klaus from tearing all of us apart."

"Anyone else feeling a little used right now?" The eldest Salvatore raised an eyebrow with a pointed look.

"Look, Elijah promised me that his family wouldn't hurt any of us," Elena told the rest of the group as the doorbell rang throughout the house. "I believe him." She shrugged and disappeared down the hall to answer the door. Within a few seconds, Elena returned back into the kitchen with two envelopes in her hand. "Riley. This one's for you."

The strawberry-blonde hesitantly took the envelope which had her name written across it and opened it. "Huh. It's an invitation. Please join the Mikaelson family this evening, at seven o'clock, for dancing, cocktails, and celebration."

Stefan furrowed his brows. "Who the hell are the Mikaelsons?"

"The Original family."

"It's not bad enough they're moving into town, now they want a housewarming gift?" Damon scoffed in disbelief at the fact that Elena and Riley had both been invited. He glanced at his girlfriend. "Don't even think about going."

"Rude." Riley pouted. "I've always loved a party."

"Wait. There's a note on the back." Elena told the rest of the group as she turned her invitation over. "Elena, I think it's time that we finally meet. Esther. If Esther wants to talk to me, maybe I should find out why."

"Well, that's a dumb idea. She already tried to kill you once."

Stefan shook his head. "No, Elena's right. Bonnie was led to open that coffin for a reason. I think there's more to this than just some family reunion."

"Stefan's right. Esther wants to talk to her, maybe we should hear what she's gotta say for herself." Riley shrugged simply with a smile. "I'll go, too, before either of you say that she can't protect herself."

"What? No, you two aren't going alone." Damon rolled her eyes and snatched the invitation from Elena's hand. "I'm coming, too. End of story."

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When the couple arrived at the Mikaelson Ball, Riley couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. It was all, unlike anything she had ever seen. The glamour, the music, the dresses. She never understood how a family of ancient vampires who didn't care who they hurt to get what they wanted could throw such a formal and classy event.

The witch felt Damon's grip around her waist as he pulled her in front of him as they remained at the entrance of the mansion. "Hey, how're you doing? You look unsettled, to say the least."

"I know. Sorry, it's just— It's beautiful in here." Riley looked around at the decorations just as Damon grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing waitress's tray.

"Now, drink. It'll settle the nerves." Damon watched the little witch carefully take a sip of the champagne whilst his eyes lovingly glanced her up and down. "And, you look stunning, by the way."

"Why, thank you, Mr. Salvatore." Riley chuckled softly though her attention was taken by Elena who had appeared at the threshold beside her with Stefan. "Oh. You decided to join the party, too, huh?"

"Surprise, surprise. Nice tux." Damon glared toward his younger brother.

"Okay. I'm not leaving until I find out what Esther wants, so shall we?" Elena looped her arm with Stefan and walked inside while Riley did the same with Damon.

"Welcome! Thank you for joining us." Elijah's voice boomed from the staircase as all the Mikaelson siblings gathered around him. All eyes averted up to him as all of the guests grew silent to listen to his speech. "You know, whenever our mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance."

Damon's attention was taken by an unrecognizable woman that lingered at the top of the balcony, then she disappeared into a back room. "You see who I see?" Damon muttered quietly while Riley nodded in response.

"Oh yeah," Stefan whispered back with his jaw clenched. Esther didn't look how he imagined, but he knew that if she was anything like her children, she would be ruthless.

"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz. So, if all of you could find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom." Elijah let out a final smile as he held his glass of champagne in the air and then headed down the staircase.

Elena attempted to follow after Esther, but Riley stepped in her way with a pointed look on her face. "You're not doing this alone."

"I need to, Riley. I need to know what she wants. She invited me here, there must be a reason why." The doppelganger irritably protested against the strawberry-blonde.

The altercation suddenly attracted the attention of Damon, who twirled around and narrowed his eyes toward Elena. "Don't even think about it."

"She wants to see me alone." Elena pushed past Riley and Damon, only to be stopped by Stefan who held his hand out for the girl to dance. She raised an eyebrow toward him, but hesitantly took his hand and followed him out to the floor.

"Well, I suppose if it is tradition," Damon smirked. He extended his hand toward his girlfriend, who chuckled softly and placed her hand within his. He led her out into the ballroom where the couple slowly began to glide around the room whilst the music played.

The Salvatore twirled Riley around and then the two suddenly began to dance again. "Never thought you and I would be dancing together in the home of the enemy, but easy has never really been our style, has it?"

"You've never been the kind of girl that enjoyed the easy life." Damon chuckled softly whilst his hand gripped her waist delicately. The Salvatore's eyes watched Stefan and Elena disappear out of the ballroom. "Well, well, well. Little brother and Elena have disappeared from the crowd. That's not suspicious."

"What is it with him?" Riley suddenly asked as she watched Damon raise an eyebrow. "His humanity's on, but he's still—"

"—Dark?"

"Yeah." The witch nodded slowly.

"My guess is that he's conflicted. He's done a lot whilst his humanity was off and I think he's just struggling to come to terms with all of it. He focused on one emotion when he turned it back on— his hatred for Klaus. His whole existence right now is to hate Klaus." Once the music stopped, Riley exhaled deeply. "What made you ask?"

"I guess I just miss my friend."

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After the dance, Damon and Stefan had disappeared. Riley desperately tried to search around the event to find her, but soon saw Elijah instead. He sent her a soft smile whilst he wandered over to her with a glass two champagne glasses in his hand.

"Good evening, Riley." The Original vampire greeted with a smile whilst he handed the witch the glass. "It's nice to see you accepted the invitation."

Riley raised an eyebrow and then all of the pieces fell into place. "Wait. So, my invitation was from you?" She watched Elijah simply nod in response. "At the rest of sounding rude, can I ask why?"

"Well, I figured that a woman such as yourself should get to appreciate certain things in life— a party like this being one of them." Elijah simply stated with a smile. "Though, I can't help but notice you seem rather distressed. Is something the matter?"

"Trying and failing to make sure that Elena stays out of harm's way, given your family's track record." Riley let out an awkward chuckle as did he. "No offense."

"None was taken." Elijah smiled. "I understand my mother has arranged a meeting with her. Though she will not disclose the reason why. Do you have any ideas?"

"Believe me, Elijah, I wish I knew. That would make this night a whole lot easier for me." The witch exhaled deeply as she took another sip of her champagne.

"My mother's ability to forgive my brother after everything he's done to destroy this family strikes me as a little strange, to say the least."

"What're you saying?" Riley raised an eyebrow toward the Original vampire. "You think it's an act?"

"It has me asking questions I never thought I'd ask," Elijah whispered softly. "Can I depend on you to tell me what she says? I assume Elena will give you the details as and when she finds out herself."

"Of course. I'll find you once I know."

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After Riley's chat with Elijah, she continued her search of the Salvatore brothers and Elena. She stepped into a back room and saw Stefan, stood over Damon's unconscious body. "Stefan?" She dropped to her knees and pulled Damon's body onto her lap. "Do you want to explain to me what the hell you've done to him?!"

"He was in the way." Stefan shrugged carelessly, though he couldn't maintain eye contact with the witch.

Riley got to her feet and gently dropped Damon's head back to the floor. "He was in the way? Don't give me that. What the hell kinda excuse is that?" The young witch lifted her arm and caused a blood vessel to burst in the Salvatore's brain.

"Stop!" Stefan cried out. He regained what little strength he had left and sped toward Riley, and slammed her against the wall. "Stop it, Riley!"

Just as he pinned Riley against the wall, Damon regained consciousness and threw Stefan away from the strawberry-blonde. "Don't you touch her!" Damon pinned his brother against the wall. "Now, where's Elena?"

"Exactly where she belongs— talking with Esther." The younger of the two vampires explained. "Oh, don't look at me. This was all her." Stefan countered he pushed Damon away from him and begun to straighten out his ruffled suit. "Right down to the broken neck. You know, maybe you both stop being such controlling dicks."

"What? Hang on, we're the problem here?"

"You're liabilities."

"We're trying to keep the damn girl alive, Stefan. You clearly don't care about any of us anymore!" A look of disgust fell across Riley's face.

"Yeah? Well, your emotions are getting in the way of the plan." Stefan scoffed quietly before he disappeared out of the study.

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"He didn't mean what he said, you know?" Riley called from the bathroom. She wandered back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her body. "Stefan, he didn't mean it. He's just trying to work out where his heads at. You said it yourself."

"Who says I give a damn what Stefan thinks." Damon spat viciously, though his attention was based solely on Riley.

"Your face." Riley hummed in response. "Your face says you give a damn."

"Oh yeah?" The Salvatore stood in front of her. He bit his lip as tugged at her towel. Once the white fluffy towel effortlessly fell from around Riley's body, a smirk grew upon Damon's lips. "What's my face saying now?"

Riley felt Damon's lips effortlessly press against hers as she melted into the kiss. The little witch wrapped her arms around his neck and immediately pulled him closer to her. "Damon," Riley muttered softly whilst she felt Damon's hands run up and down the bare skin at her sides. He made her shiver.

Riley bit her lip gently and pushed him back onto the bed, his bare chest exposed as she straddled him. She tossed all of her hair to one side and roughly placed her lips against his, whilst his fingertips still explored every inch of her body.

"You're such a tease, you know that?" The Salvatore roughly answered just as he flipped them over so that his body was hovering over hers. He loved the sight of Riley below him, breathless and craving more.

"Don't pretend you don't enjoy it," Riley spoke in a seductive tone of voice whilst her eyes were fixed on Damon. He didn't respond with words, only with actions. He simply placed one hand on the headboard, whilst the other grabbed hold of both of her hands and pinned them above her head.

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