CHAPTER NINE / ACT ONE

Lies Are a Temporary Delay to the Inevitable

"So what do we do now?" Elena questioned, exhausted from her tiring day. The four of them had run far away from Anna's motel room and eventually ended up at Bonnie's grandmothers house, Sheila Bennett. It took a lot of convincing, but Sheila finally invited Angelina inside, though she was obviously watching her every move.

"For now, you need to stay here." Stefan responded, stepping closer to her.

"A prisoner? In my own home?" Sheila scoffed. "I don't think so."

"I can't protect you if you leave the house." He informed her.

"We'll protect ourselves."

A small moment of silence passed, and Angelina sat in her chair, fiddling with her daylight ring. The last thing she wanted to do was stay here, considering she felt safer in her bedroom at the boarding house.

The last time she had the smallest sip of blood was a few hours before the decade dance, which was four days ago. Her skin was pale, her voice very slowly was becoming raspy, and above all she was growing hungrier. She was in no condition to fight with anyone, so the best option would be for her to stay at the boarding house where she could keep herself protected and hopefully feed soon.

"We need to let him have Katherine back." She could hear the words fall from Elena's mouth and her head immediately perked up. "He's not going to stop until he gets her, if we help him, maybe that ends it."

"No!" Bonnie disagreed. "He doesn't deserve to get what he wants!"

"What other choice do we have?"

"Absolutely not," Angelina scoffed, standing up from the table and standing in front of Elena. "I have worked way too hard to stop Damon to give up now."

"Why does it even matter anymore?" She argued back, which only aggravated Angelina more. "Look, I don't know why you don't want Damon to open the tomb, but don't you at least want your sister back?"

"Elena, we aren't opening the tomb—"

"She's right," Stefan interrupted their mini argument. "Damon's not gonna stop until the tomb is opened."

Angelina clenched her fists together in rage as a brief period of silence fell over the five. Everything she had fought for in order to keep the tomb closed was quickly disappearing before her eyes within a matter of seconds; and when the Salvatore brothers realized Katherine wasn't inside, she knew her relationship with them would be over.

"Witches being pulled down by vampire problems." Shiela muttered lowly. "As much as we tried to do to stay out of it.."

"I'll open the tomb. You get your brother's girl, and destroy the rest with fire. Then this will be all over."

"We still have to get Damon to agree." Stefan added.

"He already agreed once," Elena replied.

"Yeah, and then we double crossed him. So now he's angry."

"He's hurt, there's a difference..." She corrected him. "I think I know what I have to do."

Stefan nodded and turned his attention to Angelina who was staring down at the ground with a blank expression on her face. She didn't have to raise her head to know his eyes were on her, it already annoyed her as is.

"Angelina?" He said her name in a soft spoken tone, which only caused her frustration to grow.

"Fine," She sighed, her eyes meeting his. "I'll—I'll help ." Biting her bottom lip, she reluctantly agreed.

Yes, she knew the tomb will be opened at some point. After Katherine's sudden change of plans, it was inevitable. She couldn't stop someone as lovestruck as Damon, and she wasn't going to try after yesterday. She realized it was past time for her to accept the fact that her relationship with the brothers was over. But she told herself the same thing over and over again, but she couldn't get it through her own head. She wasn't ready to say goodbye and she wasn't ready to let them go.

Maybe it wasn't so much the prospect of saying goodbye that bothered her, but the fact that she'd never be able to look back on her memories of them with fondness.

Hours had slipped away, swallowed by the darkness of the night. Above the underground tomb, Bonnie, Angelina, and Sheila waited anxiously for Damon and Elena's return, while Stefan toiled below, preparing the space for their arrival.

The anticipation gnawed at Angelina's nerves, twisting them into tight knots of anxiety. Why couldn't Katherine handle this herself? Surely she was more equipped to deal with the situation. It almost felt like she was intentionally playing mind games with her.

"Cleared the debris away," Stefan's voice broke through her thoughts, drawing their attention. "Set the torches like you asked, we can get down now."

Bonnie's eyes darted to a large flamethrower lying on the ground nearby. "What's that for?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"It's everything I need to destroy them."

Sheila arched an eyebrow skeptically. "Are you sure Damon will come back with her?" she challenged, her tone dripping with doubt.

At that moment, a loud whistle could be heard from close by and they all shot their heads in the direction of Elena and Damon who were trailing over to them.

"Brother, witches," He greeted them one by one, giving a small glare in the doppelgängers direction to which she ignored. "Angelina."

"Everything okay?" Stefan asked as they all gathered around.

"I just wanna get this other with," Elena sighed softly in a tiring manner. "Are we ready?"

"I guess so." Bonnie shrugged.

They descended into the entrance of the tomb, greeted by a sight straight out of a nightmare. Mounds of dirt littered the floor, and long vines snaked across the walls like sinister tendrils. The ancient rock walls exuded an eerie aura, sending shivers down Angelina's spine as she surveyed the scene, her heart pounding in her chest.

The oppressive silence weighed heavily on her, suffocating her with its intensity. It felt as though they had stepped into the heart of a horror movie, where danger lurked in every shadow.

The old Bennett witch seized a stick from the cave floor, igniting it with a flick of her hand. Turning to the unlit torches, she muttered incantations under her breath. "Air, earth, fire," she intoned, each word punctuated by the flare of a torch coming to life.

"Water." Bonnie added and held a bottle of water in the air before handing it to her grandmother.

"That's it? Just water from the tap?" Elena's eyebrows drew together, seemingly disappointed as Sheila sprinkled the water on the cave floor.

"As opposed to what?"

"I just figured maybe it would have to be blessed or mystical or something."

The witch chuckled softly at her comment in response and bent down to place the bottle back in her bag.

As she finished, Damon then took it as a signal to pull out a full blood bag from the pocket of his jacket.

"What's that?" Stefan asked curiously.

"It's for Katherine." he replied, a smirk playing on his lips. "Gotta have something to get her going. Unless your girl's offering a vein to tap." he joked, nodding towards Elena.

Ignoring his brother's quip, Stefan turned his attention to Angelina, noticing her uncharacteristic silence. Concern etched lines on his face as he studied her, wondering what could be weighing on her mind. She had been unusually quiet ever since they left the Bennett residence, and for someone as outspoken as her, it was concerning.

"Hey, you alright?"

No.

Angelina snapped out of her thoughts, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "Just thinking," she muttered, her words tinged with uncertainty. "Just know that," She hesitated, her thoughts racing as she struggled to find the right words.

"Whatever happens tonight," She looked over in his direction, a heavy sigh escaping her life. "I'm sorry."

Stefan furrowed his eyebrows, but before he could even think question her words, his thoughts were interrupted by both of the witches.

"We're ready," Sheila told them as the two held hands and stood in the middle of the circle of torches.

As they started chanting, a surge of adrenaline coursed through Angelina's veins, drowning out all other thoughts. Each word they uttered seemed to reverberate through her, echoing in her mind like a relentless drumbeat.

And then it happened—the tomb doors creaked open, slow and ominous. A shiver ran down Angelina's spine as she watched in horror. It was like the gates of hell itself had swung wide open before her very eyes.

Her heart pounded in her chest, the sound deafening in her ears. Fear gripped her, an icy feeling creeping up her spine. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the yawning darkness of the tomb's entrance.

"It worked," Bonnie exhaled, evidently shocked at her own power.

"Of course it worked." Shelia replied, a grin on her face.

"We have some fires to build." Damon stepped closer to the tomb and glanced in his brothers direction, anticipation rising in his body as he peered inside.

Stefan softly nodded, ready as ever to her this over with. "I'm gonna get the gasoline, I'll be right back."

"I'll come with." Angelina replied and trailed behind him outside of cave, grabbing one of the torches on her way out.

The two exited the tomb and returned to the surface, still remaining as quiet as ever, where they were soon greeted by none other Anna's friend, the man who had helped hold her hostage. The vampires came to a halt as they noticed them immediately and glared at him in irritation for a moment.

"Dark down there?" He spoke up, his dark silhouette becoming clearer as he stepped closer to the light of the fire.

"I thought I told you to leave." Stefan answered, stepping closer to him.

"I considered it." He shrugged. "Then I thought, screw you."

"Woah, so menacing." Angelina rolled her eyes, running her fingers though her hair.

"Hey, Hero's." Another familiar voice appeared, which they quickly identified as Anna emitting from the darkness of the woods. "I'm going down there to get my mother."

"I can't let you do that." Stefan defied her.

"Well, Ben's about to make a main course out of Elena's little brother. So you can stop me or him, your choice."

Angelina and Stefan turned to face her friend to see Jeremy's unconscious body in his arms. They returned their gaze to Anna, but she had vanished into thin air.

"Do you really think that she cares about you, hm?" Stefan asked Ben as some way of negotiating with him. "You're disposable."

"I don't care." Ben replied. "She already gave me what I want."

He laughed as he carelessly dropped the boys frail body to the ground before stepping closer to the two. "You know, I've heard about you." He spoke, referring to Stefan.

"You don't feed. You're not strong enough to beat me."

Angelina scoffed at his arrogance and snatched a branch from a tree before dashing over to him and stabbed him in the chest, scraping the branch against his heart. "Yes, but I am."

But he quickly recovered, launching himself at her with renewed fury. They traded blows in a flurry of movement, the sound of their strikes echoing through the forest. Angelina felt the sting of his nails against her skin, but she gritted her teeth and fought through the pain.

As he lunged at her again, she seized the opportunity, using his momentum against him to slam him against a tree. she drove the her right hand into his chest, feeling the resistance of his flesh against hers. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she delivered the fatal blow, his body going limp in her grasp.

Breathless and trembling with adrenaline, Angelina stood over him, her chest heaving as she surveyed the aftermath of the fierce battle. Blood dripped from her wounds, mingling with the crimson stain on her hands.

Gasping for breath, Angelina staggered back to Stefan, her body still thrumming with adrenaline from the intense fight. She barely noticed his wide-eyed stare as he glanced from her bloodied hands to the scene before them.

"Get the flamethrower," she commanded, her voice rough with exhaustion. "Let's finish this."

Stefan shook himself out of his daze, nodding as he retrieved the weapon. Together, they made their way back to the tomb, only to find it empty save for Sheila and Bonnie.

"Where's Elena?" Stefan inquired.

"Damon took her inside." Bonnie answered him.

"What?!" A panic filled his body as he ran to the entrance of the tomb, but was stopped when Sheila grasped him by the arm.

"Stefan!" The woman yelled. "If you go in there, you won't come out."

"Wait—what do you mean?" The Pierce girls eyebrows furrowed. "What did you do?"

"Opening the door didn't remove the seal," She answered her, shrugging gently. "It just opened the door."

"What's the seal?"

"Some seals keep vampires from entering, this one keeps them from.. coming out."

Stefan's voice was barely a whisper. "Elena's human.. She can leave. Anna and Katherine can't. Damon can't."

"You never intended to break the spell, did you?" Angelina's voice was tight with accusation.

"I told you," She replied. "I will protect my own. Elena can get out. That's all that matters."

As Angelina absorbed the weight of the Bennett witches' words, panic surged within her. Damon would be trapped for nothing if he couldn't escape. Even when he figured out Katherine wasn't there, he'd still be stuck.

"Wait—wait, no!" Angelina yelled, rubbing the back of her head as she paced around in fear. "You have to let him out, he—Katherine—"

"What's is it?" Stefan grabbed her by the shoulders to calm her, and her chesnut eyes traveled to his.

"Katherine isn't in the tomb, Stefan!"

The moment those words escaped her mouth, her heart sank in her stomach as she watched his eyes grow wide. The feeling of dread overcame her as she watched how his expression change.

And things had only gotten worse from there.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Stefan." She removed herself from his grasp. "Katherine's not in the tomb."

"Wait, what—" Bonnie spoke though was immediately cut off by the sounds of Elena's loud screams echoing throughout the hollow cave.

Without thinking, Stefan sped inside of the tomb, forgetting about the seal.

"Stefan!" Angelina yelled in unison with Sheila and Bonnie, almost entering the tomb behind him when Sheila pulled her back.

"Please, you can't leave him in there!"

"He made his choice!" She raised her voice.

"No," Bonnie panicked and picked up the grimoire from the floor. "Just show me what to do, I'll do it!"

"We are not strong enough," She argued. "Even if we were able to bring the seal down, there's no guarantee we could get it back up again."

"Sheila." Angelina voice began to break as she stared at the dark tomb door, her body completely frozen in place. "Open the tomb."

"Please, I'm begging you. Help me."

The Bennett paused for a moment before nodding her head in agreement. "Fine, we'll try." She walked over to Bonnie and the two searched for the correct spell.

Just then, Elena ran out of the tomb with blood on her wrists from what looked like a bite from a vampire, out of breath.

"Elena," Bonnie began. "Stefan-"

"He's right behind me." She turned around, gazing at Stefan who stood at the tomb door. "Stefan, what are you doing?"

"It's gonna be okay." Bonnie reassured her friend. "We'll fix it."

"What is it?"

"I can't." Stefan answered.

"Can't? Can't what?"

"He can't leave." Angelina answered for him, biting her lower lip. "The spell's keeping vampires from exiting, but- but they're going to fix it."

"You went in there knowing you couldn't get back out?" Elena asked him, her voice beginning to break.

Stefan nodded. "I heard your scream, and I-"

"We can't leave him in there, we promised him both of us." She replied, referring to Damon.

"Even if we're able to break through the seal, we won't be able to hold it for long." Sheila informed them and Stefan nodded.

Angelina's head was spinning. It was like her entire world had stopped. If she had just said something then this wouldn't have happened. If she had just told them the real truth from the beginning, Damon and Stefan would be safe at the boarding house. If she wasn't such a liar, Damon and Stefan would've had a normal human life.

She didn't want to blame herself, but she just couldn't stop. This was her fault. Of all people, she deserved to be the one in there.

Stefan nodded once more and went further back into the tomb to look for his brother.

"Here it is," Bonnie announced, pointing to a page in the book. She and her grandmother exchanged a look, then dove into the spell together. Angelina and Elena held their breath, watching with bated anticipation.

Their voices rose, echoing off the walls as flames flickered and danced around them, a sign that the spell was taking hold. Just then, Anna emerged from the tomb, cradling her mother's frail, desiccated form.

"I just wanted my mother back," Anna said, her voice strained with emotion. "Jeremy's fine, he's outside.. we won't touch him."

The flames wavered, casting eerie shadows as Bonnie struggled to maintain the chant. "Bonnie, keep going!" Her grandmother urged her. "They better hurry."

"Stefan, they can't hold it much longer!" Elena's voice echoed into the darkness of the tomb.

"Elena, go get them, now." Angelina commanded her doppelgänger, and without hesitation, Elena darted back into the tomb. Their chanting grew louder, more intense, as they struggled to stay upright.

"I can't-" Bonnie gasped for air.

"Yes, you can!"

Elena, Damon, and Stefan safely exited the tomb shortly after, causing Angelina to exhale and lean against the cave wall in relief. It was enough for her as long as they were alive and well.

Soon, Elena, Damon, and Stefan emerged from the tomb, safe and sound. Angelina let out a sigh of relief, leaning against the cave wall.

But when Damon's eyes met hers, she saw the anger simmering beneath the surface. It broke her heart. Sweat beaded on his face, his breath coming in ragged gasps—a sight she hadn't witnessed in years. Then she glanced at Stefan, his expression a painful mix of betrayal, distrust, and disappointment.

With a heavy heart, she dashed out of the tomb into the enveloping darkness. She couldn't bear another moment inside. It was the end of the line for her in Mystic Falls.

Forever.

AUTHORS NOTE

i know i could've made it so that angelina just told them that katherine wasn't in the tomb instead of having to go through all this but it would've messed some things up later in the book

just a fair warning, the chapters are gonna become a little longer for the rest of this act. sorry if you don't enjoy long chapters! i'll try to make them as short as i can, but still lol. i am going to probably pre-write some of them, so if updates become a little slow then thats why

tysm for reading! ❤️