CHAPTER THIRTEEN;
first kill

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WHEN BONNIE WOKE UP, Elena wasn't as mad at Camila anymore. An injured friend was highly more imperative than chastising her for provoking a little vampire.

Bonnie's eyes had slowly opened and she'd looked at them, utterly confused. "Elena? Camila?"

Elena sighed in relief. "Oh, you're okay!"

"My head," Bonnie groaned, holding the cloth as Camila helped her sit upright. In the same second, Bonnie's eyes widened. "Oh my god! Ben is a—"

Clapping her hand over her friend's mouth, Camila urged her to be quiet as Elena got up and turned the tap on, explaining to Bonnie that vampires could hear extremely well.

Bonnie moaned in pain as she leaned against Camila."I'm so stupid!"

Elena shook her head, grabbing her hand. "No, he had all of us fooled"

"What's going on? Why are we here?"

"It must have something to do with the tomb," said Elena, quietly, "and Emily's spell book."

Camila nodded, mildly impressed at her sister's deduction skills. And bouncing off them, Camila figured Anna was spending all her resources trying to get someone out, just like Damon. She couldn't understand how they couldn't just work together. It would've been a lot easier.

"Spellbook?" Bonnie asked with a frown.

Elena nodded. "Damon said it could be used to open the tomb."

"Why didn't I know about any of this?"

"I was trying to keep you out of it, hoping it would never come to this."

Bonnie looked up at Camila, who was just as confused. After all, she'd been staying out of the vampire business. "Come to what?"

"They need a witch to break the spell and let the vampires out."

Bonnie immediately shook her head. "No way!"

"I know," agreed Elena when Ben burst into the door.

Camila stood up immediately, getting in front of her sister and Bonnie as Elena put herself in front of the latter. Ben turned off the tap.

"Benjamin," Camila greeted him and Ben rolled his eyes.

"As annoying as ever, Gilbert. I will have your head for nearly burning me."

"I will have your heart for kidnapping me. Let's see who gets there first."

Ben rolled his eyes and was about to say something when Bonnie spoke up. "You're wasting your time. I'm not gonna help you."

With a devilish smile, Ben grabbed Camila's arm and tugged her against him. "That's why they're here. Motivation for you to behave." He gripped Camila's throat, making her clench her jaw. He kept on mocking Bonnie though, "You know, you shouldn't be so desperate. You made it too easy."

Then he whispered in Camila's ear, "I would tear your head off right now, but she wants to talk to you."

Before she could think, Camila was thrown out of the bathroom and Elena was pushed out too, before Ben shut the door behind them.

"Well, well," said Anna as she stood there, watching the two Gilbert twins. "Elena Gilbert. You really are Katherine's doppelgänger. You must have the Salvatore boys reeling."

"Who are you?"

"That's Anna," said Camila for the girl, "She's Jeremy's weird friend."

Anna glared at her. "You talk too much for a backup, Camila Gilbert. I could kill you right now and no one would care. You're not a doppelganger, and Elena is just about enough for blackmailing the Salvatores."

"Try me, bitch." Camila stood her ground, glaring at the girl. Perhaps the fact she was allergic to death was making her oddly confident, but the truth was Anna didn't scare her. Not at all.

Anna merely rolled her eyes as she headed to the window to peer outside. Camila and Elena shared a look. Before the latter spoke, "Bonnie's not gonna open the tomb."

"Oh, I think she will."

"Do you really want Katherine out that bad?"

Anna looked over at Elena. "Trust me. No one I know wants to see that girl again. Except Damon, the lovestruck idiot."

"Who do you have inside then, Annie?"

"My mother's in there." Anna's jaw clenched. "Katherine couldn't help herself. She just had to toy around with both of the Salvatore brothers. And when she got caught, so did my mother. I watched Johnathan Gilbert take her away."

The sisters shared a look. Elena, the empath, apologised.

Anna frowned. "You really mean that, don't you?" She chuckled. "Yeah, I think we'll skip the dead mom bonding so you two can start serving a purpose."

"Let me guess," said Camila, "Leverage."

Anna grinned before holding up Elena's phone. "This belongs to you?"

Then she proceeded to call Stefan and negotiate how fun it would be for them to work together since one party had the 'grimoire' whilst she had the witch. Then Anna left, leaving the three girls with asshole Ben, saying, "Keep them buttoned down. Compulsion won't work. Just use violence."

Ben nodded. "Right. I got that."

"Do you?" asked Camila, taunting the guy just as Anna left.

He glared at her, pushing Bonnie onto the bed next to Elena. "Sit. Behave."

"She's not a dog, Benjamin."

"Shut up!" He sped towards Camila and she didn't flinch as he got right in her face. "I'm allowed to use violence, or are you too stupid to hear that?"

"I'm not the stupid one, Ben." She grabbed a tiny pencil they'd left on the side table and before he could react she stabbed him through the eye with it.

Moaning loudly in pain, Ben stumbled back when Camila pushed him, holding onto his eye. Camila ran to the window, just as Bonnie grabbed the water from the nightstand and threw it at Ben before setting him on fire. Camila opened the curtains and followed Bonnie and Elena out of the room when Elena unlocked the door.

When they were safely in the sun, and out of the motel the three girls let out a sigh of relief.

"Fuck, we're badass," said Camila with a laugh and Bonnie cracked a grin. Before they knew it, the three of them were laughing, high on adrenaline.

"We just defeated a vampire," said Elena with a smile, "With no vampire to help."

"All you did was open a door, Lena," Camila pointed out with a teasing smirk and Elena playfully scowled at her.

"That was arguably the most important part."

"Not the stabbing him in the eye part then?"

"Or setting him on fire?" added Bonnie with a laugh.

Elena promptly shook her head. "No. Opening the door was crucial."

After running into Stefan, who was utterly late at saving them, they all ended up back at Bonnie's grandmother's place. Camila stepped outside for a moment to call Caroline and tell her why she'd missed their hang out and to tell Nathan she'd be at his house to get ready for Duke's in no time.

By the time she came back, Stefan and Elena were both in the dining room with Bonnie and Grams, talking about the tomb.

"We need to let Damon have Katherine back," Elena was saying. "He's not going to stop until he gets her. If we help him, maybe that ends it."

Bonnie immediately shook her head. "No! He doesn't deserve to get what he wants."

Elena looked helpless. "What other choice do we have?"

Grams sighed, and her eyes flickered to Camila for a moment. "Witches being pulled down by vampire problems. 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," said Stefan.

"Damon is the least of our problems," said Camila. She was more worried about his reaction when he realized she was right. And Katherine was nowhere in the tomb. She could bet her life on it.

Elena nodded in agreement. "He already agreed once."

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

Elena shook her head. "He's hurt. There's a difference. I think I know what I have to do."

Elena and Stefan offered Camila a ride, but the latter refused preferring to walk. Not to mention Grams had asked she stay back and have a word with her. She did, not wanting to go against the woman she respected, especially since it sounded important—Grams had asked Bonnie to let them talk in private.

"Is everything alright?" Camila asked her as she sat down on a chair in front of her at the table, her hands around the tea-filled mug Grams had given her. Her head was still hurting slightly from all the manhandling of the day.

"I should ask you the same," Grams said, her lips pursed, "My granddaughter says you stabbed a vampire in the eye."

Camila grimaced. "I... I—"

"I'm not lecturing you, child."

Sighing, she nodded, taking a sip of her tea before saying, "I'm alright."

"Nothing strange going on with your life, then?"

Camila frowned at the woman. "Aside from the vampires?"

Grams rolled her eyes and took a breath, reaching over the table to grab Camila's hand. As soon as they touched, an image of a woman flashed in Camila's mind. She was dark-haired, with brown skin, and dressed like an ancient Greek. She blinked and she was staring at Grams again. The latter looked a little ashen.

"Did you see that too?" Camila asked, sounding crazy for sure.

Grams nodded. "That was Qetsiyah. An ancestor of mine."

"What?"

"You knew her, Camila." Grams' eyes looked a little like they were staring into the beyond. "Before."

"Before what?" Camila frowned. "Please, I need to know. Did I have past lives, is that it?"

Grams shook her head. "I can't tell. I only know that you're linked to my ancestor, somehow. You'll have to ask Qetsiyah."

"The dead woman?"

"Her spirit is very much alive, Camila. Ask and she shall answer."

Camila was beyond confused by her interaction with Grams. It wasn't enough that her mind was confusing beyond repair, Grams had to go and add reason for her lunacy. She was connected to an ancient fucking witch, who was related to Bonnie, and somehow that didn't help at all. What the fuck did "Ask and she shall answer" even mean? Did she have to pray to the woman?

She was so confused she was late to get to Nathan's house, and so, she was late for the Duke party. She'd decided not to participate in the opening of the tomb and instead make sure her friends were safe and out of the way of the tomb full of vampires. Especially because she was sure Jeremy was going.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Nathan asked the moment they parked and Camila nodded.

"I'm perfect. I just, I'm sorry I was MIA... Elena and I—"

"Hey, you don't have to explain, James." Nathan smiled softly, tilting her chin up so Camila was looking at him. "I know it's been hard. Learning about your parents and... I'm here if you need me."

Camila leaned forward and kissed him. "Thanks, Nate."

They got out of the car and were in the middle of the party in no time, greeting friends until they found Tyler and Matt standing by a tree talking. Camila kept looking around trying to find Caroline and Jeremy.

"After all that grief you gave me about liking her," Tyler was telling Matt, "I figured it would have lasted longer than five minutes."

Camila stopped Nate in his tracks, smiling conspiracionally. Letting Matt speak uninterrupted.

"Look, I just—I don't know if I can do the whole public couple thing. She—she seems like she might be a little clingy."

Camila's jaw slackened. Caroline was not clingy. Just extremely caring.

"Tyler, Matt," Camila greeted the boys as she dragged Nathan with her, "I hope I didn't eavesdrop right."

Matt went red in the face. "You know what I meant, Cami. I like Care, she's just—"

"Out of your league?" Camila suggested and Nathan snorted. Matt blushed even more, his eyes straying behind them.

Camila looked back. Caroline was walking towards them, a shy smile on her face. However, her Matt-focused gaze was interrupted when she saw Camila. The girl gaped and in a second she ran to hug Camila.

"Where the fuck were you, Cami?" Caroline pulled away. "A call is not enough after you disappear. Again."

"I'm fine, Care. Go talk to Matt."

Both people in question got really awkward all of a sudden, shuffling their feet and Nate, Camila and Tyler shared a look that said, We're not drunk enough. Matt and Caroline stalked off, to talk and Camila turned to Tyler.

"Have you seen Jer?"

Tyler scowled. "I tried to buy weed from the guy. But apparently, he doesn't party anymore."

"Tyler, I could punch you."

"I have weed, dude," Nathan told Tyler with a roll of his eyes. "Why ask Jer?"

"'Cause you were probably doing it in the car and I'm a good friend. I'm not about to interrupt."

Camila rolled her eyes. "We weren't doing it in the car. We did it on the kitchen counter."

"Cami!" Nathan grumbled and Tyler snorted.

"Have you seen Jeremy or not?"

"Last I saw him he was talking to a girl," said Tyler with a shrug as Nathan passed him a bag with two joints.

"A girl?" Nathan asked, amused. Neither of them noticed the apprehensive look on her face.

Tyler lit the joint. "Yeah. I think she was Asian. Hot for sure, though."

Camila's heart stopped. "Thanks, Ty. I'm getting drinks, do you guys want any?"

Nathan and Tyler nodded, but Camila barely registered it. She took off in the direction of the tomb as soon as she was far enough from the two smoking guys.

She was just in time to find Stefan hurrying toward the gasoline. Stefan frowned when he saw her and before she could say a word, Ben's annoying voice sounded from behind her.

"Dark down there?" he asked and as Camila turned back she saw Jeremy lying unconscious at his feet.

"What the fuck did you do to him?" asked Camila through gritted teeth just as Stefan said, "Thought I told you to leave."

Ben smiled. "I considered it. Then I thought, screw you." He glared at Camila. "You too, bitch."

"Hey, heroes." Camila rolled her eyes at Anna's voice and glanced back to see her addressing Stefan. "I'm going down there to get my mother."

Stefan shook his head. "I can't let you do that."

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

Then she was gone. Camila glanced at Stefan. He nodded. Jeremy was more important than Anna's mommy.

"Do you really think that she cares about you?" Stefan asked Ben. "Hm? You're disposable."

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

"You're really that stupid?" asked Camila as she looked at Ben, genuinely astonished. "Eternal life was your goal?"

Ben glared at her, walking closer to the two of them. "You know, Camila Gilbert, I think I'll kill you and your brother. Which I can do. I'm stronger than you." He glanced at Stefan. "You too. I've heard about you. You don't feed. You're not strong enough to beat me."

In the next second, Ben rushed at Camila and Stefan stopped him, easily knocking Ben to the ground. In the same instant, Camila picked up the hose connected to the gasoline.

"Is that all you got?" Ben asked, his face sour.

Stefan passively shook his head. "No. Cami."

Ben snapped his head to her. And Camila winked his way before she ignited the fire torch and set Ben on fire.

Camila would've liked to say she didn't enjoy it. That seeing Ben wail and flail around as he burned to a crisp, was something that had horrified her, that the stench of burning flesh had made her sick to her stomach. But the truth was, while disgusting to watch, something inside her came alive. Ben had tried to hurt her. Her family. And he was burning, dying before her. With a sick pleasure, Camila watched him die. And it scared her that it didn't scare her at all.

Stefan disappeared to go to the tomb, and Camila merely dragged Jeremy's body to somewhere safe, next to the tomb, before she walked down, to see what was going on. She saw Stefan running towards the entrance of the tomb and Grams stopping him.

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

"What did you do?"

"Opening the door didn't remove the seal, it just opened the door."

"What's the seal?" asked Camila, making her presence known.

"Some seals keep vampires from entering," said Grams, "This one keeps them from coming out."

"Elena's human," Stefan said slowly, "She can leave. Anna and Katherine can't. Damon can't. You were never planning on breaking the spell, were you?"

Grams just stared at him. "I told you. I will protect my own. Elena can get out. That's all that matters."

"Wait a second." Camila frowned. "Elena is inside?"

In the next second, a scream echoed through the tomb. Elena. Like Stefan, Camila dashed inside, and although she wasn't able to stop Stefan, Bonnie did stop her.

"You can't go inside," Bonnie said, "Elena's already in danger, we don't need you to be too."

"That's my sister."

"She can leave, girl," said Grams, "you, however, I don't think so."

"What do you mean?" Camila asked. "I'm human."

"A human who can't die?"

Bonnie looked utterly confused, but Camila could assure her, she was more. Both of them, however, pushed past confusion. "We can't let Stefan stay inside," Camila said.

"He made his choice," replied Grams.

Bonnie shook her head, picking up the grimoire as she desperately looked at her Grams. "No. Here. Just show me what to do. I'll do it."

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

"You said it yourself, many things can fuel a witch's power. Help me or I'll do it alone."

"I can help," said Camila, standing next to Bonnie and both witches looked at her. "You said so yourself, I'm not a human. That means something is weird about me, so channel whatever it is. I can't die, remember?"

Grams stared at her for a moment before nodding and looking through the grimoire with Bonnie.

Soon, Elena was out of the tomb and Grams and Bonnie were holding hands with Camila as they recited the spell to lift the seal. While Stefan looked for Damon.

Camila's eyes were closed, and as soon as the spell started something inside her shifted.

Suddenly, she wasn't even in the world. She could feel the magic being channelled through her, she could feel some of it come from somewhere that wasn't hers, as if from something or someone she was linked to. She realized it was Qetsyiah. But she also felt something in her chest, bursting from her, powerful and lawless, chaotic in its presence. She could feel it through her veins as it powered the spell, she could feel her skin prickle, her hair blowing.

She opened her eyes.

She wasn't in the tomb anymore. She was standing in the dark. Alone.

Blinking a few times, Camila noticed someone standing there with her, walking closer. A few moments passed before the woman came into view. Qetsiyah.

"You're... Tessa?" Camila hadn't known how she remembered the name, but she asked either way.

The woman, Qetsiyah, blinked in surprise. "You remember?"

"No."

"Oh. Instincts?"

"I think so..." Camila's eyebrows were raised so high she wasn't sure they were even in her face anymore. "What's happening? Why do I know you?"

Tessa smiled at her, softly, almost as if resigned. "You told me to do this, Mila. You told me you didn't want to know. You knew the consequences."

"I... What?"

"I told you when you died that coming back would bring the memories with you," Tessa said, "You said you wanted to stay. I told you. It's only going to get better when you have it all back."

"My memories?"

Tessa nodded. Camila's brows furrowed just as her head started to feel light, and the darkness started to waver.

"So, I did have past lives?"

A laugh escaped the woman's lips. "Honey, you've only ever had one life. All your memories. That has all been you. You just chose to forget this time around."

Camila was still utterly confused, her head pounding as she fought to keep her eyes open. "Why?"

"You'll know why." Tessa nodded. "Soon, you'll remember it all."

Camila was sure this would end soon. Tessa's voice was starting to sound muffled, her vision had spots dancing around. She tried to stay to ask more questions and all she could do was say the first thing that came to mind. "Who's Kol?"

Tessa smiled sadly as Camila began to sway, her vision blurry. "To you? He's everything."

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