23

I stared at the road, watching it pass as Damon drove.

"Evelyn."

I looked at Stefan in the passenger seat. "What?"

"You know what to say, right?"

"Sure," I answered.

"Evelyn, he could -"

"Kill me. I know." Maybe he can beat me to it. "But he won't. You know that."

"Right, because suddenly he's a saint," Damon remarked. He glanced at me through the rearview mirror. "Don't be a smartass."

"Why would I? That's your job."

He started to speak, but Stefan stopped whatever was about to come out of his mouth. "Just watch what you say, okay?"

"Or else he'll kill me. And if he doesn't, Damon will. I got it."

Damon parked, and we got out. I walked a few steps behind. I kept my arms crossed. The feeling of nervousness made me mad.

Damon and Stefan walked in front of me down the hallway but were a few feet apart, allowing me a full view of the hallway. And Kai's door, which a woman was walking away from.

Her hair was messy, and her makeup was smudged. Her dress was black and sparkly. The strap was hanging off her shoulder. She was carrying her shoes. She walked past the three of us with a giggle and a blush on her face.

I looked at Kai's door again. He was standing in the doorway, staring at us, specifically me. The grin on his face made my blood boil. We walked the distance between where we stood and Kai's door. Kai looked from Stefan to Damon. I stayed a few steps behind them, keeping my arms crossed over my chest.

"We need to talk," Damon stated flatly.

Kai lifted his brows, "Really?" I rolled my eyes and looked to the side. "I'm sure whatever you have to say is of utmost importance, but I'm super busy, so..."

"Unless you'd rather be decapitated, I suggest you let us in," Damon replied.

I looked at Kai, feeling his eyes on me. He pulled his gaze away from me as he stepped back, letting us in. Damon and Stefan found their way into the living room. Kai stepped forward, putting his hand against the doorframe, stopping me from coming in. There was barely room between us for me to breathe. My eyes were forced up to his. His lips were parted as he stared at mine.

"Move."

He looked back into my eyes. A smile spread across his lips as my jealousy registered in his mind. Unfortunately. He stepped back, letting me in. I took a few steps into the living room. He shut the door and walked over. Way too close for my comfort. Obviously not his.

He reluctantly moved his stare from me to Damon. "Talk." His tone simultaneously made me infuriated and my skin hot. He walked to the other side of the room, facing the Salvatores and me. They were a short distance away from me, standing behind the couch.

Damon spoke for the three of us. "You used a cursed knife to stab Jo. She's dying."

He seemed confused. "Okay... I didn't choose that knife. It was given to me."

"By whom," Stefan queried.

"Does it matter?"

I felt like I could throw something at him. "Why would he ask if it didn't?" The sharpness in my voice made me mad. He knows he's getting to me, which is apparent because of the grin on his face.

"I was just curious." The way he dragged on his words made me feel nervous.

The silence was cut by Stefan. "Regardless of how you got the knife, you still used it. You're a siphon, so you knew that knife was cursed. You could feel the magic in it. Who gave it to you and why?"

He crossed his arms as he took a breath. "One of the heretics. I didn't catch her name. I mentioned why I wanted to get out, and she was just helping me."

"Helping you?" Damon asked.

"Mhm. Unfortunately for you all, I hold grudges. And I don't particularly like letting people get away with things. Like leaving me behind in a prison world, for instance."

"Right. Well, now your sister is dying."

"Yeah, you mentioned that already." He shook his head once, expecting more. "What does that have to do with me?"

I looked over to see Damon and Stefan staring at me. I looked at Kai again. "You have to undo it."

He stared at me. "Have to?"

"Yes." I tried to keep the emotion out of my voice, but it was impossible. "You're the one who stabbed Jo, and you're the only one who can fix it. You have to save her."

He looked amused. "I do?"

I felt the frustration inside of me growing. "Did dying give you brain damage?"

"Evelyn," Stefan warned.

I looked at him. "Don't." I looked at Kai. "You stabbed Jo. On her wedding day, no less. She didn't do anything to you. She had no part in putting you in a prison world again."

He tilted his head, "How would you know? You weren't here."

I felt like he punched the air out of my lungs. I kept my composure and kept talking. "You can't just go around killing people because you're pissed off."

He walked closer, "But I did. That's the reason you're here."

I tilted my head, "No. I'm here because I need you to come with us and save Jo."

"You need me," he smiled.

I faltered back a step, "That's not..." I took a breath. "Will you do it or not?"

He tilted his head as he uncrossed his arms. "What do I get out of this?"

"Your life," Damon answered.

Kai rolled his eyes. "I was asking Evelyn." He stepped closer.

"So, you'll do it?" I could feel his stare through my entire body.

His eyes searched mine. "What will you give me if I do?"

"What do you want?" I wanted to take back my words immediately.

I felt like I was stuck in the moment. His stare kept me frozen in place. I wanted to die for letting him get to me. Especially knowing he was just with another girl. And who knows how many more?

He held out his hands, taking a step closer. I glanced at his hands before returning my eyes to his. "What?"

"Give me your hands."

I was hesitant, but I put my hands in his. I felt it through my entire body. I swallowed the breath stuck in my throat, which didn't go unnoticed.

"What are you doing?" Damon's voice was cautious.

Kai squeezed my hands gently. I watched closely as his eyes closed. His mouth moved as he mumbled a spell under his breath. I felt an unusual sensation travel from my hands through my entire body. A few seconds later and his eyes were on mine again.

"Don't die." He looked at our hands before pulling away. And if I wasn't so confused, I may have seen the hesitance in his separation from me.

"What the hell was that?" Stefan asked. He sounded mad.

Kai pulled his gaze from me to the Salvatores. "We can go now."

"What was that?" I was out of my dazed state.

He looked at me. "The spell."

"What else would I be talking about?"

"The girl who was here. The conversation we had -"

"The spell! What did you just do?"

"Oh." He laughed softly. "You'll find out." Before I could respond, he turned to Damon and Stefan. "Jo will be dead within an hour. I think I should point that out."

The next few minutes were spent leaving the building. I stayed wary of him. Whatever the hell he did hasn't kicked in yet. Why did I even let it happen?

"Your hair is different. You got another piercing. And you're a lot less hostile."

I looked at Kai, who was sitting in the backseat with me. "What?" I felt baffled by his ability to act fine.

He took a second to start talking. "You changed."

"Do you want to have that conversation now?"

He smiled, "I'll have any conversation you want me to."

I felt infuriated. "God! You're unbelievable." I turned toward him.

"What?"

"You're flirting with me."

"Mhm."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I was interrupted by Stefan. "Okay! You two can have this conversation later. When you're alone."

I looked at him, wondering what that insinuated. Thankfully, I didn't have to think about it for long.

Ric opened the door after Damon knocked. His eyes found Kai. Rage filled his eyes. He seemed unlikely to let us in.

"He's here to help, Ric," Stefan offered.

Ric's eyes found mine. He relaxed a bit. He stepped back, pulling the door open and letting us in. Stefan walked in first, then was followed by Kai, me, and then Damon. I stopped in the doorway of the living room. I observed as Kai siphoned the magic from Jo after a lengthy, quiet conversation.

"Hey."

I looked at Damon, who stopped beside me. I looked away from him as Stefan stopped beside him. "What?"

"Thanks," Damon answered.

"Don't mention it."

"You're... mad?"

I stopped my eyes from rolling. I bit my tongue to stop the anger from spewing out. I watched as Kai stepped away from Jo. I could see the regret in his eyes. Something he hadn't shown in his apartment earlier.

The cuts on my arm felt sore. It burned. I watched as Kai's eyes moved to his forearm. His brows were knitted together. He glanced over at me.

How? Suddenly, it clicked. "Son of a bitch." The words slipped from my mouth, staying just loud enough for every vampire to hear.

"What?"

I ignored Damon. I pushed off the frame and turned toward the front door. I stormed out of the house.

"Hey." Stefan sped in front of me, stopping me from leaving. "What is it?"

I could barely see through the haze of anger in my mind. "He knew you would have to ask me to do this! He knew what he wanted from me, and he got it!"

He put his hands up, "What are you talking about?!"

"Did you know he was going to do it?!"

"Evelyn, I can't understand you. Just calm down and-"

"No! I'm not going to calm down!"

"You're screaming. Why are you screaming?"

I pushed Damon's hand off my shoulder. "Don't!"

"What is your problem?"

I looked at him. "Why don't you go ask the psychopath who you begged me to talk to?!"

Damon looked to Stefan for help. I looked over at the house. Kai was walking over.

"What did you do," Damon asked as Kai got closer.

He stepped within my personal space and grabbed my wrist before I could step away. He inspected my arm closely. He looked into my eyes. "What the hell did you do?"

I pulled away from him, "Why do you care?!"

"Because it affects me too! I'm sure you figured that out by now."

"Then undo it!"

"No!"

"Why?!"

"You're my leverage! If I undo that spell, then I could die."

"If you don't, I'll kill you myself!"

"It should be pretty easy considering your-"

"As much as I enjoy watching you two argue, I still have no clue what this is about!"

Neither of us looked at Damon, too caught up in the argument.

The way he was staring at me made me want to strangle him. Even if it does kill me. At least I'll die knowing he won't be tormenting everyone. If another word came out of his mouth, I would probably punch him. It wouldn't do much. And it would just hurt me too. But I would at least feel a little better.

But I don't need that right now. I don't need him.

"I linked my life to Evelyn's. Whatever she feels, I feel. And if I die..." He looked at them. "She dies with me. So whatever plans you had are ruined." He looked at me. "You're welcome."

Stefan grabbed my arm, pulling me back before I could lunge at Kai.

"Undo the spell," Damon demanded.

Kai turned to him. "No. I still have things to do. Things that can't be done if I'm dead."

"Like what? You already killed your entire family."

"Despite what you think, I don't just kill people."

"Right, you torture them too. That must've slipped my mind."

Kai tilted his head. "I'm not undoing the spell until I'm ready. Evelyn will be fine. She's just pissed off because it's me she's linked to. I can't possibly understand why, though." I scoffed. He looked at me, "What?"

I rolled my eyes as I pulled away from Stefan. I started walking down the sidewalk, away from them.

"Where are you going?"

"Home," I responded to Damon.

"You can't just walk alone!"

I laughed at the thought of being murdered. At least then Kai will die. And even if it's not murder, he'll still feel it.