Heart of Stone

The loud scraping of metal on metal was what woke Evangeline up initially, that and a horrible stench that rotted her to her very core. Slowly, she began to open her eyes, an unfortunate sight in front of her. She let out a gasp as she immediately saw the source of the odor and quickly pinched her eyes shut again, not daring to look again at the stack of rotting human corpses on the other side of the abandoned warehouse. She could only assume she was off on the outskirts of the city, more than likely somewhere she'd not be heard.

She noticed then that she couldn't... move. Peeking down at her wrists she saw her wrists were bound to the arms of a steel chair with vervain soaked ropes. Eve cringed as she tried to pull herself free only to find her skin being rubbed raw. Her ankles were in the same predicament. And that was when the panic set in. She started to struggle, desperately, terrified of what might be to come.

Was Sarah alive? She remembered before she had passed out, that she had looked up at a gorgeous brunette with those same piercing green eyes. There was just one difference between this woman and the picture from the article. This woman's eyes were cold, unfeeling. And what about Ian? Had it sounded to her that he was trying to warn her before it happened? There was more to this, more to Ian and Sarah than she ever could have thought. Now, she was trapped here, hooked to a dripping IV that constantly pumped the toxic vervain into her system to keep herself weak. The whole episode seemed so surreal and then she finally realized something. Niklaus was right... she wasn't meant for this world of wicked deeds and un-soulful acts. This was proof of that and she had no other defense but her inability to die but by one item. The ash of the white oak tree, a tree that her siblings had rid of ages ago. Her life would be safe.

Wide doors suddenly slammed open, causing Eve to jump in her chair, her head snapping to the side with urgency. Her eyes gazed upon the woman walking towards her. Tall, slim, brunette. Green cat eyes. Sarah. Evangeline couldn't utter a word, the closer she got, the harder it was for her to find the courage to speak. She walked with such power and yet grace as if she held the key to the universe in the palm of her hand. As though she couldn't be touched by God Himself.

Slowly, Sarah leaned down to Evangeline's height. Her expression blank as her hands rested over her forearms. A wicked grin soon taking place of her straight lips, a gleam in her eyes as her nails dug into her arms, drawing blood. "Evangeline Mikaelson," she purred in a low, sultry voice, "I would have thought you'd be prettier."

It would have been tempting to stay silent, it was easy to not speak at all than mustering the courage to talk. "Your name is Sarah?" she asked her "I a news article online that said... that said you had died. In a fire."

Sarah tilted her head to the side, expression unexplainable "You mistake me for someone else. I didn't die, but someone did die that day" she murmured as she dipped her fingernail into a puddle of pooling vervain and then glided it along Eve's cheek, causing a long burn mark as she did. Eve let out a soft whine of pain, turning her head away from her. Sarah merely laughed "You are the weak one, aren't you? Has it ever occurred to you, that you hold your family back, and that's why they don't want you?"

Evangeline swallowed hard and shook her head "You're a vile woman and will say anything to make me upset. I will not trust a word you say. Nor am I threatened by your actions. You cannot hurt my family."

"Oh, but I can. I can hurt your family by hurting you. Their one, true weakness, is the weakest of all of you."

She knew she was right, and it was devastating to hear what Eve knew all along. She was her sibling's weakness because of her vulnerabilities. "You can do as you wish to me. It will do nothing but anger them, and I will not stand in their way as they come to dismember you" she said, voice showing a hint of strength now. She was a Mikaelson after all, may as well show some ounce of valor.

Her eyes flitted over to the pile of bodies, all obviously human. "Did you kill those people?" she asked, not daring to look at Sarah, knowing she'd lose her nerve if she did. "Those innocent people..."

"Vampires. Those bloodsucking leeches," Sarah said with a roll of her eyes, "Have you ever killed anyone, Evangeline? Have you have gazed into someone's eyes as they took their last breath?" She asked in her ear, her lips touching her earlobe. Causing goosebumps to rise over Eve's body.

"No," she said flatly, "I haven't" she turned her head to look at her now, scowling.

"Hm," Sarah smirked, "Neither has your boyfriend. Or is it ex-boyfriend now?" she put a finger to her lips and giggled "He never could score with you, could he? Ugh, the moment I saw him all I could think was how much I wanted to jump his bones. And then there's you, sitting all prim and proper, barely allowing him to touch you at all. I suppose I can only expect that from a virgin, but it did put me in a bit of a pickle when you wouldn't give yourself to him. You see when women sleep with a man they have this sort of connection with them. It makes them easier to trust... which would have come in handy by this stage of the game."

Evangeline furrowed her eyebrows in confusion "Game? I don't understand..."

"Of course, you don't, pet..." Sarah sighed and then smirked "He works for me, sweetie. He always has," she paused and giggled devilishly, "You didn't think he'd actually cared about you, do you? He used you. You are nothing to him."

Hot tears filled her eyes and her lower lip started to quiver "You're a liar. You used Ian, didn't you? Staged your death and then..."

"And then... what?" Sarah asked, "You don't know anything," she said as she shook her head, standing to check the IV bag hovering above her, "That should do it."

Eve looked up as Sarah began to undo her bindings, and she felt relief, up until Sarah grabbed hold a fistful of her hair, nails digging into her scalp and brought her to her feet. Without another word, she started to drag her away from the main building of the warehouse, going down a narrow hall with a disgusting floor filled with scattered debris.

They stopped suddenly in front of a closed door, one that Sarah kicked open to the soul of her boot and dragged Evangeline in. She let out a gasp as she was thrown to the dirty ground of the dark and grimy room, the door slamming shut. She could hear a heavy bolt be locked on the outside and she knew with her lack of strength she'd not be getting out anytime soon. She could simply hope that her siblings would soon grow suspicious and come searching for her. She had to keep her hopes high, it was all she could do now, and giving up was simply not an option.

There was a sudden soft clang of something metal and Eve spun around. The lights were so dim it was hard to see at first, and for a human it would have been nearly pitch black. However, her vampire night vision gave her the ability to see the scene now and she let out a soft gasp. There, hanging from the ceiling by his wrists, his chest and torso exposed and covered in bloody blade streaks, his bare feet barely skimming the dirty ground, was Ian.

Eve put a hand to her mouth with wide eyes. He was awake, and alive, but he had been brutally tortured and the sight was almost too much to look upon. He may have gotten her into this situation in the first place, but she couldn't let him hang there in so much pain. She moved forward slowly, "Ian?" she asked softly. Her hand pressing carefully against his protruding ribs, watching him flinch when she touched a deep gash. She'd help him down, of course, but she wanted answers. And she was going to get them. One way, or another.