Chapter Text
April 27, 2010
The clock’s ticking unnerved her.
The woman paced back and forth, waiting for the man she was meeting to arrive. He was usually rather punctual. Clearly, something was delaying him.
At last, she heard voices outside. Both of which she recognized, despite being under the impression that the man was coming alone.
“Wait for me here,” instructed the man to the young woman with him. “I won’t be long.”
“Elijah—” the girl began.
“Elena, I give you my word, I will be right back.”
“Who is it that you’re meeting? Elijah, when we renewed the terms of our deal, we stated we would be honest with each other.”
“All will come to light when we return to the Salvatore Home. This story is best explained just once, to all of you simultaneously.”
The woman tapped her foot impatiently, uncrossing her arms as the door opened. A man in a suit walked in, and the two vampires acknowledged each other.
A millisecond later, Elijah had her throat squeezed tight in his hand, her body pinned to the wall while he lifted her to his eye level, her toes unable to graze the surface of the floor once she ended up hovering eight inches above it.
“You won’t even hear me out?” the woman said, rather steadily for someone in a chokehold. “Are you going to kill me, just as you killed Slater? And Trevor?”
He released her, and she fell to the floor, but was quick to get back on her feet. “It was you?” he asked, raising a brow. “You arranged the meeting for them?”
She shrugged, giving a light cough. “They’re long-time friends of mine. Or were. I would have arrived sooner if they hadn’t been killed. What can I say? I know my way around online chat rooms. And around people’s minds. Your little lieutenant, the one that politely passed along the message…” she shrugged, “he was always very malleable. He’s the one that helped me contact you yesterday.”
“And why are you here now?”
She looked at him intently. “Katherine is missing. I heard she fell into Klaus’s hands.”
“I was under the impression that you haven’t spoken to her since 1864.”
“I haven’t. But we have kept tabs on each other for a long time. I don’t have any intention of talking to her, or even seeing her, but I will not allow Klaus to hurt her. I’ve had spies planted in this town since Katherine arrived. I know you’re planning on killing him, and I want in.”
He considered it. She moved closer. “You need my help. A five-hundred-year-old elixir, a witch who is going to risk her life channeling an enormous amount of magic… you need the vampire muscle to make sure it works, and you know it. Those Salvatore boys may be fierce but they don’t stand a chance. Me, however…” she spread her arms. “I hold him down, you rip out his heart when the witch weakens him enough. That’s all I ask. It’s the only thing I want. A chance to stand over his dead body. As soon as that’s over with, I’ll be out of your hair. Even if it is really weird-looking nowadays.”
Elijah’s lip twitched. “If those are the only terms you pose, then I accept. You were always more reasonable than Katerina.”
“Not really,” said the woman darkly. “I just have more of a reason to hate him.”
The girl outside was surprised when Elijah walked out followed by the brunette with dark, cold, calculating eyes. “Elena Gilbert,” said Elijah, gesturing to her to introduce her to the woman. “Elena, this is Evangeliya Ivanova.”
“Evangeliya?” repeated Elena.
Evangeliya seemed amused. “Yes. You know, for someone who looks so much like Katherine, you are far more adorable.”
“Let us get going,” said Elijah, motioning to where Elena’s car was parked. “We have much to discuss with the Salvatore brothers.”
Evangeliya was instructed to wait outside for them to make an introduction for her. She walked in prematurely, but didn’t care to notice the look Elijah cast her way. She examined the faces of her new allies, then calmly took a seat in a nearby armchair, slouching and crossing her legs.
“So, who are you?” asked Damon, the elder of the two brothers. “And why are you suddenly here to help us?”
The woman examined him closely. “I’m Evangeliya Ivanova, as Elijah has already said. Most call me ‘Eve’ or ‘Eva.’ A few have called me ‘Vangie’ or ‘Ange’ Katherine once called me ‘Liya.’ All names for the same person… me.”
“Rose mentioned you,” said Stefan, the younger brother. “She said a vampire named Eve would help us if we needed it. She died before she gave us a way to contact you.”
“I could have come sooner,” said Evangeliya. “I elected not to when I realized my safety would be compromised.”
“Great,” said Damon sarcastically. “Thanks for nothing.”
Evangeliya’s face remained neutral for a moment. “Rose told me about you, too. She said there was something in you that she liked.” She tilted her head and with a wicked smile, said, “I can’t see what that is.”
He rolled his eyes. “Get on with it. Your story, now.”
She leaned forward. “I was born on April 15th, 1470. The eldest of three daughters born to Darian Ivanova and Iliya Ivanova-Markova, two servants in a wealthy Bulgarian household. Three years later, on June 5th, 1473, Katerina Petrova, the first and only child of Andrey and Ekaterina, was born. From the age of three, I was her handmaiden. My younger sisters, Iskra and Anelia were her secondary maidens, often tending to Ekaterina alongside my mother. Despite the difference in our birthright and status, Katerina was my friend. My sister. I served her well, as any servant was meant to in those times. When I was nineteen, Katherine approached me, confiding only in me about her affair with a man… a Traveler. I was the first one that found out she was pregnant. Though I attempted to help her hide it, it all came to light soon enough. I was in the room with her when she went into labor…”
“Hold still,” said Evangeliya gently in Bulgarian as she braided Katherine’s hair. “We must prepare you for bed. In the morning, I will bring you a tray of—”
“AHH!” cried Katherine, holding her stomach suddenly. “Ah—”
Evangeliya remained calm. “Come on,” she helped her to the bed. “Lay down.” She propped up the pillows, ensuring she was comfortable. “Stay still.” She brushed her knuckles against her face affectionately. “Breathe. I will be right back with your mother, my mother, and my sisters. Your little one wishes to meet her mama tonight.”
“Wait!” said Katherine, catching her hand before she could go. “Liya, stay with me. Please.”
Though hesitant, she nodded. She went out the door, finding the first servant she could and telling her to fetch Ekaterina, Iliya, Iskra, and Anelia. She swept around the room, preparing several cloths. Just as the women arrived, Evangeliya examined Katherine. “There you go, breathe,” she said. “You will be ready soon.”
Within two hours, the baby was ready to come out. Katherine’s mother sat behind her, hugging her tight and sitting her up as Evangeliya and her mother waited to deliver the baby. Iskra and Anelia were rushing around, fetching Katherine more water and cloths to clean her face.
“You are nearly there,” said Iliya as Evangeliya held out her hands. “Push… again… good girl, a bit more… more… push—”
“Push, Katerina,” agreed her mother.
Katherine screamed as she gave a final push. Evangeliya brought out the baby, and handed her to her mother to clean as she used a small knife to cut the cord.
“It is a girl!” said Iliya brightly. “Oh, how we are blessed with girls in this household.”
“A girl!” said Ekaterina softly. Katherine was so tired, she helped lift her hands to accept the child.
But suddenly, a man burst into the room. “Woman, don’t!” he snarled before Iliya could place the baby into her arms. “Hand the child to me!”
Iliya had no idea what to do. Katherine cried out, “Let me at least hold her once… just once.”
“No!” snapped Andrey. “You can forget it! You have disgraced this family. The child, now!”
Iliya was too afraid to deny him. She handed him the baby and he rushed out of the room. “Father, please!” screamed Katherine. “No, Father, no!”
“No, Katerina,” said her mother, holding her on the bed. “It’s better for her… it’s better for her…”
“No, Mama, please!” she sobbed.
“Let her go, Katerina… let her go…”
Evangeliya, seeing the heartbroken look on Katherine’s face, bolted out of the room. She snuck behind Andrey, planning to follow him until she saw who he gave the baby to. But suddenly, someone grabbed her from around the corner, covering her mouth.
“What do you think you are doing?” hissed her father in her ear. “You will condemn us all to her fate!”
She tried to fight him, tried to get away. He restrained her, and whispered in her ear, “Katerina will be banished come morning! Do not fight, Eva!”
“When my father told me that Katerina was to be banished,” continued Evangeliya, “I made a decision. The following morning when Katerina’s father declared she had to go to England, I said I would go with her. If she was meant to pass as a lady, one that would not arouse suspicion and lead to an investigation into her past… she would need a handmaiden. So, we left. Quickly assimilated to the culture. Spent two peaceful years there before we came across Trevor. He saw Katerina, and told us that he needed to present her to the Lords of the region. She was to be a gift to the most celebrated nobleman for his birthday. I recall how I helped her select her dress. Curled her hair. Hugged her tight as she told me that if all went well… she could be wed. Her secret would forever be hidden, and I would be a servant to a lord, and would find a good husband that would allow me to return to Bulgaria to fetch my sisters.”
Her expression darkened. “Klaus turned out to be far different than what we expected. I recall in those first days, Katherine would tell me how handsome he was. I would hear word about their interactions from Trevor, who since then had been my friend. He introduced me to Rose, and I… was happy, because Katerina was happy. But she’d noticed that Klaus didn’t seem to have much of an interest in her, despite continuing to court her. She expressed her concerns to me.
“We surmised it had to do with the fact he was a man… as we hardly knew any men who married for love. The father of Katerina’s child did not stand by her. My parents and hers were joined through arranged marriages, and though they grew to be affectionate, they did not feel love. While she spent her days in a large mansion, cared for and enjoying her fun with Elijah, I waited at our residence, often wondering what would end up happening. Whether it would be Elijah or Klaus that would propose to her, in the end. I was often cleaning, washing, and worrying about her. She was my only family there. My little sister. I didn’t wish for anyone to hurt her, or to leave her in a similar condition as before. I feared Klaus would bed her and abandon her as her other beau did.
“I hardly knew either of them. Elijah, I saw more often, because he brought her home nearly every evening. Klaus, I had only seen once or twice. I didn’t trust him, despite agreeing with Katerina that he was devilishly handsome. One day, when she’d left to be fitted for a dress without me, there came a knock at the door…”
“Hello,” came Klaus’s voice as she opened the door to greet him.
“Lord Klaus,” she said, bowing deeply. “Katerina is not home.”
“That is quite alright, love. May I come in?”
“Yes, my lord.” She let him in, quickly leading him to the drawing room and then rushing to the kitchen to fix him tea.
“I thought to myself,” she said, “‘Surely this is it. He has come to speak to me about asking her to marry him.’ Which was a silly thought, and at the same time, the only reason I could imagine he could be visiting our home. But his real reason was far more sinister. He knew of all my feelings. Including those which I’d kept hidden from Katerina. My jealousy.Because everything was perfect for her. We could pretend she was a lady, and she got to have all the nice things while I… had nothing. I fancied Trevor at the time but he could not glance at me more than a few seconds unless he was asking me where Katerina was.
“Klaus used that to his advantage. He asked me to sit with him for tea. I tried to refuse, and he… compelled me. I couldn’t leave. I sat, we chatted. And without meaning to, I told him everything. The words flew out of my mouth and I could not stop them. He was paying more attention to me than any man outside my family ever had. He used my curiosity to his advantage. From there, it got worse. I wasn’t just his spy, I was his toy.
“For weeks, he hurt me. Arrived each time Katerina was not home. He’d compel me after each time to forget all of it. So, each time he came by, I never felt fear, only distrust. I never knew what was going to happen to me. He never forced me into bed with him but he did take all his anger out on me. Feeding, ranting, often treating me like a punching bag if I talked back. Sometimes it was so bad, my bones would break.
“My opinions were always wrong to him. If I spoke up, he grew annoyed, and would grip my shoulders, shaking me brutally while he snarled in my face to sit still, be quiet, and just listen to him. I learned to be quiet and let him talk. It minimized the damage. He’d always feed, that was certain. He’d drain me until there was almost nothing left. Sometimes he’d forget to heal me afterwards, which meant I’d find finger-shaped bruises on my arms, not knowing how they got there. Once or twice the bruises were around my neck because he’d grown so annoyed, he choked me. I never understood it. I didn’t know what to think. So even when I had bite marks left behind, I simply hid them and said nothing to Katerina.”
Angry tears flowed down her cheeks. “Then Trevor came one night, warning us about Klaus’s intentions for Katerina. How he would kill her, sacrifice her, all to wake the wolf within. Without compulsion that time, we learned what he truly was. Together, with the moonstone in hand, we abandoned the house, and we ran…”
They were panting heavily, holding hands as they sprinted to the forest. Katherine tripped, and Evangeliya toppled down with her, the two of them ducking behind a tree and a bush.
“They’re here,” came Elijah’s voice as his search party approached them. “Katerina! Evangeliya! I know you’re near. I can smell your blood. It’s pointless to run, Klaus will find you wherever you are.”
“This way,” came Trevor’s voice. “There is more blood over there.”
The search party darted off in another direction. Katherine and Evangeliya quickly stood up, and were about to start running again when Trevor found them, silencing them and whispering, “Head East. I can’t lead them astray much longer.”
“We can’t run anymore,” Katherine panted.
“Never mind,” said Trevor. “There’s a cottage. You’ll be safe there. Go now. Go!”
They ran until their legs nearly gave out. And even if they had, they would have forced themselves to keep going. It was hours later, once the sun had risen, that they reached a cottage, both of them throwing themselves at the door, pounding on it. “Help!” cried Evangeliya. “Help us, please! Let us in!”
An older woman opened the door. “I don’t invite strangers into my home.”
“Trevor sent us,” panted Evangeliya.
“He said you’d help us,” added Katherine.
Suddenly, Rose appeared. “Evangeliya,” she said in surprise. She deduced the other woman was Katherine. “Damn him. Always making promises I don’t want to keep.” She looked at the woman. “Let the girls in.” The two rushed inside as Rose compelled the elderly woman to bring them water and food. The girls collapsed in front of the fireplace, resting their legs.
“Thank you,” said Katherine, digging into her pocket and holding out the moonstone. “Trevor said to show you this, to prove that we are who we say and that you’d help us to freedom.”
Rose’s eyes widened. “You stole this from Klaus?”
“It was to be part of the sacrifice ritual, so I grabbed it and made my escape.”
Rose glared at them. “People do not escape from Klaus. Everyone who tries ends up back in his grasp, and anyone who helps them dies.”
“Please, Rose,” begged Evangeliya. “We know the risk you are bringing on yourself, and we ask you only tell us where to go next. After we eat and replenish ourselves, we can continue to run.”
The woman lunged at them, grabbing them roughly. “I am risking nothing. At nightfall, I will bring you back to Klaus and beg him to show us all mercy.” She shoved the two of them into an empty room, closing the door.
“No!” cried Katherine. “No, please!”
“The window,” said Evangeliya, heading for it. She tried to climb, but slipped, hitting her leg on the edge of the nearby stool and cutting open her foot. “Ah—”
“Sit,” said Katherine, urging her to the bed and having her put her leg up. Tears sprouted in her eyes. “I can’t live like this, Liya. I can’t. I want it to be over.”
Evangeliya knew what she meant. “Then…” she brought out a knife the two had brought with them, “we die. Together.”
Katherine nodded, taking the knife and stabbing it into herself, giving a soft gasp. Evangeliya took it, and did the same, leaning against her. But it seemed they’d stabbed in the wrong place, because they didn’t die when they expected to.
They didn’t get to eat. Rose came once evening hit with two ropes in hand. “It’s nightfall,” she said. “Time to go.” She paled, however, when she saw the blood on Katherine’s abdomen. “When did this happen?”
“In the woods,” lied Katherine. “I tripped.”
“It’s a lie,” said Rose. “I would have smelled it.” She forced the knife out of Evangeliya’s hand.
“We’d rather die than go back to Klaus,” pleaded Katherine. “Please just let us die.”
“If you die, then Trevor dies with you,” she said, biting into her wrist and forcing them both to drink, though both tried to stop her.
Trevor rushed into the room, but Rose quickly shoved him out. Katherine looked at Evangeliya, who was glancing down at where her leg was healing. The younger woman seemed to have an idea, grabbing one of the ropes and tossing it over a beam in the ceiling, quickly creating a noose. Evangeliya didn’t think to join her. She stood on the stool and kicked it aside, dying within seconds, before Rose and Trevor could save her.
“I couldn’t have known what she was planning,” said Evangeliya. “She chose to turn… and she saved us both from being given to Klaus. The instant we were safe, she broke my neck, and turned me, as well. That was on April 6th, 1492. I was nine days from turning twenty-two. It was hours later when my head began to ache, and I was able to recall every last memory of the abuse I suffered under Klaus. Everything he had done to me. Confiding in me and hurting me simultaneously, all for fun. Out of boredom. Katerina was horrified. I felt… empty. We both thought we would feel better if we went home to Bulgaria. But when we arrived… everyone was dead. Katerina’s parents. Mine. My sisters. Slaughtered mercilessly by that monster. It was too much for me. I would never age… never see my family again… never feel whole again. We made a promise to each other, that day, that we would always protect one another. That we would never turn our humanity off. We would be brave and we would face all dangers together, always. From there, we got to work. We searched for her daughter, together. We changed our names to Katherine Pierce and Eve Markova, together. We ran, we met Pearl and Anna, became a family. Always stood by one another.
“Until the 1800s. I started to feel as though Katherine no longer trusted me. Something… felt off. We’d recently acquired daylight rings and amulets, and were able to roam around in the day as if all was well. Katherine wanted to go to the Lockwood Plantation to get rid of the moonstone, and have it kept somewhere safe. She saw Stefan on the side of the road, his carriage requiring repairs. She decided she wanted to insert herself into the family… to toy with both brothers. I had no idea of her ulterior motives to bury Pearl, Anna, and I in the tomb to fake her death. I confronted her, asked her to tell me the truth about her plan. She refused. We got into a fight and she admitted that I was going to be collateral damage so that she could be free.”
“Really, Katherine?” said Evangeliya, clearly hurt. “After everything that I lost for sticking by you, this is how you repay me? By turning your back on me and sacrificing me for your own gains? Have you forgotten what we’ve been through? I didn’t have to stick by you. I could have gone my own way and had everything I wanted. Everything you got out of life that I was denied because I was too poor to say otherwise.”
“That isn’t my fault,” said Katherine scathingly. “You had every chance to leave and you didn’t.”
“To protect you!” she scoffed. She shook her head, finding it futile to continue the argument. “You know what? You’re just a selfish bitch. I am done with you. I am done with all of this. From now on, you’re fending for yourself.”
“It saved me from being put in the tomb,” said Evangeliya. “Though, she did take my daylight ring and amulet, turning me back into a nightwalker. I couldn’t save Pearl and I lost contact with Anna. I started to hate Katherine when I learned the full extent of what she did to the two of you.” She nodded to the Salvatore brothers. “She abused you like Klaus abused me, except so much worse. And it’s because of her that we lost Pearl and Anna. I have followed her for my own safety, because she always seemed to know where the Originals were. It led me to get very involved in online chat rooms that granted me better connections than the ones she had. I got to see Rose and Trevor again. I helped them, and they helped me. Now… I am here to free Katherine, but not to see her. I want to kill Klaus because of what he did to me. As soon as he’s gone, she will be able to escape his captivity and I will be free at last, to do whatever I want. So, you see, I have my reasons for wanting Klaus dead. I will not betray you the way she did. I have done what it takes to survive, and I feel no shame in admitting I, too, am a monster in many ways. It’s what will make me an asset to you. Together, we can kill Klaus, I’m sure of it.”
The two brothers looked between themselves, and at Elena. “I trust her,” said Elena calmly. “We need her.” She pursed her lips at Stefan, who nodded.
“You’re welcome to spend the night here,” he said, eyes flickering between Evangeliya and Elijah. “Both of you. In the morning, we will go over the plan and prepare for what’s to come.”
“Thank you,” said Evangeliya, relieved. “You are very kind.”
She was settled into a room soon after. She’d been ready to go to sleep when there was a knock at the door. When she opened it, she saw Elijah.
“Have you doubts?” asked Evangeliya boredly.
He shook his head, averting his gaze from the tank top and shorts she was now wearing. “Forgive me. I didn’t know.”
“Didn’t know what?”
“That my brother had harmed you that way.”
She frowned. “You didn’t know?”
“No. Had I known, I would have stopped him. I never would have allowed him to do such a thing. I knew that in that time, humans mattered very little to him, but I never knew that he’d do something like that to anyone. Especially to you. Even when he insisted I help hunt you, he never said…”
“I don’t tend to tell many people that story,” said Evangeliya calmly. “And those who know are sworn to secrecy. Your brother is a monster. I thank the gods of the world every day that he didn’t take it a step further. I always feared he would.” She tapped her finger to his chest, digging it right into his sternum. “Give me your word that you will not hesitate to end his life. If this plan fails… I will be right there, Elijah, within his reach. He will kill me. Or worse, capture me and hurt me all over again. And this time I don’t think anything will stop him from violating me completely.”
Elijah nodded. “You have my word that I will not hesitate. That I will help you be free. He will never lay a hand on you again.” He started to leave, but stopped as Elena appeared in the door. He moved, allowing her to trade places with him.
“Hi,” said Elena gently. “Are you comfortable?”
“Quite,” replied Evangeliya. “Thank you. You are… rather different from Katherine. At least, you’re different from the person she became once she turned.”
She managed a weak smile. “I try to be. I’m sorry about what you went through. I can’t imagine what it was like… being hurt, running, getting hurt again, running, hiding… and still you’re here to protect her.”
“I kept my promise to her, even if she didn’t keep hers in return,” said Evangeliya. “For decades since we parted ways, I’ve looked out for her. Continued to search for records of what happened to her daughter. Sent people the other way when they were trying to capture her.”
“How did you do that?”
Evangeliya shrugged. “People were constantly sent to get information from me about her. I used the same tactics. While they thought they were sneaking into my mind with sex, I snuck into theirs. Let them see fake memories, withdrew information to help myself. It’s how I have so many contacts. And I feel no shame, because I am very good at what I do. I know my way around minds better than most vampires. I hurt no one, I merely make connections and help those I can. Slater, Rose, Trevor…” she gave a dry laugh, “Trevor, I can finally get over. He never could quite love me the way he loved Katherine. At least I had my fun with him.” She tilted my head. “I do hope that look on your face is not one of judgment.”
“It’s not,” promised Elena. “I just can’t imagine anyone having to go through all that. And for them to still be alive.”
Her face fell. “I’m alive, yes, but barely. I won't get to live until I’m free.”
Elena smiled. “Then we’ll make sure that happens tomorrow. For the both of us.”
“Not just for us,” said Evangeliya. “For everyone who we have lost and may lose in the battle to give Klaus a painful death. We are going to avenge everyone who has ever suffered at his hands. On the night of the full moon, the souls he harmed will finally have peace.”
.
A/N: How I am pronouncing her name: Ev-anne-geh-lee-uh. Looking forward to this story! I am aiming for a happier ending considering my previous Elijah stories have been so depressing. There will be angst but I am going to find a way to make them happy at the end :)