The Hanging Pawn

Vampire senses allow for the deepest understanding of the human psyche. The smell of fear, loathing, love. The relentless pounding, boom boom boom, of a heart beating. The sound, so loud, one might expect the heart to rip right through a human's chest. A wealth of human emotions laid bare by the automatic response of the tiniest hairs standing on end, betraying their fear. The sharp intake of breath, a moment for dread to sink in and the unmistakable chill hanging in the air.

That rush of excitement when adrenalin kicks in and the human becomes addicted to feeling like they are on the edge of life and death, with a naive invincibility. For some, the crippling fear that comes before a kill, when the human understands perfectly, their dire limitations, before the acceptance and inevitability of their death. For a Vampire, this much is felt with perfect clarity.

In one drop of blood, a Vampire can taste right down to the very soul of a person. Some humans are richer than others. The more delicious and intoxicating a human smells, the greater the quality and strength of character. This is why some people are drawn to darkness and why darkness, in turn, is drawn to them.


Camille O'Connell had found herself in her worst predicament yet, as NOLA PD's prime suspect in a murder investigation. Frightened, alone and exhausted, she no longer had the mental capability to fathom how she could have ended up in jail, as a suspected serial killer. She knew one thing for sure, Lucien Castle had something, no, scratch that, everything, to do with this.

Unfortunately for her, Detective Kinney was in the dark about… well, all things dark. Unbeknownst to him, new vampires were occupying town, causing all means of havoc under his nose and Cami's own knowledge of this had put her in a very precarious position. Unable to give up her own knowledge about the supernatural goings on in New Orleans, her possession of her family's dark objects and a hand from Lucien Castle to place her in the wrong place at the wrong time and the guilty accusation practically wrote itself.

Upon arrival at the police station she had been taken in for questioning but would not give anything up without her lawyer present. What she really needed was a conversation with Klaus. For once, she needed him more than he needed her and that realisation was unsettling. Could she really rely on him to be there when he had so much going on in his own life? She thrust that worry away and focussed on one clear, unwavering thought: He cared for her. This much she knew. In caring for her, he would do what he could to get her out of here, she was absolutely sure of it.

Camille's attention was drawn to a faint but unmistakable sound of jingling in the distance. What sounded like keys; and then a high pitched, stomach churning screech as something sharp was dragged along a wall. Camille, leaped from the position she was sitting in and made her way toward the prison bars, looking all around to see where the sound was coming from. Strangely, it sounded like it was coming from both directions, which was impossible. Suddenly everything was silent. The sound ceased and for a moment everything was still. Camille's breath hung in the air as a wave of fear washed over her. Perhaps a good thirty seconds passed before the source of the sound appeared in front of her in all his psychopathic glory.

Camille took two steps back, unable to speak, willing herself to build up the courage to face the unpredictable Lucien Castle.

"Hello gorgeous. I bet you're pleased to see me?" Lucien asked with a smirk on his face, knowing full well the effect he was having on Klaus' little play thing.

"Pleased? You must be joking. What are you doing here?" Camille croaked, trying desperately to sound unafraid.

"I've come to rescue you." Camille backed up against the wall as Lucien opened the prison gate with his sheer force, the keys jingling in his hand providing nothing but a source of mental anguish. "Now normally during a covert rescue operation" Lucien continued, "said person being rescued comes willingly. But if you don't comply, Camille, I am willing to do this the hard way. It's your choice. That's more than I offer most individuals. You should feel privileged."

For a split second Camille considered succumbing to his open threats, before remembering who she is.

"I will never go anywhere with you, voluntarily. You want me to leave with you? Fine, but you'll have to force me."

And force her he did.


A breeze blew through the open window of Klaus' bedroom as the original hybrid stood face to face with his first love, Aurora. He couldn't quite believe how things had turned out in the past twenty four hours since he had spoken to her for the first time in a thousand years. Their love had come to a crushing end, due to a misunderstanding, caused by his treacherous brother, many years ago. Elijah, his brother located on his increasingly shaky moral high ground, always willing Klaus to be a better man, judging him for his actions, had ironically been the reason for his destructive demise. When Aurora broke Klaus' heart, under Elijah's compulsion, Klaus' had become the monster he was today. Over time, he assembled the broken pieces of his heart and moulded it back together but the cracks from that first love would mean he would never be the same again. His heart became less compassionate, more hostile. Less loving, more deceitful. Less peaceful, more vengeful. Throughout his one thousand years without Aurora's touch, he rarely felt anything positive for anyone, except rare occurrences where his heart woke from its slumber and he felt that same tingle from long ago. He would check himself and build up his wall of self-loathing and hatred and pretend such feelings did not exist.

But here she was, the great love of his existence. Captivating in her beauty. She had not changed; she was his Aurora and he felt compelled to grab her and kiss her and never let go. His old self returning at the very sight of her.

But he was not that same man. She, perhaps, not the same woman. Where did her loyalties lie and could he trust her after all these years? She may have looked the same but he knew more than most that looks could be most deceiving of all.

"I assume Elijah confirmed my tale of what really happened all those years ago?" Aurora asked.

"Yes. That he did. So what now, Aurora? What are you doing here, in my bedroom?"

"Darling, why on earth wouldn't I be here? You are here. We have spent time enough apart. I would've thought you would feel the same."

Klaus could feel his desire for her peaking but something was holding him back and he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Don't you feel the same?" Aurora probed, walking towards him, decreasing the distance between them until their lips were almost touching. Klaus couldn't take it any longer. He grabbed her in a passionate embrace, kissing her with reckless abandon. Their vampire speed had them knocking over paintings, up against the walls, on top of the bed, devouring each other before they had a moment to think, enjoying living in the moment; in pure, nostalgic, ecstasy.


"Hi Cami"

"Will...I mean, Detective Kinney…?" Camille turned to Lucien, confused to find the detective who arrested her, sitting on Lucien's couch, eating an apple. Making himself comfortable as if this was normal to him.

It didn't take Camille long to figure out what was going on here. "You compelled him didn't you?"

Lucien smiled that devilish smile. "Of course I did…Oh don't look at me like that!"

"You've compelled me? Excuse me?" Detective Will Kinney stood up to face Lucien.

Lucien focussed his eyes on Will, "Whenever you hear the word compulsion, compel, yada yada, you will ignore it. This is all perfectly normal to you. Understood?"

"Understood." Will repeated robotically.

Camille felt a mixture of unease, she had been forcibly kidnapped with the bruises to show for it and had arrived in Lucien's apartment to find that she was not alone in this highly dangerous situation. Detective Kinney was under Lucien's compulsion. She was relieved in the knowledge that he could not compel her because she had been ingesting vervain from the moment her compulsion to Klaus was broken. Her mind was running overtime, trying to work out why Lucien had brought her here and what exactly he wanted to do with her and Detective Kinney.

The awkward silence was broken when Lucien walked towards Cami with a sadistic look on his face. "I know I can't compel you…" Lucien paused for effect, "…yet." Camille grimaced, at his sinister disposition. Now Cami was afraid; and Lucien could sense it. "That's why you're here. I'm going to drain you of that vervain in your system and have a little fun of my own in the process."

"Why?" It was all Camille could think to say.

"Well it's simple really." Lucien continued, "I need Klaus' trust. He needs to think I am on his side in this war of the sire lines." Lucien took time to pour himself a drink of bourbon while Camille waited for him to elaborate.

"In actual fact, I want to reign supreme, so unfortunately your friend Klaus has to die."

"What!? But you are linked to Klaus. That makes no sense" Camille was struggling to understand Lucien's motives to the clear madness that had overcome him.

"Think about it Cami – Witches can bring back the dead, curse someone to an eternity as a wolf, make daylight rings for Vampires…We need Vitamin D too, you know." Lucien huffed, "Have you left your sense of humour in that jail cell, Camille?"

Camille sighed, "Can you just get to the point."

Lucien's face took on a stony expression. "You think an all-powerful witch with a bag full of tricks can't unlink sires from their line?"

"Who is this all powerful witch?" Camille replied.

"Have a think, Cami. You're a clever girl."

"Davi…no…"

A look of sick realisation spread over cami's face.

"Freya Mikaelson…" Camille eye's widened and her heart dropped as that same perverted smile began to return to the face of one, Lucien Castle.

"So what have I got to do with this" Camille asked, with dread. Not sure she even wanted to know the answer.

"You see Cami, there are times when a well-placed pawn is more powerful than a king."