Chapter 2

Davina

Caroline, I heard Marcel cry out loudly. I shot up, frightened by his unexpected voice. He should be at the party. It wasn't that late into the night and people's laughter chanted outside my window, oblivious of me –of course –so to say hearing his voice was refreshing was an understatement. My excitement peaked when I heard him address another person, and not just any. Caroline, as in the notorious blond he all but glorified.

I often tried to picture her from his wild descriptions but the saintly vampire he only recently boasted about was too grand in details that I lost more than I count, only leaving behind the vague outline of a gold-haloed woman with out-of-world beauty and sea-green eyes. Her kindness, though, was what tugged me. I could only hope she could extend her generosity to me.

. He seemed rushed, surprised… yet, he didn't seem scared. There wasn't the nervous, defensive jump in his octaves, as he would when speaking to Klaus or Rebekah. When he spoke 'Caroline's' name, he was soft, trusting, like he would address me. I trembled in excitement, hearing his voice rise in volume as they climbed the stairs. They were close. I felt my palms sweat up. I wanted to sit down but I was too restless, pacing in front of the door awaiting Marcel and his infamous visitor.

Would she like me? Would she help me?

I could hear her chime. She was rushed, pushed, but she didn't seem resentful or angry. If anything, the edge in her voice was fanned by fear, not anger. She was scared while Marcel tried to assure her, calming her in his charismatic manner but she wasn't buying it, not that I could tell. Her tongue was sharp and quick, like a whip, as she emphasized the short notice. She seemed pressed for time, by the sound of it. She was in a hurry, she and Marcel both. That worried me. Did something happen? Did something go awry? I looked around frantically, not sure how I could help the situation. I only had a few things ready to pack

I expected a rough knock on the door but to my surprise, her knuckled rapped softly in a set of threes, calmly, as if to avoid alerting me of any trouble I suspected moments ago.

"Davina," Caroline cut though. Her voice was clear and light, gentle as she coaxed me to open the door so she wouldn't seem like she was intruding. "My name is Caroline and I'm a friend of Marcel's. Do you mind if I come in?"

If there was any struggle of time, she made sure not to show it as she stood silently outside my door. I stuttered a clumsy response, before fumbling to open the rackety door. I wasn't sure what would greet me –Caroline was too great of an image and I gave up any attempt to imagine her after a while –but the goddess outside my door took my breath away.

Marcel's admiring words didn't do her justice. She was…just flawless. Her kind wide blue eyes were unmasked –as the piece of plastic was tucked in her palm at her hip –and gazed down at me gently, with a tenderness I've forgotten had existed after what-seemed-to-be an eternity of being locked up. Her loose, silver-blonde locks crowned her face in a queenly fashioned, and I remembered how Marcel referred to her highly as if she was royalty –and then, in that moment as I took in her face, everything clicked, and I understood exactly how he thought she was unworldly.

"Davina," she breathed softly, smiling kindly. She didn't seem like a vampire. She didn't look dark or menacing, I don't think she could be capable of looking anything like Rebekah or Marcel when they were infuriated. I wondered how she survived, not even fathoming she must have killed a handful of people herself. She probably gave them the gift of a merciful death. "It's nice to meet you finally," she chimed brightly. Her voice sparkled warmth, just like her dazzling eyes. "I've heard such great things about you from Marcel."

All I could do was nod, mesmerized by her features. "I've heard a lot about you, too," I mumbled, tripping over my own tongue.

"Good things, I hope," she chuckled. "Do you mind if I come in? Is it a good time?"

I'm not sure she realized I overheard her rushed words outside in the hallway but I gave her the benefit of the doubt. I nodded and stepped aside, allowing her entrance into my small, private chambers. I was embarrassed, knowing a woman of her caliber has seen much greater cities and places, and my tiny attic room was nothing to compare. Against my assumption, she found some good in the dusty attic and complimented on how my unique taste. I guess she was just trying to ease the tension in my shoulder, and she patted the spot beside her on my bed, beckoning me to join her.

"I wish I could have met you earlier, and in different circumstances, but time passes by faster than I realized," she apologized sincerely, "and I lost track of time. Had Marcel told me earlier about you, I certainly would have made time to journey down to New Orleans sooner! Unfortunately, this isn't a social call," she frowned and my heart dropped. "Marcel told me about the trouble brewing in New Orleans and he's worried about you. It's not safe for you here. Did you know that?" I nodded. My throat was too dry to speak and my mind was jumbled, unable to compose some kind of response. "Marcel and I both agree you need to get out of here before it's too late. But," Caroline shifted, turning her legs to cross so she angled directly towards me rather than beside me. "I don't want to force you into something you aren't ready for."

"Sometimes though," Marcel intervened, "we have to do things we aren't ready for," he coaxed. I didn't miss the urgency in his voice.

Caroline shook her head, silencing him with concerned eyes. She knew of the recent events and the urgency of the matter but she didn't want to concern me. I was taken aback by her care. "Can you give us a moment, Marcel? You might cloud her judgment. She needs to think this through without you influencing her." Caroline demanded calmly. I caught hint of the strong authority her queenly reputation reputed her for and I admired how she didn't have to push her voice like Marcel did to get her point across. Marcel obeyed and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Unfortunately, Marcel is right, however abrupt it is. I just want you to know what you're getting into though. You deserve that much. I want you to have a choice in the matter." Something in her eyes seemed sad, like she was reliving a bad memory. The sour turn of her lips told me it was rather unpleasant, but she brought her eyes away from the dark corner and back to me, snapping her back into reality. "I didn't have much a choice when I was your age and I wish I did. I can't say I would do anything different but to have some control is something I was denied. I don't want you to be resentful for something out of your control. It may seem like a big responsibility and if you want us to take the reins, we can do that, but here's your chance to decide what you want."

The weight of the burden she dropped on me dug a pit into my stomach. Now my naïve dreams of escape and adventure were now tainted with doubt and I felt bitter. I jittered in anxiety. "You can leave with me but that means leaving everything you've known. Childhood has been over for you for a while but once we leave the city, it will truly dawn on you and you're going to experience a span of powerful emotions, sadness and anxiety being exceptionally strong. You're going to experience the transition from child to adult at one point in your life but to be honest, the sooner is the better, because if we stay any longer, you might not live long enough to pass that land mark, do you understand?" I nodded, taking in her words, but my mind had yet to process the full depth of them. The doubt darkened. "But you're strong, and you're brave, and you'll experience a newfound sense of freedom greater than you can ever imagine. New Orleans is a magical place but take it from me," she grinned brightly, radiating a heavenly glow that descended a numbing sense of relief and assurance upon my body. "There is a world waiting for you. You deserve to see all the beauty and magic outside the confines of your safe haven. I'll be with you every step of the way until you decide you're old enough to expand on your own and that's your right I'll respect when that time comes."

"I don't want to die," I croaked. "I don't want to stay here and suffer anymore. I know what I'm risking but the reward is far greater than what is offered here. Caroline, please, get me out of here," I pleaded, shaken. I thought I was ready but I was scared.

Caroline wrapped me in an assuring hug. I felt untouchable in her protective arms and I just wanted to stay there forever. "I'm scared," I confided softly into her chest. She breathed heavily. My shaking had stopped and I felt her warmth lift me into higher spirits.

"I was, too," she mumbled into the crown of my head. She stroked my hair softly and I almost purred like a kitten, relaxed in bliss. "I was a lot like you, Davina. I was young, naïve, and far too trusting. You have someone looking out for you. I'm glad you do. I didn't and I was pushed into a world I didn't know I would survive in. I'm so glad you didn't have to suffer the way I did."

I swallowed. She sounded so small as she spoke those words, as if she had shrunk, yet her hold tightened, as if to protect me the way she wished she was protected. Maybe this is why she was so selfless. She didn't know me and yet her overwhelming compassion enveloped me. She was too human to be a vampire. "How did you turn?" I asked her innocently.

She smiled into the crown of my head, not offended by my curiosity. "I was 17, and ventured out to the hall looking for my father. He didn't show up for supper and it was passed sundown. Mom was concerned and I volunteered to retrieve him, thinking he was held up in the Lord's chambers." She sighed, and I heard her heart skip a beat, and I knew the repressed memories were just as vivid as the day itself, and I felt utmost pity for her. I could hear her voice choke only for a moment before she calmed herself. Her fingers tightened into my curls, cupping them like a stress reliever. "He and his comrades were slaughtered in the main hall. Their killer stood proudly at the end of the table, sipping blood from a wine cup like it was it victory desert and it was too late to escape. Next thing you know, he offers me the cup and forces it down my throat, telling me to get used to it. I don't know why he didn't just kill me like the rest but instead, he has my throat in his hands and he's squeezing, until I couldn't breathe. I woke up, thinking maybe I passed out, that it was a bad dream or he let me go, but no." Caroline shook her head. "The bodies were still there and he looms over me, grinning like a cat, and then waves towards the bodies telling me to have at it." A primal growl erupted from her throat but I wasn't scared. She wasn't going to hurt me but she was hurt, she was angry, and most of all, she was close to tears.

"I'm glad it was me and not my mom. If she had went, she would have died alongside my father. I couldn't bear imagining her meeting such a bloody death. I would make that sacrifice over again if I needed to. I wasn't proud of what Mikael made me do. After my hunger got the best of me, he told me no one would want me. I was a monster –and I was…" she admitted. "I went to my mother, but she rejected me, and I found Mikael waiting for me. I had no choice but to follow him. I had nowhere to go. You do, though," she cut the story off, scared to continue further. By the flame in her icy eyes, I knew the story brought up dark memories that I didn't want her to relieve. That was too cruel of me.

"I have a couple of places," Caroline told. "I have a quaint little manor in Boston but if you want, we can visit my home castle? I bought it when the owners had died a century ago. It was decaying but I restored it to its original glory. I don't go there often but you deserve some distance."

"A castle?" I jumped up, awed. I couldn't help the smile on my face. A real life castle? "How?"

She laughed. "When you live as long as I do, you accumulate enough money to buy you the world –and I bought some pieces –but Ireland is one place you can never forget. It was worth every penny." She smiled. "Do you want to go?"

"Yes, please," I breathed. I got up excitedly and began to shove random articles of clothes from one bench to the suitcase at the foot of my bed. Caroline laughed at my eagerness, filling the room with her lovely melody. "How old are you exactly?" I had to ask, feeling confident in my questions now that we established a bond. I felt like we opened the first door and it was okay to ask about her personally.

She leaned forward, puckering her lips playfully before erupting into a grin. "Math is not my best skill," she joked, wagging her finger. I chucked along with her. "I was born in the late 13th century, right before the English pushed into the Irish country. As I grew up, I watched most of my country gage in war and putting up a good fight before we succumbed to the powerful English century. The English got what they deserved when they took too much. We can cover the Revolutionary War on the way home," she chimed exuberantly, teeth glistening. Her light demeanor reminded me of Marcel in a way, in which her charisma compelled you to feel a certain way, and had a natural authority that commanded followers.

She smiled broadly and her white teeth glimmered like a Hollywood starlet, dazzling me with her presence once again. "Here, let me help you with that," she assisted, pulling some shirt from the dresser and tucking them nicely into another suitcase. "Pack light. My Mustang can't even hold the stuff I brought from home," she giggled. "Don't worry about the rest. We can go on a shopping spree when we stop by Boston to recoup. It's been a while since I had a shopping companion. It's going to be so fun!"

"What's your home like?" I had to ask as we scavenged my room for anything suitable on the trip.

"You'll see for yourself," she teased, holding a suitcase in one hand and a bag in another. "I have my car parked out front so we better hurry. Marcel can hold Klaus off but I don't know for how long before Klaus snaps. From what I remember, his temper is notorious for being shorter than mine and that's saying something."

I stopped. I thought I would say goodbye. I can't if he's with Klaus. Caroline sense my sudden change and joined my side, tenderly rubbing my arm before taking my hand in hers. "What's wrong? Are you scared? I won't let Klaus touch you. I would die before he soils another innocent life with his greed."

I shook my head furiously as tears prickled. I wanted Marcel here. I wanted to say goodbye. This whole time I wanted to get away I forgot how much I relied on Marcel. I was so ready to leave this life behind I forgot that he would stay with it. I wasn't ready to leave him.

As if she read my mind, she fumbled for some kind of assurance, furrowing her brows as she mustered something in her mind. "I'm sorry, Davina. I should have prepared you more. Saying goodbye to one life for another is…unimaginably…heart wrenching…" she settled with, and her words rang truer than anything else that stung my ears during my short life time. "You have to leave people, and some are awarded a goodbye and others…" she shook her head. "It's not like you won't see Marcel again. Trust me, you have a lifetime. You're bound to reunite. He understands why you have to leave suddenly and trust me, he won't hold it against you if you can't say goodbye in person." She knelt down. "If you want, I can find a way… I couldn't say goodbye to the people who sheltered me, and I felt like I betrayed them in the worst way possible… and you shouldn't have to carry that guilt. Pack what you can and I'll make sure you and Marcel will have a moment, okay? I won't let you down."

I was overwhelmed with her kindness. The fact she would go out on a limb for me… I couldn't handle it. I engulfed her in a suffocating hug like she had before, crying into her bare shoulder, thanking her inconsolably. She lifted me up with her supreme strength and held me tight like a mother would a child. I felt… safe. I never wanted to leave her light. Sadly, it came to an end as she lowered me down beside the bed. "I'll go get Marcel," she promised, kissing the crown of my head. She vamped off, leaving me behind in a haste to assure her promise.

Marcel took her place not shortly after, embracing me warmly as I cried into his shoulder.

"You're in good hands," he assured me. "Caroline took good care of me and I know she'll treat you like her own. Call me when you arrive safely." I nodded, unable to utter a clear word.

"Thank you so much Marcel," I choked. He smiled over my head.

"I would do it again," he assured.

"Where is she?" I mumbled after a while. My vision blurred as I tried to wipe the warm tears off my cheek.

"She's talking to Elijah," Marcel told. He chuckled, as if it was amusing. "She can hold her own against him. I'll escort you to the car."

He took my hand and walked me down the narrow staircase, guiding me from ahead to protect me from any danger. Caroline was there waiting for us at the step, shadowed by Elijah who looked like he was ready to maim. I froze, scared to proceed. It could be a trap and he'd kill us all.

"Elijah, leave," Caroline ordered, louder than ever. She looked over her shoulder. "I did you a favor, now it's time to repay a debt, or God help us all, we'll both be in a box by the end of the night," she demanded darkly, narrowing her icy gaze towards the Originals. He respected his word for once and bowed slightly before trotting out, hands in his pants.

I noticed he looked over his shoulder, gazing at Caroline longingly, as if… he was sorry? I couldn't fathom it. She noticed, too, and shook her head.

"Are you sure? Carolan, all of this… Niklaus… he…" The way he spoke her name, it was different. He spoke softly of her name but a twinge of an accent laced his lips as he slurred her name in an ancient form.

"No Elijah," she commanded. "We're not looking back. Klaus made his decision and I made mine. It can't be undone."

"But it can be forgiven," he suggested. Caroline bowed her head in thought before raising it valiantly. Marcel directly me to keep my distance from the two..

"Can it?" she challenged, doubtful. He voice was heated. "We both know your brother. Forgiveness is one of many things he lacks." Her tongue cracked like a whip and I winced as he passed her, on the way to the front doors where her car awaited.

"I'm sorry, Carolan," I heard Elijah utter. Caroline choked, unable to mouth a response, but she quickly drowned her emotion in a cold voice.

"You don't have to be sorry for anything," she corrected him.