Chapter Two
I smiled up at Klaus, he thought he was pretty sneaky didn't he? I tried to suppress a laugh, "Klaus I am not an idiot, stop trying to compel me. I am not going to be your little spy and I am not just a bystander you can use." I pulled my arm from his grasp. "Now if you will excuse me I am exhausted." I winked and stomped up my stairs. I could feel him staring into my back, I could care less. I slept in that morning before dragging myself into the bar to work on a bit of homework before my shift started. Before I even entered the bar I saw him. Lurking at some back booth through the window, I groaned and even considered turning around and just not going in to work. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. I barged into the bar and made my way to the usual booth I occupied. I pulled out my book and organized everything before I looked up to see Klaus, drink in hand taking a seat across from me.
"I want to apologize for assuming…"
"Assuming I was some little frightened mouse who knew nothing of the world?" I countered.
"Not at all, most humans don't know about vervan or compulsion. Obviously Marcel takes care of his… girlfriend." He winked.
"Marcel is my friend, not my boyfriend. There you go again assuming I am unimportant human. This town is run by leaders, Marcel for the vampires, Davina for the witches and I for the humans. It's how we keep this town from imploding." I took his drink from his hand and downed it.
"Well aren't you a spit fire. What about the werewolves, don't they have a part in all this?" He raised his glass towards the waitress and she took it to get him another.
"I am sure they would if they had any interest. But they keep to themselves deep in the bayou." I shrugged. "You are half werewolf right? Why don't you go and find them?" I turned back to my book and tried to ignore him sitting there staring at me.
"I am actually looking for a little wolf, a girl by the name of Hailey. Have you heard of her?" He smiled. I had actually, she was being kept by the regent and all the covens of the quarter as leverage against werewolves to keep them in the Bayou. She was supposedly pregnant with a special child but the witches wont tell anyone exactly why, not even Marcel and I.
"Never heard of her." I said clearly, looking into his emerald eyes.
"Such strength you think you have, lying to me. It's a good thing I have taken a bit of a liking to you. I guess I will just have to find this Davina and ask her." He threatened.
"You touch her…" I started.
"You can't threaten me love. For you though I can promise I won't hurt her." He stood and threw a few dollars on the table.
"Why for me?" I inquired.
"I told you dear Camille, I have taken to you. I have a feeling you and I will be good friends. Here." He handed me a sealed envelope then was gone.
Stupid man, thinking just because he was this big powerful thing that he could just swoop in and expect everyone to fall to their knee's. I opened the envelope to see an invitation to a ball Klaus and his siblings were holding. "To introduce the Michelson's to the quarter." I snorted and rolled my eyes more like so they Michelson's can scope us all out. Or maybe it will be a mass murder scene so they can take over their long lost home. I threw the invitation in my bag and went back to studying.
I couldn't concentrate long though, I kept glancing at the clock, Marcel always comes by the bar right before my shift and I really wanted to talk to him about this whole Klaus business. He was already trying to pry his way into my life, I couldn't imagine what he was doing with Marcel. I grabbed my phone remembering suddenly that he said he was going to Davina. I punched in her number and waited as it rang and rang and then her voicemail. My heart skipped for a second, I grabbed all my stuff shoving them into my bag before throwing it behind the bar.
"Ill be back before my shift." I called to Roger, another bartender before I raced out of the bar and down to the cemeteries where Davina's coven usually meets. I rounded a corner and into the clearing right in front of Davina's family crept. She was sitting on the steps, eyes closed and I took a breath. I felt instant relief, she was fine.
"Davina! Why haven't you been answering my phone calls?" I called as I came up to her.
She looked up, her face was scarlet and her eyes shined with tears. My heart dropped.
"What happened?" I sat next to her and put my arm around her.
"The regent was killed; her heart was ripped from her chest." She hiccupped.
"That's terrible! Oh my God, Davina what will happen now?" I wasn't shocked. Davina wasn't touched, thank god, but someone else took her place. Klaus had killed the regent and it was my fault. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach, and all I wanted was to lean over a headstone and empty my stomach. I saved Davina… I saved Davina, I just need to repeat this to myself.
"Cami, I didn't even like the old bat, she was terrible to me. I'm not even that upset that she is dead. She just was… killed so terribly." Davina was huffing and trying to stop herself from crying.
"Davina, I know, how terrible this all is just after we got things settled down but as usual I am the ever realistic one. Who is taking over Davina? That could change everything, it could jeopardize everything we worked for in the quarter." I sighed, where was Marcel he was so much better at talking Davina down than I am.
"That's the worst part Cami, they picked me! Why the hell did they pick me?" She blurted and then was in tears again. Oh geez, seriously where was Marcel? I took a deep breath. I had a bachelor degree in psychology I could handle one little teenage break down. Even if the break down was by an all powerful witch who could sink the entire quarter.
"Davina they picked you because you are powerful and more than anything they picked you because you are good. They know you are going to make the right decisions that will protect the entire quarter. Davina this is a gift not a sentencing you are going to make a difference and Marcel and I will be with you every step of the way." I smiled at her. I really believed what I just said and I hope that she did too.
"Thanks Cami, it's just so overwhelming." She sniffed.
"You don't have to face it alone, you have me and Marcel and entire covens who will back you." I pulled her into a hug.
"Your right, I can do this." She paused, trying to calm her breathing and wiping away her tears.
"We should find Marcel, he should know what's going on and maybe he knows who killed the regent." She stood and started marching away.
I took a deep breath and jumped up to follow her. Do I tell her that I knew who killed the regent? Did I even really know, Klaus never said he was going after the regent. The opposite really he said he was going to see Davina. I decided to keep my mouth shut, no sense in saying something that I wasn't sure was even true. We found Marcel at the compound, a big building on the end of Bourbon street that was renovated into a New Orleans mansion of sorts complete with a courtyard, garden and numerous bedrooms. Davina rushed in, "Marcel!" She yelled. Nothing… Davina looked at me and I shrugged. She ran up the front staircase and threw open the dining room door. I rushed after her and we both stood in the doorway frozen.
"Wow well thanks for the invite." I snapped.
"Yea what the hell Marcel?" Davina laughed.
Seated at the dinning room was Marcel and what I guessed was the entire Michelson family enjoying a delicious lobster lunch.
"Well I assumed you were invited love." Klaus winked, then stood and pulled a chair out and gestured to me. I continued to stand.
"Well then, you must be Davina." Klaus walked over to shake her hand. She shook it but very cautiously.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"I am Niklaus, that is my brother Elijah, Kol and my sister Rebekah." He gestured to each vampire who each in turn nodded and smiled almost creepily.
"Oh great Marcel, you have a crazed killer eating at your dinner table. How charming." Davina turned on her heel and slammed her way out of the dining room.
"Well its nice to meet all of you." I smiled awkwardly. "I have to be getting back to work though." I started to try and back out of the room.
"Won't you join us?" Rebekah chimed politely.
"Unlike most people in this room I am not old enough to accumulate a ridiculous amount of money through compulsion, therefore I actually have to show up to my job." I rolled my eyes.
"That's a sore subject with us." Marcel stated. Which was true, he constantly was making me miss work and I was sick of vampires thinking us humans didn't have to work or something.
"Let me escort you to work then. A lady walking around Bourbon street alone is hardly appropriate." Elijah spoke softly pushing back his chair and rising fluidly.
"Well isn't that kind brother." Klaus huffed and sat back down looking like he was almost pouting. I felt Elijah's hand on my back as he led me out of the room and down the staircase.
"Niklaus said your name was Camille, is that correct?" He held the front door open for me. I nodded, studying the mans face.
We walked down the street in silence. Elijah seems to glide across the ground. He was impeccably dressed, his shoes didn't even look dirty. Elijah didn't seem the type that would get down and dirty, I couldn't see him getting in a fight let alone killing someone. Yet I felt something near him, a sense of safety. I knew that Elijah was a kind man.
"Camille, what do you think of my brother Niklaus?" Elijah said suddenly. I stopped walking and looked up into his eyes.
"He frightens me to be honest but I also am intrigued in a way. To be honest I have said only a few words to him, I can't really make a judgment right now but I feel how dangerous he is when he walks into a room." I couldn't believe how honest I was with Elijah.
I turned and hurried on towards the bad, Elijah keeping in step with me perfectly. When we got to the bar Elijah said goodbye quickly and was gone in a flash. I smiled, happy that at least one member of the Michelson family was kind.
I spent the whole night looking over my shoulder and waiting for Klause to come into the bar. He never came, I cleaned and closed the bar and made it all the way home without seeing Klaus at all. I mentally reprimanded myself. Why would such a powerful vampire have time to stop by and see me? He had to be spending his time scheming on how to take the quarter from Marcel. I would always pick Marcel over any one, and I knew deep down that was going to get me killed.
"Cami…" Marcel smiled. I jumped and threw a couch pillow at him.
"Marcel, you can't sit in the dark and scare the crap out of me." I laughed.
"Sorry, hey how are you doing?" He asked pulling me into his lap.
"I am fine Marcel." I assured him.
"Klaus is worrying me, he is only interested in you because you are my friend and I don't want to get you hurt." Marcel sighed.
"Wow thanks Marcel." I teased.
"I didn't mean it like that Cami, just that Klaus will do anything to get what he wants." Marcel paused. "Cami did he say anything?"
"Well not really though he did mention he was looking for a werewolf." I shrugged. "The one that the regent has been holding in her house, Hailey."
"Why would he want a pregnant werewolf?" Marcel asked.
"I don't know; Davina did say something about the baby being special didn't she?" I leaned my head against Marcel and let my body rest for the first time today.
"She did say that, maybe that's why Klaus in here. He wants the baby for whatever he thinks it can do. He will have a hard time getting through the witches even with the regent gone." He looked down at me concerned suddenly. "My vampires told me Davina is the new regent, how is she?"
"She was really upset but I seemed to calm her down enough. She doesn't think she is ready to be regent and she is scared. She was born to lead though and sooner than later she will see that too." I closed my eyes.
"Did you get an invite to some sort of ball by the way?" I asked.
"I did, I am assuming you did too?" I nodded.
"It's tomorrow night, it's a good thing you work. I don't know if you should come." Marcel said sternly.
"What happened to I am the speaker for the humans and I get to be a part of things?" I opened my eyes, staring him down.
"That was before Klaus came to town, now I am more concerned for your safety." I rolled my eyes at him. I knew Klaus was dangerous but wasn't going to let that stop me from living my life.
"Then I guess it is a good thing I am working or we would be having a different conversation." I closed my eyes again, resting my head on his chest.
"Klause told me today that he was here to either take the city or I could agree to let him be a 50/50 partner." Marcel sighed.
"I know you built this place after he left but if it could save a war working with him may not be that bad. Things just started settling down here and the last thing we need is a war against the Michelson's." I could see it on his face, what I was saying was eating him up inside. "Put your pride and ego aside Marcel. Think of what all of New Orleans needs." I pushed farther, he rolled his eyes.
"Fine, you're right." He stood, with me in his arms, and then set me down. "I am going to go start talking to some of my guys, just to get this transition started."
I nodded and watched him pout away but I knew he was going to make the right decision. I made my way to the room when I jumped. For a split second I could swear I saw something in the window. I shrugged it off and threw myself into bed. I had had enough of this day. I closed my eyes and let myself think of Marcel but it wasn't long before my mind drifted to a handsome face and an amazing accent.