Chapter Seven
How to be brave?
By this point in the splendorous evening, Kol had just about lost track of many hands he had shaken, how many smiles he had displayed, how many easily forgettable humans with even easier unmemorable names passed through the doors of his family's house and greeted him with a false show of appreciation. If only they knew, Kol thought, smirking coyly to himself as he took a small sip of his drink of champagne, the bubbles lightly tickling his nose, the alcohol soothing his throat. Over his thousand years, he had often come to wonder about the gullibility and unendurable naiveté of humans; even as vampire had supposedly been discovered through local legends being given fresh blood in the form of literature and film, these mortals remained blissfully unaware of the monsters that lay before them, basking in the sunlight only not to burn, drinking and eating food not their usual sustenance.
The hunger.
Kol's throat burned at the thought of this as the thought emerged once more, just one of countless times over his long life. Even with his status as an Original vampire, one of the first immortals and one of the progenitors of the vampire race, he was not immune to the ravenous hunger for blood that plagued every single one of his kind. Whilst his siblings had seemingly controlled their appetites and maintained this outward façade of humanity for a hundred lifetimes, Kol had never been taught to do the same; his mask for all of innocent mankind to see was a charming one, but sometimes the monster within reared its ugly head all too quickly and with devastating consequences, consequences that he had suffered over and over again.
'I'll do anything you say, Mother. Just … please … bring her back ... '
Kol shuddered, trying to repress the freshest of all this memory even though it was ten centuries old. He thought of her lying there, her body still warm, still as though she could merely be sleeping, the hope within him that she would wake up and greet him with those fierce eyes and that beautifully dazzling smile ...
Shaking his head to bring himself back into the folds of reality and away from painful memories that gripped his immortal mind, the youngest Mikaelson brother turned his keen eye back to the party. Leah had only stepped out a few moments ago, excusing herself from the breathless nature of their dancing. He had often forgotten that humans needed simpler things, like breathing; he could have danced and waltzed with her all night without stopping for even a short pause.
Even though she had emerged next to him without even a word or a heavy step, Kol noted his sister's presence at his side.
'Your date had enough of you already, Bekah?'
Rebekah's beautiful and ageless face was painted with a scowl. 'Speak for yourself, brother. Where's Leah gone? Not frightened this one off quite yet?'
Kol's grin vanished as memories were refreshed without his realising. 'Of course not. I would never … '
'Yes, yes, we all know the drill by now, don't worry.'
Kol sighed softly, not wanting to be at odds with his admittedly favourite sibling. 'Forgive me, sister. It's just … she's the most precious thing in my entire world. Even the thought of hurting her ... '
Rebekah tilted her golden head in a soft nod. 'I understand. What I wouldn't give for something you have with her.'
'The greatest and most painful of sacrifices,' he reminded her. 'Every single time.'
'For all of us, Kol. Don't forget, we loved her too, although not in the same way you did. She was my best friend, many times over.'
Noticing the pained tone Rebekah's voice had now taken, Kol halted their grieved conversation with a short sigh as the music changed to a slightly darker tempo, the violins joining together in an almost melancholy symphony, giving the cue for the dancing couples to slow down their speed. Kol knew at once that his sister was sharing the same memory as him, plucked from both of their heads as if by magic, replicated before their very eyes in unison as they recalled the events of so long ago.
'You're improving, but that comes with practising, if you could find it in yourself to do it.'
Kol smirked at Cara who was leaning against one of the trees, playing with a long lock of flaming hair lazily as she watched him try to master her bow, one of his arrows having slightly missed the mark by inches rather than feet this time.
'I would be much further along should my teacher care to instruct me on just how perfectly she has mastered hunting.'
Cara sighed and rolled her eyes before leaving her comfortable stance to make her way over to where Kol was standing. He prepared to loose another arrow whilst she corrected his stance and the angle of his bow.
'Now,' she whispered, 'concentrate, but try not to be too tense.'
'Me? Tense? You clearly do not know me well enough yet. Besides, my concentration is nothing short of steadfast when I put my mind to it.'
Cara smiled and had an idea in order to test that particular theory. Taking the chance whilst Kol's eyes narrowed at his target and his stance stiffened, she made her way round to his other side and placed her lips delicately at his ear as he readied himself to release the arrow.
'How about now?' she whispered softly.
Kol's concentration was broken instantaneously and the arrow shot off in an altogether different angle. Despite his frowning at her trick, Cara's pealing laughter was like music to Kol's ears and he swivelled to face her as she tried to contain herself and maintain a straight face.
'Where was the fairness in that, dear heart?' he enquired, smirking, passing over the bow to her far more capable hands.
'I wanted to test that so steadfast concentration of yours,' she said, shrugging, 'and needless to say, you are in need of some work. I need not fear your archery skills just yet.'
Laughing together about Kol's lack of prowess with a bow and arrow, they strolled out of the woods, Kol lugging the rabbits and birds that Cara had successfully caught long before trying to give Kol a lesson in archery. The centre of the village was alive with the hustle and bustle of the morning; the market thrived with fresh produce and the air was filled with the chatter of friends, neighbours, family. Cara spied her older brother, Jacob, from across the way, trading with the butcher for presumably what Cara had caught that morning; when he spotted her, he gestured to the butcher with a smile and called over his sister with a wave of his hand. Daring to shoot a wink at Kol as well as a grin when she took her fruitful labour of her hunt from him, Cara wandered over to her brother's side where he greeted her with a swift kiss on the forehead.
'Dearest one,' Jacob murmured, 'someone's been lucky this morning.'
Cara nodded and turned to the butcher, a large man who appeared to eat as much of his meat as he sold, small eyes beset in a ruddy red face eyeing her kill.
'How much do you want?' he asked Jacob, but it was Cara who provided an answer.
'For each rabbit or the whole lot? The birds were difficult to shoot so that will cost you a little more … '
'I do not deal with girls.'
'I made the kill, good sir, so I make the price for my labour.'
Jacob smirked. 'Just like my sister. She has a keen mind and will not be taken for a fool.'
As the merchant scowled and recounted what he now owed Cara for her efforts, Jacob turned his attention from his mirth at his smirking sister to an unpleasant scene unfolding for the entire village to watch, some having seen this play out many times before, some busying themselves so that they could be distracted from the ongoing actions.
'Not again,' someone said, echoing the thoughts of a dozen bystanders around them.
Having been paid for her work, Cara followed the villager's watchful eyes to Mikael, full of a rage and fury that was uncommon in most men, pushing someone to the ground with all the force he could have mustered. Items scattered as the boy fell, shielding his face with his hands, trying to plan his next move with genuine fear as Mikael berated him further, not satisfied with having publicly humiliated.
'You bring shame to my very name, to this family, you ungrateful little mongrel!'
'Mikael,' cried a woman behind him, shielding a young boy from the actions of his enraged father, 'please, Niklaus is sorry for whatever he has done, he – '
'There you go again, wife!' Mikael barked back at his wife, all the while not taking his eyes from his cowering son. 'Always defending him, protecting him at all costs! No wonder he's weak, just look at him!'
'I am not weak,' Niklaus growled as he tried to protect himself with words but they were no match as his father delivered a swift but brutal kick to his rib cage, knocking him back into the dirt.
'Someone should do something,' Cara whispered. 'He'll beat him to death.'
'It is neither your business nor mine to intervene,' Jacob warned, placing a light but firm hand on her shoulder.
'Whose business it is should not matter,' Cara retorted sharply. 'Why does he do this to the poor boy?'
'Because he has the power, sweet child. Mikael can do what he likes to Niklaus because he has power over him, whatever that may entail. Perhaps if he were to take a sword to Mikael – '
'Brother, hush,' Cara said, nervous to await the outcome.
Whilst the brother and sister had been muttering in hushed tones, Mikael had been berating his son and his wife with each word harsher than the last, his fists pummelling Niklaus each time he tried to rise from the ground. Blood poured from Niklaus' noses and his face was littered with cuts and the faint beginnings of bruises; he clutched at his side where Cara guessed lay a few broken ribs, if not even worse injuries beneath his tunic. Rebekah, Mikael's daughter and easily the fairest girl in the village with hair as golden as sunshine, rushed up at this point and screamed for her father to leave her beloved brother alone, but her words fell upon deaf ears as Mikael continued his assault, now reaching for a belt in order to whip the cowering, weeping Niklaus.
'Now you will learn,' he snarled.
Cara did not really understand how her body unconsciously acted merely seconds later. One moment, she was stood next to her brother, watching the scene with pained sadness, fighting her urge to intervene at the cost of her own safety at the brutal wrath of the Viking; the next, she had darted across the village centre and stood between Mikael, his belt raised to strike, his eyes mad with fury, and Niklaus who only looked up from the dirt to stare at her in wild amazement. Cara held her nerve, despite her brother's shout for her to return to his side immediately, and gritted her teeth, her eyes steely as they locked with Mikael's own.
'Leave … him … be.'
Mikael blinked in surprise, lowering his weapon of choice, before laughing shortly at the girl before him, shorter and weaker than himself but full of a rage that he had not expected.
'Another coming to fight Niklaus' battles for him. This is none of your concern, girl.'
'You will not touch him again,' Cara growled at him. 'Enough.'
Seeing red at a fresh victim, Mikael made to move towards her in an attempt to scare her into moving, but she held firm, her eyes raging with a deep fire that made him stop almost instantly, shaking his head. He let out a curse before making a pointed gesture at his trembling son behind Cara's frame.
'Count yourself lucky, boy. You've got another woman's skirts to hide behind, but … you can't stay hidden from me forever.'
'Father, please,' a new voice in the fold pleaded with a stern tone.
'Ah, Elijah,' Mikael laughed as his second eldest son stepped beside him and made his way to stand next to Cara, forming a kind of barrier between him and Niklaus. 'Always the peacemaker, I wondered when you would show yourself.'
Elijah's calming influence seemed to spread as he said in a cautious tone, 'You have … disciplined Niklaus enough today. Let us go home and leave the village in some shred of dignity between us intact.'
Mikael's eyes then darted round wildly like some half-crazed beast to where half the villagers watched him as if watching a feral animal, unaware and afraid of his next move. With one swift action, he threw down his belt, barking for his wife to follow him, and stomped away, presumably back to his family home, leaving only silence, besides the ragged breathing of Niklaus, in his wake. Esther took one lingering look at her sons before her and her pleading eyes found Cara's, silently urging her to do what she could for her injured boy, before she too departed, young Henrik trying to keep pace with her. Cara found herself catching her breath and locking eyes with Elijah before she swivelled to find Niklaus with one hand by his side and one hand on the ground, trying to steady himself so that he could stand.
'Oh no, you don't,' Cara said, lowering herself to his level. 'What are you going to do? Go after him?'
'I should,' he whispered. 'I should go and do what everyone says I should do. I could get my sword – '
'No, brother,' Elijah murmured. 'That would be a foolish way to die.'
Silence fell between them then as Rebekah edged forward, tears flooding her crystal clear eyes as they scanned the sheer magnitude of Niklaus' wounds. She then looked to Cara and took her by the hand, holding it firmly.
'You saved his life,' she whispered.
'I did what anyone would have done.'
'But no one has. No one has ever stood up for Niklaus, outside of our family. A thousand thanks to you … forgive me, but I cannot seem to remember your name.'
'It's Cara.'
Her heart skipping a little more now from anticipation and excitement as supposed to fear previously, Cara saw Kol behind Rebekah, watching her intently as he made his way to his gathering family. Rebekah released Cara's hand which Kol immediately took as though to check for any damage to her person.
'Are you all right? Did he … did he hurt you? If he harmed you, I swear – '
'Kol,' Cara said, preventing him from finishing his threat. 'Mikael did not harm me, he did not even touch me. I was merely protecting Niklaus – '
'He could have killed you for even that. You do not understand what he is capable of, what he could do.'
'I think I understand perfectly after seeing that horrendous display today.'
Kol was quiet then, not prepared with his usual lightning quick response, and bit his lip as he imagined what might have happened should Mikael have decided to take his rage out on the person who stood between him and Niklaus. Sensing his deep and troubled thoughts as though she was thinking them herself, Cara reached out and gently held his cheek softly, his own hand closing around it, the heat between them almost electrifying.
'Can you stand, Nik?' Elijah's voice broke through the haze that seemed to surround just the two of them. Cara removed her hand slowly and Kol dashed to his brother's side, assisting Elijah in lifting their brother to his feet, supporting him for he had seemed to be too exhausted to even walk. Cara stood in front of Niklaus then, their eyes meeting now, noting that his eyes were different to his siblings; in fact, he was different in many ways to his siblings, perhaps beyond counting. Perhaps that was why she had rushed out to shield him from his father's fury; she could see that now in the depths of his eyes. Not in the same way as she felt about Kol – that was an entirely different matter – but almost like a kindred spirit. She reached for his hand and took it in hers as his lips formed around the only words he could seem to muster in that moment.
'Thank you.'
'Run, Leah! Go now, get out of here! Run!'
Tyler's pained screeches, intermingled with horrific cracking sounds, were ringing in my ears as I raced through the woods, my breath ragged and quick as I dodged between the trees. I lost Elijah's dinner jacket at some point so now I was fully exposed to the cold night air, my beautiful dress ripped at the bottom from the shrubbery I had had to race through. I was following the lights towards the house, I could see it in the distance, a twinkling beacon of safety from whatever was happening to Tyler back there. I did not understand what was happening to him despite the array of thoughts running through my mind, but all I knew was that his screams for me to get out of there quickly were all I needed to hear.
All of a sudden, a howl broke out behind me and I swiftly turned stupidly to see what was following me. Run, you idiot, I told myself. Don't go looking for what's coming to get you. Just get to the house now. My gown was now hindering my escape, the heavy fabric weighing me down, preventing me from running at my full speed. Then, I did exactly what I was panicking about not doing and tripped over something; whether it was the end of my gown or some overgrown root, I did not see. My hands flew out in front of me to stop any serious injury and I landed on my chest, my hands protecting me, my fingernails raking into the dirt beneath me. I cursed my dress all the same and made to move to my feet as quickly as possible when my ears were confronted with guttural growling that made my stomach sink and my heart furiously beat on my chest to be free. I dared to raise my eyes to see a huge wolf with glowing eyes, stalking across my path, the fur seeming to be as dark as the night; I had never seen such a huge wild animal but from the glowing eyes, I knew that this was not any ordinary beast, no matter how my rational mind tried to reason with these supernatural thoughts. I knew that if I moved, the wolf may pounce before I could run any further so I kept my eyes firmly locked with those glowing orbs so that I could plan whatever next move I could think of. I said a silent prayer and made to rise but abruptly, the wolf's head snapped away from its intention of assumedly making me its meal to a blurred shape that had ran through the space between us. I let out a breath as the wolf made to move towards me, its claws and teeth dagger-like and prepared, but a shape stood in front of me, shielding me from the beast. I seized the opportunity to get my feet and back away from both my attacker and my saviour, but something caught my attention. I knew that figure. Even in the dim light, I could recognize the person who had saved me.
'Kol?' I breathed.
His head turned quickly to reveal to me a view even more terrifying than the gigantic wolf. His eyes were red with pulsing dark veins almost painted underneath them; his mouth was twisted with teeth like the wolf's but yet not the same. They were more like … fangs …
It seemed that I had escaped one monster to find another one just as dangerous, if not more, right in front of me.
