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The spell is broken and Klaus and Bonnie pull away startled by the scream that echoes in the now darkness.
"What was that?" Bonnie whispers. Her heart is in her throat, her entire body is shaking and she is seconds away from passing out. Klaus nearly kissed her! Oh my god! She stares into the darkness because she can't look at him, not after that almost kiss.
Klaus is staring ahead, his superior senses trying to pick up any other noise or strange presence around them but there is nothing. He can't sense anyone. He can't hear anything either. After the scream there is a strange silence that befalls all around them. Under different circumstances it would be an unsettling sort of silence but it's not.
Bonnie shifts nervously and crosses her arms over her chest. Unlike him, she can't see anything. She can hardly make out his face. She clutches the ascendant in a painful grip. "We should go," she says suddenly. "We should get the hell away from here."
Klaus turns to look at her.
Her skin prickles as she feels his gaze on her. "We have the ascendant, we can get out now." She needs to focus on the task at hand, not think about the fact that Klaus had almost kissed her. If that scream hadn't interrupted them they would be kissing right now. Her heart rate speeds up at that thought and heat spreads all over her body. The thought of kissing Klaus makes her knees weak.
Why is she more worried about that kiss than the scream that interrupted them?
She should be wondering who's out there, or if anyone is hurt. It could be Shane, it could be someone else, and she honestly doesn't care. All Bonnie can think about is Klaus and how close he is standing and how he nearly kissed her.
Do I want him to kiss me? she finds herself wondering.
"No," Klaus tells her firmly. "We need to interrogate the men that captured you."
His voice pulls her out of her thoughts and brings her attention back to him. "You're joking right?" Bonnie squints, trying and failing to see his face. It's so dark and she's blind as a bat. Damn it, if only there was some sort of light, anything that would allow her to see his face.
They both jump when a nearby shrub bursts into flames.
Bonnie gasps, feeling a tingling sensation roll over her body. She did it. She just set a shrub on fire. And she did it without thinking. Damn! It seems like Klaus's blood does to her what spinach did to Popeye.
Klaus raises an eyebrow and stares at her with a knowing smirk. "Growing confident with your magic little witch?" He sounds pleased.
Bonnie can see him clearly now, the fire illuminates their surroundings, casting shadows upon his handsome face and making those storming blue eyes glow in the darkness. There is something in the way he's looking at her. Butterflies take flight in her stomach and Bonnie fidgets nervously. "I did that without thinking," she admits staring into the flames.
"You're learning," Klaus murmurs without taking his eyes from her.
Bonnie turns to look back at him. "We need to leave," she says seriously. "We have the ascendant, we can get out of here right now-"
"Aren't you curious?" Klaus tilts his head to the side, watching her in that strange way of his. "For the first time since this whole thing started you have encountered other humans." Rationally he knows they should leave, he wants to leave as much as she does but he can't help but feel curious. The apparition that took his brother's face comes to mind. He wants to know more. "They could have the answers that we seek."
"And if they don't?" Bonnie challenges.
"When morning comes we shall go to the camp and find out what the hell it's going with this place. There is a reason those men are here," he stares into her eyes. "We'll question them, find out what they know and then we'll leave."
Bonnie shakes her head. She wants to go now. She looks down at the ascendant in her hand. "You really want to question them?"
"Don't you?"
"Yes, but-" she looks back into his face. "I have a bad feeling about this place." Her instincts are telling her that this place is bad, just like they told her Shane was lying. They need to leave.
"So do I," Klaus admits to her surprise. "But we need answers."
Bonnie sighs, knowing that he's right. Maybe the men from the camp can give them the answers they need. "Fine," she reluctantly agrees.
Bonnie sits on the ground, in a crossed legged position. Her back is leaning against a tree while she stares at the flames. She holds the ascendant in her hands, absently playing with the golden object.
Klaus is sitting to her left, arms crossed over his chest. They're sitting close but not too close. His presence is reassuring but it also makes her very nervous. And it doesn't help that she can't stop thinking about that near kiss.
Get a grip Bonnie, her mind chides. There are more important things to think about.
They have to wait until morning before making their way to the camp. It's too dark to be wandering on the island right now. Sunlight is our friend, Klaus told her as they settled down on the ground. Bonnie just wants to get this over with and get the hell out of this creepy place. But she has to admit that she's curious as well. If they can get the men from the camp to answer their questions, they will be a step closer to finding their way back home and figuring out the mystery behind their adventure.
Unless I can order the ascendant to take us home. Bonnie looks down at the magical object, wondering if it could be so simple as to command the object to obey her orders, could it be. Is that what Ernestine did?
She sighs. This night is going to be one of the longest of her life. They haven't heard any noises since the scream that pulled them apart. The island is quiet, tranquil. So different from what Shane said it was at night.
Strange things happen in this place at night…
Everything is quiet and dare she think it, peaceful. It sounds strange considering the things that happened earlier but it's the truth. The only sound that penetrates the silence is the crackling fire from the burning shrub.
"Was Ernestine here?" Bonnie asks suddenly. "In her diary did she talk about this world?" she keeps her eyes on the flames. She is curious about Ernestine and her journeys throughout the different worlds.
"No." Klaus answers as he looks briefly in her direction. "She never mentioned an island like this."
Bonnie turns her head to her left, watching him. "You said she was crazy but now we know that she could travel to different worlds. She was right."
"She was crazy for other reasons," Klaus mutters without looking at her.
"Such as?"
"Why does it matter?" He seems amused by her questions.
"She was my ancestor," Bonnie retorts. "She created the ascendant. She's the key to everything." The more she thinks about it, the more convinced she becomes that Ernestine's past, her history, is the key to unlocking the mysterious object she holds in her hands.
Klaus keeps his eyes on the flames and for a long time Bonnie thinks he won't answer her question.
"She heard voices in her head," the hybrid begins quietly. "Ever since she was a child, she claimed to hear voices. Her mother was a witch but her father hated magic. He thought it was the devil's work."
"What kind of voices?" Bonnie asks curiously.
Klaus shrugs. "Voices that urged her to embrace her power, she refused to listen at first. She fought to keep them away but eventually she gave in." What they had done to her in the hospitals her father put her in probably had something to do with it. He didn't say that to Bonnie of course.
Bonnie frowns.
"The voices told her to create the ascendant," this time Klaus does turn to look at her. "She doesn't specify how or when she created it, only that the voices told her to do so."
"For what purpose?"
"She never said." Klaus looks down at the object in her hands. The ascendant it's floating, moving back and forth between Bonnie's hands. Her magic gently pushing and pulling it from one hand to the other. The corners of his lips twitch. "You're getting really good at that."
Bonnie extends her right palm and the ascendant floats above it. "My magic feels different," she confesses. Something has changed inside her. She wonders how much of it has to do with his blood. "It feels easier. I find myself doing things without thinking." Like now as she magically plays with the ascendant or the shrub that erupted in flames and continues to burn brightly giving them light. "Is this normal?" she finds herself asking. The only time magic had come easy for her was when she channeled the power of one hundred witches in order to kill him.
"You really don't know much about magic do you? How it works." Klaus can't help but feel angry. A witch of her caliber who lacks even the simplest of magical knowledge, it's infuriating.
"My Grams taught me a few things, Luka too…" Bonnie murmurs. But Grams had died too soon and Luka had an agenda of his own. "Most of what I know I learned on my own," she says in a rather defensive tone.
"It's quite admirable."
Bonnie is taken back by the compliment. She stares at him with suspicion, waiting for a nasty remark to follow but Klaus doesn't say anything else. "It's not like I had a choice," she doesn't know why she says that. The words slip past her lips without thinking. Since she discovered she was a witch everything she has learned has been to help others, to help Elena.
Klaus snorts. It's at the tip of his tongue to make a nasty remark about the pathetic doppelganger and the rest of Bonnie's useless friends but he doesn't want to waste his breath on that stupid girl. "Confidence is the key," he says instead. "The more confident you feel with your magic the easier it will be."
Bonnie's brows knit together.
"Memorizing a spell and learning how to pronounce the words right, that's not even half of the challenge," Klaus continues. "Having confidence in your abilities can make the difference." He meets her eyes as he says it. "Magic is fueled by your emotions. If you believe you can do it then you don't even need a spell, you simply do it." He tilts his head to the side, the fire casting shadows on half of his face. His watching her in that intense way of his, the kind of look that makes heat coil low in her belly. "If you fear your power, you will never be able to control it."
Bonnie can't look away from his face. She's entranced by his words, by his face, by his voice. His voice is alluring, sexy, and it has quite an effect on her.
"Fear can be a witch's greatest enemy," Klaus continues. "You must learn to trust your instincts, to become in tune with your magic, to embrace it," he emphasizes. "It takes time, hard work, and dedication to be a great witch. If you only use your magic when you need it and don't take the time to harvest that power, to explore it, to know your abilities to their fullest, you're wasting it."
"How do you know so much about magic?" Bonnie wonders.
"My mother was a witch," Klaus says simply. "My whole life I've been surrounded by witches. I've learned a thing or two." His lips twitch into a small smile. "I've always been fascinated by magic," he finds himself admitting as he turns his gaze back to the fire.
Bonnie smiles softly and then she thinks about Ernestine. "She didn't have anyone did she?" Bonnie realizes with sadness. "Anyone to teach her, to guide her…" she can't help but feel sorry for Ernestine. Bonnie had Grams, their magical journey had been short but Grams had been there for her. Ernestine had no one to help her.
"Not unless you count the voices in her head," Klaus responds turning to face her once more.
"Do you think they were real?" Bonnie asks.
"Do you hear voices in your head telling you to embrace your power and create dangerous and powerful magical objects?" Klaus challenges.
"No." Bonnie rolls her eyes.
Klaus gives her a look as if to say, there is your answer.
Bonnie bites her lower lip as she thinks about Ernestine and the ascendant. She looks at the golden object floating above her palm. The ascendant spins for a few seconds before it falls gently against her palm. She closes her hand over it. "There must be a reason for this," she says after a while in silence. "There has to be."
"Perhaps we shall get our answers tomorrow," Klaus says simply.
There has to be a reason for the ascendant, a reason for this journey. Bonnie thinks as she stares at the flames once more.
Bonnie falls asleep eventually, curled to her side, the ascendant clutched tightly between her fingers.
Klaus watches her, studying the heart shape face and smooth caramel skin with interest. He can feel his blood inside her, mixed with her own blood and magic. A hint of gold flashes across his eyes as he stares at the sleeping witch and his lips curl into a wicked smile. This is the perfect opportunity.
He focuses on his blood, on that small link between them.
Klaus closes his eyes and allows his consciousness to wander, to slowly slither inside Bonnie's mind. The blood creates a bridge between them, a link that allows him to tap into her head. It's easier when it's done to a human. A human's mind is vulnerable, weak, and an easy prey for any vampire.
A witch's mind on the other hand, it's protected by her magic. Witches can't be compelled, nor can their minds be controlled with ease. It takes time, skill, and above all knowledge. You have to know what to look for, where to pounce. It has to be done carefully, slowly. The mind is a fragile thing and tampering with it is dangerous.
It's a good thing he knows what he's doing.
Klaus's mind skims the surface of hers, like a soft summer's breeze. He slithers into her mind gently, carefully slipping into her consciousness like a ghost. He sees clouds, white puffy clouds that tell him that Bonnie is dreaming. Klaus moves deeper into her mind, slowly, very slowly. He doesn't want to alert her magic, or wake her with his probing. It will hurt her and he doesn't want to cause her pain. Terrible things will happen if Bonnie wakes up and feels him inside her head.
The clouds dissipate and all he sees is a brick wall. He moves closer but he can't move past it. He knows better than to push against it. He's not stupid. He has been inside countless of people's heads after all. If he pushes against the wall, Bonnie will feel it. He tries to move around it, but he can't. Everywhere he tries to go, he ends up against the brick wall.
It's a fortress, a barrier that prevents any intruder from getting inside her mind.
If she were anyone else, Klaus wouldn't hesitate to break it and take hold over her mind by force. He knows the consequences that will bring and he doesn't want to damage her mind or shatter her consciousness beyond repair. Instead of forcing his way inside her head, he retracts, as gently and carefully as he slipped inside.
Klaus's eyes snap open. "Well, well, well…" he murmurs quite impressed. He stares at the sleeping witch, a look of fascination on his face.
Bonnie's mind is very well protected. He won't be able to get inside without causing damage and that is the last thing Klaus wants. He doesn't want a crazy Bennett witch. It's a pity. He is very curious about Bonnie's mind, curious about the secrets it may hold.
Klaus sighs, resigning himself to the fact that he won't be able to get a hold of those secrets or see her darkest desires. Without being able to get past that brick wall that protects her mind, Klaus won't even be able to manipulate her dreams like he wants.
He should feel angry. He should be upset that he won't be able to manipulate her in the same way he has done with other witches and yet, he's not.
Bonnie Bennett is proving to be a real challenge and Klaus feels thrilled.
They are up and about the moment the sun rises. Bonnie yawns and stretches, feeling well rested despite the fact that she slept on the ground next to a tree. She wonders if Klaus's blood has something to do with it. Once again, she's not hungry or thirsty. She can't even remember the last time she had anything to eat or drink. A frown crosses her face. Shouldn't Klaus's blood be out of her system by now?
The shrub is still on fire and Bonnie waves her hand over it, getting rid of the flames. She hopes the easiness in which her magic comes to her never ends.
"Let's go," Klaus doesn't want to waste any time. The sooner they can get answers, the sooner they can get away from this world.
Bonnie places the ascendant inside the pocket of her jeans and follows the hybrid.
"The last time I tried to get away from here, I ended up in the same place." Klaus tells her as they begin walking. "Until you dropped from the sky."
"What if the same thing happens this time?" Bonnie asks trying to keep up with him.
"It won't." Klaus says turning to look at her over his shoulder. His eyes are gleaming with some unknown emotion.
"How can you be so sure?" Bonnie asks catching up with him and turning to walk by his side.
"Something tells me you will make the difference," Klaus murmurs. He has a feeling that having Bonnie by his side will help him walk away without problem. He doesn't know why but he has a feeling that whatever magic kept him walking in circles the day before won't work on her.
A couple of minutes later, he's proven right. With Bonnie by his side there is nothing holding him back or making him walk in circles. They make their way deeper into the forest, deeper into the heart of the island.
They can hear the sea in the distance and smell the salt in the air but there are no birds, no sounds other than Bonnie's heart beat and their footsteps. It's rather strange.
A well known scent hits Klaus's nose and he stops abruptly.
"What is it?" Bonnie asks stopping mid walk.
"Blood," Klaus frowns and follows the scent, Bonnie follows closely after him.
They stop when they see the pool of blood on the grass, a trail that leads up to a chestnut tree up ahead of them.
Bonnie gasps upon noticing the body hanging from one of the branches. Her hand covers her mouth as she stares at the bloody corpse in shock. The skin has been peeled off. Bonnie feels nauseous and has to look away from the horrible sight. She has never seen anything like it before.
Who would do such a thing? Is that the scream they heard the night before?
Klaus turns his head to the side when a faint sound reaches his ears, a heartbeat. He follows it.
"Klaus, wait!" Bonnie hurries after him. She doesn't look back at the corpse. She wants to erase that imagine from her mind.
A man is slumped against a tree. His white shirt is soaked with blood. He looks up, the moment Bonnie and Klaus approach him. His eyes nearly roll to the back of his head and he moans in pain, clutching his stomach with his left hand.
"Liam!" Bonnie takes an involuntary step forward, surprised at seeing one of her captors.
Klaus grabs her arm in a painful grip, pulling her against him and preventing her from getting closer to Liam. "Do you know him?"
"He was at the camp," Bonnie informs him. She notices the trail of blood near Liam's feet. It moves deeper into the trees behind him.
"There is another body over there," Klaus can see it from where they are standing. "He's dead." His eyes move back to the dark haired man in front of them. His heartbeat is slower than normal and the nasty wound on his chest looks painful. He's going to die, that Klaus knows for sure.
"What happened?" Bonnie asks staring at Liam's sweaty and pale face. "Who did this to you?"
Liam's only response is a moan of pain.
"Tie him up," Klaus instructs.
Bonnie gives him a strange look. "He's injured Klaus, he's not going anywhere."
Klaus arches one eyebrow waiting expectantly for her to do as he ordered.
Bonnie shakes her head and concentrates. She closes her eyes and uses her magic to summon the roots from the tree Liam is leaning against. Roots spring from the ground almost immediately, slithering over Liam's legs and wrapping tightly around him, holding him in place against the ground.
"I can heal him." Bonnie says opening her eyes and turning to look over at Liam's injuries, granted she's not familiar with many healing spells but she can try. She can't help but feel sorry for the guy. He has one foot in his grave.
"No." Klaus's tone leaves no room for argument. He moves closer and grabs Liam's chin in a painful grip, pushing his head back.
The man opens his eyes hissing in pain.
Klaus tilts his head to the side studying the young man's face carefully. He lifts his left hand to his mouth and bites into his wrist.
Bonnie's eyes open wide as Klaus moves the bloody wrist over Liam's face. He squeezes his fingers on his chin and Liam opens his mouth in a groan of pain. A few drops of Klaus's blood fall inside his mouth. Klaus pulls his hand away immediately; he won't feed him his powerful blood, just a few drops to keep him alive and able to answer his questions.
The effect is almost immediate as Liam's eyes clear up and he seems to breathe easier.
"You are going to answer my questions truthfully, do you understand?" Klaus stares deeply into his eyes, letting his compulsion take hold.
Liam gives him a hateful look and spits at him.
Klaus growls and slaps him across the face. The sound of the blow echoes around them.
Bonnie flinches as Liam's head jerks to the side by the force of Klaus's blow.
"Who did this to you?" Klaus asks in an angry tone. The fucking bastard can't be compelled it seems.
Liam's cheek is red from the blow but he presses his lips together stubbornly refusing to answer Klaus's question.
Bonnie opens her mouth but whatever she's going to say it's cut short when Klaus's hand tears through Liam's chest. "Oh my god!"
Liam's eyes go wide, nearly bulging out of their sockets. He's surprised by the hybrid's quick movements and he's afraid as well.
It's painful to watch. "Klaus…" Bonnie hopes he's not about to rip Liam's heart out. She doesn't think she can stomach that after seeing the peeled corpse.
"Here is the thing mate. I don't have much patience right now. So, how about you answer my questions?" Klaus makes sure to accentuate each of his words by squeezing his organs in a painful grip.
Liam gasps. Blood comes out of his mouth and rolls down his chin, he nearly chokes on it.
"Just answer the question," Bonnie tells him. "He's going to get it out of you one way or another." She knows Klaus won't leave without getting the answers that he seeks and Bonnie is not going to stand and watch him torture a man for it. Even if said man was part of the group that captured and threatened her the day before.
"Who did this to you?" Klaus hisses.
"…Silas…" Liam manages to rasp out. The pain is very visible on his face. He knows he's dancing with death or better yet, he's staring at death's face.
Klaus pulls his hand away as if he has been burned. It's obvious he recognizes the name.
"Who is Silas?" Bonnie asks not missing the shock look on Klaus's face. She turns to stare at Liam before looking back at the hybrid. "Who is Silas?" she asks again.
"He's a myth." Klaus keeps his eyes on Liam.
The man gasps, breathing heavily as the few drops of Klaus's blood repair the damage in a slow and agonizing way. It hurts, but he's starting to feel better.
"He's very real," Liam says, surprised that he's able to get the words out, his insides burn. "…we…" he swallows painfully. "We are here to…keep watch…"
"You are one of The Five," Klaus deduces. He curses under his breath but he feels relieved that he didn't kill him. That would have been a huge mistake on his part. At least now he knows what he's dealing with.
Bonnie jerks her head to the side and stares at the hybrid. "What's the five?" she's so confused, she has no idea what's going on but it's obvious Klaus is getting everything Liam is saying. Judging by the look on Klaus's face, he knows who Silas and the Five are.
"Silas is the first immortal," Liam turns to Bonnie. "He's been waiting for you…" he takes a deep breath, he feels better. The vampire blood in his system is healing his injuries. "You are the key to his freedom…"
"Why?" Bonnie asks, heart skipping a beat. Shane told her the same thing. A cold sweat breaks through her skin as a sudden realization hits her. Shane is Silas. Somehow she knows that to be true.
Klaus stares at Liam, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Bennett blood locked him here," Liam says wiping the blood off his chin with the back of his hand. He feels stronger. "Only Bennett blood can get him out." He tries to move but the roots around his legs keep him in place. Klaus's blood is healing him, making him stronger but Bonnie's magic is not letting him go.
"What is this place?" Bonnie stares into his eyes.
Liam frowns. "You don't know?" He looks from Bonnie to Klaus. He assumed they knew, but it seems they have no idea where they are.
"Tell me," Bonnie pleads.
Klaus is letting her have control of the interrogation, the wheels in his head turning with each of Liam's words.
"This is a prison world," Liam informs them.
Bonnie and Klaus exchange looks at the revelation, neither of them were expecting to hear something like that.
"It's what your family specializes in." Liam's words bring Bonnie's attention back to him. "It's what the Bennett's are famous for," he murmurs.
"What do you mean?"
There is a strange spark in Liam's eyes as he stares at her. He almost seems in awe of her. As if he can't quite believe she's there, in front of him.
"The Bennett witches have trapped some of the most evil, vicious, and cruel abominations…" his eyes move to Klaus as he says those words, the hatred in his eyes is unmistakable. "…inside the prison worlds." He finishes turning to Bonnie once more. His eyes show no hatred towards her, only a deep admiration.
"Prison worlds?" Klaus asks with interest. That is perhaps the most interesting thing Liam has said.
"How many prison worlds are there?" Bonnie asks nervously. Her mind is swirling with the possibilities. For the first time since this crazy journey started the pieces of the puzzle are finally falling into place.
Liam shrugs. "You should know," he says. "You are a Bennett witch after all."
Bonnie turns to Klaus once more.
Klaus can read the questions in her eyes perfectly. He's thinking the exact same thing as her.
Is that where the ascendant takes us? Where we have been traveling to? Not just any worlds but prison worlds?
Is that the purpose of the ascendant?
Could it be? Bonnie wonders as she stares into Klaus's blue eyes. Was the ascendant created to travel through different prison worlds and if so, could they find their way back home or would they be forever jumping from one prison world to another?
There is a sinking feeling in the pit of Bonnie's stomach and she doesn't like it one bit.
