"He's resilient." Caroline said fondly as she, Davina and Marcel gazed down at Elijah where he lay still cold and grey in his coffin.
"He's like a cockroach in a suit." Marcel commented, grinning charmingly in response to the look Caroline sent his way.
"Doesn't matter." She sighed. "I still have to figure out whether to trust Katherine and honor our deal, or whether honor my promise and give Elijah back to Klaus."
Davina scowled. "I don't trust either of them. Besides, you asked me to figure out a way to kill the Originals before you made any promises or deals, and I'm not done." She threw her hand exasperatedly towards the weapon sticking out of the Original's chest. "The silver dagger hurts them, but that's it."
"Davina, we've been through this." Caroline said with more patience than even she knew she had. "Klaus saved my life. I owe him one. If I play nice, he might back off and I wont need to make this deal with Katherine. Since Klaus wants his brother back – "
"Tonight's the annual Dauphine Street Music Festival." Davina interjected, throwing Caroline for a loop. "I wanna go. Please?"
Caroline watched her doubtfully, and Davina turned on the charm.
"Pleeeeeeeeeeease?"
"The whole point of moving you here is so that you won't be spotted by the witches who live on that very street." Caroline explained.
"You know who works smack in the middle of Dauphine Street?" Marcel added. "Sophie Deveraux. Pain-in-the-ass witch."
Caroline smirked, recalling Marcel's special history with the witch in question. "And you know what the witches will do to you if the find you." She finished, turning towards Davina again.
"But you control the witches." Davina argued. "Make her go away."
"It's not that simple." Caroline said, squeezing Davina's hand.
"Caroline!" Davina pouted. "Its one night!"
"That's 'no', Davina." Marcel said firmly before his sire could open her mouth.
Caroline frowned at him, and Davina's expression turned sour. "I do anything and everything, but sometimes I think you forget what I'm capable of." She folded her arms. "Did you know I can make someone's blood boil? All I have to do is focus."
Rather than direct her gaze towards Caroline, Davina stared at Marcel, concentrating. She knew that she could never harm Caroline, who she regarded as a big sister now. So instead she turned her powers on Marcel, using the residual anger she felt for him deceiving her. Caroline asked me to place him within your protection. He had told her. She wants you to find a way to kill them all. Katherine had been led right to her doorstep under Marcel's instructions. Davina would know better than to trust him again. He always seemed to have his own agenda.
Sweat beaded on Marcel's brow, and heat radiated off his body. Caroline could feel it from the foot of space between them. She gazed at Davina with a mixture of trepidation and respect.
"Fine." Caroline consented, if only to save Marcel from more torment. "We'll compromise." She waited for Marcel to return to the correct temperature before she continued. "You going out alone? Too dangerous. And I can't be there tonight. But I can certainly agree with you going in the company of Marcel and a few others." She smiled at Marcel before turning back to Davina, who had a look of utter joy on her face at the prospect of not being restricted to a few safe streets of New Orleans. She had been part of the witching community for so long that being away from Dauphine Street felt unnatural.
Plus Davina had her own agenda, same as the rest of them.
.
"Over the course of my life, I've encountered no shortage of those who would presume to speak of good and evil." Klaus mused as he gazed out at the front lawn from the governor's front room. "Such terms mean nothing. People do what is in their best interest, regardless of who gets hurt." He glanced towards Kol who sat nursing a tumbler of scotch on the sofa. "Is evil to take what one wants? To satisfy hunger, even if doing so will cause another suffering? What some would call evil, I believe to be an appropriate response to a harsh and unfair world."
Kol raised his glass in a silent toast to Klaus' words.
Cami interrupted from where she sat on the couch opposite to Kol. "No offense, but I'm not sure I follow why you've invited me here."
Klaus turned back to face her front on. "Because I enjoy your company." He smiled, but it was not a friendly expression. "And I'm certain my brother agrees." He added, glancing towards Kol again, noticing how cautiously his brother watched over the blonde girl. "I recall that you have studied the mind and all its nuances."
"He's referring to your psych degree." Kol clarified, and Cami shot him a glare.
"I know what he means."
Kol sat back with a bemused smile on his face.
"And I sense that you have the capacity for understanding someone of my…complexity." Klaus continued. "You see, I returned to New Orleans to investigate a threat posed against me. What I found was a young woman, lacking in friends and family to help her, in need of protection. My older brother, always the do-gooder, tried to manipulate me into helping her – he thought it might redeem me." He held out one hand to signify Hayley, before balancing it on the other side with his other palm cupped to represent another problem. "Trouble is, I've since learned of another young woman. A girl, really, one with vast potential, held in captivity by a tyrant." He glanced up to meet Cami's eyes again. "I want to help both of these women – protect one, and free the other. So, tell me, Cami. Does that sound evil to you?"
Kol hid his smirk in his drink. Klaus was forgetting to mention that there was a third woman in the equation that he had less than chivalrous ideas for, since the lady in question was the tyrant he spoke of.
Cami ignored whatever thought Kol was trying to cover up, concentrating on the peculiar case in front of her. "I don't believe in evil as a diagnosis. I think you have unstable personal relationships, stress-related paranoia, chronic anger issues, fear of abandonment…" She trailed off, glancing towards Kol, and Klaus waved his hand in a gesture to convey his lack of care for whatever his brother overheard. No doubt Rebekah too could tune into the conversation wherever she was in the house. His issues were not hidden from his family. Their knowledge over the fact that he had fears did nothing to stop his rage anyway.
"I think you could benefit from talking to someone." Cami finished. "Professionally."
Klaus smiled wolfishly. "I think I prefer talking to you."
Kol sat up slightly, watching the scene with twice as much awareness as he had previously. Much as he loved and hated his brother with equal measure, he could only be trusted to do what Klaus thought was best for him, and no more than that.
"So, I'm going to offer you a job." Klaus poured a measure of bourbon into a glass. "As my stenographer."
Kol relaxed slightly, and Cami shrugged. "Okay. What are we writing?"
"My memoirs, of course." Klaus clarified. "Someone should know my story. And it will give us time to discuss other riveting subjects." He swallowed a mouthful of his drink, his eyes alight with dark mischief. "Like your handsome suitor, Marcel."
"Excuse me?" Cami spluttered. "My private life is – "
"Your private life, is, as it turns out, essential to my plans." Klaus interrupted. "You see, Marcel wants you. And because of that, he will trust you, which serves me, seeing as he answers to Caroline. The thing is, the French Quarter is on the verge of war. On the one side, there is me, and on the other, Caroline and her companions, like Marcel, and a very powerful witch, and an army of vampires."
Cami stood up, backing away towards the door. "What?!"
Before Klaus could even react the way he had deemed fit, Kol was already there by her side. He clasped Cami by the shoulders and let her rest against the wall.
"Your frightened." Kol murmured, his eyes locked on hers, compelling. "Don't be."
Within three seconds, Cami's heart rate slowed to a steady pulse, and her breathing eased.
"I'm not scared anymore." She frowned, before her eyes lit up with curiousity. "That's…amazing." She beamed up at Kol, not even aware of just how close he was, how his expression had become softer and his gaze had locked on her parted lips. "How did you…?"
"Its called compulsion." Klaus said, taking Kol's seat on the lounge and savoring the drink his brother had poured for himself. "It's a neat bit of vampire trickery. I'll tell you about it." He waited for Kol to step aside before he raised his glass in a salute to Cami. "But first, lets talk a little more about Marcel."
"Marcel?" Cami repeated incredulously. "Clearly you've been misinformed. He and I had one date, really. That's it."
"But you provided him with such charming company at the ball." Kol interjected.
Cami snorted. "After which he ditched me for some other blonde. I'm fairly certain it was your sister."
Klaus leaned forward in his seat. "Our sister?" His eyes narrowed. "Interesting." He glanced towards Kol and nodded, and the younger Original brother took Cami by the arm to escort her rather gently from the room, compelling her as she went.
When Kol returned to lean against the doorframe to the room, Klaus was studying the empty glass in his hands.
"It would seem that other powers have intervened." He mused, not bothering to look up to meet his younger brothers curious gaze. "My plan to sever the connection between Caroline and Marcel through his human blonde girl is clearly at an end. However, there is always his vampire blonde…" Klaus shook his head with a smirk. "Clearly that man has a type." When he raised his head to look at Kol, he noticed a peculiar expression on the face of the dark haired young man.
"Does this mean that Cami will be out of the picture?"
"Naturally. She serves no further purpose."
Kol frowned. "It doesn't feel right telling her all of that only to compel her. There could have been easier means."
Klaus raised a brow. "Well, by all means, Kol. If you find an easier way to regain our city, do tell."
Kol studied Klaus' face carefully, and chose his words with far more care than usual. One daggered Original was more than enough for now, and he didn't care to join Elijah. "Joining with Caroline rather than working against her might benefit you, brother."
Klaus tilted his head, almost amused. His brother rarely showed a serious side, but when he did, he was inclined to say the most intriguing things.
"While that could benefit me as you say, I doubt she would be so forthcoming." He grinned. "Not to mention my punishment for her defying me would not come to pass."
"Unstable personal relationships, stress-related paranoia, chronic anger issues, fear of abandonment…" Cami's words echoed in Kol's head, and he thought the better of his suggestion.
"What punishment did you have in mind? Her not seeing my handsome face every day? That would be the cruelest form of torture." Kol smirked, and Klaus rolled his eyes good-naturedly, the tenuous moment passing between them.
.
Carolina milled at the bottom of the tree, a basket clutched between her slim fingers. She glanced up through the branches, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Original brother climbing through its bows.
"Kol, hurry!" She called. "If we're caught here, I don't care about what they do to us, but if Nik finds out – "
"Then I will take the blame." Kol's voice floated down from between the trees.
The fourteen year old sighed, glancing back over her shoulder nervously.
Kol suddenly landed on the balls of his feet in front of her, causing her to startle.
"Don't do that!" She cried, her shocked expression only causing his grin to widen.
"I got the apples, didn't I?" Kol held out the fruit, placing it safely in the confines of the basket. "Now, lets go home, before – "
"Before I find out that you've left the house?" An icy, dark voice sounded from behind them, and Kol and Carolina whirled around to find Klaus standing in the long grass, his arms folded over his chest.
Carolina instinctively shrank back towards Kol, and Kol instinctively shifted to stand slightly in front of the young human girl.
"She didn't want to come along." Kol instantly assured him. "I made her."
"You persuaded her to come and steal apples with you from her fathers plantation?" Klaus said, his voice on the edge of a snarl. "Somehow, I am not inclined to believe you, little brother."
"But Nik – "
"You know the consequences." Klaus said sharply, before nodding. "I will speak with you later. Carolina," His voice was now laced with honey and poison, a lethal combination of sweet and deadly. "Come here."
Carolina glanced uncertainly towards Kol before striding towards Klaus. Kol hesitated for a moment before leaving the property. Though his brother might be aggravated, he would never harm the girl he had saved.
Klaus waited till Carolina had stopped in front of him.
"What did I say?" He asked her levelly.
"That I was not to leave the house this month." Carolina recited.
"And did I give no reason for this confinement?"
She bit her lip in admonishment. "You did give a reason."
"Yes." Klaus gritted his teeth. "I told you that there were some enemies of ours that would like nothing more than to attack us where it hurts us the most. And at the moment, that is through you, Carolina."
"I'm sorry." The blonde blurted out, biting back tears that had sprung into her eyes.
Klaus' face was impassive. "That does not mean that you avoid the consequences."
Carolina bit her tongue, holding out her right hand for a lash the same way she had been lashed for talking out of term on the property years ago.
Klaus looked her in the eye, reading something there she couldn't fathom.
"Go home, Carolina."
.
"I told you, Agnes." Hayley sighed, thumping the book down on the table. "I feel great. And I don't need to leave the house."
Agnes watched her carefully. She knew about the commotion with the wolfsbane. How could she not, when it had eventuated in Katie being so brutally killed? Sabines prophecy, whatever it alluded to, had set her on edge. 'mortem tradidit proditionem lupa ut maleficia'- did that entail Hayley betraying the witches, or Hayley being betrayed? What's more, with Sophie and Hayley being linked, it was obvious whenever one or the other was being mistreated. Sophie's neck had blossomed with purple bruises that matched Klaus' fingers to a tee. Agnes was not convinced that everyone was 'feeling great'.
"All I'm suggesting is that you get out of the house for a while." The witch countered.
Hayley rolled her eyes. "What am I going to do? Pop into the Quarter for a quick stroll? A werewolf girl skulking around with a witch – nothing to see here?" She sat back with a disgruntled sigh. "Besides, Klaus would definitely be opposed to that."
"There are ways around that." Agnes assured her. "And it wouldn't be in the Quarter. I could drive you out to the bayou where your family used to live. A nice opportunity to go through things your father left. Off the beaten path. At night, just to be sure. Vampires will never get word of it."
Hayley considered it for a moment. She missed being able to walk around freely, and the bayou would be her closest connection to nature for a while.
"Please go." Rebekah sneered as she tuned in from the other side of the room. "It'll give us a chance to air out the slutty wolf scent from the house."
Hayley made an unladylike face at Rebekah's back, before turning back to Agnes. "Okay. Fine. Bayou night walk it is."
Agnes nodded, and they walked out together. Rebekah barely bothered to acknowledge their departure as she worked on her laptop, zooming in on building after building around the French Quarter using online maps.
Klaus leisurely strolled in and watched her work.
"Please, sister, tell me you're not still at it with the internet search." He sighed. "How does one begin anyway? Just type in 'anonymous attic'?"
Rebekah scowled at him. "You were so convinced that Caroline was going to hand over our brother, but you've got nothing to prove for it. Someone has to find Elijah. Even if I have to search every bloody attic in New Orleans." Caroline might have been right in what she said to Rebekah – Klaus was not to be trusted with the safety and wellbeing of Elijah. But Rebekah herself, on the other hand…she knew that she looked out for her older brother.
"Like looking for a needle in a rather large pile of needles." Klaus quipped in regards to Rebekah's attic-hunting, settling in his favored arm chair.
"I remember details about the attic Caroline took me to." Rebekah muttered partially to herself. "There were shutters on the windows behind Elijah's coffin."
Klaus scoffed. "Well, that should narrow it down immensely."
Rebekah was sorely tempted to poke out her tongue at him, but she kept her dignity and poise – what little she had left.
"Myself, I prefer actual strategy as opposed to mind-numbing labor." Klaus continued. "Caroline's delay in returning out brother as promised makes me suspect that she may not have complete control over the situation. Since Elijah is in the clutches of Davina, perhaps the young witch will be open to discussing a new agreement."
Rebekah paused to look up at her brother with a bitter smile. "As usual, your power grabs are more important than rescuing our brother."
Klaus had the decency to pretend to be offended. "I prefer to think of it as killing two birds with one stone. Rob Caroline of her secret weapon, bring our brother home."
"And where does Caroline herself fit into all of this?" Rebekah asked snidely. "Will you be out charming her tonight to distract her? Last time worked quite well, clearly."
Klaus frowned. While Rebekah may have been attempting to merely wound him, she was right. "As for the moment, she isn't required for anything more than being distracted. I might set Kol on the job, seeing as they got along so well the other night."
"You know why that is, right brother?" Rebekah said airily, flicking through more pictures and ignoring Klaus' fierce expression.
"Why is that, Rebekah?" Klaus gritted out.
"Those two are like peas in a pod." She noted. "You've just brought together two souls that are perfect for one another."
Klaus gripped the arm of the chair, his fingers tearing through the material as if it were warm butter. "Oh, I'm not so sure." He said breezily. "They may be too alike."
"Funny." Rebekah smirked. "That's what they used to say about you and her." She watched him glower at her across the coffee table. "But not anymore." She reminded him. She grinned as he stormed out of the room.
.
Caroline walked down Dauphine Street as night fell and the people came out to play, giving a few final commands to the vampires who fell in step behind her.
"Big event tonight, a lot of people drinking, a lot of eyes watching. I don't want any trouble, which means no witches. I've sent word through the Cauldron that any witch shows here, we kill them, so remember that. And while you're at it, no Originals." She grimaced. Much as she loved Rebekah and Kol still, they were a little too dedicated to their brother for the time being. "Marcel will be here tonight with a friend of his – a little brunette. I want eyes on them at all times; eyes only." She spun around to search each of her followers faces. "I don't want anyone getting near either of them. Everybody's got a post, everybody keeps an eye out. Okay?" Caroline waited for a nod from every vampire before she beamed at them. "Excellent."
The vampires melted away into the dark as she turned and walked to the bar on the corner, Rousseau's. Marcel was already seated at a table with Davina.
"So, is it everything you hoped for?" Caroline asked Davina as she came close.
"Yeah!" Davina gushed, hopping up and giving Caroline a hug.
"Excellent." The blonde smiled, glancing over to Marcel. "I just wanted to pop by before I left, make sure you were having fun, and remind you – "
"I know." Davina rolled her eyes with a sigh. "I wont talk to anyone about anything. I know the list that I have to follow."
"Well you've had plenty of time to memorize the color coded chart." Caroline teased, and Davina laughed.
"I'll be back in a few hours. I'm sure the party will still be going. You enjoy yourself till then, okay?" She beamed at the young witch, and winked at Marcel before leaving just as quickly as she had come.
.
Agnes pulled up to a shack in the Bayou. The hairs on the back of Hayley's neck prickled.
"My family used to live here?" She asked incredulously.
Agnes patted her hand comfortingly. To Hayley, it felt like dry autumn leaves brushing across her knuckles. "They only came out this far because Caroline's team keep terrorizing them. Don't you want to stretch your legs?"
Hayley felt a sense of trepidation at her words, but the desire to know about her family's past won out. She climbed out of the car and walked towards the door.
Agnes watched her leave, the smile slipping off her face. She retrieved her phone and dialed a short, simple number.
"She's here. The trap is in place. Do it quickly." The witch muttered into the receiver.
.
"So, what's his name?" Marcel asked Davina, after watching the girl sit with her eyes locked on one musician in particular for the entire performance.
Davina's gaze flitted over to him for a second, not realizing she had been caught out.
"The guy with the fiddle?" He prompted, smirking in response to Davina's blush.
"Tim." Davina confessed, a little more at ease. If Caroline trusted Marcel to take care of her, then so could she. "I knew he would be here. He always performs at these kind of things."
Marcel glanced back at the musician, a slight pucker forming in his brow. "How long have you two known each other?"
"Since we were ten." Davina replied. "You know that I had to leave school, and I didn't get to say goodbye. So I was just hoping to talk to him tonight."
Marcel nodded, the entire scenario becoming clear to him. The young witch had her own agenda. Everyone in this town had their own plans and goals that they were completely comfortable manipulating people for. While the girl clearly placed a lot of trust in Caroline, and looked up to her as an older sister, she didn't want the blonde to know about her crush.
"Then by all means, honey, go talk to him." Marcel encouraged, taking a sip of his recently refilled scotch. "I wont be going anywhere."
"Really?" Davina's eyes lit up. "You sure?"
He smiled genuinely at the girls enthusiasm, and the young witch slipped off into the crowd to get closer to the stage. He watched her go, protective of both Davina and the powerful magic she possessed.
.
Klaus watched Marcel and the girl from across the bar. He had passed Caroline's vampire guards with such ease that he was almost concerned she had another plan in mind other than protecting and indulging her secret weapon. But no, clearly she had simply misjudged his power.
Kol hovered by his side, impatient. He had been cajoled into coming along to distract Caroline, but with the blonde nowhere in sight, he was left taskless.
"She must be elsewhere." Klaus murmured to his brother. "Track her down, and make sure she wont be near us for the rest of the night."
"You're giving me free reign on this?" Kol smirked. "Are there any lengths I should go to so as to keep her occupied for the entire night?"
Klaus' jaw clenched, but he kept his voice level. "Torture her, seduce her, tie her up to a bed if you must." He shrugged, turning to catch Kol's eye. "I don't care." His eyes said the opposite, conveying to his younger brother that if he so much as thought about kissing Caroline, he would be back in a coffin with a dagger in him so fast that he wouldn't have time to fully comprehend the action.
Kol's smirk merely widened before he gave a mocking bow and was out the door before Klaus could do more than tighten his fists.
Klaus swore at the empty space Kol left in his wake, downing his drink and walking over to the bar to order another. He passed by Marcel, and the vampire tensed.
"No trouble tonight, old friend." Klaus assured him.
"You only ever bring trouble, Klaus." Marcel sighed. "What do you want?"
Klaus gestured towards the bartender for another glass. "Only to have a drink with an old comrade." He smiled cruelly at Marcel. "Isn't that what peace is all about?"
"Peace? You hate the word." Marcel scoffed.
"That would be Tibalt." Klaus corrected, referring to Shakespeare's renowned play. "But my family would give the Capulets a run for their money. If anything,
"You are no Romeo either."
"You're quite right. That would be you with my sister."
Marcel smirked proudly. "What can I say? Old habits die hard."
Klaus tilted his head, watching the vampire carefully. "What are you planning?"
"My plans are as much my own business as yours are to you." Marcel replied smoothly.
"Now, see, I'm starting to think that they aren't." Klaus said, twisting his glass so the amber liquid caught the light. He watched the process as Marcel watched him.
"How so?" He asked Klaus.
The Original hybrid chuckled. "Oh, its written in every gesture. You want Caroline gone as much as I do. And you want her throne too. Only you're working from a different angle to me. You want the trust of her people, so you can obtain the top place the same way as a prince inherits the crown from the king." Klaus glanced up to meet Marcel's frozen gaze. "Am I wrong?"
Marcel was silent, prompting Klaus to continue.
"Of course, it won't work."
"And why is that?" Marcel asked quietly.
Klaus smirked. "You may be ruthless, Marcellus, but you have one fatal weakness." He leaned forward conspiratorially. "Pretty blondes."
Marcel's eyes narrowed, but he kept his cool. "See, you might be right. But unfortunately, that's your weakness too."
A muscle jumped in Klaus' jaw, but Marcel continued blindly.
"Only its not just pretty blondes with you, its Caroline. And I just love that, because that means that I set up the means for your plan to fail years and years ago when I got her in my bed. You might think that this town is yours, this community is yours, and this girl is yours, but the fact is that none of it belongs to you anymore."
Klaus was left speechless with rage, devising the best means for Marcel's life to end, when a bubbly young girl bounced up to Marcel.
"Tim's invited me to dinner – oh." She paused, catching sight of Klaus.
"You know who I am." Klaus gritted out darkly. "Fantastic. Now run along, dear. I'll deal with you later."
"Not so fast, Davina." Marcel said, never taking his eyes off Klaus. "You're not leaving my side."
"I can take care of myself." The girl said indignantly. "Or do I need to show you again?"
Marcel's fist clenched. "Fine."
"He doesn't want you to leave, Davina, because he is in need of your protection from the big bad wolf." Klaus mocked. "But there is no need, Marcellus. I wont kill you tonight." He leaned in, his eyes burning the brilliant bright blue of a dying star. "You know of my ways. I prefer to let you savor fear, jumping at every noise, always glancing over your shoulder, until you let your guard down for one second. Because that's all it will take. Just one second. One tiny little second, and then your heart will be on the ground in front of you, so for the last moment of your measly life you can see the spectacular sight of your lifes blood pumping out of your mangled, detached heart." Klaus smiled, before nodding once to Davina as he stood to leave. "Have a good evening, little witch."
.
Rebekah had finally found it. She recognized the window shutters from a mile away, thanks to her supernatural eyesight.
A priest swept the floor in front of the pews. He glanced up as she entered, before going back to his task. "Church is closed. If you want your horror fix, go take a ghost tour."
Rebekah frowned, glancing towards the ground he cleaned and recognizing the pattern of blood. Something had happened here. Something unholy.
"I don't much care for ghosts." She shrugged. "I am, however, fascinated by window shutters. I've been on a town tour of them all day. I noticed the windows of your attic have shutters."
The priest glanced up sharply, and if she had had any doubts before, she knew she was in the right place now. "Are you really interested in shutters?"
"I can assure you its my current life obsession." She smiled slowly. "What's your name?"
"Father Kieran." He introduced himself, before gesturing towards the blonde Original. "And you are?"
"Mildly curious." Rebekah brushed off, glancing towards the blood stains again. "What happened here?"
"St Ann's used to be the heart of the neighbourhood." Father Kieran studied the gothic architecture fondly. "It's been abandoned for a while now. Since the night of the massacre." He sighed, his thoughts somewhere far from the present. "Nine seminary students killed, by one of their own." He blinked, before frowning towards her. "You're standing on blood."
Rebekah rolled her eyes. "I'm not squeamish. Where's the attic?"
"Like I said, the church is closed." He shrugged her off, but she moved to block his path.
"Where is the attic?" She compelled him.
"Past the sacristy, up the stairs." Father Kieran murmured dazedly.
Rebekah grinned devilishly. "Thank you. Now, forget I was here."
She climbed the stairwell to a landing, and her memory kicked into gear. She had been here before, she knew it.
Rebekah kicked the door open, feeling the power radiate from the doorway. Her invitation had somehow been revoked, clearly, and she couldn't cross the threshold. No matter. The door swung open with the force of her foot, revealing the attic.
She gasped.
.
Caroline was intercepted by Kol on her way out of the Quarter.
"Leaving the festival so soon?" He pouted as he stood, blocking her way on the footpath. "And here I thought we could have a drink."
She scowled, hands on her hips. "I've got business to attend to. I'm not in the mood, Kol."
"Shame, because I am." He grinned boyishly.
Caroline rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"
"Do I always have to have an excuse to have a drink with you?" He asked innocently.
"Certainly, when there's something else on your mind that you'd prefer to discuss."
Kol smiled. "I suppose you're expecting me to ask about my brother."
"Which one?" Caroline remarked dryly. "As far as I can see, all you Original brothers are the bane of my existence right now."
"Just as quick witted as ever." He sighed. "Oh, how I've missed our barbed conversations."
"You want Elijah back, right?" Caroline asked, attempting to continue walking. He shifted so he was in front of her, as if he had never moved.
"I wouldn't bother asking anything else of you. Especially since if it concerned my brothers, the only other one I have is Niklaus, and that conversation would last all night at least."
"Well I can't give you Elijah." She snapped, trying to walk again only to find her path blocked.
"And why's that, darling?" Kol pouted. "Because you and Nik are still having the 'I hate/love you more' battle?"
Caroline's composure broke for a split second, and she angrily shoved Kol out of the way with both hands on his chest. He let her pass, stunned.
"No," She snarled over her shoulder as she sashayed away. "Because Elijah's gone."
.
Two hours earlier
Caroline had waited till Davina was guaranteed to be on her way to the festival. She hated doing things this way, especially since it was her kingdom, and she shouldn't' have to bow down to the whims of a young witch, but at least this way, she was the only one who knew that Elijah was up and breathing again.
She walked over to the coffin, opening the lid slowly out of habit. It never felt right to open them loudly, almost as if she would wake the Original sleeping inside. Only they weren't sleeping. They were dead.
Well, so was she.
Caroline smoothed a few wisps of brown hair off of Elijah's brow, a faint smile on her face. "Time to wake up." She murmured, before grasping the silver dagger and pulling it from his chest.
.
Hayley wandered through the rooms of the old abandoned shack. The furniture that had once filled its rooms now lay broken, either pulled apart to be salvaged or simply in pieces as a result of time passing. She peered at the few books that were left in a rickety old bookcase, trying to make out the titles while Agnes mumbled on the phone in the other room.
"I thought you would be here by now." Agnes hissed into the receiver.
Sophie's voice crackled over the line. "We are. Where are you?"
Agnes' blood froze. "The water shed."
"We're at the old camping ground, just like the change of plans said." Sophie's voice rose in panic. "Agnes –"
The phone was snatched form her grasp and crushed under a heeled foot before she could draw breath to respond. Agnes looked up to see none other than the woman who the witches had believed would help them.
Katherine.
Hayley tilted her head at the sound of the commotion. Her skin prickled with unease, and her fight or flight sense kicked into gear, her legs pushing her towards the door –
Caroline appeared in the doorway before Hayley could rush out, a cold smile lighting up her face.
"Hi, Hayley." She said brightly, before her hand reached out to clasp the wolfgirl by the roots of her hair. "Bye, Hayley."
Before Caroline could do any permanent damage, a hand grasped her wrist. She looked up to see Elijah with a grave expression on his face.
"Elijah," Caroline sighed under her breath like a curse. "Give me one good reason – "
"I can give you two." Elijah replied smoothly. "She is linked to Sophie Deveraux, a witch in your community. And she is the only living descendent of Klaus' werewolf father."
Caroline's grip merely tightened in Hayley's hair, causing the girl to whimper. "Didn't Katherine tell you? She set up this whole crazy chess game. She told the witches to lie and say that Hayley was related to Klaus, because that was the easiest way to involve him and your family. Its all a sham, Elijah." The blonde placed a comforting hand on top of Elijah's, before gently prying the Original's hand off of hers and twisting the werewolf's hair so tears pricked Hayley's eyes.
"Now, as for Sophie Deveraux," Caroline exhaled with a bitter expression. "There might be use for the witch. But only if she is unlinked."
.
"Hello, Agnes." Katherine smiled darkly. "You seem quite without witches here."
"Why aren't they here, Katherine?" Agnes frowned.
"Because I betrayed you all." Katherine said slowly, as if explaining something very simple.
Agnes reeled back, confusion etched in the wrinkles of her face. "I don't understand."
Katherine smirked, her eyes wide with faux-innocence. "What, you didn't think I would actually send the witches something useful?" She grabbed the witch by the arm, tugging her into the room where Caroline stood over Hayley, her fingers twisting painfully in her hair. The weregirl scrabbled at her wrist with blunt nails, but Caroline batted them away as if they were no more than irritable flies.
Elijah remained by the front door, watching the scene unfold with a careful eye.
"You said you would help us." Agnes spluttered as Katherine hustled her along. "That you wanted the same thing as us."
"Well, I'm a very talented liar." Katherine batted her lashes. "I've had a few centuries to practice, after all. Why would I ever want to hurt this lovely girl here?"
Caroline rolled her eyes at Katherine's dramatics. They still hated each other at the best of times. A combination of mistrust and jealousy was difficult to overcome, no matter the number of years of companionship that lay between them.
"Its simple, Agnes." Caroline stated. "I want to kill this wereslut here. Hayley is connected to Sophie, which would result in two deaths. That's just a waste." She tutted. "So I'll give you a chance to half the death number. Unlink Sophie from Hayley."
"Why?" The old witch muttered.
"To save one of your own, of course." Caroline shook her head. "Simple."
Agnes glared at Caroline. "Phesmatos omnio legares cardate sangorium."
Despite the cover of the old shack, a blast of wind managed to snake its way past the door, whipping around Hayley once before settling back to dead air.
"Its done." The old witch muttered.
"Excellent." Katherine smirked, turning her attention towards Caroline and Hayley. It was her big mistake.
Agnes grabbed hold of the broken leg of a table, swinging it around towards Katherine. Elijah was there in the blink of an eye, taking the blow for Katherine. The brunette doppelganger gasped as the shard of wood pierced Elijah's body, barely grazing her as it exited through his back.
The Original sighed in a world-weary sense, before pulling out the stake, flipping it with a skilled hand, and driving it through Agnes' chest in return.
"I swore to you that if you tried to hurt the ones I cared about, that I would not think twice about ending your life." He said, his voice like gravel.
The old witch gasped, her eyes flaring wide before she crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
The entire exchange was over in a matter of seconds.
Katherine rested her head on Elijah's shoulder in a wordless expression of thanks, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she had held.
Elijah rested one hand on top of her curls, before turning towards Caroline. "You can't kill her."
Caroline frowned. "Not only can I, I have to. I have a reputation to uphold, and an empire to protect. Moreover, I want to." She unknowingly echoed her sire's words from centuries before as she twisted her hand painfully again in Hayley's hair, and the girl let out a short shriek.
"When I said that you can't kill her, what I meant was that you can't kill her now." Elijah clarified sharply. "Take her back to Niklaus. Explain this whole affair, and tell him that the witches were the ones against him."
"Elijah, that's a death sentence." Katherine protested.
The Original lay a calming hand on Katherine's shoulder. "You and I will worry about that. I wont let him harm you again, Katarina." He turned back to Caroline. "And you will be free of my brother, as you so wish."
"I somehow doubt that giving him a girl he has realized is no longer related to him is going to get him off my front porch." Caroline scoffed, not letting Hayley go.
"Oh, I didn't suggest that you inform him of the true nature of this web of lies." Elijah raised his brows. "As far as everyone else is concerned, Hayley is of Niklaus' bloodline. She wont think to counter this, because the moment that she does, my brother would not think twice about killing her on the spot. Trade Hayley for Niklaus' departure from New Orleans."
Caroline studied Elijah. "And what do you gain from this?"
"Me?" He chuckled. "I gain a life. Like it or not, your presence in this town has brought my family together again, and has shown me its weaknesses. It has shown me that I need to truly live separate from my brother until he has changed for the better." Elijah smiled faintly at Caroline. "And I regain my sister from centuries ago."
Caroline tried to keep her heart cold to his warm words, but it was all in vain. She loosened her grip on Hayley's hair and let the werewolf fall to the floor with a thump.
.
Carolina's presence had brightened the house from the very first day. Not only did her bubble personality illuminate their lives, but the child's company assured that there would be real changes to the mansion they called home. There was no question about leaving bodies lying around the house for her to stumble across them. Neither was there an option for the family to get into squabbles that left the siblings with wooden stakes through arms or legs. And under no circumstances would Klaus be able to dagger any of his remaining siblings with a white oak dagger.
In return, Carolina filled the house with laughter. She learnt to play the piano with a diligence that astounded even Elijah, and the tinkling sound could be heard in the house at any waking hour. Klaus even allowed the girl near his paints, and colorful portraits of the Originals she now called family found their way into their rooms.
The most pleasing decorative addition in Elijah's eyes were the wildflowers the girl collected without fail every day to place through the house at seemingly random points. Daisies, primroses, magnolias, silver bells, even a marigold or two would spring up in pots and jars, filling the air with a light, pleasing scent that chased away any ill mood in the house.
It was days after Carolina's tenth birthday, when she had been with them for just over a year, that Elijah glanced up from where he read in the study to find Carolina loitering uncertainly by the door. When he caught her eye, the girl almost seemed to rock up on her toes as if she were about to flit away. Then, with a determined set to her jaw, she marched across the room, lay a sunflower across his left knee, curtseyed deeply as Rebekah had trained her to do, and fled the room with a flash of blonde curls in her wake.
.
Hayley had her wrists bound before she was taken out to the car. Elijah led her there, and she glared at him scornfully.
"I do not need you to save my life." Hayley spat. "Regardless of whatever weird feelings you might have for me."
"I did not save your life." Elijah replied with equal contempt. "I merely extended it by a number of days. But do not bother to place the blame of my actions on any feelings I might have had for you. If anything, it is my sense of justice that prolonged your life. This way, you can be held accountable for your actions of betrayal." Elijah had a peculiar expression on his face – a mixture of anger, bitterness, and disappointment. Hayley couldn't tell whether it was disappointment that he felt towards her, or towards himself.
"And what about you betraying your brother?" She snarled.
If his expression had been odd before, a new emotion flitted across it, making it even more unreadable. It was almost…a pleased smirk.
Elijah didn't give her much of a chance to decipher his expression before he had settled her in the back of the car and shut the door.
.
Caroline encouraged Elijah and Katherine to return to her house – the Mikaelsons house – in the French Quarter with Hayley to keep her safe their for the time being. She had other business to attend to.
When she reached Dauphine Street, the festival had finished, but the bar patrons were still going strong. She searched through the throng for Marcel and Davina, icy fear collecting in her stomach when her hunt came up short. She checked with every guard she had posted for the evening, but no one recalled seeing anything out of the ordinary.
Hoping that Marcel had simply taken her back to the attic, Caroline rushed to the church. She raced along the sidewalk, calling Davina's number as she went, and coming up with the message service every time. Just as she was about to give up hope as she stormed through the pews, two things happened simultaneously.
Caroline heard Davina's voice on the other end of the line, just as she also heard a footstep across the floorboards in Davina's room.
"Sorry, Caroline, I haven't been near my phone." The girl apologized, sounding cheerful, the noises of a crowd leaking through the speaker. "Is everything all right?"
"Just wondering where you are, little dove." Caroline replied smoothly, edging towards the stairs. Whoever it was upstairs, she highly doubted it was Davina.
"I'm at dinner. Marcel said he'd be back in a minute, but I'm safe." Davina's voice took on a worried edge. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Caroline said, gritting her teeth. She had a feeling she knew who was upstairs, and she certainly wasn't happy. "I'll call you back soon, okay? Stay wherever you are, and make sure Marcel stays with you from now on." She hung up before Davina could answer, and opened the door to the attic.
Klaus glanced up from where he studied Davina's paintings.
"Quite a talent." He mused. "Though as I recall, your skills were a little more refined by this age. Shame you didn't teach her the techniques I taught you."
"I didn't want to corrupt her style." Caroline replied, folding her arms. "Why are you here?"
"Isn't it funny," Klaus sighed, clasping his hands behind his back. "We always strive to protect what is dearest to us, and in doing so, we leave ourselves open to vulnerability."
"Why are you here?" Caroline repeated, though she had a feeling he wouldn't answer her question if it was the last thing he ever said.
"Why did you sleep with Marcel?" He asked sharply, turning to face her properly across the room.
His unexpected question left Caroline struggling for words. "I don't recall it ever being your business who I slept with."
"Once upon a time, it was." Klaus said ominously.
"And once upon a time, it was you." She retorted, her anger rising fast. "But those days are finished, and buried. And you should be too." She stormed towards him, baring her teeth. "Get out of my town."
"It was mine, and it is mine." He growled. "Just as you were mine, and should be mine."
His words caught her off guard, and she sucked in a startled breath as he leaned in, inches from her face, his breath mixing hotly with her own. Her eyes reflexively fluttered closed, and her senses went into overload. Her body had almost forgotten just how thrilling his own felt when it was inches away from her skin, her nose had almost forgotten the scent that was unique to him – woodlands after an electric storm. And his taste, how could she forget his taste…
"Mine," Klaus murmured darkly, and Caroline's eyes flashed open again, her feet carrying her backwards, away from him. The loss of his body heat flashed across her skin almost painfully.
"No. Not yours." She said, thankful that her voice didn't shake. She was strong against him. She could face the big bad wolf.
"Why?" Klaus countered, his stormy eyes never leaving hers as he crossed the room with purposeful strides.
"Because I'm not yours." Caroline snapped, trying to weaken him.
It merely made his anger grow, and he stood over her once more.
"Its always been you for me, sweetheart." He snarled at her. "Though clearly it hasn't been the same for you, jumping from bed to bed like the harlot of New Orleans."
Caroline's hand snapped out and across his cheek with a sharp slap that made Klaus' ears ring and his vision swim. "Shut up!" She growled, not caring how immature she sounded. She was too angry to care.
Klaus was intrigued by the emotions he was managing to bring out in her. And he needed a good fight. He always loved a good fight.
"How long did you wait after our departure before finding another?"
"I thought you had been caught by Mikael." Caroline yelled. "I waited for you to return and find me, but you never did. I thought he had finally succeeded in killing you. Clearly I was wrong in thinking you weren't a coward."
It finally provoked Klaus' rage. "Say that again." He dared, his eyes wide and challenging as he stood face to face with her.
She refused to blink. "You are a coward." Caroline said each word perfectly clear, each syllable piercing Klaus' armor. It hurt him. He had forgotten he could be so easily hurt by this girl who knew him too well.
"And how long did you mourn, then?" He taunted. "If you thought us all dead."
"Clearly too long." She retorted. "I should have done as you think I did, and jumped into bed with the first man who knocked on my door. If you think that what we had was so insignificant, I wouldn't be surprised if you had done the same."
"After all of our history, after everything, you think so little of me?" Klaus scoffed, his blood boiling, his control stretched thin. "I taught you everything, protected you, and you saw me as a King."
"That's what this is?" Caroline balled her hands, her nails biting into her palms. "You want to be seen as a God? What is wrong with you? You lacked the power to stand up to Mikael before, but you had me. You had love. You had a family that was united and happy. But it was never enough. You want power. That's all you've ever wanted." She looked him over as if he were the Devil himself. "God, I feel sorry for you."
Caroline turned on her heel, intent on running from the room to allow the emotions he had brought to the surface to break out far away from him, but he already stood in her way, towering over her.
"Don't turn your back on me!" He growled.
"I should have turned my back on you centuries ago!" She shouted back in his face. "But I clearly can't quit myself of you. So instead, I'll resolve to bring you nothing but misery." She flashed around him to leave, and this time he was not quick enough to block her way. He caught her wrist instead, pulling her back towards him.
"Let go." She snarled, nails clawing at his arm like a wildcat. He held fast, realizing what Elijah had gone through as he fought for his brother to stay in New Orleans. "I will not let go, I will never let go." It was too painful to let go, no matter how much it hurt him to hold on, he would hold on till his last breath for the alternative was too harsh to bear.
Klaus held on even as Caroline thrashed against him, her blonde curls whipping around their heads like beams of light, the leather necklace she wore beating a staccato rhythm against one of his arms. Her snarls turned to half-sobs; she refused to cry in front of him, but muscle memory was a bitch.
She was ten, and the nightmares were still plaguing her, and he fought his way to her through the tangle of bedsheets and curtain hangings to hold her close and whisper soothing praise into her hair until her breathing had calmed and she had fallen asleep mid hiccup.
She was thirteen, and had caught her leg on wire as she made her way home, and had trooped grimly up to the door where he found her, blood pouring down her leg, fierce tears of pain pouring down her face, and he had let her clench his hand tightly as he patched up the wound as best as he could, all the while fighting the black veins of bloodlust that threatened to transform his eyes a ghastly shade of red.
She was fifteen, and a boy who had been her dance partner at the ball had laughed at her when she tripped in the quadrille, and Klaus had promptly broke the boy's nose but no more at her insistence, as she clung clumsily to Klaus' waistcoat and buried her head in his ruffled shirt.
She was seventeen and insisting that he turn her into a vampire, 'please, Nik, let me be like you, please', alternating between arguments and pleas, all the while tears coursing down her cheeks as his answer continued to be 'no'…
"Why did you turn me?" Caroline found herself asking, chanting it over and over in a soft murmur. "Why, why, why?"
Klaus raised a hand to her hair as she pressed her face into his shoulder. "You know why, love."
"But you can't say it." She realized. "And until you can say it, then I don't think I can ever know for sure."
He wanted power. That's all he ever wanted. His humanity was so corrupt that his want for power went beyond any other emotion. Caroline exhaled, steeling herself. She pulled away from him before she could do anything else that she would regret.
"Caroline – "
"Don't follow me." She snapped, turning only once to face him. His expression was heartbreaking, but hers was a sight to behold – tears drying on her face, her features set in a tragic expression of strength. She held his gaze for a second before she turned back and left the room.
.
"Its time." Kol barged in on Rebekah, Klaus and Carolina as they sat together comfortably by the fire. They turned to look at him questioningly, and their gaze shifted to Elijah who walked into the room after Kol.
"He's here in town." Elijah stated gravely. All attention turned to Klaus, waiting for the next move.
"Gather anything you can't leave." He said darkly, standing and pulling Carolina to her feet. "We meet in the courtyard in five minutes."
The family disappeared from the room in a shift of air. Klaus kept Carolina by his side, his gaze taking in every movement as he pulled her down the corridor.
"I can walk perfectly fine by myself." She snapped, but he ignored her. "Niklaus, let go of my wrist."
"He has tracked us down, sweetheart." Klaus reminded her.
"And so we will run." Carolina said. "I might have only lived for two centuries or so, but I know enough about your past with Mi – " Klaus shot her a look, and she bit er tongue. "With him. But we will move elsewhere, and continue as your family has always done."
They reached the room that had once been Klaus' but they now shared. Carolina demanded no less. She wasn't going to bother with him if he wouldn't acknowledge that she had equal rights, equal power. They were both stubborn in that regard, but their care for each other outshone that.
"Shall I fetch Marcellus?" Carolina asked as Klaus gathered some trinkets in a box. "Or no, I'm sure Rebekah will have already seen to that. You wouldn't leave him either." She babbled, toying with her own fingers in worry. Despite everything, she didn't want to interfere with what she was certain the Mikaelsons had done countless times over the centuries – packing and running and settling once more.
Klaus paused momentarily before packing away the last few items – a sketch of her, a diamond eternity bracelet, one of his leather necklaces from his days back in the area now known as Mystic Falls – and closing the lid on the box. He turned and pressed it into Carolina's hands. She took it, turning to go and wait in the courtyard as he had stated before.
Klaus caught her by the waist, making her turn back to him with a furrow in her brow.
"What is it?" She asked, her eyes searching his troubled face. He raised one hand to cup her face, and her frown deepened. "Nik, what is it?"
"I want you to do something." He said softly, his pupils dilating. Carolina knew what was coming next.
"No, no, no, no," She shook her head, trying to break free of his grasp. "Don't do this to me, Nik, please, I love you too much – "
Klaus held her tightly and tenderly, his grip strong but gentle. He could only ever manage to be both for her. "Carolina, look at me, love."
Carolina looked at him, tears welling in her eyes. She wanted to run from him, just so he could stay with her. It was the strangest contradiction.
"When I tell you to, go into the cellar. Marcellus will meet you there. You may not leave the cellar until Mikael has gone from the city. You may not remember the existence of the Mikaelson family until you have left the cellar. Forget me until then." Klaus blinked back tears from his own eyes. "I am so sorry, sweetheart."
Before the compulsion overrode her system, Carolina lurched forward and captured his lips with hers, yearning for one last taste of him in case she never got the opportunity again. He met her fierce kiss, clutching desperately at her, holding her tightly against him because he knew that when he let go, it would be for the last time. He wanted so terribly for her to come with them, but it was too dangerous. He wouldn't risk never seeing her again if it meant he could be with her in the future. He was selfish in that sense.
Klaus was the one to break the kiss, knowing that the sooner she was safely hidden, the better. He stroked her cheek one last time, chasing her fallen tears away with his fingertips.
The commands he had compelled her to follow washed through her, and Carolina was left standing before him, blinking in confusion.
"Who are you?"
Klaus schooled his face into a scowl of indifference. "It does not concern you. Don't you have somewhere else to be?"
Carolina frowned, as if something in her memory was troubling her, before raising her gaze to the Original. "I do. But are you alright, sir?"
"Why would it matter to you?" He tilted his head, wondering if the compulsion hadn't worked.
"I don't know." The furrow in her brow deepened. "I just feel as if – "
"It doesn't matter." He shrugged, picking up a box – the box she had dropped – from the ground, before pressing it into her hands. "Go." He ordered her without meeting her eyes. He couldn't bear it. Klaus turned to leave through another doorway, and Carolina fell into step behind him, the box he had given her still clutched in her grasp.
"Don't follow me." He snapped, and she faltered.
"But – "
"Oh for goodness sake, girl." Klaus snarled, keeping his gaze forward. "You're collateral damage, that's all. Now go down to the cellar."
The command triggered something deep inside Carolina, and she found her feet carrying her away from Klaus and down past the courtyard into the cellar before she could even register the unbidden tears that continued to fall from her eyes.
Marcellus joined Carolina in the cellar moments later. She frowned up at him from her perch on a crate of wine as he descended the stone steps.
"I remember you, but I do not remember why I am here." Carolina stated.
"Neither do I." Marcellus admitted.
The pair both had the same blank look on their face as they sat in silence, watching the wax drip down the fat candles that had been lit in the cellar.
A while later, a man burst through the door at the top of the stairs, making them both jump. He had a fearsome expression on his face as he stormed down the stairs towards them. Carolina swore the expression reminded her of someone…it was peculiar. The features made her think of one dark haired man, while the way the muscles moved to create the emotion on his face reminded her of another lighter haired man. But the moment she attempted to think of who those men were, the thought chased itself out of her head, and she forgot about it.
"Who are you?" The man barked at them.
"I am Carolina Forbes." She answered without thought. "And this is Marcellus Gerard."
"And why are you in this cellar?" The man continued to question them.
"This is our home." Carolina answered blankly.
The man studied her face before turning to Marcellus.
"How did you get down here?"
"We did as we were told." He replied without control over his answer.
The man frowned, cursing to himself. "You're nothing but the house owners." He muttered in disgust, turning and stamping his way back up the stairs. "Klaus will do anything to cover his measly tracks."
The man left, his footsteps echoing across the courtyard above their heads.
Carolina and Marcellus remained down in the cellar for an entire day. They wanted to leave the cellar and feed. They could feel their bodies starting to desiccate. But they couldn't make it past the second step of the cellar.
They felt it when they were free, though. It was as if a sudden weight had been lifted off them. The two of them walked up the steps, the quest to sake their thirst for blood the one thing on their minds. But the moment they left the doorway of the cellar, their memories hit them like a wave.
Carolina collapsed to her knees with the weight of it all. Her heart felt as if it was so heavy that it would drag her down past the cellar and to the bowels of the Earth.
"Nik," She gasped out of her suddenly hiccupping throat. "Elijah, Rebekah, Kol, Nik. Oh, Nik." Caroline sobbed, barely conscious of Marcellus still standing next to her. His face was grim as he remembered Rebekah, his lover, and the Mikaelsons, his companions while his sire wept on the ground next to him.
"Did he say anything to you?" She finally asked him, drying her eyes and gazing at him earnestly. "Did he speak of when they would return?"
"He did not mention." Marcellus replied softly.
"They will return." Carolina nodded vehemently, her fierceness returning as she rose to her feet once more. "They will. They must. And when they do, I will have built them an army, a strong city ready to protect us all. An empire."
.
Katherine came across Elijah later in the evening, sitting in a particular chair in the study.
"Okay, what was all that about?" She asked him, leaning against the doorway and folding her arms.
"What do you mean?" He replied.
Katherine raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "I know you, Elijah. And much as I would love it if you just gave up on your brother like you should have centuries ago, I know you never have, and you never will. It's one of the things I both hate and admire about you – your sense of family." She smiled, but her brow puckered. "What are you planning?"
Elijah stood up and crossed the room to meet her, his fingers coming up to cup her cheeks with a feather light touch. "I must ask something of you, Katarina."
"Anything." She murmured, trying not to lean into his touch and failing.
"Help me reunite my family." Elijah said, revealing what had been on his mind from the moment he had lied to Caroline. "Starting with reconciling Caroline and Niklaus."
Hey guys!
Finally we're getting off the beaten path. Here, there be monsters. :P
And just in case I never mentioned it before, EVERYONE here has their own agenda. EVERYONE. Even Elijah, the noble brother! Which is why this is so much fun to write, and I hope its just as much fun to read.
Hayley will get her just deserts soon, don't fret. ;)
Next chapter update will be next weekend.
Thank you to the gorgeous readers, reviewers, favoriters and followers.
And also while I'm here, Happy New Year for Wednesday! :D 2014 is going to be a great year, I can feel it!
Read and review if you liked it or if you didn't!
xx
