Tack så mycket Sverige! :)
I decided to post two chapters today; after I did that a couple of times at the early stages of uploading Dungeons, I actually vowed to myself I would not do it again because it cost me so many lovely reviews, but as Chapter 8 is rather short, I will make one last exception. ;)
Thanks to everyone who is taking the time to read, review, favourite, follow... please do continue to make me happy, guys, it's just amazing! :)
Flashback time again now. When Elijah met Silv...
XX
P.S.: There might be some drama coming up tomorrow... ;)
CHAPTER SEVEN
SHENANIGANS
The next morning, the women found themselves alone in the house. Klaus had gone off to whatever today's mission was, Elijah was meeting some finance guy and the Salvatore brothers had decided on an early morning visit to Remy's. Now the four of them were gathered in the kitchen over coffee, blood bags and bagels, discussing last night's events. Rebekah explained that ever since they had come of age, Klaus and Kol had been constantly clashing over almost everything. Kol had always been trying to find his place among the brothers, but with the roles of the tyrant ruler and the controlled, appeasing éminence grise already cast, he hadn't found a niche for himself to this day.
"The funny thing is," she sighed, "that Nik and Kol have much more in common than they would ever care to admit. They are stubborn, hot-headed, impulsive and can be downright cruel. On the upside, both of them care very deeply when they care, they can be fun, adventurous and life with them is never dull. It is just that I simply can't imagine that after a thousand years of rivalry and fighting, they will ever find a way to just be brothers. Nik and Elijah did, but then their relationship has always been a different one."
Caroline took a sip of her blood and smiled at her sister-in-law. "I don't want to pretend to know them as well as you do, Bekah, but I think there is some hope. After what happened in France, when Kol learned about Klaus and Henrik, he didn't provoke Klaus for ages. He treated him the way he usually treats Elijah, so maybe if we wait for another thousand years, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel."
Eyeing the choice of bagels on the large plate, Rebekah finally settled for cinnamon raisin and loaded a hefty helping of cream cheese onto one half. "Kol was in shock, as was I. I still can't wrap my head around what my father did to them, Henrik especially. And Nik sitting through all that torture, pretending to be immobilized… I think that apart from the shock, that was what impressed Kol the most, and he saw Nik differently for a while. He has always admired him, ever since he was a little boy, and even more so after the events in Tiffauges. But at some point, they just fell back into old patterns, and it certainly did not help that Nik kicked him out of the house and Kol retaliated by playing Marcel's BFF."
With a thoughtful expression, Caroline pursed her lips. "Do you think Kol was really just trying to piss off Klaus? What if he actually chose to side with Marcel after all?"
Rebekah shook her head. "Kol has always despised Marcel – he kept saying he was nothing but a boor, but I believe he was a little jealous back in the day when Nik spent so much time roaming the world with Marcel. Still, it was not only jealousy. Elijah, Kol and I never liked the man in the least, and I would find it beyond surprising if Kol changed his stance so drastically. No, he always knows exactly how to get to Nik and how to upset him the very most. You could safely say that no one in the world is as proficient in provoking Nik as Kol is."
"And I thought Damon and Stefan had issues," Elena commented dryly. "It seems Elijah is the only member of our old boys' club that could be considered remotely normal."
Silv and Rebekah exchanged a glance. "Oh, I don't know about that," the Original grinned. "He can be quite something, too. He is just more skilled at hiding his less presentable sides. But I do have the feeling that this whole relationship slash marriage thing bodes rather well for all of them."
"Ahm…" Caroline interjected, raising a finger. With a snicker, Rebekah rolled her eyes.
"Yes, all right, it bodes well for all of us. Myself included." They had to laugh, and Caroline exchanged a quick look with Elena. How far had they come from the days when Rebekah had been an almost bigger plague than her brother!
With a grin, Silv took a sip of blood and gazed at the others. "We just need to find someone for Kol eventually, then."
"Didn't Klaus say that this Davina has her sights set on Kol?" Caroline asked.
Rebekah shrugged. "I'm not sure she is his type. I've met her once, and she is rather… ethereal, innocent in a way. If the past is any indication, we can safely assume that my brother is more into the hands-on kind of woman, you know, down-to-earth, experienced, a little dirty."
All of them grinned. "Sometimes the façade can be deceiving," Silv remarked with a raised brow.
"Do tell," Caroline challenged. "Does that mean there are dark secrets we don't know about noble, steadfast, aristocratic Elijah Mikaelson?"
"I daresay there is a lot that is not widely known about him," the brunette smiled with a wink. "And you may rest assured I will never divulge any of it."
Elena leaned forward. "How did you two meet, anyway? I've always figured you at some sort of posh soirée, you in a glitzy ball gown, Elijah in tails, making polite conversation and waltzing around. Followed by months after months of gentlemanly courtship before he even kissed your hand."
Silv's musical laughter resounded from the kitchen walls. "There was a posh soirée and I was indeed wearing a ball gown. But those were the only two hits, Lena." She leaned back and refilled her coffee mug before she went on. "It was in London, in the nineteen twenties…"
LONDON, 1924
I glanced over the glittering crowd at the Café de Paris. The glamorous new night club had opened only very recently but it had already managed to become the new center of London's golden society. That was partly due to the Prince of Wales having turned into a regular guest, bringing with him an array of friends of the noblest standing. This invariably attracted all sorts of fortune seekers, gold diggers, adventurers and other more or less interesting personalities.
It bored me to death.
My escort for the night was a member of that exclusive circle and happened to actually be a relatively close friend of the Prince's. He had been lavishing me with attention ever since we had first been introduced at a private house party given by a mutual acquaintance. I was somewhat flattered by his persistence but otherwise not interested. I had only agreed to accompany him tonight to pursue one of my favourite pastimes – observing the upper crust make complete and utter fools of themselves. Although I still needed to find my place in life, I was truly glad that I belonged to two different worlds, not really bound by society's rules but still able to sit at the sidelines and watch. With a light smile, I imagined the reactions of all these would-be masters of the game if they knew what I really was.
"May I offer you another drink, dear?" my escort asked eagerly, interrupting my musings. I knew that my underlying aloofness was what drew men to me, but it invariably attracted the wrong men, namely those who were looking for detached, distant cold fish. I never ceased being surprised at how many men actually wanted a woman like that. With a sigh, I pushed away the hope that someday, someone might actually see right through me and find the woman beneath the cool façade. The years had taught me it would never happen, but that didn't mean I couldn't have some fun with the wrong men from time to time. Tonight's date, however, would certainly not end up on that list.
"That would be lovely, thank you, Richard," I smiled, seeing his eyes light up and roam my cleavage, they way they had done most of the night. I really needed to get out of here.
"I will be right back, don't go anywhere," he exclaimed and got up to make his way through the crowds towards the bar.
As soon as he was out of sight, I grabbed my purse and inconspicuously headed in the direction of the exit, smiling left and right, ignoring how a few of the men covertly gazed at me. I knew there were some who considered me attractive because of my long, auburn hair, green eyes and slim figure, but I had never really seen myself that way. For a very long time, I had been a freak, an outcast. Never having known my real parents, I had lived with a foster family until I was sixteen. They had not been able to accept me as a true family member, for there had always been something different about me. When I had first conjured up some minor magic, accidentally of course, I had made the grave mistake of going to my foster parents and voicing my fears. I hadn't known what was going on and I was deeply frightened, thinking I was turning insane. My foster parents had been very conservative, religious people who had immediately called for a priest to exorcise the devil they believed possessed me. I had fled my home that very evening and never looked back. Eventually, on an aimless trip through the Scottish Highlands, I had met a warlock who had sensed what I was and took me in, teaching me what I needed to know and taking my fears as well as he could. He had become my first lover, and I had been content. Not happy, but reasonably satisfied. After a couple of years, however, the nagging feeling that there was more to life, witchcraft and love than what I had learned until now made me restless. I was grateful to my lover, which was why it took me another year to finally work up the courage to leave him. If there is one thing I will always be sorry for, it was breaking his heart, but I couldn't help myself. I just knew I had to go.
Ever since then, I had continuously worked on improving myself, both as a witch and a woman. I had sought out other witches and warlocks all over the world, listening, watching and learning, and I had begun to craft my own grimoire. Eventually, during my travels through Italy and France, I learned about my heritage. I had not been aware that there were four lines of witches and warlocks that were more powerful than the rest of them, and I was stunned to learn that I was the last descendant of one of those bloodlines. It was less impressive to learn about some of my ancestors, especially about Francesco Prelati. Ever since I understood who he was, or rather, what he was, I vowed to myself to never even get close to Black Magic, and to become as powerful a White Witch as I possibly could should I ever need to face someone like him.
Acutely aware of my lack of general education, I read everything I could get my hands on, attended university lectures, visited museums, art galleries and libraries. I began to dress better, to improve my language and to gradually move up within human society. It seemed that people liked having me around. I had made up a solid and intriguing life story to tell, and it appeared to fascinate the so-called golden circle. With all of that, my life was busy and full. And so utterly empty.
Shaking my head at myself and trying to chase away the sudden gloominess, I collected my fur coat and stepped outside, taking a deep breath, enjoying the crisp night air and ignoring the thought about the elaborate excuse I would have to invent for leaving without a word. I was not usually this impolite, but I was simply not in the mood for Richard's lengthy pleas to grant him another hour. Opening my purse, I pulled a cigarette from the little silver box, at the same time fumbling for the lighter. Suddenly, a match was lit right in front of my face, and I looked up in confusion. I hadn't sensed anyone approaching me, and that was a first. It made me uneasy. Lighting my cigarette, I raised my gaze, and my breath caught at the sight of the stranger before me.
He had a very handsome face with strong, pale features, full hair I inexplicably yearned to run my hands through, and expressive, brown eyes. Dressed impeccably in a dark suit, shirt and tie, he exuded an overwhelming yet serene presence. I frowned. Supernatural. Vampire. My first reaction was to give him migraine before he could hurt me, but some deeply buried instinct told me he was not going to cause me any harm, so I just remained where I was, my eyes fixed on his face.
"Thank you," I said evenly, gesturing at my cigarette. "I never expected a vampire to eventually save my life."
He smiled and my breath caught again. "Is your life that easily endangered?"
Now I had to smile as well. "A redundant question for a vampire to ask a witch."
"And a wise response for a witch to give a vampire."
We smiled at each other, and even though everything I had been taught shouted at me to get away from him as fast as my legs would carry me – which would never be fast enough, duh – I found myself fascinated. There was something very dangerous and imposing about him. I had encountered many vampires by now, but none of them had oozed this kind of cool authority. It was bordering on regal. Who was this man?
As if he had heard my thoughts, he inclined his head. "I am Elijah Mikaelson. It is a genuine pleasure to meet you." His lips touched my hand very briefly, but it was enough to send a double shiver down my spine. He was a member of the Original family of vampires! I had heard of them, everyone had, but I had never expected to actually meet one of the mysterious, elusive Originals who were the most powerful beings on Earth, feared by the entire supernatural world – vampires, witches and werewolves alike. But what made me tremble even more was the effect the touch of his lips had on me. This couldn't be good. Clearing my throat, I nodded.
"I am Silv Leighton." I had recently changed my surname again, something I kept doing on a regular basis, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to choose another given name.
"Well then, Miss Leighton, am I correct in assuming you have no interest in rejoining the illustrious gathering?" He pointed towards the nightclub from where snippets of music and laughter came floating through the air.
"Indeed you are. Tonight's crowd could be described as tedious at best."
He gave me another smile that made my heart flutter. What was it about him? "I could not agree with you more. Although I do believe you left a broken heart behind in there, Miss Leighton," he chuckled. My eyes narrowed.
"I therefore gather that you have been watching me?"
"Yes," he simply said. "It is my custom to stay alert whenever I encounter any witches, warlocks or vampires. But I have to admit it was no hardship watching you tonight."
My stomach clenched at his subdued compliment. Confused by my strong reaction to the Original, I straightened. Hiding behind my usual aloofness, I replied coolly, "Please know that I do not appreciate being followed, not even by an Original vampire. I have nothing to do with you and your family, so if you do not mind, I will be on my way now."
"My apologies, Miss Leighton. I suppose it is just a habit that is difficult to break. You have obviously heard about my family, so you will not be surprised to learn that we are being defied, attacked and beleaguered on an almost daily basis. It makes us very suspicious which sometimes can result in a certain paranoia. Pray forgive me."
I inclined my head. "It is probably even understandable to some degree. But may I ask you to please refrain from watching me going forward, Mr. Mikaelson?"
He chuckled. "It is Elijah, please. Will you allow me to invite you for a drink in order to atone for my trespassing on your privacy?"
I hesitated. This was probably a very bad idea, even though something was drawing me to the Original in an almost irresistible manner. Well, I thought, that was why this was a bad idea! But I had never been one to be reasonable when I ought to be, and I was never one to be put off by a little danger.
"Very well, Elijah. It might actually be the only way to disabuse you of the notion that I am the evil mastermind behind the global plot to bring about the downfall of the Original Empire."
Now he gave me a broad grin that made him look almost boyish and turned my limbs into jelly. "And that must be avoided at all cost, so I will take it upon me to have a drink in your utterly displeasing company. For King and Country!"
I chuckled and took the arm he was offering. "And there I thought you were said king. Please do tell me it is not the court jester whom I have just encountered."
"I am the éminence grise behind the throne," he commented with a light wink while we slowly walked in the direction of St. James's Park. "The ruling sovereign is my brother Niklaus."
"And you like it that way?" I asked rather bluntly, trying to ignore how good it felt to hold on to his granite arm and how we had immediately fallen into step as if we had been walking at each other's side for decades.
"I do, in fact. I am not someone to seek the limelight. Niklaus is far better suited for that. I am more of a power broker in the background, and I much prefer that. Here we are," he added, pointing to a short flight of stairs that led to a small, unmarked door with a golden lion head on it. Elijah knocked once and the door opened to reveal a liveried man who bowed at the sight of the Original, stepping aside to let us pass.
Once we were inside, the porter took my coat and for a second, I felt Elijah's hand on the bare skin of my arm as he guided me towards the interior of the house. Heat flashed through me and I could barely suppress the little gasp that threatened to escape me at the innocent touch. Then again… had his touch really been that innocent?
Elijah held a door open for me and I stepped through to find myself in what seemed to be a private club. The dimly lit place was cozy, welcoming and exuded a subdued elegance. A few tables were occupied and soft music played in the background. He led me to one of the free tables in a secluded corner of the large room, pulling out the chair for me and waiting until I was seated. A waiter appeared out of nowhere, inclining his head towards me and nodding at Elijah.
"Good evening, Madam. Mr. Mikaelson, it is an honour to have you with us again. What may I serve you tonight?"
Elijah turned to me. "Can I interest you in a glass of champagne, Miss Leighton?"
"Indeed you can. And please do stop calling me Miss Leighton." For some unfathomable reason, I was uncomfortable with him calling me by a name that was not mine. It felt wrong. And I had no idea why it felt that way.
With a small smile, he addressed the waiter. "Dom Pérignon, 1921. Thank you, Robert." When the waiter left, Elijah leaned back in his chair and gazed at me attentively. "Will you tell me about yourself, Silv?"
"As I already pointed out, I have nothing to do with you and your family, and I am not participating in any dark conspiracies against you, so there is no need for espionage."
He leaned forward an inch before he answered in a very low voice. "That is not what I am asking about. I am asking about you. The woman, not the witch."
Another shiver went through me. I knew all the pathetic little games men played to lure me into their bed. A shadowy bar, champagne, feigned interest in who I was… It was always the same pattern, and sometimes I didn't even mind. But even though the circumstances were so familiar, something was different about Elijah. Since my early childhood days, I had been good at detecting dishonesty – there were not many people who played me for a fool. Here, tonight, I sensed nothing of the sort. For a moment, I wondered whether my strange and very sudden fascination with the Original was clouding my judgment. I had never experienced a pull like this and I wasn't sure I liked it.
"Why?" I simply asked.
For the first time since we had met earlier, he looked a little confused. "To be perfectly honest, I do not know. Please forgive me, I am not usually this forward, but… I simply want to know who you are."
His eyes never left me for the entire remainder of the night. Neither of us noticed how the club slowly emptied, leaving us to our intense, incessant conversation. When Robert approached our table to carefully insinuate to Elijah that they needed to close at some point, the latter glanced at his watch and raised a brow.
"Would you like to take a walk with me, Silv?" he asked in barely more than a whisper. I just nodded, and after he gently helped me into my coat, we left towards the river. When we had reached the Thames, we silently walked along its banks, careful not to come too close to each other, both staring out at the river. After a few minutes, I abruptly stopped. I couldn't cope with this lingering tension, and that was another first for me.
"I believe I will call it a night. Or rather, a morning. Thank you for the lovely evening, Elijah, I truly enjoyed it. Maybe we do run into each other again someday."
He had turned around to face me. All gentleness and serenity was gone from his features, leaving nothing but a very intense, passionate gaze I would never have expected from him.
"Afraid, are you? I would not have taken you for a woman who scares easily. And please do not insult either of our intellects by asking me what you are supposed to be afraid of."
I threw my head back defiantly. "I was not going to. And yes, I am afraid. I have no idea what this is, and I need to think about it. You do not strike me as a particularly impulsive man, Elijah, so I am quite certain you will understand that."
With one step, he was in front of me and whispered, "Yes, I do understand. But I do not accept it."
Without having seen him move, I suddenly felt his hands cupping my face… and his lips on mine. My eyes widened in astonishment for a second before I closed them and surrendered. There was no way I could have resisted something like this. Nor would I ever have wanted to. For a man so collected, so controlled and seemingly unflappable, he kissed with a delicious abandon that took me by complete surprise. I was by no means inexperienced, but this was something else entirely. He played my mouth like a delicate instrument, in turns soft and gentle, then passionate and hard. His hands were very determinedly roaming my body, setting me on fire and making me yearn for his touch on my bare skin. The longer we kissed, the more I knew what I wanted. It didn't matter just how many degrees of wrong this was, and it didn't matter that nothing would ever come of it – I wanted Elijah like I had never wanted any man before. I needed him to do to my entire body what he was doing to my mouth. The second I broke the heated kiss, I felt Elijah retreat immediately which made me even more confident about what I wanted right now. He was undoubtedly a gentleman, but I yearned to discover the passionate man I had just caught a glimpse of. Putting everything else aside, I took a step back and looked him straight in the eye. After another moment, he took my hand and gently touched his lips to my fingers.
"Are you certain?" he probed, a little hesitantly. Oh, I really liked how he did not play any games with me or pretended not to know what was on my mind right now! I had the uncanny feeling he could see right into my soul.
"I am," I murmured, "you made sure of that."
With a light chuckle, he offered me his arm again. "I should probably apologize, but I have never been less sorry for anything in my entire life."
I walked through London in a daze. A short while earlier, I had snuck out of Elijah's hotel suite when he had been taking a shower. It was not something I normally did, but these were exceptional circumstances. This one time, I wanted to avoid any awkward goodbyes, any stale cliché phrases and half-hearted promises to meet again sometime. The overwhelming, devastatingly erotic experience I had shared with Elijah was something I wanted to confine to my memory in its purest form, not polluted with anything that brought me back to reality. I would remember this day as a product of my fantasies, a dream, a fairy tale. The mysterious, powerful man, the intense conversation, the sizzling chemistry… Elijah was exactly what I had always been looking for but never dreamed existed – worldly, cultivated, intelligent with a subdued but brilliant sense of humour… and a complete and utter demon in bed. A demon who had not only ravished me to delirious perfection, but who had also made my treacherous heart flutter with the way he held me afterwards. It had made me hope. Which was why I could never see him again.
When I entered my flat, I just dropped my purse and coat and went straight to my bedroom, falling onto the bed fully clothed, closing my eyes and covering my face with my hands.
"You could have just told me you were more comfortable in your own bed, my lovely. I most certainly do not mind."
With a shriek, I jumped off the bed just to spot Elijah standing next to the open window, arms folded over his chest, looking at me with unreadable eyes.
"How did you… never mind. Why are you here?"
"It is not my custom to spend the night – or day, in this case – with a woman and let her leave my bed without a word. And something tells me it is not your habit, either, so you had better explain why you felt the need to run away like that."
I sighed and began to pace the room, doing my utmost to fight down the impulse to just shove him onto my bed and continue where we had left off earlier. "I thought it might just make things easier. This has been very… intense, Elijah, and I wanted to preserve the memory without the usual post-shenanigan awkwardness."
He was silent for a moment. "Are not you the one who is calling this a shenanigan, Silv?" he calmly inquired. It was uncomfortable to hear the truth, but I didn't want to let him get to me. At least not more than he already had.
"We both know that is exactly what this is. We met only last night, did we not? And do not tell me you were planning on seeing me again. I hurt your ego by leaving, and that is why you sought me out. Let us just not dramatize this. It was wonderful, it was even perfect, so let us not spoil it." Well done, I thought to myself. He will leave, I will be in a little bit of pain for a few days over how this was so bloody fantastic, and then everything will be back to normal.
In a blur, he was right in front of me, staring into my eyes in that intense way that had made me so shivery from the very first second. "So you do want me to leave and to never darken your door again?" he asked, taking one step closer. Why was he making this so difficult?
"Elijah. I met you, and about two seconds later I went to bed with you. That is hardly romance material."
He gave a small, sarcastic smile. "I would not have thought that a witch of all people could be so narrow-minded."
"Oh, is that the name people give to experience nowadays?"
"But then I am not your everyday shenanigan, am I?" He cupped my cheek with his hand and said quietly, "Now, do tell me why you really left."
I closed my eyes. How did he see through me like that? No one else ever did. I knew I had always wanted to find someone who looked closely enough to actually recognize me for who I was, but now that he was here, I found it very unsettling. With a deep sigh, I faced him again.
"What I told you was the truth, Elijah. I did want to confine this encounter to memory as unspoiled as I possibly could. But I also… I also did not want to lend myself to illusions. The longer I had stayed, the more would I have been in peril to do just that." There, I said it. I exposed myself. Oh well, so it might hurt for a few more days than predicted, but I would be fine. At least that was what I told myself until he kissed me again, very softly, lingering on my lips and gently stroking my cheek.
"Can we sit down?" he asked when he released me after a while.
"Of course." I gestured towards the living room and motioned for him to follow me. "Would you like a drink?" I asked when we reached the room.
"Yes, thank you," he murmured, standing right behind me and breathing a subtle kiss on my neck.
"Elijah, I am serious, if you wish to talk, you should definitely not do that," I said firmly, making him chuckle.
"I am sorry, my lovely, it would seem I have a hard time resisting you." His words sent another little tremor through my stomach, and I quickly handed him a glass of Scotch. He waited until I had taken my seat on the spacious couch before he sat down himself. His impeccable manners seemed to only add to his allure, and I clenched my glass until my knuckles turned white.
"Silv, I hope you will allow me to say a few things to you." I nodded, and he took a sip of his drink before he went on. "I agree that these last hours were very intense indeed, and I can understand your motivations for wanting to escape. I would be lying if I said I wasn't struggling, too. But before I continue, let me ask you one question." He paused."Aside from the physical pull, which I will be bold enough to call a given after these last few hours, are you attracted to me?"
He was nothing if not direct, and I liked it somehow. I had no idea where this was going, but it felt good not having to put on a mask and just being able to speak my mind and be myself. "Yes. I am."
A beautiful smile played around his lips. "I am very glad to hear that, as I have to admit to being utterly attracted to you, and I can assure you that this has not happened to me in a long while. Silv, I usually am a very careful man. I avoid taking chances wherever possible but sometimes, it cannot be helped. The moment I came back into my room and you were gone, I confess I was relieved for a second. As you phrased it so aptly – no post-shenanigan awkwardness and a beautiful memory. A mere instant later, however, I realized that I was rather uncomfortable with the thought of not seeing you again. To be perfectly honest, it puzzles me and I would like to find out why I feel this way. I would like to take a chance and get to know you, and for you to get to know me. Not as witch and vampire, but as Silv and Elijah. Would you be willing to consider?"
My head was spinning. Was this really happening? "What is it that attracts you to me?" I asked cautiously, not quite trusting my voice and hoping he would give a nonsensical answer that would make it easy for me to turn him down. Not that I really wanted to, but…
His eyes never left mine when he answered. "The contrasts in you. And the fact that they are not contrasts at all. You are keeping the world at an arm's length, but you yearn to be a part of it. You are of resplendent beauty, but it does not matter to you. You are suspicious of everything and everyone, and yet you do not hesitate to plunge right into an adventure when it presents itself to you. And… you dismiss hours of the most spellbinding lovemaking as a shenanigan, when somewhere deep inside you, you desire nothing more than for it to have a meaning, to be of consequence. That is what attracts me to you. Not to mention the fact that said lovemaking was utterly magnificent."
Oh God, he had just hit the nail on the head! Everything he had said to me was one hundred percent accurate. Including the bit about the lovemaking, of course, I thought with an inward grin. It had been magnificent. More than that. I took a deep breath. Yes, I wanted to get to know him. I wanted to find out if that overwhelming attraction was just a fleeting whim or something more substantial. Possible painful consequences be damned. And hell, yes, I wanted more of that incredible man in my bed!
"So what did you have in mind, then?"
"Well, for starters…" he set down his glass and pulled me into his arms, "I was not actually done ravishing you. And I have the distinct feeling I won't be for a while, so you might want to call off any pressing engagements you have over the next few days." I grinned, and my stomach contorted in anticipation. "Then I would like to spend some time with you. I had planned to leave tomorrow and travel to Chicago in order to meet my family, as my business here is concluded, but if it is agreeable with you, I will extend my stay. Any objections, my lovely?"
I still couldn't believe what was just happening, and I was way too confused to form any coherent thoughts. All I knew was that I was still me – head on into the adventure. I started to loosen his tie and smiled at him.
"I like the idea. But there is one thing you need to be absolutely clear about."
"And what would that be?"
"I am not an Original Vampire. I do need to sleep from time to time."
Elijah gave a delighted laugh. "Damn. Always a catch."
Silv took another sip of her coffee and winked at Caroline, Rebekah and Elena. "We didn't leave the house for three straight days. Between Elijah and me, it was just sex before it became love. Although it didn't take us very long to get there. I wasn't aware that things could happen that fast, but ever since then, I have grown to accept that when it comes to love, there is nothing that is actually impossible."
"What happened next?" Elena asked curiously. "I mean, when you finally managed to leave the house. Not that I couldn't relate," she added with a grin.
"Can't we all? And I have the added bonus of being married to the most powerful man on Earth, so go figure!" Caroline giggled, making Rebekah snort.
"Dream on, sister!"
All four of them laughed, then Silv went on. "Elijah stayed for three weeks, during which we were inseparable. We spent time at the Mikaelsons' mansion in the countryside, enjoyed the cultural life in town, talked, laughed, dined, danced and made love. Not always necessarily in that order. When he left, he asked me to come with him. Neither of us could bear the thought of being without the other again, and that after barely three weeks, but... we had got used to each other's company so quickly and so thoroughly that it really scared me, much as I had always longed for something like that to happen. So I turned him down, asking for more time to make a decision. He left for Chicago, but I was sure he would be back very soon. What I hadn't reckoned with was my unbearable longing. I resisted all of three days before I packed my bags and followed him. When I arrived at his doorstep, he just took me in his arms, held me forever and said nothing. Silence is how he usually reacts to overwhelming emotions," Silv explained. With a gentle smile, she took her mug and emptied it, holding it out for Caroline to refill.
"He introduced me to Klaus and Bekah, and although they were apparently very surprised, they accepted me immediately for some unfathomable reason. Bekah was just overjoyed to see her brother happy, and so was Klaus, even though he would never have admitted to it. I had the feeling he even was a little envious, apart from the fact that he thought a witch ally would eventually come in handy. Life with the Original Family was something else. When I learned that Klaus was carrying Esther, Finn and Kol around in coffins and the whole family had been hunted by their creepy father for a millennium, I thought they were completely demented. Which they admittedly are, but I still like them somehow." She gave Rebekah another wink. "Anyway, even that couldn't really put me off, and Elijah and I grew closer by the day. My God, was I happy! Bekah told me at one point that in one thousand years, she had never known Elijah could even be like this, and I thought nothing could ever come between us. Little did I know that we didn't need anything to drive a wedge between us – we managed fairly well by ourselves."
Caroline looked at Silv and nodded. "Klaus told me that Elijah wanted a commitment and that you weren't ready…"
The brunette inclined her head and closed her eyes for a second. "It had only been a few months, not enough for me to determine what I really wanted. I had just admitted to myself – and to him – that I loved him, but I had never heard him say the words. I thought I didn't mind, but it turned out that I did after all. When he asked me to let him turn me so we could stay together and he wouldn't have to fear for my safety on a daily basis, I failed to see that this was his way of telling me he loved me. The only thing I saw was that he wanted me to give up my life, my magic, practically everything, for a relationship that hadn't even heard those three little words. I thought I had to prove my point, and so I told him no."
"How did he react?" Elena asked.
"He gave me an ultimatum. It was all or nothing. Eternity at his side or a limited life without him. And I was being as stupidly stubborn as he was. When I refused him again, he just looked at me with an expression I had never seen on him before and walked out of the room. Before he closed the door, he just murmured, 'I do not wish to see you again'. I raced to pack my things and fled the house like I was haunted by all the Gods of the Underworld, and I never returned. The minute I had left, I knew I had made the greatest mistake of my life, and everything inside me was screaming at me to return to him immediately. But I thought I knew Elijah, and I couldn't stand the idea of him staring at me with all that disdain he can so effectively put into his eyes and tell me that I had my chance but blew it. So I ran, initially back to London for a while. The first few weeks nearly killed me. I thought I would never survive the excruciating pain. I saw him everywhere, and everything reminded me of him to the point of almost driving me insane. At some point, Klaus appeared at my doorstep." She hesitated, casting a careful glance at Caroline. Elena was just pouring herself and Rebekah another glass of blood. Both of them weren't looking, and Caroline imperceptibly shook her head.
"He told me Elijah had turned off his humanity right after I left, and he tried to persuade me to come back and help him convince his brother to turn it back on. I just couldn't, the pain was so unbearable, and seeing Elijah without his humanity would have been all but excruciating. To have him look at me with perfect indifference… it would have been hell on Earth. So Klaus left again and I moved on, but he stayed in touch over the years. He seemed to know that the day would come to throw Elijah and me in each other's paths again… and as furious as I was with him when he finally did, back in Norway, I have to admit that he had a lucid moment there!"
Caroline grinned and raised her glass. "He has those quite often."
Elena rolled her eyes. "Ah… yeah… right."
"Hey, don't let me get started on Damon," Caroline growled, but she was grinning. The four of them looked at each other.
"Can we just agree that all of our men are entirely insane, and if it wasn't for us, they would instantly fall off the wagon?" Elena suggested, raising her glass.
"Hear, hear," Silv laughed, and the women clanked their glasses.
Let's hope they'll never have to be without us. Or we without them.
