Warning: Character deaths
Hello, my lovely readers. There is a lot drama in this chapter and parts of it might further confuse you but all will be revealed by the end of the story. On with the show…
Chapter 9: And For My Next Act…
Head in hands, Caroline sat on a couch, staring at the floor of Marcel's loft apartment. Other vampires muttered around her. None of them were kind enough to keep their damned mouths shut. For over two hours they had done nothing but talk about what had happened to the Priest's niece and what Marcel would do to Caroline to serve out justice.
"Bet she did it." a vampire, mere feet from her, muttered to another one, cocking his head at Caroline.
The other vampire smirked. "Bet Marcel rips her heart out. You know he has a soft spot for the human."
A cluster of vampires behind Caroline echoed the other two's thoughts. "He's going to rip her head off." "He'll tear her limb from limb." "Marcel's going to take her out to the bayou and feed her to the gators. Or let the wolves take her."
Shooting to her feet, Caroline walked across the room and moved in front of the window. Marcel stood inches from her, contemplating the night sky. "Are you going to kill me?" she asked him. If he planned to kill her, she really wished that he'd just tell her and she could prepare herself for the inevitable.
Marcel glanced at her, his expression solemn. "Your friend there, Bonnie, is it?" Marcel titled his head in Bonnie's direction. Bonnie sat, crossed leg, a book open on her lap, a pair of earphones over her ears.
Caroline knew that Bonnie was worried about her. This was not their home. They were completely out of their element and if Bonnie made a move against Marcel, the twenty vampires would swarm her. Being brave would get them dead in this situation. All they could do was watch, wait and hope that it wouldn't come to a fight. Not yet anyway.
Marcel continued to watch Caroline and she nodded. "She thinks that a witch messed with you. If that's true, I don't know, I'll have to make up my mind." His eyes moved back to the night sky.
Sucking a deep breath, Caroline forced herself to not cry. She'd done the right thing. She'd come here to help her friends. If she died in New Orleans it would be for a noble cause. Although she really, really wanted to live.
Making her way over to Bonnie, Caroline sat down beside her friend. "Hey," Bonnie said, pulling the earphones off.
"Hey," Caroline said, a smile appearing and disappearing quickly when a vampire to her left gave her a death glare. "We're going to be okay," Caroline whispered, taking Bonnie's hand.
Bonnie nodded. "Yup. This is nothing. We've faced a lot worse."
A vampire snickered. "Stupid witch."
"What was that?" Bonnie hissed.
"Bon, stop," Caroline said as Bonnie got to her feet.
Bonnie cocked her head to the side. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were a judge and that my friend was on trial. So until you get all of the facts, I suggest you back off." Bonnie's eyes glowed with a dangerous rage, her fingers curling, hands lifting, words on her lips that might make this a lot worse.
The sound of the metal door clanging open caused everyone to stop what they were doing. Elijah walked through the throng of vampires as if they were invisible. Caroline saw the looks of resentment that the vampires shared with each other. She knew what it felt like to be in the presence of an Original and to feel utterly helpless.
"You find anything, Elijah, or are you here to make sure I didn't kill Klaus' little girlfriend?" Marcel quipped, coming to stand beside Caroline. She did not feel comfortable about his proximity.
Elijah's mouth turned up into a smile that did not look all that friendly to Caroline. "Oh, Marcellus, come. Let's dispense with the theatrics. Send your merry band of children away so we might talk."
Marcel shifted his weight and looked at his followers. "Okay, everyone, I'm going to let Elijah have his say. In private."
The other vampires grumbled on their way out. Caroline could tell they did not like Marcel's dismissing them or his private discussions with Elijah but none of them dared to argue. Recalling Marcel's attempts to gain her help his coup; Caroline rolled her eyes. On the outside he might act like a kinder gentler version of Klaus but once you looked closely enough, you'd see that was just a façade. He was just like his dad, desirous of being an alpha male and would stop at nothing to keep everyone else under his boot heel.
Elijah looked down at Caroline and Bonnie. "I do hope that Marcel has been a good host to you both," he trailed off, his brows rising in question.
Caroline forced a smile. "He's been great."
Marcel let out a chuckle. "See, Elijah, nothing to worry about on this front. Now, why don't you tell me what you know?"
Elijah looked at the wall behind Marcel's head. "I have yet to find anyone who witnessed the attack on Camille. Nor have I been able to track a couple of wayward vampires that might hold the key to that information." Turning back to Caroline and Bonnie, he looked down at them. "When did you last see Damon and Enzo?"
Caroline shook her head. "Elijah, they didn't do this."
Marcel looked from Elijah to Caroline. "Are you telling me that you've got two vampires from out-of-state on the loose, in my city?" he demanded, his voice rising and he pointed at his chest.
"Your city?" Elijah's voice sent a chill up Caroline's back.
Marcel gritted his teeth and looked at the floor before looking Elijah in the eye. "Damon is going to kill a vampire, possibly, a lot of vampires, and if those vamps turn out to be from my crew, I'm going to hold you personally responsible."
Elijah' eyes moved to Bonnie and he pulled out a sheaf of papers from the inside of his jacket. "This is from my mother's grimoire. I trust it might aid you in finding a way to cure Caroline of her sudden bout of amnesia."
Bonnie stood up and took the sheaf. "Thank you," she said.
Nodding, Elijah looked back at Marcel. "Before you attempt an act of retribution on Miss Forbes, I suggest that you allow her friend to work her magic."
Marcel shrugged. "Whatever."
Elijah continued. "I am going out to the bayou to meet with Hayley and Jackson. It seems there was an attack on members of her pack. Perhaps whoever is at fault for Camille's attack is the same person who killed the wolves."
"Maybe it is and maybe it isn't." Marcel did not seem convinced.
"I will be back," Elijah said and Caroline could hear the warning in his voice as he turned on his heel and walked out of the loft.
Caroline looked at Bonnie who had been reading the pages that Elijah gave her. "Is there anything there?" she asked.
Bonnie shook her head. "I don't know. I need more time."
Caroline blew out a breath. "Well, since it is just the three of us, I'm going to drink. Who's with me?" Marcel just stared at her while Bonnie continued to read. "Right. Okay. Party of one," Caroline muttered, going over to where Marcel kept his liquor and opened a bottle. Pouring out a two fingers worth of bourbon, Caroline knocked it back before pouring out another drink.
"You don't go for the cheap stuff, do you?" Marcel asked her, startling her. Caroline choked on her drink, placing a hand to her mouth. He smirked at her and for a moment she thought that maybe he didn't completely hate her.
"Nope," Caroline said shaking her head and laughing.
"Right. Well, I think I'm going to have one, too, while your friend tries to convince me that you're innocent." Marcel poured out a drink and Caroline watched him sip it before setting the glass down.
"I think I have something," Bonnie said. "But it's going to hurt," she said, setting the pages down.
Caroline rolled her eyes. "I don't care if you have to tear one of my arms off, I just want to know what the hell is going on."
Bonnie nodded. "I want you to lie down on the couch."
Moving across the room, Caroline laid down on the couch and Bonnie knelt beside her, placing her hands on Caroline's head. "I'm going to try to get inside your head."
"Wouldn't it be easier if I did this?" Marcel asked, coming over and standing over them. "You know vampires can get inside each other's minds, right?"
Bonnie nodded. "Yeah. I know. But I have to go to a deeper plane of her subconscious."
Marcel shook his head. "Right. I'll be drinking if you need me for anything."
Bonnie looked at Caroline. "Are you ready?"
Caroline smiled. "I trust you, Bonnie."
Bonnie smiled back at Caroline before placing her hands on either side of Caroline's head. Bonnie began to chant and Caroline let out a long scream of pain as Bonnie forced her way into her mind. "Oh, my God!" Caroline howled and then nothing. She saw nothing at first and then she saw what looked like a garden but it was hard to be sure. The image kept flicking in and out. Caroline looked around and found Bonnie standing a few feet away. "Bonnie?"
Bonnie turned to look at her. "Caroline?"
"Get out!" a voice bellowed and suddenly Caroline's eyes flew open again. Her body was in an upright position before her mind understood what she was doing. Then her feet were carrying her toward the door.
"Hey, where are you going?" Marcel shouted. Before Caroline could escape, he grabbed her by the waist, hauling her off her feet and carrying her back to the couch. "Hey! Hey, Caroline!" she shouted, his face close to hers.
Struggling, Caroline let out another scream of pain. "I have to go! I have to go! Let me go!" she shouted, struggling against Marcel. "Let me go!"
"Bonnie, what the hell is going on?" Marcel demanded, still holding Caroline down on the couch.
"I don't know. I have to get back in there," Bonnie said frantically as Caroline tried to free herself.
Marcel shouted. "Then what are you waiting for?" Bonnie grabbed his arm and then began to chant again.
Screaming in agony, Caroline's back arched as she went under again. "Why are you doing this to me?" she screamed.
Silence surrounded her and Caroline whimpered as she lay on a table, looking at a glass ceiling high above her. The metal table felt cool against her back. Klaus would find them and kill them all. The chains dug into her flesh. "What in the hell," Marcel said and Caroline's head moved to see him to her left.
"I think this is what someone is trying to hide from us," Bonnie said.
Caroline looked to the right to find Bonnie. "Bonnie, get me out of here," Caroline cried.
Bonnie looked down at Caroline. "I wish I could but I think there's something we have to see first."
A tear ran down Caroline's cheek. "Genevieve," Marcel snarled when a red headed woman came into the room to stand over Caroline along with a group of teenage girls. No witches. Now Caroline remembered.
"They did a spell on me. They sent me somewhere. A garden," Caroline said quickly.
Her eyes closed and she saw the back of a woman. Esther Mikaelson. She wanted to make Caroline an offer. Caroline refused her. "You shouldn't be here," Esther said, sniffing her rose and looking from Bonnie to Marcel.
Images moved quickly. Light and dark melding together. Bonnie sank to her knees and screamed. Marcel fell to the ground. "You are making a grave error, Caroline. Take my offer. This is your last chance."
Caroline looked from Bonnie to Marcel and then to Esther. She felt helpless. She hated feeling helpless. "If you want them to live. Take my offer. I will not ask you again!" Esther shouted.
Darkness pooled over everything in the garden and Caroline felt her body shaking. "I…" Marcel let out a groan, his eyes opening and he looked at Esther. Caroline saw the anger in his eyes. He pushed himself to his feet and moved to attack Esther when she snapped two fingers. His neck snapped to the right. Cringing, Caroline looked back at Esther.
"Either accept my offer or I will kill Klaus' child. His son. His first child. Fathers do so revere the first born, do they not?" Esther glanced down at Marcel and then at Bonnie. "And then I will end your friend. What the ancestors of New Orleans will do to a girl who sides with vampires, you can only dream of."
Frustrated tears ran down Caroline's eyes. "Okay. Okay. I'll take your offer. Just leave them alone. Please! Please!"
"Good." Esther smiled, walking over to Caroline and touching her cheek. "We will see each other again. Soon."
Her eyelids opened slowly and Caroline took in her surroundings. She was still in the loft with Marcel and Bonnie. What the hell just happened? "Bonnie?" Caroline slid off the side of the couch and began to pat her friend's face. "Bonnie, Bonnie?"
"What in the bloody hell is going on here?" Rebekah's sharp voice broke through the air and Caroline's head whipped upward. Rebekah marched across the floor. "What did you lot do to my boyfriend?"
Marcel began to come to and rubbed the back on his head. "Did you find anything?" he asked Bonnie.
"Does anyone want to tell me the meaning of this?" Rebekah snapped, glaring at the three of them.
Marcel got to his feet. "Someone attacked Cami and we thought Caroline might know who did it."
"I know about Cami. But what does Caroline have to do with this? Klaus is going off his bloody rocker since she's run off. And now I find her taking a nap on your couch. Nik's going to have my head." Rebekah moved to leave the loft when Marcel stepped in front her. "Not now, Marcel. There was another attack. This time near the compound. Someone killed a new day walker that Klaus made to watch Caroline."
"He's got people watching me?" Caroline growled, while Bonnie moaned and opened her eyes. "Hey, Bonnie are you okay?"
"I've been better." Bonnie sat up with Caroline's help. "Do you remember anything?" she asked, looking from Caroline to Marcel.
"Nothing," Caroline said.
"I wish I knew what the hell happened. I can say you convinced me it's a witch," Marcel said.
"Davina?" Rebekah demanded, pursing her lips.
Marcel scoffed. "No, D, wouldn't hurt me."
Rebekah let out a harsh laugh. "Shall I remind you of the times she did."
Caroline jumped in. "Can we go back to the part where a day walker was killed?"
"Oh, yes, that, poor chap. Kind of a nice fellow. A bit dull but Klaus didn't pick him for his wit." Rebekah sighed. "Elijah said something about some wolves being killed and… I don't recall if there's be an attack on the witches yet."
"Damon and Enzo are missing," Bonnie told Rebekah who shook her head.
"No. They went back to Mystic Falls." Rebekah stated like it was obvious.
"What?" Caroline felt confused.
"Damon left a note saying that Klaus was useless and they were going home." Rebekah looked bored. "I suppose I should get home to deliver the news that you are safe and sound and shacking up with Marcel. Nik will be so pleased."
Rolling her eyes, Caroline sped in front of Rebekah who glared at her. "Look, I know that I don't like you and you don't like me, but does it sound like Damon to leave a note?"
Rebekah paused. "No."
"So he's missing. Along with Enzo. Great. Elena's going to freak out," Caroline sighed. "And Stefan." Running her hands through her hair, Caroline blew out a breath. "I guess that means I'm going to stay here until we get this all cleared up."
Rebekah glowered at Caroline. "Yes. Of course you will. Try to stay out my way."
Caroline had a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue but Rebekah had already disappeared. "Bitch," she muttered under her breath.
Marcel gave Caroline a look but she chose to ignore him, walking over to the couch where Bonnie sat, reading through the sheaf of papers that Elijah had given her. "There's got to be something here. Some way of overriding the spell so we can see what this person—whoever they are—doesn't want us to see."
No one said anything while Bonnie continued reading the sheaf and Caroline stood close by; hoping that Bonnie would find something. Marcel placed his hands on his hips, becoming irritable as he began to pace. "I can't just stand around here, waiting for answers."
"Then go. We'll be fine here," Bonnie said, not looking up from her work.
"Yeah. Okay. There seem to be a problem here," Marcel said, coming to stand over Bonnie. "See, this is my home. My people are in danger and it feels a lot like your people are the reason for that danger. So, here is what we're going to do. I'm going to call my friends, Josh and Davina, and they're going to hang with you." He pointed at Bonnie. "And you," he pointed at Caroline. "You're coming with me. I'd like to keep the amnesiac close in case she has any more lapses and anyone else gets hurt."
"No," Bonnie protested, getting to her feet. "Caroline is not going anywhere with you! And I'm not going to be babysat by your vampire lackeys."
Marcel chuckled. "Again, I think you've got me wrong. You seem to think I'm giving you a choice. I'm not."
Bonnie's jaw jutted out and she was about to start yelling when Caroline stepped in between the witch and the vampire. "Bonnie, it's okay. Marcel's probably right, I need someone older and stronger than I am to keep an eye on me, make sure I don't turn out to be a danger to myself or others. And Davina is a witch. She can probably help you with this stuff. I can't."
For a moment, Bonnie looked like she might continue to argue but then her shoulders drooped. "Okay. You're right. Just be careful. I don't trust any of them. And I definitely do not trust him." Bonnie looked at Marcel over Caroline's shoulder, narrowing her eyes into a lethal glare. "You better not hurt her or I will make you see the fires of hell." Caroline hugged Bonnie while Marcel called Davina and Josh.
The next half hour was tense as they waited for Davina and Josh to show up. "We're here. What's going on?" Davina demanded the minute she stepped inside the loft. Spotting Caroline, she let out a growl. "What's she doing here, Marcel?"
"Caroline's not the one who hurt Cami," Marcel said, holding up his hands.
Davina did not look convinced as she stood ten feet away still glaring at Caroline. "And you know who did?"
"No," Marcel confessed, rubbing the back of his head. "I've got some guys on it but I haven't heard anything yet."
Davina let out a laugh. "Sure. Okay. We're leaving," she started to walk out the door with Josh when Marcel sped in front of her. "Marcel."
"Davina." Marcel placed his hands on the girl's shoulders. "I need you to trust me right now. This girl, Bonnie," he waved in Bonnie's direction. "She's a witch from Caroline's home town. She took us inside Caroline's mind after some witch put a spell on her. I don't remember anything about my time while I was under. Bonnie can't get this spell right. She needs your help."
Looking at Bonnie, Davina pursed her lips while Bonnie waved at her. "You're a witch?" the younger girl asked.
"A Bennett witch," Bonnie replied.
Davina looked impressed. "I've heard of your family. Why are you helping vampires?"
"Caroline's been my friend since we were little kids," Bonnie said, smiling at Caroline. "She's still Caroline, even with the super speed and taste for human blood."
Davina looked at Caroline and then at Bonnie. "I guess I can try. But I'm doing this for Marcel, not for you," she shot at Caroline before moving to sit down beside Bonnie on the couch. Josh stood, looking from Davina to Marcel.
"Call me if anything comes up," Marcel ordered Josh.
"Will do. You know, if we're under attack. That might make it a teensy bit difficult," Josh said as Marcel forced a smile.
"Yeah. Be careful," Marcel retorted, patting Josh on the shoulder.
Caroline and Marcel left the loft, heading toward a car that Caroline presumed was his. Her phone began to ring and Caroline pulled it out. Her mouth opened as she noted the missed calls from Klaus. A lot of missed calls from Klaus. Checking her phone, she noted that it wasn't turned down, there was no reason that it shouldn't have gone off.
"Who is it?" Marcel asked her.
"It's Klaus," Caroline replied.
"Are you going to answer?" Marcel asked as he leaned over the driver's side door.
For some reason that Caroline could not explain, she shook her head. "Not yet."
Marcel got behind the wheel and Caroline got in beside him. "Where are we going?"
"We're going back to the French Quarter so you're probably going to run into Klaus anyway," Marcel explained.
Caroline sucked in a deep breath. She had no idea what to say to Klaus when she saw him again. "Hey, I swear I didn't hurt your friend. I know, it looks bad but I wouldn't do that…I'm not you." Oh, yeah. That would work out really well.
Klaus—paranoid freak that he is— might believe that Caroline didn't do it but that would not stop him from pointing the finger at her friends which would not help anything either. Closing her eyes, Caroline felt herself falling into darkness. When she came to, she found the car on the side of a road, Marcel had been ejected from the car and lay in a heap in the road. "Oh, my God!" Caroline cried.
Shooting out of the passenger seat, Caroline ran toward Marcel. "Marcel! Marcel!" she called.
"He can't hear you," Genevieve called, coming to stand over Caroline who glared up at her. "He's taking a little nap."
"What in the hell did you do to him?" Caroline yelled, getting to her feet.
Genevieve shrugged. "Nothing he didn't bring down on himself a century ago."
Moving to attack the witch, Caroline allowed her teeth to spring out and her eyes to darken. Genevieve laughed at her, clasping a hand and causing Caroline to choke. "I would relish killing you but Esther has bigger plans for you."
Eyes widening, Caroline felt her legs giving way underneath her. "No!" she screamed, her body convulsing as her palms hit the pavement. Something felt wrong. Very, very wrong. Her veins burned and her heart began to slow. "Stop! Please!"
"Oh, honey, I wish I could," Genevieve said as Caroline felt her strength failing her and she went slack; her heart stopped beating as her eye slid closed. "This is going to be worse than death, I imagine."
Light. So much light that it blinded her, pricking at her eyelids as she lay on…what was it…a bed…a coffin? Pain coursed through as Caroline lifted her fingers, stretching them outward and clawing at the wood above her. "No! No! No!" Caroline cried out. She began to bang at the coffin's lid. "Help me! Somebody, help me!"
A banging in return sounded and Caroline cried out when the lid of the coffin suddenly opened and she looked up at Genevieve who smiled down at her. "And here is your other Harvest Girl, as promised," she told Monique who looked eagerly into the coffin.
"Cassie, you're home," Monique cried out, helping Caroline out of the casket.
Caroline opened her mouth to say that her name was Caroline, Caroline Forbes but instead her mouth said. "I missed you, too."
Genevieve gave Caroline a wide smile. "I made a promise. We just had to be creative and sacrifices had to be made."
"What sacrifices?" Caroline meant to say but Cassie's lips remained glued shut.
"Would you like to see who made this possible?" Genevieve asked Caroline who wanted to nod and did manage to nod this time. Genevieve led the way through the graveyard to a trail of blood that stopped right before a tomb.
Caroline would have sunk to her knees and screamed but Cassie's mouth refused to work. Bonnie's body lay on the ground, drained of blood; Enzo sat beside her, his head in his hands. He looked up at Caroline, misery etching his features, his lips smeared with blood.
They should have stayed here. Caroline wanted to attack Enzo. To attack the two witches. To rip them apart but she couldn't. "And those who would stand against us…" Genevieve trailed off.
Caroline felt confused when Klaus came stomping into the graveyard. "Davina!" he bellowed. "What did you do to Caroline?" he shouted.
"Don't worry, he can't see us," Genevieve told Caroline when Davina appeared on the other end of the graveyard.
"I didn't do anything to your precious girlfriend. Why don't you ask her what she did to Cami?" Davina snapped. "I found out the truth from Bonnie. Caroline did attach Cami."
Klaus' mouth turned downward and his eyes darkened. Before another word could be uttered, he sped forward and snapped Davina's neck. Caroline felt like the wind was knocked out of her when Marcel came into sight. He looked from Davina's body to Klaus. "You monster!" Marcel shouted, running at Klaus who disappeared.
"Oh, what a tragedy. Let's go, girls. We have more important work to do," Genevieve said, leading them past Davina and Marcel.
Caroline felt Cassie's feet leading her away from the destruction. How did it ever come to this?
Just keep in mind what the rules that pertain to witches are and keep calm.
Thank you for faving, following and reviewing.
Peace,
Jessica