Some years passed, not that Kol kept track of how many. He was still not able to control his bloodlust, but why should he care about that. Humans were nothing more than food.
One day he had lured a young girl into a narrow alley. He compeled her to show fear, but without screaming. He loved it when they showed fear, and even when they screamed, but he had no wish to be interrupted, so it was better that she did not cream.
He showed her his vampire face, which caused her to try to escape, but he just took a firmer grip on her before he bent her neck and put his fangs into her.
As soon as he had bitten into her neck, he was hit by the worst pain in his head. A pain that in all ways paralyzed him. He let go of the girl and dropped to his knees, where he held on his head, as if he tried to avoid that it should break.
In the fall he had just managed to register a young girl not far from him, so when the pain finally stopped he jumped up and moved towards her to attack her. But as soon as he got up, he was once again hit by the paralyzing pain, so he again collapsed on the ground.
After some time he managed to gather a little strength so he could say anything. Or rather to stammer something. "Stop it ... Get it ... to ... stop!"
"So you can kill me. Nah, I dont think so." Did it come from the girl who really sounded young.
Kol again had to gain strength to be able to answer her. "No, I ... promise to ... never... harm you."
It took a moment, then Kol could feel that the pain was less intense, although it was still there.
"Now, listen carefully." Did it come from the girl. "Don't do any sudden or fast movements. I can at any time increase the pain. And what you've tried so far, it's just a fraction of what I can. "
Kol nodded, not that he liked being in someone else's power, but he had obviously met a very powerful witch. And if there was something Kol respected, it was witches.
He looked up slowly to see who it was that tormented him so terribly. At first he did not believe his own eyes. The girl who stood at a distance from him was blonde and not very old. He could not believe that such a young girl could be so powerful.
"I've been watching you for a while, so I know what you are. Or rather, I know what it is you do. And no, I'm not afraid of you." The girl looked focused down at him. Kol could now feel how the pain had disappeared completely. Even though he was still feeling weak from all the pain.
"Why have you been watching me. And what do you want? "He asked as he tried to remember if he had seen her before.
"I'll tell you. It's a long time since I've got something properly to eat and slept in a proper bed. So to start with, you will take care of that."
"Why would I do that?"
As soon as he had asked, a shooting pain went through his body. "Because I as easy as nothing can bring an end to you."
Kol sighed and nodded. "Fine, then we say that." He was not quite sure that she was right, but he was not going to test it.
"Come closer to me, slowly and without any sudden movements."
Kol stood up slowly and walked towards her. When he was quite close to her, she made signs for him to stop. Then she took a small bottle and took the lid off it and poured a small amount of liquid into the lid.
"Here, take a sip." She said, handing him the lid.
Kol put it to his mouth, but in the same second the liquid hit his tongue, it felt as if there was a fire in his mouth and he sputtered as he tried to spit it out again. At the same time he was so surprised that his fangs had come forth. "What was that?" He hissed.
The girl just stood there and looked at his reaction with a satisfied smile. "It was vevain. A herb that in old superstitions have been used to scare away demons. I thought I would test whether it also had an effect on someone like you. And I must say, that it has. I also do not think you can manipulate me when I've been drinking it, or just when I have the herb on me."
Kol continued to try to spit it out. It burned worse than anything he had previously tried. And the only thing he could think of was to get some blood, which hopefully could soothe the pain.
The girl looked a little worried at him. "I wonder if you would feel better if you finished her off?" She asked, pointing to the girl who was still lying on the ground where he had dropped her.
Kol nodded and grabbed the girl. He made sure that he was standing so the young witch could see his face and see him drink the girl's blood.
He had been right. The blood that flowed into his mouth, immediately got the burning pain to disappear and the same with the aftermath of the pain that the young witch had put himthrough. He kept sucking until the girl was completely drained of blood, then he dropped her and looked over where the young witch was still standing. Kol had hoped that it had frightened her away.
"Well, are you ready to go now?" She asked, completely untouched by the fact that another young girl had just died.
They had been eaten awhile in silence, when Kol found it appropriate to get to know her name and why she had been following him.
"I'm sorry. My name is Amilia." Then she looked discreetly around. "Can we talk about it here?"
Kol also took a quick look around the Inn and nodded. "Yes we can, and if something does happen, then I will just eat them all."
Amilia ignored his last comment and began to tell. "Some years ago I heard this rumor about a demon who drank blood. I thought it sounded interesting and I thought that I someday wanted to meet it. Then a few years passed, where I didnt thought about this rumor, until one day, where I had to leave my home in a hurry. And then I again heard the rumors about this demon. And it sounded as if the demon had just been at stake. So I began to follow the rumor until I a few days ago finally found the Demon. And then I have followed it since."
Kol frowned. "Why have not I noticed you?" He did not believe that someone could keep an eye on him, without he would notice it."
"Because I'm good to blur myself. And if you do not believe me, then I can tell you exactly how you lure your victims to you, how you almost never pay for the food and alcohol you consume. And if you do, it's with your victims money. You are not able to stop once you have bitten. I could go on." She looked at him as if to see if he was convinced.
"Okay, I believe you. I just do not understand why."
"I was fascinated by the rumors about the Demon. When I found you, I was even more fascinated. I think you're interesting and a mystery. Is there anyone other than you? "
Kol scanned the room to see if there was anyone who had sharpened their ears, but everyone seems to be busy with their own. "Yes, there is other than me. There are my three living brothers, our sister and my father." It struck him suddenly that it was a very long time since he had thought of Henrik.
"How have you become like this? Cause I assume that you have not always been like this. Since the rumors about your whereabouts only started a few years ago. "
"You're a smart girl. You are absolutely right. We have not always been like this. It was our mother who made an elixir and it was our father who forced us to drink it before he stuck a sword in the heart of us. After which we woke up as monsters."
Kol waved the host up to them and looked into his eyes while he reminded him that they had already paid and that they now wanted two rooms.
"Brother!" Amilia cut him off. "Have you completely forgotten that you promised mother to take care of me?"
Kol looked stunned from the host to Amilia.
"How will you take care of me if we do not sleep in the same room?" She now sounded as if she were about to cry.
The host looked alternately from Kol to Amilia. "Ehm, we only have available rooms with double beds."
Amilia looked up at the host. "It is fine. I'd rather share my bed with my brother than to be alone and unprotected. We hear so many terrible thing these days." She sniffed and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.
The host looked hesitant at Kol, who nodded. "We take one room."
The host nodded and showed them to a room. Kol locked the door behind them while Amilia immediately began to examine the room. "Well, there is not much space. But for one night it is enough. "
Kol scowled her. "Why did you say that we were brother and sister?"
"It was the easiest. So we did not need to tell the truth and the host did not have to feel guilty about letting us share a large bed."
"We could also just have gotten our own rooms."
"I just felt that it was more convenient that we shared a room. Why do you make such a big deal out of it? Have you never shared a bed with your sister when you were younger? "
This question got Kol to cough, so that he almost could not breathe. She should just know how he used to share a bed with his sister.
Amilia looked worried at him. "Is something wrong?"
Kol shook his head. "No, it's fine. But I need some fresh air. "He said as he turned to the door.
"That sounds like a good idea, I'll make myself ready for bed in the meanwhile. See you soon again."
He nodded and left the room.
Kol wandered restlessly around in the dark for a while. He tried to make sense of the thoughts that filled his head. What was it she did to him? How did she get him to react that way? Why didnt he just leave? He owed her nothing. But there were several reasons why he didnt leave. Firstly, she knew too much, so she could give him problems. And secondly, he found her interesting. The way she never seemed to be afraid of him. Even though she apparently more than once had seen his actions.
Finally he grabbed a man who passed by him, dragged him into an alley and drained him of blood before he went back to the room.
Kol got of his clothes in a hurry and into the bed where he lay as far from Amilia as possible. Before he fell asleep he wondered how she could share a bed with him when she knew what he was. It did not make any sense to him.
When he awoke the next morning, the bed was empty and Amilia was gone. He hurried to take his clothes on, while he wondered whether she had left him. But then she came in the door. "It's good you're up. I ordered breakfast for us, and then we'd better move on. There have been found two bodies, both drained of blood, so now people are talking." While she talked, she started to pack the few things together they had brought. "Do you have any suggestions for where we should go?" She asked.
"You make it sound as if we are going together."
"We are." She answered.
"And why should I take you with me?" He asked.
"Because you need me."
"Why would I need you?" He could in no way see any reason why he would need her.
"Because you are not able to control your bloodlust. You drain all your victims. You are not able to hide your victims, which is why you need to constantly be on the move. And then there's your humanity. "
"What's with that?" Kol snapped. He knew she was right and it annoying him.
"You've lost it."
"Who says that I have ever had a humanity. Or maybe it disappear when my father put a sword in my heart? "
"Of course, you had a humanity. And I am also sure that you have not lost it forever."
"Why do you think that?" Kol did not like to talk about this.
"Well, sometimes, I can see it behind your coldness. You are probably not aware of it. But I am absolutely sure. And I'm going to get it back." She smiled cheerfully at him.
Kol looked disapprovingly at her. "Who says I want to get it back? And what do you get out of helping me with all this? "
Amilia ignored his first question. "It is easy to answer. I am a young woman and it can be dangerously and difficult to travel alone. So I expect that you protect and defend me. It should be easy enough for someone like you." And then she turned to the door and went out, as if it was going to as she had said.