Chapter 21: Tougher Than Most
He thought about speeding after Lucien. He could probably catch up with him, although the two witches would make it difficult to kill his old friend without back up. That would have to wait. For now, he had to look after Camille. He talked to her soothingly as he bundled her up in his arms before carrying her over to her bed, where he deposited her as gently as he could. He leaned over her to examine her battered face, lightly tracing the edges of the massive bruise he could see forming around her now swollen eye and on the apple of her cheek.
She groaned and cursed him thoroughly, then opened her eyes and groaned again. "Why are you smiling?" she asked accusingly.
"Because if you're articulate enough to tell me to go do certain unrepeatable things to myself, I know you're going to be fine."
"Of course I'm going to be fine. I'm an O'Connell. We're bred tougher than most." She gave him a tiny smile. "Besides, Lucien has a surprisingly weak right hook."
He sat on the edge of the bed and bit into his wrist. "Still, a little insurance never hurts."
"I won't say no," she replied as she sat up. "My face hurts like a bitch."
He put his arm around her and held her as she took some of his blood. Gradually, the marks on her face faded and her skin took on a healthy glow.
He stared at her in awe. She really was beautiful.
And this was probably the last time he'd be able to admire her beauty.
He took a deep breath, trying to focus his mind on what needed to be done. "Camille, if you're feeling well enough, I'm going to leave for a little while—"
"Right now?" She clutched at his sleeve. "He got away, didn't he?"
"I'm afraid so. If I know Lucien, he will go as far away as possible while he can, but I need to make sure my daughter is protected."
"Of course. You'll be back as soon as possible?"
"I promise." He got off the bed, but leaned back down and caressed her face. "Before I leave, I will make sure I'm the only one who can get back in this apartment. Now, I want you to stay put while I'm gone. I've healed you, but you've been through a lot."
Putting her hand over his, she nodded. "I hope you tear that asshole to shreds at the earliest opportunity. I wish I could've sent him to hell myself."
"I guarantee you won't be seeing his smarmy little face again." He turned to go, noticing that she didn't let go of his hand immediately.
"Klaus?" she said softly. "Please hurry back. We only have a few hours until..."
He couldn't think about that now. "Rest," he told her.
Back at the compound, he made sure that Hope was safe and happy before tripling the security around the perimeter. He also let Freya and Elijah know in no uncertain terms how sloppy their so-called precautions had been. Freya retreated to her room to try another spell and Elijah called some of their more shadowy associates around the world, offering a generous bounty for any intelligence on Lucien's whereabouts. Satisfied that they had done all they could for the evening, Klaus returned to Cami's apartment.
He let himself in through the balcony door this time, fully expecting her to still be on the bed. But it was empty. He found her sitting on the couch, hugging her knees. She had the bouquet he'd bought for her sitting beside her, and she was absentmindedly rubbing the petals of one of the roses. But her attention was focused on a potted plant which was sitting on the coffee table in front of her. To the uninitiated, it would have looked just like any other decorative plant: an attractive specimen with long stalks of gray-blue leaves, at the end of which were delicate sprays of blue flowers.
He knew better. He knew she grew them on her balcony so that she had a constant supply of the most potent anti-vampire substance known to man.
Vervain.