Bring Me To Life
An Unblinking Death:
In her relatively short life, Imogen Claire had heard many things that sent a chill down her spine; bones snapping, witches chanting, desperate pleas, blood curdling screams to name a few, but walking into St Anne's Church to the sound of Father Kieran's hysterical cries was one of the worse. Without thinking, she hastened her footsteps up the staircase to the attic sanctuary she had magically locked a few nights previously in order to keep him from reigning terror on innocent victims of the Quarter.
The sight she stumbled in on caused her to freeze in her tracks at the threshold; Father Kieran was pushed up against on the furthest wall, exclaiming incoherently as Cami held a glass of water to his lips in an attempt to get him to drink it while Josh restrained him with his vampire strength.
"God, no! Aah! Be gone, demon." Kieran hissed angrily as he attempted to swat Cami away from him, snarling in an almost animalistic manner but she refused to give up her efforts.
"Come now, just one sip." she pleaded helplessly with a desperate tinge in her voice and he growled lowly as he slapped the cup straight out of her hand, causing water to fly all over the floor.
"No. Uh! I know who you are, you hateful bitch." he spat heatedly at the blonde as she took a step back out of fright and Kieran's expression softened considerably when his gaze landed on Josh as he lowered his voice to an apologetic murmur, "Oh, Sean, I tried to help you. I tried to save you, but this city... this city is full of monsters."
"Uh, yeah. Trust me, I know." Josh responded unsurely with an unnerved look on his face as he loosened his hold on the older man's shoulders and he glanced at Cami as he lowered his voice to a hushed whisper, "Remind me to never piss off a witch."
"Oh, I'm sure I'll remind you when you get out of line." Imogen announced her presence to the others as she left her post near the entrance to the attic, smirking slightly when both Josh and Cami turned to look at her in surprise. The heel of her shoes sounded louder than necessary on the hardwood floor as she made her way towards them, her eyes trained on the man writhing in agony across the room.
"Imogen! Did you find something?" Cami asked hopefully as she turned her widened eyes towards her friend and the witch faltered in her steps as she swallowed thickly against the sudden lump in her throat. It was almost physically painful to look at her in that moment, to see the hope dwindling in her eyes when all she wanted to do was ignite the dying flame with evidence that she had found a solution. Imogen shook her head sadly in answer, ignoring the ache in her chest at the downtrodden expression that fell across her friend's features.
It bothered her how useless she felt in that moment; she was an extremely powerful witch with unlimited potential but she was unable to help a friend in need. Her entire life had been specifically designed around helping her loved ones, keeping them safe and happy, and it was disconcerting to be rendered incapable of doing what she was destined to do. There were no illusions in her mind about what it was she was meant to do; she was a fighter, she was the champion of the underdog, she was defender of those who couldn't defend themselves.
"Augh!" Kieran cried out suddenly, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen over the attic and everyone snapped their heads around in a panic as the man's body collapsed onto the floor. Violent spasms took over his body as his eyes rolled back into his head until all that could be seen were the whites of his eyes. Cami and Imogen both rushed forward to kneel down next to him and the blonde's hands aimlessly hovering, unsure how to proceed as her eyes widened in fright.
"Help me lay him on his side!" the witch ordered in a stern tone as Josh dropped down on the priests other side and the three of them instantly managed to roll the man over as he continued to seize. Cami brushed her hand over his sweaty forehead with a frown on her lips, worry in her eyes as her gaze swept over his features and it was obvious how much she cared for him, how much of a toll watching him suffer was taking on her.
Comprehension spread across Kieran's features, the manic sheen fading from his eyes as he panted for breath and he looked around in confusion until his gaze landed on his niece. Recognition shined in his eyes as he calmed down momentarily and he reached out to grip her hand weakly as he whispered under his breath, "Cami."
"Uncle Kieran?" she asked hopefully with wide eyes as she held his hand tightly within the confined of both of hers but as quickly as the moment came, confusion and agitation warred in his eyes and he jerked away from her touch with a snarl on his lips.
"What do you want from me?"
"You saw that, right? It was just for a second, but it was him."
The question was directed towards the vampire and witch that were slowly standing up from their knelt positions on the floor while Kieran shuffled away from them, backing up until he was cowering against the wall. Imogen sighed heavily in consideration as she turned her attention to the ailing man, silently watching he anxiously fondled the cross around his neck as his eyes glanced around way panic.
"I don't know, Cami. The Rosary was magically imbued to drive people into violent, psychopathic insanity." Imogen explained as gently as she could manage without giving her friend any sort of false hope and a chill ran down her spine as she recalled the horrifying explanation that the Elders had given during magic study when she was a teenager.
"I mean, maybe he's still in there underneath all the crazy, but the crazy is pretty thick." Josh told her tactlessly with an apologetic grimace, not wanting to offend anyone but unsure how to properly word the thoughts running through his head.
"Maybe he just needs a shock to his system, something to wipe the slate clean." Camille suggested eagerly, her voice a pitch higher than normal in her excitement and her eyes lit up with manic desperation as an idea formed in her mind. "Guys, I think I have an idea on how to fix him. Shock therapy!"
Bewilderment spread across Imogen's features as she took a step backwards instinctively but the obvious scepticism didn't derail the blonde and she latched onto Josh's forearm tightly with a pleading look. The vampire furrowed his eyebrows in disturbed confusion as he gazed down at her and then glanced at the witch across from them, silently seeking instructions or help on how to handle the situation but she seemed as worried as he felt.
"Um, Cami? I think we're going to need a little more information." Josh said nervously with a frown as he placed a hand over hers where it rested on his forearm and she sighed in frustration that no one seemed to follow her thought process as she spun away from him. She ran a hand through her hair as she started pacing in front of her friends, ignoring the glance they shared when they thought she wasn't paying attention, the look that said they were questioning her own sanity.
"Electroconvulsive therapy. It's a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in patients to provide relief from psychiatric illnesses. If we can get a doctor to come up here, they can administer the treatment. A few sharp shocks to his system and maybe his psyche will reset back to normal."
Imogen gaped at her friend in disbelief for a moment, the uncertainty written plainly over her features as she stared at the flustered blonde across the room. She didn't know much about ECT but from the little she had study about the concept, it was a dangerous and risk treatment that only worked fifty percent of the time and was only used in life-threatening situations.
It took her a moment to realise that all eyes in the room were on her, watching, waiting for her decision; Cami staring at her with wide, hopeful blue eyes and Josh's dark gaze searching for direction.
Responsibility weighed heavily on her shoulders, not a new feeling for her as she had been held accountable her entire life. Thoughts drifted through her mind as she closed her eyes for a moment, as though she could read the answer written on the backs of her eyelids. It was true that if they did nothing, Kieran would die, and if they proceeded to conduct electroconvulsive therapy, there could be cognitive impairment or other adverse effects. Their choices were limited: do nothing and die, or do something and maybe die.
"Go. Josh, go. Compel a capable doctor from the local hospital to come here, make sure he brings an ECT device that delivers a brief-pulse current." Imogen instructed firmly with a decisive nod of her head as she opened her eyes, a fierce determination in their depths. Josh raised an eyebrow at me inquisitively, silently asking if I was serious and I gave him another nod of confirmation without having to vocalise my approval to the plan. Cami released a sigh of relief as a beaming smile spread across her lips and she launched herself into the witch's arms, feeling almost giddy with anticipation. Imogen wrapped her arms around her friend in return, maintaining eye contact over her shoulder with the vampire across the room. The two of them shared an understanding look before Josh nodded once with a brief smile and he exited the attic without a backwards glance.
Imogen exhaled slowly as she closing her eyes, allowing herself to relax into the embrace for a moment and do the one thing she wanted to do more than anything: comfort her friend. After spending so much time surrounded by people who weren't worthy of being called humans and vampires who treated their humanity like it was a dimmer switch, it was humbling to be in the presence of someone so wholesome and uncontaminated.
It was sometimes easy to forget that she was human, that she was not weak for feeling things. It was easy to forget that it was okay to get angry, to make people regret ever crossing her. It was easy to forget that it was okay to be happy, to smile so bright it made the sun jealous. It was easy to forget that it was okay to be sad, to crack and crumble and cry until her heart was no longer heavy. It was easy for her to forget that merely surviving wasn't at all the same thing as living.
"This is going to work, right?" Cami asked her friend hopefully, the words muffled slightly by the witch's shoulder and she squeezed her eyes closed as she waited for the inevitable gentle let down.
Something inside Imogen seemed to fracture, allowing the sadness and grief to pour through the crack, and she squeezed the blonde tighter as she mumbled out a sincere, "I don't know. I hope so."
The sound of Cami's cell phone ringing interrupted the moment and the two girls pulled apart, both of them chuckling warily as they wiped their eyes with the backs of their hands. The human made her way over to the handbag she had abandoned earlier and searched through its contents for her cell phone with a frustrated sigh. A loud thud sounded behind her, causing her to spin around in a panic and her eyes widened when she saw Imogen standing over her uncle's unconscious body. "Imogen, what the hell?"
"Relax, think of it as a nap. He's going to get increasingly agitated, so I'm going to handcuff him to the radiator." The witch dismissed her friends worry easily with a wave of her hand over her shoulder as she grabbed one of the man's arms and dragged him with some effort across the floor to the radiator. Cami rolled her eyes in an almost playful manner as she accepted the call on the phone and she held it up to her ear as she watched her friend handcuff her uncle to the metal pipe connected to the radiator. Her breath caught for a moment, surprised at how bizarre it was to think such a thing so easily and without hesitance.
"Hello? Cami, you there?" Marcel's voice rang through the phone line, concern lilting his voice and it jarred her back into the present as she blinked to regain clarity. "Josh called and told me that you were at the church with Kieran and Imogen."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Sorry. I'm a – a little distracted."
"Are you alright?"
"Well, my witch best friend is currently handcuffing my hexed uncle to the radiator and my vampire friend is going to compel a doctor to come give him a …. A check-up."
"So….not alright, then."
A breathy laugh escaped her without her consent as she turned away from the scene in front of her and she ran a hand through her hair as she wandered to the other side of the room. "That would be an accurate description."
"Okay, that's it! I'm on my way. I'm leaving now." he said in a firm tone of voice as though the decision had been made and she instantly shook her head in rejection to his words, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at the macho alpha male he was displaying.
"Mm-mm. No way."
"Cami, Josh told me how bad things have gotten. I should be there for you. Just let me help!"
"How? By getting yourself killed? You have a target on your back, Marcel. The last thing I need is for you to get hurt because of me."
"I'm more worried about you. Kieran is dangerous."
"I got this. I have Imogen with me, and Josh is on his way back here. They'll keep me safe. You come here, I'll throw you out myself, all right? I mean it." she told him stubbornly before quickly hanging up the phone without waiting for a response and she exhaled slowly as she closed her eyes for a moment, counting to ten in her head. She could feel Imogen's eyes on her back, no doubt making sure she wasn't going to breakdown and she was both entirely grateful to have such a supportive friend and annoyed that everyone seemed to think she was so fragile.
"Please don't ask the question you're thinking about asking." She whispered loud enough for her friend to hear from across the room and she heard shuffling on the floorboards but no footsteps approaching from behind. "Please don't ask if I'm okay. Because I honestly don't know the answer."
"I live my life in a constant state of 'I don't know if I'm okay', so I understand how difficult it is to put into words." Imogen admitted quietly, her soft voice carrying across the attic and in that moment, despite the physical distance, Cami had never felt closer to her friend.
Footsteps sounded faintly from the staircase leading to the attic and Imogen snapped her head around to look at the empty doorway, instantly on high alert. She jerked her head behind her with a blank expression, indicating that she should move and the blonde hurried to comply because she knew that a powerful witch would have a better chance against a threat. Imogen kept a hand raised in front of her as she used the opposite arm to shield Cami from any oncoming danger and pulled at the thread of magic deep within her stomach, feeling the power growing inside of her.
"And this is where the magic happens. Literally." Josh's voice echoed from outside attic and Imogen rolled her eyes in annoyance as she relaxed her stance, dropping her arm back to her side. She shared an irritated look with Cami before we both walked over to crouch down next to Kieran's unconscious body, checking that he was actually still alive.
"What the hell?!" an unfamiliar male voice exclaimed in a horrified tone from the doorway and the women spun their heads around to see a middle-aged man in green scrubs staring at Kieran with wide eyes.
"Oh, okay. Yeah. Totally see how we got kind of a crime scene vibe happening here. Just don't freak out, okay?" Josh said in a slightly strained voice, although it was obvious he was trying to keep it light-hearted so the doctor didn't panic. The doctor pushed his way past them, his eyes never leaving the man shackled to the radiator and the girls stood up so there was room for him to crouch down next to the patient.
"Hi. I'm Dr. Sheski. Just gonna get your pulse." The doctor said soothingly as he slowly reached out towards the man's neck but Kieran snapped his head up with a frantic glint in his eyes and released a startled exclamation. Anger quickly replaced any of the panic on his features and he started attempting to bite the man who was suddenly in front of him, an almost animalistic growl rumbling in his throat.
Shock formed on the doctor's face as he abruptly stood up from his crouch, hurrying out of reach before Kieran could sink his teeth into his flesh. He blinked a few times in an attempt to make sure he wasn't hallucinating and then turned around, speaking firmly whilst he made his way towards the door in a determined stride. "I'm gonna have to let the authorities know what the hell is going on here."
"Josh?" Cami questioned anxiously, the silent plea in her voice alerting the vampire to his role in the enterprise as she turned towards him with a desperate glint in her eyes. Imogen immediately stepped in front of the doctor, blocking his attempt to exit the attic with her body and he glared at her heatedly but she just quirked an eyebrow as she silently dared him to make a move against her.
"Oh, right." The vampire murmured in a remembrance as he stepped forward and grabbed the doctor's shoulder in order to turn him around, making eye contact as his pupil's dilated while he used his compulsion. "Dude, be cool. It's just a priest hexed by a witch because of some vampires. Accept that these things are real, then forget them. I mean later. You forget them later. Crap. Ah! Okay. Let me start over."
The two girls shared a look over the doctor's shoulder; impatience marring the face of the blonde and amusement gracing the eyes of the brunette, although she kept her lips from twitching with practiced ease. Normally, Josh's bumbling awkwardness would be considered adorable by the girls but the situation was too dire to appreciate his clumsy attempts to sooth the doctor's worries.
Cami sighed in frustration as she forcibly maneuvered Josh out of the way, causing him to stumble slightly before righting himself and she meet the doctors gaze evenly as she spoke firmly, "Dr. Sheski, my uncle needs to be sedated. Something strong."
"Sedation?" he repeated incredulously as his lip curled in disgust and he pointed a finger towards the man in question as he exclaimed, "He looks like he should be in an ICU!"
"Yeah, see, Imogen, who's a witch – " Josh explained hesitantly with a grimace, pointing a finger at the brunette as she wiggled her fingers mocking with a purse of her lips when the doctor looked over his shoulder at her with wide eyes, " – put this boundary spell on him. So, he's kind of stuck in here."
"This man is malnourished, severely dehydrated – "
"– Which is why you're here." Cami interrupted pointedly in a no-nonsense tone of voice as she pressed her lips into a tight line and she steadfast ignored the nervous anxiety in her stomach as she continued, "But first- Doctor, what do you know about shock therapy?"
"ECT? First, it's incredibly dangerous."
"But, it has been known to help treat cases of extreme psychosis."
"We don't fully understand it yet, but, yes, in some patients, using electrical current to induce seizures can subvert a psychotic episode- in effect, rebooting the brain. But, only in the most extreme cases, do we even consider..."
"Like my friend said, we're talking about a priest hexed by a witch. I don't think it gets any more extreme than that."
"Okay! Enough!" Imogen ordered sternly, clapping her hands together to draw their attention when it looked as though the argument would never come to an end. It wasn't uncommon that she had to place herself in a position to dissuade an argument; it was a symptom of being the more level-headed person and she definitely had experience dealing with temper tantrums after years raising her baby sister. There was a stubborn clenching of Cami's jaw as her eyes flashed with annoyance and the doctor opened his mouth to continue but the witch levelled him with look with could cause the most powerful of men to cower in their boots. "I said, 'enough.' Now, if we do nothing, this man will most certainly die. It's not a debate, it's a fact. We are going to try anything and everything in our power to help him and we are out of options. Did you being the ECT device?"
The man hesitated a moment as he regarded her with frightened eyes and then nodded his head slowly as he pointed towards where he left the duffle bag he came in with. "Y-yes."
"Set it up, please." she instructed in an authoritative tone, one that no one could argue with as she gestured towards the bag with her head. The doctor took a stuttering breath before he and Josh went about grabbing the equipment as Imogen and Cami carefully helped Kieran into a chair stationed in front of the window.
Manoeuvring the man proved to be difficult because he was struggling to get free of their grasp and refused to stay still while they manacled his wrists to the arms of the chair so that he couldn't attack them. The four of them worked silently to prepare the necessary equipment for the procedure, securing the electrodes to his temples and the other pieces of the apparatus to his various pulse points.
"There's a special place in hell for your kind." Kieran hissed menacingly at the vampire standing behind him, glaring as though he was trying to set him on fire with just the strength of his mind.
Josh suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at the comment, trying to block out the memories of the past that fought to the forefront of his mind when he heard those words. "Not the first time I've heard that one."
Imogen offered him a sympathetic smile, remembering the evening that the two of them delved into their tragic backstories over a bottle of vintage wine she had gotten as a birthday gift from one of the vampires during Marcel's reign. They had both needed a dose of liquid courage and had ended the night in tears as they cuddled together on the couch, binge eating chocolate and drinking straight out of the bottle. Reliving the cruelty they'd both experienced at the hands of people that were meant to love and accept them no matter what could only be compared to bathing in acid, scalding and burning their flesh until it was raw.
An agitated grunt from Kieran was muffled when Imogen proceeded to gag him with a cloth, tying it a little tighter than necessary out of revenge for the unprovoked comment towards Josh. She knew that it wasn't his fault, that his mind was being plagued by the hex and he didn't mean the things he said but it still irritated her to see her friend so upset. She ignored the pointed look Cami sent her as she strolled around to stand in front of the man and crossed her arms over her chest as she watched the doctor inject some sort of drug into the crook of Kieran's elbow.
A rhythmic beeping filled the room as the power to the ECT device was switched on and Imogen shifted on her feet nervously, still unsure whether or not they were doing the right thing. I know that it was what Cami thought she wanted but facing the reality and living with the consequences after the fact was something else entirely.
"Well, isn't this a gruesome little scene?"
"Jesus!" Imogen cried out in surprise as she spun towards the familiar voice and her magic flared out of control for a moment, causing one of the windows to shatter. She immediately sighed in relief when she realised who it was that stood in the doorway, patented smirk plastered on his lips and she shot him a glare as she pressed a hand to her heart. "Klaus! Don't do that!"
"Klaus, what are you doing here?" Cami asked breathlessly in surprise as she shook her head slightly, as though he was a mirage conjured by her sleep deprived mind that she could cleared away with a shake of her head.
"I received an urgent call on your behalf." he explained nonchalantly as he leaned his shoulder on the doorframe and Cami instantly snapped her head around to look at Imogen with a betrayed expression, but the witch held up her arms in surrender to let her know her assumption was incorrect. "It seems I've been tasked with doing what your coward of a boyfriend could not. Which, by the looks of things, is dissuading you from whatever madness it is you're about to attempt."
Cami levelled him with a stern glare as she spun back around, her blonde hair whipping behind her like a cape and he rolled his eyes subtly as he walked further into the room. There was a nervous shift in the atmosphere as she took a small step towards her uncle and she directed her gaze to the doctor standing next to the man as she spoke firmly in determination, "Are you ready?"
"Please, I'm begging you, don't force me to do this." he pleaded in response with a terrified expression on his face and Imogen noticed her friends eyes harden as her lips twitched in annoyance.
"Camille, your uncle is a good man. He shouldn't suffer." Klaus intervened solemnly from where he stood with his arms crossed over his chest and Imogen shifted on her feet, unsurely and uncomfortable with the situation.
"He's been suffering for weeks. He's dying, Klaus. This might be the only chance he's got." The blonde shot back impatiently as she shook her head with a frown and then plastered an impassive expression on her features as she started towards her uncle. "Fine. I'll do it myself."
"Wait!"
Everyone in the room abruptly turned their attention to the brunette who'd exclaimed but she didn't appear fazed by the intense focus she was receiving and she walked forward to grip her friends arm tightly above the elbow. Cami frowned down at the gesture in confusion before lifting her head to meet solemn blue eyes, and she was more than a little unnerved because she wasn't used to not seeing mirth dancing in her friend's eyes. For someone who willing admitted that she had 'walked through hell with a smile', for someone who had suffered so much tragedy, she was remarkably well-balanced and able to find the humour in everything.
Imogen met her friends eyes squarely, trying to convey how serious what she was about to say was and she squeezed her arm slightly as she lowered her voice to a low whisper, "Once you do this, you can't go back, Camille."
"I have to do this. It's my only chance to help him." Cami snapped in frustration as she ripped her arm from the witch's grasp but Imogen shook her head in dismissal as she reattached her hand more firmly than before.
"No, Cam. I understand. I understand why we have to do this. But you don't have to be the one to do it. Once you do this, you can't go back. What we're doing right now, Cami, it's basically torture. And I don't want that on your conscious. It's one of the reasons I didn't want you to be a part of this world. So, I'm asking you, for me, please don't do this. Let me."
"What?! No! Imogen!"
"Cami…This isn't up for debate. We're in a house of God. My soul is already damned. I've killed, I've tortured, I'm already going to hell, and I won't let you go there with me."
Tears burned in her eyes as she forced her gaze away from the shell-shocked expression on the blondes face and made her way behind the man strapped to the chair. She hadn't been lying when said that she had killed, that she had tortured people, but in those instances the person in question had been either trying to kill her or someone she cared about. Kieran was a good man and he didn't deserve to suffer, from the hex or from electroshock therapy.
She took deep breath to steady herself as she picked up the electrode handles, trying to control the shaking of her hands and she dipped the ends in the clear conductive jelly. There was a nervous swooping sensation in her stomach as she positioned the handles parallel to Kieran's temples and made eye contact briefly with Cami before she dropped her gaze so that she didn't have to see the sorrow in their depths. She ignored the voice in the back of her mind telling her not to continue as she took another deep breath and placed the electrodes against Kieran's temples after a moment's hesitation. A muffled exclamation of pain erupted from behind the gag between the man's teeth as his entire body stiffened, his back arching as he spasmed uncontrollably and Imogen gritted her teeth as she tightened her grip on the handles so that she didn't let go accidently on purpose.
Klaus shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he watched the array of emotions flash across Imogen's features until she finally settled on a mask of impassive determination but he could see the pain in her eyes, the guilt she felt at having to cause someone such agony. From the corner of his eye he could see Cami fidgeting anxiously as she struggled to watch what was happening and he hesitantly reached forward to brush his fingertips against the back of her hand. Without looking away from her uncle's agonised expression she slipped her fingers in between his and he snapped his head around to look at her in surprise but didn't remove his hand. He was unsure how to proceed, he was not well versed on how to comfort someone, but he tried to remember how Imogen had handled the similar situation when he needed someone after Rebekah left town. He gently rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, trying to convey how sorry he was that she had to go through this, trying to remind her that she wasn't alone, trying to…be a good man.
A dry sob escaped Imogen's lips as she stumbled backwards, removing the electrodes from Kieran's temples and dropped them onto the ground as she knocked into the table behind her. One hand reached up to cover her quivering lips as she attempted to stop the tears that flooded her eyes and she clenched her free hand into a fist to stop the trembling as she squeezed her eyes closed. She felt someone gently brush their fingers along her shoulder and she opened her eyes, turning her head towards the person who was attempting to comfort her.
Josh wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a loose embrace as she rested her head on his shoulder and he brushed his fingers through her brunette hair as he pressed a kiss to her head. "Shh…shh…It's okay. He's sleeping now, okay?"
Imogen gripped the edge of his shirt as she struggled to control her breathing, her eyes closed as she started to compartmentalise what she had just inflicted on Kieran. She was sure that there was a box somewhere in the back of her mind marked 'Dangerous! Enter at your own risk!', a box that contained all of the horrible things in her life that she didn't want to think about. It was probably a highly paid therapist's wet dream to attempt to unravel the mess that called her brain home.
Imogen lifted her head from his shoulder as she heard footsteps approaching and she watched hopefully as Cami moved to stand in front of her uncle when he started to murmur softly in his unconscious state. A hopeful look appeared on the blonde human's face as her eyes flickered over the features of man in front of her, tears glistening in her eyes and barely concealed nerves causing her lower lip to quiver. The man shifted restlessly as his eyes begun to flutter open and Cami instantly perked up as she took a step closer to him with wide eyes.
"Cami." Kieran breathed out in relief at the sight of his beloved niece in front of him and Imogen closed her eyes in relief of her own at the sound of his voice, happy that she hadn't killed an honest man. An agitated expression quickly fell over his features as his eyes darkened with hatred, his lips curling in disgust as he attempted to cower away from her and asked in a raised voice, "What the hell did you do to me?"
Despair passed fleetingly across Cami's features before determination took its place and she shook her head once as she stated shortly, without any room for argument, "We have to do it again."
"Whoa, are you serious?" Josh asked incredulously as he tightened his hold on the witch when she shuddered in his arms at the mention of continuing the torture.
"That was something coherent. It's working!"
Klaus frowned in confusion when he noticed Imogen stiffen in anticipation before removing herself from the protective circle of Josh's arms and he instantly used his enhanced speed to block her movements the moment she laid a hand on the electrodes. The witch lifted her head to look at him incredulously when his hand landed on top of hers, stopping her from lifting the handles but he wasn't looking in her direction as he kept his eyes on the doctor over her shoulder. He gently pried her fingers from the handle, curling his own fingers arounds her in a supportive manner and he ignored the confused look she was sending his way as he spoke to the only medical professional in the room. "Doctor, see to your patient."
"You get away from me." Kieran hissed in frightened, cowering away when the doctor approached and crouched down beside the chair he was strapped to. Sweat was dripping down his face from exertion, the strain of his paranoia and fear taking its toll on his addled mind.
There was a tense silence for a minute as the doctor placed his stethoscope over his patient's heart and closed his eyes as he listened to the faint thump thump thump that echoed from the chest cavity. He leaned back on his heels as he reached for his mini flashlight and shone it in his eyes, frowning when he saw how dilated his pupils were. He stole a glance at the monitor that was keeping track of heartrate, oxygen and carbon dioxide input and output. He lifted his head with a solemn expression on his features as he carefully climbed to his feet and he swallowed roughly as he met eyes with the Original before turning his attention to the blonde human. "Heartbeat is irregular. You can't keep this up. It'll kill him."
Cami shook her head immediately in denial immediately as she spun around to reach for the electrodes with tears in her eyes, accidently pushing Imogen out of the way in the process. The witch stumbled into Josh before catching her footing as the vampire wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. She offered him a grateful smile as she patted his chest, letting him know that she was able to stand on her own and he kept an arm loosely around her waist when he noticed her hands still trembling slightly.
Klaus narrowed his eyes when he noticed the irregularity of the witch's heartbeat and he moved carefully to stand in front of Cami, firmly curling his fingers around her bicep to get her attention. Her blue eyes were shining with unshed tears as she reluctantly made eyes contact with him and he felt an uncomfortable clenching within his chest as he softened his voice when he spoke to her, "Cami, we need to have a word in private."
All of the fight seemed to drain out of her body as she allowed him to lead her out of the attic room, her gaze lingering over her shoulder on her uncle's sickly pallor and she shook her head to herself as she forced herself to look forward. It was taking everything in her not to breakdown in front of everyone, to focus on the possibility that there was a cure and she didn't want anything to deflect from that.
Imogen watched the two of them leave from the protective circle of Josh's arms, a myriad of thoughts running rampant through her mind and unable to focus on one thing in particular. Compartmentalising was normally easy for her; accessing the part of her mind that blanked out bad memories was second nature because of how many times that it had been necessary in her life. But something about this time, about torturing an innocent man, a victim in his own right, was weighing on her mind like a tonne of bricks.
There was a mixture of guilt and helplessness swirling in her mind as she extracted herself from her friends embrace and ran a hand through her hair as she heaved out a huff in frustration. She hated how wound up she was over the fact; she lived her life based on the very simple philosophy that she would do anything possible to help keep the people she cared about happy and safe. This, what she was doing, it would help making Camille happy and safe, so it was meant to be simple, but…it wasn't, nothing about it was.
Imogen clasped her hands together in front of her stomach in an attempt to stop them from trembling and she leaned back against the table as she watched Josh walk over to stand in the sunlight streaming through the window. A small smile appeared on his lips as he admired the way his new daylight ring, the sunlight glinting off the metal when he turned it a certain way and she couldn't help feeling happy for him because she knew how much he hated been stuck indoors constantly. The creak of floorboards alerted her to movement and she turned her head with a frown to see Dr. Sheski slowly moving closer to a seemingly unconscious Kieran until he was crouched down in front of him.
"Um, I wouldn't stay that close to him if I were you. He's kind of unpredictable... and murder-y." she warned him with a grimace as she waved a hand in their direction but the doctor ignored her words as he cocked his head to the side with an inquisitive expression.
"This is fascinating. Would it be possible to speak to the witches responsible?"
"Yeah. You don't want to do that."
Kieran suddenly released a vicious roar that echoed through the room as he leaned forward abruptly and bit into his own thumb, thrashing and gnawing through the skin, muscle and bone until it wasn't attached. Blood dripped from his mouth as he spat out the appendage and slipped his hand out of the metal restraint keeping him tethered to the chair. The doctor stumbled backwards with wide eyes as Kieran lunged towards him, the chair dragging behind him because of the wrist still attached to the armrest. Josh spun around quickly to face them, his expression one of completely shock but he sprang into action immediately and managed to grab Kieran from behind before he could hurt anyone.
"Hey! Little help in here?!" Imogen shouted loudly over the priests furious bellows so that Klaus and Cami could hear from downstairs and she inserted herself in front of the doctor protectively. Magic came to life inside of her as she gritted her teeth in frustration and placed her fingers on Kieran's temples, struggling to maintain contact as he thrashed wildly against the constrictive hold keeping him in place. She focused on the almost vibrating energy in her stomach as she tried to move with the frantic movements and she spoke in a tight voice as it rose with every word she uttered, "Dormir. Ferme les yeux, la conscience perd."
The manic haze cleared from Kieran's eyes for a moment, clarity shining bright like a beacon before they rolled back into his head and his body slumped forward as he fell into unconsciousness. Josh tightened his grip around the man to stop him from collapsing onto the floor with chair on top of him and gently set him back on the seat, making sure it stayed upright in the process.
One set of footsteps thundered upstairs as the sound of air displacing whooshed past Imogen's ears and she didn't startle when Klaus appeared protectively in front of her, shielding her from any threat. She placed a hand on his arm to calm him down as she moved to stand beside him and he glanced at her, scrutinising her for any harm as he instantly relaxed at her mere touch.
"What happened? Is everyone okay?" Cami asked desperately as she ran into the room breathlessly, scanning the room for threats and then relaxing against the doorframe when she realised everyone was safe. Dr. Sheski hesitantly approached the unconscious man strapped to the chair while Josh rushed to grab a cloth from somewhere else in the room and pressed it tightly against the bleeding wound. The blonde gasped when she noticed what was happening and she rushed forward to crouch down next to her uncle as she shook her head in denial.
Imogen noticed that Josh's breathing had become laboured, the veins underneath his eyes darkening prominently and she instantly realised that he was struggling to keep his composure around the blood seeping from the wound. She hurried to his side immediately as she knelt next to him and carefully slipped her hand underneath his so she took hold of the cloth as she offered him a compassionate and understanding look. He glanced up in surprise as he removed his hand and stood up from the floor, backing away as he tried to steady his breathing so he didn't lose control around the blood.
"He bit his own thumb off." The doctor mumbled to himself as he stared in a mixture of fascination and horror at the missing appendage. Cami snapped her head around with wide eyes and then turned her attention to the blood staining his lips with tears in her eyes as she covered her mouth with one hand.
"He bit his own thumb off, and then tried to attack the doctor, so I cast a spell to knock him out. It won't last long." Imogen continued the explanation as she looked up from the compression she was keeping on the wound and Klaus nodded in understanding as he went about unstrapping Kieran's wrists from the arms of the chair. "What are you doing?
"He'll no longer be secure here. I assume you'd like to restrain him to the bed instead?" he asked with a sarcastic lilt to his voice as he easily lifted the unconscious man over his shoulder and Imogen rolled her eyes at him as she threw the soiled cloth on a nearby table. She wrapped a supportive arm around Cami's waist as the two of them watched Klaus deposit Kieran carefully on the bed and then tightly strap the man's wrists over his head on the bedhead with strong constraints.
Kieran awoken suddenly with a loud gasp, his eyes flew open and he looked around wildly in confusion as he started hyperventilating. Panic clouded his eyes as he tried to cower further away from the people surrounding him and he struggled against the restraints as he keeping him from escaping from their presence.
"Doc, maybe a sedative?" Imogen suggested pointedly as she gestured to the struggling man on the bed and the pain was obvious in her carefully controlled voice, the blank expression on her face. Dr Sheski nodded in agreement with a solemn expression and went over to grab his bag without argument from anyone.
Klaus set a forceful hand on the priest's chest to keep him from moving and huffed in annoyance when his cell phone vibrated in his pants pocket. He scrambled with one hand to retrieve it, frowning to himself when he read Hayley's name on the screen and held it up to his ear as he greeted her, "Yes, Hayley."
"Klaus, where are you?" Hayley asked firmly through the phone line, an odd mixture of demand and curiosity when she spoke and he rolled his eyes as he glanced towards the two women tending to Kieran's delusional mutterings on the other side of the bed. Cami was dabbing her uncle's forehead with a damp cloth, blotting the gathering sweat and Imogen carefully wrapped a bandage around the gaping wound where his thumb used to be.
"I'm in a bit of a situation here, love."
"Somebody sent a suicide bomber out to the Bayou this morning."
Panic shot through his veins as his expression hardened, becoming unreadable because he didn't even want to think there was a possibility that his child was harmed in any way and he noticed Imogen snapped her head up to glance at him in concern. He shook his head briefly without explaining as he turned his attention away from her curious expression and asked the pregnant werewolf in a short tone, "What? Where are you?"
"I'm in the city now. I'm fine. I figured an attack like that must have been Marcel. He's hated the wolves for years, and after that stunt he pulled with the witches... So, I tracked him down. Thought you might like to help kick his ass for trying to blow us to kingdom come."
"Would you please get him out of here? Make sure doesn't remember anything." Imogen instructed Josh softly as she took the prepared syringe of morphine from the doctor, gesturing to the man in question. The vampire nodded in agreement as he took a hold on the doctor's arm and started leading him out of the room, dragging him slightly when he stumbled in surprise. The witch ignored the interaction taking place behind her as she sat on the edge of the bed and Cami held down her uncle's arm so that the witch could expertly inject the medicine into the crook of his elbow.
"Hey, listen. I assure you, once I am finished here, you will have my undivided attention. In the meantime, please stay out of trouble." Klaus told the woman on the other end of the phone call as he watched the morphine start to work on the man on the bed and he felt free to remove his hand now that Kieran wasn't struggling against the restraints.
"You don't have to worry. Elijah is with me." Hayley assured him in a slightly strained voice before hanging up without another word and he narrowed his eyes at the obvious lie as he turned his attention towards his brother's current paramour.
"Imogen, love, do you happen to know where Elijah is at this point in time?" he asked her in a polite tone of voice as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, raising an eyebrow in question as he leaned an elbow on the bedhead.
"I'm not his keeper." she retorted drily with a quirk of her lips as she stood up from edge of the bed and he levelled her with a deadpan look that caused her to roll her eyes at him with a sigh before she corrected herself, "I spoke to him earlier, before I left home. He said he was going to check on Hayley out in the bayou."
"Thank you." he said in exasperation as he offered her a mocking smile and she fluttered her eyelashes at him innocently as she stifled the urge to chuckle. Klaus relaxed with the knowledge that his brother was looking after Hayley and his child; after all, Elijah was the one person he trusted above everyone else. They might have had their difficulties over the centuries but when it mattered he could count on his brother and the oath that they had once sworn to one another: always and forever.
Imogen was curious as to why he had gone down that line of questioning but decided to ignore it because she currently had bigger things to worry about than what Elijah was doing, especially when he was incapable of being killed. All of her focus had to be helping keep Cami calm and rational during one of the hardest periods of her life; it wouldn't do anyone any good if they acted hastily and ruined any chance they had at maybe helping Kieran.
A loud continuous beeping rang out through the room and they all snapped their heads around to around to the heart monitor, watching as the static line skyrocketed unevenly. Cami gasped loudly in shock as she grasped onto her friends arm, stumbling backwards on shaky legs and the brunette wrapped an arm around her waist supportively to keep her upright. Kieran made an unarticulated sound as he arched off of the bed, his eyes rolling back into his head and Klaus rushed over to the edge of the bed with his head tilted to the side, an expression of deep thought on his face as he listened to something the women couldn't hear.
"He's in cardiac arrest. You might want to look away." he informed them bluntly as he pushed his shirt sleeve up to his elbow and ignored the girls matching looks of confusion as he plunged his hand into the human's chest cavity. Cami cried out in horror at the scene as she clutched her friend desperately, her fingernails unconsciously digging into Imogen's forearm and the witch flinched slightly but held the girl just as tightly in response.
"What the hell are you doing?" Imogen asked him in a sharp voice as she soothed Cami's blonde hair comfortingly and he glanced at them over his shoulder with a regrettably but firm expression as he answered her question.
"Massaging his heart. His body is shutting down. Even with my help, he doesn't have much time."
A grimace crossed the witch's lips as she turned her head away; she had seen death and torture, pain and despair, but there was something incredibly disturbing about witnessing a friend do something horrendous to another friend, even if it was meant to help them in the long run.
Cami released a choked sob as she looked on with unshed tears in her eyes; although her mind was searching for some kind of answer, some type of Hail Mary, last minute cure. A possible solution fleetingly passed through her mind and she desperately clutched at it, trying to force her scattered mind to make sense of the muddled thought. She breathed out in realisation as she stood up straight and took a step forward, ignoring her friends concerned gaze as she focused on the vampire in front of her. "Your blood. If you fed him your blood, he'd wake back up, right?"
"As a vampire in transition, yes. As for the hex, perhaps his death will be a mercy."
"Do it. Just do it. Please, Klaus, I can't let him die, not like this."
Klaus watched as her expression seemed to crumble under his scrutiny and he felt his heart painfully constrict in his chest as he looked away. He vaguely heard Imogen murmuring soothing nothings to her friend, a tinge of sadness in her voice and he clenched his jaw as he turned his head to look at them. Sympathy wasn't a usual sensation for him to experience and it gave him a complicated mixture of feelings, most notably: anger, confusion and happiness that he was able to connect to a part of his humanity that he had long thought lost.
He lifted his head to meet Imogen's blue eyes, seeing them swimming with unshed tears as she allowed her friend to cry into the crook of her neck and she nodded almost indecipherably in agreement, or encouragement, he did not know, but he took it as permission from a valued source.
There was a loud crunch as Klaus reluctantly bit into his wrist and placed the open wound against Kieran's mouth, allowing his blood to drip down the man's throat. Blood stained the human's lips as Klaus removed his wrist, while simultaneously releasing his hold on the man's heart and moments later…he could no longer the rhythmic thump thump thump of Kieran O'Connell's heart.
Cami gasped out a sob as she covered her mouth with one hand and Imogen instantly pulled her into her arms, allowing the blonde to cry into her shoulders. A strangled cry escaped Cami when the heart monitor flat lined, causing a loud and continuous beep that echoed throughout the room. Klaus placed a sympathetic hand on the blonde's shoulder with a slight frown on his lips and she turned her head to look at him with tears streaming down her cheeks without lifting her head. She offered him a shaky smile, letting him know that she didn't blame him for the death, to reassure him that nothing was his fault, to relief some of his guilt. The hybrid had committed numerous unspeakable acts against people; some deserving, some not, but nothing about Kieran's unfortunate death was a weight he had to bear.
"I need…uh, I need to get out of here. I-I-I can't be here right now." Cami breathed out softly as she lifted her head from Imogen's shoulder and hand her fingers through her tangled hair.
"Of course. Come along." Klaus urged her gently as he cupped her elbow with his hand and started guiding her towards the door to the attic. Cami paused in the doorway, glancing over her shoulder towards her dead uncle with a worried expression and he followed her gaze as he leaned in close enough to whisper in her ear, "Imogen will stay with your uncle. She'll inform us of any changed in his condition."
The human remained standing in the doorway for a moment, just watching as her friend sat down on the edge of the bed and took Kieran's limp hand in her own. The scene caused tears to flood to her eyes and it struck her like a lightning bolt out of nowhere: she was loved; she had people that had dropped everything in order to be by her side in her time of need. There was no reason Imogen had to wake up so early in the morning to keep her company, no reason Marcel needed to risk his safety in an effort to comfort her, or any reason that Klaus had dropped everything to be there for her. The only reason was because of her, because they cared about her and didn't want her to be alone.
Imogen listened to their retreating footsteps as she settled herself more comfortably on the edge of the bed and clicked her tongue as she looked around the room, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do while she was waiting. She crossed one leg over the other as she absently tapped her fingers on the back of Kieran's hand and her gaze fell his fingers, causing a strike of inspiration to hit her. She hummed happily as she stood up from the edge of the bed and rushed over to grab her handbag from the floor near the window. She hurried back over to the bed with a childish grin on her lips and she sat with one of her legs folded underneath her body as she positioned his hand on her thigh. She plucked a bottle of deep red nail polish from the confines of her handbag, gratefully that she had thrown it in there when she was in a hurry the day before. A smirk played on her lips as she remembered the grimace on Elijah's lips when she had jokingly mentioned painting his nails a florescent green one night when he was over at her apartment. She poked her tongue out in concentration as she expertly applied a coat of varnish to his nails and couldn't help the satisfaction and anticipation that bubbled in her stomach at the prospect of him seeing the finished outcome.
The sound of footsteps approaching the attic caused her to pause in her work but she continued moments later without looking and bit the inside of her cheek in order to suppress a smile.
"What are you doing?" Cami asked incredulously with her eyebrows furrowed as she came to a stop next to the bed and Imogen chuckled to her as she lifted her head to look at her friend with a cheeky smile.
"I got bored." she explained innocently with a shrug of her shoulders and the human shook her head with a roll of her eyes but couldn't help the amused smile that flitted across her lips. A soft rumble came from behind them and the girls looked over their shoulders to where Klaus was standing at the end of the bed with his arms crossed over his chest. Imogen flashed him a bright grin, that he returned with a smirk, before she went back to finishing her work and she held up Kieran's limp hand in order to admire the deep red polish on his nails.
Imogen shrieked in fright when Kieran suddenly lurched upright, his eyes flying open wide as he gasped for breath and she jumped up from the edge of the bed, stumbling backwards into Klaus's protective arms as she panted breathlessly in shock.
Kieran's gaze searched his surroundings unsurely but they was a clarity to his eyes that had been missing in recent days and he sighed in relief when he noticed his niece standing at his bedside with an anxious expression.
"Cami, what happened? The hex... I could feel it, like a living thing inside of me." he explained softly with a confused frown on his features as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and rubbed a hand down his face with a small groan. His eyebrows furrowed as he held his hand out in front of his face and he breathed out in realisation that the small dark cross beneath his thumb had vanished. "It's gone."
Happiness exuded from Cami as she laughed almost hysterically and threw her arms around her uncle, a few stray tears leaking from the corner of her eye in the process. Kieran smiled happily as he returned the embrace, closing his eyes in solace as he marvelled in the relief that he felt and the clarity he was experiencing after months of slowly succumbing to insanity. He slowly pulled back from the embrace, opening his eyes and immediately gasped in surprise when he noticed the bandage covering his left hand. Blood was still seeping through the fabric where he's thumb had been torn away and he recoiled in horror as he stared at his hand with wide eyes. "Oh! Oh my god!"
"Yes, you've had a trying day, Father. How best to break it to you? It appears the hex was broken by your death." Klaus informed him solemnly as he clasped his hand at the small of his back with a blank expression and Cami shot him a reprimanding look but didn't verbally scold him because she couldn't think of a better way to break the news to her uncle.
"Back up. I died? For how long?"
"A few hours, give or take."
"I'm sorry. I just couldn't lose you, not like that." Cami told him in a wavering voice as she looked at him pleadingly, begging him with her eyes to understand her reasoning. "I made Klaus give you his blood."
"I see. So the devil has a deal for me, after all." Kieran muttered to himself in disgrace as he lowered his gaze to the mattress and he placed his head in his hands as he tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. After spending so much time as head of the human faction, spending so much time consorting with the undead, even befriending a few of them, he knew the mechanics involved in the transition.
"Uncle Kieran... that hunger you feel, it'll only grow stronger." Cami reminded him hesitantly as she took a step towards him and wrapped an arm over stomach protectively, knowing that her uncle wasn't going to be accepting of the fact that he was now one of the creatures that he despised.
"I know how it works."
"Then you will soon know if you do not feed, you will die."
"I know if that's the choice that I have to make, I'm dead already. Please leave me with my niece. I'd like a private moment to talk with her."
Imogen immediately nodded in acceptance as she offered the man a brief smile, honouring his dying his wish with the dignity and grace that came naturally to her. Klaus hesitated for a moment, glancing in Camille's direction as though making sure she was alright to be alone with her uncle. The blonde noticed the indecision that crossed his features and can't help the small upturn of her lips as she placed a hand on his arm. He glanced down at where her hand rested above his elbow, an odd sensation in his stomach and he frowned slightly at the tears that brimmed her eyes, causing her blue irises to practically glow in the darkness.
"It's okay. Klaus, thank you for today, for being kind." Cami whispered gratefully with a wavering smile on her lips as she squeezed his bicep gently and he nodded sharply in acknowledgement before turning to walk out of the room without a word. She smiled to herself softly, knowing that he was uncomfortable with the onslaught of humanity and emotion that he had experienced that day.
Imogen suppressed the urge to grin when she saw the lingering traces of emotion on the hybrids face and he narrowed his eyes at her but didn't verbally reprimand her for loitering. He strode past her without a word and she laughed silently to herself as she followed him out of the room, giving her friend a moment alone with her uncle. She knew all too well how it felt to lose the last remaining member of your family; it could cut you to the very core of your being, and she wouldn't wish it on her worst enemy.
Silence encompassed the duo as they made their way downstairs into the sacristy, both of them lost in their own myriad of thoughts. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence but one based on companionship and understanding because neither of them were the type of person that needed to fill a silence with needless chatter. Both of them had learned at an early age that sometimes, sometimes silence was better than noise because silence was safe, it was truthful, there were answers to question you didn't even think to ask and sometimes that was exactly what you needed.
The Claire family had never been one to attend church services; they didn't worship God or any other deity but instead, honoured the spirits of the ancestors that provide the coven with their magic. Every Sunday was spent giving thanks to the ancestors, not praying but honouring them and vocalising how privileged they would be to join the ancestors on the other side of the veil after their death from the physical world. Imogen was grateful for her access to magic; it made her feel alive, it gave her a purpose and an energy that was unmatched by anything she had experienced otherwise. But that didn't mean she wanted to spend hours upon hours worshipping spirits whose only achievement was to die. Some of the witches that overlooked the covens were heroes and visionaries; she wasn't petty enough to disregard their accomplishments and the lasting impact they had on their respective covens, but some of them were nothing more than vindictive and merciless villains that didn't deserve to be regarded in high esteem. If nothing else, the past few months had given her opinion credence.
"I've an errand to run. Father Kieran should have a few remaining hours. I will return before then." Klaus announced solemnly in a lowered voice once the two of them had reached the sanctuary and she nodded in understanding with a bleak smile on her lips as she wordlessly followed him into the main area of the church. He watched helplessly for the aisle as she fell back onto the first pew and then bent over at the waist as she rested her head in her hands. He opened his mouth to say something, perhaps to console the girl or give her some paltry advice, but nothing could pass through his lips.
Imogen listened to his retreating footsteps getting further and further away as she rubbed her temples, attempting to ease the growing tension headache that was forming. In her twenty two years of life she had never been in the position she was in now; the only one of her friends to ever lose a loved one was Sophie, but it happened after Imogen had been ostracised and removed from the coven so she was in the position to comfort her best friend.
Loud sobs caused Imogen to snap her head up in concern and she was instantly on her feet once she saw the heartbroken state Camille was in as she stumbled her way into the room. The witch crossed the room in a few long strides and wrapped her arms around her friend tightly, allowing the blonde to completely collapse against into the embrace. Imogen staggered slightly under the sudden weight but quickly stabilised them both as she closed her eyes in empathetic pain. She made incoherent soothing noises as she carefully walked them backwards without looking where she was going and then fell back on to the pew when her knees hit the edge.
Cami curled further into the brunette's body, burying her face in the crook of her neck as she gripped the material of Imogen's shirt until her knuckles were white under the strain but she didn't noticed anything other than the painful ache in her chest as she sobbed her heart out in the comforting embrace. She was vaguely aware of Imogen humming something as she rocked them back and forth, and she quietened her sobs into soft whimpers when her curiosity won out. She kept her face hidden as she listened carefully to the tune coming from her friend and her eyebrows furrowed when Imogen began singing the lyrics under her breath.
"Just take those old records off the shelf; I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself; Today's music ain't got the same soul; I like that old time rock 'n' roll; Don't try to take me to a disco; You'll never even get me out on the floor; In ten minutes I'll be late for the door; I like that old time rock'n' roll," Imogen sang quietly to herself as she ran her finger through Cami's blonde hair soothingly like she used to for Davina whenever she was upset.
"Are you singing Bob Segar?" the human asked incredulously as she lifted her head with a bemused frown on her lips and Imogen immediately stopped in embarrassment as she ducked her head to hide the blush on her cheeks.
"I didn't even realise I was. Sorry, I used to sing for Davina whenever she was upset. 'Old Time Rock and Roll' was one of her favourites."
"You have an amazing voice. And I do feel better."
"Good." Imogen replied simply as she rubbed her thumb over the blonde hairline with a sad smile and then proceeded to wipe the stray tears off of her cheeks with both hands. Cami offered her a shaky smile as she leaned back against the pew and huffed out a frustrated breath as she tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling. Imogen remained silent as she wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders in an attempt to offer her some comfort and wiped the tears from her own cheek with the other hand as she sniffled gently.
"I can do this, right? The only reason that I made it through Sean's death was because of Kieran. How do I make it through his without him? It's like the definition of irony. The only person who can help me through his death is the person who died." Cami remarked bitterly with a scoff as she shook her head to herself at the notion, tears stinging the backs of her eyes as she blinked them away.
"When Sean died, Kieran was all you had. You only had each other. Now, you have me, and Davina, and Josh, and Marcel, and Klaus. We're all here for you, and we've all experienced loss. We'll help you through it because we love you, Cam. Anything you need, no questions asked." The witch responded quietly in a genuine voice as she rubbed her hand down the other girls arm with a slight upturn of her lips. A grateful smile played on Cami's lips as she leaned her head on her friends shoulder, feeling honoured and appreciative that she had such amazing people in her life.
The two of them stayed in that position, Cami's head on Imogen's shoulder as the latter played with her blondes hair idly, bathing in the candlelight and not saying a word to each other. It wasn't needed; the silence and company was enough for them, and no false promises or empty comforts were offered, something that Cami appreciated at the moment.
Their friendship may have started with them keeping secrets from each other but in the last few months since Cami had learned the truth behind the supernatural, their bond had only been strengthened. So much had happened in such a short period of time, so much had been lost and so much had been revealed, but they stuck together and helped each other through the darkness. Imogen was the one who had taken the time to sit her down and carefully explain every aspect of the supernatural so that she wasn't unprepared for the world she had unceremoniously been dropped into headfirst. While Cami was the one who sat and allowed Imogen to cry into her shoulder when Davina died, and when she lost Sophie; she tried her best to understand and comfort the brunette, to just be there for her friend when she needed someone. Over the course of a few months they went from acquaintances to friends to something akin to family.
Cami lifted her head with a befuddled frown when she heard footsteps descending the staircase and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as Kieran had banished her from the attic because he didn't want her to see him get any worse. Hope flared in her chest as she watched her uncle appeared from around the corner and she stood up from the pew on shaky legs as she wiped some tears from her cheeks with a sniffle. "Have you changed your mind?"
"Yes. It appears I have." Kieran answered emotionlessly as he regarded her with blank eyes and Cami frowned in confusion at the comment as she exchanged a look with the witch still sitting on the pew. Something shiny got caught in the light, drawing attention to the priest's right hand and both women were instantly on guard at the sight of him wielding a knife.
Imogen jumped to her feet immediately as her eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror, latching onto Cami's arm as she drew the human behind her so that she wasn't in the direct line of fire. Magic flared to life inside of her stomach, a rush of power like electricity and she could feel her heart racing but she kept her voice calm as she spoke, "Cami. Run."
Camille only had a moment to glance at her friend before Imogen had roughly pushed her backwards and she cried out in surprise when she landed ungracefully in a sprawl on the ground. A loud crash caused her to lift her head, pushing herself up on her elbows and she saw Imogen using her telekinetic to push Kieran into a nearby wall. Imogen bent down to grab a shard to wood that had splinted from the doorframe in the collision and Cami gasped in horror as she watched the brunette scratch a deep cut along the inside of her wrist until she draw blood.
Imogen whipped her head around when she heard the gasp from behind her and she sent Cami an exasperated look as she shouted sternly, "Cami! Run! Now!"
After a moment's hesitation the human scrambled to her feet with a way expression and she rushed down the aisle with the intent of finding Klaus or Elijah or some other vampire that could offer help. Imogen sighed in relief once she was out the door and she turned back to face the vampire stalking towards her with a menacing expression. Blood was dripping in between her fingers as she dodged out of the way when he slashed the knife in her direction and she spun on her heel, sprinting towards the stairs to the balcony. She stumbled slightly on the steps in her rush but quickly righted herself as she gripped the banister for support, leaving blood stains on the polished wood. She could hear him chasing her up the stairs, reminding her of those old fashioned horror movies; college students, demonic priest, haunted church, knife wielding manic.
Imogen was panting for breath as she was forced to a stop by the banister on the balcony overlooking the main area of the church and she spun around with wide eyes as she tightened her grip on the railing behind. Her heart was racing inside her chest, pounding so fast that she could hear the blood rushing to her ears and cowered further into the banister as she watched Kieran appear out of the shadows.
The manic glint in his eyes caused a quiet whimper to escape her lips and she let out a silence gasp as he held eye contact with her as he proceeded to lick her blood off of the blade in one prolonged motion. Black veins crawled underneath his eyes as he closed his eyelids fluttered closed in satisfaction and he moaned in the back of his throat as she flinched in disgust with a grimace. Kieran opened his eyes slowly as his lips curled at the edges, a red tinge in his eyes as the veins underneath his eyes remained prominent.
Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she looked around for some type of escape with a desperation she hadn't felt since she'd left home. The obvious answer would be to use her magic to disable him, maybe even kill him, but she couldn't bring herself to hurt him because to her he was since Kieran. A vicious snarl reverberated from the man in question as he lunged towards her with the bloodied knife raised over his head and she felt a spike of panic shoot through her as she gritted her teeth in determination.
Imogen quickly through both of her legs over the banister as tears blurred her vision and she forced herself not to think about the consequences as she jumped off of the ledge. A strangled cry tore from her lips as she flew through the air, the wind blowing through her brunette hair as she squeezed her eyes closed. The fall seemed to last forever and only a split second before she was landing on the hard ground below and pain radiated throughout her entire body as she groaned in agony. Most of the pain seemed to be centred on her left ankle and she knew from experience that it was likely broken or at least sprained. She weakly pushed herself up on her hands, ignoring the wobbling of her elbows and she roughly brushed her messy hair out of her face with one hand. She knew that Kieran would continue his assault on her so she used her elbows and uninjured foot to crawl down the aisle with what remained of her strength.
Slow footsteps echoed throughout the otherwise silent church, the ominous sound making it even more frightening and the only respite she found was that Cami had made it out. Tears were coming more freely now as she heard the footsteps stalking closer until they were right behind her and she let out a terrified shriek when he grabbed her by the hair, pulling her upright until she was kneeling in front of him.
"Don't fight it, Imogen. In death, we are whole again." Kieran vowed solemnly as he placed the blade at the base of her throat and she squeezed her eyes closed as she felt her magic begging to be released. The pressure was building inside of her as she clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly until she felt the sharp edge of the blade cutting into her skin.
A loud scream exploded from her parted lips as her magic finally broke free and she telekinetically threw Kieran backwards into a nearby pew, causing it to smash under his weight. She immediately slumped forward once the knife was poised to slice open her throat and she was breathing heavily as she twisted around to make sure he was still dazed from the assault. She attempted to push herself up so she was standing but her ankle gave way underneath her and she collapsed back onto the ground with a painful cry.
Kieran groaned loudly as he climbed to his feet as he snapped his head around to glare at the witch and he growled animalistic as he ran towards where she was sprawled on the ground with inhuman speed. Imogen screamed in terror as she instinctively raised her hand out in front of her and tears blurred her eyes as she curled her fingers into a fist before she pulled her hand back towards her chest.
Everything seemed to freeze as she watched what happened next with her mouth parted in shock; Kieran stopped moving completely as his eyes widened in horror, blood stained his lips as he let out a sputtering cough and his skin started to desiccate into an ash white.
"No!" she heard a familiar voice cry out in distress as hurried footsteps came towards her and she snapped her head around with wide eyes to see Cami rushing down the aisle with tears streaming down her cheeks. Imogen scrambled backwards out of her way as the blonde ran to her deceased uncle's side and she averted her gaze because didn't feel like she deserved to witness such an intimate moments. It was because of her that he was dead, it was because of her that Cami had lost the only family she had left, it was because of her….it was because of her.
Imogen brought her knees up to her chest, ignoring the pain that shot through her ankle at the movement and she was vaguely aware of Klaus coming to stand beside her as he set a hand on her shoulder. But her attention was fixated on the blonde sobbing heartbrokenly over the corpse of the man she had murdered.