I lied... I just had to put this up so you guys don't think k's a weakling. lol. But seriously, I have to stop. haha. I've only got like four chapters in the bank right now so I'm posting a lot faster than I'm writing. But still, it's hard not to let you guys read it. Enjoy!
Chapter 28
K made her arrangements with the hotel, laid her herb mixture around the windows and in a wide arch in front of the door and even found herself a dress for the night. That was something she wasn't certain about, attending the gala. The only thing that helped solidify her decision was the masquerade portion. At least she could pretend to be someone else for a little while and play the sexy mystery woman. K scoffed and rolled her eyes. Even in her head the thought seemed ridiculous.
She set her dress on the King sized bed in her room and looked it over, fluffing and straightening the fabric when her phone began to ring loudly. K glanced to see a number she didn't recognize and assumed it was Rebekah.
"Hello?" she greeted upon answering, pressing her cell phone to her ear with her shoulder and grabbing the rest of her accessories.
"Have you found a dress yet?"
K paused. She stood a bit straighter than before and narrowed her eyes curiously.
"Have you been spying on me?"
"Don't flatter yourself. Doesn't this mean you're staying for the dance?"
"I guess." She said unenthusiastically. "I don't know how thought through this plan of yours is. I'm pretty sure your brother'd rather eat me or stick me in a deep dark cellar."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, one that went unnoticed by K. Instead she was busy inspecting the elaborate mask she found to match her gown.
"Kalliope," Rebekah began. Hearing her name, K twitched. It never boded well when someone used her full name and K knew it. "I wish I could say it will get easier, but it won't. If anything it'll get harder."
K didn't have to guess what Rebekah meant. She felt she already knew and she was right.
"All you can do is take the upper hand in the whole thing."
"Yeah well... I guess I'll see you tonight then." K said after a moment of nothing.
"Good." She said with more ease than anything previously said in the conversation. "Now then, remember, you have to look absolutely fabulous, but not better than me or I'll rip your hair out."
She was teasing with a hint of truth that made K laugh. Rebekah was smiling on the other end of the line. With a farewell to each other, they hung up.
K tossed the device down onto the bed next to her dress. Her gaze turned back to the garment lain out, her shoes resting in their box just to the left of it and the mask still clutched loosely in her fingertips. The laser cut metalwork was beautiful and she wanted very much to wear it regardless of the occasion.
Tossing the mask onto the dress, K took in the sight once again, her entire costume on display. Her hands moved to her hips and she thought. She thought about the way Klaus seemed to always make her feel things. It didn't matter what it was, fear, anticipation, worry, happiness, whatever the emotion, he could bring it out. K hated it. It meant he was the one in control and it wasn't fair.
Her brow began to rise. Maybe it was her turn. Maybe she should be the one to try and dominate their encounters, the one that remained in control. At least then, after every confusing thing that had happened between them, K could keep her sanity.
~~!~~
The relatively modern music echoed through the courtyard. Ribbon dancers hung from their supports, swaying and twisting up and down the fabric in hypnotic rhythm. Women with snakes gyrated and red confetti hovered in the air. It was amazing. Whatever someone might think of him, Marcel was a masterful party planner.
Klaus and Rebekah remained in the background near the bar, staring at Marcel dancing with Cami and both hating their respective person of interest. Klaus found himself hating Marcel for dancing with the beautiful blond human and Rebekah found herself hating Marcel for the same reason. It was amazing the distaste they held for him.
Another song started up and Klaus felt himself wanting nothing more than for the plan to speed up. He knew that Thierry would likely kill his spy within the first hour of the party, but time seemed to be running a bit slower than he would have preferred. It was wearing thin on his nerves.
When his eyes scanned the area again, searching for even a hint of Marcel's minions, a flash of something caught his attention. Red, crimson and brilliant shined brightly against the monotone backdrop of the party. He'd thought originally it was nothing more than a flicker from one of the constantly tumbling pieces of confetti, but it wasn't. He felt his shoulders tense immediately and his jaw grew tight.
"What have you done, my dear Rebekah?"
Though the words would have otherwise sounded endearing, they were devoid of any emotion. Rebekah glanced sideways to her brother, expecting him to be remarking on Marcel again, but he wasn't. Following his line of sight, Rebekah saw the ruby colored distraction. A wicked smile graced her lips immediately.
"Well, well, well, look who it is." She taunted softly.
Klaus glowered at her out of the corner of his eye before proceeding towards the newcomer. Rebekah kept her grin, unable to remove the joy at seeing Klaus so thoroughly put off by their guest. And honestly, she was a bit proud of K's clothing selection.
Klaus slinked closer to her, unable to avoid the woman in the red dress. She stuck out as easily as Cami against the predominantly black wardrobe and drew just as many eyes. Her dress was not simply red either. It was brilliant red, as bright a crimson as the life giving liquid they all relied on to survive.
The bodice was tight, clinging to her body until mid-thigh, sure to show every curve she possessed. When the fabric did reach her thighs, it splayed out into a waterfall of fabric, not as drastically as Cami's gown, more gradual and looser without the fluff of tulle. Her hair was up like most of the other women, every ebony tress sculpted into perfect curls and a Venetian mask adorned her face, concealing nothing with its open metalwork, but adding allure to the outfit.
When he reached her, she stared as blankly at him as he did to her. He could see the brilliant green of her eyes shinning against the sultry black and grey, smoky shadow surrounding them. For a second or more neither moved until Klaus offered his hand. She seemed to think it over for a moment before placing her hand in his. Still keeping their eyes locked, the pair walked towards the dance floor.
They didn't blink. They didn't speak. They did nothing, but keep their eyes on the other.
When they made it a sufficient depth into the dance floor, Klaus brought her around him before pulling her to his chest. With a hand on her waist and the other clutched firmly within his, they began to move. It was a waltz, of sorts, but more than the simple swaying of those around them. And, as the last time they danced, the world and everyone in it began to disappear.
Rebekah watched from the sidelines and continued to smirk. While the display between her brother and K wasn't exactly heartwarming or affectionate, she knew otherwise. If Klaus wanted to stay away from her, he never would have offered his hand to K to dance. His walking to K and taking the initiative meant a part of him –no matter how small- wanted her there.
And they danced, ignorant to those watching or anything else that wasn't happening within the miniscule gap between them. Minutes seemed to pass before either spoke; when in reality it was little more than seconds.
"What are you doing here?" Klaus found himself asking. It was a valid question despite sounding oddly juvenile.
"I was invited." She replied carefully.
"Not at the party, though that will be another discussion." He said under his breath. "I mean in New Orleans. Weren't you in California last I heard?"
Her eyes began to smile before the grin touched her lips. It drew his gaze. If K was going to dominate the situation, shameless flirting might be a necessity.
"You know exactly where I was." She told him simply.
Klaus flinched whether he meant to or not. It solidified K's determination to remain superior.
"What's the matter Niklaus, not happy to see me?" she asked in a leading voice.
He could see her intentions were to do nothing more than bait him and honestly, Klaus wasn't above rising to the task. A smirk of his own began to form.
"Not that it isn't lovely as always, but now perhaps isn't the best time for reunions."
"I'd imagine." She said, spinning when he twirled them. "I met Hayley."
Klaus's face fell and was immediately devoid of any emotion. He wasn't sure what to say to her. If she'd met Hayley, it meant she traveled to his house and knew he was having a child. His only saving grace was that despite her coy exterior, Klaus was able to feel the hint of something else coming from her.
"Jealous?" he asked after a moment.
Her eyes narrowed marginally.
"Wary." She lied, offering something else instead.
Klaus chuckled darkly. He knew otherwise and so did she, but he let K have the illusion of fooling him.
The song continued to play, but was nearing its end. When it had, he spun and dipped the young woman. In the action, gravity pulled at the fabric of her dress and revealed a slit that glided nearly the length of her leg, one he hadn't noticed until he caught a glimpse of her thigh.
Slowly, Klaus pulled K up and into his arms again. He stared at her, examining the brilliant green of her eyes and the smoky makeup that accentuated them when something else caught his attention. Diego.
A vindictive grin graced his lips and K knew her time was up. Before he could say otherwise, she leaned forward and chastely pressed her lips to his cheek. The action shocked Klaus enough his body went rigid and his face went blank.
"Onnellinen metsästys." (happy hunting) She whispered.
Without another word or chance for Klaus to respond, she let go of him and moved fluidly away. He glanced over his shoulder as the red she wore disappeared into the crowd. A flicker of crimson was all he saw before she was gone entirely, like a figment that made him wonder if she'd ever been there to begin with. The only thing she left behind was the flowery jasmine scent of her perfume.
~~~!~~~
Klaus stood in the shadows watching Katie try her best to destroy Marcel and his minions. The hybrid had to admit he was a bit impressed with the power her fear induced rage brought out, but it wouldn't serve her well.
As though on cue, Klaus appeared and was the savior, snapping the girl's neck with little effort. He beamed with a smile, proud of what he'd done while Marcel thanked him completely. Klaus felt rejuvenated as his plan fell perfectly into place.
Leaving the Quarter with Marcel while his minions cleaned up the mess, a hint of something reached Klaus's nose. It was flowery, mildly sweet and stronger than the traces lingering on his suit. His smile faded and his eyes immediately began darting around to find the source.
The wind whipped around him and again he smelled it. Klaus's head shot upward and found her. High above the streets, K was standing on a balcony. The wind fluttered her dress and her mask was gone, resting gently in her grip as she looked down at him. Klaus's step paused. She crossed her arms and smiled slyly to him. K had seen everything and could tell Klaus had planned it.
Without a word, she gently began to clap. Klaus cocked a brow at her obvious approval. A smile of his own began to form and before he could blink, K disappeared from sight and again it was like she was never there.
~~~!~~~
K felt pretty proud of herself when she made her way back to her hotel room. The smile hadn't faded since leaving the Quarter. She felt good after leaving Klaus and that wasn't a claim she could have ever made before. This time she felt like she had the upper hand, like she was the one dictating which way the mood shifted and it gave her confidence to keep doing it. Rebekah was right, it was fun wrapping Klaus around her little finger. In a lot of ways, K felt she deserved it. Maybe some day she'd get him to worship at her feet, but she wasn't going to get ahead of herself. She wasn't likely to ever get that much control over him and if she did it could take years.
But she still felt good.
K tossed her mask onto her bed as the weighted door clunked shut behind her. Without a misstep she walked into the bathroom and began removing the rest of her adornments like the earrings. Everything else she either needed or simply always wore.
As she was in the process of removing the ridiculous amount of bobby pins holding her curls in place, K heard her phone beep in the other room. It was a text so she left it alone until she felt like retrieving it. That didn't come until after she'd taken a shower, removed her makeup and changed into her night clothes.
As she fell onto her bed, K reached for her phone and opened the message that had been waiting for her for nearly a half an hour. She was surprised by what she found and it only hardened her resolve.
Klaus: You looked beautiful.
K smiled slyly to the message and typed back a simple thank you. Oh yes, she was going to make him submit. At the very least, K was going to spin him about as much as he enjoyed doing to her.
