A/N:
Hey guys! I hope that last chapter shocked you enough. Here be the new update, so gather your popcorn and get reading!
~Erin
Chapter 35: There Is Such A Thing Called Acting
KLAUS POV
"Thank you, Calvin. I'll inform Elijah of the situation." I hung up the phone from my conversation with my spy amongst the witches in New Orleans. He had just given me intel about Davina Claire, Marcellus's teen witch.
Sliding on my utility style jacket, I left the master bedroom in pursuit of awakening a certain young blonde vampire. Approaching the English Rosette Room, I listened to see if Caroline was still asleep. I did not hear her breathing, which I assumed meant she was already awake and moving about the house or grounds. Heading to the kitchen, I went looking for her. On my way down, I ran into Liz.
"Sheriff Forbes, good morning. I was hoping to find your daughter. Perhaps you could assist me, and tell me if you have been in contact with her this morning. She isn't in her room." I asked Caroline's mother, who gave me a confused look.
"I haven't seen her this morning. I thought she was still asleep. Maybe she is in the gardens, or Elijah has seen her. When you find her, tell her I need to speak with her." Liz told me, before ascending up the stairs, coffee in hand.
Continuing down the stairwell, I looked into the first floor rooms in hope of locating the young vampire. I ran into Elijah in the kitchen, and proceeded to ask him the same question I had asked Liz.
"Unfortunately, brother, I have not had the pleasure of seeing Miss Forbes this morning. May I suggest looking in the gardens? Caroline seems to favor them." Elijah offered, also drinking a mug of coffee. I thanked him, and headed towards the French doors that led to the back garden patio.
When I threw open the doors, the stench immediately hit me. Tyler Lockwood had been here, his scent mingling with that of Caroline. When I looked down at the cement of the patio, my eyes found the smashed crystal wine glass that was surrounded by dried red liquid. Red merlot. The drink Caroline had been drinking last night.
Next to the broken glass lay a syringe, which by the scent was vervain. It hit me what had happened, and rage filled me.
"Caroline!" I shouted, wandering through the gardens, hoping she could have fought her attacker. But my hope was dashed when I saw a scrap of her dress hanging from a bush.
"Elijah." I roared upon entering the house. My brother was instantly in front of me.
"What has happened? Where is Miss Forbes?" Elijah asked me, a look of concern on his face.
"She's gone, taken by that disgusting piece of trash Tyler Lockwood. He's taken her, but I am damn well going to get her back." I stormed back into the study, and immediately began plotting Caroline's rescue.
CAROLINE POV
When my eyes opened, the only thing I could sense was the excruciating pain that was burning through the skin on my wrists and ankles. I knew the sensation well. Vervain soaked restraints, and common way to keep a captive vampire at bay. My vision was blurred, but I could sense I wasn't alone.
"What do you want with me?" I asked aloud, unsure who would answer me. I heard the shuffle of heavy feet against the dirt floor.
"I want you to tell me where Klaus is hiding Haley. And maybe then I'll spare you, or maybe not. I want Klaus to experience what it's like the lose someone you care for." Marcel answered. I recognized his voice from the bar and grille.
"I will never tell you where Haley is. I won't let you harm her or the twins." I argued, and Marcel chuckled with maliciousness.
"Then I guess I can draw it out of you. Do you prefer oak or maple?" Marcel asked. Before I could answer, a wooden bullet entered the flesh of my thigh. I screamed in pain, the horrible feeling rippling through my body.
"You want to tell me now? I still have a full munition of weapons that I would just love to play with. And I can tell that you'd just be perfect for target practice." Marcel shot another bullet into my right shoulder. Once again, I yelped in pain.
He went through the same ritual another six times. Marcel would taunt me, and then force another form of pain on me. Shooting wooden bullets in me, and pouring vervain steeped water over my head, drenching me in the ruthless acid. I could tell he'd removed my daylight ring, and that suspicion become true when the panel of sunlight behind me erupted with light, toasting me like a piece of bread.
"You ready to tell me where Klaus is keeping Haley yet?" Marcel asked me again, but I persevered. I was not giving up that fast. If I could survive my own father torturing me, I could survive this.
"No."
Another ice cold bucket of vervain water sloshed over me, leaving my skin red and blistered. I was going through hell, but I was not going to tell Marcel anything. I knew Klaus would find me. He always did. But for now, I would just have to endure whatever Marcel had in store for me. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. Preparing myself, I spoke up.
"You can try and draw answers out of me all that you like, but I will never betray those twins. They deserve to live. So no matter what torture devices and strategies you use, you will never break me." I growled and I could see Marcel smiling maniacally.
"I had a feeling you'd say that. Tyler, come on in. She's as tough as you said." Marcel called to my ex-boyfriend. I looked to where Marcel was speaking, where Tyler emerged carrying what seemed to be a blood bag.
"Here you go." Tyler held the bag up to my lips, and I hesitated before taking a sip.
"It's untampered with, I promise." Tyler said, and offered me the blood bag once again. Willingly I took a sip, and as promised, nothing happened. I gulped down the blood, draining the bag in seconds. Instantly my skin began to heal, minus where the restraints laid cold against my skin.
"Can I untie her?" Tyler asked Marcel, who nodded shortly. Tyler got up from his crouched position in front of me, and retrieved a pair of industrial style chemical gloves. He carefully removed my bindings, and disposed of them in a pile on the ground.
"Take her up to your room, and don't let her out of your sight. Davina will place a tracking blocker spell on her so that Klaus can't find her. Let's go." Marcel motioned for Tyler to follow him. Tyler nodded, and carefully hoisted me over his shoulder.
We exited the dungeon of torture, and when we reached outside, instantly my skin burned from lack of a daylight ring. Tyler instantly realized what was wrong, and scooted into the shade. I couldn't tell where I was, but it was warm and humid. I was so tired, my eyelids drooped closed.
Tyler carried me up what seemed to be metal stairs, since I could hear the vibrations of his steps radiating from the steel. We walked through a few doorways, until Marcel spoke up and Tyler stopped moving.
"Get her cleaned up. Then get one of the girls to give her some clothes. We'll discuss this further when she isn't here." Marcel instructed Tyler.
"Okay. I think Verity might have something she could wear." Tyler replied, and I heard the opening of a door. Tyler shifted my body higher on his shoulder, but then dumped me on something soft.
"Where am I?" I asked, a bit dazed.
"You are somewhere where Klaus Mikaelson wouldn't think to look." Tyler responded as he moved about his room.
"I'm at the Abattoir, aren't I?" I asked, and Tyler whipped around.
"How do you know about the Abattoir?" Tyler asked me, approaching the bed he had thrown me on.
"You may hate Klaus, but I know you know he isn't stupid. Of course Marcel still lives in the place the Mikaelsons raised him. It's a comfort need." I managed to sit up against the pile of pillows.
"Whatever. What matters is that we got you away from Klaus. You're mother is still there, but we'll save her in time. Now, my shower is through there. There's towels on the rack." Tyler motioned to a closed door on the left side of the room.
Nodding, I got up from the bed and headed for the bathroom. Closing the door, I began undressing. I looked at myself in the mirror and shuddered. Rash red marks were harshly spread across my arms and legs, and my skin was skin a little blistered. My dress, which was once elegant and beautiful, was now torn and ratty. I felt like a zombie Cinderella.
Turning on the shower, I stepped into the hot water. At first, my skin stung, but soon the pain faded in numbness. I looked around for shampoo and conditioner, but only found Tyler's two in one shampoo and bodywash mixture. Opening it, the familiar metallic scent hitting me in wave of nostalgia.
Quickly I washed my hair and body. I knew my curls would suffer from being washed without my Moroccan oil shampoo and conditioner, but I would have to suck it up. I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping my hair and body in towels, I went to open the door. But then I was completely nude, and I didn't want to be that around Tyler. Not anymore.
"Hey Care, I have some clothes here for you." Tyler used my nickname as he called through the bathroom door.
"I'm coming out. Turn around and don't look." I responded.
"Come on, Caroline. It's nothing that I haven't seen before." Tyler laughed.
"I'm serious. Turn around."
"Fine. I'm turning around." I heard Tyler's footsteps against the hardwood floor.
When I left the bathroom, I spotted the clothes Tyler had retrieved for me on the bed. There was a pair of tight pleather leggings and a red chiffon blouse. A set of pretty tacky looking undergarments. For shoes, a pair of stiletto suede ankle boots.
"Who did you steal these clothes from? The look like they belong to a dominiatrix." I groaned as I tried to wrestle the ridiculously slim leggings over my thighs. I'd already changed into the bra and panties, which were incredibly lacey.
"They belong to Verity, another vampire who lives here. It's the only person who has clothes your size."
"Well, they're tacky. And slutty." I commented as I pulled the cheap feeling blouse over my head.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't give you the designer clothes that that bastard has been providing you with."
"Don't call him that!" I snapped.
"It's what he is, Caroline! A goddamn monster. And you're somehow attracted to him. But Davina can change your mind. And she's going too. Tonight." Tyler said, turning around.
"What?" I breathed.
"Marcel didn't bring you here to find out the location of Haley. We've known where she is for weeks. We tortured you to find out if you were strong enough to withstand the pressure of the spell. And you were." Tyler explained, and my eyes widened in fear.
"Why are you doing this?" I stuttered.
"Because I love you, Caroline. And I want you to remember the way you feel about me." Tyler tried to take a step closer to me, but I backed away.
"You turned off your humanity. You don't have feelings." I argued, and Tyler shook his head.
"There is such a thing as acting, Caroline. I was never here for the violence. All I was here for was to get you back and then go home, where we belong. So, let's go get something to eat, and then Davina can perform the spell. Okay?" Tyler asked, extending his hand.
"Okay."
A/N:
Don't hate me! All will be explained in time...
~Erin