Chapter Four

The Battle of Auxor

Kingdom of France

1143

Caroline adjusted to her new life in Paris with stoicism, keeping a low profile as she endured four long years at court. Uninterested in the maliciousness and depravities of court life, she spent most of her time studying. Gregory had given her a chest full of books to study from when she left, lamenting the fact that he could not go with her to court to tutor her there. When not studying, she tended to Eleanor – mostly accompanying her on hunts, attending the many extravagant feasts she threw, helping her prepare in the mornings, and sewing with her as she quietly complained about her dud of a husband and schemed to get rid of him. She would listen, but hardly ever spoke. She came to love Eleanor, who was full of vibrant energy and tenacity that brought life to the court. The king did not pay her much mind – he was enamored with his wife, and any mistresses he kept were older, more experienced ladies of court or prostitutes. Besides, Caroline suspected she was from too powerful a duchy for him to dare approach her. In 1142, he had left for war, much to Eleanor's relief. Despite being loyal to her queen, Caroline desperately missed Auxor Castle, her people, and the sun-kissed southern landscapes of Ebanne.

That year, word came of her father – his army faced many adversaries in the East, and he had died in battle. Caroline sobbed for days when she heard and refused to leave her room for anything except visits to Eleanor's private chapel. Eventually, she healed through many letters to Rebekah and riding Arabia furiously through the northern countryside.

Rebekah and Elijah remained at Auxor all four years, since their brother was still cursed. Rebekah wrote that the witches had found a way to suppress Niklaus' visions for lengths of time, but still had not made headway in breaking the curse. She was relieved that some respite had been brought to her brother.

In the beginning of 1143, Caroline's betrothed, Andre Fortinbeau, returned from the crusades. They were married soon after. She wore a stunning gown encrusted with jewels and a sapphire necklace Eleanor had given her as a wedding gift. Tucked in the folds of the gown was the gift from Elijah and Rebekah: a wooden stake that killed vampires when stabbed into their hearts. It brought her comfort. Andre was a courteous yet pompous man who lacked both passion and an artful tongue. She was relieved when their wedding night was over. He would never excite her, but he'd also never harm her. Though he dutifully visited her bedchamber often, her monthly courses did not waver.

In October, distressing news arrived from Auxor.

Caroline was walking with the Queen along the Seine. Eleanor had been wondering if she could convince the pope to grant her an annulment since she had not born Louis any children. Caroline was trying to pay attention but was lost in thought about how Ebanne was preparing for the harvest.

"Your Majesty! Forgive the intrusion, but I have a letter from Auxor. The messenger said it was of dire importance," said a courtier urgently. He had clearly ridden to them in a hurry.

Caroline glanced at Eleanor worriedly. "Is it for me?"

"Yes, Lady Fortinbeau," he responded, handing her the letter. Her mother's seal was on it.

She ripped it open and read its contents quickly. Her face grew white and her heart beat rapidly.

"What is it, dear one?" Eleanor asked her. She handed the letter over and the queen read it.

"Oh, Alix," the queen murmured as she finished it. "I'm so sorry, Caroline."

"May I go?" Caroline said, finding her voice through her shock. "May you grant me leave to return home and see her?"

"Of course."

And so, Caroline had rushed back to the palace and announced that she was returning to Auxor. Andre had insisted on joining her, to her dismay, but she was too impatient to leave to fight him, and they left early the next morning with their entourage. Her mother, the indomitable Alix d'Ebanne, was dying. She didn't know what to feel, besides numbness.

It took them nearly two weeks to reach the castle, by which time Caroline felt like she was falling apart.

She was running out of the carriage as soon as the door opened, and into the castle. As she passed the library, an arm shot out of the shadows and pulled her inside.

"What are you doing? Let me see my mother!" she lashed out, fighting against the vampire.

Elijah held onto her arm firmly as Rebekah appeared before her, an anxious look on her face.

"We must talk to you before you go upstairs, Caroline," she said.

Caroline gaped at her. "Is she already dead, then?" she said hollowly, feeling wretched.

"I am sorry, Caroline. Your mother did not want to do it, but she knew she had no other choice. We all knew there was no other way the Queen would let you leave her side," Elijah said, regret clear in his tone.

The young witch glanced between them in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Rebekah bowed her head. "Your mother is not dying."

The girl before her did not respond. She was now a woman, Rebekah realized. The girl who had been such a slender young lady was now a shapely woman. Her face was more angular, her hips rounded, her breasts full, and her legs long. And she was no longer a virgin. Rebekah had been distraught when they had all decided to tell the lie, but she knew there was little else they could do to get Caroline out of court without going themselves, which they couldn't do since that would have left Auxor vulnerable.

"I received a letter two weeks ago saying the Duchesse d'Ebanne was dying. Her final wish was to see my face one more time," Caroline said slowly.

Rebekah grasped both Caroline's hands in her own. Elijah let go.

"We have reason to believe the castle and coven are in danger. Alix, Elijah, and I banded together to protect them, but we needed you here first. Alix told us that all those private lessons she gave you were actually in witchcraft," Rebekah said with raised eyebrows. "Apparently, you are a special kind of witch, with a very rare power."

Caroline looked at her in disbelief. "Alix swore me to secrecy to never tell a soul about my powers, and now she randomly decides to confide in her mortal enemies? Unbelievable. But that is immaterial at the moment. My husband and our entourage escorted me here. If you want to protect your precious secrets, you should compel them immediately, tell them there was a miracle – Alix has made a full recovery and we will stay awhile to ensure she remains well."

Rebekah looked at Elijah quickly. He whooshed away.

"Rebekah?" Caroline asked, her eyes full of tears. "What is going on?"

The vampire held the human in her arms. "I am so, so sorry, dear Caroline. There is an urgent threat to your people and your mother thought this was the only way Eleanor would let you return home."

"My mother is not dying?"

"No."

Caroline closed her eyes for a long moment before shaking her head and staring at a tapestry.

"Let's not talk of it anymore, then. What is this threat to the coven?"

"A tribe of warriors who fear witches is on their way to slaughter the coven. Elijah and I dread that our father Mikael may be leading them," Rebekah explained.

"Your father? What does he have against witches? Wasn't your mother one?"

"He must suspect we are here; friends of his children are enemies of his. We have doomed you all by staying here too long," Rebekah told her in a dejected tone. "He wants nothing more than to destroy us."

"His own children?" At this, Caroline looked at her friend.

"When he saw what monsters we had become, he regretted asking Esther to turn us," Rebekah explained bitterly. "He will stop at nothing to end us permanently. As he possesses the only weapon that can do that, we fear him."

"What weapon? I thought you were indestructible."

"Alas, we are not. The reason the daggers work on us is because they were dipped in White Oak ash. A stake made of the White Oak tree is the only weapon that can truly kill us. And Mikael has one."

"And you think I can help you? How?"

The answer came not from Rebekah. "Because of your powers."

Caroline turned to face the speaker. Alix d'Ebanne stood in the doorway in her finest cloths. She held her head high and her shoulders squared, but Caroline could detect the hint of fear and worry in her eyes. The threat must be very serious, she thought. But I must have my say before we figure this out.

"Bonjour, Maman. It's nice to see you after four years," she said calmly.

Alix nodded at her. "You have become a woman."

"Oh, yes. Not only has my body changed, I have wed and entered the marriage chamber. My mother allowed me to be handed over to that worthless boy. My mother forced me away from my home. My mother tortured me for a year after my father left. My mother taught me how to use my powers only to tell me to suppress them – unless, of course, the time came when she needed me to use them. Oh, Maman," Caroline continued coldly, a smirk on her lips, "I've so looked forward to seeing you again. I thought I came to visit you at your deathbed, but alas, not all dreams come true. And here we are."

A shadow flickered over Alix's face, but she did not otherwise betray her reaction to her daughter's ugly words. Rebekah looked between them anxiously.

"And I thought you had grown. It seems you are still a child," Alix said coolly.

Caroline sneered at her. "A child who was never given the proper training to live her life."

"I gave you all the tools you needed."

The daughter laughed. "You sent me to Paris to die."

"I sent you to Paris to learn!"

"Learn what? How to knit and gossip simultaneously? Oh, well, then, lesson learned; I'm ready for life."

"If you don't understand why I did what I did, then I must have failed as a mother."

"Oh, don't worry. I've known that for over five years now. It's no surprise."

A look of hurt crossed Alix's face. "And here we are," she repeated softly.

Caroline bristled, annoyed that she had the gall to appear hurt. "How dare you pretend to be the victim? You made me think you were dying! The entire journey here, I reckoned with my mixed feelings for you – while mourning you. What kind of immoral and savage person would do such a thing – to her own daughter, nonetheless!"

Alix looked down at the stone floor. "Caroline. There is a time and a place to discuss this. But Auxor is in trouble and it needs you. I will explain myself another," she began, but Caroline cut her off.

"No! You will explain now!" she roared, and suddenly, a wind blew through the room and Alix began choking. Rebekah stared at her in confusion until she saw Caroline's enraged and satisfied face.

"Caroline, you're killing her!" she shrieked, flashing to her friend.

"She's supposed to be dead!" Caroline snarled. Alix fell to her knees.

"Caroline! Stop! You will never forgive yourself if you kill your own mother!" Rebekah begged.

Caroline did not respond. Alix's face began turning blue as her eyes watered. Rebekah could hear her heart pounding and then slowing.

"I swear, Caroline, I will break your arm," the vampire threatened.

The witch's eyes narrowed; she released her spell's hold on her mother.

Alix let out a pitiful sound from the floor before choking out, "I knew I trained you well."

Rebekah looked at her in disgust before laying a hand on Caroline's arm. "I apologize that we deceived you, Caroline, but we all felt it was the only way."

Caroline shook her head. "I have already forgiven you and Elijah. With her," she explained, jerking her head towards the woman on the stone floor, "It goes a lot deeper."

"They will be here within the week. You know what you need to do," Alix coughed out. "Practice with Adelaide if you refuse to see me."

The daughter nodded curtly and swept out of the room. Rebekah glanced at Alix anxiously before following her friend.

Caroline marched towards her room with Rebekah at her side. Elijah caught up with them on the stairs.

"Your husband and his entourage will drink all week in celebration of the good news," he told them swiftly.

Caroline scoffed. "Great. At least he'll stay out of my hair. And bedchamber."

"Caroline? What is it you are tasked with doing? Alix never gave us details," Rebekah questioned cautiously.

The trio reached the second story of the castle and started climbing up to the third.

"All those times I was having secretive meetings with my mother and you thought she was giving me lessons in being a duchesse, she was teaching me about my powers," Caroline explained. "My family has always been more powerful than other witches; we often have skills that are…different. In my direct line, that is even more true. Alix needs me here because I have one skill she does not."

"Which is?" Elijah asked.

They had arrived at Caroline's bedchamber.

"You'll see soon enough," she said grimly. "Good night."

They spent six arduous days preparing. The coven, led by Alix and Sophia, cast wards around the castle and surrounding lands and trained tirelessly. The knights sharpened their lessons and practiced in the courtyard, with Elijah as their commander. Rebekah worked with the women, making tools and weapons. Caroline, who had refused her mother's help, was assisted by Adelaide in preparing herself for the battle. The two disappeared into the labyrinth of tunnels under the castle every day for hours and did not speak of the training once they resurfaced. Rebekah always greeted Caroline with mulled wine when she reemerged from the tunnels, as they were frigid and damp and smelt of rot. If Caroline knew Rebekah was adding her blood to the drink, she said nothing. But she always drank it.

On the seventh dawn, the guards in the highest turret spotted the small army as it made its way through a distant valley. They estimated it would take all day for them to arrive. The castle erupted into mayhem as everyone hurried to prepare traps, do last minute training, and the children and elders were ushered into the catacombs, thoroughly compelled. Caroline was in a meeting with the coven when Rebekah approached her.

"Caroline," she began quietly. "I'd like a word, if you can spare a moment?"

The blond had nodded and followed her out into the hallway.

"What is it?"

"At the same time we sent for you in Paris, we sent for someone else we knew we could depend on," Rebekah said.

"An ally? Someone who will be helpful in the battle?"

Rebekah smirked a bit at that. "He will be most useful in the battle, I assure you. In fact, I'm sure he'll enjoy it excessively. He's our brother Kol - another vampire. He's only just arrived."

Caroline nodded. "I look forward to meeting him. Was there anything else?"

"There's Niklaus."

A pair of tormented blue-green eyes flashed through Caroline's mind. Niklaus, the reason Rebekah and Elijah had come to Ebanne. "Yes?" she inquired politely.

"He is being kept in a dungeon in the catacombs, but Elijah and I are afraid that if our father Mikael is indeed leading this army, he will stop at nothing to end us all. We may need to sneak Niklaus out through the tunnels at one point. That does not mean we will abandon you. I believe Mikael will do his best to not harm any of the humans, as he only wants our death. The rest of the army, I'm not so sure about. If it gets to a point where we think Mikael may get the best of us, one of us will need to deal with Nik," the vampire explained.

"I understand, Rebekah. Family is sacred. At least, it is to you," Caroline said numbly, staring at a tapestry.

Rebekah frowned and put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Blood is not everything," she said fiercely. "My siblings and I were betrayed by our parents. We cling to each other more out of a shared history and fear of Mikael than anything else. It is not wrong to choose your family."

Caroline's eyes burned, but she blinked to force them dry. "I could choose your family," she murmured.

Rebekah looked at her in surprise, but before she could respond, Sophia appeared in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, but we need Caroline back at the meeting," she implored.

Caroline brushed past her friend and followed the witch back into the antechamber.

Dusk crept slowly over the rolling hills and valleys of Ebanne. Ironically, it was one of the most beautiful sunsets Rebekah had seen in this region. She stood at Caroline's side on the upper parapet looking down at the field below. Her enhanced vision saw the army was making its way through the woods on the north side. Alix stood next to her daughter. They were both in armor, and the last vestiges of the sun glinted off the metal brightly. Adelaide, Sophia, and the clan had hidden themselves in the western wood, waiting for Alix's signal. Elijah was below them on the lower parapet with the archers. No one made a noise. Until –

"You know, Rebekah, I was hoping for a great battle here. Seems to me your side has the enemies' horribly outnumbered," Kol said petulantly from Rebekah's left. Next to her, Caroline allowed herself a tiny smile.

"We've underestimated Mikael in the past, Kol. We knew not to do so again," she hissed at him.

"Father isn't that scary," he said breezily.

Rebekah scoffed at him. "Oh, please. I heard about you fleeing Constantinople when you thought he was in the city. You're all talk."

"Would you two please shut up?" Elijah said from the parapet a level below them. "I'm trying to hear their footfalls and gage their numbers," he hissed.

Kol rolled his eyes. Caroline smiled at the siblings' banter. It had only been three hours earlier that she had met this new brother, the messy-haired ruffian with a flair for flirtation, violence, and witches. He had marched into the great hall and gallantly bowed to her before taking her hand and giving it a dramatic kiss.

"My lady, I am at your service," he had announced pompously.

It was so absurd it made her giggle, and he had winked at her, making her realize that was his intention all along. She had taken an immediate liking to him.

"Just over five hundred, and mostly human," Elijah announced, pulling Caroline from her thoughts.

"Maybe this will be a little more exciting than I assumed," Kol responded, a gleeful look on his face. Alix shot him a look full of distaste.

Just minutes later, the army emerged from the woods and organized chaos commenced before Caroline's eyes.

"Volley!" screamed Elijah from below, and hundreds of arrows arched through the air and sliced into the incoming army.

Alix began mumbling under her breath, and a sudden fog settled over the field, cutting off visibility. This was the signal to the witches in the western wood, who set off a spell that made the earth rumble beneath the soldiers' feet, causing them to lose balance. As the men stumbled, Kol flashed away from Rebekah's side and down to the gate of the castle, where a horse awaited him. He climbed on and galloped towards the invaders, hundreds of knights on horseback charging after him. Elijah let his men continue firing until Kol's forces got too close to the opposition. The sound of metal clashing as swords struck against shields announced the battle had truly begun. From his vantage point, Elijah scanned the trees, his eyes narrowed. He turned towards Rebekah.

"Watch over Caroline!" he shouted to his sister amid the fighting. "Something is wrong." Rebekah nodded as he flashed away.

The witches began chanting a new curse as the field began to turn scarlet red from the blood of the men. Alix grabbed Caroline's arm and held it.

"It will be soon," she whispered in her ear.

Caroline shivered.

Rebekah descended to the archers' level while keeping an eye on mother and daughter.

"Kol is luring them towards the castle and its wards. On my order, we send another volley," she told the men, her blond plait falling over her shoulder.

Kol was having the time of his life on the field; having the chance to fight in such a challenging battle was exhilarating. He swung his sword expertly from atop his horse, keeping a running sum in his head of not only his kills, but of the entire battle. The vampire mind is an extraordinary thing, he thought to himself as he swerved quickly to narrowly avoid an ax.

Niklaus had had a very bad morning. He could tell for weeks that the castle had been in some sort of crisis, but no one had bothered to inform him what was going on. Neither of his siblings had been down to visit him in over a week, and the witches hadn't come to pick his brain for even longer than that. He was pretty sure it was now evening, but down in the dungeons, with only some of his wits about him, he couldn't be positive. The last person he had seen was a nervous maid who had pushed a large bowl of blood through his cell bars and shrieked in fear and run like the hounds were at her heels when he demanded to know what was going on. He was annoyed that his siblings had forgotten to compel her to not be afraid of him, an unfortunate lapse for both him and the girl. He wanted information. Ever since she'd run out, he'd been feeling quite lucid.

He ran his hands along the bars gently, knowing how easy it would be to break them in half, rip them from side to side, and be a free man. Except, of course for the witches' wards. There was no way out of here unless they were removed, or someone let him out.

A sudden sound made him frown at the ceiling of his prison. It had sounded like sword fighting. A lot of it. In fact, it didn't seem to be going away. Was there a battle being fought above ground?

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Alexander said from across the room, his arms crossed in front of him.

"Shut up," the vampire growled through gritted teeth.

Elijah stood on Alix's balcony on the opposite end of the castle and looked down. He had himself scaled this wall before, but he had been coming from another window in the castle. Mikael would be coming from the river…

But then he saw it. Darkness had fallen over the castle, but he could see a longboat anchored a way off the cliff, and rowing towards him fast was a skiff manned by five men. Over a dozen followed behind, all with over ten men in them. A dark-haired man stood at the bow of the first skiff, his hard stare piercing through Elijah like a knife. Cursing, the son flashed back into the castle.

A sudden wailing caught the invaders off-guard, giving Kol and the Ebanne knights an advantage. The witches had magicked their voices to sound like shrieking banshees. One soldier fell to his knees in agony, his hands over his ears as blood rushed out. The Ebanne men were immune.

"Attack the witches! They are in the woods to the west!" a captain shouted, pointing towards the coven.

The invaders changed direction, heading towards the area the captain had gestured towards. From above, Alix whitened.

"Now is the time, Caroline," she said softly. Caroline looked at her mother once before fixing her gaze at the field and bracing herself.

Elijah flashed down to the dungeons, ripping chains and locks off doors as he went. He silently cursed how many precautions they had taken to protect the human inhabitants of the castle. After what felt like fifteen minutes, but was probably closer to two, he reached the cell where his brother was held. Niklaus had both his hands wrapped around the bars and stared at his brother expectantly, as if he had been waiting.

"Elijah! So good to see you, brother," Niklaus said jovially.

Elijah ignored him and approached the cell door. "Niklaus," he began carefully, "I must release you from your cell. There is a battle raging above us and I could not leave you vulnerable down here."

Niklaus frowned. "I appreciate the concern, but I don't see how they could be a threat to us."

"They aren't. But the vampire I just spotted sneaking in the back way is most assuredly a threat to not just us, but the entire castle," Elijah said.

Niklaus' eyes grew wide. "Mikael," he whispered, his shoulders slumping down dejectedly.

"Yes. Brother, I need to release you, but you must promise you will stay at my side. I need to trust you."

His brother stared at him.

"Niklaus?" Elijah pressed, impatient.

His younger brother did something then that he did not expect; he smiled wistfully.

"Elijah, don't you think this has been going on for long enough now? It's been nearly thirty years since I killed those hunters, and still they haunt me. Thank you so much for all you and Rebekah have done and sacrificed for me, but maybe we should end this charade. Besides, Mikael wants me dead far more than any of you. He might just stop with me," he said passionately.

Elijah's blood would have run cold if it didn't already. "Niklaus. That's enough. We're getting you out of here," he said sharply.

His brother looked at him vaguely. Elijah lost his patience.

"I don't have time to feel sorry for you. I'm getting you out of here before Mikael kills us both," Elijah declared, ripping the door to the cell open, grabbing his brother roughly by the arm, and flashing them down a tunnel.

Caroline slowly left her mother's side and walked to the edge of the parapet. She looked back once at her mother before taking a deep breath and jumping off the edge.

"Caroline!" Rebekah shrieked from below her, but her scream turned into a gasp almost immediately.

The witch's body had twisted midair, engulfing her body in a blinding, silvery light. She dove into the bloody battlefield and erupted in a flame of light so bright black spots appeared in Rebekah's vision. All the soldiers on the field paused in shock and terror, convinced the end had come. The light faded to reveal a transformed Caroline. Her pale hair was longer. Her metal armor had been replaced with a dress of pure white silk. Her skin emitted a pearlescent sheen. She hovered above the scarlet grass as she glided amidst the men. She was too perfect, almost inhuman. Ethereal and striking, but also distant and foreboding. The soldiers on the parapet and the coven in the woods watched in awe as men on both sides kneeled before her, as they wept and stared and trembled. Rebekah could see in their faces that they thought they were being visited by an angel. She ripped her eyes away to look at Alix, who wore a proud and satisfied smile. Rebekah flashed over to her.

"What is she doing to them?" she asked.

"She is showing them how they will die," Alix replied softly.

Rebekah inhaled sharply.

Caroline watched the soldiers bow at her feet. They gazed at her like she was a queen, an angel, a god. Their God. When she had first found out she had the power to show people their final moments of life, she had been horrified, but Alix had insisted she learn how to control it. To be seen as she was now made her feel slightly sick, especially since she was witnessing the same visions she was showing all the soldiers. But she and her mother had agreed that wielding her darkest power was the only way to end the battle quickly with the least amount of bloodshed and send the invaders on their way with fear in their hearts. She glided to the end of the throng and then turned to face them.

"Go," she said, her voice lofty, but forceful. "Leave this place and ne'er return. Forget you know the name Auxor. Forget Ebanne. You found no coven; witches do not exist. Go back to your families and watch over your children."

One by the one, the invaders rose to their feet in a trance, climbed onto their horses, and left the field. Some looked back at their goddess, to catch a final glance at her beauty and power.

Finally, the last of the invading army was gone.

Rebekah flashed down the battlefield to her brother's side. The men all looked pretty dazed, but only several were wounded and even less dead. Kol was sat on his horse and staring at Caroline, whose angelic appearance had faded. She glanced around at the battlefield before turning away and heading into the woods.

"Kol," Rebekah said sharply.

He snapped his head away from the blond girl and looked at his sister.

"What was that?" he questioned dazedly. "I saw - "

Rebekah shook her head. "There isn't time for that now. I think Mikael is coming up from the river."

Kol's face tensed and he dismounted. "A sneak attack?" he asked.

"Does that surprise you, brother?"

"Not in the least."

Sophia watched Caroline in awe as she made her way across the battlefield. She looked drained, weary in a way that seemed more mental and emotional than physical. Her eyes were dark. When she reached the woods, Sophia ran to her to help her walk.

"I think it worked, Aunt," the blond whispered softly to Adelaide. "Did Alix see me?"

Sophia's mother beamed at her niece, but there was sadness in her eyes. They had asked much of Caroline - perhaps too much. "Yes, my dear. The magic was pure and powerful. Your mother is very proud."

Caroline nodded. "I'm glad."

Rebekah and Kol were about to flash off into the castle when Elijah appeared next to Alix on the upper parapet.

"He's coming from the river! It's all vampires; prepare!" he shouted to his siblings, throwing a large canvas bag down to Kol, who caught it.

Beside Elijah, Alix paled and immediately started scanning the field below for her daughter.

Kol remounted his horse and began assembling the men.

"We are about to face a smaller, but highly skilled set of warriors. They will come from the river! Do not underestimate these men! Only these weapons will kill them with a direct stab to the heart!" Kol instructed, opening the bag and tossing stakes to the knights.

Rebekah flashed into the woods. The witches were tending to Caroline, who looked exhausted.

"That attack was only a diversion. The real enemy is coming from the river. An army of vampires," she told them.

Adelaide grimaced. "What must we do?"

"Start off by giving the knights some light. Then prepare for battle, because you are a far stronger army against vampires than the human men. Besides sunlight and decapitation, only stakes to the heart will kill a vampire, but you can use your powers against them. They are vulnerable to your powers," Rebekah told her.

"What about Caroline?" Sophia demanded from behind them.

Rebekah and Adelaide shared a look.

"Get her out of here," Adelaide told her.

"Maman?" Sophia questioned.

"She's too weak right now; Rebekah will protect her."

Rebekah went to Sophia's side and took Caroline in her arms. "I promise I'll keep her safe," she told the young witch. Sophia nodded reluctantly and allowed her friend to be taken away.

"Take her into the catacombs," Sophia suggested.

Rebekah flashed into the castle courtyard and to the stables where there was an entrance into the labyrinth of tunnels. Just as she and Caroline were about to enter, Elijah appeared in front of them.

"I released Niklaus from the dungeon. He's down there, alone," he said.

"Alone?" Rebekah repeated.

"I had to leave him so I could warn you that Mikael was here. I should stay up here and help Kol fight and make sure Mikael doesn't find the catacombs. We'll meet up with you where the tunnels reaches the river; Maria has a carriage and horses waiting for us there."

Rebekah shook her head. "I'll get Nik to the carriage, but I promised to look after Caroline. I won't leave her side until Mikael is gone," she said.

Elijah did not look pleased with her decision.

"We don't have time to argue about this, Elijah! Return to the battlefield!" she said crossly, shoving past him with Caroline cradled in her arms.

He sighed before flashing back to the field.

Moments later, Alix burst through the trees with brambles in her hair. The witches had lit fires all around the field and were now breaking trees branches into makeshift stakes.

"Adelaide! Where is my daughter?" she demanded.

Adelaide turned to face her sister. "I had Rebekah bring her into the catacombs. She was greatly weakened by that episode."

Alix went red. "The vampires' father is here; he is capable of killing them. Rebekah is not enough protection."

"I did what I thought was best, Alix," Adelaide said calmly, refocusing on the battle.

"Rebekah? Where are we going?" Caroline said as they made their way down the tunnel.

"We're going to get Nik, and bring him to the river," Rebekah told her grimly.

"I'm sorry I'm weak; I've never used my power on so many people at once," Caroline said.

"I'll get you resting soon, I promise. Nik! Nik, where are you?" Rebekah called into the darkness.

"You should leave me here and go find your brother," Caroline suggested. "Family..."

"Absolutely not, Caroline. We'll find him. And what did I tell you before about choosing your family? Do not assume I would chose Niklaus over you."

Aboveground, the vampires descended on the battlefield. They crawled over the castle walls and emerged like giant bats in the night sky. Fangs and veins out, they flashed towards the army. The archers shot arrows at them to no avail, and the knights below crossed themselves before clutching their weapons tightly. The witches left the woods and entered the battlefield, ready to defend their land.

A tall vampire climbed onto the upper parapet and strode confidently across to the edge. His veins were not out, but he exuded a dark energy and malice. Alix could feel his darkness all the way from the battlefield, and it was far worse than the darkness in his children. He smiled grandly when he spotted his sons.

Elijah also felt his father's presence and turned to face him. Mikael locked eyes with his eldest child and inclined his head slightly.

Elijah spat on the ground. He climbed across the castle walls, then stood to face his father.

"Mikael. I would say welcome to Auxor, but I'm afraid no one invited you here," he said.

"My children are so ungrateful to their parents. We only want what is best for you, Elijah," Mikael pleaded.

Elijah scoffed. "It is your fault we are like this!"

"Yes. It is," Mikael said mournfully. "And it is our duty to fix you."

"You mean destroy us," Elijah said before raising his sword. Mikael raised his own and lunged forward. Metal clashed against metal as father fought son.

Rebekah paused and held out an arm to stop Caroline, who had insisted on walking herself.

"What is it?" Caroline questioned.

"Nik?" Rebekah said into the darkness of the tunnel.

"Sister?" came a quiet voice.

Rebekah thrust her torch forwards. Niklaus was leaning against the wall of the tunnel and his head was bent down. He looked ill.

"Nik! Are you alright?" Rebekah said anxiously.

He looked at her vaguely. "I don't think I'm meant to be here," he said softly.

"No, you're not. I'm bringing you to a carriage, and we're going to get you out of here," Rebekah said, pulling his arm. Supporting Caroline on one side and her brother on the other, the vampire made her way down the tunnel, listening to Caroline's quiet instructions on where to turn.

Kol ripped his opponent's heart out with blood pumping through his veins in excitement. Meeting his father's gaze across the field, he saluted him with the heart before bringing it to his lips. Mikael's lip curled, but he was soon distracted by Elijah's blade, which swung forward forcefully.

"Your witches are highly skilled. I hope they are not presumptuous enough to dabble in the dark arts," Mikael commented as they fought.

"They are not our witches. They are defending their home," Elijah snarled back.

"Witches and vampires do not work together unless the witches have been threatened by the blood-drinkers."

Elijah raised a brow. "That may be how you work, Father, but I am a gentleman."

"Where is your bastard half-brother, Elijah? Where are you hiding him?" Mikael hissed as their swords clanged.

"Hiding him? I don't understand what you mean. Niklaus is perfectly capable of looking after himself," Elijah feigned, his heart fearful.

Mikael smirked. "I have eyes and ears everywhere, son. I know he's been cursed. I know you and Rebekah keep him under lock and key. He is here; I know it."

Elijah shrugged. "He may be. It actually doesn't matter. No matter how much you hunt us, you will never win. You gave us a common enemy all those decades ago, and now, we will always be united against you."

"Even Finn?" Mikael said drily, and Elijah knew he knew what had happened to Finn.

"Finn is no longer a concern for either of us," he said airily.

Alix rushed through the catacombs, ripping her armor off as she went. She had to find her daughter and hold her in her arms and make sure she was alright after her ordeal. If the vampire took Caroline away from Auxor, she would never see her again. At least, not as a human. There were so many things she needed to explain, and she had a foreboding feeling her heart. Something terrible was about to happen.

"Caroline? Rebekah?" she called out into the dark passageways. There was no response. She heard nothing. Despair seized at her, but she fought it down. It would serve no one. She shed the last of the armor and set off into the earth, the torch she carried casting shadows across the tunnel walls.

Mikael knew it was a waste of time to continue fighting Elijah; his ultimate was killing Niklaus, and obviously none of his children would betray his whereabouts. He'd have to find another source. As their swords smashed together, Mikael looked for an opening. He had trained Elijah how to fight and knew his weaknesses. Sure enough, Elijah slipped up and he was able to stab his son to shock him before quickly turning his neck until he collapsed to the ground. He reached into his pouch and pulled out his prized possession: the White Oak stake. He raised his arm to kill his once-beloved son –

"Nooooooo!" Kol raged, ramming into his father.

Mikael stumbled, but kept a firm grip on the stake. He raised it towards Kol. Kol's eyes widened.

"It will only hurt for a moment, son," Mikael rasped.

Kol threw his sword at his father then flashed to his unconscious brother and carried him over the castle wall. Mikael had narrowly avoided the blade but knew he would not be able to follow his sons since he did not have permission to enter the castle.

He snapped his head around looking for someone who could be of assistance. He chose an archer who was battling one of his vampires along with three others. He grabbed him and shoved him against the wall.

"Who is the lord of the castle?" he compelled.

"Lord? What lord?" the man said confusedly. Mikael growled and threw the man to the ground. He grabbed another.

"Is there another vampire who is in this castle? He may be locked away," he demanded of the knight.

"Vampire? I know not what that is," the man said.

Mikael hissed, realizing his mistake. All of the men had been compelled. In fact, the entire castle had probably been compelled. His wretched children were too clever for their own good.

Rebekah breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the gently lapping waves of the river. They had reached the end of the tunnels. As the trio emerged from the darkness and onto the starlit riverbed, Rebekah spotted the carriage and horses in the woods nearby. One of their vampires flashed to them, a thirty-year-old Italian named Maria. She looked tense.

"My lady, the battle worsens. I have been listening from here, and do not think this will end well for the humans," she said bluntly.

Caroline flinched, causing Rebekah to scowl at the young vampire.

"That's enough, Maria," she snapped. "Help me get Klaus on the carriage."

The two helped him onto the carriage before Rebekah pulled Maria away to discuss where he should be brought and how long they would wait for Kol and Elijah. Caroline sat in the carriage opposite the vampire and stared at him without seeing him. He could tell her mind was far away.

"What the hell is going on back there?" he asked.

She started, as if unaware of his presence. "We have been fighting an army of men that seeks to destroy my coven. And now your father has arrived with an army of vampires. He wants to kill you."

Niklaus chuckled darkly. "He's always wanted to kill me. He's hated me since I was a child, even before he knew I wasn't his natural son."

"I meant your whole family. All your siblings, not you specifically," Caroline amended softly.

"Where are my brothers?" he said, changing the subject.

"To my knowledge, still fighting."

Niklaus closed his eyes and shook his head. "Fighting for what? None of it matters. We're all going to die. We should never have existed in the first place. We're abominations. Me especially. I'm no use to anyone anymore."

"Do you think so?" Caroline questioned. "What a selfish thing to say."

The vampire opened his eyes and looked at the woman in the darkness of the carriage. "This curse has lasted thirty years now. It's never going away; it was a permanent curse, meant to last as long as my life. I am being punished for what I am. What I have been made."

"Is it such a curse, though?" Caroline pondered.

He stared at her incredulously. "Doth the lady jest?"

She blushed slightly but held her ground. "I couldn't begin to imagine what you're going through, but that's not what I meant. I was thinking of your siblings."

He furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Rebekah told me you all have a difficult relationship. But all I have seen since first meeting her and Elijah is a brother and sister who would do anything to save their brother. And then today I saw the prodigal brother return to his family to protect the older brother who never took him seriously. Your curse has reunited your family. It has strengthened the bond between you all. It has forced Rebekah to grow fiercer, for Elijah to step up his responsibility as oldest brother, and for Kol to adopt matureness he'd never had before. It may not be easy for you, but I can't say it hasn't mattered and that you are of no use. The curse made your siblings realize how much they love you and each other, even if they would never admit it out loud. There's more than your suffering in this situation."

Niklaus was at a loss for words.

Kol flitted through the tunnels as fast as he could with Elijah in his arms. He could smell Caroline, Rebekah, and Nik and followed their scents through the twisting, insidious passageways. It was a shame they were leaving so soon. He would have liked to get to know some of those witches. Impressive lot, they were.

Faster than he thought possible, he burst through the end of the catacombs and his feet touched grass. He spotted his sister and Maria in deep discussion under a tree, not far from the horses and carriage, where he saw the silhouettes of Niklaus and Caroline. A few hundred yards down the riverbed lay the skiffs Mikael had used to bring his army from the longboat that was anchored offshore.

"Kol! What happened? Is he-?" Rebekah worried, rushing to her brothers.

"He's fine, sister. Just a neck snap," he reassured her. "What's the plan? Race off into the night in that wagon? Because Mikael is a good deal faster than two horses."

Rebekah frowned. "Our intention was to go to Catalonia."

"That's fine, but in that? I think not," Kol said, shaking his head.

"Do you have a better idea?" Rebekah snapped rhetorically.

Her brother grinned broadly. "Actually, I do."

Mikael growled furiously as another human proved to be useless to him. The witches on the battlefield were getting the best of his men. He would love to have them join his forces, but they seemed pretty attached to his offspring, which was unfortunate for all parties.

He knew his children weren't stupid enough to barricade themselves in the castle and wait like sitting ducks. They had to be making their escape; the only question was from which direction. He scaled the castle wall and climbed to the top of a turret. He would not be able to enter the castle's boundaries, including the bailey and courtyards. He scanned the lands surrounding the great castle. The field lay ahead to the north, woods both east and west, and the river, where his longboat waited, flanked the south end of the castle. He frowned at the road along the river, his mind racing.

"You're crazy," Rebekah said flatly.

"Just crazy enough to pull it off?" Kol said with a smile.

"He's going to catch you. At least in the carriage you can disappear easily. He can follow the longboat along the river. Not very subtle."

"Ah, but if he thinks we're on the boat…and we're not," Kol said. "Then it gets a little trickier."

"What do you mean Kol?" Rebekah asked, exasperated.

"We'll abandon it for smaller vessel in a few hours. If and when he does follow his ship, it will be empty."

Rebekah looked at the longboat anchored in the river. She appraised at the carriage. Her gaze turned towards Elijah, still unconscious on the grass, Niklaus sitting in the carriage with Caroline, both of them looking shaken, and at Maria, who stood a few paces away from the siblings, waiting for instruction. She made her decision.

"Do it. I'll get Caroline back in the catacombs and when Mikael and his army leave, I'll meet you at the Catalonia house," she said.

Kol's eyes widened. He had clearly expected her to fight him more.

"We need to move fast," she said.

Kol nodded and turned to Maria. "Prepare the ship. You, Elijah, Niklaus, and I are going on a trip," he instructed. She nodded and flashed into the river, swimming fast towards the ship.

"Can you get Niklaus on a skiff? I'll move Elijah," he asked his sister.

She nodded and flashed to the carriage.

"Nik? You, Elijah, and Kol are going to head down the river," she said gently.

He was bent over in the carriage and pulling at his ashy curls.

"Henrik, Henrik, Henrik," he chanted lowly.

"Niklaus!" she scolded.

His head snapped up and he looked at her wildly.

"You're leaving now. Kol, Elijah, and Maria will take care of you."

His eyes slid over to Caroline, a question in his eyes.

"Caroline is staying here. This is her home," Rebekah told him softly.

He frowned. Caroline smiled at him. "It will be alright. Maybe our paths will cross again someday," she said.

"Nik, come on now."

He reluctantly stood and climbed out of the carriage. He turned to catch a final glance at the blond Frenchwoman before following his sister to the skiffs.

"I'll switch ships about ten miles down and we'll take the Garonne all the way to the border. Then we'll proceed on horseback," Kol told his sister.

"I'll ride to the sea and head by ship," she said.

"Very good."

"Farewell, brother," Rebekah said.

"Good luck, sister," Kol said before pushing the skiff holding his brothers in it out into the water, hopping on, and rowing quickly towards the longboat, where Maria was hoisting the anchor.

Rebekah turned and flashed to the carriage. Caroline had climbed out to watch the men depart, but she looked so pale.

"Come, Caroline. I'm bringing you back into the tunnels so we can hide from Mikael and his army."

"But. The witches. The knights. Maria said…" Caroline said worriedly.

"Maria does not know what she's talking about. That coven of witches is the strongest I've ever seen. They will defeat Mikael's horde," Rebekah said firmly, guiding her back towards the caves.

Mikael was certain if they took any road, it would be the south road along the river. Elijah was unconscious and Niklaus was unstable. They couldn't just run off into the night. They needed a carriage. He stared climbing over the castle walls, searching for any suspicious activity. When he reached the southern wall, his eyes narrowed in on a lone woman emerging from a cave. She was running fast towards two women, both with long blond hair. One of them was supporting the other. He smiled darkly.

"Caroline! What is wrong with her?" Alix asked anxiously as she ran to her daughter and the vampire.

"She was greatly weakened by that attack. She needs rest," Rebekah assured the mother.

"Give her to me; I will see to her," Alix demanded, her arms open.

Caroline cringed away from her mother.

"Alix, please. I am bringing her back into the tunnels. She will be fine," Rebekah argued.

Alix opened her mouth to argue but was cut off.

"Ladies! There's no need to bicker. I'm sure we can all figure out a solution here," Mikael said, stepping out of the trees and into the clearing.

The three women froze. He smirked and continued walking, circling around them.

"This is a curious situation you've landed yourself in, daughter," he said casually.

Rebekah glared at him. "They're gone. They've already left, and I have no idea where they went."

"Your mother taught you from a very young age to never lie, Rebekah. Don't take me for a fool," he warned.

"I'll take you for what you are, old man," she snarled back.

"A fool? Me? The father who always finds his children no matter how fast they run, how hard they hide? I think not," he said gently, still circling the women.

"Your sons are gone. Leave my castle alone," Alix said.

Mikael's eyes widened. "Oh, so this is your castle! Apologies for the mess, but it was necessary. I'll be leaving shortly."

He started to flash towards them, but Alix used her magic to shock his brain. He fell to the ground in agony.

Rebekah suddenly heard a voice in her head.

Bring Caroline to our family's crypt. He cannot follow you there. It was Alix.

Alix wasn't even looking at her. Her hard gaze was fastened on Mikael; she raised her arms and forced him against a tree with her telepathic powers. Rebekah took Caroline in her arms. Just as she reached the entrance of the cave, Mikael flashed before her.

"Leave the human out of this, Rebekah," he said curtly.

Rebekah placed Caroline on the ground slowly, her eyes never leaving Mikael.

"Even if you manage to kill me, Father, my brothers will never stop hunting you for doing it," she warned.

He pulled the White Oak Stake out again and watched as a spasm of fear flashed across her face. She did not let it consume her, straightening her shoulders and glaring at him defiantly. He was proud she would face death so bravely.

"That's what I'm hoping for," he said. He lunged forward, but Rebekah sidestepped him. Alix rushed to Caroline's side and began helping her up. Rebekah flashed around them, narrowly evading the deadly stake as her father swung it wildly.

"Don't you want to see your mother again?" he questioned as he snagged her cloak, ripping it off her back.

"That old hag? Not particularly," she mocked, inwardly fearful. He had backed her into the rocky side of the cave.

"I will be sad to see you go, daughter. But I'm glad your cursed existence will be over," he said soberly.

She spat at his feet. He raised the stake. Rebekah kept her eyes open. He brought the weapon down hard and fast until it penetrated the warm, beating heart.

Mikael blinked in bewilderment. The human girl stood before him, the White Oak Stake deep in her human heart. She had jumped in front of his daughter at the last moment and taken the blow for her.

"Caroline!" Rebekah screamed.

Alix let out a blood-curdling wail of agony. Mikael pulled the stake out and stared at the girl, shocked. A bubble of blood dripped from her mouth before she fell. Rebekah caught her, biting into her own wrist to give her blood to the girl, but simultaneously trying to drag her body away from Mikael. The blood was missing the girl's mouth and the wound continued to bleed profusely as Rebekah let her panic overwhelm her.

"I didn't – I wasn't," Mikael stuttered, looking towards the brunette woman who was obviously the girl's mother. She had turned white. "Silly girl," he muttered.

Rebekah glared up at her father with hatred as she wept openly. She had managed to pour blood into the girl's mouth, but they both knew it was too late. Mikael's aim was very precise.

"Was it not enough to ruin your own family?" she snarled venomously.

He gaped at her. Suddenly, he was thrown against the side of cave, repeatedly. The girl's mother was using her powers on him again.

"Bring her to the crypt, Rebekah," Alix said softly, her eyes still on Mikael. She sent powerful shocks into his brain again until he screamed in agony.

Rebekah picked Caroline up and flashed into the catacombs without another glance at her father.

Elijah came to gasping on the deck of the ship. He took in his surroundings confusedly. It was night. Maria was at the helm of the longboat, her eyes focused on the dark waters. Kol was standing a few feet away from him.

"We're heading down the Garonne," Kol supplied. "In a few miles, we're switching to a smaller vessel."

"Whose ship is this?" Elijah questioned.

Kol grinned. "Why, you didn't think I would leave Father without taking a parting gift, did you?"

Elijah's eyes widened. "You stole Mikael's ship?! We're supposed to be running from him!"

"I know. This plan is risky and crazy and a little bit stupid: it's my plan. He's never understood how I think, nor appreciated my schemes. He'll think carefully like you and Nik. He'll assume we're taking a road. That's why it actually has a chance of working."

"Until he returns to his skiffs and sees that his ship is missing. I think he'll catch on pretty quickly then," Elijah said drily.

"Don't worry so much. He'll be following an empty vessel in a few hours. Now that you're awake, our crew has gone up from two to three," Kol said brightly. "Seeing as Nik is in no state to be sailing."

Elijah rolled his eyes and spotted Niklaus on the other side of the ship, looking down into the water.

"Rebekah?" he questioned worriedly.

"She's staying with Caroline. She'll ride to the sea once Mikael leaves and then she'll take a ship down to the castle."

Elijah nodded wordlessly. It was true that if he had not been compromised, they would never have risked such a plan. But he had to admit, Kol's scheme was not without merit.

Alix slammed the vampire into the rocks until he was covered in blood.

"You think your children are such abominations, but have you ever looked in a mirror at yourself? At your wife? She was the one who cursed them," she snarled.

"I never meant for this to happen," he said.

"You chose the wrong duchy to terrorize," Alix said.

"I will leave and never return. I only wanted to deal with my children."

"I don't think I'll be giving you that chance," Alix said.

She stopped slamming him into the wall and strode over to him, where he lay crumbled up in a ball.

"Besides, how would you leave?" she smirked, gesturing towards the river.

He looked. His longboat was gone. They had escaped using his own ship. Before he had time to think about that, he heard low chanting coming from every direction. The rest of the witches had arrived, implying that his horde was destroyed. They surrounded him on all sides.

"We're not quite done with you, Vampyre," Alix said from above him, her eyes blackened with absolute grief.

Rebekah held the girl to her and sobbed. Losing Caroline was unthinkable. They had gained so much at Auxor, and it was all because of the fragile, blond, pale creature in her arms. Her first real friend.

The tomb was dark and smelt of rot, the corpses of past members of the Ebanne family decaying all around the Original Vampire. She couldn't let their line end now. Caroline must live to see another day, to see an infinite amount of days. She was destined for greatness. She was destined to be a queen. She was better than Rebekah in all ways, and Rebekah could not fail her now.

She had been so fastidious about giving her blood to Caroline in the mulled wine every day since the girl had returned to Auxor. Unfortunately, she had not had a chance to that morning. She feared the blood from the day before would not be enough to turn her friend. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do now, but wait.

Above her, silence had descended on the castle. Her eyes fell on a statue of the Virgin, hovering over a crypt that had been erected long ago. And then Rebekah did something she hadn't done since she was a human girl. She closed her eyes and she prayed to the spirits. She prayed her brothers were safe. She prayed the witches were alive. She prayed the humans had fought off Mikael's forces. She prayed the keep was not breached. She prayed Mikael didn't kill Alix as well. Most of all, she prayed that Caroline woke up.

"Please," she cried. "She's my only friend. She's the best part of me. Please, save her. Let her live. After all this, everything we've had to suffer through. After all I have endured. Please..."

She bent her head over Caroline and wept quietly, still whispering under her breath.

Hours later and many miles away, Elijah and Klaus were on the deck of the new, smaller ship, heading southeast as fast as the wind and tide could take them. Maria was at the helm once more and Kol was high in the crow's nest, keeping a lookout for anything suspicious.

"Elijah," Klaus whispered.

His brother looked at him, stunned.

"Niklaus? What is it?"

"The girl. The girl, where is she?"

Elijah furrowed his brow. "Caroline?"

"The girl who was always with you and Rebekah."

"That's Caroline."

"Is she alive?"

Elijah shook his head sadly. "I do not know. Rebekah stayed to look after her, but she was greatly weakened by that spell she used on the invaders," he said. "And Kol said he heard fighting on the riverbed soon after we left." A sudden thought occurred to him and a hopeful look crossed his face.

"What is it?" Niklaus asked.

"Rebekah wanted to turn her years ago, but Caroline was only 13 at the time. Her mother and I prevented it. I am fairly certain Bekah was secretly giving Caroline her blood in the days leading up to the battle," Elijah told him thoughtfully.

"I just hope she keeps her light," Klaus said wearily before falling into a stupor.

Elijah watched him sleep, lost in his own thoughts. No matter what happened next, he knew without a doubt that Caroline d'Ebanne had left an indelible mark on all of them.

Several more hours had passed, but Rebekah still clung onto Caroline. New tears continuously crept over the dried stains on her cheeks. The walls of the crypt seemed to be closing in on her from all sides, an unfortunate phobia Rebekah had had since childhood that only returned at her weakest moments.

She wondered if the witches had indeed defeated the vampires. The coven hadn't fought vampires ever before, but they were capable of it. It was possible they had beaten them, but she wasn't sure how Alix would fare against Mikael.

A torch flickered on the other side of crypt. She wasn't sure how many hours had gone by, but she knew time was almost up. Caroline would either awaken soon and be forced to choose, or she was truly gone, meaning Rebekah had been waiting for naught. She could only accept one scenario.

She closed her eyes to keep her fear from immobilizing her. She imagined the open sea, trying to smell the salt instead of the stench of death and decay invading her nostrils. The rolling hills of England, the golden fields of Tuscany. Anything but a damp underground crypt that housed every fear she'd ever had. Claustrophobia. Losing her family. Losing her best friend.

The fear of death.

And then, the girl in her arms jolted back to life. Her eyes were black as pitch, her cheeks pale and her breathing erratic. She looked like she had climbed through hell to return to this plane. Perhaps she had.

Lady Fortinbeau, the wife and daughter, noblewoman and witch, was dead. Caroline d'Ebanne had mastered death.

She stared up at Rebekah, her expression a mix of removed acceptance, grief, and wonder. When she spoke, she did not ask. She knew.

"I'm a vampire."