Chapter Ten

Your Last

The Congo, Sub-Saharan Africa

1308

Abambe opened her eyes to a new world.

Or so it seemed. Every color was deeper and more vibrant. The orchestra of the jungle, wildlife sounds she had known all her life, was changed. She could make out nuances she'd never noticed in all her thirty years. She stared up at a night sky filled with stars and constellations she had never before seen.

"Welcome back, Queen Abambe," a voice said to her right.

She flinched in surprise, then started when she realized she'd jumped to her feet with superhuman agility. Two palefaces watched her. Both were at least ten years younger than her, yet there was an aged wisdom in their eyes. The woman nervously toyed with luscious hair that shone like a moonbeam, but stopped when her darker-featured companion placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Back from what?" Abambe questioned. She had just finished negotiating a peace treaty with her tribe's greatest foe after many years of war, and was returning home with her entourage - and newly gifted husbands. The last thing she remembered was going to sleep after a long night of celebrating.

"Caroline has been observing you for many months now. She holds you in high esteem, as do I. I encouraged her to make you her first progeny," the man explained in a foreign accent. She might not have picked up on it - but that was before.

"Progeny?" repeated Abambe. Her throat was sore. She felt...thirsty.

"I didn't want you to have a normal human life," said the woman - Caroline. "You already achieved greatness and could be even greater in immortality."

They were witches. She'd had dealings with covens before, and as a warrior queen, had grudgingly accepted their usefulness in times of great need, though she preferred a more direct approach in her reign. She'd heard tell of immortals, but up until now had believed them to be legends.

"Whatever witchcraft you have used on me, undo it," she stated flatly. "Magic always comes with a price."

"We are not witches," the man clarified. "We are vampires."

She did not understand the word.

"I can't undo it," Caroline added fretfully. "But you can chose to move on."

Before Abambe could question this, a pitiful noise came from her left. One of her new husbands, a symbol of peace, was lying on the ground bleeding from a wound to his neck. She could tell from his labored breathing that death was near.

Then the sweetest fragrance imaginable hit her nostrils. Every nerve in her body stood on end as her vision focused on the dark liquid spurting from his throat.

"Whether or not you drink from him, your life as a mortal is over," Caroline continued. "Withhold, and you die. Drink, and you complete the transition."

The queen approached the dying man slowly. "You mean, there is more to this life than everything I have ever known?"

"So much more. Kol and I will help you."

Abambe kneeled beside the young man and slid her index finger across his wound. She stared down at the blood, the urge to drink all-consuming.

"I accept."

Seventeen years later.

Kol attempted to remain calm as he flitted through the dark green abyss that had been his sanctuary for twenty-one years. A heavy fog curling from the damp earth cast a sense of foreboding over the jungle, seeming to feed off his anxiety as he ran. The news he had heard on the trade road was catastrophic. It meant a total upheaval of the life he had built here – the life they had built here. It would all have to be abandoned. Caroline would be as reluctant to leave as he was, but they had no choice.

He came to sudden stop as he reached their isolated treehouse - home. The three main structures – house, study, and workroom – twisted around the thick tree trunks and up into the canopies, connected by rope bridges. Without vampire agility, it was virtually impossible to access. They traveled east to hunt very discreetly among the river tribes only when they needed to, and never killed, so as not to call attention to themselves. On a daily basis, it was more likely they'd run into a white rhino or a black jaguar than a human being. As two former witches, it had been relatively easy to form an alliance with the nearby covens - especially since they weren't leaving a slew of bodies along the Nile.

Caroline's groan of annoyance drifted down from one of the upper balconies, interrupting his reflections. He could see her profile from this angle. She was bent over her desk, quill in hand and the other running through her blond locks in frustration as she stared down at a piece of parchment. She was writing. It was the only thing that made her so irritated.

He silently observed her, wanting to savor one last moment of pure peace. When he had found Caroline in Cairo all those years ago, he'd first assumed her humanity had been turned off. But he had quickly realized her vicious, bloodthirsty rampages were fueled not by boredom, but by deep, agonizing loss. Ending her affair with Saladin had sent her into a terrible depression that had her questioning her life's purpose. It was something he understood. While Niklaus hated their mother for blocking his werewolf side, Kol had silently harbored similar feelings about being cut off from his magic. He had loved being a witch when he was human, and to have that part of him ripped away was excruciating. They had gone crazy together in Cairo, killing and maiming and striking fear into the heart of the city. When the excitement of bloodshed wore off, they travelled south deep into the jungle, befriended the witches, and built their treehouse.

Queen Abambe had left their company only three years after turning. He was fond of the queen, but it was a relief to have Caroline all to himself again. She was a far better companion than any of his melodramatic siblings. They swapped stories about their lives after Spain, bonded over the mutual loss of their magic, and were both very good at being in each other's company without feeling the need to fill the silence with superfluous chatter. They would both feel grief leaving this place. It had sheltered them from the horrors of the world and their own personal traumas for a very short score. Though they'd always been close, their bond had become unbreakable.

A feeling of dread sunk upon him as he climbed up.

"Are we meeting with the witches tonight?" he asked quietly once he had reached the balcony.

Kol had originally come to the continent in the search for powerful covens who would hopefully help him become a witch-vampire hybrid. It was his greatest secret - one he had only shared with Caroline after several months of living together. No one else knew of his desire to reawaken his magic. Most witches he'd found in the past were adamant that as an undead creature, he could never access his powers again, but these covens were not quite so pessimistic. Several times a month, they tried to reconnect him to the spirits.

Caroline shook her head and continued to scratch at the parchment. "They went to help a girl who got sick in a neighboring village. We'll see them again in a few days."

"That's fine. Do you want to travel south and look for those plants you need? We can be back before dusk if we hurry," he suggested, glancing around nervously.

She frowned at him, looking up from her parchment. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing."

She raised a brow. "You can't lie to me, Kol."

Kol sighed in defeat. "Darling, I hate being the bearer of bad news, but our time here is up. I heard the traders talking on the road about a group of menacing palefaces and witches, led by a man of great power. He's very near."

"Mikael?"

"Who else?" He shrugged helplessly.

Caroline paused, gazing into the trees as she considered it. "Could be Niklaus."

He scoffed. "It could be, but I'm not taking any chances."

"But do you think he can track us here? We're so far from civilization," she argued. "The jungle is so dense."

"Darling, I assure you, he can find us," he said before sitting next to her. "I'm sorry, Care. I have known a peace living here with you I doubt I'll ever find again, but if it is Mikael coming, we must run. My siblings would dagger me if I got you killed. I suppose I'd miss you, too," he teased.

She slapped his arm before sobering.

"We have to leave immediately, then?" she asked glumly.

"I'm afraid so, love," he said, rising to his feet and offering her his hand. She took it and together, they crossed one of the rope bridges to the main living area.

"I'm not sure what to bring," she confessed as she looked around at their possessions. "We built everything here. I hate to think of anyone else living in our home."

"How would they reach it?" he asked rhetorically, stuffing books and papers into a bag.

"True," she agreed with a frown before turning towards her bedroom.

"Have you seen my-?" Kol began, but a sudden knock on the door made the words die in his throat. They exchanged an anxious glance. Before either could move a muscle, a man dived through one of the windows and neatly somersaulted on the floor. At the same time, a blond woman slinked down the smoke hole above them, shimmying carefully as to avoid tearing her clothing. She smirked at them as she straightened out, tossing her long blond hair over her shoulder.

"Bekah!" Caroline exclaimed, running forward to embrace her sire.

Kol, crouched into a defensive position, bared his teeth at Niklaus, who glared back at his brother angrily, a growl emanating from his chest.

"Would you two stop it?" Caroline grumbled, letting go of Rebekah and stepping between them. "Hi, Nik," she said almost shyly.

The change in his demeanor was instantaneous, his muscles relaxing and features softening. His smile was dazzling. "Hello, Caroline."

Kol rolled his eyes at their reunion and turned to his sister. "Sister," he sniffed.

She turned her nose up. "Kol."

"Oh, get over yourselves and hug," Caroline snapped, ripping away from Niklaus' hypnotic gaze. "I take it Elijah is at the door. He really is the only dignified member of your family."

"Lady Caroline! You look lovely, as always, little vampire," said Elijah as soon as she opened the door. "It's been far too long."

She hugged him. "I've missed you all," she murmured before returning to Kol's side.

"Caroline Ramnulfid d'Ebanne, I've heard all sorts of sordid tales about you," Rebekah scolded, failing to keep the grin off her face.

"Cairo was over 20 years ago," Caroline retorted. "We weren't that bad."

"Your indiscretions in Egypt are irrelevant," said Elijah. "Mikael is nearby. You two must depart this…is this a treehouse? Rather interesting choice of shelter," he sniffed.

Both Caroline and Kol ignored his underhanded comment.

"Don't you think I know that? I'd just finished telling Caroline we had to leave. If Father didn't know we were here before, he certainly does now. Barreling through the bloody jungle like three bloody idiots," he trailed off, shaking his head in disgust.

"Forgive us for being concerned, Kol," Elijah reasoned. "But we figured we'd all be safer if we stuck together. We have a ship on the river. You should take no less than twenty minutes to gather your things; we're on a strict schedule."

"Oh, how I've missed you, brother."

Kol did not miss the covert glance Caroline sent Niklaus. His brother had cut his hair. It made him appear older, more mature – she clearly found it becoming. Rebekah cleared her throat and shot her progeny a knowing look, which Caroline ignored.

"Take only things of great value. Get moving, please," Elijah ordered.

It was pitch black by the time they reached the river. Their ship travelled north up the Nile, passing through various countries and serving as a long goodbye to Caroline and Kol's life of seclusion. They spent the majority of the voyage in the masts, watching the landscape change and wondering if they would be able to find another coven that could help them recover Kol's magic. Elijah steered the ship while Rebekah navigated, and Klaus made contingency plans in case Mikael found them. After many weeks went by, the ship had reached Alexandria.

Alexandria, Mamluk Sultanate (Egypt)

1327

"Wake up!" Rebekah demanded, ripping the blankets off of her progeny.

Caroline bent into the fetal position and blindly grasped for the warmth.

"Wake up, Caroline. Elijah thinks the winds are in our favor!"

The younger vampire rolled over and hugged her knees to her chest. "I don't want to leave Alexandria yet," she groused.

"Majapahit beckons. We're burnt out of Europe and Africa," Rebekah said. "We're all anxious to leave."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Says you."

"It's best to keep moving. Mikael is probably still on the continent."

Caroline said nothing as Rebekah flung open her wardrobe.

"You haven't packed?" she reprimanded.

Kol appeared in the window frame. "Is Bekah bothering you, Care?"

Rebekah turned to scowl at her brother. "What are you doing here? You should be helping Elijah and Nik load the ship."

He swung into the room with a grin. "I have to talk to Caroline. Alone," he added pointedly when Rebekah made no movement.

She glared at both of them. "Whatever you two had in the jungle is your business, but things are different now. This is real life."

"I take offence to that," Kol scoffed. "Our life there was plenty real."

"You're not helping your case," his sister pointed out.

"Kol and I are just friends," said Caroline.

"You'd understand if you didn't fall in love with every bloke who smiles at you," Kol added.

Her cheeks flamed, but she pressed on. "Nik is already suspicious-"

"Rebekah," Caroline said flatly from her bed.

"What?" she asked.

"Get out."

Rebekah gave her progeny a very insulted face and stalked out of the room, snapping the door shut behind her.

Caroline sighed and sank back down, shutting her eyes. "What is it?"

He paced the room. "I'm anxious about going to Majapahit. Do you think they'll have witches that will help me?"

"There are witches everywhere, Kol," she muttered.

"Yes, but really good witches are a rare find!" he argued.

She cracked one eye open.

"We'll find a tribe that will help, I promise."

Kol frowned down at her as she curled into her bed. He lay down beside her and folded his arms behind his head. It was a long time before he spoke again.

"As much as a pain Bekah is, she's right," he said quietly. "It's time to leave this corner of the world. And not just because of Mikael."

Caroline stared up at the ceiling. "I'm not ready."

"Care, what are you going to do? Stay in Africa for the rest of his lifetime? What good will that do you?" he argued in a gentle tone.

She buried her head into his chest. "It still hurts," she whispered.

"Maybe it's time to let go," he murmured, stroking her hair.

They ended up leaving the following day. Caroline knew Kol was right, and so she packed up her bags and put on a brave face. They would sail through the Mediterranean, around Africa, and then across the Indian Ocean. It would take a very long time to reach the Majapahit Empire, but she was ready for an adventure.

The harbor was buzzing with activity. Merchants were loading and unloading their goods, sailors were doing repair work, the harbormaster was ringing his bell, and an ill-disguised band of pirates was discreetly exchanging wares. Chickens squawked unhappily, children chased each other, wine jostled in jugs, and exotic spices permeated the salty air.

Caroline was boarding the ship when a sharp cry pierced through the bustle of the harbor.

"Caroline!"

She turned her head to see who had called out for her. She scanned the docks only to remember that Elijah and Bekah were already on the ship and Niklaus and Kol were still at the house, making sure they left nothing behind. She frowned and continued walking up the plank hesitantly. The voice had sounded achingly familiar, like an echo from the past.

Saladin El-Sherif watched from the deck of his ship as his former lover boarded the foreign vessel. The blond hair he had once grasped in the throes of passion was now fluttering innocently in the sea breeze. He had only caught a glimpse of her face, but it had been enough. Calling out her name had been instinctual, and he was glad she had not spotted him. She was physically unchanged; it was obvious she had not aged a day since she had embraced him good-bye all those years ago. Though that was curious, it was not altogether surprising. He always knew there was something mysterious about his first love. In the aftermath of her leaving, he had long agonized over what he had done or said to drive her away. He convinced himself after years of self-doubt that he had to simply accept that she had had her reasons for leaving him, and he was never going to know why. He knew she did not want to leave him, and so that would have to be all the consolation he'd get. He'd have to let her go. So, he had pulled himself together. He'd traveled the world, worked, wrote, gotten married, and started a family. Now his children were of marrying age and he would be ready to retire soon. He was satisfied with his life. Except… There was always that semi-suppressed, yet constant thought in the back of his head, one nagging question. What if? What would his life have been if Caroline had stayed? Or if he had left with her?

And now, here she was. His Caroline was in Alexandria. Last time, he had let her leave. Should he run after her? What would he say? Should he demand answers? Even as he thought it, he knew it was folly. Not only would she evade his questions, but - did he even want to know the answers? Besides, she was still so young and beautiful, and he was middle-aged and greying. She wouldn't want anything to do with him. He'd rather her remember him as he'd been during their brief, passionate affair: young, hopeful, naïve, handsome. His wife claimed he was aging well, but she was a sweet soul.

A memory from decades earlier flashed across his mind as he thought of Caroline's face, frozen in time.

"Then let me ask you this: if you were offered immortality, would you take it?" she asked.

He stopped walking then and tilted his head in confusion.

"What?"

"Is that a concept here? Immortality?" she paced in front of him, her heels clicking against the patterned marble floors.

"It's a concept, but just that. A dream. Or a curse, more like."

She paused. "A curse?" she repeated darkly.

"Yes, because what would you have to life for then? I can't think of a worse fate than that: how boring it would be, with no goals, no end, no life to lead. It would be listless and infinite. Why are you asking me this, Caroline?"

Saladin shook his head as the seagulls screeched above him and the waves lapped against the ships. While he had gotten lost in his thoughts, the vessel Caroline had boarded was preparing to leave the harbor. Time was running out. But what if time had never been running out for Caroline? What if she had thought about sharing her gift with him? What if he had called it a curse and she had decided against it? It seemed so impossible, but with Caroline, there had always been so many secrets, so many unknowns. Was she a witch?

Then she reappeared on the deck of the ship. She was leaning against the stern and gazing down at the harbor. He could see her blue-green eyes sweep over the chaos of the docks until they latched onto his in one heart-stopping moment.

As they stared at each other, everything else fell away. The space between them shrunk. His long-buried memories of her returned with a vengeance. It was as if she was in his arms once more, and not across the harbor. He could smell her honeyed fragrance, feel her cool touch and delicate wrists. He could hear her musical laughter, and her hypnotic lectures, and her moans of pleasure. He had been determined to spend the rest of his life with her; father her children. When he met her, he had been but a boy. By the time she'd left, he'd been a man.

The spell was broken when the harbormaster rang his bell to announce her ship's departure. Time was out. Caroline blinked before mouthing something to him. He could almost see it carry through the air and land in his ear.

"I'm sorry," she had said.

He smiled and whispered back, "I'll always love you, Caroline."

She closed her eyes briefly and when she reopened them, tears sparkled down her pale face. A man suddenly appeared by her side and touched her arm, a look of pure adoration on his face. Without taking her eyes off Saladin, she laid her hand over his affectionately. His keen eyes noticed the bracelet he'd given her still adorned her wrist. She mouthed one last sentiment to him.

"And I you. Be happy, Adi."

He nodded. She gifted him one last tender smile then turned away. Her companion glanced at Saladin in confusion before following her.

Saladin watched her ship sail away and somehow felt his heart grow lighter. She had loved him. She still loved him. They had loved deeply and feverishly, and it had been a beautiful time in his life. He was not her equal, though. They were of two different worlds. She would always be a removed, ethereal perhaps ancient creature. He had been lucky enough to have her for as long as he did. But now he knew he was never meant to keep her. Whatever she was – witch, angel, spirit, demon - it didn't matter. He had to focus on the people and things he could hold and cherish. Caroline clearly had someone who loved her, which actually brought him relief. He didn't want her to be alone. She was a bittersweet memory of the past now. She had to be.

As the ship carrying the great love of his life disappeared into the horizon, Saladin left the harbor and wandered into the streets of Alexandria without looking back.

Hours later, Caroline and Kol were talking on the deck. She was still in shock over seeing Saladin, as she had not expected to ever see him again. It had taken a lot to stop herself from jumping off the boat, swimming through the harbor, and running into his arms. He was so much older, but his maturity had allowed him to grow into his body with confidence. He was more handsome now than he'd been when he was younger because of it. But seeing him again had cemented what Kol had told her: it was time to let go. Their time together had come and gone. That chapter of her life was over.

"And he looked good?" Kol was asking.

"He did. Healthy. Fulfilled. Rugged," she said.

"And how did my brother react?" he prompted, leaning against the railing.

She glanced up at the crow's nest, where Niklaus was watching the sunset.

"With empathy and kindness. He was a complete gentleman," she said lightly.

"Sure, but inside he was tamping down the urge to skin him alive and drink his blood on the dock. In front of the children," Kol teased.

Caroline scowled at him. "He wouldn't do that."

"No, he wouldn't. He loves you too much," he agreed.

"I know," she murmured. "A long time ago, he told me he'd wait. That he intended to be my last - however long it takes."

He whistled. "That's some pretty poetry. And he'll do it. Never underestimate my brother's patience. His lack of it is a mere act. He's all about the waiting game," he said with a wink. "He wants you to be desperate for him."

They looked out at the sea then, listening to the waves hit the stern and the wind slap the sails. Finally, Kol offered his last bit of advice.

"If I've learned anything in over three centuries, it's that patience is not always a virtue. My siblings and I have become arrogant, thinking we have eternity to do anything, assuming time will wait for us. But even for all-powerful immortals, that is not always true."

"There would be no going back. It could never be as it was before. We'll lose ourselves in each other. A part of me craves nothing more. But another part of me fears that immeasurably." Her voice carrying up the masts to Niklaus' ears, making him sigh.

Bombay, Delhi Sultanate (India)

1362

Mikael was striding through the bustling markets of the city when his best tracker appeared at his side. There were rumors of a family living deep in the rainforests of Java. A family of blood drinkers.

The news couldn't have come at a better time. He had not heard anything about his children for several decades, not since he'd chased a false lead in Africa. It had been so long since he had seen any of them with his own eyes. The burning rage and regret in his bones were festering. He knew his children's atrocities were his and his late wife's fault, which was why he was so determined to bring them peace. Except perhaps Niklaus. Niklaus would pay for what he had done, slowly.

The tracker departed after delivering the intelligence and Mikael continued walking through the city, inwardly planning. They would leave at the end of the week. He had to summon his witches and find more vampires to compel. When it came to his children, only the most carefully laid plan had a chance for success.

A woman's singing voice, accompanied by a sitar, distracted him for a brief moment. At first glance, he saw Esther in her face. He shut his eyes in pain.

Yes, Niklaus would pay.

Java, Majapahit Empire (Indonesia)

1364

From his viewpoint in the temple's highest tower, Niklaus surveyed miles of lush rainforest. He could see smoke rising from the other side of the southern mountain, signifying the little village had woken up. To the far east, the spire of a distant temple was barely visible. Between these traces of mankind, the landscape was absolutely still. A layer of mist draped over the treetops like a widow's veil and there was a strange, cloying silence in the thick air; the animals were hiding. The monsoons were coming.

After living here for over thirty years, his family had grown accustomed to the dramatic weather patterns of Java. They had taken their time travelling to the other side of the world when they'd left Egypt. There had been many adventures on the high seas, but they were all relieved when they reached the island. They were ready to settle down for a while, call Java home for as long as they could. Rebekah, suffering from a melancholia, often lamented that each day was another miserable slice of drudgery in the purgatory they were living in, but Klaus disagreed. The past thirty-seven years were some of the most exciting of his entire life. Outwardly, he'd point to all the adventures they'd had. But of course, he knew it had more to do with the person who had permanently returned to their lives. Someone who had learnt to find wonder in the world again and discovered meaning and joy in the smallest of moments. The French princess who saw past the monster all those years ago and still carried his heart in her gentle hands.

Caroline.

The rainforest seemed to whisper it to him. Caroline. The source of his angst and his devotion. Oh, how he longed to be with her. But he had once vowed he'd wait forever to be her last love and he'd meant it. He needed her to come to him. She knew of his feelings for her. After they'd seen Saladin, he realized she still wasn't ready to be with him yet. He had waited. He was her friend. He showed her nothing but love and affection and support. Except when they got into an argument. Then, all bets were off. Then, they hurt each other like no other.

Caroline and Kol, due to spending so many years in each other's company, shared an intimacy that annoyed both Rebekah and him. While his sister was affronted that Kol had seemingly replaced her as her progeny's best friend, Klaus burned with envy. He hated that Caroline was so close with Kol – he hated that she was close to anyone but himself, but the fact that it was his little brother ate at him. He long assumed they had been more than just friends while living together, but both had denied it, and he knew he'd only anger her if he pried; cause too problems. He had to prove to her that he was not a jealous monster. Demonstrate that he was the better man.

Not that it was a competition.

Caroline and Kol had their secrets – that much was true. Sometimes the pair disappeared for days on end, with scant warning beforehand and flimsy excuses upon their return. It took a lot of willpower to keep himself in check, but Klaus had succeeded – to an extent. It was usually after she returned from one of those mysterious journeys that tempers flared, inevitably blowing up into a screaming match. They both had heightened emotions, after all. He never claimed to be perfect.

Then, as if his musings had summoned her, he heard quiet footsteps approach him.

"Bekah's annoyed with you," Caroline said softly.

He smirked and took a sip of white tea. "I heard her ranting. But thanks for telling me, sweetheart. I appreciate it."

She made her way across the balcony to stand beside him. It would be so easy to reach out his hand and glide his fingers through her silky hair. She grinned at him. "So now you want to find a – what is it? Doppelgänger?"

"That's the plan, sweetheart," he murmured.

"Have any ideas of where to look?"

"Not a one."

She laughed a deep belly laugh that lifted his mood. The fog had begun to feel like an executioner's shadow. He was putty in her hands.

"I'll never stop trying to find a way to lift my Hybrid Curse," he told her simply.

"Bekah thinks you're asking for trouble. Witches and other unknowns. And there's always Mikael to worry about."

"Precisely. There is always Mikael," he argued. "He is simply part of the landscape now. We must figure out a way to cross this mountain. We must find a way to get from this side of the river to that side. We must outsmart Mikael and avoid him at all costs."

"I didn't come out here to fight you, Nik. I was simply delivering a message," she countered patiently.

"Were you? Why?" He turned slightly to look at her profile. A faint blush dusted her cheeks.

"Aren't I always the peacekeeper between you and your siblings?"

"I think not, sweetheart. That has long been Elijah's job. I think you came out here to see me," he said leadingly.

"Don't flatter yourself," she rebuffed.

"Should I not?" He smirked.

She rolled her eyes - a typical Caroline self-preservation tactic. He saw right through her.

"I'm having a hard time figuring out if you're resisting the urge to ask me to throw you against the wall and have my wicked way with you," he said in a dark voice. Raising his hand, he skimmed the skin of her collarbone with the lightest of touches. "Or..."

Her breath caught in her throat. "Or?" she murmured, suppressing a shiver.

His smirk deepened. "Or if you want to be the one who throws me down."

Caroline's eyes widened as she stared at him. He heard her heartbeat quicken. This was it. They were finally going to -

The unexpected tolling of a distant bell pulled his attention away from her.

His eyes snapped to the eastern temple, where to his dread a torch had been lit in the highest tower. The signal.

He grabbed Caroline's hand and flashed down the stairs of the tower to the living quarters.

Rebekah met them outside her room, her face white but determined.

"Take her down the river. Kol and Elijah are out hunting. I'll find them and meet you in three days on the coast," she said in a hoarse voice.

The siblings shared a grim look that conveyed their common fear, anger, and hatred. Klaus considered arguing, but he knew it was pointless. Rebekah could take care of herself. He nodded reluctantly and kissed her forehead.

"Go, sister. Be safe," he ordered before pulling Caroline through the labyrinthine hallways of the ancient temple. They would have to send for their effects when the time was right; there was certainly no time to pack up now. He knew they had only minutes before Mikael arrived.

Upon reaching the library, she pulled the lever that hid an underground passageway. They ran through silently. Klaus kept his ears focused for any approaching sounds from above, but all he could hear besides their soft footsteps was the water dripping steadily in the damp darkness.

Elijah had purposefully blocked the tunnel exit with a giant boulder years ago, which Klaus made quick work of now. As it cracked apart, dim light was sucked into the dark tunnel. The sound of the nearby waterfall overwhelmed his hearing. Caroline stepped out first.

"Kol keeps the boat hidden among a copse of trees on the riverbed down this way," Klaus said, starting to head towards it.

Suddenly, Caroline whirled out of his touch, snarling as her veins and fangs popped out aggressively. Five vampires had them surrounded. He only recognized one of them.

"Hera," he addressed the leader, shifting so he was in front of Caroline.

Hera was a Persian vampire with dark hooded eyes and long red hair. She was dressed in the black tunic and pants that were the standard uniform of Mikael's army. A stake hung on her belt. The last time they had seen each other was when he and Rebekah were chased out of Poland sixty years previously. At two hundred, she was probably the oldest of the quintet. He and Caroline could easily take them - as long as Mikael didn't appear.

"Good morning, Klaus. Your daddy misses you," Hera taunted.

"He's not my father," he snapped, lunging forward. As he charged her, he felt the first drop of rain. Mother Nature had chosen that precise moment to unleash the monsoons.

As the vampires battled, the lightning cracked across the purple sky, creating a series of tableaus. Klaus caught sight of Caroline easily dispatching her first opponent by slicing her nails cleanly through his throat and staking him in the heart as he choked on his own blood.

Another flash, as he shoved Hera into a nearby tree and two of the others advanced on him.

In the next flash, he snapped the first's neck.

Another, and the second's heart was in his fist.

The rain was starting to fall faster and harder.

Caroline was facing off the fifth vampire, a very tall male Klaus could tell was no newborn. He forced himself to concentrate on his own fight. She could hold her own.

Hera was circling him when a twitchy female with no hair jumped at him. He kicked her so hard, she slammed into a boulder yards away.

Caroline's opponent charged, and she flew into the air to avoid him, hissing. In a spectacularly inspired move, she flipped midair and landed on his back, stabbing her stake into his heart. She fed off his neck as she did it to gain an advantage over the other soldiers.

Hera tackled him, and in their tussle, actually managed to nick a bit of his skin with a blade. The twitchy bald one reappeared and tried to bite him. He twisted her neck in annoyance and advanced on Hera –

Whose eyes had flickered to someone behind him. A terrible prickling sensation crawled over his skin as he turned.

Mikael dropped out of a nearby tree with his dark eyes focused calmly on Caroline. Klaus froze, his heart clenching in horror. Seeing his father so close to her terrified him.

Mikael raised an eyebrow at Hera, then gestured to Caroline. His soldier obediently advanced on the blond.

"I heard rumors Caroline d'Ebanne had Rebekah's blood in her when she died. She was such a brave girl to step in front of your sister and take the blow for her. Allowing her to turn into a creature of the night was a shameful way to honor her sacrifice, but I cannot deny she is a formidable vampire, Niklaus. Maybe she would make a nice addition to my army?" his father said coolly as he watched the two women fight. Caroline's face was covered in blood and her eyes were feral. Klaus thought she had never looked lovelier.

"Stay away from her," he hissed.

Mikael turned towards his hated stepson and cocked an eyebrow. "What's this, boy? Do you love the little duchess? I didn't think you were capable. But it's interesting to know you have a weakness. Very interesting."

Klaus roared with rage and attacked, his talon-like hands reaching for his father's heart. Mikael stepped smoothly out of the way and spit on the ground. Klaus snapped around to land a very solid punch on his jaw. Mikael rubbed at it, grinning. He charged Klaus with full force and rammed him against a tree. As he held his hand to his son's neck, he pulled out his prized possession - the wretched White Oak Stake.

The rain was now one single sheet of lukewarm water. A bolt of lightning erupted into a tree nearby, sending it aflame for several moments before the downpour extinguished it.

The explosion was enough disruption for Caroline to slam into Mikael with so much force that they both went tumbling into the river.

Klaus was still leaning against the tree trunk with his mouth agape. Instinctively, he plunged into the violent river after the woman he loved.

Mikael was inches away from tearing his fangs into Caroline's porcelain skin when Klaus put his hands on either side of his father's head and wrenched it to the left, bones popping horribly. Mikael collapsed and the waters immediately drew his body downstream. He did not think to look for Mikael's beloved stake. He wanted to make sure Caroline had not been harmed by his father. They stared at each other in the raging river, Caroline grasping the limb of a tree while Klaus used sheer force to keep himself wading in front of her. He pulled her into his body and they inelegantly dragged themselves out of the water.

Gasping on all fours on the riverbed with the rains washing over him, he tried to calm his raging heart. That had been far too close.

"Did he touch you? Are you hurt in any way?" he demanded, his hands gently brushing over her.

She shook her head. "I'm fine," she told him softly.

He looked up at the scene of their battle. The bodies of Mikael's soldiers were strewn about, bloody and already soaked. The rain was torrential.

"Hera?" he asked.

She nodded. "I staked her just before I charged him."

He got up slowly and walked over to the bodies of the ones whose necks he had snapped. He staked them quickly before turning towards Caroline again.

She had gotten to her feet shakily and was staring at him with a strange look on her face. The river and the rain had washed away much of the blood, but some remained. Her clothes clung to her body and her hair looked curiously grey.

"Caroline, sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I should have known he would try an ambush," he apologized, returning to kneel before her.

She took his hands in hers and lifted his chin.

"You saved me," he said, staring up at her in wonderment. She smiled at him softly and lowered herself to the ground.

"I couldn't live in a world without you, Niklaus," she whispered. "I'm in love with you."

The rain pounded the earth brutally.

The dead vampires began to rot into the mud.

Mikael's body was already far away; by the time he awoke he would have travelled miles. And they would be long gone.

And Caroline d'Ebanne was staring at Niklaus Mikaelson with determination and love in her big blue eyes. She bent down and their lips collided with as much intensity as the lightning flashing in the sky. She kissed him deeply, her arms wound around him and her tongue hungrily exploring his mouth. Klaus' shock was outweighed by his ecstasy and he fervently matched her passion.

Their knees sank down into the mud as they embraced. Klaus lowered his love onto the riverbed and kissed the side of her neck his father had come so close to biting.

"I love you. I love you. I love you," he muttered into her skin.

He paused to stare into her eyes. Her happiness was written over her entire face, her love for him incandescent.

"I'm ready now," she panted earnestly. "I'm ready to be yours and yours alone. I'm ready for my last love."

He kissed her forehead with reverence. "Finally."

She pulled away to give him a hungry look. "Nik," she near begged, her voice tense with need.

He understood what she needed, because his desire was just as strong. They thrashed wildly on the ground, ripping each other's clothes off, not caring about the corpses lying mere feet away. After delaying this moment for centuries, their hunger was too desperate for a change of scenery. There would be time later for sweet caresses and drawn-out foreplay and tender lovemaking. Now, they were compelled by the need to be as one.

Klaus entered her forcefully and she flung her head back into the mud, moaning. He placed his arms on either side of her as he thrust into her warm flesh, as she clenched around him. She ran her nails down his back then cupped his backside, encouraging him to go harder, faster. They couldn't get close enough. She ground up into him and bit into his shoulder. They were both mad with desire. Caroline shuddered around him violently, and he followed immediately. He'd follow her anywhere. His vision went white and all he knew was Caroline, and her guttural moans and warm flesh.

They lay in the mud for a long time afterwards, slowly regaining their senses. Klaus, still inside her, found the energy to gaze upon his beautiful lover.

"I can never let you go, Caroline," he murmured. "There will be no going back from this."

"I know. This is it for us. I'll love you until they rip out my heart and lay me to rest. Then my soul will rage and mourn until it finds a new body and falls in love with you all over again. I would kill anyone for you, my love," she said, her eyes smoldering with love and passion. "Your last and mine."

Why did he think the monsoons were a harbinger of ill will? They had washed away the old world and brought in the new.

Never in his entire existence had he heard such a romantic declaration.