Chapter Eighteen

Pacari

Inca Empire (Southern Peru)

1526

Rebekah stepped to the cliff's edge and stood in awed silence as she took in her first full view of the valley. The dawn fog hovered over the rainforest, a picture framed by the unending blue sky. The air was clearer than anywhere else in the world and it sharpened her senses. She could hear snakes coiling themselves around branches, their skin softly rubbing against the bark. She could smell flowers on the forest floor unfurling in the first light. She could see beyond the fog and onto the horizon, where the great mountain range guarded over the land. She could feel the vibrations from a volcano miles and miles away. It was freedom. It was paradise.

Soon after Caroline had left Des Cendres to hunt Kol, Rebekah and Elijah had joined Niklaus in his own hunt for the doppelgänger. The pursuit had led them to England, but once there, Rebekah found herself yearning for adventure. In 1492 she had joined an Italian named Columbus on his voyage to the New World, and ever since, she had been on many expeditions back and forth across the Atlantic. A couple years ago, she had snuck aboard the ship of a Spaniard named Pizarro and followed him all the way from Spain to Panama on his second expedition to the mainland. When they had landed, Rebekah separated from the men and traveled south on her own. The wilderness was deeply satisfying - it guaranteed danger, solitude, and surprise every day.

Rebekah focused her gaze on a dark speck in the distance. It looked like it might be a human. She had come across some humans in her travels, but she never stayed with them long. She learned their language, asked a few questions about the land, and moved on. Many had spoken of a great city filled with great riches and culture. Perhaps the speck was heading to this Machu Picchu.

The braying of a llama echoed across the valley, followed shortly by the pained cry of a human male. It was the speck. Had he fallen down?

With more curiosity than heroism prompting her, Rebekah jumped off the ledge and into the tangled, emerald abyss. She weaved her way through the branches, flashing past the thrumming wildlife. She popped up onto the canopy minutes later to find her bearings. He was close.

She slithered down to the forest floor and flashed to a riverbed. The llama was on the ground, writhing and thrashing, its eyes rolling into the back of its head and foam curdling in its gaping mouth. Rebekah snapped the creature's neck and it collapsed with a final cry.

The man was on the ground clutching his forearm. He was pinching his skin together and sucking a wound. As he spat out whatever poison was in his blood, he spotted Rebekah. His eyes grew wide.

"Watch! It's still near!" he warned her in his language.

The vampire turned her head and saw the threat: a thick, tan snake with a black pattern was feet away, snapping and hissing. Rebekah lunged forward, grabbed it, and threw it deep into the forest. She looked back at the man. He was getting very pale.

She crouched down in front of him and wrenched his arm away from his chest to examine the wound. He gazed at her with glassy eyes. She put her lips on the wound and sucked. The poison had already spread far so she had to drink deeply before she tasted his blood return to normal. It was delicious, but she knew he didn't have much life left in him and pulled away. His eyes had closed, and his breath was shallow as she bit into her wrist and held it to his mouth.

"Drink," she insisted in Quechuan, holding his head up.

He opened his eyes tiredly to gaze at her in confusion.

"Drink, you silly human!" Rebekah demanded in English.

It worked. He took several long draughts and his color immediately returned. Rebekah extracted her wrist and helped him lay back down.

"What goddess are you?" he whispered hoarsely before passing out.

The vampire swept her gaze over him to make sure he wasn't injured anywhere else. He was undoubtably the most exotic and breathtaking human she had ever seen. He was clearly a warrior; his tattooed russet body was lean, but bursting with sinewy muscle – she knew because his clothing left little to the imagination. The llama had been carrying weapons and victuals, so he must have been on his way to war. Making a decision, Rebekah gathered up her patient's belongings, pulled him into her arms, and flashed into the forest.

Pacari blinked his eyes tiredly as he came to. He had definitely been given a vision from the gods after the viper had bit him. Was he dead? He blinked again as he registered the fire blazing before him. He raised himself up on his elbows and looked at his surroundings warily.

He was on a cliffside. A fire crackled before the swallowing entrance of a cave. He started when he realized a woman sat beside him, staring at him. Her cloak was pulled tightly around her, but he could tell her hair was as pale as the full moon in the sky. Her soft features gave nothing away as she gazed at him unabashedly.

"Is this real?" Pacari asked before falling into a coughing fit. Suddenly, the woman was in front of him, handing him a flask of water. When he calmed down, he caressed her face with his fingertips. She pulled away.

"I mean no offense. I just…wanted to see if you were real," he explained weakly.

The woman lowered her hood very slowly to reveal her long, gleaming hair and tilted her head to one side, looking him up and down.

"Where were you going?" she asked softly in Quechuan.

Taken aback that she could speak his language, his mind had a hard time keeping up.

"Sorry?" he said confusedly.

A smile flashed across her face. "When the snake attacked, where were you going? Were you going to war?" she elaborated.

"I'm joining a squadron on the other side of the valley that protects the area from thieves and rebels intent on harming the emperor," Pacari answered in bewilderment.

"Where are you from?" his savior demanded.

"Far from here. My mother was a high priestess and my father a great nobleman and warrior, but they died years ago during a conquest. I have been on my own for many years, wandering the empire."

The woman or goddess raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"What?" Pacari questioned.

"You give much away. I'm used to a society where people don't reveal so much of themselves to strangers," she explained.

"You asked and I told you. Ama llulla. My people do not lie; it is law. Besides, what have I to hide?"

The woman nodded her head in fascination.

"Will you return the favor? Where are you from?"

She smiled widely and it was glorious. "Very far from here."

"And are you a goddess, then?" he asked without a trace of irony.

A strange look passed over her lovely face. She looked torn. "I do not consider myself one, but I believe your people will. I have special abilities," she said slowly.

Pacari stared at her. "Yes, I know."

She rose to her feet and gestured towards the cave. "You must get more rest; you've had a trying day. I will stay out here and keep watch. I don't need much sleep."

Pacari rose to his feet as well. "Why did you save me? How did you save me?"

The goddess bit her lip as she crossed her arms over her chest, turning her gaze towards the fire. "I saved you by sucking the venom out of your bloodstream then fed you my blood," she said flatly.

"Thank you," he replied easily.

"You don't think it's strange I gave you my blood?"

"Of course not; you are a goddess."

Her lips quirked with amusement.

"But why?" Pacari pushed.

"I don't know. I guess I didn't want you to die. You are too beautiful, and life is too precious, as I sometimes forget," she answered haltingly.

He took a step towards her. "You think I'm beautiful?"

She locked eyes with him. "Very."

"You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen. I find you intriguing," Pacari told her.

She blushed and tore her gaze away. "You should rest," she said quietly.

Pacari took another step towards her.

"I am Pacari," he told her, ignoring her dismissal.

"That's nice."

"Do you have a name, or are you simply called 'Goddess'? Or 'Savior'?"

"My name is Rebekah," she said.

"That's lovely. Rebekah," he let the name roll off his tongue. Her eyes slid over his bare chest.

"May I show you my gratitude?" Pacari asked.

Rebekah nodded slowly.

He went over to where she had put his effects, found what he needed, and turned towards her again with his mother's gold bangle in his hand.

"I wish to give you this so you may always remember your noble deed," he said formally, stepping close to her.

She held out her pale, delicate wrist, allowing him to push the bangle over her hand until it adorned her forearm. He let his hand linger on hers before removing it.

"I would say you should not be the one to keep watch, but I understand you are more powerful and wise than I, so I will obediently go into the cave now," he murmured.

Her breathing was heavy and uneven as he turned away and made for the mouth of the cave.

"Wait!" she called.

He turned around eagerly. "Yes?"

"Would you mind if I joined you?" she asked in a low voice.

"Did you need rest as well? I will watch the camp," he said decorously.

Suddenly, she was right in front of him. She moved too fast for his eyes to register the movement.

"I don't need rest. I want to spend the night with you."

Pacari's jaw dropped. "I – I'm sorry. I - I - Are you sure?"

She leant up to plant a soft, wet kiss just under his ear.

"Quite," she whispered.

Pacari swallowed. "But I am a virgin."

She smiled at him sweetly. "That's okay."

He shook his head to get his thoughts in order. "No, it's not. My parents would need to ask your parents and-," he babbled out.

"I thought you said your parents are dead? Mine are," Rebekah said coyly.

"I mean, to wed," he started to say and she pulled away from him.

"Oh. Right. I wouldn't want to ruin that for you," she said shortly. "I'm sorry – I forgot myself. This isn't my culture."

"Ruin what?" he asked.

She sat down on a boulder and smiled at him without humor. "Your wedding. You should save yourself for your wife, of course. I understand."

He nodded at her even though he didn't understand. He wasn't sure they were on the same page. He turned towards the cave again but just as he reached the entrance, a thought gave him pause.

"But what if you were my wife?" he asked lowly.

Her head snapped up. "Say again?"

He gestured towards the cave. "Neither of us have to ask parents for permission. The only bargain we make is between ourselves. We don't know each other, but we are very attracted to each other. We could learn as we go," he suggested. Pacari knew what he was proposing was crazy, but something about her was making him brave – or reckless. Maybe whatever magic she had was affecting him. He wanted to know everything about her.

Rebekah slowly got to her feet and stared at him blankly. "Are you asking me to marry you? Right here, right now?"

Pacari held himself straight as he looked her in the eye. "Yes, I am," he simply said.

She looked up into the stars as if searching for an answer in the sky. A passing breeze whipped her hair around her face.

"I told myself I would enjoy my solitude," she muttered.

"I won't bother you much; my days will be busy," Pacari offered.

Rebekah was so startled, she burst into laughter. Pacari suddenly realized how absurd the whole situation was and joined her. They laughed together for several minutes before settling down.

"I apologize for being so forward; I got caught up in the moment," Pacari said.

Rebekah did not respond, but she approached him again.

"My answer is yes," she said casually once she was in front of him.

He blinked at her. "Yes?" he repeated.

She nodded shyly before pecking him on the lips softly.

"Pacari, you shall be mine and I shall be yours until death do us part," she vowed.

"Until death do us part, Rebekah," he repeated.

She took his hand and guided him into the cave. A blanket was laid out on the floor. Before she could do anything else, he ran outside. He came back a few seconds later holding a leather shoe. She raised her eyebrows at him in silent question.

"It is my way of showing you I will serve you for the rest of my life," he declared, getting down on one knee.

He took her left foot and rubbed his thumbs into her sole. She moaned in pleasure. He then slid the shoe on the foot and looked up at her. Their eyes locked and both of their worlds changed forever. What had seemed childish and thoughtless a moment ago was now very real. Pacari kissed his wife's ankle. Rebekah gently pulled her leg away so she could stand on both feet. She untied her cloak, letting it rustle to the floor of the cave. He watched patiently from below. She slowly lifted up her dress and tossed it over her head.

Pacari rose to his feet to drink in his wife's pale, slim figure. He brushed a finger over a nipple. She shuddered. Experimentally, he pinched it and marveled at how her pupils began to dilate as he caressed her. His other hand slid down her side until it rested on her backside. She placed her lips on his gently, but they both quickly gave in to baser instincts. He bit down on her lower lip; she responded by pushing her tongue onto his mouth. A few moments later, she pulled away to rip his pants off hungrily. A loud tearing sound rent through the cave. She stroked his member.

Pacari moaned as he threw his head back in ecstasy. Without warning, she pushed him into the wall with inhuman speed and continued her ministrations. Pacari lifted his left hand towards the opening of the cave. Two flames separated from the fire outside and hung in the air, casting the lovers in a dim glow. Rebekah paused when she noticed.

"You're a witch?" she asked in astonishment.

"Yes? Is that a problem, goddess?" he teased.

"Not at all. As long as this isn't," she said. Her face transformed. Her blue eyes darkened and a web of blue-black veins spread around them. Two long fangs slid over her lower lip. Pacari held out a shaky hand to touch her veins. He saw the fear in her eyes. His other hand wandered down to the apex of her thighs. He stroked her silky wet folds and the veins grew wider.

"Never," he whispered. "Do you want to bite me?"

"Yes," she confessed, stroking him harder.

"Then do it," he dared.

Her teeth sank into his neck, just under his ear. Pacari grabbed her arms and twisted her around, pressing her into the wall. He entered her slowly, reveling in her tight warmth. His rocking rhythm sped up and she removed her mouth from his neck. One hand trawled down his body and grabbed his hip.

"If you add this movement at the end," she guided him and they both moaned loudly. "We'll have an even better time."

He did as she instructed until they fell to the floor. Rebekah climbed on top of him and rode him with demanding, circling motions. Pacari was a virgin in his early twenties - he was not going to last long. He looked at the beads of sweat rolling down his wife's neck, his own dried blood on her lips, and her breasts jiggling as she rode him. He lost all sense of time and sense. He forgot his own name. All he saw was white and all he thought was one word, which he mumbled as his body seized.

"Rebekah, Rebekah, Rebekah."

Five blissful years passed. Husband and wife built a house high in the mountains, close to the emperor's city, but not too close. Pacari became a highly regarded warrior due to his magic and joined several campaigns to protect and conquest. Rebekah usually went with him and watched the battles from afar, making sure he stayed safe. Sometimes she joined him, but that required so much compulsion, it was almost never worth it. From fear of Mikael, Rebekah did not want to draw too much attention to herself, so she didn't go to the city often. When she did, Pacari cast a spell to darken her hair. She was content with exploring the forests and mountains, farming, tending the home, and protecting her husband. Her life was quiet, private, and contemplative. She told Pacari everything about herself – her past, the family, Caroline, Mikael, her expeditions with Columbus and Pizarro, her ex-lovers. Pacari listened to all her stories and asked many questions with fascination. He in turn told her about the deaths of his parents when he was a teenager, training with other young men in combat, and going off on his own to explore the empire. Rebekah was an amazing wife, in Pacari's opinion. She could have high standards, but she protected him, challenged him, and encouraged him. Her only flaw was a tendency to keep her feelings too close to the chest. She only sometimes told him when something was bothering her, causing her to lash out at the smallest provocations. As they fell deeply in love with each other, the shadow hanging over their marriage made its presence known. There had been an unspoken agreement between them to never discuss Rebekah's immortality ever since she had first revealed it to him.

One morning, Pacari woke up and decided this game could go on no longer. He found his wife outside, humming to herself as she tended the crops.

"Rebekah, I'm in love with you," he declared with his usual blunt delivery.

It was not the first time he had told her his feelings. She had also told him she loved him. But neither of them was overly affectionate nor verbose. Such declarations were usually only uttered during lovemaking, or right after. Rebekah looked up from her work in surprise and smiled at him widely.

"I'm in love with you," she said, a question in her eyes.

"Do you ever plan on turning me?" he asked.

The smile slipped from her pale face.

"Do you want to be turned?" she countered.

"Is your plan to watch me die?" Pacari demanded.

She glared at him. "Never."

"Then what is your plan?"

She stood up, wiped her hands on her apron, and crossed her arms. "There is no plan until you tell me whether or not you want to be turned. I hope I've made clear over the years what being a vampire means. No children, no aging, no sun. You'd have to give up your magic and connection to nature. My father is always hunting my family; we'd be on the run a lot."

Pacari opened his mouth to respond, but she held up a hand.

"At least let me make my case. Though we are frozen in time, my family and I have carved out interesting and exciting lives for ourselves. We try to, anyway. There are periods of great boredom, but they are fewer now that the world is changing so rapidly. I always thought I could never change, but these past few years with you have proven me wrong. And on a personal note, an eternal existence without you will be very hard to face," she finished sadly.

Pacari walked to his wife and held her tightly. "I refuse to leave this world without you, Rebekah."

She let out a gasping breath. "I can't die."

"Then I won't either," he promised.

"Are you sure? I want you to be very sure about this, Pacari," she said seriously, pulling away from him to look in his eyes.

"I have known you were my path since I first saw you, if that wasn't already abundantly obvious," he teased.

She gave him a fleeting smile, but looked past him into the mountains.

"What is bothering you?" he prodded.

She looked back at him with tears in her eyes. "What if you don't feel the same after I've turned you?"

"Feel the same about what?"

"About me," she whispered.

Pacari tugged a strand of her golden hair and frowned at her. "That could never happen."

"But," she started. He placed a finger over her lips.

"It could never happen. Besides, hasn't our entire relationship been built on jumping over the precipice and seeing what comes next? I think our method has worked very well for us," he assured her.

She laughed and pressed her forehead into his. "Alright, I'll turn you."

"Right now?" he asked.

"Whenever you want," she agreed.

He considered it. "Not right this moment. But soon. I'm already nearly ten years older than you, physically."

"Eight," Rebekah corrected, reaching out to trace the chakana she'd tattooed on his forearm a few weeks previously. It was still healing.

He rolled his eyes at her and placed his hand over hers. "Soon," he said sternly.

"Soon."

Man and beast were at an impasse. The man crouched low on a tree limb with bated breath, staring at the giant animal. The bear's brown fur was matted with the blood of a recent kill, its claws sinking into the soft earth. Its eyes shone with intelligence and awareness. It knew Pacari was near.

He had been in the forest for days stalking it. The great beast had proven to be cunning, eluding all his traps.

A macaw burst into song in the canopy. The bear's head swiveled to the side, and Pacari seized his opportunity to shoot a dart into its neck. It growled with fury and thrashed around, stumbling and crashing through the thicket.

"Just a few more steps," he muttered under his breath.

He smiled grimly as the bear crawled over the trap and fell through into the pit below with a deafening roar.

Hours later, he emerged from the forest, dragging his prize behind him. He dropped the ropes in shock when he reached his property.

His wife was standing in front of their home with a woman he had never seen. This newcomer was slightly taller than his wife, but she had the same pale skin and long, golden hair. Her willowy figure was clothed in dark pants, a tunic, and knee-high boots, making her contrast starkly with Rebekah in her cream-colored dress. They were deep in conversation, but Rebekah looked up at him when he dropped the ropes.

"Someone from far away has found us," she called to him.

He strode across the clearing to stand before the two women. Up close, he could see the differences in their features. Rebekah had a small, slightly upturned nose, large blue eyes, full cheeks, and thick lips. The other blond had narrower features, higher cheekbones, a stronger nose, and her almond-shaped eyes were more green than blue. Eyes which were staring at him with unabashed curiosity.

"Are you Caroline?" he questioned. Who else could she be, but Rebekah's beloved sister-in-law?

The vampire raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I am. May I ask who you are?"

"Pacari," he answered.

"He's my husband," Rebekah added.

Her sister-in-law's jaw dropped. "Husband?" she repeated. "For how long?"

"Five years," Rebekah said casually.

Caroline closed her mouth and hugged her sire. "Congratulations, Rebekah! I'm so happy for you!"

Rebekah's features softened as she hugged her progeny fiercely. "I never thought I could be this happy," she whispered.

"You deserve this, Bekah," Caroline replied before pulling away to face Pacari.

"I would threaten you to take care of her, but I guess it's the other way around," she grinned before wrapping her arms around him. "Welcome to the family!"

Pacari, unused to such a hands-on display of affection, patted her back awkwardly, sending his wife a pleading look over Caroline's shoulder.

"Come on. Let's go inside and leave Pacari to skin his hunt," Rebekah instructed.

Caroline looped her arm with Rebekah's. "Yes, you can tell me how you met!"

Rebekah and Pacari locked eyes in a brief moment of terror before Rebekah let herself be led into the house.

"Care, I'm sure you have lots of questions," she started once they were inside, but her progeny waved her off.

"Rebekah, Pizarro is coming back. He was just granted permission from the queen to conquer the entire Inca Empire," the younger vampire said bluntly.

Rebekah froze. "They're coming here?"

Caroline nodded.

"But the Incas don't stand a chance! Their weapons are not nearly as advanced as the Europeans," Rebekah cried. "When will he get here?"

"He already started up north. I sailed across with his party and separated as soon as we landed. I was only trying to find you, but now I see there are complications."

"Pacari is not a complication."

"That's not what I meant; I didn't think the invasion would affect you. I thought you'd be running around the rainforest and draining whatever crossed your path. But here you are, married, settled down, and part of this society. I didn't really care what Pizarro was doing, but if we need to protect these people, then let me know. I'm ready for a fight."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "You sound like one of my brothers. Let us see what happens; these lands can be very unforgiving for those who do not know it. I should probably turn Pacari before they arrive..."

"You're turning him?" Caroline asked in surprise.

Her sire glared at her.

"Is there a problem with that?"

"Of course not! It's just... so much has changed in the past few years."

"I know. Last time I was on the other side of the world, I heard you caught up with Kol," Rebekah said, her tone heavy with implication.

Caroline smiled triumphantly. "It was one of the best moments of my existence."

"And you and Nik have been killing everything in sight ever since?"

Caroline only looked slightly abashed. "Not everything. We've just been trying to give Katerina a little scare. And the rest of the vampire world."

"What about the school?"

Her friend hesitated.

"What is it? Is the school alright?"

"No, no, Des Cendres is better than ever - I hear." Caroline said, her expression dark. "Abambe kicked me out. Said I let revenge consume me. She's taken over until I 'get my priorities in line.'"

Rebekah was impressed with Abambe's boldness. "Good for her."

"She's right; I know she's right," said Caroline. "Maybe in a few decades…"

The Original frowned in concern, but the hybrid shook her head. "Pizarro."

Rebekah sighed. "If Pizarro is coming, we need to warn the emperor. Pacari will go to the city tomorrow."

The following day, Rebekah and Pacari said their good-byes.

"I want you to turn me when I get back," he told her quietly. "If this Spaniard really is coming, I need to be stronger to defend my land and people."

"Consider it done," she promised, and they shared a deep, lingering kiss.

She pulled away to run into the forest. She was going to the nearby temples and villages to warn everyone. Pacari adjusted the bag on his shoulder and started for the road. Caroline startled him by flashing into his path.

"Pacari, I have a very uneasy feeling in my heart," she told him.

He blinked at the bewildering vampire. They had gotten to know each other a little the previous evening. He liked her; she was very charismatic and told lots of exciting stories – but he could tell she was also dangerous and manipulative.

"I'm sorry?"

"Did Rebekah explain I'm not just a vampire, but a hybrid?"

Pacari nodded. "You are also a witch."

"Yes. Among other abilities, I can sense danger and sometimes get premonitions."

"And you sense danger now?"

"Yes," she affirmed. "I know I cannot convince you to not go, but I implore you to take this."

She held out a small vial filled with a dark red liquid.

"Just in case. Drink it if you are in peril, and if you are killed, you'll awake a vampire. As long as you drink blood within the first day of waking, your transition will be complete," she instructed urgently. "There's no way Pizarro is anywhere near here yet, but I know something is going to happen."

"Is that your blood?" Pacari asked.

"Yes."

"Rebekah is turning me when I get back," he declined.

Caroline grimaced. "But what if something happens before then?"

"I want her blood to turn me," he said stubbornly.

The vampire nodded sympathetically. "I understand that; truly. It's beautiful. However…"

Pacari narrowed his eyes at her. "However?"

"If you are turned with my blood, you will become a vampire hybrid. You will still be a witch."

He was silent.

"Why are you offering to do this?" he finally asked warily.

"Rebekah is my best friend and sister; my sire, even though our bond was broken. I would do anything to protect her. I want her to be happy."

Pacari shook his head. "But then why didn't you say something before she left?"

The vampire hesitated and Pacari's suspicions grew.

"She wants to change you herself. But...I know what it feels like to lose your powers. It happened to me when Rebekah turned me. I felt empty for a long time," Caroline said, remembering.

"That's quite selfless of you," Pacari commented pointedly. "Risking her wrath so I won't come to resent her."

Caroline pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows. "I haven't turned anyone since I have become a hybrid. I never cared to before. You are a witch, you're married to my maker, and I like you," she confessed.

He stared at the vial in her hand as he considered her words.

"I'll keep my powers?"

She nodded. "And gain so many more."

He frowned. Rebekah wouldn't like it, but there was no way of catching up with her. He needed to go to the emperor. Apprehensively, he made a quick, but fateful decision. He snatched the vial from Caroline's grasp.

"Just in case," he said gruffly, setting down the road towards the city.

"Good luck, Pacari," she called after him.

It was over a day's journey to the city, so Pacari had to set up camp that night. As he laid out his blanket, the earth rumbled violently under his feet. He looked up into the mountains and froze with fear. It seemed Pizarro would be the least of his concerns.

Rebekah's journey took her deep into the forest miles and miles from home. She wanted to warn as many as possible. The first night she was away, she stayed in a temple filled with Chosen Ones – virgins kept hidden away and trained to become concubines or nobleman's wives. The ones not picked for those roles were often sacrificed. She was dining with the high priestess of the temple when the first rumble occurred.

"Earthquake," the priestess muttered, but then it continued. A loud blast wrenched through the air and the women ran outside.

Miles away, one of the great volcanoes had erupted.

Caroline watched in shocked awe as poisonous gas hissed out of the distant peak. Molten lava flowed over the sides. She knew Pacari had been heading in that direction. Never had she imagined something of this magnitude would happen. Surely the gas alone would kill Pacari. Would he even be able to wake as a vampire? Could a vampire survive a volcano? She'd never heard of anyone trying.

Rebekah will be so devastated if he dies. With that terrible thought weighing on her conscience, Caroline flashed into the forest and followed the road into the night. When she made an estimated guess about how far Pacari had gone, she stopped and took in her surroundings. Ash was falling down from above, clogging her vision. She stumbled around, weakened by the poisonous air.

"Pacari!" she shouted. "Pacari!"

She tried to fly up to see better, but her lungs filled with soot and she heaved over.

She did not see the lava until it was crashing into her.

"Caroline!"

Rebekah dug her hand deep into the hardened lava and grabbed her friend's arm. She used her other hand to break up the rock around her body. With a great thrust, the charred corpse emerged. Rebekah ripped her wrist open and poured her blood down Caroline's mouth.

It took a few minutes, but Caroline's body slowly healed. Her skin and hair regrew, and her bones and muscle snapped back together with sickening pace.

"I was trying to get to Pacari," she said hoarsely. "Did you find him?"

Rebekah turned away. Caroline could see the tension rolling off her in waves.

"No," she said shortly. "Your scent was the only one I caught."

"How long was I under?" Caroline asked slowly, dread spreading through her.

"Three days," her sire answered.

Three days. Pacari! She could not sense him. He was not a vampire. Either he'd been unable to drink her blood before he died, or he had taken it and been destroyed by the lava.

"We should keep looking," she said helplessly. What if, like me, he was preserved? It's such a slim chance, though...

Rebekah snapped her head around. Her eyes were blazing with anger. "We will do no such thing. My heart can only take so much. I do not want to see his burnt corpse, if there's even a corpse to find. He's dead."

Caroline held her friend's hand and fought off the impulse to gag. This was not supposed to happen, but telling Rebekah what she had done would only break her heart further, or worse, fill her with false hope. Pacari was gone.

"It's over," Rebekah said softly. "We're leaving. I want to be with my brothers now."

Caroline nodded and they rose to their feet. With one last look at the charred landscape, Rebekah pulled a gold ring off her hand and set it down on the hardened lava. His mother's bangle blinked up from her wrist in the sunlight. She couldn't part with that, too. She grabbed Caroline's hand again.

"It's over. Let's go."

Mughal Empire (Northern India)

1533

Elijah found his sister sitting on the roof of the palace. She had a scroll in her hand, but she wasn't reading it. Her hair was pulled back into a tight plait and she was wearing her customary uniform of black robes, as she had worn every day since she had arrived with Caroline a few months previously. Elijah sat a few feet away from her and waited several minutes before breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure you were aware, but we've been aiding an army led by an incredible warrior for the past couple of weeks. The warrior, a Venetian woman named Emmeline Veravicci, was shot down last night. She had Caroline's blood in her."

Rebekah did not respond right away; Elijah waited, watching the sunset.

"Caroline turned her first hybrid?" she finally said.

"Yes. Emmeline's having a a hard time coming to terms with it. Niklaus is with her now."

Rebekah frowned.

He elaborated: "She has a husband and children."

Rebekah eyes widened. She'd never known a vampire who had children. The second the sun disappeared, a woman with auburn hair ran out of the palace and into the garden. Gita followed her at a distance; she must be on guard-duty.

"She should consider herself lucky. Now she can watch over them forever," she said softly, her eyes focused on the newborn hybrid.

Elijah nodded hesitantly. "That's right, sister,"

Two loud voices rose up from the east wing.

"You shouldn't have done it! She's being faced with a terrible choice here!" she could hear her brother Niklaus yell.

"I've given her the world!" came Caroline's muffled response. "She didn't even know she was a witch before!"

"We don't turn people with kids, Caroline. What parent wants to bury their child?"

Caroline and Nik continued fighting, but Rebekah tuned them out. Maybe she would come down and meet the new addition to their entourage. Tomorrow, though. Not today.

In the shadow of Mount Sabancaya, the earth rumbled. A fissure slowly spread across the field of hardened lava at the foot of the volcano. A corpse shuddered and awoke as the rock crumbled around him. Disoriented, Pacari crawled and climbed until he ascended from the darkness and into the light. The sun burned him as soon as he emerged, crying out in pain, stumbling towards the protection of the forest. His arm caught fire right as he entered the thicket. He rolled around in the dirt to smother it, cursing loudly and causing a flock of birds to fly out of the canopy above him. When the fire died, he lay on his back staring into the leaves. His mind was on overload as all the new sensations washed over him. How long have I been in there? Did Rebekah survive? Is she close?

"Mida, mida!" a voice yelled from the thicket. "Es un monstruo!"

Pacari turned his head and squinted.

A group of pale-faced men carrying silver lances and wearing strange clothing were staring at him in horror. He did not recognize the language they spoke, but he got the gist of what they were saying. He must look a sight, for sure.

They had to be Pizarro's men, which meant he had been in the lava for far too long.

As long as you drink blood within the first day of wakening, your transition will be complete, a voice reminded him. He faced the men. A few ran away at the sight of him, but some of the braver ones stood their ground and raised their swords. Pacari licked his lips, feeling the hunger within.

"Come on, then," he whispered.

"What would you have me do, Nik, turn back time?" Caroline snarled at her husband.

Niklaus sighed. "Of course not, Caroline. What if she decides to turn her kids? Think of the mess we'd be in if she did that!"

Before she could respond, a trickling sensation cast over Caroline. It was so powerful she had to sit down.

"Caroline?" Klaus asked in alarm. He flashed across the room and kneeled before her. "What's the matter?"

What was that? It felt like...an awakening. But whose? Could it be...could I dare hope: Pacari? She stared into her husband's dark blue-green eyes, lost.

"Nothing," she muttered. "I hate when we fight. I know you're right, anyway. I should have given it more thought."

He kissed her forehead and brushed a hand through her hair. "I'm not right; Emmeline will be fine. I was just shocked."

Caroline laid her head against his chest and breathed in his comforting scent.

"I think we should leave, my love," he said softly. "Emmeline needs distance from her family. The rainforest reminds my sister of Peru. We should return home to the school for a couple decades."

"Alright," she agreed softly.

She pulled away from him. "I'm going to go check on Bekah."

Rebekah was turning down her bed when Caroline entered her chamber.

"I hear congratulations are in order," she said.

Caroline grimaced. "Today has been a little bit too exciting, honestly. I shouldn't have done it."

"Why not?" Rebekah asked carelessly. "You've given her a great gift."

"I suppose," Caroline frowned.

"Don't listen to Nik; he's just jealous you can create a hybrid army and he can't," the older vampire said flatly.

Caroline raised her eyebrows but said nothing. She sat down on the bed.

"What is it?" asked Rebekah.

Caroline took a deep breath. "It's about Pacari," she started.

"No," Rebekah interrupted.

"But, Bekah, I need to-" Caroline tried.

"That name is forbidden - do you hear me? Forbidden!" Rebekah hissed furiously. "I need to heal, Caroline."

"Bekah, I," her progeny protested.

"Whatever it is, it does not matter! If I were able to be compelled, I would have the memory of him erased from my mind. I was foolish and naïve to think he could be mine forever," Rebekah ground out. "Actually, I wonder if you could compel me. Do you think it would work?"

"I need you to listen! Pacari," yelled Caroline.

Rebekah slapped her across the face. "I said never utter that name again. Are you willing to erase him from my mind?"

Caroline pressed her lips together and shook her head.

"I thought not. Then get out. If I hear you speak of him one more time, I will go off on my own."

The younger vampire flashed out of the room, leaving her sire alone and miserable. Rebekah fell upon her empty bed, sobbing so hard she couldn't breathe.

A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following. ~L