While Rebekah searched the house, I went to the main room where I was sure I could feel his presence looming around.

"Klaus!" I shouted, the one word I knew would bring him to me. But since my anger was strong, I added, "Get out here and tell me what you did to your brother, you narcissistic, back-stabbing wanker!"

"Enough with all the shouting," he said appearing out of nowhere. His pale skin glowed in the dark. His voice was as I remembered it, quiet, ironical and amused. He was just behind me, so close that my clothes brushed his as I turned. His smile was the same too – tempting, sexy.

I reeled back a couple of steps and tried to keep myself strong. "Where's Elijah?"

A line appeared between Klaus' eyes. "Elijah who?"

I clenched my fists. "What did you do to him?"

Klaus shrugged. "Maybe he's on holiday."

I slapped him. I used all of my vampire speed to do that because I knew I'd have no chance if I didn't. But it was a good hard slap, with the full force of my body behind it and it snapped Klaus' head slightly to one side. My hand even stung.

He moved too fast for me to see. He grabbed my neck and slammed me against the wall. I gasped. His light blue eyes sparkled. His mouth was cruel. He smelled me with interest. "You are strong," he decided. "What are you?"

There it was again.

"Where is Elijah?" I asked once more. "If you've hurt him-"

"Then, what?" he whispered, still pressing me against the hard wall. "What will you do, Nessie? What can you do against me?"

"I will find something," I promised him.

His body relaxed and he let go of my neck. He straightened up and smiled. "I do believe you. And that makes you too good for my brother."

"Where is he?" I insisted.

Niklaus went around the room as if he couldn't hear me, as if the entire situation bored him. "My brother," he went on, "is a fool. He longs for someone he can protect, take care of. But you... I could feel your anger from the other side of town. I can feel it now. You don't need his protection. You have unique power of your own." His eyes fixed on mine, his voice soft and urgent. "In grace and beauty and sheer fascination, you are like Tatia. But that's as far as your similarities go."

I remembered the beautiful woman with the oval face, the almond-shaped brown eyes, and the smooth, long dark brown hair I had seen in my mind that first time I had touched Elijah in that dirty smelly bathroom. Being compared to her bothered me. Not only because I was sure she had meant a lot to Elijah, but also because I thought she was much better looking than me. I also remembered what Elijah had said after our first night together... anyone who knows you would want to protect you.

Well, not everyone. Niklaus was the living proof of it. Oh, Goddamn it, Elijah. He had promised he would protect me always. That he would be by my side. Now where the hell was he?

"Tell me where he is, Klaus," I demanded.

"Can't you stop thinking about him for an instant so we can have an actual conversation?"

"No!"

He raised an eyebrow. "I would cut your tongue if I thought that would make you more respectful."

Now, it was my turn to smile. "You can't intimidate me. You don't have any power over me. I hate you. You disgust me. And there is nothing you can do to me, not any more."

He looked cruel and bitterly hard in the moonlight. "You have no idea what I can do," he threatened. "But you'll find out." He turned his back and walked away.

"Where are you going?" I shouted, but he did not come back.

I called my mom and informed her of everything that was happening and that I would stay with Rebekah until one of us had found out where Elijah was. She said they would look around as well.

I went to Elijah's room – I knew all too well where it was – and lied in bed where I cried and cried for a long, long time. Elijah was alive, somewhere. He could be hurt. He could be anywhere and he could be anything. After a long time, I realized my thoughts were no longer rational. Everything inside my head narrowed down to one single idea – Find Elijah.

I knew if he could he would come to me. So I focused on his name. I poured all my will into the thought. I created him in my mind, using all my senses, conjuring him to me.

I kept that up until I fell asleep.

When I woke, Elijah was in bed with me. Oh, thank God! Relief swept over me. I felt his cool body behind me, and I rolled over, half asleep, and put my arms around him. But when I touched his bare skin, I had to gasp. His mind was a mixture of amusement, wickedness and lust.

My eyes flew open and I pushed back against rock-hard shoulders.

"Good morrow, love," said Klaus.

"Gah! What are you doing here?"

"Snuggling."

Son of a bitch, I thought, but almost immediately my anger left me. Elijah wasn't here. He was gone. False hope was really a bitch. I sat on the bed and hugged my knees. I felt so empty not even Nikalus' presence bothered me anymore

He must've sensed my feelings because his eyes turned gentle and he said softly, "I don't know where Elijah is."

That hit me like a wrecking ball. I didn't know why, but I believed him almost immediately. There was something about the way he said it, there was a hidden feeling in his words that I couldn't quite place

it, but it felt real and warm.

"But I have an idea," he added. I looked up to him. "I came to speak to him that night. He shouldn't have come to New Orleans after me. The supernatural world was not happy to have more than one Original back in town. And then the King of Volterra showed up."

I knew my mouth was falling open, but I couldn't seem to stop it. "Excuse me," I said, after a long moment, "but – but I could have sworn you said – the King? Of Volterra? As in... Aro?"

Klaus nodded without a trace of a smile. I could hear my heartbeat speeding up. He could probably hear it too. But what was I to do? I was freaking out. Aro. Aro was here. And Marcus had come to see me and didn't even think of mentioning. Well, hell, maybe he didn't know. Aro was a cunning little bastard. He could've come without telling anyone. But why?

"Did you – Did you speak to him?"

"You know about the Volturi." It wasn't a question.

"Did you speak to Aro? What did he say? Why was he here? What did he want?"

Klaus regarded me carefully. "To ask me things. About Elijah. Of course, I didn't tell him anything he didn't already know. But he seemed awfully interested in my brother's personal life. Say, do you think it might have something to do with you?"

I tried to swallow my panic. I shook my head. "No. I'm not – I'm not that special. He wouldn't want – He wouldn't -" Klaus sat down in front of me and cup my face on his hands. His eyes pierced into mine.

I saw Aro, his delicate translucent skin as it stood in shocking contrast to the long black hair that framed his face. His red eyes studied Klaus as they talked. Aro didn't look pleased.

Then I felt Klaus curiosity bursting inside of me. "What are you?" he asked. I saw myself as he was seeing me and I felt some sort of desperation. It surprised me when I realized the feeling was his not mine. He was desperate to know. He wouldn't bare another minute in the dark.

I pushed him away from me and tried to steady my breathing.

"Tell me," he ordered. "You must. Aro already knows more than I do. Now we can't have that, can we, love?" I felt him trying to control me and I repelled him. A shadow went through his face. "Tell me!" he said again. "In time, Aro will make my brother talk. If you're anywhere around when he breaks, they'll have you."

That sent chills up my spine. Oh, Elijah. So I told him. I told him everything he wanted to know. Klaus got up and paced around the bed before he returned his attention to me.

"I can't tell if you're lying or not, which is remarkable," he confessed, his blue eyes as hard as marbles. "For your sake, I hope you are telling the truth. I could torture you until you told me the truth, or until I was sure you had been telling me the truth from the beginning."

I gulped. No more Mr Nice Vampire.

"But," he continued thoughtfully, "that might damage you too badly which not Elijah nor Aro would be very pleased about." He sat on the bed again, very close to me. He leaned over to me as if inclined to touch me. I prayed he wouldn't. "I don't enjoy seeing you scared of me," he lied. He enjoyed that very much. "I feel... fond of you."

I tried hard not to laugh. "Are you going to torture me or not?" I asked bluntly. "Are you going to find Elijah or let him rot?"

Klaus smiled. "I'm not going to hurt you," he decided. "I would hate to ruin that beautiful skin. One day, I might get to see all of it."

"Wow. I just hope it's still on my body when that happens."

"So do I."

My eyes fixed on his. I wasn't feeling very sexy or very flirty at the moment. Regardless of having just woke up, I was exhausted. "Klaus?" I said weakly. "Are you going to find Elijah, whatever it takes?"

That was all I needed to know to form my opinion of who this Vampire King was. He did not disappoint.

"Whatever it takes," he agreed.

I was suddenly able to breathe again. I was sure he would come up with a good plan. Klaus could be a miserable excuse for a sibling but even without knowing him I could see that there was none more diabolical.