CHAPTER SIXTEEN
AN OLD FRIEND
They were having a late breakfast in a tiny little village called Lyngseidet, after having taken a ferry to reach the peninsula of Lyngen. After his return, Klaus had told her about said peninsula, describing the mountains, known as the Norwegian Alps, the lake, white water rivers and the breathtaking scenery. As the tree specialist they were waiting for was apparently not expected for another day, he had suggested they go on a little day trip to discover the surroundings of Tromsø, and Caroline had happily agreed.
Seated inside the small café right next to the microscopically tiny fishing harbor, Klaus had just asked her what country she would have visited first had it been her choice when she saw him tense. He held up a hand when she wanted to ask him what was going on. After a few seconds, she sensed a presence behind them. Supernatural. Before she could check, Klaus relaxed and spoke without turning around.
"Silv. It has been a while."
"So it has," a lovely female voice answered, and a moment later Caroline was looking into the face of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Wow. She is beyond stunning! The woman called Silv seemed to be in her early thirties, had glossy brunette hair with a hint of red, curling down to her waist. She had mesmerizing green eyes and a skin so creamy that Caroline immediately felt pale and sallow in comparison. She was wearing loose cut blue denims with a black turtleneck cashmere sweater, and despite the casual clothes, she looked elegant and sophisticated. A few thin golden bangles were clinking discreetly at her wrist, matched by subdued creoles at her ears. She wore almost no makeup and Caroline thought that she had never seen anyone quite so amazing. She tried to inconspicuously look at Klaus to see his reaction.
He got up and kissed Silv on both cheeks. A pang of jealousy flashed through Caroline. What on Earth did Klaus see in her when he knew a woman like that? When he probably knew a hundred women like that? She hated the feeling that crept up inside her – the sensation of being an insignificant, provincial teenager with nothing to offer. Caroline. Stop being neurotic and paranoid. Take a deep breath.
"Silv," Klaus said now, gesturing towards Caroline, "this is Caroline Forbes. Caroline, this is Silv Flagstad, an old friend."
"You have friends?" Caroline teased, earning a grin from Silv and a scowl from Klaus.
"Is it still Flagstad, by the way?" he asked Silv, keen on changing the subject.
"Yes, but I'll have to change it again soon," Silv replied and turned to Caroline. "Hello Caroline. It is nice to meet you. You're American, I presume?" Caroline nodded. "Is this your first trip to Norway?"
"Yeah," Caroline answered. "Is it so obvious?"
Silv chuckled. "No. But judging by the way our Master of Disaster here has been playing the guide over the last couple of days, I thought it might be."
"You've been watching us?" Klaus asked, visibly upset that he hadn't noticed.
"Not personally. You would have sensed me immediately, wouldn't you? But I needed to know if you came to start World War III before I met you in person, so I had a friend watch you. He owed me a favour, and I spelled him not to remember you or Caroline. Apparently, you don't have the intention to bring doom to this idyllic little strip of land. What are you doing here, Klaus?" With a charming smile, she added, "I can't imagine you are on vacation or came here for old times' sake."
Oh my God. They have… they were…
Klaus inclined his head in assent. "You assume correctly. Silv, something has come up I need to discuss with you. I am quite certain you will not like it, but I need your help."
Silv sighed. "Let's hear it then. Will I need a drink?"
"Probably. Caroline?" he asked, gazing at her warmly. "Would you fancy a drink?"
"Why not? I have a feeling I will need it, too. So what do Norwegians drink after… ten in the morning?"
Silv cast her an appreciative glance and winked. "I like you."
I'm not sure I like you. You slept with Klaus.
"Akevitt?" Klaus asked, signaling the waiter. "But it's before three, so I'll need to compel him." Silv nodded, and Caroline looked at both of them questioningly, feeling a little left out. Silv seemed to understand and explained.
"Akevitt is a Scandinavian spirit with a very distinct flavour. It is also called Aquavit, the translation being 'water of life'. The Scandinavians definitely perceive it as such," she grinned. "It is not permitted to publicly consume hard liquor before three in the afternoon in Norway, hence the compulsion."
When their drinks arrived, Caroline tasted the Akevitt cautiously and decided she liked it. The unusual flavour came from Scandinavian herbs and spices, Klaus explained. They ordered another round before Klaus began to speak.
"We seem to have a little issue with a warlock who has returned from the other side, and I hoped you might be able to help."
Silv looked at Klaus suspiciously. "You could have gone to any witch in the world. There was no need to fly halfway around the planet to see me about this. I have nothing to do with black magic, and I most definitely do not intend to involve myself in anything even remotely related to it," she said firmly.
"The warlock in question is Francesco Prelati."
Caroline looked up at him, puzzled at the slight strain in his voice. He had never mentioned the name to her before, and she wondered why. Silv's reaction was a bit more dramatic. She paled visibly and gripped the edge of the table. Caroline caught her Akevitt glass just before it hit the floor.
"No," Silv whispered. "That is not possible. It can't be. It's been too long for him to be able to return. Please tell me you are joking, Klaus."
He gave a little mirthless laugh. "Do you really believe I would joke about something like this? You knew me well at some point, but apparently that has changed. Besides – my mother managed to return from the other side after over one thousand years, so why would he not be able to return after six hundred?"
Silv closed her eyes. For a long time, nobody said anything. Caroline looked at Klaus quizzically, but he just shook his head, and she felt his fingers fleetingly touch her back. It reassured her. As always, his presence was both soothing and stirring, and she reveled in the warmth that spread through her stomach at his little touch. She gave a small sigh, and his eyes darted to her face, gazing at her almost as tenderly as he had this morning before he left for the blood bag. Klaus…
A few instants later, Silv opened her eyes again and poured herself another drink out of the bottle that Klaus had compelled the waiter to leave at their table.
"All right then. What happened?"
Klaus explained everything that had been going on so far, but Caroline had a feeling that he left out a couple of things when it came to his own dealings with the warlock. Silv listened carefully, and when Klaus had ended, she looked at Caroline.
"I apologize for having to ask you this, but… did he touch you?"
"You mean… intimately?" Caroline asked. Silv nodded, and Caroline felt Klaus go very rigid beside her. "No," she answered, feeling the absurd need to reassure him, "he didn't. I never had the feeling that it was about that. I could see that he was really enjoying my pain, that it aroused him, but I never sensed he was about to actually rape me or anything like that. He did touch my head though."
The witch nodded again. "So these visions he is giving you are about torture. First it was Klaus' brother, now it is him, right?"
"Yes."
"Caroline, you will need to concentrate now. Is there anything you can tell me about the surroundings where this is taking place?"
Caroline swallowed. "There is a room. Stone walls, cold, dark. I am in a chair. Not bound, but I can't move at all. The room is filthy, and I can't see much. Sounds of metal, maybe chains or something. Sorry, but there isn't much else."
Klaus gave a low snarl. "Silv, you need to make those visions stop. I don't want him to invade her mind anymore, she has suffered enough." Silv looked at Klaus thoughtfully.
"I might be able to find a loophole, but it will take me a day or two. Caroline," she said, staring at her intently, "I know this is a lot to ask, but you must go through the vision at least once more. This time, try not to concentrate on Klaus, but focus on the room and whatever you can see around you. Close your eyes. I will need to make you remember your task during the vision."
"No," Klaus hissed, "she will not be exposed to that anymore. She has gone through that too often, and she has told you everything she saw. Out of the question. Find another way."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "I am actually present. Don't talk about me like I'm not in the room!" she snapped. "I can decide for myself whether or not I am prepared to do this. And I am, under one condition. I want to know who this guy is, why he gets off on torturing people and what he wants with you, Klaus!"
Silv nodded. "Of course. Klaus, why haven't you told her anything? Don't you think she has a right to know?"
"Maybe so, but I don't yet have the answer as to what exactly it is he wants with me, and everything else is of little to no importance. No need to burden you with the gory details, Caroline."
"Will you stop making my decisions for me? I am a big girl, dammit, and I can handle it!"
"Suit yourself," Klaus spat. "I'm going for a walk." He pushed back his chair and grabbed his jacket. "Look after her, will you," he growled at Silv and stormed out of the café.
Caroline stared after him. Silv chuckled. "He can be a bit of a drama queen at times, can't he?" she grinned. Caroline giggled.
"You can say that." They looked at each other and smiled.
"He'll come around. He always does with the few people who matter to him. And it is blatantly obvious that you are now one of them."
Caroline looked towards the door. Silv shook her head. "He won't hear. He left at top speed, and he's far enough away."
"Okay… Silv, I'm not usually this curious, especially not when I have just met someone, but… were you… I mean, have you been…?" She needed to know. Some deeply buried instinct told her she could trust Silv, and she just needed to know. She needed to talk about him.
"You want to know if I slept with him?" Silv asked gently.
Caroline was incredibly embarrassed about prying into a stranger's privacy like that. Then she nodded and glanced at Silv. The older woman looked back at her evenly.
"Yes," she answered, "I have. He was there during a very difficult time. I was lonely, desperate and overwhelmingly sad. Klaus came to England, where I was living at the time, on some sort of business. With him, sometimes it is indeed better not to know all the details. So we went out for a few drinks, and one thing led to another…"
",,, and you ended up making love," Caroline finished the sentence, barely able to control the feeling of nausea that came over her at the thought of Klaus in another woman's arms. Especially a woman as beautiful as Silv. Why was she so uncontrollably jealous?
Silv shook her head. "No. Klaus doesn't make love. He never did, not once during the time our little tryst lasted, and I don't think he ever got close enough to any woman to truly make love to her. Klaus has sex. Which he is insanely good at, truth be told," she winked, "but he never lets down his guard, and he never gives anything of himself. That is," Silv smiled, "until now, I would suspect."
Caroline closed her eyes for a second. "Things are not like that between us." Silv raised a brow and cocked her head. Caroline rolled her eyes. "Okay, not quite like that."
"But you want them to be?"
"I don't know. I'm attracted to him. Very much so. But he is… the bad guy. I'm not sure how to handle that. I mean, he has never been cruel to me, but…" she trailed off and was suddenly angry with herself. "God, I sound like an incoherent moron!" Here was the first opportunity for her to talk about what was going on between her and Klaus with a relatively neutral person, or at least one who wasn't either related to him or only saw him as the evil mass murderer, and she was stuttering around like an idiot. Brilliant, Caroline. Silv took another sip of her drink and smiled knowingly.
"It's not an easy decision to make. I have pretty much of a penchant for the bad guys myself, and it can be very difficult. But quite honestly, Caroline? There is nothing more exciting than being with a dangerous man. I know it's not the politically correct advice to give. Yet, if you are looking for normality, for a regular, quiet life – as far as that is at all possible in our world – then Klaus is not for you. If you want something out of the ordinary, a life full of stress, danger, speed, beauty and wonder, then he is perfect. Be aware though – with him, it will be all or nothing. He deals in absolutes. Once you made your decision, you are either in the whole way or you back off. Therefore you should be a hundred percent sure about what you want before you go one way or the other."
"No pressure!" Caroline exclaimed with a strangled laugh.
Silv chuckled. "Sorry, I didn't want to confuse you any more than you already are. He would never forgive me for that." She grinned. "But let's make it a bit easier. Has he kissed you?"
Caroline flushed. "Yes," she whispered. "Last night, after we saw the Northern Lights." Silv said nothing and let her take her time. "I know I'm still young and haven't had that much experience, but I never felt anything like this before. It sounds cheesy, but it was like he was touching my soul. It scared me, but it was so beautiful. I can't really explain it."
The witch smiled wistfully. "I think I know what you mean."
"Did it ever happen to you?"
"Once. Not with him," Silv added quickly, seeing Caroline's brows furrow. "It was someone else. And I made the wrong decision, because at the time, I thought a life at his side, with everything that implied, was not what I wanted. He was…very much like Klaus in many respects. All or nothing."
"So what happened?" Caroline whispered. She could see the pain in Silv's deep green eyes. She clearly wasn't over this guy, whoever he was.
"He made me choose, which was his right. I loved him, I truly did, but I was not ready to stand by him the way you should when you really love someone. He deserved better. So I chose a life without him." Silv's eyes closed for the briefest of moments. "And not a single day has gone by that I have not lived to regret my decision."
"So have you never tried to talk to him after that?"
"No. He made it very clear that he did not want to ever see me again."
"Was that when you and Klaus…?"
Silv nodded. "I thought it might numb my despair. But it didn't. Not for long, at least. No matter, let bygones be bygones. So, did anything further happen after you kissed?"
"No," Caroline murmured. "He said I wasn't ready. Thinking about it, he has been nothing but gentlemanly ever since he started to develop an… interest in me."
Silv smiled brightly. "Uh-oh."
"What?"
"It seems the stone-cold heart of Mr. Mikaelson is cracking. Now that's a first!"
Caroline decided that she didn't want to even think about Klaus' heart right now. Thinking about having or not having sex with him was confusing enough. "You were okay with just having an affair and nothing more?" she quickly moved back to Silv's story.
"I was. I've never been in love with Klaus. I like him. He helped me keep my sanity during a difficult moment, and I owe him for that. He was never cruel to me or anyone I cared about, and I learned to deal with him the way he is. You know, he is only dangerous when you take away or endanger something or someone he cares about. Or when you defy him. But I have the feeling that you do that often, and you're still here. Okay, and admittedly – sometimes he can just be a megalomaniac idiot."
Caroline laughed. "So what is it about this Prelati warlock? Who is he?"
A shadow crossed Silv's eyes. "He is my ancestor." Caroline's eyes widened as she tried to digest this new piece of information. "I know. It is appalling for me to even think about being related to that unspeakable abomination. What he has made you see is just the tip of the iceberg. He lived about six hundred years ago, and he was a master of black magic, serving the richest man in France at that time, a nobleman called Gilles de Rais. De Rais made his way into the history books not only for having fought alongside Joan of Arc, but mainly for being one of the first known serial killers. He was an incredible pervert, and legend has it that he tortured and killed an unknown number of children. Francesco Prelati became the master mind and chief organizer behind that. In exchange, de Rais offered his protection and let him partake in his atrocities."
Silv took another sip of her drink, and Caroline poured herself a glass. "What happened to him?"
"He and de Rais were denounced to the authorities after having lived out their perverse fantasies relatively unperturbed for many years. There had always been rumours about the disappearance of children, but as they were peasants' children, his enormous wealth and influence locked many lips, so for a long while, no one had dared to question de Rais and his activities. However, someone apparently made himself heard, and after an investigation and a trial, both de Rais and Prelati were burned at the stake. It is said that the fire started burning them but went out and had to be reinflamed a few times before they slipped into unconsciousness. Their suffering must have been immense. Sometimes, life is fair after all," she snickered.
"So what has he to do with Klaus? Did they meet at the time?"
"I think they must have, but Klaus point-blank refuses to even go near the subject. In fact, he gets quite aggressive whenever it is brought up. He almost went ballistic when I first mentioned Prelati's name many years ago. I haven't the foggiest as to what could have happened."
Caroline looked at her thoughtfully. She fully intended to find out. This was probably part of the dark, buried side of Klaus that Elijah had mentioned. And it must have been dreadful indeed if after six hundred years Klaus still hadn't managed to get rid of the reminiscence of whatever had happened. At least she understood his single-minded protectiveness a little better now. If Prelati had been partaking in the torture and murder of hundreds of children, he would probably stop at nothing and no one. She remembered Klaus' face when he had handed her his drawing of Henrik. Oh God, he must have been one of Prelati's and de Rais' victims! But no, hadn't Klaus said Henrik had died over a thousand years ago? Then how could that be?
She cleared her throat. "What do you need me to focus on in the room? Is there anything specific?"
"No, just try to memorize as many details as you can. He might be able to push the visions into your head, but there is always a small portion of this kind of vision that the witch or warlock in question cannot control. They are generally parts of a genuine memory, mostly images of rooms or surroundings that have taken a hold in the subconscious, and we might find some clues as to Prelati's intentions or the spells he likes to use. In the meantime, I will contact the old witches on the other side to see if I can find out more. He has to have had help on both planes. Powerful help."
Caroline sighed. "It looks like one of my best friends actually helped on this side. I have no idea how she could have turned into a black witch, but apparently she did. Klaus thinks she played a decisive role in bringing him back."
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Bonnie Bennett."
"A Bennett witch? That is unfortunate. They are one of the most powerful lines, and whenever one of them turns to darkness, the supernatural community is faced with problems. The combination of Bennett powers with black magic is fatal. Does Klaus have any idea who helped on the other side?"
"He didn't say. But his mother was a very powerful witch, and even if they killed her, she might still be able to, ah, work on the other side."
"No, I don't think it's her. She is the Original Witch, and I would have heard about that. It must be someone else, but I will really need a couple of days."
Klaus returned shortly after Silv and Caroline emerged from the restroom where Silv had performed a spell to make Caroline 'remember' her task during the visions. She would not actively know what to do, but something would tell her to focus on the room.
He was still brooding. The three of them left the café together, and after agreeing to seek them out at their hotel as soon as she had made contact with the old witches and found a loophole to Prelati's invasion of Caroline's mind, Silv jumped into a sleek anthracite Mercedes and raced off at top speed. Caroline and Klaus drove off silently until after a few miles, Klaus suddenly pulled over in the middle of nowhere. He got out, flashed around the car and opened her door. "Get out," he commanded.
"Why?" she challenged. He just glared at her and she sighed. What was it now? She climbed out of the car and slammed the door shut. They walked a few steps into the snow-covered nothing when he suddenly spun around and pulled her into his arms, embracing her so tightly she could hardly breathe. Her arms came around his waist and she hugged him back.
"Caroline," he whispered against her hair, "I can't see you suffer through that again. We have to find another way. I don't want you to do it!"
Her eyes closed, and the butterflies made another appearance. She pulled from his arms and moved her hand to cup his cheek, still astonished at how normal it was to touch him by now. "I can handle it, Klaus. And you will be there with me. Once it gets to be too much, you will give me a dream again."
"Sweetheart, I…"
"You were the one who made me see my strength only a few days ago, remember? You were the one who taught me that nothing will ever break me. I can do this. I've done it many times now. But I need you by my side, Klaus. I want you to give me a dream in the end, a dream of beauty and peace and happiness to balance the darkness. Promise me!"
He closed his eyes. It was a strange thought that he was to be the one to bring peace and light to someone, even if it was only within the confines of a dream. With her, everything seemed to be new and unusual, but oddly familiar all the same. He opened his again and looked at her determinedly. Of course he would be there for her. The mere knowledge that she wanted him to be was clenching at his gut. "I promise. I won't leave you alone for so much as a second. Somewhere beneath the visions, you'll know you are safely sleeping in my arms."
"And there is no safer place on the planet," she stated matter-of-factly and moved back into his strong, protective embrace. And no place I'd rather be, she added in her mind.
"Caroline," he whispered, "lovely, strong Caroline. I won't let anything happen to you." Her heart stopped at the fierceness behind his words. Suddenly, she didn't want to think about right or wrong anymore, about her non-existing defenses, about danger and witchcraft. She didn't want to think about anything but the beautiful and vulnerable man who was invading her soul more and more with each passing day, each passing hour.
She lifted her face to his. "Anything? Does that mean you will never kiss me again because it makes my knees go weak and I might fall?" she teased playfully, trying to make him ease up a little bit. And it seemed to work, as he gave her a light grin.
"I will always let things happen to you if you ask for them," he snickered, looking down at her with a sparkle in his deep blue eyes. "And I would never let you fall, love." She locked her eyes with his and pulled him closer.
"Then make my knees go weak, Klaus."
"Gladly," he whispered urgently before he touched his lips to hers almost reverently. It was plain daylight, they were on a roadside and there was no Aurora Borealis – but the magic between them was just as sizzling as it had been last night. His lips were soft and strong on hers and their bodies seemed to almost sigh with relief at being joined again. He let go of her lips to look at her, cradling her face in his hands before letting his tongue run along her lower lip. His thumb pulled her lip down and his other hand gently tilted her head. His eyes were hungrily roaming her face, and then he crushed his mouth to hers, ravenously devouring her. She moaned in abandon, her hands on his back, holding on to him for dear life.
In a flash, he had her pinned against the car, his hands no longer touching her but placed on either side of her head. His mouth was doing all the work now, and Caroline thought she would explode when his tongue and lips moved along her jaw towards her neck. For a split second, his lips were gone, and without a warning, his tongue dipped into her ear.
She nearly came.
The heat between her legs seemed to reach an unbearable level, and she felt she was growing wet like she never had before. His lips were moving over her neck, his tongue leaving wet traces all over her skin. Arching against him, she completely lost her head. Catching him off guard, she reversed their positions, pinning him against the car now. In one swift move, she had pulled off his jacket, and her hands were under his sweater, feeling his bare skin. So soft. Like silk. She heard him groan under her touch, and it drove her even wilder. Her lips were on his neck, and she tasted his skin for the first time, letting her tongue explore the velvety softness. He was moaning, and his head had fallen back against the car, his hands running through her hair and over her back. When she started to move her hands towards his chest under the sweater, he stopped her.
"Caroline," he panted, "that does not seem to be a good idea."
Rejection shot through her like an icy lightning. "And why is that? I thought you said you wanted me – so isn't this what you were after?" She knew she sounded hissy, but she was hurting and she didn't care.
He pulled her towards him, but she tried to resist. To no avail, of course. "Sweetheart, come here and listen to me," he said very softly, and she calmed down almost immediately. Damn, what was this guy doing to her?
"You honestly think I am rejecting you?" he asked with his velvety voice. She nodded, a lump in her throat. "Nothing, Caroline, absolutely nothing is further from my mind than that. I want you more with every day that goes by, and when you are all over me like that, it takes every ounce of my restraint not to throw you on the hood of that bloody car, rip off every single piece of your clothing and – please do excuse my French – fuck your clever brains out."
She looked at him now. "Really?"
"Christ, Caroline, I've wanted you for months. I want you every time I look at you, and every time I look away! I can't remember the last time I have desired anyone like this. Hell, I actually don't think I ever did."
Thunderstruck.
"But then…"
He ran a hand through his hair. "I stand by what I said last night. You are not quite ready, however differently you may perceive it right now. And most definitely not like this. Not against a car in the middle of a road. Oh, please don't get me wrong. I will be more than happy to take you against a car, a tree, on a pool table, on the top of Mount Everest or in the snow under the Northern Lights." He sighed longingly, and she could actually see herself doing all of that with Klaus. Well, okay, Mount Everest…
"But the first time, love, there will only be you and me and an endless night. I will take my time to explore every inch of you, and I want to feel your hands all over my body." I swear the man will be the death of me one of these days. "And one thing I can promise you."
"What?" she whispered breathlessly.
"I will want you over and over and over again. I won't be able to get enough of you, and I won't let you leave the bed until you are so completely sated that you can no longer move."
She closed her eyes and leaned into him, shivering. "What makes you think I'm not ready, Klaus?"
His arms tightened around her and he kissed the top of her head. "I want you to give yourself to me without the slightest hint of a doubt. No regrets. Can you honestly tell me you have no doubts? None whatsoever? Can you be absolutely certain that you will wake up in the morning and won't regret having spent the night with me?"
A tear threatened to fall, so she didn't look up at him as she said in a small voice, "No. No, I can't say that to you. Not quite… yet."
He gently cupped her cheek and forced her to lift her face. "I know. And I will wait until you can. No matter how long it takes, love. I won't allow anything half-hearted. I won't read in your eyes that you made a mistake. That is the one thing I will not accept from you."
'Be aware though – with him, it will be all or nothing. He deals in absolutes. Once you made your decision, you are either in the whole way or you back off. Therefore you should be a hundred percent sure about what you want before you go one way or the other.'
She rested her cheek against his chest, feeling his arms surround her. And they held each other.