Hello! I am happy to report that I'll be officially posting chapters. Also, I would like to make things clear, since I've been asked by a few that this is a complete rewrite/remake/whatever of my other story of the same name, "Fire In The Water", and I apologize for to those who fell in love with it, but I had lost inspiration and I wanted to have a fresh start. Really sorry! I still have the old story, but I discontinued it. I still thank you all for the support and hope that it continues.
Now, for my responses to reviews (it's a new thing I'm trying out for you guys, so you guys can tell me to stop or not):
-Harley 29 joker: Thanks. I was indecisive on how to start, so I just went with what I thought would be more exciting.
-jessisthebestduh: Again, sorry for having taken it down, but I cleaned out my account for a fresh start, but I am grateful for the continued support and that you loved the other story. I hope you you this one as well.
-margie de jager: Thanks for the support. I hope you all love it!
-GhostGypsy: Appreciate the support! Just to let you know, I am keeping the Gwen/Kol dynamic, but there will be changes to the story from my other fic and the show. I am gonna focus more on Gwen and developing the characters to the best of my ability. I also changed the type of relationship between Klaus and Gwen, so I am excited to delve into that.
-Malou23: Hellooo! I am the author of the story you just mentioned and I still have it, but I am debating on whether to post it or not, since I am not going to continue to write it and am focusing on revamping it. Thanks for the support and hope you enjoy!
Done! Now back to the story!
Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Vampire Diaries and claim no ownership over anything pertaining to it. I only own my characters.
of vampires, witches, and something else…
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Chicago, Illinois
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"I don't get why you're still smiling away," Gwen huffed as she walked into the living room in pink ankle socks, tying her slightly damp hair in a messy bun on top of her head, a few strands that escaped her bun framing her face. She wore a Henley-style dress in burgundy that had a V-shaped neckline and reached above her knees with a partial mock button-front, long sleeves, and a flowy silhouette. Around her neck was a rose gold necklace from which hung a round-shaped pearl. "You aren't funny."
The man seated on her cream-colored couch chuckled, his arms spread over the back of the piece of furniture, his dimples more pronounced the wider his grin got. "You have to admit, it was a bit funny." He cleared his throat to try and hide his amusement when she shot him a halfhearted glare. "It's not my fault you're so easily frightened."
"Of course, there's nothing to worry about when you're attacked," Gwen said with sarcasm lacing her voice. She passed by the dining area and into the kitchen that had a view of the living room. She went about making some tea for her guest and herself, having already had breakfast. "You were gone longer this time, Nik." She glanced over to the living room, seeing him pick up the remote to turn on the television.
"I was," was his vague answer, which annoyed Gwen. "Now that you remind me," he began settling on a channel showing a comedy sitcom before glancing at Gwen, "I thought that we agreed that you wouldn't take late shifts. At least not while I am not around." He huffed with a shrug of his shoulders. "Although I find it hard to understand why you work when there's no need for it. You know I provide you with anything you need."
Gwen rolled her eyes as she finished serving the tea in two cups and placing cinnamon sticks in them before walking into the living room, handing the green mug to him and holding onto the pink one. "First of all, I like working in a place that is like my very own slice of heaven. Second, I have June with me," she argued as she sat down beside him. "Also, I am an isolated, homeschooled teenager who has very limited contact with other people. I need to find ways to socialize a little."
The response she received was a scoff. "Yes, a witch that we've only known for around a year is the best person to socialize with."
"Paranoid as ever, I see," Gwen mumbled into her mug as she took a sip of her vanilla tea, turning her attention to the classic sitcom she enjoyed a lot–Friends. She reclined back, holding onto her mug with both of her hands to warm them.
"I can't have you walking about at night alone, Lyn," he sternly remarked, but his tone of voice held a playful edge to it. "Don't you know that's when monsters come out to play?" He raised an eyebrow, giving her a pointed look as he took a sip of his tea.
"Is the big, bad Niklaus Mikaelson worried about little old me?" Gwen chuckled, bumping her shoulder into his.
Klaus smirked while rolling his eyes. "Is it that surprising?"
Gwen shook her head as she hummed. "Not really."
"I thought I told you not to be out and about at such a late hour," he reiterated more firmly.
"I know, but I can't be cooped up my whole life," she countered, frowning at him. "I know that it's for my safety, but I'm sixteen and have barely seen the world past a few blocks from wherever you move us to. I mean, I barely even get involved in the supernatural world."
Klaus looked away, having heard her say similar words for the past few years. "All the better for you."
"Nik, I haven't even traveled out of the country. It's suffocating not being able to do more," Gwen huffed, growing frustrated. "You don't even let me help you with whatever stuff you have going on."
"Out of the question," Klaus said with finality.
"Nik," Gwen tried once more, but she was prepared for the same response he always gave her.
Klaus gave her a steely gaze that had her closing her mouth. "I think I've made myself clear," he said and even if his voice was calm, Gwen could sense the warning behind his words and in his eyes. "Now, I want you to stop this nonsense so that we can move past this pointless argument. We haven't seen one another for a while, so we should be enjoying ourselves before I go tend to some business. How does that sound?"
Gwen gave him a reluctant nod, knowing that she wasn't going to get anywhere with him when his mood turned sour. "Fine," she sighed, looking back at the television while taking a sip of her tea.
He glanced at a corner in the room, recognizing the items stacked together. He grinned before looking back at her. "Have you been drawing?"
"Painting, actually," said Gwen, throwing a glance at the canvases that she stacked against the wall in the corner of the living room. "I wanted to try something different. I quite like it, especially mixing colors."
He hummed, now growing curious and eager to see what she had made so far. "I'll have to take a look later."
Gwen smiled at him as she curled up her legs beneath her, having left her mug on the coffee table in front of her. "I missed you," she whispered as she opted to focus on him being with her. The side of her head rested on his right shoulder with her head tilted upward to stare at him. He gave her a small smile in acknowledgment. "There's something different about you." She became silent as her fingers played with the hem of her dress. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"
Klaus took a deep breath and finished his tea, sitting up straight as he went to place the mug on the coffee table, his movements causing Gwen to also sit up straight. "I do have some news," he said as he faced her, grinning with dimples and all. He paused and said nothing, prompting her to nod for him to continue. "You're looking at a full-fledged hybrid."
The brunette's eyes widened, her mouth falling open in shock. She suddenly took his hands in her own to connect her skin with his, and then she closed her eyes. She breathed in through her nose and focused on reaching out to a familiar sensation. As always, whenever she used her skills to get a perception of someone, she relied on what she felt from that person. When it came to Klaus, for as long as she could remember, he always made her feel like she was standing outside on a breezy night while wearing a thin jacket. It wasn't exactly icy-cold like from what she felt from other vampires that she had met, since it was more like a chilly feeling that didn't reach all parts of your body. But now, there was something different. Once her skin met his own, she felt like she was warmly enveloped in furry layers while out on a cold day.
"It's true," Gwen exhaled with her eyes wide in shock, looking up at his dimpled smirk.
"Is it that hard to believe in my word?" asked Klaus, feigning hurt by taking his hand out of Gwen's grasp to place it over his chest. The teenage girl raised a knowing eyebrow at him. "What?" he questioned the look she directed at him.
"Your word is duplicitous," Gwen argued.
Klaus huffed good-naturedly. "I am glad that I inspire such confidence in you."
"So, you completed the ritual," she remarked, curious about something. "Why did it take so long?" He was unusually gone for too long, which she found odd, considering he didn't like leaving her alone for an indefinite amount of time. "I thought you had everything planned out, that it was all ready for when you got there."
Klaus cleared his throat with a shrug of his shoulders. "Occupational hazard."
Gwen raised an eyebrow, already imagining what could have happened. "I can imagine that there were some deaths." It wasn't a question. Being with Klaus for so many years had helped her come to terms with death rather quickly from a young age. It wasn't like it didn't affect her, but she was used to it since Klaus was a man who had death nipping at his heels.
"Well, yes," he said, nodding. "There were some locals who were not receptive to my cause." At her raised eyebrow, he continued. "I politely asked them to abide by my demands and no one would get hurt." He paused and thought it over. "Well, no one other than those needed for the ceremony would have gotten hurt," he corrected himself. "I had all of the ingredients picked out, but more people had to die because they forced me to go to my backup plan due to their interference."
"Of course," she sighed, already familiar with the repercussions that fall on those who oppose Klaus. She heard a phone ring and watched as he took it out of his pocket before staring at the screen and typing something on it. "Who is it?" she asked, her curiosity being a bad habit of hers.
"An old friend," he answered absentmindedly, sending his reply. He immediately cursed himself for giving away any type of information, knowing that he only made her more curious than she already was, which would lead to questions and the inevitable argument they always had.
Gwen hummed. "A friend I can't meet."
"Exactly," he answered as he stood up.
"You're leaving?" she asked.
"I have some business to take care of and this can't wait," he told her as he checked that he had his things on him. "As soon as I get everything squared, I'll come back."
The young girl sighed. "You just got here."
"I've already arranged to meet with Gloria, and I would not like to keep her waiting," he said.
"Gloria?" Gwen stood up, making a face of uncertainty.
"We've been over this, Lyn," he sighed, already familiar with the same argument they had ever since they settled in Chicago.
"Wait, and who is this friend you've never mentioned before?" she questioned, getting irritated once more. He always kept her at arm's length in his affairs, and she disliked it because it meant that he was keeping secrets from her. She only knew two of his witches, but only because they had to perform a spell to send his spirit into another body and she worked with them to send his original body to where he was going to perform the ceremony due to her having been the one who watched over his body. "You know, maybe I wouldn't be bothering you so much if you let me have a life with a few friends, but you always make them disappear." She was looking to loosen his grip on her if only to let her know more about the world he kept her from.
"I haven't killed June, so take that as a win." Klaus tried to defend himself, placing his hands on her tense shoulders. "I know I can be a bit difficult," he began and raised a hand when she opened her mouth, "very difficult. Still, I've been," he paused as he searched for a word to describe his attempts at having a better handle on his temper.
"Paranoid. Overprotective," Gwen supplied, raising an eyebrow. "Unreasonable. Short-tempered. Obsessive."
"Those aren't synonyms," argued Klaus, his eyes narrowed with amusement.
"I know," Gwen chuckled. Her smile died down a bit. "Can't you trust me to take care of myself?" He went to answer, but she stopped him. "You've taught me how."
Klaus dropped his head before looking back up at her. "I do trust you," he said as he locked eyes with Gwen. He disliked being the one to cause her any grief, but he just couldn't risk putting her in any harm. "It's everyone else who I can't trust," he began with a sigh. His eyes remained trained on her, looking hesitant to say what was on his mind.
Gwen understood what he meant without him needing to say anything. He was too paranoid to let her go out on her own, and she understood that he didn't like showing any weaknesses to anyone, which was what she was. Still, she wasn't going to let that stop her from wanting to know more. "What do you want me to do?"
"I need you to trust me and let me finish a few things that need taking care of," he said, inhaling a deep breath of relief at having put the discussion to rest for the time being. "We'll talk more and sort everything out after I get back."
She frowned. "You promise?"
"Yes," he said, placing a quick kiss on her temple before stepping away from her. "I only ask that you be patient with me."
"I always have to be," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "And why do you need to go to Gloria?" she asked, frowning. "Where's your witch?"
"Occupational hazard," said Klaus, and she immediately understood. "I need Gloria to look into something."
Gwen's face scrunched up. "I don't think you should go to her."
Klaus frowned. "And why is that?" When her eyes dropped to the ground, he pressed. "Gwen," he said, his tone pushing her to continue.
"I just had a bad vibe when I last saw her," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. She recalled when she had visited Klaus' witch's bar when Juniper needed some herbs a few days ago, and she had felt a strange chill go up through her spine that didn't sit well with her, as if nothing good would come from associating with Gloria more than they already did. "You know, the ones I get when something bad is going to happen."
"And this is why I can't survive without you," Klaus sighed, grinning at her. "I still need to go see her, but I'll watch out for anything suspicious."
"Does it have to be Gloria?" she asked.
"I need a witch," Klaus sighed.
"Then, go to June," Gwen provided, already predicting his reaction.
"Bloody hell, no," Klaus groaned as he paced for a bit, feeling a headache coming on. "I am already letting her keep her head."
"She's my friend," she countered.
Klaus turned his head to her. "Yes, a friend who could only be using you."
"She needed help finding out a bit of information about her family," Gwen explained once more, but Klaus refused to listen. "She didn't do anything wrong by asking for my help. She's been an amazing friend ever since we moved here." She didn't know how many times she had to tell Klaus the same thing to get him to listen to her, only for him to be distrustful and unconvinced.
"Your faith in others is coming from the perspective of a child," he shot back.
"It lets me make friends much easier than you," she argued, having learned not to take his undesirable comments personally.
Klaus shook his head. "I am not going to trust her with this." He sighed when he saw Gwen avert her eyes, noticing she was upset when he saw her bite a corner of her lower lip. "At least not yet. And I am already on edge with you getting involved with her."
Gwen nodded, opting to change the topic. "And who is this old friend of yours you mentioned?"
Klaus cleared his throat. "Someone from my past. We were mates when I lived here in Chicago."
"Really?" she asked, her interest piqued.
"It's a long story," he began to explain, kissing her cheek before walking to her front door. "I promise to explain everything when I return. Can you live with that?"
"Fine," Gwen sighed.
"Good, then I'll call you later," he told her before closing the door behind him, leaving Gwen on her own.
Gwen hummed. "Duplicitous." Something inside her had Gwen feeling perturbed, like something bad was going to happen, and it made her skin crawl. She walked over to the coffee table and picked up her phone, looking up a contact before dialing the number and placing the phone to her ear. After two rings, her call was picked up. "Hey, are you free today?"
.
"So, Klaus still doesn't trust me," Juniper chuckled while she locked the front door of her store. "It's nothing new. That man is walking paranoia, and it's even worse when it comes to you." She glanced at Gwen as the younger girl took off her denim jacket that had long sleeves and hood in gray, placing it on the store's counter. "Still, he really shouldn't have gone to Gloria. That witch really hates him, even more so now that he's a hybrid."
"Well, he refused to listen, so here I am," said Gwen.
"So, can you run what we're doing by me again?" Juniper asked as she turned the sign at the front door of her store to say that they were closed.
Gwen rolled her eyes when she saw Juniper's grin. "You already know."
Juniper chuckled. "I know, I just like hearing you be so rebellious. It's about time." She walked over to a table she had cleaned with two chairs pulled up to it, continuing to take out items from a small bag. "I was getting worried that Klaus would tighten the wool over your eyes."
"I can assume that wasn't a compliment, but I will choose to ignore it," Gwen said with furrowed eyebrows. She walked over to the table Juniper stood by, curious about what was on the table. "What are you doing?" she asked, picking up a purple plant she found pretty.
"Oh, this is just my emergency tool kit," Juniper said, shrugging. "Just some herbs, stones, and potions I tend to carry with me at all times. It helps being prepared." She looked up at what Gwen was inspecting. "That's vervain."
"I know," Gwen said as she placed it down. "Nik gave me a pot of that and some wolfsbane, just in case."
Juniper nodded. "Smart man."
"Are we using any of these things?" Gwen asked as she picked up a deep blue stone.
"Well, since we just want to eavesdrop on whatever Klaus is doing with Gloria, I only need you," Juniper explained as she sat down on a chair at the table, motioning for Gwen to sit across from her.
"Just me?" Gwen asked with a raised eyebrow as she sat down.
"You and Klaus have a strong bond, and I could not ask for a better way to connect with him," Juniper said as she extended her arms on top of the table, gesturing for Gwen's hands. "I am only going to glimpse into his mind and see what he's doing, nothing major. It'll help us figure out what he needs from Gloria."
Gwen hummed, going to reach for Juniper's hands but hesitating. Suddenly, this was becoming more real for her. When she called Juniper after Klaus left, her mind was clear on what she wanted to do. Adding curiosity and frustration to her anger had pushed her to do as she pleased in hopes of doing something to get Klaus to listen to her. Now that she calmed down, she felt like she was breaking his trust and was afraid of what would happen if he found out, not that she was scared that he would harm her, but she knew from experience that he didn't need to lay a hand on her to punish her in some way. Her eyes widened, feeling like the air had been knocked out of her and her chest was being constricted after realizing that Juniper could be in danger. She could already picture Juniper's smiling face in the news as some reporter talked about her murder.
Having noticed a shift in Gwen's demeanor, Juniper sighed but grinned. "What, chickening out?"
"Maybe we shouldn't do this," Gwen said, placing her hands on her lap.
Juniper raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
Taking a deep breath to calm her heart, Gwen gulped before she said, "I just don't want to see you get hurt. Nik can be cruel." Her eyes fell to her fidgeting hands, her fingers playing with the silver bracelet she had been given as a birthday gift that had a silver wolf pendant hanging from it. "He could get upset and take it out on you."
"Look," Juniper began with a sigh, "Klaus is not going to do anything to me. This isn't my first tango with an Original, and I am not doing this without my insurance that I will survive him."
Gwen frowned. "Wait, you know another Original?"
It was Juniper's turn to frown. "Yes, but the one I met had way more manners than Klaus." She smirked. "He was quite handsome in that suit of his."
"So, you know someone from Klaus' family?" asked Gwen, curious to hear more about the family she knew so little of.
"Yes, but he just wanted me to do some locator spells," Juniper explained, shrugging. "He's known as the 'Noble Brother'." Noticing how Gwen was interested to know more by the look on her face, she was coming to realize something. "Wait, you haven't met any other Original?"
Gwen's eyes looked away from Juniper, not knowing how to feel about the question. She would like to say that she does know other members of Klaus' family, but she didn't. She had yet to meet any of them. "I haven't," she confessed. "Whenever I ask about them, he tells me that they're not close and that they have been estranged for some time."
Juniper hummed. "I think you should start getting answers for yourself." She gestured for Gwen's hands once more with a flick of her fingers, noticing how the teenager still appeared to be hesitant. "Look," she began with a sigh, "Klaus has kept you in the dark for long enough. There is nothing wrong with wanting to spread your wings a bit. Besides, you only want to make sure that he's all right." She smiled with sympathy when Gwen met her eyes. "You deserve to choose what you want to do in life, so this is your decision."
Sighing as her eyes fell on Juniper's inviting hands, Gwen could not help but think about what she wanted, and she didn't know what that was. Klaus always gave her whatever she wanted, but she was never satisfied. She felt like she needed to do more in life than just sit and do nothing, she wanted more than the gilded cage he always kept her in. She was beyond grateful for everything he had done for her, but she wanted to also help him. He was very important to her and could not imagine her life without him in it. She refused to be left in the dark, so she placed her hands in Juniper's, looking up to lock eyes with the witch and nodding.
"I knew you'd make the right choice," Juniper said with a smile before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, exhaling through her nose. Focusing on the faces of Klaus and Gloria, she calmed herself and emptied her mind before whispering, "Leig leam faicinn tro shùilean a 'mhadaidh-allaidh neo-bhàsmhor." Opening her eyes, they turned from their usual light blue to a milky white.
Images flashed through Juniper's eyes as if she were there witnessing the events herself. She recognized that she was seeing through Klaus's eyes, finding that he was sitting in front of Gloria inside her bar before his eyes shifted to a young man who had dark blond hair and green eyes with a photo in his hands. Suddenly, her eyes snapped closed and different images were created in her mind. One image she could identify was that of a silver necklace before she was dropped in what she assumed was a forest, gasping when bloodied faces appeared in her vision, but then she found herself in a warehouse. Walking further at high speed into this warehouse, she saw caskets in a corner before she was thrust out of the building and back to reality.
Juniper gasped as she let go of Gwen's hands, violently falling back against the back of her chair as she panted, her mind calming down from having been going through someone else's head with many images to sort through. She cleared her throat and fought to get large gulps of air with a hand placed over her chest.
"June?" Gwen stood from her chair and walked over to stand by the witch's side, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked, worry evident in her eyes and the tone of her voice.
"I'm fine," Juniper sighed before smiling up at Gwen. "It's not easy breaking into an Original's mind." She took one final deep breath and collected herself before straightening up on her seat. "Any other vampire makes this look like child's play for me, but this was on a whole other level." While she never struggled with the spell before, this time was different when she felt like gravity wanted to crush her. She cleared her throat and reached for a small jar from her bag to look at its contents. "Still, I managed to get something that can help us."
"Really?" asked Gwen, watching Juniper's every move.
Juniper hummed as she nodded her head. "He's at Gloria's right now, but there was someone else with them."
"He mentioned that he came back with a friend," Gwen supplied, to which Juniper snorted.
"Please," Juniper scoffed, "the closest thing that man has to a friend is you, but you are family, so that doesn't count." She was amused to know that Klaus had a friend, something that she never thought she would hear about the hybrid. "Well, I think I know where he keeps his secret stash or something. It could help us figure out our next move."
"What about Gloria?" asked Gwen, still worried about the white-haired witch.
"Well, he already talked to her. I couldn't tell what it was about, so we need to figure that out if we're going to find out what's causing you to have a bad feeling about her," Juniper explained.
Gwen nodded before she asked, "And how will we do that?"
"Not 'we'," said Juniper as she stood up and pointed at Gwen. "You."
"Me?" Gwen raised an eyebrow. "You know I'm not very good with this magic stuff. Even you find it hard to comprehend my magic."
"Well, practice makes perfect," Juniper said as she poured the white sand that was inside the jar on top of the table. "To find the location of where we're going, I would have needed you to have gone there or had something that connects me to something that's there. We have none of that, so it falls to you." She placed the empty jar on the table.
"Okay, but what do I do?" Gwen asked as she stared at the sand.
"You're going to use me," Juniper explained, elaborating when she saw the confused frown appear on Gwen's face. "Your magic is far stronger than anyone can ever imagine because it doesn't need to rely on the restriction witches have to do their spells. Your magic is pure and raw." The witch grabbed the younger girl's hands, smiling encouragingly. "You only need to see what I saw and wish to know where it is, and I'll handle helping you focus your power."
Gwen was still doubtful that this would work, but she decided to try anyway. Closing her eyes, she tried to reach out into Juniper's mind through their connected hands, feeling the other woman's warmth. It was always difficult for Gwen to focus on her magic, it made her feel uncomfortable in her skin due to how much she felt, which was what made it hard for her to control it. But, if she were to keep the amount of magic that she used small, she was able to not have much trouble. Green, vein-like light spread from within Gwen's skin and into Juniper's before disappearing around her elbows. Once they were connected, Juniper brought what she just saw to the front of her mind, allowing Gwen to see it. After she saw Juniper's memories, Gwen tried to find out where it was and willed her magic to tell her. The green light inside their skins faded as Gwen opened her eyes, locking eyes with Juniper before disconnecting their hands.
Juniper shook her body with a grin. "Your magic never fails to send a thrill through my body."
"Good to know," Gwen said with an awkward smile and one eyebrow raised.
"Don't forget that your magic is rare," Juniper explained, turning back to the table. "Why do you think Klaus is so overprotective of you?"
Gwen nodded. "I know," she said as she stood beside Juniper. Her eyes landed on the table and frowned as she saw what the sand spelled out to them. "Is that it?"
"Yes." Juniper nodded. "You asked nature what you wanted to know, and it answered."
Gwen nodded. "Is that it?"
On top of the table, the sand had spread and assembled into numbers, at which Juniper smiled. "We have our heading."
.
"Ugh," Juniper groaned as she stared up at the building in front of them, the eerie silence making her nervous. "Why couldn't he have picked somewhere less creepy?" She looked down at the map displayed on her phone. "The damn GPS had us going in circles for quite a while. I mean, it's already nighttime," she huffed as she looked around the desolate area. "And it's too quiet."
Gwen stared up at the warehouse, her eyes narrowing when they landed on a door. She could hear whispering, causing her to look behind her before her eyes surveyed the area, but she didn't see anything or anyone else. It wasn't the first time she heard voices, since they always served as a guide. She could tell that they were coming from inside the warehouse, which made her curious as to what could be inside. She began to walk toward the entrance of the warehouse, following the voices whispering in her ear.
"Gwen?" Juniper frowned, noticing how the young girl was not being more careful. If this was a place Klaus was keeping some of his things, then she knew they had to be watching out for any guards that he could have left behind. "All right, into the creepy warehouse we go." She straightened her beige coat and followed Gwen into the building.
Pushing the door open, Gwen peeked her head in to find that the inside was dimly lit with Juniper right behind her. "Why would Nik be in this place?" Gwen wondered out loud.
"Maybe to plot and torture," Juniper joked, keeping her voice low. "He may be an ass of a hybrid now, but he still has some class. I doubt he'd make a mess where he sleeps." She hummed as she thought about what she had seen when she invaded Klaus's mind. "Still, I saw that there's something he's hiding here."
Gwen guessed that Klaus had picked this place due to how little storage she saw with the pallet racks mostly empty, which meant that not many people would drop by. Both girls stepped further in and allowed the door to close behind them, which made a loud sound that echoed throughout the whole place, causing them to freeze for a moment as they waited for something to happen. They were met with silence, so they kept going with only the small heels of their booties making any sound. All they could smell was nothing but the dust that had accumulated over the years.
As they walked along a path between pallet racks, Gwen stopped in her tracks when her eyes landed on something that she found odd. "Are those caskets?"
Juniper looked around Gwen, her eyes narrowing when she recognized the caskets from the vision she had when she had connected her mind with Klaus'. "That's what I saw when I did the spell," Juniper said as she walked around Gwen to approach the closed coffins. "He had been thinking about this place while he was talking with Gloria."
Gwen felt strange, every nerve in her body telling her that this was not a good place. The whispering was getting louder as she stepped closer to the coffins, hearing voices scream and rage. She even felt that anger, disbelief, murderous intent, and many other thoughts of ill intent hung heavily in the air surrounding the caskets. A memory surfaced from when she was much younger and had wandered around a home Klaus had settled them in, remembering seeing something like this, but Klaus had pulled her away before she could see what was inside. "They're not empty," she said as she approached the coffin Juniper was standing in front of, no longer hearing the voices.
"Of course not," Juniper mumbled as she placed a hand on the smooth surface. She reached for the latch and grunted when she lifted the lid. When they saw what was inside, both girls gasped in surprise at the body resting within. "Elijah," she said below a whisper, recognizing the sharp figures of Klaus' older brother.
"Who?" Gwen asked as her heart picked up speed, frowning as she stared at the gray and desiccated body of a man in a suit. She had to admit that–if it weren't for the ill-looking skin–she would have found the man to be quite handsome. Also, she knew him from somewhere. "I think I've met him before."
"He's Klaus' older brother," Juniper answered as she stepped back, her mind spinning.
"His brother?" Gwen exhaled as she stared at the dagger embedded in his chest. She couldn't understand what any of this meant. "When we met, he asked about the city." She looked back up at his face, remembering how she met him some time ago when they bumped into one another, which led to them having lunch together. "I knew he was a vampire, but I had no idea he was Nik's brother."
"It's what Klaus does," Juniper began to explain as she went to close the lid of the coffin. "I've only heard rumors about this, about how he keeps them in coffins after daggering them because of some sort of disagreement." She shook her head and turned around to stare at the other coffins. "We shouldn't meddle with this. Let's just go."
Gwen was still trying to comprehend what she saw. "Is he dead?" She looked at the other coffins, feeling a bit scared as goosebumps crawled all over her. "Are they all dead?"
"No," Juniper answered, noticing another coffin in the far corner. "He uses those daggers to incapacitate them, to put them in a very painful sleep." She approached the open coffin and found it empty. "They're his family." She looked over the coffin and found a dead body of what she assumed was a bodyguard, noticing the blood that had spilled from a wound in his neck.
"This isn't right," Gwen whispered as she looked at the coffins.
"We should go," Juniper said as she turned to face Gwen, only to gasp when she came face-to-face with a smirking blonde, causing Gwen to also gasp when she saw the woman standing in front of Juniper.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous," said the young woman in a white flapper dress that had a dark stain over her chest. "You both just got here in time for dessert." The whites of her eyes turned red and veins protruded from beneath her eyes before opening her mouth to show her sharp canines through her grin.
Juniper hardened her gaze, focusing on the blonde that took a step back with her hands on her head while releasing hisses and groans full of pain. "Run!" she yelled at Gwen, but that one second she was distracted was enough for the vampire to push her against the empty coffin, causing the witch to fall to the ground with a groan as pain shot through her side.
Gwen was about to step toward Juniper but was stopped when the vampire appeared in front of her, the yelp that wanted to escape her being suffocated when the blonde grasped her by the throat. "Now, now," the blonde vampire began as she pulled a wheezing Gwen closer to her face. "Let's not do anything foolish. I am far too famished to work for my food." As she was about to sink her fangs into Gwen's skin, she stopped when she picked up on a scent she hadn't encountered in so long. She brushed her nose against Gwen's neck and took a deep breath, filling her body with a blissful and energetic feeling from the sweet scent. "Impossible," she mumbled as she frowned, pulling back to stare at the young girl's face. "I thought you lot were extinct."
A blur pushed the blonde vampire off Gwen, causing the young girl to cough as she fought to get some air in her lungs while rubbing her hands where the vampire's hand had been squeezing the life out of her. As she touched where the hand had been wrapped around her throat, she knew that a bruise would form. Her downturned eyes landed on Juniper as the witch managed to climb to her feet on wobbly legs while using a coffin for support. She looked up to find that Klaus was holding the blonde vampire by her neck.
"Come now, Rebekah," Klaus began as he held on tighter to his younger sister's neck. "Is that any way to greet someone?"
Rebekah pushed Klaus' hands off her before plunging her dagger into his chest, eliciting a groan from him. "Go to hell, Nik," she hissed before stepping back. She watched as he took out the dagger from his chest and dropped it to the floor beside him.
"Don't pout," Klaus said as he smirked at the fuming blonde. "You knew it wouldn't kill me."
"I was hoping it would hurt more," Rebekah huffed, watching as Juniper walked over to Gwen's side on the floor. "I take it that they're not snacks."
"No, but I do have a little peace offering waiting for you," Klaus said with an edge to his voice before glancing at Gwen, walking over to her side just as Juniper got her to her feet. He lifted a hand and gently grasped Gwen's cheek to turn her head from side to side, his eyes looking over the darkening bruise. After releasing Gwen, he looked up at both girls with a glare set on his features. "We'll be discussing this little stunt later."
Both Gwen and Juniper remained quiet as they held onto one another, keeping each other upright.
Rebekah stared at both girls with her arms crossed over her chest, but her eyes were solely focused on Gwen. "And what have we got there, Nik?"
Klaus turned to Rebekah, already dreading what was to come. "Whatever do you mean, little sister?"
"I mean, dear brother," Rebekah began as she gave Klaus an unimpressed look, nodding at Gwen. "How the bloody hell did you come by a faerie?"
Rough translation (Scottish-Gaelic to English):
Leig leam faicinn tro shùilean a 'mhadaidh-allaidh neo-bhàsmhor.–Allow me to see through the eyes of the immortal wolf.
End of chapter!
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Tell me what you guys think with the new direction I am taking the story. I went with fairy, 'cause I wanted to use a supernatural species that hasn't appeared on the show and have more...more than what a ghost can do. I would really appreciate what you guys think.
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