She heard the Falls before she saw it from the car window, the river roaring wild like a living thing. Caroline closed her eyes for a moment, letting the sound of the waters hell-bent on throwing themselves down the cliff drown out her clamoring thoughts. She inhaled deep, the fresh scent of flowers filling her senses.

It was the bouquet she'd been clutching in her hands throughout the car ride, sent to her first thing in the morning by none other than Klaus. Hyacinths and lilies of the valley, blues and whites elegantly tied up with a silver ribbon. The only thing she had on her that was from her soon-to-be husband. Caroline figured it could be her something borrowed.

She didn't wear any of the jewelry he'd gifted her, all of them still in their velvet boxes, shoved into the bottom of her huge suitcases now bumping in the trunk. She left the luxurious wedding dress in her closet, opting for a simple blue gown that she'd bought in the heat of the moment, but hadn't had the chance to wear. It wasn't a real wedding after all, and she wouldn't give it any more power or significance than it already possessed.

The whole morning had felt surreal, her mom whispering on the phone making last-minute arrangements, her doing her own hair and makeup. It felt like any other day of going through her normal routines, even though a voice in the back of her mind kept reminding her that something was going to change forever. Everything went without a glitch – all her curls stayed in their designated places under the neatly applied pins, and her hand didn't tremble even once when she was putting on her water-resistant eyeliner. The sharp fierce line of charcoal was nothing short of perfect.

But just as she was about to paint her lips with the expensive gloss she chose, a strange cold feeling gripped her, her visions going into a blur of images that felt like they were being carved into her mind.

Glinting metal. Screams. Panicked faces. Blood.

She was torn out of the vision by her mom's voice from downstairs, "Caroline, sweetie, is everything okay?"

Her visions were still swimming, her body felt weak and clammy. The lip gloss lay on the floor amidst the mess of make-up, its content scattered around calling back the crimson color that just seconds ago invaded her mind. "Nothing, mom," she crouched down and started cleaning it up, the movements foreign and detached. "Just dropped something." But what she saw was stuck in a loop in her head, tormenting her all through the car ride.

Caroline had never had a vision before. Of course she'd heard and read about it in the past, stories of powerful witches being able to get a glimpse of future events without conscious volition, but it was basically a legend in her coven by this point. Rumor had it that Bonnie's grandmother Sheila was born with the gift, but even Bonnie herself hadn't confirmed it when Caroline asked her out of curiosity.

Caroline had never expected it to happen to her. And why today of all days? What did it all mean? She couldn't make sense of the vision, all images flashing like a random montage that she wasn't entirely sure was real. But the pit in her stomach told her one thing: something evil was brewing about the wedding. The wedding that she was about to walk into with nothing but a pretty bouquet. Caroline shuddered at the thought.

The slight reaction didn't escape her mom's eyes from the rear-view mirror, "are you sure you're alright, honey?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry mom," Caroline managed to put on a little smile. "Aren't all brides supposed to be a nervous wreck?"

Liz smiled back, obviously trying to lighten the mood, "as long as you don't jump off the cliff."

Caroline laughed, "oh my god mom, don't bring that up! I've managed to forget about it for years."

In retrospect it wasn't as embarrassing as it'd felt at the time. She was at a party at the Falls, which happened on a regular basis for teenagers in their small town. Being the rebel she was at the time, she'd had two beers, buzzed and giddy, when her ex-boyfriend Matt asked if she wanted to get back together. Caroline was already developing feelings for Tyler at the time, but not yet ready to admit it. With half of the school not-so-secretly watching, her alcohol-powered brain decided that the only way out was to dive down the cliff.

So she did. It was the talk of the town for weeks, about the same length of time she was grounded.

"I promised you I would never do that again. Besides, I love this dress too much."

She picked the Falls as the wedding venue for its secluded location and magical properties, not for the potential escape route.

But truth be told, she missed that feeling. She'd dreamed about it countless times after, freefalling and then crashing into the lake below. It felt...freeing. For several seconds there was nothing on her mind but the sound of the wind, and then water. She could never be more alone than in her reckless venture into danger or maybe even death, but oddly she'd never felt so unconcerned with that very fact. So strong and fearless. At peace. She saw the sun when she was floating in the exhilarating buoyancy of the lake, within reach of her mundane human fingers, whispering to her, levitating her. When she emerged from the water she was a new person. Reinvented.

Caroline wondered if she'd ever feel like that again.

The sound of the Falls was booming in her ears now, and the car stopped at the end of the trail. In the distance she could see guests gathered into two distinct clusters, the witches and the vampires. She knew this was not just about her coven and Klaus. She'd seen the guest lists. Vampire allies of the Mikaelson family, a few werewolf packs loyal to them; a few others friends of the witches, along with renowned covens all over the nation involved or not in the ten-year strife. All of them had sent representatives to witness this unimaginable ritual, all of them certain, just as she was, that things were going to change forever for the supernatural world.

For better or for worse.

Caroline opened the door but she didn't step off, her hand frozen on the handle with tremors that wouldn't stop.

Liz turned around to face her, eyes warm and comforting, "you're doing the right thing, sweetie. I'm so proud of you."

Caroline nodded. Leave it to her mom to know the exact right thing to say, because at the moment it was the only thing propelling her to get off the car and walk into the unknown. She was doing the right thing.

Tyler and Carol were there waiting to take her to a cabin not far away from the cliff where the wedding was going to be held. "We need to channel the sun at noon for the ritual, so you can rest here for a little bit," the older woman told Caroline what she already knew, but her tone was not condescending like when they used to host town events together. Pulling Caroline into a surprising hug, she whispered warmly, "I know you are always able to hold your own, Caroline. I can only wish you all the luck in the world."

Caroline was not so sure luck would be on her side, her mind reeling back to the unsettling vision of blood and chaos. Sensing her unease, Tyler jumped in to suggest they give her some alone time. Caroline was grateful. For all the inner turmoil she was experiencing, she honestly didn't have enough energy to socialize with anyone, good intentions or not. She went into the cabin the coven procured as a makeshift staging area, set her little purse and bouquet on the wooden tea table in the middle of the room, and sank into the armchair right next to it, exhaling deeply.

The shrill ringing of her phone made her jump.

"What the hell?" She didn't know who would call her. All the people she cared about were either within walking distance to her, or knew not to disturb under the unusual circumstances. Elena, as far as she knew, hadn't heard about the wedding yet; plus her time zone had a good 14 hours ahead. As for Caroline's college friends who updated every bit of their life on Instagram, calling was just not their style.

Groaning, Caroline stood up and went to fish out her phone, ready to give whoever was on the other end an earful. She frowned at the unknown number on the screen.

"Who is this?"

"And good day to you too, love."

Caroline ground her teeth as she heard the overly cheerful voice. Of course. Klaus.

"Where did you get my number?"

"I have my means. It's only natural that I have your detailed contact information, seeing as we're going to be married shortly."

She hated how smug he sounded, "next time you're going straight to voicemail."

"Such hostility," a tut of his tongue, so close she could feel the vibrations in her ear. "It's only been what? Half a day? I wonder what caused this very abrupt change of attitude."

"Get to the point," Caroline bit out. She was in no mood to chitchat with Klaus. She was especially not going there with him. In fact, she'd made a conscientious effort to block that particular piece of memory out of her mind, hopefully forever. She was definitely not reliving the kiss Klaus had lured her into with his insidious advances of mediocre milk tea and probably made-up stories.

"My point is," a small intake of breath. "You look stunning in that dress, Caroline."

Her heart skipped a beat. Then she jerked up straight, "where are you? How can you see my dress?"

Klaus chuckled, but didn't answer her right away. Caroline looked around suspiciously and finally spotted him from the window, standing about ten yards away from the cabin, under the ash trees. Even from a distance she could see his lean figure clad in an elegant grey suit, his finely groomed dark blonde curls shining in the sunlight winnowed through the thick leaves and branches above him, and the blue of his eyes brought out by his pocket square...the exact same shade as her dress.

"Why do you always manage to find the creepiest way of interaction?"

"I'm only trying to keep it fun, love. And you seem to be enjoying the view immensely."

"Ugh!" Caroline whipped around with a grunt, feeling the loose curls she left out of her chignon flinging across her face. Switching to speaker phone, she set her phone down on the tea table and foraged out her compact, checking her hair in the small mirror. If even one streak had fallen out from her sudden movement, she was totally blaming it on Klaus, among other things.

"Don't worry love, your hair looks perfect. And is that rouge on your cheeks or just your temper? Either way, it complements your beauty."

Caroline snapped the compact shut, "I said. Get. To. The. Point."

"Can't a groom simply inquire after his bride?"

"You could have knocked on the door, like you seemed to have learned last night."

There was a hint of a smile in his voice, "so you do remember last night."

"Drop it, Klaus."

"Everything for the bride." She hated that word, including the tingling sensation his purring voice had sent down her body. "And to answer your question – I've heard the common belief that it brings bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding."

"I know all about the common belief, Klaus. But one, this is not a real wedding. Two, I have already had the misfortune of seeing your sorry face, multiple times. And three," she sighed. "This whole thing screams of bad luck no matter what. I doubt us meeting beforehand would be the game-changer."

"Multiple times, huh? Would you care describing all these occasions where you saw me? Was it after dark? In the safe confines of your chambers by your lonesome, perhaps?"

Caroline gasped, her face burning furiously at the intimation. Thank god her back was facing Klaus right now. She could basically see the lascivious smirk on his face. But she would never give him the satisfaction, no matter how close to truth his words had hit. He had no business in what sinful scenarios she had conjured up to guiltily pleasure herself and then dreamed of at night, and he had no right to gloat about what he didn't know for sure. So she concentrated on that vexing smug face and sent a blast of her magic that way, a vindictive smile appearing when she heard the suppressed groan on the other side of the call.

But the hybrid recovered in the blink of an eye, and sounded way too gleeful for someone who just got served a nice dose of magical aneurysm without warning, "nice aim, sweetheart. Is this the witch version of 'the lady doth protest too much'?"

"Stop abusing Shakespeare, you pervert."

"I'd offer a heartfelt apology in person if not for the hundreds of eyes that must be watching."

Caroline contemplated the seemingly flippant line. So that was why he was calling her on her phone. She had to admit it was a smart judgment on his part, considering how delicate the balance still remained between their opposing sides. It would not look good for either of them to be fraternizing with the enemy before what was deemed absolutely necessary.

But still – he didn't have to call her in the first place, especially when all he did in the past minutes was useless chitchat and outrageous flirtation that nobody would enjoy.

"If you don't have anything important to say, I'm hanging up. This wedding is literally a matter of life and death, and I could use some peace and quiet to mentally prepare for it."

She made the motion to press down the end-call button, but before her finger reached the screen, she heard him, all traces of tease and jest gone from his voice.

"Everything will be alright, sweetheart. I promise."

She hung up with a slight nod, surprised that he'd offered the comfort. But more surprised that in spite of ominous intuitions and hostile wedding guests, she believed him, her heart settling down for the first time since she stepped foot in this treacherous zone.

A fact that she should be scared of more than anything in the world.


As agreed upon, there was no walking down the aisle when the time for the ritual came. Caroline had insisted that she and Klaus meet at the designated spot as equal parties, instead of her parading through the crowd like some kind of possession. She needed the reminder, and so did the eyes and ears of every faction in the supernatural world. Last resort or not, this arranged marriage signified a compromise long overdue. It was supposed to be a joining of forces, not a hostile takeover.

But as she appeared at the clearing in front of the cliff where the guests gathered, the crowd parted ways for her all the same. The roaring of the Falls was drowning out the music created by magic powers, along with the whispers and breaths of vampires, werewolves, witches, and humans alike. But even louder was her heartbeat in her own ears, thumping away like some unknown forces haphazardly knocking on her door. For a moment she felt fourteen again, singled out on the cliff, with the world watching her, trapped and helpless.

Caroline took a deep breath. She was not fourteen anymore. She was as free as she could strive to be, and whatever life threw her way she would come out the other end alive. Reinvented.

So she clutched the bouquet of flowers to her chest, and took the plunge.

Just when she landed the first step, as if on cue, she felt his presence at her side. She answered his smirk with an unamused look, and wordlessly accepted the arm he offered.

"There you have it. Going as equals," he whispered in her ear, warm breath tickling the sensitive skin of her exposed neck.

"You sure took your sweet time," she bit out.

"Like I said, you look ravishing in that dress," he rolled his tongue the way that made her insides churn. "It would be a crime not to let you shine."

"Shut up."

"Why so glum, sweetheart? I thought we left things on fairly good terms last night."

Caroline fought to keep the polite smile on her face, hissing under her breath, "for once in your life, just shut your stupid lips and stay quiet."

"Why? Are my lips distracting you?"

Instinctively, her eyes flew to his tempting full lips, only to be caught by his eyes, glimmering with joy. She snapped her head back with a scoff, "you wish."

"Oh I've done a lot more than wishing since last night, thanks to you, love."

She dug her nails into his arm, "mention last night one more time and I set you on fire."

"Why? Is it because I do the same to you?"

Caroline tried to hide the effect his voice had on her, little flames burning deep inside that made her fingers tremble. She snatched her hand back as they reached the circle marked out by salt and crystals on the edge of the cliff, turning around to finally meet his smoldering eyes with all the defiance and disgust she could muster.

"Just so we're clear, what happened last night was a mistake. You may have taken advantage of my moment of weakness, but don't think for a second that I actually feel anything for you."

Klaus's face hardened, "deny all you want, love. We both know who made the first move."

"And you can count on it to be the last."

She challenged him with a raised chin, glad that she'd got the last word in before they were surrounded by her fellow witches. A few of them were from her own coven, all friendly faces that Caroline was sure were handpicked by Liz. Among them was April Young, who offered Caroline a small smile while taking the flowers from her. The rest were probably Klaus's people, including the older woman who now stood in front of them, radiating power.

"Gloria," Klaus grinned at the witch. "How nice of you to show up."

Gloria cut him off with a sharp look, "as soon as I bind you nice and tight with your child bride, we're even, Klaus. I do not ever want to see your face again while I'm still alive."

"Death is a lot longer than life, my darling. I'm touched you're offering me the better end of the deal."

The dark-skinned witch ignored him completely, steely eyes turning to Caroline, "and how did you get yourself roped into this mess, child?"

Caroline should take offense at the mockery in Gloria's voice, but instincts told her the witch was a lot older than appeared. She could use some discretion, especially when replying to someone who was going to cast a major spell on her. "I'm doing it for my coven."

"Then you're a fool."

Caroline's eyebrows shot up, "excuse me –"

Gloria cut her off just like she cut off Klaus seconds ago, "let's get this over with."

Who did she think she was? Caroline's jaw hung open, ready to shoot out the first retort that came to mind, but the older witch had already started chanting. Even more aggravating was Klaus's amused face in her peripheral vision, obviously enjoying her embarrassment.

"Relax, sweetheart. A fool you certainly are not," Klaus whispered to her under the steady flow of chants, the other witches around them now joining in. "A liar, on the other hand –"

"You would know about liars," she shot daggers at him.

"So I would," another knowing smirk that annoyed her beyond reasons.

"You –"

"Silence, the both of you!" Gloria hissed, breaking her chanting momentarily. "Save something for after you're married."

As she resumed the long-winded spell, Caroline bit her lips and looked away, hearing the low chuckles coming from Klaus, nails digging into palm to stop herself from snapping at him again. But she could feel his eyes on her, unbridled and hungry, which made her already blushing face burn even more.

Damn him.

She took in long deep breaths and distracted herself by discreetly peeking into the crowd. Unlike most wedding ceremonies, there were no seating arrangements. Liz suggested that part, arguing that they would need to be on their feet if any emergency broke out. Her aesthetic tastes aside, Caroline actually agreed with her mom at the time, although now looking at the two distinct groups of guests tensely gathered, she was not so sure they'd made the right choice. For all she knew there could be a full-on brawl brewing and she'd be none the wiser, all the faces blocked and blended into a dark looming cloud, except for the few ones standing in the front.

She could see Grayson and Miranda on one side, along with some other Elders; Carol standing in the middle as a buffer, separating them and Liz, who gave Caroline a concerned little smile upon meeting her eyes. Turning to the other side, Caroline was surprised at how many faces she recognized. There was Tyler, busy giving the evil eyes to the Elders; alongside him were a few other hybrids who had been to Caroline's door on Klaus's bidding. Towards the center was a man with piercing eyes, looking impeccable in a three-piece suit, who Caroline knew to be Klaus's older brother Elijah. Two others stood closely next to him, equally good-looking, equally well-dressed, only one showing enough boredom to construe as an insult, and the other too much excitement that signaled danger. Must be the younger siblings. Well, comparatively young, since they were all thousand-year-old grumps who could and would tear her to shreds with the flick of a wrist.

So these were the people she would be living with. Caroline had done her research, but seeing the legendary Original Vampires, the source of all vampire bloodlines in person still sent a chill down her spine. Even a distance away she could feel their powers, an almost palpable shadow ready to pounce. Caroline swallowed nervously.

"For a bride at my wedding, you are spending an awful lot of time ogling my siblings. Should I be concerned?"

Whipping her head around, she hissed at Klaus under her breath, "shut up! And I wasn't ogling."

Strange. He was supposed to be the most dangerous one out of all the Originals. But while the sight of his siblings instilled a cold dread in her that she wouldn't admit, when she set her eyes on him she only felt a burning fire that she couldn't explain.

Maybe it was because he was just that annoying.

"Just a heads-up, sweetheart: I don't share," Klaus whispered, a conspiring smirk on his lips. "No matter which one you have your eyes on."

Case in point.

From the corner of her eyes Caroline thought she saw the female sibling snort. Her sentiment exactly. But also, eavesdrop much? She sent a stern look that way before focusing her glare on Klaus, "just a heads-up, sweetheart: there will be nothing for you to share."

"We'll see."

Under the scowl of Gloria he snuck in one last dig, leaving Caroline silently bristling.

The chanting around them picked up, a mixture of Latin words and another language that Caroline didn't understand. She vaguely remembered that the Original family had roots in old Viking magic, the foreign harsh syllables presumably from their mother tongue. From the bits of Latin registering in her ears Caroline gathered that they were calling upon the four elements, the notion soothing her instantly. Binding spell or not, there were no spirits or ancestors involved, no human trickery, only the eternal grace and strength of nature. Inside she felt her own magic humming along, and Caroline couldn't help the little smile adorning her face as she closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself be grounded by the rhythmic sounds of wind and waters.

When she opened her eyes she saw Klaus, staring at her with unparalleled fascination and awe. She blushed, averting her eyes, and suddenly the wind and waters faded away into the background, her own heartbeats drumming loud and telling. Klaus had so many ways of looking at her, withering, tender, playful, or sincere; He studied her like she was some uncut gemstone, with secret gleaming facets that had yet to be revealed, but enchanted him all the same. It seemed that his eyes were always on her, with gazes that she didn't quite know how to feel about: they confused, they agitated, they beckoned, until she found herself liking – no, not liking, not yet – expecting them.

She expected those looks like she expected the myriad secret facets of herself, as if whatever he saw, she could be.

It terrified her.

She winced as Gloria shoved something into her palm, startled from her musings.

"You know what to do?"

Caroline looked down to see a long piece of string nestled in her hand, and met Gloria's questioning eyes with a nod. She knew the ritual by heart. The string, soaked in the oil of rose, caraway, and yarrow, was supposed to bind two parties into a marriage of love and fidelity. Or, in the case of her and Klaus, to ensure a deal with no betrayal, like all the other spells shoved together in this ridiculous scene. As close to a marriage as it could get. Till one of us finds a way to break it.

With trembling fingers, Caroline took an end of the string, and approached Klaus's outstretched hand. She jumped at the electrifying charge running through her as her fingertips touched his skin. Eyes flashing up, she was met with his intense stare, his bewitching lips hanging slightly open. So he felt it too. She looked back down and started tying the string to his ring finger, all the while feeling her heart and her magic matching each other in undulating waves, her head dizzy.

The task was finished in a daze. Caroline was about to retrieve her hand when Klaus caught it in his burning palm. Caroline gasped, feeling the heat seeping under her skin. But soon it was gone, his string-tied hand now hovering over her bare one, its imprint still sizzling on her skin, while his other hand picked up the other end of the string that she'd dropped. He snaked the string under her ring finger, fingertips intentionally grazing the surface. Caroline never knew the skin between her fingers could be so sensitive, the contact rousing a tight tingling in her stomach. Klaus then proceeded to tie the string on her, lingering touches here and there and everywhere on the back of her hand lighting flames. She could feel his eyes, persistently on her, here and there and everywhere until she struggled to breathe, all the oxygen in the air sucked into the blazing fire that was her.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore, snapping at him her voice almost shrill from the strain, "how long does it take to tie a knot?"

"Not long enough, it would seem," he drawled, voice caressing her like his fingers did when he pulled knot tight.

Caroline exhaled deeply when he stepped back, her ring finger pulsing rapidly. Maybe the cliché about the ring finger being connected to the heart had its merits – right now Caroline felt her own heart at the root of her finger, tugged every time the string made the tiniest movement. Her thoughts, too, kept flying to the person on the other side, the fragile link suddenly feeling permanent.

With bated breath she heard Gloria's somber command, "now the vows."

The never-ending chanting around them got louder, and someone handed her a piece of paper with the vows written on. Caroline had no need for it, having memorized the lines ever since she started preparing for the ritual. She could recite it in her sleep at this point, the words having more than once rung in her mind during the happenings of the previous days:

Where your kind belongs, I shall not deceit; Where your blood runs, I shall not harm; Where your kins rally, I shall not betray.

Such irony. Still she took the paper and held it in front of her, noticing Klaus doing the same. Caroline bit her lower lip, chasing any ill feelings about the vows out of her mind. They had already come too far – she couldn't afford anything to go wrong.

Seeing a subtle nod from Gloria, she started reading the words on the paper out loud, hearing Klaus's deep voice joining hers like a shadow.

"Where your trust belongs, I shall not deceit..."

Caroline frowned at the obviously altered wording, eyes flying up to meet Klaus's questioningly, but he only answered with a furtive smile. When Caroline didn't continue, he slightly inclined his head, smile growing into a silent challenge.

Fine. Better pick her battles. She didn't see anything suspicious about the renewed version anyway. Rolling her eyes, she resumed reading, and Klaus promptly followed suit.

"Where your loyalty lies, I shall not harm; Where your heart rests, I shall not betray."

The paper crinkled under her fingers as she read on, her pulse picking up its pace once more. Questions whirled around in her mind about his intentions behind the whimsical change, when the answers seemed to be staring right at her in the form of bold letters. Is that what he wanted? Her trust, her loyalty, and... her heart? But wouldn't she be ridiculously naive to believe what was offered to her in broad day light, without even a trace of disguise?

Time always did sneak past restless hearts. In a blink there was suddenly a goblet presented to her by a witch whose face she didn't recognize, and Caroline took it absently, knowing it was another part of the ritual. It must have seemed like a farce for the guests, overcomplicated customs borrowed from ancient and modern practices alike, with no more significant meaning than to warn the supernatural world of a change of rules. Maybe change was not the accurate word. Caroline glanced at the hybrid across from her, who had ruled for centuries with brutal force and venomed fangs. He wasn't one to make changes. The world adapted to him.

But then where did she fit in?

Caroline looked down and saw her own face reflected in the clear water filling half the goblet. She looked small and insecure in that moment, her expression wavering. Instinctively, she shook the goblet with the tiniest move, and the image was gone, only rippling sunlight in its wake. Like freeing a trapped ghost. Caroline huffed, shaking her head. She'd never been one to fit in after all.

He'd have to make way for her.

She raised the goblet and drank the water in one gulp, eyes fixed on Klaus, staring him down defiantly. Not knowing the thoughts going through her mind, Klaus watched her antics with curious but amused eyes, tipping his goblet at her before mirroring her move. It wasn't until the same witch came up to retrieve the empty goblets that Caroline realized something strange: the plain water tasted somewhat rusty at the back of her throat.

But before she could dwell on that, Gloria was there again, asking the final question before the end of the ritual, "in the name of Sun and Moon, in the eyes of living and dead, Caroline Forbes, you will be joined in matrimony with Niklaus Mikaelson. You will honor this commitment with heart, spirit, and soul. Do you give your word?"

This was it. The moment of truth.

Caroline found her eyes once again gravitating towards Klaus, but this time his face didn't give anything away. Eyes unblinking and shoulders squared, he looked simultaneously like someone who held every answer, or someone who could lose it all. The only thing she sensed from him was his fingers on the string, picking and rolling and stroking, and her skin burned from the mere vibration of the pesky thread that linked her to him.

So this was it.

She took a deep breath and opened her lips, about to utter those two words when suddenly, she heard him whisper.

"You want to kiss me again, don't you?"

If looks could kill, even Original-level immortality couldn't save him from this one. In fact, she thought her spiking magic already went ahead and zapped him, the connecting string for once coming in handy. Served him right. Caroline ignored the pained twitch on his face, silently fuming. There was no way she was going to voice her assent now, especially when he was outright smirking at her dilemma that he had the nerve to cause.

The silence was deafening as her mind raced to find a way out, or better yet, to get back at him. So engrossed in her vengeful scheming, she didn't notice the abrupt change of Klaus's face. The next split second she was enveloped in his arms, his body speeding into hers so fast she almost stumbled. About to protest, Caroline's head snapped up only to meet his feral golden eyes, dark veins raging wildly.

Then it hit her all at once. The smell of blood. The panicked screams of the guests. The glint of metal sticking out of his chest.

Her fingers between them, tangled in string, stained red.