Chapter 18: Smoke and mirrors
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
Caroline carried a bag with the necklace that Hannah-May had requested in her hands as she made her way through the city. She enjoyed the sun on her face and the wind in her hair as she strolled down the street. Taking in the soulful music playing through the different shops and bars, mixed with the voices of tourists reveling in the NOLA experience…
She froze up just as she rounded a corner then, seeing Klaus standing in front of her. His hands behind his back and a soft smile on his face. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but she cut him off with the raise of her hand.
"I'm busy, Klaus." she interjected exasperatedly and walked around him to continue down the street. He followed closely next to her, seemingly undeterred by her dismissal. "I have important things to do, okay?" she sighed without looking back at him. "People to see and answers to find..."
"Ah." he remarked, a nod of his head visible to her peripheral view. "And do any of those include time spent with Marcel?"
She stopped walking with a sigh as he took a stand in front of her. For a moment she studied him, wondering whether she should tell him that she had no interest in Marcel whatsoever. But his smug, dimple displaying grin and sparkling eyes made her press her lips together firmly.
Choosing to bite back the comforting reassurance that had threatened to escape her then. "I'm not doing this with you." she declared with determination and began walking again, passing him by. Where's Josh when you need him?
"Probably minding his own business, far away from here. If he knows what's best for him, that is." Klaus said amusedly, making her freeze up and look at him again in confusion, shaking her head slightly.
She brought a hand up to her eyes and thought about how last night had been the first in a long while where she'd actually fallen asleep early. I must be severely sleep deprived.
"Having trouble sleeping of late?" he asked teasingly, his breath fanning her ear as he leaned in closer to her.
"Seriously!?" she hissed as she threw her hands up in disbelief. "I'm pretty sure that one wasn't out loud!"
He shrugged. "No, but I do pride myself in being able to read your body language, Caroline." he noted while taking a few steps closer to her, making her hold her breath. She tore her eyes away from his intense gaze before she had a chance to completely drown in it and shook her head again as her cheeks burned.
"Yeah, okay. Whatever." she breathed out and turned to keep walking, sighing again when he continued to follow her. "I really am busy, and I don't have time to argue with you."
"Who said anything about arguing?" he protested, making her scoff. His hands circled her wrist and stopped her, turning her slightly around with a soft tug as he searched for her eyes. When she finally looked up from his hand to his face, he smiled sweetly. "How about lunch?"
She raised her eyebrows to her hairline at that. "Lunch?" she echoed. "With you?"
A grin tugged at his lips. "Yes, with me."
Catching herself considering it, she quickly shook the thought off and looked back at him with a frown. "I can't. I'm going to see a witch about something." she admitted.
He dropped his gaze, making her follow it to look down at his hand as it was still holding onto her wrist. His thumb stroked over the skin above her pulse point absentmindedly, making her gulp as her breathing hitched despite her best efforts. As she glanced up at his face, she caught the corners of his lips twitch right before he let go of her then.
"Well, in that case…" he said softly, tucking both of his hands behind his back and straightening up. "Allow me to accompany you."
She bit her lip harshly and looked away, missing the fiery look in his eyes that had resulted in her innocent action by a beat. She knew she couldn't let him come with her because then she would need to introduce him to Hannah-May and risk her breaking their deal...
Shaking her head as she made her decision then. "I think I'll just handle this one on my own, thanks." she quipped with the tilt of her head, causing her hair to fall over her shoulder before turning away from him once more.
"Caroline..." he sighed as he suddenly appeared in front of her again. She was just about protest when something else caught her attention. Something approaching at a high velocity.
Acting on reflex, she grabbed onto Klaus and launched him back to her and away from the road. Just in time to avoid a speeding car as it drove past them. Caroline stared daggers into the hood as the driver rounded a corner and disappeared, completely oblivious to the scene having taken place in its wake. And the accident it had nearly caused.
That's when she let out a long breath, not having realized she even held it in the first place. "You should be more careful." she barked out, staring up at Klaus' analyzing eyes with a panicked scowl.
"As much as I appreciate the gesture, love... You know as well as I, that a car could hardly cause me any harm."
"Right." she whispered under her breath, realizing suddenly that she was holding onto him like both their lives depended on it. Her fingernails were digging into his jacket, and his hands had in turn found their way to her sides. The warmth from his skin burned through the material of her dress, making it hard for her to think.
She cleared her throat and shook her head slightly to collect her thoughts. "Right, I knew that. I was just trying to keep you from either killing the driver in the collision or exposing yourself to the whole block by vamp-speeding away."
Gulping as she glanced back up at Klaus' smirking face where it remained close to hers. The situation reminded her of a very strong memory of him... That time he had found her in the halls of Mystic High, running away from Alaric.
He had kept her from going back for Elena as well as calmed her down. And it had been one of the first times where she saw something in him. Something that made her think he cared. About people and about who got hurt and who lived...
About her.
The grip on her waist eased lightly, but instead of pulling back from her, he stroked her softly across her ribs. Sending shivers through her whole body. As a tiny gasp escaped her lips, she remembered where they were and fought a blush from covering her cheeks.
Clearing her throat again, she let go of him and backed away from his grasp. She cursed herself as she felt embarrassed for her reaction, both by dragging him out of the not-so-dangerous harm's way and by being so clearly affected by his proximity. They stood frozen for a moment as she composed herself and tried to think of a way to break the silence. Although he managed to beat her to it.
"I believe you dropped this." he said while picking up the shopping bag from off the ground.
Averting her eyes from his, she nodded shortly in appreciation. But when she reached for it, he pulled it swiftly away. "Let me join you." he quipped then.
"To the witch?" she asked with a slight studder. He nodded with a sweet smile towards her in response. "Why?"
"Why?" he began with a shrug. "I'd like to spend some time with you, is that so hard to believe?"
"We have a date tonight, Klaus. Isn't that enough bonding time?" she pointed out with a nervous chuckle. Noticing a quick flash of a grin on the hybrid's face, she found herself immediately regretting her use of the word 'date'. For a moment she thought of calling it all off right now, before it was too late and too complicated - but he interrupted her then.
"We do, and honestly it is all too far into the future for my liking."
She rolled her eyes at that, a smile ghosting over her lips despite her best efforts. "Okay, fine." she conceded, suddenly unable to deny him such a simple request. Then she directed a finger towards him, pointing at his chest. "But only if you do this my way."
He raised his palms in retreat. "Of course. Name your conditions."
"No touching. No killing. No threatening or torturing. No neck-snapping or threatening to snap anything… Just, really no villany-ing whatsoever." the last one brought a wide smile to his lips as she sighed. "And no smart-assing. Got it?"
He nodded eagerly, looking like a child who finally convinced its' parents to let him go to Disney World or something. "Oh, and also. Enzo's meeting us there, so you're going to have to play nice." she added, bringing a slightly furrowed grimace from him.
She read his confused eyes and sighed. "Enzo?" she repeated. "Enzo St. John? My friend? You met him the other night."
"Ah, yes." he crooned then, smiling towards her. "Well, considering I will be your escort to Ms. Denver's now, perhaps your companion could leave this to the two of us."
She opened her mouth to aim a jab at the whole 'escorting'-comment but was quickly struck by something else. "Klaus... I never told you the witch's name."
For a short moment he looked like he regretted his words, then he grinned as she began to utter the accusation. "Have you been spying on me?" she asked slowly, taking a step towards him with every word.
"Would you have wanted me to?" he chimed, bringing a frustrated grunt from her.
"Seriously!? That is not ok, Klaus! I thought we were supposed to be friends!"
"We are, love! Why else would you attempt to rescue me from a car just now?" he teased before giving her a genuine smile. "I promise, I have not been spying on you."
"Then where did you get her name?" she demanded, her arms crossed over her chest. "Not even you are that good of a mind-reader."
"To be fair, I never claimed to be telepathic. I am simply… observant."
"That's not an answer, Klaus."
He shrugged leisurely. "Believe what you wish, sweetheart. The truth is that I threw a glance into this bag earlier." He swung the shopping bag with his index-finger and smirked at her. "And I happen to recognize the value of its content, as well as whom would possibly be interested in having you fetch such an item for them."
"Is this your way of saying that you know Hannah-May and are going to help me? Or is it actually going to be a disadvantage?"
"That depends." he said with another shrug.
"On what?"
"On whether or not her memory is fully intact these days."
She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. "Don't tell me. You threatened someone she loved? Killed her friends? Killed her family? Killed her? Slept with her?"
Bringing a finger under her chin, he lifted her gaze to meets his eyes and grinned. "Is that a slight tinge of jealousy I hear, Caroline?"
"What!?" she squeaked, sounding much less composed than she would have hoped. She cleared her throat and shook out of his grip. "Of course not!"
He studied her eyes for a long moment, drilling into her mind. She held a breath, as if trying to keep him from somehow entering her thoughts. But without the skin contact, that shouldn't be possible, even for an original vampire and their sometimes mind-reading capabilities.
"Well." he drawled, visibly retreating as he handed her the shopping bag with an easy smile. "I won't force my presence upon you. I simply thought I could be of service. And from what I recall, we do happen to be quite the team in these sorts of situations."
Caroline wasn't entirely sure how the little puppy-dog look of his managed to claw at her soul, but suddenly she found herself calling for him. "Wait, Klaus."
He turned around to her, a questioning expression as she took a deep breath. "You can come with, if you want." She whined and turned ahead as they walked through the Garden district together.
"So..." Klaus said after a long moment of silence between them. "This Elliot... Everest? Edgar."
"Enzo." she corrected.
"Yes, Enzo." he mused, bringing a tiny smile from her. "How long have you been... acquainted?"
"Maybe… Seven, eight years."
"I don't remember him from my time in Mystic Falls with you and your..." he seemed at loss for words for a moment before continuing. "Friends."
She ignored the distaste in his tone and simply nodded. "You wouldn't. He showed up after you left."
"Well, isn't that convenient." he chuckled. "I leave and suddenly you find yourself working with another vampire so much older than yourself?"
"How do you know Enzo's older?"
"When aren't they? You seem to have fallen into a rather specific category of type ever since the wolf pup..."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she scoffed, making him hold her arm back to stop her from walking.
"I heard of your relationship with Stefan a while back." he noted, making her gulp down a hint of hurt at the mention of his name. "And then you leave town, only to move in with that history-teaching vampire hunter... Alaric - was it? And then, this Ernesto and now Marcel..."
"Enzo." she corrected – again. "And he and I aren't... We never... And Marcel isn't... Why would you even -? I don't have to explain myself to you, Klaus!" she stuttered on, sounding as flustered as she felt in the moment.
He chuckled at that, letting go of her arm as he continued walking down the street. She hurried after and took a stand in front of him with her hands on her hips. "Friends don't interrogate friends on who they choose to spend their time with." she retorted.
"Now I have to disagree with you, sweetheart." he grinned. "Friends certainly do share such information with one another."
"You don't hear me asking you to name every last one of your lady-friends from all this time apart."
"But I would be happy to tell you, Caroline. Go ahead! Ask me." he suddenly stood mere inches away from her then, a challenging smile making his eyes glitter lightly.
"I don't want to hear about that."
"Why not?" he asked, his eyes tracing every last detail of her face. "Are you afraid of the answer?"
"No, I just..." she sighed. "I don't know. We're just not... It isn't –… We don't… I don't want to talk about that with you." For a moment, it seemed like he was going to continue pressing the matter but then he simply walked around her with his hands behind his back.
Feeling frustrated, and kind of mad and confused and wanting to fight back somehow, she blurted out the first thought in her mind. "I don't know what you want from me, Klaus." She heard him stopping at that, slowly turning as she did the same to meet his gaze. "What do you want?" she lifted her hands in the air in an exasperated gesture.
The question circled around in her mind, trying to figure out what to say and what to think. Should she tell him that she moved on with her life? That she fell in love and had other men in her bed and stopped thinking about him?
Or should she tell him the opposite? That every time she felt scared and lost and out of her mind - she considered calling him. That, when she left Mystic Falls behind, she was so close to turning the car to follow the signs for Louisiana... But instead chose to continue heading in the opposite direction.
What exactly did he want to know? That she got her heart broken again and again, and that by the end of the day she simply gave up on the whole fairytale-romance kind of love that she used to wish for when she was a kid...
That she honestly didn't think that he even still thought about her after all these years? Maybe that's what he wanted to hear, that the young blonde naïve little, small-town-girl from Virginia, genuinely never thought he would care about seeing her again?
"What do you want me to say?" she asked, keeping everything else inside out of fear of exposing too much.
"The truth." he replied, the tone of voice breaking her heart.
The words left her mouth of their own accord at that. "I just wanted to stop giving you all the wrong ideas, I guess. That's all."
He stilled at her words; his lips parted in surprise as he analyzed her face closely. "Is that really how you feel, Caroline?"
"It doesn't matter, Klaus." she huffed coldly, making herself flinch at the sound of her voice. The dark storm in his eyes made her voice die out, she stood frozen in place as he inched closer to her and grabbed onto her forearms.
They stood still in silence while their eyes spoke volumes. "Klaus..." she breathed out, reading something on his face that she didn't quite know what to do with. "You're not- I mean… You don't still-" feel something? The words died on her lips as he suddenly leaned even closer and his gaze dropped to her mouth.
A challenge appeared on the hybrid's face then. As if daring her to break away from him and prove him right. What about wasn't clear to her though.
His hands burned on her skin, creating a strong pull between them as she tried to calm her whirlwind mind. She met his eyes suddenly and immediately regretted it. Gulping hard as she fought a shiver in response to the fiery look that they held.
He was calling on her to close the last distance between them. Just that one inch... And indulge. Just this once. Just like she did that one day in the woods... And right then, she couldn't think of a single reason not to.
"Well, aren't you two cozy?" The words broke through the sudden haze in her mind as they both quickly turned to meet the intruder.
"Enzo." Caroline exhaled sharply, realizing that she had stopped breathing the second Klaus had touched her skin. Clearing her throat, she propped her chin up slightly and waited for Klaus to back away from her.
Instead, he stayed in place, only letting go of her but otherwise seeming completely unbothered by the audience. "So..." she drawled while smiling innocently to the younger vampire. "I got the necklace."
"Wonderful." Enzo snickered teasingly at her before nodding towards Klaus. "Will you be joining us?"
"Yes." he replied cheekily, making Caroline fight the strong urge to roll her eyes.
"Ok then!" she quipped and clasped her palms together. "We should get going."
"Actually, love." Klaus said then, holding her back by the elbow. "Change of plans."
"What are you talking about?" Caroline asked then, her tone mimicking the confusion on Enzo's face.
"I'm sorry to say you haven't done your research thoroughly enough this time, Caroline. "
She shook her head lightly. "What?"
"You hope to receive a favor of sorts from Hannah-May, I presume?" he queried, earning nods from the both of them. "Well, you are barking up the wrong tree, as they say… She isn't the one to turn to for anything but herbs and crystals."
Studying him closely, Caroline tried to read his expression as she thought it over. "You're saying she lied? She doesn't have any powers?"
Klaus gave her a smile at the accurate guess. "Not even enough to avoid being compelled by a vampire. Her daughter is the only one in her line with magic left."
"That's just great..." Enzo gritted out in disappointment. "So, what now?"
"Well, you need a Denver-witch with magic. Let's go to the one who actually possesses it."
"But the daughter is sick, right? Or was that a lie too?" Caroline asked, trying to piece it all together in her mind.
"Yes, she is indeed unwell. But that doesn't mean she can't be of use." Klaus shrugged and grabbed the bag from Caroline, handing it to Enzo. "Deliver this to Ms. Denver as requested, and Caroline and I will speak with the young Alice-May."
"And what, you know where she is?" Enzo asked as he accepted the bag.
"I do."
"And you're going to follow him?"
Caroline sighed at the affronted tone in Enzo's voice and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess In am."
Enzo tugged at her arm and led her aside then, looking at her with narrowed eyes. "Are you sure about this, gorgeous?"
She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. "Anything to get on with the plan, right?"
"Right." he echoed, analyzing her for a moment. "I know you said we could trust him, but I really don't like this."
"I don't require your approval, sport." Klaus retorted, suddenly standing right beside them. "What?" he smirked as they stared daggers at him. "I don't appreciate being spoken of as if I am not present."
Caroline rolled her eyes at that. "Enzo, please visit Hannah-May and you can meet up with us later - right?" she directed the question to Klaus who smirked in response.
"Afraid of being left alone with me for too long, sweetheart?" he teased.
"Let's just get this all over with, okay?"
"Very well..." Enzo said then, studying Caroline for a moment as if giving her the chance to change her mind. When she didn't, he simply nodded to the both of them and disappeared to follow his orders.
"Now, where were we?" Klaus asked then, his breath hot against her neck and sending light shivers up her spine.
She shook it off with a shrug but refused to meet his eyes. "Alice-May Denver." she noted with a determined nod. "Lead the way."
One month ago
Prague, Czech Republic
Bonnie was sitting at a small café in a square next to one of Prague's many old churches. She studied her surroundings as she waited for her company. A man was painting one of the benches to the coffee shop and said something to a woman sitting opposite to it. The woman nodded as the painter went inside the building and soon returned with a sign to put on the wet furniture.
A group of four friends were sitting at the table closest to Bonnie, they had ordered a bottle of rosé to share and brought their glasses up in a joyful salute. An older man showed up with a large, grey dog and was about to sit down in the wet paint, when the woman from before stopped him and instead invited him to her table.
He then nodded his head and sat down next to her, the dog taking residence under the bench and looking up at Bonnie with a tilted head. She smiled towards it, in awe of how peaceful it was here. Everybody seemed so open and warm, as if they had all found their place in this world. Which stung for Bonnie because she hadn't even begun searching for hers yet...
A dark-haired man suddenly appeared in the seat opposite to her and smiled at the young witch. "Miss me, darling?" he asked.
She scoffed. "Does this mean Damon has finally found his vampire friend?"
"Not exactly..."
"Enzo!" she hissed. "You were supposed to babysit him, not leave him all alone at some motel…"
"Well… It struck me that there was a beautiful young woman sitting at a café all by herself in an incredibly romantic city... And I suppose I got jealous." he said with a shrug, making her chuckle.
"Really?" she said and leaned forward to rest her chin in her hand. "I sincerely hope you didn't follow her out of fear that she might be meeting someone?"
"Ah, rubbish!" he exclaimed. "How could she possibly find someone better than me?"
"You should ask yourself how you could possibly find someone better than her." Bonnie teased, grinning as he reached for her hand and gave her knuckles a sweet kiss.
"Have you spotted them yet?" he asked when he pulled back, making her nod.
"The woman next to the man with the dog." she whispered as he glanced over to study them.
"She came alone?"
"It seems that way."
"And you're certain it's her?"
"She's wearing the necklace, it's her." Bonnie announced and straightened up as the woman suddenly left the bench and began walking away. "Think she sensed you?"
Enzo glanced at the witch and sighed. "I'd bet my life on it." he muttered before they quickly left the table and began following her.
The woman walked past the narrow streets and crossed a small park, she seemed to try and shake them off by hurrying down to a busy marketplace. But Enzo found her quickly and flashed over to stop her in her steps, making her turn around at Bonnie who'd appeared behind her.
"Kdo jsi?" the woman asked making Enzo smile.
"Vaše nejhorší noční můra." he told her and nodded towards Bonnie. "We need to ask you a few questions."
"What makes you think I have the answers?" the woman retorted, her thick accent coloring her words.
"Because you're Kasia Marousek." Bonnie said, making the woman turn around in surprise. "And we're looking for your coven."
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
It just had to be a high school. Caroline cursed internally as they passed the soccer court filled with running teens and entered the halls of Thomas Jefferson High.
"What class?" Klaus' voice broke through her mind as he received instructions over the phone. "I'll let you know." A small beep announced the end of the call and he then turned to Caroline, who was still deep in thought. "Feeling nostalgic, love?"
"Not really." she answered with a low voice, her lips pressed into a thin line and her arms crossed over her chest as she studied the students around them.
"Come on, Caroline. Don't you miss being on the cheerleading team? Winning Miss Mystic Falls? There is really no reason for that scowl, love." he jabbered with a playful voice as he nudged her elbow, beckoning her to chime in.
"I just have the wrong shoes for this. That's all." she muttered with a shrug, refusing to meet his eyes.
"Ah, I see." he said then, disappointment clear in his tone. "We've returned to acting like strangers now, have we?"
"No that's not..." she sighed, glancing at him and frowning as she met his eyes. "Sorry. This is just bringing up less than great memories for me."
"Like what?"
"I don't know, it's just... It's funny how you kind of glorify some things in your mind and then once you're faced with them again..." she looked over at him with sad eyes and shrugged. "I just remember thinking that the years at Mystic High would be the best of my life."
"And you feel it doesn't hold up as well as you had hoped?" he guessed, earning a nod from her. "I'm curious to ask, did you ever considered that your best days are yet to be experienced? That the pinnacle of your life is not, and was never intended to be, a time where you blush over the football captain, rush to achieve good grades despite time-consuming teenage dramas and gossip amongst your friends over ridiculously themed decade dances?"
Unsure of what to reply to that, she simply turned ahead and kept on walking. Klaus seemed to accept her silence as an answer and led her to another hall. A young girl, barely 17 years of age, was standing with her friends and smiling until she sensed their presence.
She swiftly turned to meet Klaus' eyes - confirming their suspicion. She may be dying, but the magic within her was still strong. At once, she turned away from her friends and Klaus pulled her aside. "I've already updated Davina on everything I found out about the Strix. I have no more information to give you."
The quick response confused Caroline as she studied the girl, suddenly noticing that her face was covered with a rather excessive layer of make-up. Most likely hiding the graying color of her fatal disease. "That's not what we're here for." Klaus said, dragging Caroling back to the present.
"Then what?" she asked, studying the strange woman next to the Hybrid. "Who are you?"
"I'm Caroline Forbes, we just need to talk to you a moment. If that's alright?" she coated her words with pure honey, attempting to get the girl on her side. "I've spoken to your mom, Hannah-May."
"I heard." she replied grimly. "There's much I can't do anymore, what makes you think I can help you?"
"We need to communicate with someone through you." Caroline explained, feeling the glances from Klaus as she spoke.
"Wanna talk to your dead boyfriend or something?" she asked, surprising her momentarily.
"Let's not pet the lions, dear." Klaus warned with a dark look as he urged Alice-May to collaborate.
"Actually..." Caroline drawled then. "I have a friend in trouble. And we think that Leila Gardiner knows what happened. Which is why we need your help to talk to her. That's it. Nothing else."
"Yeah, right. And as soon as you have gotten yours, you'll return the favor bloody and grisly. Not interested."
Klaus tightened his grip on her arm and kept her in place. "Do not forget what my family has done for yours, sweetheart." The threat was clear on his face as his eyes suddenly shifted to an amber tone.
"Mama told me you have something for us, though your hands are oddly empty as of now." Alice-May pointed out.
"Do you know what she asked from us, Alice-May?" Caroline asked, interrupting the escalating sparring match between the young girl and the hybrid.
She studied her for a long moment before replying with shrug. "No. I guessed it was money or crystals or something. Why?"
Caroline fought a smile as she finally had piqued her interest, resulting in her dropping the tough act. "What stage are you in now?" she asked, gaining a frown of realization as Alice-May understood what they were now talking about.
"Three." she answered after a long silence.
"I'm guessing you're having trouble keeping anything down for longer than a few hours. You've stopped sleeping, not because you're not tired but because the chills are too much to handle nowadays. You've started seeing strange visions yet, hearing things that aren't there?"
"How did you-"
"The radiation will do that to you, mess with your head, make your body weaken gradually... The foundation you're wearing isn't the best hue to hide the hints of gray and green on your cheeks." Caroline said with a sad smile. "She wanted to help you, Alice-May."
"But she can't." she breathed out, shaking her head in sadness. "Why would she go to you when she knows-"
"She knows, sweetie. She's just... being a mom." Caroline replied, a sad smile forming on her face as the strong compassion in the vampire's heart nearly broke it. "The only pain unimaginable enough for a parent to accept, is watching their child suffer. So, she asked us to get her a necklace to ease your pain."
Klaus' eyes burned into her side as Caroline looked the young girl over, her breathing felt heavy as she tried to push her memories away. "Is that what this is?" Alice-May pressed then, a dark look in her eyes. "You're playing with dead things and trying to drag me and my mama into it?"
Thoughts of Caroline's mother in the hospital hit her hard at that. Seeing her weak... Scared, sad, dying... "No." Caroline said firmly. "The person we're looking for isn't dead and we aren't trying to bring anyone back or any of that Expression-crap."
The young witch's eyes widened at that, making Caroline nod. "Yeah, I've been around the block a couple of times. Trust me, this is nothing like that."
"I know a place we can go." the girl said after a while, nodding to a room close to them. "It'll be quiet enough to do a sensing ritual."
'"Thank you." Caroline said softly, her eyes digging into the young girl's to show how deeply she appreciated it.
As Alice-May began walking toward away, Caroline realized that Klaus was stroking her back softly with his hand while she collected herself. She looked over at him with a small smile. "Sorry." she whispered, gaining a confused frown from him in return.
"You have nothing to apologize for, love." he insisted and raised his free hand to cup her cheek warmly. "I wish..." he began but drifted off.
"I know." she said, reading his pained expression with a strained smile of her own.
"Hey, are we doing this or not?" Alice-May called out, breaking them apart. "Unlike you guys I'm not getting any younger."
They exchanged amused looks before following the young witch away from the prying eyes of other students.
One month ago
Prague, Czech Republic
Kasia had led Bonnie and Enzo to her apartment, leaving Enzo outside of it and allowing Bonnie to enter.
"Witches like you are the reason I gave up magic." the woman said as she took off her jacket and switched the lights on.
"I've learned that life isn't as black and white as some witches seem to think." Bonnie said in defense, making the woman shrug.
"Perhaps you are right." she said and gestured for Bonnie to sit down in the living room. "How did you find me?"
"We've been searching for the Myslikova Coven for months. Your choice of accessories led us to you." Bonnie explained and nodded to the amulet around the woman's neck. "If you've given up magic, why are you still wearing the Marousek Amulet?"
Kasia stroked the necklace slowly and took a deep breath. "It's a reminder of how magic can destroy everything you hold dear if you are not cautious enough."
"Those are some harsh words coming from one of the most infamous witches in eastern Europe."
"Well, like I said. I don't practice magic anymore."
"I'm guessing you're still in contact with your coven though."
Kasie shrugged. "A few of the members, yes."
Bonnie smiled softly and dug into her purse, pulling out a grimoire and handing it over to the woman in front of her. "In exchange for information." she explained.
The older witch stared in awe at the book in her hands. "The Grimoire of Alzbeta Marousek… How did you find this?"
"Like I said, we've been looking for you for a long time."
The woman pressed her lips together and gripped the book tightly. "Why are you giving this to me? Don't you know the kind of magic this book holds?"
"I do, but none of it is of any interest to me." Bonnie explained. "I'm looking for something… different."
"What?"
"An object that belonged to your ancestor. I believe you call it vosková svíčka."
Kasia's face turned cold and hard at her response, she shook her head violently. "No, no. I can't help you." she protested and handed the book back to her.
"Kasia, please. Let me explain…"
"You need to leave, now." the woman demanded, standing up with her arms crossed over her chest.
"We've come all this way, could you at the least just hear our story. Please?" Bonnie asked, studying the woman with wide eyes as she pleaded for her to give her a chance at an explanation.
"You have ten minutes." Kasia muttered. "And then I never want to see either of you again."
Bonnie let out a relieved sigh and nodded. "Then let me start at the beginning…"
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
Alice-May gathered some candles in a circle before placing her hands in the center. She began chanting, keeping her eyes closed as she started the spell. Caroline had seen this many times before, but it still brought an uneasy feeling to her stomach every time. The cold wind that surrounded them as the witch began reaching out to her ancestors, the strange sensation of being surrounded by things unseen...
Enzo had just joined them, he stood by Caroline's side with a grim look on his face and arms crossed over his chest. "I don't like this, gorgeous."
"I know." Caroline murmured with a nod, ignoring the glare Klaus gave her friend.
"Well, lad. If it makes you uncomfortable, Caroline and I are perfectly capable of dealing with this matter on our own." the hybrid retorted then, turning a dark grin in Enzo's direction. He was more than reluctant to wait for the man's arrival before doing the spell, and he was not shy about showing it either.
"Play nice." she demanded, giving Klaus a pointed look before turning to Enzo again.
"Caroline, I just... Does this not remind you an awful lot of-" the young vampire's words were cut off as Alice-May suddenly made all the candles around them light up, drawing their attention to the witch immediately.
"Give me your hand, Caroline." she instructed and reached out for her across the desk. The blonde took a steadying breath before nodding to herself, then she stepped forward to link hands with the witch.
Stopping as an arm suddenly held her back from where it circled around her waist. "Are you sure about this, love?" Klaus asked softly, his uncertainty radiating off him and making her sigh.
"Not really." she answered honestly, resisting the urge to lean into him. "But let's get it over with."
Klaus slowly let go of her but still stood at the same proximity as Caroline reached for Alice-May's hand. The second they touched, the flames surpassed the candles and raised high above them. A wind flew through the room and made the hairs on Caroline's arms rise in response. Even Klaus seemed to stiffen next to them, either sensing danger or not feeling very comfortable being surrounded by magical spirits.
"What can we do to help?" Enzo asked impatiently.
"You can both step away from her." Alice-May commented then, her eyes still closed as she focused on the contact with Caroline's hands. "Your energies will confuse the spirits."
Klaus nodded and walked to stand by the far side of the room while Enzo followed suit, neither wanting to disturb the ritual. "If anything happens to her..." the hybrid growled with a deep voice, making Alice-May snicker lightly.
"Don't worry, the spirits see your connection with her. They won't do her any harm." That made Caroline freeze up, glancing down on their joined hands with a strange lump in her throat.
"Focus, please. Focus on your friend." the witch urged her, gaining her focus again. "Hopefully, Leila will guide us to her. Help us see where she is, or maybe give us a vision of what happened to her."
"Will I be able to talk to her?" Caroline pressed on.
"I can't be sure. It depends on Leila, and the ancestors and…"
"And what?"
"And you." Alice-May finished. "It depends on you too."
The air around the young women grew thick and heavy, Caroline tried to keep her breathing calm despite her shaking hands. "Stay focused on your friend, whatever happens – whatever you see or hear – don't get distracted." the witch explained as she nodded to her before beginning her chanting.
The command was supposed to be somewhat comforting, but Caroline couldn't help grimacing as her hands flashed gray and turned ice cold. "What's happening?" she hissed, feeling Klaus glare at them in response.
"Focus, Caroline." the witch demanded, her eyes still closed.
Caroline closed her eyes as well, remembering how vampires were beings of magic. And she knew all too well what it felt like to have that magic drained from her body and absorbed by a witch... But before she could ask the witch to stop the spell, the girl spoke up again.
"A Bennet-witch? Of course."
Alice-May seemed to have vanished, her voice was no longer her own and her now open eyes were glazed over and white. "Always getting themselves in the middle of vampire-business..."
Caroline stared at the girl in confusion for a moment before looking back at Klaus with a worried frown. Just then, it seemed that the spirit speaking through Alice-May noticed the other people in the room too. "Hello, Niklaus. Had you already begun missing me so soon?"
"Esther..." he spat out venomously, making Caroline freeze up as she dotted the lines.
Esther... As in Esther Mikaelson. As in Klaus' mom. As in the crazy powerful Original witch that tied the bloodlines together and tried to kill off all her children in one swoop...
Enzo's stare alternated between Klaus and Caroline as he seemed unsure of what to say or do. "Yes, my boy." the witch continued then. "Ah, I remember this one, Miss Forbes. She wore a wonderful blue gown during our ball in Mystic Falls. Ah, it was such long ago now..." Esther continued, letting out a cold chuckle that turned Caroline's veins into ice. "And despite it all, here you are - offering her up to me."
Her hands suddenly gripped tightly onto Caroline's, turning her skin grey as she started to desiccate. She tried to pull her hands away, but the witch's grip was too strong as the magic drained from Caroline in slow and painful strides.
Klaus suddenly appeared close to them then, nearly vibrating with rage as he glared at her. "No. Alice-May, fight her off... or I bloody swear..."
"I'm trying..." the young witch said, peering through momentarily as a pained frown appeared on her face.
"Just stop the spell!" Enzo yelled, he too standing by Caroline's side then.
A cruel laugh spread through the room at that, the flames becoming more aggressive around the women. "Young girl, you should know better. Why have you been dragged into this mess?"
"Do not listen to her, Alice-May. Finish the spell or I will rip-"
"This is too dangerous!" Enzo called out with a glare in Klaus' direction. "We have to stop right now!"
"Yes, stop! Stop doing this!" Caroline bellowed out, fighting against the pain that grew insufferable with every passing second. "I didn't want this! I'm not doing this! Please!"
The witch jumped slightly, twitching and shaking her head as if she was hearing an argument around her. And then, immediately the air in the room changed. The witch closed her eyes again and eased her hold. Words suddenly leaving her lips with a new voice narrating.
"I'm beginning to fall in love with this city."
Now that voice Caroline knew. "Bonnie!?" she gasped, her hands suddenly turning normal and the flames calming down.
Everything shook around her then, the room changing and turning into something dark instead. A street-corner somewhere, Caroline didn't recognize it though. Soon, she noticed a woman standing by a lamppost. Her hair was dark, and her skin pale, but it wasn't anyone Caroline had seen before.
"Leila?" she called out, guessing that she was finally meeting the infamous witch who apparently knew all about Julian's plans.
The woman met her eyes shortly before nodding ahead, urging her to turn her focus elsewhere. Another figure appeared beside them then and Caroline didn't need to think twice before knowing who it was.
Bonnie.
She was walking away from them, seeming busy in a conversation with someone. But whoever she was talking to was invisible to the young vampire as she examined her friend carefully. While she continued down the street, Bonnie pulled the vision along with her. The witch stopped shortly then, glancing over her shoulder with a strange expression on her face.
"Bonnie?" Caroline yelped and held her breath as she thought that maybe she had noticed her… But just as she was about to call her name again, another shadow appeared by Bonnie's side. The presence felt familiar somehow, but it wasn't until she heard his voice that she realized it was Enzo.
"I still don't like this, darling."
If she wasn't already convinced of this being a memory, she would be by now. The vampire wrapped an arm around the witch as his silhouette slowly turned into the male vampire. "Damon hasn't been wrong yet." Bonnie pointed out to him, earning a sigh from him in response.
"It's dangerous enough to contact the Myslikova Coven. Trying to find that candle? I fear we are far out of our depths here."
Caroline listened intently, studying the pair as they walked closely together through the dark town. Struck by how relaxed and at-ease her old friend looked with the vampire's arm around her shoulders. The sight strange to her as she hadn't really been able to picture the two of them together in her mind. And the reality of it wasn't anything like she had expected.
"It's going to be fine, Enzo." she told him, wrapping an arm around his back as she leaned closer into his side. "The magic of the candle is the only thing powerful enough to break through Julian's cloaking spells. If we find it, we find him."
"Frankly, I'm beginning to lose interest in Damon's unrelenting quest..."
"Don't worry so much or you'll get wrinkles." Bonnie teased, earning a squinting look from him which caused her to laugh. The sound was so familiar and sweet, Caroline felt her eyes water slightly. It had been years since she'd seen her friend, and even longer since she'd seen her like this. She looked happy, carefree, content… In love.
"There." Bonnie's voice brought Caroline to shake her sentimental thoughts off as she followed their eyes to a new shadow down the street. It looked like a woman, maybe someone they knew back in Europe. She walked up to them with rushed steps and an alarmed frown on her face.
"My contact has confirmed that Kasia Marousek is here." she told them.
"And you're sure she can get it for us?" Bonnie asked then, earning a nod in response.
"Yes. I am certain. Even if the candle isn't in her possession, Kasia will know where to find it."
"Let's go then." Enzo said, an equally alarmed face on as the strange woman. "We have no time to lose."
"I cannot follow you to her."
"Why not?"
"Our covens have a complicated relationship…" the woman explained, earning a grimace from Bonnie then. "You should know, this object is very powerful. It could be used for evil just as easily as for good."
Caroline rocked on her heels, fidgeting with her hands as she watched the exchange with a deep-seated worry in her chest. "Gosh, Bonnie. What did you get yourself into?" she muttered to herself.
Suddenly, Bonnie's eyes turned and landed directly on the blonde. Shocking Caroline to her core as the witch spoke. "You have to find it."
"Bonnie?" she gasped, feeling frozen solid as she gaped at her friend. "You can see me?"
"Find the candle, Caroline." she repeated again, her eyes dark and serious.
"Why? What's so special about some candle? Can we use it to find you?"
"Find the candle." she echoed again, the world around them starting to shake violently. "Find the Candle of Hades."
"Bonnie?" she called out nervously as the ground beneath her broke apart and opened up into a wide hole. "Bonnie!" she roared out as she suddenly fell into deep and heavy darkness.
And just like that, Caroline was meeting the eyes of a young and terrified witch instead. The previous vision – or memory – was gone. The spell was broken.
"What happened? What did you see?" Alice-May asked, as if Caroline would know the answer…
"I don't understand." she whispered under her breath. "She saw me but she didn't see me… But she wasn't talking to me…" she shook her head as she realized she was panting heavily. "I-I think I need to sit down..."
As her legs suddenly gave up underneath her, warm hands grabbed onto her sides and held her up. Feeling something heavy push at her mind while she slipped out of consciousness and into the abyss.
When Caroline came to, she was startled awake and quickly sat up straight. Staring at her environments in chock as she didn't recognize the room she was in.
"Easy, love." Klaus appeared by her side then, reaching for her shoulders and pushing her softly back on the mattress underneath her again.
"What happened?" she breathed out in panic.
"You collapsed. Alice-May thinks it had something to do with the power the spell consumed from the both of you."
"The spell..." she echoed, nodding slowly as she started to remember. "I saw Bonnie."
"Did you see where she was?" he asked, softly caressing her hair as he pulled her close to his chest.
"No." she whispered with a frown, sighing deeply as she leaned into him. "It was so strange… I think Leila showed me a memory of when Bonnie and Enzo were in Europe. They were looking for something."
"What?"
"I'm not sure, but she kind of broke through the vision and asked me to-" she went silent as she pieced it all together in her mind. A silent moment passed before she spoke again. "Klaus?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Where am I?"
"Well..." he began, making her flash out of the bed and out of his embrace, standing opposite him with a terrified scowl.
"Oh my god... What time is it? How far are we from the hotel?"
"Calm down, Caroline." he tried, only earning a shrug from her as she ranted on and paced around the room.
"He saw us together once already; I can't even imagine what he's imagining now... He'll probably think that I stopped looking for Bonnie to have a nooner with you! God, I'm never going to live this down! "
He stared at her in silence, his eyes wide and his lips a thin line. Suddenly he burst into laughter, making her glare at him. "What's so funny!?" she groaned loudly, her hands finding her hips as she began stomping her foot in impatience.
"Oh, nothing. Just the word 'nooner'." he quipped as he caught his breath and shook his head in amusement. He got up and reached for her with a smile. "Caroline, calm down. You do realize I've done far more damning things than take care of you after some less than fortunate ritualistic experience."
"That sounds dirty." she grimaced and huffed, gaining another chuckle from him. "How did we even get here? Where's Enzo?"
"If I were to guess, I'd say back at his hotel." Klaus shrugged. "To answer the former question; I carried you here to ensure you got some rest. I couldn't have you dropping dead in the street, now could I?"
"So, what, Enzo just let you whisk me off?" she asked incredulously as a small grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"He didn't seem to mind, well at least not in the mere seconds he had to protest before I decided to stop listening."
"What? Wait, how long was I out?"
"A few hours."
She gaped at him then, shaking her head slowly. "Hours!?" she echoed loudly, turning away from him with a sigh. "Okay, listen. I need to get back. I've got a Bennett-witch to find." she said, slowly turning towards him again. Directing a professional nod in his direction. "Now, how do I get out of here?"
He grinned at her for a moment before responding. "Let me see you out."
She narrowed her eyes at him, making him raise his palms in retreat. "Don't worry! I won't even touch you." he promised before a dark smirk spread across his face.
She rolled her eyes and let out a grunt. "Let's go before Enzo sends out a search party for me."
He led her out of the room and towards a flight of stairs, leaving her to silently gawk at the surroundings as she followed behind. Caroline was unsure of what exactly she had expected the home of Klaus Mikaelson to look like... But this was spectacular.
Long hallways with giant paintings placed on the dark walls. An open courtyard in the middle of the building, framed by balconies overlooking the bottom floor from all angles. It opened up the entire house and all of its rooms with lots of natural light. Expensive looking chandeliers hung from the ceilings, accompanied with ivy crawling up the large arches between the rooms. It was silent, but she still felt like she could hear something strange in the wind as they walked down to the first floor.
It was all so... So, Klaus.
"I must admit, I had imagined other circumstances for your first visit to my bedroom." he teased, making her glance at him, slightly lost in the moment.
She rolled her eyes, fighting off a tiny smile as she gave him a pointed look. "Well, we were never much for beds anyway." she shrugged, catching his feigned chock as he grinned at her.
"Now who's talking dirty?" he chuckled, a large smile playing on his lips which brought a twinkle into his eyes. It made her lose her breath for a moment, his dimples and pretty lips being everything she could focus on.
"Ahem, well..." she coughed out, tearing her eyes away from him just as his expression turned darker in response to her stare. "Anyway..." she drawled on as she resumed studying the building and hurried to change the subject. "Where is everyone?"
"Hm?"
"Rebekah, Elijah... Hell, even Hayley. Are they hiding from me or something?"
"They're... away." he replied, the nonchalant tone gaining more curiosity from her.
"And what about your daughter?"
"Hope." he said, glancing over at her with a soft smile that she'd never seen on his face before. "She's with her mother."
"And where's that?"
"You ask an awful lot of questions, love." he grinned.
"I just thought seeing your house would mean that I got to see your family."
"I'm sure we'll have plenty of time for that." he mused suspiciously before stopping in his steps. Having reached the entrance now, huge double-doors with iron gates that felt ironically gothic to her. "Here we are." he announced then, his hands behind his back as he leaned back and forth on his heels.
"Well, I guess I'll see you around, Klaus." she said softly.
"Yes. Tonight."
She turned to stare at him. "What?"
"Do not tell me you have already forgotten about our date?" he asked with a teasing frown.
"First of all-" she retorted, pointing a finger at him with narrowed eyes. "It was dinner, between friends, not a date." His smile grew as she continued. "And I didn't know you still wanted to do that."
She watched as his smile faltered slightly before he shook his head. "What on earth made you believe such a thing?"
"I don't know." she shrugged. "I mean we've already spent all day together. Aren't you tired of me yet?"
He blinked a few times before taking a step towards her, closing the distance between them swiftly. He raised a hand to cup her cheek then, his touch sending tingles across her skin as she fought to resist leaning into him. "When will you stop doubting me, Caroline?"
"I don't know what you mean." she stuttered.
"Yes, you do." he murmured softly and smiled before letting go of her. "I will pick you up at eight."
She opened her mouth to say something but found herself at a loss for words. Simply shaking her head, she chuckled lightly and bit her lip. "Okay." she stammered and turned away from him then, walking out onto the street with a stupid grin on her face. For the first time in years, she felt like her physical age and not her actual one.
Ugh, stop it Caroline! she scolded herself and tried to shake off the lingering feeling of his touch which had brought butterflies to her stomach. This is not a date! she insisted and sighed, not too sure whether she actually believed it or not.
One month ago
Prague, Czech Republic
Enzo was losing his patience. The witches had been alone for over an hour, in total silence due to the privacy spell cast to the witch's flat. And he was going mad with worry. They needed Kasia Marousek to help them, but he hated putting Bonnie's life in danger to achieve it. And yet again, he was now in total loss of control and completely unable to protect her. It tore him up.
He paced the hallway back and forth as he tried to calm his nerves when the door finally opened in front of him. The women shared a nod before Bonnie stepped out to meet him. "Well?" he pressed, not able to read anything off her face.
"She'll take us to the Myslikova Crypt, but she won't do more than that." Bonnie explained somberly, making him nod shortly in response.
"And the candle? It will be there?"
"She says she can't promise anything, but it's the best we've got so far." she shrugged, earning another nod from him as he agreed with her words.
Kasia joined them then, carrying something in a bag. "I only have room for her on my bike, you will need to follow us." she noted to the vampire, smiling softly to the witch beside him. "Let's go."
Enzo shared a glance with Bonnie before following the witch, hurrying down the stairs of the building and out onto the street where Kasia kept her motorbike. An old and scrawny little vehicle which made the vampire wonder if it would be safer to walk instead.
Having noticed his hesitance, Kasia snickered lightly and strapped on a helmet. "Don't worry. Your friend will be safe with me."
He watched as Bonnie put on her helmet and followed Kasia onto the bike, the engine roared into life with a screeching sound. One which did not spring much confidence into Enzo whatsoever. But the Czech witch only glanced back at him with a short smile. "Try to keep up." she called over her shoulder and jumped forward with the vehicle then, driving off onto the street.
Cursing silently for a moment, Enzo pushed off the lamppost which he had been leaning towards and ran after them. Flashing through the city and following the witches out to the countryside. They soon reached a large piece of land, south-east of Prague, where the witch stopped her engine and guided Bonnie off the bike.
Studying the vast landscape ahead, he searched for signs of the coven's crypt. Frowning as he wondered how one could hide something like that out in the open. "Where to now?" he asked as Kasia guided the bike to a bush before turning towards them again.
"We will need to walk the rest of the way." she explained with a pointed look. "This way." she announced as she walked ahead.
They followed her a couple of yards, seemingly in a random direction. But finally, Kasia stopped and knelt on the ground. She pushed away some leaves and dirt, revealing something which Enzo understood to be an underground door. Taking her amulet off, she opened it and procured a small key from the inside.
Placing it in the middle of the circular concrete door, she turned it in a concealed lock and stepped away. They watched then as some gears seemed to move in place, clicking and popping as the door unlocked and opened up. Showing them a dark pathway with stairs made of stone, leading lower through the ground.
"Come along." Kasia said then, glancing over at them both before stepping forward. "Let us get the vosková svíčka so that we can finally part ways."
Bonnie glanced over at him with a solemn expression before following the other witch down the stairs. Stopping shortly and turning to him, reaching for his hand. He found himself second-guessing the whole ordeal yet again, before he took a determined breath and wrapped his hand around hers. Continuing behind the women then in their pursuit.
The road was steep and long as they headed to the bottom of the cellar. The walls around them made of concrete and stone, their surroundings growing darker with each descending step. "Kasia, do you mind?" Bonnie murmured after a while, gesturing with her hands pointedly.
"Yes, of course. I would do it myself but…" she responded, an uncertain smile on her face. Bonnie nodded before whispering a short chant, waving her hands and lighting torches all around them with one swift gesture.
"Much better." the Bennett witch grinned, earning a reciprocating smile from her Kasia.
Soon they reached the bottom of the stairs, torches showing them a long hallway ahead. Kasia moved forward as if by muscle memory, causing Enzo to question just how inactive the witch really was. Especially if she had been spending time in the coven's crypt when they were all supposed to have given up their magic long ago.
"This is where your coven stores your magical objects?" he asked as they continued further.
"Objects, grimoires, journals, materials and ingredients for spells and potions… All things that we have collected over the years are down here." Kasia confirmed. "As a child, I would follow my mother here often."
"Doing what, exactly? Inventory?" he questioned, earning a jab in his ribs from Bonnie as she scowled at him shortly.
"You don't have to answer that." she interjected before turning to Kasia again.
"It's alright." she chuckled then, glancing back at them with a short smile. "There is a reason that I still keep the name of my ancestors after all this time. The Marousek's used to be leaders, teachers… And now, there is only me."
She gave him a sad glance before speaking again. "I'm sure you can understand the need to keep whatever remains of family you have left close to you." she explained. "I am the keeper of this crypt. It is my responsibility to protect it, and all of its contents, until we can find a use for it once again."
Turning a corner then, they reached a large room with bookshelves from floor to ceiling and boxes and bags scattered all around. Something seemed to have caught Bonnie's attention as she abruptly stopped and reached for something on a shelf. "Yes, I expected it to call out to you." Kasia crooned, looking proud as she nodded to her.
"What is it?" he chimed and moved closer to her then. She turned to him and showed a book with the name 'Bennett' written across it.
"I've seen this before, it's one of Emily's grimoires. My ancestor… How do you have this?" she stuttered to the other witch.
"A long time ago, the Myslikova Coven had connections all over the world." Kasia explained. "That grimoire is the reason I decided to help you. I realized it should return to its rightful owner."
Bonnie began to flip through it, an eager look in her eyes as she examined the old book. "Thank you." she whispered softly. The incredible smile on Bonnie's face made Enzo's chest swell in response.
"Of course." Kasia smiled softly before turning away then and began to search through some bags. "I hope you will consider returning what's mine once you're done using it, just as I have done yours."
Enzo noted the flicker of something in the witch's eyes before Bonnie nodded towards her. "I promise." she said, closing the book and stowing it away in her bag. "Okay, so where do we look first?"
"I don't remember seeing it the last time I was here… However, it was nearly a decade ago." Kasia said with a sigh as she moved to search through some other boxes and chests. "But my family is the only one with the key to this crypt, we have been for centuries. Meaning, if the Candle of Hades was ever here in the first place, it still will be."
The vampire nodded then and walked over to an armoire as Bonnie went in the opposite direction and scoured the bookshelves. "Could you give us a description, maybe? So that we know what we are looking for." he mused, glancing over at Kasia as she looked through another chest near her.
"It will be inside a special box, made out of iron with carvings around it."
"Like this?"
Enzo and Kasia both looked over at Bonnie as she held up a box, looking just like what they were searching for. "You found it." he smiled at her but quickly froze up when he noticed the strange look on her face. "What's wrong?"
Bonnie met their worried looks with a firm scowl. "It's not here." she whispered.
"What?" Kasia choked out, rushing to her side then. "It is empty?"
"No." Bonnie corrected grimly, lifting a piece of paper and turning it to Enzo. "But this was the only thing inside."
He moved closer to her then, the paper being a polaroid photograph. He studied it with dread filling in his stomach as he saw the motive. It was him and Bonnie, sitting in the café where they had first met Kasia.
A message scribbled on the backside that made him gulp.
"See you soon.
- J."
