Hello friends!
I'm in the middle of uni finals so this has been a productive way of procrastinating - kind of. I guess it's just impossible to get away from the story... (you think my professors will accept that as an excuse? nah? okay, fine...)
Anyways! I wanted to upload both Ch 29 and 30 at once to give you guys a treat while I try to study, but this one was done and burning in my pocket basically - so here it is! First chapter after the ball, we are catching up with the timeline and all loose ends are starting to tie up nicely. But don't worry guys, I have material for at least five more chapters - so the end isn't too close!
As always, I appreciate your reviews and kind words so so so soooo much! Really couldn't overstate just what they mean to me and how it brightens my day every single time. I'll see you guys asap (=after the exams, if I manage to stop procrastinating, that is) with brand new chapters. Promise to make up for the single update this time with a double feature next!
xx.
Chapter 29: I'll be good
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
Flashes of hallucinations still passed by Caroline's eyes as she was brought back to her hotel later that night. Things were beginning to blur together as Klaus and Elijah discussed what they were supposed to do with Lucien while Hayley tried to figure out how to find Davina… Everything was falling apart, and the young vampire had no control over any of it.
The most damning detail of information had been that the Candle was found at the ball by the Claire witch. Meaning that Davina could suddenly pose a threat to every single one of them. And the small window of opportunity where Caroline had the chance to save her friend was now closed.
No Candle of Hades.
No Bonnie.
And no back-up plan.
The blonde struggled to avoid falling into the dark pit of anxiety that threatened to swallow her whole as the facts lay before her. She had sent Enzo away because she believed they would succeed tonight, instead…
You killed us.
A shiver ran through the vampire as the voices repeated themselves in her mind, making it difficult to decide on which particular disaster to focus on at the time.
She realized that the pair of green eyes beside her was waiting for something, as she hadn't really heard a single word the hybrid had said since Elijah told them about the Candle. Unable to find her voice, she blinked slowly and tried to find out what he was trying to say. The worried look on his face grew darker at that as he stood in front of her by the bed and reached for her hands. Helping her up on her feet with analyzing eyes and a pained frown as he stroked her arms softly.
"You don't need to worry, Caroline." he whispered cautiously, as if checking her features for any indication of his guess having been correct. "I will keep you safe."
He brushed her hair back and stroked her neck and shoulders with warm hands. Leaning forward and pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead as she remained mute and lost. With another long look at her emotionless face, he pressed his lips together in a firm line before moving closer and reaching for her side. Pulling at the zipper on her gown as he gently undressed her and guided her to step over the circle of fabric on the floor by her feet.
Keeping his intent gaze on hers as he led her to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Glancing swiftly over the dark corset she wore; he untied it and raised her hands before lifting it off her. His face filled with pain while he scanned her blood stained skin, covered in traces of bruises which had already healed - but somehow not yet left her mentally.
Under any regular circumstance, she might have felt self-conscious as the man pulled the last piece of clothing down her legs. Leaving her revealed as she watched his sad eyes. But Caroline didn't find any strength within her to feel embarrassed about her naked state, simply following his directions as he lead her to the wide double-showers.
His fingers brushed over something on her left hand, causing both to glare down at the diamond ring as they realized she was still wearing it. A rush of nausea crawled under her skin, making her pull the ring off and throw it away before stepping towards Klaus' body and burying her face into his chest. Tears having begun to run down her cheeks despite her chock. Her body reacting to the feelings she would normally have, instead of the dry void that had taken residence within her soul.
He wrapped his arms around her tightly and held her in a warm embrace. Stroking her hair affectionately as they stood in silence for a long moment before leading her into the shower and under the stream of hot water. She winced as it poured over her, her skin still sensitive as the memories of her injuries ghosted across her body.
With her eyes closed, she leaned into his touch as he cleaned her off affectionately with a sponge and soap. His hands gentle and cautious as he washed off the remnants of blood on her skin and lathered her hair with shampoo.
You killed us, mommy.
She gulped hard as the voices began to echo in her ears again, looking down at the red water as it flowed down the drain by her feet. Flinching when his hand brushed over her chest and reminded her of the blade plunged into it, making Klaus still and turn her to face him. He cupped her chin and scanned her with heavy eyes, as if he was carrying both of their pain within them.
"It still hurts." she whispered under her breath in an attempt to explain her reaction. He seemed surprised at her speaking for the first time since leaving the chaotic event behind.
Nodding slowly, he stroked her cheek with a reassuring smile tugging at the ends of his mouth. "It will pass." he promised, bringing her to mimic him and nod in reply.
He tilted her jaw gently and allowed for the water to rinse through her hair, her eyes closed as she tried to relax again. The images still threatening to take her over as they hid in a dark corner of her mind and called out to her maliciously. Nudging her subconscious and tugging at her heart, trying to pull her into the darkness with them.
She wasn't sure how much time passed before Klaus helped dry her hair with a towel and dressed her in a large shirt. Sitting her on the edge of the bed when her mind started catching up again and recognized that the clothing didn't belong to her. Lifting one of the long sleeves to her face, she breathed deeply and felt a serene wave wash over her as she identified the scent as his.
Her attention was moved to the hybrid as he got out of his drenched clothes, not having bothered undressing earlier. Making her wonder shortly when he'd had time to get a change of clothes when he hadn't left her for a single second since getting up off that bathroom floor at the ball. She noted him digging through a bag and thought to herself that someone possibly had sent it for him, most likely his brother.
Soon he turned to her and held her face in his large hands, resting his forehead against hers in a deep sigh. The motion reminding her to breathe herself as she relaxed into him.
"Klaus?" she whispered after a moment had passed, drawing his eyes to hers with furrowed brows. "Are you okay?"
The look he gave her was filled with so many emotions that she had trouble following them until he spoke with a shaking head. "Caroline, you do not need to act strong for me. Do you understand?" he said slowly, the words wrapping around her heart in a tight squeeze.
She felt a tiny sob escape her as she nodded in response. "Okay." she breathed, gulping hard as he lifted her up and moved her onto the bed. Letting her stretch out while he covered her in the duvet and pulled her into his arms.
He held her close, his arms locked around her body as if afraid she would leave him. His hands tracing her spine and his lips leaving light kisses to her head. "You can let go, love." he murmured into her hair. "I've got you."
Something snapped within her then, as if the walls suddenly broke down and her entire defense was brought to ruins. She gripped his sides like her life depended on it as the pain finally came up to the surface and overcame her. Rendering her into a crushed mess as she cried against him in deep sobs, burying her face into his neck and entirely falling apart. His hold around her tightened, keeping her in place as promised. Whispering soothing words into her ear until the exhaustion took over and she finally managed to fall asleep.
Davina knew the spell was delicate, every detail of preparation had to be done exactly right. Even then, it was highly unpredictable and very dangerous. However, if the young witch had learned anything during her years surrounded by the supernatural world of New Orleans; it was that some people were worth every risk.
Fearing he wouldn't return with the candle; she'd requested having a couple of witches accompany Lucien to whatever it was he needed the cursed object for. Two witches had left with the vampire, but none came back. Instead, her 'partner' had sent a compelled human to deliver the candle to her. Leaving her with the guilt in her stomach as she chose to focus on her spell before looking for her missing sisters.
Spell first, everything else later.
She promptly began the ritual to melt the candle down, placing it in a marble bowl and dripping the blood across it cautiously. Chanting as she added each of the ingredients to the mix with deliberate notions, making sure not to miss anything or rush through the process.
The liquid blend swirled within the bowl, covering the wax with a dark hue as she worked to gradually dissolve the candle. Her head hurt slightly as she fought to break the wardings placed on it, powerful magic trying to push her back and keep her from finishing the spell.
"Relax, darling. It preys on your struggle." Kol's voice echoed within the mausoleum, making her nod slowly and take a deep breath.
She glanced over at the glowing crystal by the altar and felt a strong wave of excitement sweep over her. Soon she would see him again, and the reality of it was playing on her nerves and making her shake anxiously. "Right." she murmured, nodding again as she tried to focus.
"What did he want with the candle, Davina?"
"It doesn't matter." she sighed out. "Whatever he's trying to do, we'll stop him."
"Together." he agreed. She imagined the assured smirk on his face as the air around her became lighter, a result of him reaching out through the veil. Causing another pulse of strength to fill her as she returned to the candle again.
Her hands shook as she held them above the altar, closing her eyes and resuming the chant. The shaking turned into rough vibrations, spreading through her arms and making her shiver violently. She looked down at the wax and watched as it became more and more liquid with every second.
"It's working." she whispered with a wide grin, quickly reaching for the dagger and holding onto it with both hands. She dipped it into the bowl and started the second spell, her body still tremoring as the magic flowed through her.
The swirling blend of blood and wax spun towards the tip of the dagger, rising upwards the metal and encasing it in the dark red color. Her heart beating against her ribs in a painful rhythm as she felt the added powers from the Dawning drain out of her.
Panting heavily, her breath coming out in choked gasps as she forced herself through the chanting. A sharp ringing took over as she reached the end, forcing her to shake her head in attempt to concentrate. The dagger was finished, shimmering in the glass-like coat, fully glazed with the melted wax.
Standing up from the ground, her knees buckled beneath her, but she forced herself to walk towards the tub. "Ready or not, I'm bringing you back now." she chimed, feeling out of breath as she used the dagger to cut a line across her palm.
Fisting her hand up, she let her blood drip in the mix and smiled as the murky water began to glow in result. Kol was surprisingly silent as she held up the dagger and prepared for the last chant. As she thought of it, she didn't feel his presence anymore.
"Kol?" she whispered, glancing back at the crystal and seeing that it was still glowing. She shook her head and gripped the dagger tighter, determining that his absence was a sign of the ritual working. His spirit reaching the remains in the tub as she pulled him from the veil.
"Vite emore aminos." she chanted before plunging the dagger into the water. The moment it pierced through the surface, the liquid turned into stone. Her hands raised the dagger again as she pecked at the hard gravel-like material, causing cracks to spread through it as hints of light coarsed from within.
With one final stab of the weapon, the stone crumbled into dust and revealed the body of Kol Mikaelson. His skin was cold and his face still, but it was him. He was there, in his physical form. Real.
Davina felt a joyous sob bubble up from her throat as she dropped the dagger then and reached for his cheek. Brushing back some of the dust and studying his closed eyes in awe. "Kol." she whispered, waiting for him to look up and respond.
She leaned down and rested her forehead against his, cupping his face in her hands as she felt a ridiculously wide grin take over her lips. "Wake up." she beckoned, running her fingers through the dark hair softly as she reassured herself that he was still there.
The delayed reply worried her, making her smile fall as she eyed him with a furrowed frown. "Kol?" she breathed out, shaking her head as she went over the steps in her mind again. Certain that she had followed the instructions to the dot.
"Kol!" she called out firmly, desperation building inside of her as she hated watching his lifeless state.
"He won't wake up." The voice came from behind her, making a harsh shiver crawl down her spine as she glanced over her shoulder and spotted Lucien's form.
"Why are you here?" she asked, slowly standing up and steadying herself against the edge of the tub.
She was weakened from the massive power the spell had craved. Making her aware of the lacking amount of magic still lingering in her body and mind. The thought made her feel lighter, as if a huge weight had lifted off her chest. Her attention drawn to the former darkness in her soul as she triumphantly noted its absence now. Their plan had worked.
Lucien remained quiet as he walked over towards the other side of the tub, studying the result of her spell with a nod. "Well done, Ms. Claire." he said with a dark grin that made her sick to her stomach. "And how are you feeling?"
"Why do you care?" she scoffed to buy some time as she considered what to tell him. If she lied and said all her magic was drained, she could catch him off-guard. But then again, she was still weak, and she wasn't entirely sure she could fight him if he tried anything.
"Your magic? How much of it is left?" he asked, the serious tone making her gulp as her thoughts raced in her mind. Searching for the right reply.
"Enough." she responded with a firm voice, summoning all of her powers to keep her body steady as she straightened up and glowered over at him. "Why are you here? Our deal is done."
"Well, that's not entirely true, now is it?" he snickered with pursed lips as he walked around the tub and towards her. Making her back away while glancing over at the dagger as it still lied on the ground beside her.
She wasn't entirely sure she was fast enough to take it before he could jump her, and she knew she didn't stand a chance without the added power. "What do you want, Lucien?" she pushed on, trying to look stronger than she felt.
"The weapon." he answered calmly, the dark eyes sparkling with danger as he watched her from a distance.
"You can't have it." she countered before deciding to reach for it then. Quickly bending down and raising it towards him as he closed in with a fast move.
However, he didn't seem discerned whatsoever by her as she pointed the powerful dagger at him in threat. He simply grinned and shook his head in a dark chuckle. "What's so funny?" she bit out, the wicked look on his face making her skin crawl.
"The fact that you still do not seem to understand who you are up against." he crooned.
The sound of a thud made her jump as something was thrown to her feet, she didn't recognize it at first until she tried to move – and found herself frozen to the spot. "No." she breathed out in dread, her mind spinning as she wondered how the hell he had managed to get the dark object from her own personal collection.
"Yes." he whispered with a deep smirk, reaching forward and taking the dagger out of her hands with ease. He turned away from her then and walked towards the exit, making the panic rise in her chest as fought against the magic holding her back. But the sight she was met with then made her choke on her own breath.
If she hadn't already been frozen by the cursed little box sitting by her feet, she might have stilled in shock as she saw her. "Lynette." she stuttered as the blonde witch's eyes met hers then. "What are you doing?"
"Following through on a promise I made a long time ago." she replied with a sad tone and slumped shoulders, having the nerve to actually look guilty as she stabbed her leader in the back.
Lucien offered the dagger to her and nodded as he spoke. "Well?" he asked while she took the weapon and examined it in her hands.
"It's imbued with her magic. The amount of power radiating off it is… I-I think it's ready." she determined, causing Davina to gape in result.
"Wait, don't!" the brunette called out in desperation. "What about the witches? The Strix?" she asked, her voice cracking as she felt the anger and betrayal coarse through her. "What about Kol!?"
"He'll wake up." Lynette told her, a small smile of reassurance on her face that made the other witch sick. "It may take a few days… But he'll be back, I promise."
"Like you promised to stay loyal to your coven?" she scoffed bitterly, receiving a frown from the freckled young girl. "What do you want with the dagger?"
"It's better if you don't know, Davina." Lynette murmured silently before glancing back at Lucien who nodded in return. The blonde looked over at the frozen witch again and let out a long sigh before raising her hand in the air.
"No." Davina breathed out as she understood what she was going to do. "No, Lynette. Don't do this… Please, if you ever cared about me or the coven; don't help him."
"I'm sorry." she whispered, a part of the brunette knowing that she meant it. Before the witch flipped her hand and caused Davina to fall into a heap of numb limbs on the floor. Her vision blurred and askew as she watched the pair walk out of the crypt and leave her behind, just as the darkness took over and she dove into unconsciousness.
Two months ago
New Orleans, Louisiana
"Shit!" Davina hissed as the map went up in flames yet again, getting on the witch's nerves as all spells so far had ended the same way.
She propped her elbows on the table and covered her face with her hands, groaning as she started to lose hope of this plan working after all. The past few months she had locked herself in her vault in the cemetery, avoiding Marcel, Josh and everyone affiliated with the Mikaelson's as she followed Lucien's instructions.
Her eyes went to the bag in the corner of the room as she felt a gnawing at her conscience. The crystal within it embodying the most difficult person she had been forced to push away in order for everything to work the way they needed.
Kol.
She knew he had been watching her, she knew he was furious at her for agreeing to work with the psychopathic vampire. She knew he was waiting for her to reach out through the crystal so that he could scold her for all the wrong decisions she had made lately. And she didn't have the strength to hear any of it.
However, she missed him and she really wanted to use the gift Marcel had gotten her. She wanted to talk to him so desperately, it was like torture. A wave of familiarity washed over her at the thought, realizing he was likely aware of her so actively ignoring him. Usually, the reminder of his ghostlike presence would bring her comfort, but now all it did was cause her pain.
"I'm sorry." she whispered into the air, knowing he would hear her. That he would see her. A book flew off the shelf at that and crashed to the ground, making her jump slightly before clenching her jaw.
"I know." she said. "I know you're mad at me. They all will be, I guess I should learn to get used to it."
Another force brought her bag to tip over and the crystal to fall to the table before her. The gesture pointed and clear, but she still couldn't bring herself to do it. She didn't want to listen to his scolding. She didn't want to hear how disappointed he was with her. She didn't want him to change her mind about what she was planning to do.
Putting the crystal away and zipping her handbag up to keep it locked inside, she moved towards the chest across the room and kneeled before it. Going through its contents carefully, she examined the different journals and herbs with a frown. She was running out of ideas, and time.
The bookshelf beside her rattled violently, drawing her attention back to the invisible company as it fought to communicate with her. She could sense the mix of emotions he radiated through the veil, ranging from anger to sadness and longing in a blurry pace.
"That's it." she breathed out as she realized there was another way for her plan to work. Instead of a locator spell, she could send a message.
Grabbing the spell book on astral projection, she hurried back to the desk and spread it out. Skimming through the instructions for various teleportation and preparing the ingredients. Lighting five candles in a line and placing one unlit in front of them to stand alone. They represented the senses; touch, sight, smell, taste and hearing paired with the sixth as it represented something otherworldly. Something powerful and mystical.
The sense of magic. Of how it fills your mind and soul, how it embraces you, how it whispers in the back of your head and lingers along the edges of your being. It calls to you and reels you in, it strengthens your intuition and widens your perception. And to the lucky few, it could allow you to reach into other dimensions and worlds.
Davina prepared the spell and took out another map, holding her palms over it and whispering the chant. Closing her eyes as she felt the powers within her rise and spread through her body. As she opened her eyes again, she was hit with triumph.
It worked, she thought as she followed the woman through a strange room. Her dark skin glistened when she passed the windows, her slender form moved with poise gathered from her centuries on this earth… And her face turned as she felt the presence, the witch suddenly standing beside her as they met the other's analyzing gaze.
"Aya." the young girl said as she nodded towards the vampire.
The woman wore an expression which balanced between amusement and irritation. "I suppose I should be grateful to you for pointing out this loophole within my cloaking spell." she replied with a shrug. "However, it does not warrant you acquittal from your actions, child."
"I'm not here to lead them to you." Davina countered. "I'm here because of Lucien."
"Lucien?" the vampire echoed with a cocked brow, her eyes scanning the girl from head to toe. "What has he offered you?"
"It doesn't matter."
Aya scoffed at that and shook her head incredulously, turning away as she reached for a glass from a nearby table. "It does if you seek my aid, Ms. Claire." she chimed before sipping the drink in her hands. Looking back over her shoulder, she pouted with something lurking behind her dark eyes. "This is about Kol Mikaelson, isn't it?" she pressed.
Gulping at that, the witch felt something nudge at her physical form and guessed just whom that mysterious presence might be. "He won't help me unless I get you back." she explained with a dark scowl. "If it was up to me, I'd kill you right now. But apparently, Lucien needs you for something."
"Of course he does." she replied with a shrug, leaning back against a counter as she continued to analyze the young girl. "If I were to 'take the bait', as they say, and reach out to him; will the Mikaelson's await me with an army at their disposal?"
"They won't know." Davina cleared up, sighing as she found herself making questionable deals left and right nowadays. "I will protect you from them."
"How?"
"There's a blood spell which can blind others to someone's presence. You'd be practically invisible, hiding in plain sight and only revealing yourself when necessary."
The vampire pursed her lips, mulling the suggestion over as if she was trying out the taste of it. "Blood magic is not something to take too kindly too, Davina. Especially when you are already dancing with the darker demons of your soul." she drawled. "Tell me, dear; how much of that good-natured spirit of yours will you have left once your cherished Mikaelson does in fact return to you?"
Avoiding the awful turning in her gut, she straightened her shoulders and nodded pointedly towards the woman. "We have a plan." she said matter-of-factly.
"Ah, let me guess…" Aya snickered with a dark grin. "The Candle."
"There's more to it than that." she countered, earning a flicker of surprised interest in her opponents features. "Marcel is planning on appointing my witches to the Strix as their new coven."
"Does he now?" the vampire snickered. "And you are naive enough to believe you would survive the process?"
"I've handled dangerous rituals before, the Dawning doesn't scare me."
"Oh, but it should." she interjected with a serious tone. "That amount of power being linked to one witch? It is not something for the faint of heart."
"You realize you're talking to the last remaining Harvest girl, right?" Davina scoffed, her patience running thin as she fought the urge to kill the ancient being right there and then. "How about you stop pretending to care what happens to me and start considering my offer instead?" she pressed with a firm voice, raising her hands as she prepared to exit the astral plane.
"You have twenty-four hours, Aya. Use them wisely." she added before closing her eyes. A sharp breath escaped her as she returned to her body again and shook off the chill creeping under her skin.
It's all going to be alright, she told herself. Not really believing it but repeating the mantra anyway. We're all gonna be alright.
Marcel's nerves were shot, feeling deep dismay over the eerie sense of danger that threatened the Quarter. The invisible force worrying him as Davina seemed to be in the center of the storm yet again. Not at all enjoying the fact that he couldn't get in touch with anyone who might be able to help. His sixth try at calling Klaus Mikaelson resulted in yet another voice message.
"Where the hell are you!?" he gritted into the phone, glancing around the open square as he tried to stay out of sight. "I'm not waiting all night, Klaus. Get your Original hybrid ass over here or I'm leaving." he requested firmly before hanging up and tucking the phone away.
Kicking at some gravel with his boot, he leaned against the brick wall and muttered to himself in annoyance. It wasn't usual for his sire to be unavailable for days on end, and even less so when he made it clear that the matter was urgent. And it was. He didn't know what else to try in order to reach Davina, having run out of ways to find out what she was hiding from him.
He straightened up as a presence neared him in the dark alley, making him shake his head in an incredulous scoff. "Are you his errand boy now?" he pushed before meeting Elijah's cool smirk.
The Original shrugged leisurely, a hand in his suit pocket as he walked over in confident strides. "Niklaus is occupied in parts of the world still untouched by cellular broadband." he said with a tilt of his head as he scanned the younger man closely. "I suggest you stop wasting your time and instead speak with me."
Marcel sighed at that, clenching his teeth before accepting defeat and facing Elijah again. "Something's going on with Davina. It has been ever since she came back from her visit to Baton Rouge."
"And how exactly do you expect Klaus to help?" the Mikaelson snickered.
The vampire furrowed his brows, squinting as he studied the man with a strange feeling in his stomach then. "I don't think he could." he drawled slowly. "But considering his neurosis, paranoia and habit of putting you all down whenever it suits him; I imagine Klaus might know where Rebekah is."
If it hadn't been for the decades Marcel had spent with the Mikaelson's growing up, he would have likely missed the stiffening posture Elijah suddenly took on at the mention of his sister. "I mean, after all, if anyone could find out what Davina's hiding, it'd be her." Marcel drawled cautiously.
"What makes you say that?" he countered, but the calm voice wasn't enough to smooth over his odd reaction.
"She and Davina share their hope of bringing Kol back." he noted. "If something's going on, Bekah could probably reach her in a way that I obviously can't."
Elijah nodded shortly, glancing to the side as if waiting for something to show up there. "Where is she anyway?" Marcel pushed on then, determined to get to the bottom of the Original's silence. "Wasn't she supposed to come back by now? I find it hard to believe that she would miss tomorrow for anything in the world."
"I'm not sure."
The short response caused the younger vampire to raise a brow as he sized the man up and down. "Well, have you talked to her recently? When is she supposed to return?" he asked, noticing some frustration flash over the Mikaelson's face as he did. "Is that what's taking Klaus so long? He's getting her for the wedding?"
"Marcel…" Elijah sighed, the warning audible in his tone despite his collected expression. "It would be far safer for you to not share in all the details of Rebekah's absence."
"What does that mean?" he scoffed in reply, stilling as a thought occurred to him and threatened to hallow out his heart. "She is coming back at some point, though. Right?"
"Naturally." the Original said in a leisure shrug. "Niklaus will arrive before sunrise. Now, was there anything else or may we adjourn for tonight?" he pressed as he returned to his composed self again. "I do have some plans in the morning, as you know."
Swallowing the rest of the questions building up inside, Marcel nodded with a polite smile and decided to let the subject go for now. "I'll see you at ten." he chimed and patted his shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Hope the Lumiere will be up to your standards for your last night as a bachelor."
Elijah smirked in return, something glimmering in his eyes as he looked genuinely excited. "One day, we may need to consider retiring Claude Matisse. Don't you think?" he quipped, earning a chuckle from the vampire as he turned to leave their rendezvous.
"One day." Marcel called over his shoulder in agreement as they parted ways.
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
His head ached as he tried to replay what had happened, sitting up against a hard surface as he glanced around the dark room. He recognized his surroundings and sighed in defeat. The Mikaelson's Cellars.
Standing up and heading towards the reinforced door, he squinted in an attempt to try and decipher how long he had been down for. Was it morning yet? Where was Davina?
Davina. The memory hit him hard as he thought back to her cold eyes while exposing her hidden agenda.
"This isn't part of the plan, D." he had called out, but the response he received came from someone else.
"It is ours." He snapped his head to Lucien, a strange panic constricting his chest as the vampire stepped towards the young witch with a wicked smirk on his face.
What had she done?
Noticing another presence then, he straightened and checked through the latch with a scowl. "Really, Klaus?" he scoffed low, his voice hoarse and raspy as he spoke. "This is a little dramatic, even for you."
"Klaus had nothing to do with it." a female voice retorted, surprising him as he recognized Hayley's shape withing the shadows.
"What happened?" he asked, genuinely trying to piece everything together in his jumbled-up mind.
"Apparently, Davina happened." she replied darkly, making him gulp in response.
"Listen, Hayley. Let me explain." he began with a sigh. "She needs that candle to get Kol back. As soon as she's done, Caroline can have it and use it to find her friend."
"And Lucien?" she pressed, once again reminding him of the revelation from the ball when he found out that Davina had made other plans. Ones that did not include him…
"I don't know what his endgame is." he snickered bitterly. "But I know Davina and I know she wouldn't agree to help Lucien unless she knew how to keep him under control."
"And attacking Caroline with Papa Tunde's blade was all part of her plan to control him?" she scoffed, the words causing his body to freeze up.
"What?" he stammered.
"Drop the act, Marcel." she spat out in anger. "We know you were in on it. Why else would you pull that ridiculous stunt of proposing to her in front of everyone?"
He shook his head in disbelief, leaning back against the cell wall and slumping down onto the floor. His hand running over his face as he thought back to Lucien again. Whatever she had agreed to while working with him, it couldn't be good.
What had Davina gotten herself into?
Snapping out of his head, he cleared his throat and glanced up at the latch as if he could see the hybrid's venomous glare through it. "We needed Klaus out of the room for the ritual." he explained. "I knew he wouldn't risk causing a scene in front of everyone if it meant putting her in danger. As soon as he left, she ran after him and Davina and I could begin our plan."
"Which was what exactly?"
"Get the Candle of Hades." he replied. "We thought the ball would be the best way to lure out whoever was helping Aya stay hidden. I guessed they would lead us to the Candle, and best-case scenario, to Aya herself."
Hayley's steps neared his cell until she met his eyes through the latch. "What about the dagger?" she quipped with a flat voice.
"We don't need the dagger." he interjected with a confused shake of his head. "We already have one."
"You what?" she breathed out, staring at him wildly.
"Yeah, I've had it for years. Ever since Aya escaped."
"Then why the hell haven't you gotten rid of it yet!?" she hissed, her eyes glowing in the dark and making him gulp.
He scratched at the back of his neck with guilt tugging at his insides. "Davina." he answered after a moment of silence. "She wanted it for protection. I figured the safest place for it would be with me."
She scoffed bitterly and shook her head. "Fortunately, for you, Caroline managed to secure it. Before nearly dying at the hands of Lucien."
"Wait, what do you mean 'she secured it'?" he drawled slowly.
"She took it from Lucien."
The words elicited a knot to form in his gut, twisting with dread as he gulped hard. "Davina would never trust Lucien with that kind of weapon." he murmured low. "There must be some other explanation..."
"You really expect me to believe that Davina Claire duped you through this entire ordeal? That you had nothing to do with whatever Lucien is planning?" she pressed incredulously.
"I don't know what else to tell you." he bit out bitterly, starting to get really annoyed with the accusations the hybrid was throwing his way. "Everything I did, it was all to help Davina."
"Did Davina tell Lucien about Klaus' and Caroline's plan?"
He swallowed hard at that, leaning back against the wall with a scowl on his face. "No. Davina had nothing to do with Lucien attacking Caroline." he answered firmly, knowing it was what the hybrid was implying. "I made sure to keep Care as safe as possible."
"By going behind all our backs?" Hayley pushed on.
"By making sure she didn't get to the Candle before Davina did."
She was silent shortly, taking in his confession before speaking up again. "Why?"
"Because she and her amateur friends had no idea what they were dealing with!" he replied through gritted teeth. "Davina and I, we are aware of the risks. We know what it can do."
"And what's that?"
He clenched his jaw and shook his head slowly. His sudden silence earning a deep scoff from her in response.
"Tell me or I will make sure you rot in here for centuries." she demanded, the threat not touching him as he merely shrugged in reaction.
"That's between me and Davina." he proclaimed determinedly. "I'm not going to get in her way just because you guys didn't do proper due diligence on Castle before jumping into bed with him."
A cold chuckle echoed in the cellars at that, Hayley's glowing glare peering through the slot on his door as she studied him intently. "I hope you will be able to live with this, Marcel." she threatened before stepping away from the door and moving across the room. "Because if this ends badly, you'll only have yourself to blame."
The words made him gulp as he listened to her leave, the silence covering him in chills as he remained left behind in the dark. Internally praying that Davina knew what she was doing. And desperately hoping she would be able to keep Lucien at bay, before he destroyed the entire city and killed everyone in it.
Caroline woke up to the sound of buzzing. A phone was ringing, she realized while slowly opening her eyes. Looking over at Klaus as he lied next to her. He was holding his cell phone in his hand and seemed to be turning it off. When he settled back into bed, he noticed her being awake and watched her with kind eyes.
"Hi." she whispered, her voice raspy and her head hurting from having cried for - god knows how long.
He lied on his side and turned to her fully, stroking her cheek and jaw as he scanned her features. "Do you need anything? Anything at all?" he asked softly.
A smile tugged on her lips as she shook her head shortly. "No." she answered, her eyes fluttering closed as she leaned into his warm palm. "Thank you."
"Whatever for?"
"Saving me." she murmured, meeting his eyes and noticing them turning dark in response.
"You nearly died, Caroline." he whispered, his voice breaking as he watched her with disbelief. "Please, do not thank me when I am responsible for this happening to you."
"How can you say that, Klaus? You brought me back. You took care of me. Consoled me…" she countered. "You could have killed him, but you came for me instead. If you'd gotten there just a moment later…"
She noted the pained look in his eyes at her words, his head shaking as he gritted his teeth. "You would have never been hurt in the first place if it was not for me."
Letting out a sad sigh, she reached for his face with a reassuring expression. Brushing softly across the worry-lines that framed his green eyes. "I told you I would protect you." she chimed. "And what matters now is that we have the dagger."
"Not at all." he protested with a stern look. "Your life is what matters."
"So does yours." she insisted, making him shake his head in a sigh. She pushed into him, pressing her lips to his in a kiss and surprising him shortly before he returned it.
He pulled her closer and covered her body with his. Her arms circled his shoulders as she sighed in content at the feeling of his weight caging her in. The heat started to build between them as the kiss deepened and his hands roamed her body. Her fingers threading through his hair and marveling in his taste as her tongue met his.
With a quick move, she pressed him back into the mattress and leaned close into him. His hands ran up her bare legs as they straddled his hips, moving over her back and tugging at her hair. "Caroline." he murmured against her lips as he struggled with himself, attempting to push her back despite wanting the exact opposite. "You need to rest."
Ignoring him, she created a path of hard kisses down his neck and rocked her hips against his. Earning a grunt as he grew hard beneath her in response. His hands trailed down her spine slowly as she continued down his skin and nibbled over his pulse-point. "Don't torment me, sweetheart." he said through gritted teeth.
"Then stop holding back." she countered sultry against his throat, making him dig his fingers into her thighs despite his protests.
"I mean it, Caroline." he snickered hoarsely. "I may just fail whatever test this is and make you hate me in the morning."
She sat back and raised the shirt over her head. "I'm not going to hate you, Klaus." she promised as his hooded eyes fell over her naked state. She stroked his chest slowly as his hands traveled up her sides and brought sparks to her skin. Secret words suddenly tumbling out of her as she looked down at him with a timid smile. "I love you."
He froze up at that, staring at her in chock and studying her face closely. "What?" he pressed, causing her to lick her lips before catching her lower one between her teeth.
"I love you." she repeated surely, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Because it felt like it. It felt like her body was screaming, her heart glowing, her soul beaming.
She needed to say it, there was simply no other choice. And when she finally did, it was as if a heavy weight fell off her shoulders. Having carried it inside for way too long and feeling immense relief now that it was finally out.
"I love you, Klaus." she said again, just short of resisting the urge to run out in the street and shout it at the top of her lungs. "I'm in love with you."
Reaching up, he framed her head with his hands. Watching her so intently that she wondered if he was looking for signs of it all being a lie. Or perhaps he was waiting for her to change her mind? The thought made her gulp hard as she made sure to repeat it, in order to drill it into his head and make him believe her once and for all.
"I love you." she repeated. "You, Niklaus Mikaelson, a million years old, Original pain in the ass, the too-smug-for-his-own-good hybrid. I'm just stupidly and irrevocably in love with you. I'm pretty sure I have been for… I don't know, I just… I love you. I love-"
Finally, he reached up to give her a searing kiss. His teeth grazing her lips lightly, his tongue delving in and exploring her mouth elegantly. He pressed her down into the mattress, his weight holding her beneath him as his hands claimed every inch of her as his.
"You love me?" he whispered as he stared into her eyes.
She broke out into a wide smile, her stomach filling with butterflies as she ached for his lips to meet hers again. "I love you." she said and kissed him, holding him close to her.
"You're sure?" he asked, pulling back from her as his eyes analyzed her face closely.
"Yes, I'm sure." she giggled with a shaking head. "How many times do you need me to say it? A hundred? A thousand? I could go on."
He rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed as a bright smile covered his face. Taking a deep breath as he stroked her cheek softly. "Once more." he requested, making her grin.
"I love you." she said and watched as the words seemed to flow through him and made his face glow. He met her gaze with something shining in the beautiful green irises.
"I love you." he chimed, nearly causing her heart to stop as she parted her lips in a light gasp.
"You do?" she breathed out in awe.
"Of course! How could I not?" he chuckled and beamed down on her. "I love you, Caroline."
The words made her feel like she could float or possibly burst from the intense happiness filling her chest. She held onto the back of his head and nudged his nose with hers as she closed her eyes and smiled. Taking a deep breath as she let it all sink in for a moment. "I really, really love you." she told him, enjoying the proximity as she breathed him in.
"It's not a competition." he quipped, citing her from the other night and bringing a laugh to escape her as she met his playful eyes. "But for whatever it's worth… I loved you first."
She shook her head in a chuckle as she narrowed her gaze. "And yet, I beat you to saying it."
He smirked widely at that. "I suppose you did." he murmured and leaned in to kiss her. "I love you." he replied against her lips.
"I love you." she whispered back as she reciprocated and scratched her nails over his scalp. Moving her hands down his back and tugging at his shirt, quickly pulling it off him and tracing his skin. "I love you." she said as their eyes met in a shared smile.
"I love you." he repeated, brushing her hair back as he tilted her chin and kissed her jaw. Echoing the words into her body as he moved down her neck.
The blissful feeling spread through her with a glow, making her tug at the waistband of his unusually leisure sweatpants. Continuing to undress him while he nipped at her shoulder. The statement kept running through the air as he ventured lower and explored her chest with his lips and hands.
Their voices repeating it again and again as his mouth slowly made its way to her core. His tongue drawing the words to continue falling off her lips. The room filling with the sweet sensation as he made her fall apart beneath him. "I love you." he murmured while she flipped them and gazed down at him as she straddled his waist.
"I love you." she breathed out as she grabbed his hard length with both hands and pulled low moans from him.
I love you… it covered them in bright neon letters. She reveled in his reactions while she took him into her mouth and bobbed her head up and down until he groaned with need.
He watched her with sultry eyes as she settled on top of him and guided his tip against her slick opening. I love you… they gasped as their parted lips met in hungry kisses while she moved on top of him. His hands kneading her thighs and hips as he thrusted into her harder and faster.
I love you… their bodies agreed as he turned her over and raised her hips back against him. Taking her from behind and moving in a deliberate and steady pace as she arched her back and whimpered in response.
I love you… her moans assured him as she neared her climax and cried out in pleasure. His hands gripping her ass hard as he started chasing his release in return. Shattering together and smirking in satisfaction as they rode their highs with heavy breaths.
I love you… his lips etched over her skin as they moved again, him circling her legs around him as he kissed her and went in for round two. Shivers spreading through her body and her heart fluttering in her chest.
I love you… the look in his eyes told her as he took in her face while he pushed her over the edge of her orgasm again and again. Their bodies turning fully into one and time and space fleeting away as she gave herself to him and he to her repeatedly.
I love you… it floated in the air as they held each other in a heap of limbs, shiny from sweat as they caught their breaths. Sharing light laughter and amazed smiles as they slowly recovered, soothing each other with slow caresses and sweet kisses.
"I love you." she whispered as he softly murmured the same in her ear, sleep taking over them while they held each other tightly. The message clear as it had been rehearsed enough times as they drifted off to a peaceful and spent sleep.
I love you.
Two months ago
New Orleans, Louisiana
As Davina returned to the mausoleum in the morning, she noted the flipped furniture and loose papers covering the floor around her with a guilty frown. Understanding it as a demonstration of Kol's feelings about her newly made partners. His feelings of desperation having spilled out into the real world and made itself known… And the realization of that convinced her that she couldn't shut him out anymore.
Walking over to the locked drawer, she decided to stop hiding and face the angry ghost as she took out the crystal and cupped it delicately in her hands. Gulping hard, she wondered whether she was ready to hear him again, and if she could bear his response to her most recent behavior. But she couldn't have some spirit trashing rooms whenever she went against his wishes, and that meant she had to get him onboard once and for all.
"Inlumno." she whispered and watched as the object lit up with a warm and bright glow. Chewing on the inside of her cheek as she nervously awaited him, the lingering fantom that hovered around her constantly.
"Davina?" the sound of his voice as it echoed through the crystal nearly brought her to her knees as she let out a hard gasp.
"Kol." she breathed out as her eyes watered and her throat closed up, threatening to choke her with guilt and shame. "I'm so sorry, Kol." she breathed out through her low weeping. "I'm sorry, I…"
A deep sense of comfort reached her then, covering her with an inanimate embrace as she felt his craving to soothe her. "Davina." he called out softly, his voice sounding strained as she wiped the runaway tears from her cheeks. "Please, darling, don't do this to yourself." he whispered, bringing her to let out a cold snicker.
"I know what you think about all this." she sniffled, sitting down on the ground as she cradled the crystal close to her chest.
"Then there is no need for me to repeat any of that now." he replied with such an easy tone that she suddenly imagined his little smirk before her eyes. "Let me instead tell you how monumentally and agonizingly I have missed you. Let me tell you how much it has pained me to watch you shield away in fear and shame."
"I didn't want to disappoint you." she interjected with a shaking head.
"How on earth would you ever think yourself capable of such a thing?" he countered with a sincerity that warmed her heart. "Don't you understand how extraordinary you are, Davina Claire?"
"Don't." she whispered, propping her knees up to bury her face against them. "Don't be sweet to me right now, I don't deserve it."
"Yes, you do." he replied firmly. "Listen to me, I am indeed worried about where all of this is headed and I certainly don't enjoy Lucien's involvement with you." he said softly, the confirmation causing another sob to escape her before he continued.
"However, I don't want to stand in your way - I want to help you." he interjected, the words warming something deep within her soul as she hung onto his voice akin to a lifeline. "I am going to be by your side, Davina. And I will work like hell to make sure nothing happens to you, especially not in your path to saving me."
She scoffed in disbelief, the sound gurgled with her tightened throat. "I'm worried too, okay? I'm scared of what he's planning." she admitted silently, swallowing hard as she dried her face with her hands. "But at least this way, I can make sure he doesn't try to hurt anyone I care about. I can keep him in line, demand that he follows my rules… I can stop whatever he wants with Aya."
"Of course you can, Davina." he chimed, the pride and affection clear in his voice. "You have exceeded my highest expectations and keep showing such strength and resilience that it stuns me. I'm somewhat ashamed to say that I haven't ever fought this hard for anyone myself, in all of my centuries on this planet."
"Well, you didn't have me yet." she quipped, earning a chuckle that vibrated through her body and made her sigh in relief. Suddenly thanking herself for contacting him after all, to not shut him out like the others… To have him on her side, it meant everything to her.
A dark pit formed in her stomach as she reluctantly gave into the guilt in her heart. Knowing how lonely it had been these past couple of months… "I'll need help, Kol. I don't think I can keep this from Marcel much longer." she admitted. "Do you think he'll help me?"
"I honestly cannot say, darling." he sighed. "But I do agree that you could use an ally in this complex scheme, and I certainly don't feel comfortable with that solely being Lucien Castle."
"So, we tell Marcel." she suggested with a shrug.
"I'm not entirely sure that is such a good idea." he said in caution. "Marcel's loyalty to my brother has proven to know nearly no bounds. If you tell him of your plans, he may feel compelled to inform Nik."
"Then what am I supposed to do?" she asked in a deflated sigh. "I can't just go to anyone… All it takes is one wrong word to one person and everything could fall apart."
"Rebekah." he said, making her raise a brow in surprise.
"Rebekah?" she echoed. "She left, Kol. She gave up on you and abandoned me. How am I supposed to trust her of all people?"
"I think Elijah is hiding something about her supposed 'vacation'." he snickered darkly, sounding like he wanted to wring his brother's neck because of this. "Something didn't feel right from the start… I have been waiting, hoping that it would become clear with time, but I only end up with more questions instead."
"Like what?" she asked, her brows furrowed as she noticed the fear in his tone.
"Why is she still gone?" he noted. "Why didn't she return once Lucien was exiled from the city? Most importantly, what reason would be good enough for her to miss our brother's wedding?"
Davina nodded as she realized what he was saying then. "You think something happened to her." she stated, imagining him nodding in reply despite being invisible for now.
"It's a possibility." he mused.
"We should look for her then..." she chimed. "Especially now when we finally have a concrete plan in place. Not to mention that she could be very useful with keeping Lucien in line."
A silence hung over them as they both tried to think of solutions, Kol being the one to break it as he spoke up a while later. "Do you trust me, Davina?" he asked, the playfulness in his question surprising her as she smirked a little in response.
"Of course." she assured him tentatively.
"Good, because I believe there is a way to sway Marcel to our side." he told her cheekily.
"How's that?"
"By turning him against Nik."
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
As Caroline slowly woke up, she felt strong arms embracing her naked body and a familiar warmth enveloping her senses.
Klaus.
The thought brought a jaw-breaking grin to her lips as she opened her eyes and saw his sleeping face. He looked beautiful. Like a peaceful and warm angel underneath her. Which was ironic considering that she knew he was the exact opposite.
The arm he had protectively wrapped around her waist had probably strangled hundreds of people in the past. The hand he had resting on her leg, as it laid across his hips, had ripped out the hearts of legions. Those gorgeous lips that had whispered sweet nothings to her throughout the night had formed terrifying threats to everyone around him. And those green eyes that brought her comfort, had witnessed horrendous things.
It all seemed so bizarre, how she could feel this safe and content lying on top of a man who was supposed to be a monster.
She buried her face deeper into his neck while drawing in his scent. There was an incredible pull inside her chest, like she was floating and filled with light and magic. The room was so silent that all she could hear was their steady heartbeats. Leaning her head back slightly, her hand traced the birds on his shoulder and collarbone before following the rosary beads down his chest. Reaching her mother's gold band and smiling against his jaw as she found she really liked him carrying it. Carrying her.
The ridiculous joy in her body made it hard to stop grinning, and it was all she could do not to kick her legs in the air and squeal loudly in cheer. It was all so wonderful, so perfect, so great.
God, I love you… she thought as she glanced up at his relaxed face, wrapping herself tighter around him as she brushed her nose over his skin.
He even smelled like happiness and affection, the intoxicating sensation of nestling into his neck making her wonder why she had pushed him away for so long. After having spent days struggling to be apart from each other, she felt it was already decided for her. She wasn't going to leave his side again until absolutely necessary. It was the only thing that made sense. She didn't want to be anywhere else, as simple as that.
Her fingernails brushed over his ribs, surprising her when she noted a tiny flare in his heartbeat in response. She raised her eyebrow and grinned in reply. "Are you awake?" she murmured, already knowing the answer.
He opened an eye and looked at her squinting expression shortly before closing it again. "No." he smirked.
"How long have you been pretending to sleep for!?" she pressed accusatorily.
"Oh no, I'm very much asleep." he insisted with his eyes still closed and lips twitching into a smirk. "And this is merely a most delightful dream, one I would hate for to end."
She giggled in response, brushing his hair back and leaning up to press a soft kiss to his jawline. His hold around her tightened in return, keeping her closer to him and drawing lazy patterns over her thigh. "I'm thinking that we stay here and never leave." she chimed happily, sighing in content as she nipped at his skin.
"It's settled then." he crooned, reaching for the back of her head and rubbing against her scalp soothingly. "Let's continue sleeping."
Not having the will to argue with him, she simply leaned back and admired the hint of a dimple in his cheek while tracing his features slowly. "Good morning, by the way." she whispered earning a wide grin that enhanced the cute little dent and made it impossible for her not to poke at it. "You're kind of adorable. This whole grumpy not-a-morning-person thing is working for you."
"Is it now?" he chuckled turning his face and meeting her eyes with a warm expression. Pressing his forehead against hers, he breathed deeply before cupping her jaw and stroking her cheekbones. Rubbing his nose to hers affectionately and eliciting another happy giggle from her in reaction.
Her hands followed his throat and reached for his necklaces again, tugging at the ring attached to it before remembering his phone going off many times during the night. "Who was calling you before?" she asked, wondering why he would ignore it when it was clear that someone was desperately trying to reach him.
He opened his eyes and watched her with a soft gaze. "Elijah." he replied. "Then Hayley. Followed by Elijah again…"
"Why didn't you take it?" she pressed. "I would understand if you needed to check in on them, especially after last night."
"Caroline…" he sighed, shaking his head lightly and threading his fingers through her hair. "My brother as well as Hayley are perfectly capable of protecting themselves, and Hope and Freya are far away from New Orleans. The only person I need to check up on is you."
"What, I can't take care of myself then?" she scoffed lightly, receiving an incredulous snicker from him.
"You have more than proved yourself numerous times already, love." he insisted. "However, just because you can take care of yourself doesn't mean that you should."
She felt a loud swooning in her mind as she beamed up at him and stroked his cheek tenderly. "Did you sleep at all?" she asked, not caring for the thought of him tiring himself out because he wanted to be there for her.
"Yes, it seems to have become a trend actually." he mused, smirking slowly as he continued. "Every night I have you in my arms, I sleep far better than I can remember for the past centuries."
"You're just being cheesy." she chuckled incredulously, braiding her fingers into his hair and scratching at his scalp. "I did sleep pretty well too though, even despite the time-consuming activities."
He grinned at that. "Rather due to the time-consuming activities, my love."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You could try being less smug about this, you know. Could win you some extra points with me."
"No, I don't believe I can." he said with a thoughtful pout before he smirked at her again. "And I would like to point out that I've already collected quite a few points last night." he teased.
She gaped at him in amused chock for a long moment and shook her head. "Okay, that's it. I'm never having sex with you again!" she stated and attempted rolling off of him, but he held her in place.
Chuckling deeply, he spun them around and pinned her against the mattress, making her heart race. "Are you certain of that, love?" he asked as he kissed her lips slowly, sending out pulses down to her core.
She looked up into his eyes once he pulled back and gulped. "Yep." she snickered stubbornly, clicking her lips at the last letter.
He raised his eyebrows in challenge and stroked her legs. "Really?" he smirked. "Because your body sure is telling me otherwise."
Glaring at his continuous smugness, she pouted and scoffed. "Well, my body's a traitor and a liar. Completely untrustworthy."
Grinning at her, he laid a kiss between her collarbones. "Your body is a wonderland, my love." he purred over her skin.
"Did you just quote John Mayer!?" she asked with raised eyebrows.
He stilled for a moment and looked up at her incredulously. "Yes, I reckon I did." he said in bewilderment, making them both burst out into a fit of laughter.
Grinning brightly, he rested his forehead against hers with his tempting dimples at full display. In that moment, it felt like everything was completely and utterly… Perfect.
"Did I tell you that I love you?" she whispered, making his smirk turn into one of the most beautiful smiles she'd ever seen. It nearly hurt to look at it, making her twist underneath as she wanted to flip them around and press into him. But he refused to budge, only looking down at her with those gorgeous eyes and leaving the tiniest kiss to her mouth.
"Still?" he teased. "Last few hours didn't change your mind?"
"More like, enforced them." she said, giggling as he stroked the side of her ribs, leaving soft kisses on her lips and tracing her jawline.
"I love you." he told her, his eyes drilling into hers.
"Does that mean you're my boyfriend now?" she giggled making his chest rumble from the violent chuckle that elicited.
"I must surely be far too old to be called a 'boy'-anything, Caroline." he noted, tickling her sides sweetly.
"Okay, I'll have to find another name then." she squealed in glee.
He hummed in agreement then, pressing a kiss to her chest, above her heart. Moving a hand to braid in his hair, she scratched against his scalp and traced the line of his spine with her nails.
"What about... Love-buddy?" she teased, making him chuckle again. "Or... Suitor? Babe? Beau? My man?"
"You can call me whatever you want, Caroline." he interjected and looked up at her with twinkling eyes. "As long as you are mine."
She grinned at his words, meeting his lips in a sweet kiss. "Mine." she repeated, the word making her heart double in size. His head shot up suddenly, surprising her as he wore a curious expression. "What?" she giggled.
"I nearly forgot." he said, a sultry smirk covering his lips as his dimples taunted her.
"What!?" she laughed.
"I prepared something for you."
"Like a present?"
"No... A room." he said then, making her furrow her brows lightly. "I prepared for you to move into the manor."
"You... What?" she stuttered, her heart skipping a beat.
"I want you to live at the abattoir, with me." he chimed, his smile soft and starry.
"For like - the rest of the week or...?"
"For as long as you wish, Caroline." he shrugged. "I want you by my side, in my bed, in my bathroom, in my kitchen... I want my home to be yours."
"Wh-what about the Candle? Bonnie? Hell, what about Lucien?"
"We will handle all of that in time." he promised. "Come live with me."
"But what about Hope? Isn't that going to be really weird for her? We haven't even met yet and all of a sudden a stranger is moving into her dad's room?"
"Come live with me." he repeated as she shook her head in disbelief.
"And what about Enzo and Damon? I have to tell them that we lost the Candle... And Ric, he's expecting me to go back to Chicago-"
"Come live with me."
"And Cami? Isn't she staying there too? I would be the third person to have slept with you under that roof, which is just so not going to work for me…"
"First of all, I never slept with Camille." he cut her off, stroking her cheek softly. "And secondly; All of that can be solved. We will solve it together." he said, kissing her deeply with every word as he continued. "So, come... live... with... me."
The last kiss was searing, like his lips were saying 'dot-dot-dot'. As if he was promising her everything. The entire world. If she only said yes.
"We'll need to talk about this again soon." she breathed then. "Even if I stay with you now, it doesn't mean that I'm staying forever. We have to solve this whole mess first, you know."
"Then let's take it all one day at the time." he suggested sweetly, making her nod in response.
"Ok." she smiled.
"You'll come to the manor?"
"Yes, I love you and I'll come live with you in your insanely huge house!" she giggled, enjoying the gleeful laughter he returned, squealing as he nuzzled her neck and tickled her sides playfully.
"You must be a gift sent from heaven, Caroline Forbes." he said, grinning at her as she bit her lip tightly. "I hope I am worthy of you."
She pulled him in again. "You are." she whispered against his lips before diving into another powerful kiss.
Two months ago
New Orleans, Louisiana
"Where the hell is Klaus!?"
The angry voice nearly brought the abattoir to shake as Hayley ran through the hallways in her satin gown. Her hair and face done and ready as she stormed down the stairs, making any bystanders in her path turn away and occupy themselves immediately.
"Well!?" she pushed, feeling the rage blossom as she was met with silent frowns all around the courtyard. A silent cough echoed as the words 'bridezilla' reached her then, bringing her to flash towards the guilty vampire in question.
"What was that?" she asked with a cold grin, her skin crawling as her glowing eyes stared into the man's blue ones.
"Nothing. Sorry." he murmured weakly as he stared down into the floor in regret.
"Now now, Hayley. Stop terrorizing the guests." an entertained voice said from behind her.
Turning to the only other hybrid in existence as she focused all her unruly anxiety on him. "You're late." she gritted out before grabbing him by his wrist and marching him towards the study. The eye-roll she received in response not at all helping her calm down.
"I may have numerous abilities, love, but controlling the weather is unfortunately not one of them." he quipped with a smirk, making her shake her head in an incredulous scoff as she closed the door behind them.
"You weren't supposed to wait until the very last flight." she pointed out.
He pursed his lips in a thoughtful pout at that. "Yes, well. I was in the mood for something Colombian and incidentally missed my plane."
She wanted to growl in frustration, not understanding how he could be so fucking calm right then. "Klaus… You promised to be here on time." she bit out in an attempt to quench her stress induced rage.
"I was under the impression that a wedding could not begin without the bride." he chimed tauntingly. "Does that not make me as much on time as you?"
Likely having noticed her racing thoughts as she felt the anger take off again, because his face softened, and he walked towards her with a warm smile. "I brought you something." he said, squeezing her shoulder in an attempt to soothe her overactive emotions.
He held up a bag that she hadn't seen before amidst her, albeit rather dramatic, outburst. "You what?" she breathed out as he nodded at the bag with a pointed look.
Accepting it then, she carefully looked inside and removed the cellophane filling. Taking out a velvet box in her hands, she pulled on the bow and opened it swiftly. Whatever traces of anger that had remined by then flew out of her in a soft gasp. Displayed within the box was a thin ring in white gold with a very distinct mark on the charm. The letter M, mimicking the similar ones on the walls of the building. M, as in Mikaelson.
"I realize it isn't much, and not nearly as extravagant as you may have hoped for-" Klaus began as she studied the ring in awe. Not having expected her long-awaited wedding band to be so delicate and precious.
"No." she interjected, meeting his eyes with a smile. "It… It's perfect." she assured him, shaking her head as she turned to the desk in the room. Opening a drawer, she pulled out the wrapped gift inside and held it out to him.
"What's this?" he asked curiously.
"I got you something too." she explained, earning a surprised look from the hybrid that made her chuckle. "Don't worry, this one's not a ring."
He accepted the gift with a hesitant expression, opening it and faltering at the sight. "Hope and I made it together, although she did most of the heavy lifting." she explained as he took in the woven bracelet. A clear gem as focus amidst the dark leather.
"Emerald - because it's her birthstone." she explained, chewing on her lip as she realized he might just hate it. "I know it's kind of cheesy… But Hope was really excited about that detail. Freya even helped her use magic to engrave the gem with her initials, it's subtle but you can see it in the light."
"Let's be honest, Hayley. We both know that I would wear a candy necklace if our littlest wolf asked me to." he chuckled, a wide grin on his face as he met her eyes. "Fortunately for me, this is far more refined than anything I'd ever expect from a child."
She laughed at that, nodding in agreement as he put the bracelet on. "The leather was difficult for her to braid, so I managed to contribute in some ways too." she crooned, her chest swelling as she listened for the young girl and heard her play with some of the pack's younger members. "She's going to be thrilled seeing you wear it."
"I truly appreciate this, Hayley." he said with a warm smile as he studied her closely. "I am, however, bewildered of whatever prompted you to give it to me in the first place."
"I felt I needed to give you something." she admitted with an unsure shrug. "To properly say 'thank you'."
"Thank you?" he echoed with furrowed brows as he seemed confused of her gesture. Eliciting another smile from her while she reached for his arm and wore a serious face.
"You know I'm not someone who's used to people doing things for me. And you're not really someone who does things for people all too freely." she mused with a sigh. "So on paper; we are a horrible match. Probably the worst to have ever happened, actually, and most likely destined to hate each other."
He snickered at that and shook his head in amusement but allowed her to go on. "I never would have imagined you becoming such an important part of my life." she continued. "Yet here we are. And here I stand, suddenly having everything I have ever wanted. Everything I couldn't even dare to wish for. And you are the reason for that."
She watched his face fall slightly as he took in her words, making her gulp as her heart ached for the ancient and powerful man who was portrayed as a selfish and cold monster. The man who, for centuries, lived up to that exact reputation. "I have security, happiness, a sense of belonging. All of it for the first time in my life." she beamed. "I have a home, a family and a child who is impartially the most incredible little girl in the world."
His warm chuckle made her tear up as she smiled and forced herself to go on. "I don't know why we are where we are right now, or why we have what we have." she concluded. A lump forming in her throat with a mix of happiness as well as a deep-seated fear of how close she had been to the alternative. "But you should know that I am deeply grateful to you, Klaus. Horrible match or not; you are a good man, a great friend and an even better partner/co-parent."
Tears were beginning to escape her as she scoffed silently at herself. "I hope you realize just how true that is, because I'm not going to repeat it ever again." she said in a watery chuckle, making him join in.
He looked away shortly, but not before she noticed his glossy irises as he did. Turning to her with a kind smile, he reached forward and brushed his thumb under her eyes. "Freya will have my head for ruining your make-up." he joked, earning a breathy laugh from her as he dried off some smudges by her temple.
His expression turned a little more serious as he stroked her cheek softly. "It is fascinating how a lost werewolf managed to put me and my siblings back together. Turning us into a family once again - something we hadn't been for quite some time." he mused with a disbelieving scoff. "And if I knew you were the key to achieving just that… Well, I certainly wouldn't have tried to kill you. That's for sure."
She punched at his chest and shared another laugh before he spoke again. "My brother was right when he called you our family's hope, Hayley." he drawled with a nod, a playful smirk as he went on. "It is only fitting that you take your rightful place among the rest of us; as a true Mikaelson. Always and forever."
Words failed her as she watched him in amazement, once again hit by a wave of gratitude. Being reminded that she was about to immortalize it any minute now. "Always and forever." she agreed, making him smile again as he leaned in and pecked her cheek. Offering his arm to her as he nodded towards the door in a pointed gesture.
"Let's go before Elijah storms through here and accuses me of running off with his bride." he quipped, earning a jabbing elbow to his side before they walked out of the room together. Matching smiles playing on their faces as they left for the venue across the street. Their daughter ran over when she saw them, holding the Original hybrid's hand as they signaled for the music to start.
With one last nod, Klaus and Hope walked the bride down the path of candles and flowers. Leading her to the awe-stricken man waiting by the end of it. And once more convincing Hayley that she finally, and earnestly, belonged.
Davina managed to sit through the wedding ceremony without giving into the horrible longing in her heart. But watching the couple standing there, getting to be happy and together forever… It was an excruciating reminder. So, right after the exchanged vows; she scurried away from the others and hid by a dark hallway outside the venue.
Glancing back and forth as she made sure she wasn't followed; she took out the crayons from her purse and turned to a decorated pillar. The shape was easy enough to draw as she hurried to go unnoticed. She lowered her head and whispered the chant, smiling as she saw the symbol shining in result.
Soon she had outlined five markings in total, each on specific surfaces and creating a pentagram around the banquet hall. She felt the magic fill the space within it, a field of power gathering to the focused area and making sure no one would go untouched by it.
"Davina?" Josh made her jump as he appeared beside her suddenly, making her hiss in reply.
"Why do vampires always sneak up on non-vampires?" she bit out with a sigh as she turned to her friend.
"What are you doing?" he asked, ignoring her reaction and scanning her closely from head to toe.
"I'm blessing the wedding." she lied smoothly, having prepared a cover story with Kol already. "It needs to outline the building for it to work."
"Blessing?" he echoed with a raised brow of suspicion. "So, you mean you're not hiding away and having secret conversations with your glowing rock?"
"It's a crystal." she corrected with an eye-roll before turning away from him, stopping as he grabbed her arm and held her back.
"Davina, what's going on with you?" he asked with such sincerity in his voice that she nearly caved and told him everything.
"What do you mean?" she asked, meeting his analyzing gaze with a leisure smile. "It's not exactly a surprise that I'd get upset watching other people get their happy endings instead of me."
"Come on." he said with a pointed nod, determined to push through her facade. "I love you, Davina. You're my best friend and I would kill anyone who tries to hurt you. So whatever it is you're doing, at least let me help."
The witch pressed her lips together as she looked at him silently, battling in her mind as she found herself considering coming clean. Maybe this one person being included wouldn't ruin the plan? Maybe Josh could be of help?
Before she got to tell him, deciding that she needed a partner that wasn't a voice or an evil psychopath, they were interrupted by a third party. Freya Mikaelson walking towards them with a scrutinizing expression as she clearly felt the magic suddenly filling the building. "What is going on?" she asked, her voice more worried than accusatory.
Davina swallowed hard as she thought back to the cover again, having gone through several scenarios in preparation depending on who it was that crossed her path. "I cast a blessing spell." she replied smoothly.
"What kind of blessing spell?" the blonde witch pressed on.
"It's new, I've been experimenting with different formulas from covens around the world."
Blaming the Mikaelson paranoia, she sensed that Freya wasn't buying any of it and scrambled to think of something that could make it stick. However, Josh turned to the woman with an easy smile and spoke first. "I need a boyfriend, alright?" he said with a chuckle. "I asked Davina to make something to kind of draw out a soulmate for me. Apparently, this blessing spell is supposed to push people together, if they are meant to be."
The expert lie impressed the young brunette as she held back a wide grin in reaction, instead keeping her eyes on Freya. "Good news is it's working." she added with a shrug. "Could probably find you an epic love too if you want."
Snickering with a shaking head, the suspicion visibly turned into a mild disbelief as the blonde smirked at the two. "In that case, let's see if any new romances blossom up by the end of the day." she quipped.
"If Davina manages to find me a guy for tonight, I'll consider the blessing a resounding success." Josh joked, making the witches chuckle lightly.
"Let me know if you need any assist." Freya said with an amused grin. "I'll be at the bar, waiting for my soulmate to find me."
The witch smirked in response as they watched the Mikaelson walk back towards the part and leaving them alone. Josh looked over at her with a raised brow and a pointed expression, making her sigh before giving him a nod. "Fine." she said. "There's something I'd prefer not to do by myself."
"Name it." he shrugged.
"Get some of Elijah's blood."
"Why?"
She felt a warm smile reach her lips as she noted her friend's eagerness to prove his loyalty. Determining then that it wouldn't be a mistake to include him after all. And after the reception, she might even tell him everything. But for now, they needed to move one step at the time. "So that I can look into his head without him knowing about it." she explained, studying him as she waited for some outraged reaction.
However, the vampire surprised her as he nodded in reply. "What's the plan?"
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
Caroline was humming a tune to herself in blissful content as she swayed through the room, gathering her clothes and belongings and packing them all into her suitcase. Klaus had left to get some breakfast from the hotel restaurant and when he returned, they would leave for the abattoir together.
Moving into Klaus Mikaelson's house, it sounded so strange in her mind that she didn't really know what to think of it. All she knew was that she wanted to be close to him, she was already in the habit of sharing a bed every night… And hell, she was just so stupidly and impossibly happy that she couldn't bring herself to second-guess the decision for long.
It's only temporary, a voice said in her head. It just makes sense to stay nearby while Lucien's roaming the city and Davina's hiding away with the Candle of Hades. That's all. It's convenient, secure, better for everyone involved.
She shook her head violently as she willed the over-analyzing part of her brain to stay silent. For once, the first time in years, she was genuinely happy. Why ruin it by over-thinking it all?
No, she thought with determination. She wasn't going to poke holes in a perfect thing just to please her critical self. That voice had never gotten her anything in life so far, so why should she listen to it now?
However, something still flickered in her gut with worry. With fear. Nerves. The anxiety scratched at the door to her consciousness and waited to rush in and tear her apart. If she let it.
Warm hands came around her torso, pulling her into a firm chest as lips found her neck and stopped her in her train of thought. She giggled and leaned back to him, marveling in the feeling of his embrace as he smiled against her jaw. "That was fast." she teased.
"I missed you." he murmured, making her stomach flutter and her heart glow.
"What happened to breakfast?" she quipped, chewing on her lip as she fought back a wide and goofy grin.
"I got croissants." he purred, nodding to a paper bag on the bed next to her suitcase. "But I'd much rather have you..."
"Oh?" she chuckled, turning in his hold to wrap her arms around his neck. Meeting his mischievous little smirk with a beaming smile. "You're saying I taste better than fresh morning pastries?"
"Without a doubt." he replied before leaning in to kiss her. The soft touch so sweet that it made her want to forget about everything else and stay in their little bubble for another day. Or five.
"Did you finish packing, yet?"
She nodded eagerly, kissing him again with a soft and content sigh. "I'm pretty much done." she murmured as her hands tugged at his hair. "I was just about to take a break actually."
"What fortunate timing you have, my love." he grinned and ran his hands down her sides as she reached for the hem of his shirt. Dragging her fingernails lightly against his abdomen and drawing out a low moan from his lips.
She smirked and kissed him again, unsure if she would ever get sick of the incredible wave of happiness that engulfed her when she did. Tugging at his belt buckle, she spun him swiftly and pushed him back onto the bed.
His lips parted and his eyes heavy, he scanned her from top to toe as he sat back on his elbows. The sight of his disheveled hair and heaving chest making her shake her head in disbelief.
"Damn." she whispered as she watched him, noticing his longing gaze turn into a smug grin. She raised a brow in challenge before reaching the zipper of her sundress and slowly pulling it down.
His eyes following her motions as she pulled at the thin straps over her shoulders and let the dress fall to her feet. Not having bothered with a bra, she stood before him in only a pair of lacy underwear and tossed her hair back with a sultry smile. Triumph hitting her as she saw his face go slack at the sight.
That's better… she thought to herself while taking slow strides over to him.
His eyes met hers again as he reached out and traced the backs of her thighs with his fingertips. She held onto his shoulders and placed one knee and then another on each side of him until she was close enough to straddle his lap. He placed his hands on her hips and nudged her pointedly, wanting her to sit down and lean into his body. It made her smirk as she chewed on her lower lip, studying the almighty hybrid completely under her control.
Arching her back slightly, she made his eyes fall on her bare chest with something mesmerizing flashing over his face. Feeling his hands travel up her curves, she pushed at his chest and laid him flat on his back. Tracing the buttons of his shirt as she mulled over her next move, not quite ready to give up the teasing game just yet.
Grabbing his wrists as he moved to touch her thighs, she pinned them to each side of his head and ran a pair of fingers over his parted lips and down his chest. Reaching his belt again, she grinned darkly as she noticed the bulge fighting against his jeans. It urged her on as she slowly lowered herself down onto it, tilting her pelvis and rubbing against his covered crotch. The little breathy sounds he made as she moved over him could make anyone feel like the most powerful being in the world.
She got to work on unbuttoning his shirt, steady motions as she basked in the gaze he directed at her. Filled with awe, desire and affection. And love. The mere thought making her bite back a giggle as she felt the happiness bubble inside of her again.
Pushing back the fabric and revealing his chest to her, she ran her palms over him and smiled as she brushed over the ring on his necklace. Really coming to like the way it looked on him and kind of not feeling any rush on getting it back very soon.
She traced over the familiar tattoo over his shoulder and scratched against it with her nails. Suddenly having the urge to mark him, write her name across his skin and making sure no one else got to have him. Ever again. But the primal instinct was sated as she reached the gold band among the beads once more, realizing that she had already claimed him as hers in a way.
Moving to his belt, she unbuckled it and turned to the zipper. Sliding across his lower abdomen and underneath the boxers, wrapping a hand over the beckoning bulge and cherishing the rough groan it elicited from him. His hips thrusting up and chasing after her as his hands clenched and unclenched by his sides. Seemingly struggling to keep them to himself, which only made her grin widen in reaction.
Circling his hard shaft, she slowly built him up with a tormenting pace. Not having forgotten about his own little torture on her in the cellars the night before.
"This is revenge, isn't it?" he chuckled roughly, understanding her motives as he seemed to remember the same thing himself.
She shrugged at that, moving her free hand down to caress his balls and earning another hiss in response. "I don't know what you're talking about." she purred with an innocent pout, causing him to shake his head in disbelief.
"Of course you don't." he muttered, his jaw set as his face twisted lightly in result of her slow motions. "You're clearly not someone who would think to hold a grudge over a considerable amount of time." he teased, making her roll her eyes.
"Maybe I just like watching you squirm." she replied leisurely as her hands picked up the pace.
"Oh, I don't doubt it." he snickered, drawing out another wide grin from her then. "Such an angelic temptress." he said with adoration in his voice, causing her to falter slightly as she suddenly wanted to skip the teasing and kiss him wildly instead.
She leaned down and brushed her lips over his shortly, realizing it would have been his intention all along. "Such a smooth-talker." she whispered, leaving an airy peck as his eyes met hers in an intense gaze. "You're not winning this one, Klaus. Might as well accept defeat now."
"That is simply not within my nature, love." he smirked, his eyes fluttering closed shortly as she moved faster over his length. Making him lose focus for a moment before he looked up at her again in a challenging smile. "Didn't we already settle the dispute of me being the alpha male years ago?"
Feeling his hands reach her legs then, drawing patterns up towards her hips, she immediately pulled back and brought a disappointed little sound from him in response. "No touching." she muttered, noting his clenched jaw as he didn't seem too eager to agree with her.
He grunted bitterly before taking his hands off her in a reluctant retreat. The act causing her to let out a breathy chuckle against his lips before she reached for his cock again. "What was that about being the alpha male?" she teased as his eyes flickered with amber and gold in reply.
The interrupting sound broke through their lustful haze, and since he hadn't turned his phone back on all morning, the ringing was clearly coming from hers. She looked over at where it was charging on the nightstand, wondering how important it could be – and if it was worth it for her to break their perfect little bubble…
Sensing her inner debate, he swiftly spun them and pinned her to the mattress. Earning a light chuckle from her as she looked up at his playful smile. "Don't." he said, the request clear as she sighed out in response.
"We've already been MIA for way too long." she whined.
"According to whom?" he snickered softly, leaning in and leaving a kiss to her lips that made her heart flutter.
"I don't know… The universe?" she replied, receiving an eye-roll from him in reply. "Shouldn't we at least pretend to be doing something useful while everyone else is looking for Davina and the Candle?"
"What would that achieve?" he sighed, his hands traveling up and down her sides. Following the curves of her body and heating her up. "Aside from losing precious and rare time where we can finally be alone."
"Well, think about how much time we get once we take the candle back and rescue Bonnie?" she chimed, threading her fingers through his hair and stroking the back of his neck. Not necessarily agreeing with her own words as she tried to prolong the moment just a little more…
"In Cappadocia." he murmured against her lips, making her beam as she kissed him back.
"Exactly." she whispered before leaning closer, pulling him down and intensifying the kiss. He traced her bare skin slowly, brushing over her legs and waist with rough hands. Her legs wrapped tighter around his hips as she explored the planes of his shoulder blades and back. Forgetting why she was in such a hurry to leave their happy state until another round of ringing rudely reminded her.
Groaning in response, she turned away from his lips and squinted at the unwelcome interruption. "I believe our time just ran out." she murmured as she met his eyes with a soft smirk. Dragging a thumb across his tempting lips as his hooded eyes tried to leer her back in. "Think of it this way; the sooner we leave this room, the sooner I move my stuff into your place."
That sparked something over his features as he grinned at her. "Now, how did I not think of that?" he purred, leaving a deep kiss to her lips before moving off her. Fixing his clothes as she sat up and took a few breaths, taking him in as he threw her a dazzling smirk. "I'll go get you checked out so we can leave." he suggested, running a hand through his hair and looking ridiculously good just then.
She let out a sigh, biting her lip to keep a wide grin at bay as she admired the incredible man. "You said I'd get a room." she remembered, dangling her feet over the edge of the bed as he stepped towards her with a wolfish expression. "Does that mean I'll have to get used to sleeping alone?"
Tilting her chin up, he gazed down at her with dazzling eyes. "Never again." he promised, the sure and determined tone making her gulp hard.
"Roommates, then?" she asked, afraid to question his choice of words.
He bent down and met her lips, nipping at them warmly as she smiled in content. "If you'll have me." he murmured into the kiss, surprising her with the cautious reply.
Her phone rang again, cutting off her answer as they both threw a look over at the irritating little square that refused to let them be. "Go ahead and take that, love." he sighed, smiling at her as she studied him closely. "I'll be back shortly."
She nodded at him, cupping his cheek as she pulled him in for one last kiss. He moved back begrudgingly, a little frown playing on his face as he straightened up. Casting a long glance over her body, as if etching it into his mind, before taking another breath and heading out the door. She fell back on the bed with a deep sigh, realizing how stupid and childish it was to miss him already.
Deciding to put her dress back on, she then grabbed the phone and moved to gather her bags. Another call came in quickly and she accepted it while walking through the room.
"Caroline." she announced.
"What did you do!?"
The voice caught her off-guard and made her freeze up suddenly. "Damon?"
"What did you do, blondie!?" he roared out, making her gulp as she realized he had found out. She just wasn't sure how.
"Things didn't go as planned." she mumbled, not too excited about explaining the events of the past night. "But we are re-grouping, and we'll figure this out, okay?"
"Clearly, I can't trust you to handle anything on your own so why the hell should I listen to you now?" he spat back, but something laced his words… Pain, fear…
"What happened?" she pressed, earning a cold and hard chuckle through the line.
"Oh, nothing… Just the usual, you know. The coffee at the motel isn't great. I got a flat tire… Ric and I had a fight…" he snickered on. "Or maybe, I'm freaking out because Bonnie reached out to me and told me what you did!?"
"Wait, what?" she stammered. "What did she say? H-how did she know?"
"How am I supposed to know!?" he scoffed. "You were supposed to help her, Barbie. Instead…"
She held her breath as she sensed his grip her own heart. "What, Damon? What did you see?" she asked silently, understanding that whatever kind of nightmares Bonnie had sent her would not have gotten any better after last night.
"Not much. She was in some dark room…" he whispered, his voice breaking and causing her to cover her mouth as a sob threatened to escape her. "Sh-she said she was running out of time and… She wanted to say goodbye."
Caroline's knees buckled beneath her as she steadied herself against a wall, shaking her head as the words hit her hard. "Goodbye?" she breathed out in disbelief. "No, no I just talked to her before the ball. She was hanging on. She was fighting, Damon. She wouldn't just give up."
Sinking down to the floor, she held the phone with a trembling hand as her vision blurred with unshed tears. "I did what she said." she stuttered. "I-I got the dagger. I didn't give it to anyone. I kept an eye on Marcel, I- What did I do wrong?"
"You have the dagger?" he echoed. "You got it?"
She hesitated shortly as she heard the eager desperation in his question. "Yes." she said before deciding to keep the entire truth to herself. "We destroyed it."
"That's just great." he muttered bitterly. "Another one in the lose pile."
Her eyes lifted as the bedroom door opened, revealing a worried face as Klaus studied her on the floor. Something hit her then as she tried to wear a smile… Her eyes flashing over his chest as she remembered the ring he wore, giving her an idea. "I think there's another way." she murmured, running her fingers through her hair as she thought it over. "I think I can… maybe communicate with her."
"How?" Damon pushed incredulously as the hybrid walked up to sit next to her then, reaching out to hold her hand in his as she nodded to herself.
"There's this spell." she said, avoiding the analyzing green eyes that drilled into the side of her head. "I just need something of hers."
"Like what? A sweater? A lock of her hair!?" the vampire pressed on.
"Give me a few more hours, Damon." she demanded firmly, not willing to give too much away quite yet. "The end of the day at the latest."
"What are you hoping to achieve in a few hours that the rest of us haven't been able to do in weeks?" he asked with a scoff.
"When a witch spells something, traces of their magic stays. Right?" she mused.
"Sure, but I don't know what we have that she has spelled-"
"I do." she cut him off, Klaus' grip on her hand tightened as he seemed to understand her train of thought then. Making her rush to get to her point before his protest began. "I have something that Bonnie personally spelled. Something that I know, without a doubt, still works. Which means it still has her magic in it, right?"
"I guess." she heard that Damon was about to protest further or question her some more, so she quickly interjected before he did.
"Give me until tonight." she repeated firmly before hanging up and staring ahead, away from Klaus' eyes.
"Caroline-" he began, the sound confirming that he knew where her plan was headed.
She shook her head in a cold snicker, raising her hand as she circled the ring she had worn ever since she first turned. "It's still active, Klaus." she noted. "We could use it to send her some message or something. To make sure she doesn't give up hope just yet. To buy us some more time."
"It's dangerous." he interjected, making her turn to him with a determined look in her eyes.
"Just tell me if it could work or not." she demanded as she tugged at the magical piece of cheap jewelry that allowed her to walk in the daylight. "I get that she's hidden or cloaked or whatever and we can't actually find Bonnie…" she sighed. "But… could Freya use this to speak to her?"
He scowled at her, seemingly struggling with himself as he tried to think of a way to talk her out of it. But she saw the moment he admitted defeat, nodding shortly as a frown tugged at his lips and matched the sad color in his eyes. "Yes." he said hoarsely. "Freya could use her magic on your ring, just as she did when we searched for you the other night."
She let out a breath of relief at his honesty and tried to smile, to cover the fear that started to fill her chest. "We don't have a lot of time." she murmured with a lump in her throat. "Let's go do that ancient Viking torture spell before it's too late."
Two months ago
New Orleans, Louisiana
Davina found a discreet room and quickly pulled out her ingredients, splaying them across a table before turning to the crystal in her bag.
"Inlumno." she whispered, watching the stone glow in result. "What now?"
"Prepare the spell and I will assist you from the veil." Kol's voice instructed. "Do you trust Josh to acquire the blood without arousing suspicion?"
Nodding in response, Davina lined up a pentagram out of twigs. The shape connecting with the larger one she had placed on the venue. With a short chant, the center lit up and allowed her a bird's eye view of everything happening in the banquet hall. Hovering over the wedding guests as she scanned the people carefully, following Josh as he stood talking with Elijah by the head table.
The mute conversation between them showed her friend holding a silver knife in his hands, prompting her to whisper a chant to freeze the room. Time slowly coming to a stop in the hall as she waved above the pentagram and sped the young vampire up. Allowing him to slice across the Original's wrist and quickly filling a vial with Elijah's blood.
They had agreed on fifteen seconds, her eyes going to the watch on her phone as she counted. Josh closed the vial and hurried to use his blood to heal the man's wound. Hiding the knife as he took a step back in time for the others to begin moving again.
"He did it." Davina sighed out in triumph, grinning brightly as she looked to the crystal.
"He did." Kol agreed in a chuckle.
She waved her hands above the pentagram and lifted the spell on the venue with a few murmuring words, her knees wavering as she felt the force of her magic hit her hard. Akin to having stretched out a rubber band until abruptly letting it go.
"Are you alright, darling?" the ghost in the crystal asked, bringing a smile to her face as she nodded in response.
"Yeah, I'm fine." she breathed out before collecting her things and covering her tracks.
A knock on the door was heard before Josh stepped into the room. "We good for the next step?" he asked.
She beamed at him as he offered the vial to her then, accepting it and nodding towards the door. "Let's go." she chimed, grabbing her purse and the crystal before taking the vampire's hand.
Josh flashed them away, not stopping until they arrived at her tomb in the cemetery. Immediately getting to work as they did.
"What can I do?" he asked when the witch began setting up for the ritual.
"You've done more than enough already, Josh." she smiled kindly. Preparing an altar and grabbing a large candle. Pouring the blood over the flickering flame as she chanted to herself.
The vampire leaned against a wall, his arms folded as he stayed out of her way. The wind changing within the room as the spell took root, her eyes closed while she focused on the vision appearing before her.
A thick haze gradually lifted as she began to see the Original's memories. She saw him daggering Rebekah, the sight making her wince in surprise as he sealed her in a coffin and stored her away.
"Kol was right." she breathed out, filling her friend in as she followed the vision further. "Rebekah's vacation was a cover."
"For what?" Josh asked.
She focused back on the images before her, watching as Elijah stood by his sister's side and touched some mark on her arm. "I think he did it to protect her." she mused, noting the pained expression on the vampire's face as he hid Rebekah away. "Wait…" she gasped as she saw the house where her coffin was stashed years ago. "Didn't Marcel have you look into a place in Pearl River?"
"Yeah, a while back." Josh confirmed. "We found one of the men dead inside, but we never did understand why he was there in the first place."
"Well, it looks like he was keeping an eye on Rebekah's coffin." she explained grimly, seeing the vampire go to Vincent with the request of erasing his memory of the blonde vampire's hiding place.
The vision cutting off as she couldn't see what happened beyond that point. She looked to the young man with a worried frown. "I think something happened, Josh."
"What, to Rebekah?"
"Yeah." she murmured, glancing to the crystal as she realized how silent Kol had been since leaving the wedding. "This is exactly what we need." she said.
"Yes." the voice agreed in response, surprising Josh as he hadn't realized that the deceased Original was accompanying them. "This will be enough to turn Marcel to our side."
"Wait, what?" her friend stuttered. "That's what we're doing here? Looking for something to manipulate Marcel?"
Davina watched the gears turn in the vampire's head with a gulp. "Josh... Don't freak out, okay?" she drawled cautiously. "I have a way of getting Kol back, and… and I need Marcel to be on my side in this."
"On your side in what exactly?" he pressed in an anxious scoff.
She chewed on her lip shortly, trying to reword her thoughts to avoid worrying him any further. "There is a cursed object, a candle. But I can't get to it without their help."
"Whose help, Davina?"
Hesitating lightly, she exhaled and nodded to herself in determination before deciding to continue the lie. "The Strix'." she said, making sure to keep the vampire from knowing about her less trustable partners in crime. "Which is why I need Marcel." she explained. Having decided to keep said partners away from her friends until she got a better understanding of Lucien's motives in the grand scheme of things…
Until Aya agreed to help. Until she could ensure Marcel's loyalty towards her rather than the Mikaelson's. Until she got Klaus out of the way long enough for her to successfully find and use the Candle to bring Kol back.
There were enough risks already without Josh worrying about Lucien or Marcel getting suspicious of Aya. Everything she had worked towards for the last five years was hanging in the balance, and Davina had to make sure to tread carefully until she knew that their plan could work.
Her fingers drummed against the sofa anxiously as she waited. Having used her spare key to get them inside Marcel's apartment and spreading the research out on the coffee table. Josh sat beside her with a bouncing leg, seemingly just as nervous as she.
About to say something to soothe her friend's nerves, her voice was cut off as Marcel entered the apartment just then. Glancing over at them with a warm smile as he took off his jacket. "I was wondering where the two of you ran off after the ceremony." he chimed and walked over to pour himself a glass. "Should we order take out for dinner?"
"Boss." Josh said pointedly, causing him to still as he studied them closer. "Davina told me what's been going on."
"She did?" Marcel asked with a cocked brow, taking a seat in the chaise opposite them as he gave them an encouraging nod. "Does this mean we can finally stop pretending that we haven't noticed your strange behavior this past year or so?"
Davina gulped at that, guilt coiling in her stomach as she couldn't ignore the little voice in her head calling her a traitor. Because as she was finally coming clean, she was still not completely honest. "I'm sorry about keeping you in the dark for so long." she began truthfully. "I thought I could do this on my own… But I can't lie anymore."
"Whatever it is, D…" he sighed, leaning forward with a kind face as he continued. "Count me in."
The sureness of his tone warmed a deep place in her heart as she realized she had missed him like crazy during these past few months… Having pushed him away for so long because of her secrets, but now finally getting him back in some ways. Even if she would still be keeping things from him for a little longer.
Reaching for the pages on the table, she cleared her throat before beginning. "Kol found something that could bring him back. It's called the Candle of Hades, a cursed object forged with blood magic from a powerful coven in Eastern Europe."
"How come we haven't heard of this before?" he pressed curiously as his eyes roamed across the research leisurely.
"He didn't consider it a viable option until just recently." she explained. "I basically had to force him into even telling me about it in the first place."
"So, this Candle, how does it work?"
"The legend is… complex." she snickered anxiously. "I've spent the entire year reading about it and I've barely scratched the surface on what the weapon could do."
"Weapon?" Marcel echoed.
"Yeah." she confirmed coyly. "See, the Candle is just one of the two things needed for a spell to resurrect someone. I also need a special knife – now, that part is fuzzy, but it will likely be the easier of the two to find."
"What were you planning to do?" he asked. "This looks dangerous… I don't understand why Kol would let you go through with this on your own."
"He didn't." she replied honestly. "This has all been kind of hypothetical for a long time… But I was finally able to confirm that the Candle exists and I have a pretty good lead as to where it might be. I just have to piece everything together, but the point is, I can do this, Marcel. If you will help me."
The vampires shared a glance between each other before turning to her again. "What do you need?" Marcel asked, nodding reassuringly to her as he made an inaudible promise to do everything he could.
She hesitated before responding, considering shortly if she should convey everything to the men instead of following the current plan… The thought was tempting. "I need a way to lure Aya back to New Orleans, because I think the Candle is hiding with someone inside the Strix."
"Are you sure?" he pressed, earning a confirming nod and returning it thoughtfully. "We could probably come up with something… But I don't understand why you didn't come to me sooner with this."
"Because…" she replied cautiously, nervous as to how he would react. "Because while looking for information on the Candle, Kol and I discovered something else… The weapon that this object can forge – it's very powerful. And if the wrong people find out about it, they might get in the way of me using it on Kol."
"The Mikaelson's." he concluded. "You think they'd worry about what level of threat this Candle can pose to them."
"There's more." Josh interjected then, giving Davina a pointed look as he urged her to move onto the sensitive part of the plan.
"Yes." she agreed anxiously, turning to Marcel again as she chewed on her bottom-lip. "The Candle couldn't just be dangerous to an Original… It could kill them."
The vampire's eyes grew in response as he watched her in chock and outrage. "Davina…" he chuckled nervously. "We can't bring a weapon into the Quarter that could wipe out an entire line of vampires."
"I know but-" she began as he cut her off.
"Not to mention the kind of people who may be interested in getting their hands on that kind of weapon." he spoke on, standing up as his voice turned louder. "You do realize that, out of all the Mikaelson's, Klaus might just have the largest number of enemies out there – and if Klaus dies, so does Josh, and I."
"Which is why I didn't tell you before…" she muttered in disappointment. "Marcel, I'm not going to do anything that could jeopardize either of your lives. You're my family, both of you. Do you really think I'd let anyone hurt you?"
"No, you're right." he said in a rushed nod. "We need to find that Candle and destroy it before anyone finds out about its existence."
"We can't destroy it!" she protested. "It's the last chance I have of saving Kol!"
"You're going to risk the lives of the entire vampire population for a dead one!?" he scoffed angrily. "That's not happening, D." he muttered, standing up and heading to the door then.
"Where are you going!?" she called out.
"To Klaus." he called back over his shoulder, grabbing his jacket and causing the witch to hurry to block his path. "Davina, they need to know about this."
"Why?" she countered.
"Because it affects them – as well as everyone else inside the Quarter."
"You'd really ruin my only way of getting the man I love back because of your loyalty to them?" she pushed.
"Davina, that is not what I'm doing…" he sighed exasperatedly. "We'll find another way. Another cursed object or another spell. Just, not this one. Okay?"
"Stop." she bit out firmly. "What if I told you the Candle could be used to not only help Kol, but Rebekah too?"
"Rebekah? Wh-what are you talking about?" he stammered.
"Maybe you should ask Elijah why Rebekah missed his wedding."
He gaped at her in disbelief, but something flickered in his eyes that gave her hope; recognition. "What do you know?" he asked, his voice serious but far calmer now. "Did you speak to her? Did she tell you where she is?"
"No… Marcel." she said, shaking her head in a sad frown as she knew how painful the truth would be for him. The truth about where the Mikaelson's true loyalties lie. "Elijah daggered her and hid her away. She's been in a coffin this entire time."
"What?" he breathed out in disbelief. "How do you know?"
"I got into his head today, and I saw him." she confessed.
"It's true." Josh added as he came to stand beside her. "Remember when Wilson went missing? We checked out a house in Pearl River?"
Marcel furrowed his brows but nodded in response, urging the younger vampire on then. "He was the one tasked with keeping her hidden."
"Wilson was dead." he countered in a drawl. "The house was empty."
"Because Elijah moved her." Davina interjected. "I think… Either that or he had someone else move her. Maybe someone came looking for her and killed Wilson when they found the house empty too."
"You mean…" Marcel bit out, anger taking place in his eyes once more. "She might be missing… and he kept it secret from everyone."
The young adults nodded in unison as they confirmed his guess, drawing out a scowl from the vampire as he took it all in. His head shaking again as he looked away from them. "I can't believe this…" he muttered to himself before reaching for the door again.
"Marcel, where are you going?" the witch called out as he exited the apartment.
"To see Elijah." he called back, his words echoing in the stairwell as he disappeared from their sight. Leaving her to look back at Josh and share a worried gulp, both unsure as to what the man was capable of doing at his current state of mind.
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
When Caroline and Klaus entered the courtyard in search for Freya, everyone stared at them with strange faces.
"Where have you been?" Elijah asked, stepping forward with more emotion in his eyes than Caroline had yet to see on him.
She glanced back at the hybrid as he squeezed her hand warmly. He nodded to his brother and wore a serious expression. "Whatever it is, it must wait." he said. "We need Freya to contact Ms. Bennett."
"Niklaus." Elijah cut in firmly. "This cannot wait."
The young blonde beside him glanced around the room, noticing Hayley and Freya eye them closely as if expecting something to happen. As if waiting for some blow-up between the brothers. "What happened?" she asked, looking back at Elijah with furrowed brows. "Did you find Davina?"
The Original visibly gulped before turning to the hybrid again, the clear hints of fear and apprehension surprised her as he sized Klaus up with narrowed eyes. "Perhaps we should speak in private." he said then, making her stomach turn as she feared the reason why.
"If it is as important as you say, then you should tell us now." the hybrid shrugged, looking like nothing could possibly be important enough to pull him from the young vampire. And the thought warmed her heart, but she saw the struggle on Elijah's face and realized whatever had happened - it was bad.
With a short nod, the elder Mikaelson seemed to steel himself before speaking. "Aurora has escaped."
Klaus' hand fell from hers at the words and his face turned cold as stone. Studying his brother with disbelieving eyes, a grin suddenly broke out over his face. He shook his head in a chuckle that made Caroline's skin crawl. Whoever this Aurora was, Klaus was scared of her. And if she was capable of scaring him, then the rest of them should be petrified.
"That's funny." Klaus laughed coldly. "For a second there, it sounded like you were telling me that one of our most dangerous enemies had escaped from their imprisonment. Which..." he chuckled deeper, the sound making Caroline wince as he spoke on. "... Is impossible considering that I was promised, nay guaranteed, that said imprisonment could not be broken. By anything nor anyone."
"Niklaus." Freya said as she walked towards him cautiously, but he merely ran a hand over his face as he snickered to himself.
"This can't be. No, you're wrong." he stuttered as he shook his head profusely.
"Nik-" Elijah began but was cut off as Klaus' eyes snapped up to him.
"No!" he roared, so loud that Caroline could swear she felt the ground move and the walls shake. "No." he said, his voice breaking and his face losing the morbid grin slowly as he turned to the vampire by his side. A heart-wrenching look filled his eyes as she watched him in confusion, waiting for him to explain.
He seemed at loss for words, moving to cup her face with his hands as he looked her over. The desperate way of it worrying her as he appeared to be memorizing her every feature... Like this was the last time they would see each other.
"Klaus." she whispered, urging him to speak to her. To tell her what all of this meant. To not push her away out of fear... Because she was starting to freak out herself. "What is it?" she pressed softly. "Who is she? Wh-what does this mean?" His lips parted as if to reply to her questions, but no sound came out. He shook his head before pulling her into his chest, holding her tightly in a desperate embrace.
She hesitated before hugging him back, wrapping her arms around his torso as he buried his face in her hair. His silence was causing her nerves to turn into anxiety, making her push away as much as she could despite his tight hold on her. She looked up at him with pleading eyes, placing a hand over his heart as she urged him on. "Tell me." she said.
He covered her hand with his, taking a deep breath before looking across the room. "Hope?" he asked hoarsely.
"Asleep upstairs." Hayley responded, making him nod before turning to Elijah.
"Camille?" he pushed on, surprising the blonde as she wondered why he was worried about his ex's whereabouts right now.
"She didn't take the news well." his brother drawled cautiously. "We gave her a cell with Marcel, it is likely the safest place for her."
His eyes met hers then as he seemed to hesitate shortly. "Caroline..." he said slowly. "We need to put Bonnie out of our minds for now."
"What?" she stammered. "Why?"
He looked away and waved someone over them, gesturing to her bags on the floor. "Take the lady's luggage to my room." he said, making her raise a brow.
"I thought you said I'd be moving into my own." she noted.
"Not anymore." he replied shortly before looking to Freya. "Whichever protection spell is the strongest, use it. And find something for cloaking Caroline."
His sister nodded and left right away, Hayley's eyes moved between him and the blonde vampire with a frown. "I have Hope." she said to the hybrid reassuringly, earning a nod from him before she left too.
"Klaus!" Caroline pushed away from him with a scowl. "What is going on!?"
He glanced down at the space she created between them, something bitter flashing over his face. "I have to take care of some things, and you need to stay here until I return." he explained - or more like; demanded.
"What things!?" she squeaked in fear and anger as she fought to understand what he was thinking. "What happened to coming here to try and contact Bonnie?"
"Bonnie Bennett is no longer of importance." he bit out, the harsh voice causing her to gape in response.
"What the hell does that mean?" she spat back. "Tell me what's happening, Klaus. Or I swear to God, I'm walking out that door and getting help in Dallas instead."
"You're not leaving without my approval, do you understand?" he roared. She stared at him in disbelief, shaking her head as she turned away. Deciding distance would be useful in helping the both of them calm down.
He appeared in front of her before she could get far. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked with a venomous scowl.
"Away from you." she threw back, turning to walk around him but stopping as he held onto her arm. Causing her to sigh before facing him, but she didn't manage to get another word out before he interrupted.
"You are going to stay here until I return. You will not leave without my permission." he requested, his eyes focused deeply into hers and shocking her as she felt the command take root in her body.
"You did not just do that..." she breathed out in disbelief as she felt the strong pull of compulsion tug at her mind. "Break it, Klaus." she gritted. "Break it right now or I swear… I will leave. I will get on a plane and I won't ever return again." she threatened, the words hard and dripping with poison as she fought to push on and stand her ground. "Break the compulsion, or this will be the last you ever see of me."
He pressed his lips together in a firm line, his face set in stone as he turned away from her without another word. Leaving her to gape as she watched his retreating back. "Klaus!" she yelled out, fighting to go after him but the compulsion wouldn't let her. "Don't you dare... You can't do this, Klaus!" she called out. "Fuck… Klaus! Klaus, please!"
Her calls had no effect as the hybrid disappeared through the halls without hesitation. The anger made her whole body shake as she turned in a helpless sigh, feeling caged in all of a sudden and fighting to find a purpose to focus on.
She saw Freya enter the courtyard with a soft smile, informing the vampire that she had heard everything. Gritting her teeth and clenching her fists hard, she took a slow breath and nodded towards the other blonde. Having decided on which problem to deal with first.
"That wasn't real, was it?" she breathed out. "Please, tell me my boyfriend did not just compel me."
The opposite blonde wore an apologetic expression as she remained silent in response, causing Caroline to feel like she was losing her mind. Seeing red as she stormed off, huffing and muttering to herself in anger.
Her words echoed behind her in the empty halls. "Fucking hybrids with their stupid dimples and messed up morals and promises of last loves…"
Two months ago
New Orleans, Louisiana
"Elijah!" his voice boomed through the abattoir as Marcel stormed in with the rage still vibrating in his veins. He felt the Original's presence and turned to him, pressing his lips firmly into a thin line as he fought to keep his temper in check. "Where is she?" he asked, receiving a curious expression in response.
"I do not take kindly to tantrums, Marcel." the Mikaelson snickered in an eerily calm voice. "Use your words."
"Rebekah." he bit out pointedly, earning a chocked reaction as the man stared at him at that. "I know what you did."
"What is going on here?" Freya asked in a hushed tone as she appeared in the courtyard then. "Hayley is trying to put Hope to sleep. Keep your voices down, will you?"
He studied the witch with narrowed eyes, trying to read her as he spoke. "Were you in on it?" he asked.
"In on what!?" she hissed, glancing back at Klaus as he joined her side with furrowed brows.
"You all were, weren't you?" Marcel scoffed coldly, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Thread lightly, Marcellus." the hybrid threatened as he stepped towards him with glowing eyes. "Either explain this outburst of yours or leave – I do not have the patience to deal with a second child tonight."
"Rebekah isn't on some vacation!" he gritted out in response, watching the back-stabbing family members one by one as he continued. "She is lying in a coffin somewhere with that demonic curse still stuck to her arm, and all because of the noblest of the Mikaelson's."
"What are you talking about?" Freya stammered, glancing to the brother in question. "Is he right?"
Elijah closed his eyes in a sigh, guilt displayed over his features as he couldn't seem to meet their faces then. "Yes." he confirmed silently.
"What?" Klaus chuckled in surprise. "Are you telling me that despite all these years of judgement towards my tendencies of storing the lot of you away on a regular basis – you have done the very same yourself to our sister?"
"I had no choice." the older brother replied. "Rebekah forced my hand."
"How could you keep this secret!?" Marcel pressed bitterly. "For years, you told us she was hiding away until she felt ready to return to the Quarter. Meanwhile, she was dead with a dagger in her chest because you didn't know how to properly protect her!"
"Enough." Freya interjected firmly, the words making the vampire flinch. "This does not concern you."
"Excuse me?" he scoffed. "I have as much of a right to know where she is as any of you do!"
"No, you don't." Elijah retorted coldly. "This is a family matter. And try as you might; you, Marcel, are not part of this family."
"The hell I'm not!" he gritted, pressing an index-finger to the man's chest as he scowled. "Rebekah is my family. She is in danger and locked away because of a choice you made – one that affected all of us. So, I think it's time you tell us the truth, Elijah; now, where is she!?"
The Original watched him in silence for a long moment, an inner conflict flashing over his eyes as he spoke up. "I can't tell you." he said flatly, continuing before anyone could press him further. "I had Vincent block it from my memory to keep her hidden. At least for as long as it does not jeopardize her safety."
"That's bullshit!" Marcel yelled out, earning dark glares from the siblings in unison. "Elijah, you have to get Vincent to restore your memory and give us the location-"
"That is not possible." the man interjected with a grim frown. "I compelled him to forget about helping me."
"You compel-" the youngest vampire echoed in disbelief, shaking his head as he let out a bitter chuckle. "Great, just great."
"Does this mean she was never cured of the mark?" Klaus chimed in, earning a thoughtful nod from their sister in response. "Freya?"
"I will resume searching for a way to remove her curse." the witch replied before stepping out as she seemed ready to start right away.
"We still need a location." Marcel bit out, not about to drop his anger until he received the answer he wanted. "The curse is the least of our problems if someone finds her before any of us do."
"That won't happen." the hybrid said in a sigh, watching him with an exasperated expression as he stepped closer. "You need to leave now, Marcel. Before Hayley decides to take her frustrations of Hope's most recent change in her sleep schedule on you."
He watched his sire in chock, unsure if he heard him right as he couldn't believe why Klaus would be shutting him out. But the determined look in the brothers' eyes told him that the conversation was officially over. The realization creeping in beneath his skin and slowly making him long to get away from the manipulative and narcissistic family as soon as possible.
"Yeah, sure." Marcel muttered to himself as he backed away from them in reluctant steps. "I forgot; the Mikaelson's don't give a shit about anyone but themselves. Not even when one of their own is the one in trouble."
There was a sigh and eye-roll but the vampire refused to entertain them any longer and instead headed out the door. Taking his phone out and dialing the last number as he left the building behind. "Marcel?" the voice replied to the call quickly.
"You were right, D." he gritted bitterly.
"I'm sorry, Marcel." she murmured sadly. "I didn't want to be right..."
"I know." he sighed, gritting his teeth as he thought it over shortly. "However, the Mikaelson's aren't the only ones able to take care of themselves."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…" he drawled, a malicious smirk spreading on his face as he shared his idea to her then. "We need to get a move on if we want to be the first ones to find that Candle."
"Have you made your decision yet?" Davina asked as she stood before Aya again later that night, the time having run out on her offer to keep the vampire protected in exchange for her help.
"Yes." she replied, nodding to the witch determinedly. "Hide me from the Mikaelson's and I will return to New Orleans."
"What about the Candle?" she pressed as Aya folded her arms and scanned her closely.
"I'm not in possession of it, but I know where to find it."
Davina raised a brow at that, studying her skeptically as she tried to read the vampire. "The Strix?" she guessed.
"Yes." the woman replied, confirming her suspicions. "I'm not sure who currently has it, since I tasked several individuals to hide it for me. When I realized you were searching for it, I thought it best not to be made aware of its location."
"How am I supposed to lure them out?" the witch pressed, earning a shrug from Aya in result.
"You're an intelligent young girl, Ms. Claire." she smirked. "I'm certain you can come up with that all on your own."
Davina scoffed at that. "What exactly are you going to do in that case?"
"I will get you everything you need for your spell." she quipped. "Breaking the warding is no easy task and blood magic is highly delicate and unstable… But it doesn't have to be, not as long as you have the proper ingredients."
"Such as?"
"Blood." she smirked. "From the descendant of the witch who cursed the object."
"There were two witches who spelled that Candle." Davina pointed out, earning a wide smile from the vampire.
"See? You're far brighter than you give yourself credit for, dear."
The witch shook her head in disbelief, scoffing as she felt a headache coming from the woman's duplicity. "Get me the blood of both descendants and whatever spell I need to find the person hiding the Candle." she requested. "And I will protect you while in New Orleans, as well as promise not to tell the Mikaelson's of your return. At least not until Kol is resurrected."
She wasn't sure if she was imagining it anymore as the headache became more forceful, splitting through her like lightning. "We have an agreement." Aya said, reaching out her hand to seal the deal.
But Davina couldn't focus enough to reach forward in turn, instead she watched as the vision blurred before her. Shapes becoming shadows and colors disappearing as she was swiftly pulled back into her physical body. Her eyes thrown open and directed at the lit-up crystal on the floor where she was sitting. A voice quickly sounding as her mind was slowly easing from the painful strain the spell had given her.
"What happened, darling?" Kol asked, making her sigh out in fatigue.
"She's in." she replied with a triumphant smile, sensing he was returning it from the Other Side in response. "We can finally get started on bringing you back."
"Well?"
Aya turned to the blonde vampire with a raised brow in response to his question, bringing him to speak again. "What happened?"
"The spell broke prematurely." she shrugged.
"Do you believe she'll go through with it?"
"Yes, I reckon she will." she replied with a smirk.
"Does that mean the plan can finally begin?" he pressed on, bringing her to shrug lightly.
"It does." she confirmed cheekily. "Soon we will have everything we need to break the sire-lines once and for all." She returned his dark grin as she cupped his cheek gently. "Time has come for you to leave me now, my dearest Julian."
He placed a hand above hers with an affectionate look in his blue eyes. "And the witch?" he asked as she pulled away.
"I suggest we let her be for a little longer." Aya told him as she reached for the glass on a nearby table, sipping her drink as she turned to him again. "Have her roam through Europe on her search for salvation. Allow her to hope for the answers she seeks." she decided, a triumphant smile forming her face as she continued.
"When we are finished in New Orleans, Ms. Bennett won't matter anymore." she pointed out, earning a pleased smirk from Julian in return as she spoke again. "None of them will."
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
Another body fell to the floor with a loud thud, covering the three lifeless ones akin to it as Aurora licked her lips in content. Turning to the man opposite her in the room as he wore a smirk on his face.
"Had your fill yet, love?" he asked, making her sigh as she joined him in the main living area of their safe house.
"I am still weak." she croaked as he handed her a glass of a dark liquid.
Noting her hesitant frown directed at the glass, he snickered shortly in reply. "It's bourbon." he explained before she decided to accept it. "The weakness is to be expected in your state, I'm sure you will begin to feel stronger soon."
"Lucien..." she murmured as she took a large sip, feeling the liquor burn a path down her throat. "Why have you yet to free my brother?"
He studied her for a moment before scoffing into his glass. "I expected you to be grateful to find that I had freed you first."
"Why would I be grateful to learn that Tristan continues to be tortured, constantly drowning and resurrecting, with no end in sight?"
"Because I fear he would stand in the way of our plan."
"Our." she echoed the word, venom dripping around the letters. "Were it not for me, you would still be tailing around the Mikaelson's and grasping at straws." she shook her head as she glared at him deeply. "I gave you this plan. I gave you purpose, direction. Do not delude yourself into thinking that this, in any way, is the result of your doing."
"I hoped for a little more cooperation." he snickered, his eyes flashing with danger. "Considering I could have left you to your prison to rot for an eternity and simply gone about the plan on my own."
"Then send me back!" she called out, having quickly risen to her feet and gripped his throat with a tight hand. The frown on his face and flash of hurt within his eyes gave her all the response she needed. "That's what I thought." she sneered as she threw the glass away and stood by the window. Watching the bustling street outside, the flow of people passing through in complete ignorance to what creatures lurked in the night.
"Your witch is late." Lucien pointed out then, the taunting voice not sitting well with her as she glared at him darkly.
"Lynette has done more for me than you, love. I'd suggest you keep such comments to yourself and remain patient." she retorted firmly, crossing the room as she peeked into the extended area where the ritual stood ready. Her eyes falling to the table in the middle as a body lied covered in white sheets. "Are you certain they do not suspect us?" she asked, fear sneaking into her words despite her best efforts.
"They are clueless." he replied reassuringly. "I ensured that no one else knew of the second dagger other than us and Davina Claire."
"And you don't suppose she will simply run to them and share this knowledge?"
"No, not after the ball." Lucien smirked in pride. "She will not dare return to them before Kol is resurrected and by her side as her personal protector."
Aurora nodded at that, pacing back and forth with her arms folded as she concentrated on the plan. Taking one step at the time to ensure they wouldn't be discovered too soon. "Will he return as one of them?" she asked, realizing the possibility of their loose cannon becoming damning to their goal.
"I'm afraid that is impossible for us to know before-hand." he replied. "It us up to the forces of the universe to decide which form he will take, be it witch or vampire."
"If he does not wake an Original-" she began through her teeth but was cut off as the door opened then. Lynette's hair quickly coming into view as she entered the room with rushed steps. "Did you speak with them?" she asked the witch as she placed some books on a chair.
"Yes, he said they have everything prepared for our arrival." Lynette confirmed with a hesitant smile. "It is time."
"Excellent." Lucien grinned, nodding for her in a pointed gesture. "Let us begin."
The blonde witch nodded nervously before looking to Aurora then, a question in her eyes as she awaited confirmation. "Can I trust you?" she asked the vampire carefully.
"You can." the redhead replied determinedly. "You have been of great help, darling. I will happily fulfill my promise to you in the end."
Lynette nodded again and took a deep breath before urging them to follow her to the other room. Her hand waved in the air, resulting in all candles surrounding them to light up. She leaned in and pulled the sheets back, revealing the gray body of Aya Al-Rashid atop the table.
Aurora and Lucien stood by and followed the witch's movements as she navigated around the room. Grabbing the cursed box and taking out the spelled heart inside of it, she stepped into the pentagram of herbs and roots with a low chanting rolling off her lips.
She raised the heart above Aya's open chest, the deep wound evident of where it had been ripped from. Lowering it gently, her chants brought a wind to spread through the room as her magic hummed in the air. As she placed the heart into the ribcage which it belonged, she covered the wound with her hands and closed her eyes. Tilting her head back as her chants changed, a harsh chill running through the spectators as the ritual accelerated.
"Vite esmatos servabo te..." Lynette hummed, a bright light spreading through Aya then. The sight blinding as the vampires struggled to watch the magic manifest in the body. "Vite esmatos servabo te..." her repeated chant guided the light towards the open wound, focusing the magic to heal Aya's chest along with her heart.
As she stepped back from the body then, the light simmered out and displaying no trace of the previous injuries. She grabbed the dagger they had acquired from Davina Claire and held it above her head. Her chants beginning again as the weapon began to flicker with sparks, the powers the candle had absorbed breaking free to the witch.
"Vite esmatos servabo te..." she whispered. "Vite esmatos servabo te... Vite esmatos servabo te!" With the last chant, she plunged the dagger into Aya's healed chest.
"Now." Lynette called out, prompting Aurora to quickly grip her neck. The blonde whispering a small 'thank you' before the vampire's hands twisted, causing Lynette to fall to the floor as she became yet another lifeless body in a house full of them.
A loud wail filled the room as Aya threw her eyes open and awakened. "Agh!" she screamed, staring out in front of her in chock. With an abrupt stop, she turned a dark glare to Lucien as she panted heavily. "You." she gritted out.
He raised his palms in defense. "Hey! I brought you back, didn't I?"
"You were never supposed to kill me in the first place!" she yelled back before her eyes met the red head's then. "Aurora." she breathed out, a wild expression on her face as she watched the vampire closely. "It worked. You are free."
"So it appears." she replied, a smirk on her lips as she offered her hand to the dark-skinned woman and helped her up.
"Tell me, how far into the plan have you gotten?" Aya pressed.
"The Dawning worked. But the witch survived." Lucien explained, earning a nod from her in response.
"I know, I felt her in the veil. She is in contact with Kol." she concluded, shrugging shrugged off the thistles and twigs on her body as her eyes fell on the weapon still within her chest. "I can't believe it…" she whispered quietly, pulling the dagger out with a wince before scanning it intently. "It is just like in the legend."
"And just as powerful." Aurora nodded.
Something flashed on Aya's features then as she placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Is it done? Did you take her life?" she asked, the question causing the vampire to frown in response.
"I'm afraid Camille is still very much alive." Lucien replied with a bitter scoff.
"Yes, I believe it is time for you to tell me everything you know about this Caroline Forbes now…" the red head purred then, running a finger over the herbs on the table thoughtfully as she spoke again. "And more prominently; what pain we shall inflict on her."
