Okay, guys, here is the latest chapter! I had planned to write way more for this one, but it kind of got away from me... I blame Elijah and Klaus. They're just too much fun. ;)
Chapter Four: Klaus
Kiara woke to the news reporting an attack on a Booster Club dinner that left three people dead. They apparently believed the deaths of some campers and a woman were connected to this random attack. She rolled her eyes at the notion. The founding families had over one hundred years to brainstorm stories to cover the deaths caused by supernatural creatures and the best they could come up with were animal attacks.
Last night, she stayed up talking with Holly about the incident with Elijah. It wasn't the first time Holly caught her on the porch with a man, but she had been feeding the times before. Holly accepted that as a necessity. What scared her was that Kiara kissed Elijah simply because she wanted to. Even Kiara couldn't remember the last time she had done that. What made it even worse was the fact that Elijah was a vampire.
One of the original vampires as it turned out.
Hoping to clear her mind, Kiara decided to go out on a walk. She threw on some loose army green pants, a black tank top, and sneakers. Before leaving her room, she slipped on her favorite orange beanie and grabbed her jacket and headphones. She needed to just listen to music and wander around for a while.
The mayor was having a memorial to try to help the community heal after the collection of deaths the town managed to rack up recently. So of course, Kiara steered clear of it.
Suddenly, a man stepped out in front of her, blocking her path. She didn't recognize him. When she attempted to walk around him, he moved in front of her again. Confused, Kiara stopped and pulled off her headphones.
"Do I know you?" she asked, already annoyed with the man.
"No, but I know you," The man said. "You're Kiara James."
Kiara's heart raced, but she only blinked at him. "Congratulations. You've officially creeped me out."
The man showed her a cocky smile. "My name is Johnathan Gilbert. I'm Elena's father."
Of course, this had to do with her.
"You saying you're a zombie?" she raised an eyebrow at him. "Because I met Elena's father before the accident and he looked nothing like you."
"You met Greyson, my brother."
"That would make you Elena's uncle."
"It's a little complicated. You see, my brother raised her, but I'm Elena's biological father."
"Good for you," said Kiara. "I'll be sure to let her know that her biological father's a class A creep if she doesn't know that already." She went to walk around him and he grabbed her arm. She paused. "Why do men always think they can touch me?"
"I just want to talk," he said.
She turned her head to look at him. "What makes you think I give a shit about what you want?" she asked. He just stared at her. Being this close and touching her must have started to affect him already. "Let go of me. Now." He instantly let her go and she stepped closer to him so no one would hear what she said next. "Touch me again and I'll break your hand."
Before she could make her escape, John said, "I know what you are."
Now that was definitely a threat. The only thing she could think was that the man must have a death wish. If he really knew what she was then he knew she could easily kill him. If she wanted.
She turned around with an offended look on her face and said, "Excuse me?"
Before the man could respond, Jonas Martin came to her rescue. "Is everything okay here?" he asked.
"Actually, no, this man just grabbed me," Kiara said, glaring at Johnathan. "I told him to leave me alone, but he won't."
"I'm sorry, I only wanted to talk," Johnathan said, before walking off.
When the man was gone, Jonas looked at her and asked, "You alright?"
"Yeah," she tried to smile through the embarrassment. "The guy just got a little handsy with me. What else is new, right?"
"It was more than that, I could sense your distress, Kiara."
"You could?"
He nodded. "You're an open book on a normal day, but this was like a beacon. I knew you were scared from across the square."
"Oh."
"Did he threaten you?"
"Everything that man said sounded like a threat," she told him. "He said he was Elena's father and that he knows who I am, what I am."
Jonas looked at the people around them as if trying to determine if she was in danger. His caution only made her more nervous. "I think, maybe, you should come back with me to my apartment. Elijah should be there any minute now. He'll want to know about this."
Kiara's heart fluttered at the mention of the vampire's name. She wasn't sure if she was mentally prepared enough to see him again. Especially since she really didn't understand how she felt about him at the moment or how he felt about her. She worried that she was taking advantage of him. That her succubus charms were twisting his emotions into affection and lust whenever they were together. But she knew Jonas was right so she agreed.
When they arrived back at the Martin's apartment, Elijah was already there waiting with Luka. He was sitting in a chair, perfectly posed like a supermodel, reading a book. However, when she entered the room, his eyes immediately went to her.
"Miss—" he cleared his throat, putting his book down. "Kiara, what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, was I supposed to wait for your call?" she asked, taking off her beanie and jacket. She put them down on the back of the couch.
"I went out to grab some supplies and sensed Kiara was in distress. When I found her, Johnathan Gilbert was threatening her in the square. I thought it was best to bring her here."
Elijah rose from his chair looking stoic, but she could tell he was boiling inside.
"For the record, he didn't threaten me, exactly," she said as he walked towards her.
"What did he say? Exactly?" he asked.
"Well," she swallowed uneasily under his gaze. "He knew my name and he introduced himself as Elena's father, which I told him made no sense since I met her father before and the guy's dead. I told him he was creepy, because he was, and to leave me alone, but he grabbed me. So I made him let me go and then I, I kinda threatened him."
Elijah pursed his lips at her and she avoided his eyes.
"What? I don't like when people grab me. It's rude," she folded her arms defensively in front of her. "Anyway, I went to walk away, be the bigger person, you know? And he said that he knows what I am. Then Jonas showed up and the guy fucked off."
"Language, Miss. James," he said with a disapproving face.
Her eyes flickered up to his face to find him smirking at her.
"Sorry, Elijah," she blushed. "I guess the guy just upset me, that's all. I feel like he wanted something from me. More than what guys usually want."
He hummed thoughtfully. "May I?" he asked, reaching for her hands. She nodded and he looked her over. "Where did he grab you? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, really," she smiled as he turned her arms over to examine them. "I don't bruise easily."
He raised an eyebrow at her and tried not to smile.
"Yes, well, regardless I think it's best you stay away from the man," he said. His fingers lingering a little longer than necessary before letting her go.
"Already planned on it," she told him. "Everyone Team Elena is like the plague to me."
Luka snorted. "Except Tyler Lockwood, right?"
Kiara rolled her eyes at him. She'd almost forgotten he was there. "Are you seriously butt hurt about that? You were being a jerk. Tyler saw so he checked on me. That's all."
"Did you know he's a werewolf?"
"Tyler's a… werewolf?" Kiara sighed. "Of course he is. Why wouldn't he be? Whatever, it doesn't matter. It's not like he's my friend or anything. I avoid everyone. You've seen me."
Luka didn't need to think about how she behaved at school long before he looked almost sorry for her. "Yeah. I've seen you."
The sympathetic look he was giving her only made her uncomfortable. She would rather argue with him. Anything but have him thinking she was someone to feel bad for. It wasn't necessarily that she cared what he thought about her specifically. It was just, in her experience, pity can be contagious. The last thing she needed was for these men to feel like they needed to try to pity her. Especially the handsome original vampire she kissed twice now.
"So…" she stepped further into the apartment to where Jonas was placing things on the dining table. "How's the spell coming along?"
"Good. I think we're almost ready," he told her. "All we'll need is a little bit of yours and Elijah's blood."
"Okay. So how's it work anyway?"
Jonas looked past her at Elijah and then back at her. "Well, most of these ingredients… the candles, the incense, they're all to support the spell. Your blood is the key. Elijah's blood will link you to Klaus and your blood will handle the rest."
"We're basically just taking your ability to dream walk and directing you where to go," Luka summarized for her.
"Right," Jonas placed both of his hands on the table. "But here's the thing, we can only get you there. The rest will be up to you."
Elijah walked up behind her. "Are you saying you won't be able to get her out?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Jonas said.
"Kiara." Elijah's hand brushed up against hers and she turned around to face him. "If you don't want to do this, I will understand."
But Kiara just shook her head. "It's okay, Elijah. I got this."
She could sense the Martin witches looking at her, looking at them. Elijah's eyes studied her as they always do. Like he was searching for something. He was so thoughtful, so calculating. She wondered what he saw when he looked at her and if he'd ever get sick of seeing it. She hoped not.
Kiara offered her hand to Jonas. "You want to take the blood now, or?"
Again Jonas looked at Elijah for approval. "We have everything ready to go. Do you want to just get started now?"
Elijah pondered the question. He hadn't considered that he might be putting Kiara in danger until that moment. Entering dreams seemed to come naturally to her, or rather he assumed it did when he saw her in his dream the first time. She didn't seem concerned about getting out of Klaus's head on her own. So why did he feel a pang of anxiety now, when they were just about to get the truth from his brother? For once.
"Yes, we shall start immediately," he said. "Where would you like us?"
The Martin witches drew a casting circle in salt on the apartment floor and placed five candles around it. Luka lit incense that smelled like lavender. He insisted it would help Kiara fall unconscious easier, but Kiara just kept complaining about how bad it smelled. Apparently, she hated the scent of lavender and would have rather they chose anything else. The two of them argued about the complexity of witchcraft and whether or not they could have picked a substitute like jasmine or roses instead as Jonas finished setting up.
"Alright, that's enough you two," Elijah rubbed his head in irritation.
"Yeah," Luka huffed. "Why don't you just leave the witchcraft to the witches, okay?"
"I'm just saying if I get a headache it could mess up the spell and ruin everything," Kiara leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. "And since you clearly can't do this without me, you should be a little more concerned about my comfort."
Luka shook his head and muttered to himself, but didn't respond. He wanted to. But Elijah gave him a look that sent a chill down his spine so he turned to help his father instead.
Meanwhile, Elijah walked up to Kiara. She stared out the window, cracking her knuckles. It was clear to him that she was nervous.
"It isn't too late to back out, you know," he pointed out to her.
"Careful, Elijah, or I'll think you're worried about me."
He stepped closer to her. "I think I just might be, Miss. James."
Kiara bit her lip. There it was again.
"You know, you put up a good front with your fancy suits and eloquent way of talking," Kiara brought her hand up to touch his cheek and run her thumb over his lips. "But you're just as bad as all the other vampires in this town, aren't you? Mr. Mikaelson."
"Oh, sweetheart." He nipped her thumb lightly with flat teeth making her jump and pull her hand back. "I'm worse."
Elijah watched as color flooded to her cheeks, delighted by the reaction. Out of all the expressions he's observed on her face so far, and she was quite expressive, that was his favorite.
"Elijah. Kiara," Jonas said, bringing them back to reality. "We're ready for you."
The two of them walked back to where the witches stood and Kiara stepped into the casting circle.
"Elijah," Jonas turned to the vampire. "She needs to drink your blood."
Kiara gulped and rubbed her neck. "Are you sure? Can't you just smear it on my forehead or something?"
Luka scoffed and she glared at him. "You're not seriously squeamish, are you?" he asked her.
"No. I just don't know how vampire blood affects a succubus, do you?"
The young witch looked at his father who shrugged.
"We have no reason to believe it will do you any harm, Kiara," Elijah said, bringing his wrist up to his mouth. He locked eyes with her as he bit down on it before offering it to her. "Now, drink."
Kiara took in his calm face and grabbed his arm with both hands.
Elijah tried to prepare himself for the feeling of her lips on his skin, but as she ran her tongue over the wound and gently sucked the blood from his veins, he couldn't help but think it might as well have been elsewhere. He tensed at the sensation and bit his tongue to keep from allowing any sound to escape his mouth. It would have been far too embarrassing to do so with their present company.
Mercifully, it lasted only a few seconds. She pulled away and licked her lips. And he stumbled back slightly, trying to catch his breath. No one looked at him.
"What now?" she asked.
"Now, we need some of your blood," Jonas said. He grabbed a knife and a bowl.
Kiara sighed and tried not to complain as he sliced a long cut down her forearm. Her blood poured into the bowl for a few seconds until her wound healed itself. Both of the Martin witches dipped their fingers into the liquid.
"Lay down and close your eyes, please," Jonas said and she did as she was told. "This might hurt a little," he warned her. "First, we're going to channel your ability to force Klaus to sleep and then we're going to send you into his subconscious, do you understand?"
Although she wasn't sure if she really did, Kiara nodded anyway.
When the Martin's began to chant, Kiara could feel a tug somewhere inside her. Then it grew until it became a burning in her mind. She flinched. Her whole body tightened. Then she lost consciousness.
Being psychically shoved into a stranger's mind felt like waking up with a hangover. Or at least it did to Kiara. The first thing she saw was a clear grey sky framed by trees above her. She groaned and sat up trying to figure out where the hell she was and how she got there. Her light-sensitive eyes scanned the area. She was in the middle of the woods. Confused, she stood and started walking.
It was eerily quiet. There was no sound from other people or passing cars. Somehow she knew she needed to find someone. She just couldn't remember who or why.
Suddenly, she heard a voice. He was screaming so loudly, his voice echoed through the trees. It scared her. She considered continuing on in the same direction, away from the angry shouting, but she hadn't heard anyone else in so long she felt like she needed to investigate. She moved slowly. Hoping she would see them before they saw her. The voices grew louder until two figures came into view. A tall man was standing over another one. His back was to her, but she didn't recognize the one trembling on the ground.
"You are nothing but a burden, boy!" The man yelled.
Tears were building in the younger man's eyes, but he refused to let them fall.
Before Kiara could even process the scene, the man pulled his hand back, sword in hand. Terrified for the stranger's safety, she did the only thing she could. She screamed.
"Stop!" Her legs moved her out from behind the safety of the bushes. She grabbed hold of the man's arm and said, "Drop it now!"
And he did.
Both men stared at her with wide eyes. Clearly surprised. But the older man recovered fast. He smacked her with the back of his free hand and she gasped, stumbling backward with her hand on her mouth. She could taste blood. Before her eyesight could clear, the man grabbed her by the throat and slammed her back into a tree trunk.
"And who's this little witch?" The man asked, squeezing her throat until she gasped for air. "Is she yours, boy?"
The younger man snapped out of his stupor and said, "No. I've never seen her before."
"Liar!" The man yelled and he flinched. "What reason would this woman have to defend you if you were not lying with her!"
Thoroughly pissed, Kiara lifted her leg to knee the man hard between the legs and when he released her, she grabbed his face with both hands and said, "Sleep."
The man dropped to the floor unconscious and Kiara let her head fall back to touch the tree behind her. She closed her eyes trying to catch her breath. When she heard movement, her eyes snapped open and found the other man was on his feet.
He was quite handsome now that she was able to get a good look at him. He had light hair that reached his shoulders and dreamy blue eyes that fluttered down her body. She looked down at herself to find she was wearing the same clothes she remembered having on last. Green pants, black tank top, and sneakers. But when she looked at his clothes, she realized he seemed to be dressed for a renaissance fair or something.
Without a second thought, Kiara turned and ran. She didn't understand where she was. Her mind ached as she tried to remember why she was there. But nothing was making any sense. How could she have gotten so lost?
"Wait!" The man called, following her. "Please, wait!"
The panic in his voice made her stop. When he got close enough to her, he froze and she turned around to face him again.
He opened his mouth and struggled to form words. Finally, he said, "I, I'm sorry, it's just you are by far the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I can scarcely believe you are even real. Are you, were you sent from the gods? Or am I just dreaming?"
Kiara's face broke into a wide smile and the tips of his ears turned red. She shook her head and said, "I don't think I was sent by any gods…"
"Then I hope I never wake," he said.
She stepped towards him until they were an arm's length apart. "And if this is real? What will you do?"
"I would beg for the honor of knowing your name," he said.
Kiara couldn't help herself. She found him positively adorable. She bit her lip and cupped his cheek. His eyes widened at her touch. "Is that all you want from me?" she looked up at him through her eyelashes. "My name?"
He swallowed, unable to answer.
"My name is Kiara," she answered without having to think about it. "What's yours?"
"Niklaus."
The name opened the gates in her mind and her memories flooded back in. She was in Niklaus Mikaelson's head to ask him a question. But they must have been in a memory of his from when he was human. Would this version of Klaus know the answer to the question she came to ask?
Unable to know how long she would be in his mind or how much time she wasted wandering around in it, she backed him against a tree and kissed him. He instantly kissed her back. And she felt like she was floating. Her mind went fuzzy as he slipped his fingers under her shirt to touch her stomach. It was hard for her to pull away from him. He leaned forward, attempting to follow her, not ready to be parted from her just yet. She pressed her hands on either side of his face and he wrapped his hands around her wrists, just waiting for what she would do next.
"Niklaus," she pressed her forehead against his. Her lips grazed his as she spoke, "Where are your siblings right now?"
"Where they always are," he answered dreamily. "safe, with me."
"I don't understand… what do you mean they're with you?"
"I keep them with me. Always close by. Always and forever."
She looked into his eyes. "You mean you didn't bury them at sea?"
In a blink, his hand was around her throat and she was pressed against a tree.
"Now why would you think that, love?" he asked as if he were suddenly a different person. Like he had woken up. The look in his eyes scared her. They weren't sweet anymore. They were a stormy ocean ready to drag her under the surface. "Who sent you, hm? Was it my brother? Do you have any idea who you've just made an enemy of?"
Her heart thumped wildly as she clawed at his hand. She couldn't speak. She couldn't even breathe.
"I don't know who you are, sweetheart, but I will find you," he said. "I will find you and I will make you suffer."
Panicked, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to will herself to wake, to leave his mind. She screamed out mentally.
Wake up.
Wake up!
"Wake up!" she gasped and sat up. Her hands flying to her throat. She opened her eyes and tried to catch her breath.
Elijah stopped mid-pace behind the couch and was at her side in a second with his vampire speed. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her back to his chest. He felt her grab his arm to anchor herself and then relax against him. He buried his nose in her hair taking in her scent to calm himself before saying, "You're alright. You're safe."
She nodded and said, "So are they."
Only reviewer: I feel the same way. I'm sure Klaus and Elijah's influence on her will change her.
darklou: Thank you. Me too. :)
DaphneSlytherinWinchester: Thank you so much! Your review made my day! I hope I don't let you down.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading!
