Chapter 11: A Heart of Stone
Author's note: I know, I know — I'm supposed to be working on the second chapter of Cursed Obsession…but this idea came out of nowhere and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it down… This AU is set in Ireland in the late 1800s. Klaus has yet to break his hybrid curse and is being pursued by Mikael. Klaus seeks sanctuary in an unlikely place where he stumbles upon a mystery and potentially meets someone whose cursed existence rivals his own.
"I am so intensely conscious of my misfortune and my misery is so overwhelming that I am powerless to resist it and am being turned into stone, devoid of all knowledge or feeling."
― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote
How did he find me so quickly, Klaus frantically thought as he raced through the dark woods as silently as possible. The thick branches snagged on his clothes, tearing at the fabric and scratching at his skin, but he pushed his tired body on, knowing that if he stopped, he was as good as dead. Heart pounding furiously, he loathed the taste of his own fear. He had always been afraid. He had caught wind that Mikael and his followers had landed in Ireland weeks ago, but Dublin was far enough away that he had stayed hidden in Galway with Elijah and Rebekah, believing that Mikael would scour the east coast of the island and then move on, perhaps believing his children had fled to England once more.
He never dreamed that the vicious hunter would cut a bloody swath through the middle of the country, marching through to the west coast where the siblings had foolishly believed they had found a safe haven. He had already sent Elijah and Rebekah ahead on their swiftest horses, promising to meet them at the harbor in Galway at dawn. They planned to compel passage to America and hopefully escape Mikael.
The violent thunderstorm had fortunately washed out the main road, which meant that Mikael's carriage was likely mired down in the muck or perhaps even washed away. Of course, he likely would just continue his chase on foot, but Klaus believed he had a considerable head start to find a place to hide out for a few hours. He halted as he came to a clearing in the woods, the clouds and heavy downpour obliterating any moonlight, but he was able to discern the outline of a rundown cathedral in a small cemetery.
He hesitated momentarily — while he had carefully honed his reputation for centuries as a bloodthirsty, cruel vampire, there were some lines that even he was hesitant to cross. If he sought sanctuary in the cathedral, its inhabitants may come to harm if Mikael believed they had thwarted his pursuit. Sighing, he realized that he was too exhausted to continue searching the countryside for another option. He carefully stepped out into the open, his long cloak flapping in the wind and smacking wetly against his soaked breeches. As he silently walked through the cemetery, he noticed it was filled with weathered markers, clearly victims of the potato famine decades ago that had decimated the population.
Soon he found himself standing under the carved stone archway of the cathedral. The artist within him couldn't help but admire the intricate Celtic designs that had been lovingly etched into the sandstone. He heard a curious scraping noise overhead, almost as though mossy stones were grating against one another. On high alert, he quickly stepped out from underneath the archway and studied the top of the tower.
Lightening flashed, giving him a momentary view of a large creature perched near the center, its hideous features twisted and demonic. He was instantly alarmed and felt the dark veins and sharp fangs emerge as his body perceived a threat. When the lightening flashed a second time, he registered that the terrifying monster was actually a statue. Bloody idiot. He shook his head, stepping back underneath the archway to push his dripping curls out of his face.
Just as he was getting ready to knock, the heavy oak door creaked open. A middle-aged man with a kind face greeted him, ushering him in despite the lateness of the hour. "Goodness, look at the state o' ye," he exclaimed in a concerned voice. He gestured to a worn bench and bid Klaus to sit down. He hurried down a small hallway and returned with a coarse woolen blanket that he handed to the drenched stranger.
Klaus kept steady eye contact with the man as he carefully mopped his soaked clothes. He didn't trust the man's intentions, and he was suspicious that a human would be so welcoming to a stranger in the middle of the night. For all he knew, the man could have been compelled by Mikael and the vindictive Original could be waiting to ambush him.
As though sensing Klaus' dark thoughts, the man gave him a warm smile and reached out his hand to shake. "Name's Matthew Donovan." A sad note entered his voice as he added, "Or Matty as my sister used to call me."
While Klaus believed the man was being genuine as he shook his hand heartily, he maintained an edge to his voice as he said, "I'll keep my name if it's all the same to you, Matthew."
Matthew nodded wisely and said, "Not surprising, lad. Ye have the look o' a man who's always in the field when luck is on the road."
Chuckling, Klaus said, "I hope I didn't wake you…father," he ventured tentatively as he noticed the dark colors of the man's clothes and assumed he was a member of the clergy.
Shaking his head Matthew explained, "I'm just the caretaker. I can go wake the priest if ye in need o' confession," his helpful tone half-asked as he took in the mild anxiety that Klaus was projecting despite his attempts to remain calm.
"Nothing I could say will ever truly absolve me, I'm afraid," Klaus said almost wistfully, a small smile upon his face.
The man clapped Klaus on the back companionably and said, "Then ye in need o' rest. Follow me." He led Klaus down the same hallway he had disappeared earlier, and opened another door to a small room with meager furnishings. Pointing to the narrow bed in one corner he said, "It's not much, but maybe yer troubles will seem less so on the morrow."
Klaus stepped into the room, immediately taken by a worn bit of parchment that was crudely framed on one wall. A young woman of extraordinary beauty stared at him from the charcoal sketch, leaving the vampire breathless. A curtain of long, curly hair framed her angelic face, and her eyes shone with a fiery determination that captivated him. "Who is that remarkable creature," he asked in a tone filled with reverence.
Matthew's green eyes filled with sadness as he said, "Caroline, my sister." He stretched out a hand and with trembling fingers, he touched the dusty wooden frame.
"What happened to her," Klaus asked, needing to know the meaning behind the kind man's obvious sorrow.
His eyes darkened with anger as he spat, "Alaric, a shipping merchant, came to our village in search of a wife. He spied Caroline at market and was enraptured by her beauty. But Caroline was fiercely independent and refused his crude advances when she realized he saw her as nothing more than a pretty trinket to collect." He shook his head sadly. "He became enraged by her rejection and sought out a Cailleach, a Celtic witch, to curse Caroline. He swore that she had a heart o' stone that the rest o' the world would see." He shook his head, adding woefully, "My sister was taken from me by an evil man."
Struck by the man's heartbreak, Klaus asked quietly, "There is nothing to be done then?"
"She is lost to me," Matthew sighed heavily, turning his back to leave Klaus with his swirling emotions.
Klaus gazed at Caroline's lovely visage, unable to tear his eyes away from her enigmatic smile. She was a creature so full of light and life that it was unthinkable that a petty, insignificant mortal man had taken her from this world. He vowed to find out more about this Alaric and seek revenge on behalf of the beautiful girl and her kind brother that had selflessly offered him sanctuary.
A furious pounding echoed throughout the cathedral, jarring Klaus from his musings and reminding him of his purpose here. Mikael had found him. Terrified, Klaus flashed from the room, finding Matthew had barricaded the heavy oak door with an iron bar. The human turned to him with a raised brow and commented sardonically, "I take it yer trouble has found us?"
Klaus was taken aback by the mortal man's oddly calm demeanor. He had spent centuries as a powerful, immortal creature and even he was fearful of the dark presence outside. How was it possible that this human seemed unconcerned for his safety?
Matthew noted Klaus' confusion and gave his shoulder a comforting pat. "Have no fear, lad. We are safe here. Evil cannot cross the threshold," he swore.
Klaus shook his head, pitying the man for his misplaced faith. How could he begin to describe the evils he had committed over the centuries? Surely if such a barrier existed that prevented the wretched devils of this world from entering the cathedral, he himself would have been denied entry. He straightened his spine, refusing to cower inside the cathedral. Mikael would breach the door at any moment. Snarling through his fangs, and ignoring Matthew's startled cry, he tossed away the iron bar and threw open the door, ready to face the man he once thought was his father. But who was always my enemy, he thought.
"Finally ready to face me, boy," Mikael taunted him. Two burly vampires stood off to the side, part of the retinue of loyal followers that Mikael traveled with. They smugly faced down Klaus, clearly believing their leader would best him in battle.
Heart pounding, Klaus clenched his fists as he replied, "All these centuries you've chased me, seeking vengeance against the man who killed your wife. Tell me, Mikael, will my death change the fact that she was unfaithful? Will erasing me erase her lying heart?" His lips curled into a knowing smirk as he cruelly continued, "Or are you truly angry because I killed her before you had the chance?"
Mikael's angry bellow echoed through the cemetery outside the cathedral as he lunged for Klaus. The two men grappled angrily while Mikael's men rushed forward, eager to help their leader. Klaus managed to knock Mikael to his knees with one well-placed punch, but then the other two vampires were upon him, surprising him with their strength. Clearly Mikael had witches on his side. Klaus struggled, growling at Mikael's look of triumph. "Afraid to take me on by yourself, coward?"
Enraged, Mikael reached into his cloak and pulled out an intricately carved stake. Realizing it was made of white oak, Klaus struggled harder against the men, managing to knock one off of him. Before Mikael could use his weapon, a high-pitched screech startled the group. Mikael's men let out terrified screams as they looked up at the night sky. They immediately flashed away, abandoning their leader to his fate.
Confused, Klaus searched for the cause of the vampires' terror, only to be knocked to the side by Matthew, who had foolishly run to his aid. "Why didn't ye listen to me, lad? I told ye we were safe inside," he huffed, out of breath from running.
A pitiful wail tore the air, and it took Klaus a moment to realize that the pathetic noise came from the vampire he had feared for so long. What could possibly have terrified the mighty hunter so? Just as he stepped around Matthew to see what was happening, the cathedral's enormous stained glass window shattered as Mikael's body was hurled against it with such force, it nearly rendered the powerful vampire unconscious. Before Klaus could react, massive, razor-sharp claws dragged Mikael back out into the storm through the colorful glass shards.
Matthew let out a curse, yelling, "Blimey, what did I say last time? Protecting means not breaking the bleedin' church yer supposed to be protecting!" He saw Klaus' incredulous expression and said confidently, "I told ye we were safe." He pointed through the heavy rain to the dark figure attacking Mikael and said confidently, "She'll protect us."
Klaus shook his head in disbelief as he watched the battle taking place in the violent storm. Lightening flashed jaggedly across the sky, momentarily illuminating the warring figures. He cocked his head to the side, gray eyes widening as he was struck by a ridiculous thought. Impossible.
The beast appeared to be a gargoyle, her hide utterly confounding as it was clearly made of stone yet somehow flexing and moving about with ease as it pummeled Mikael to and fro in the cathedral's graveyard. Giant wings flapped in the brisk winds, shearing off bits of the gravestone markers they brushed against during the struggle. Curved talons gripped Mikael by his throat, effortlessly holding him aloft as he choked out the word, "Abomination." The creature turned toward Matthew and regarded him with a regal silence, as though waiting for his judgement.
Matthew heaved a heavy sigh. Turning to Klaus he said, "We keep to ourselves and stay out o' vampire affairs." He shrugged and added, "O' course, can't help it if they bring troubles to our doorstep." He grinned at Klaus' shocked expression. "What say ye, lad? Shall we put an end to this mess?"
Klaus could barely formulate thoughts, much less words. The discovery of a mythical beast and the revelation that a simple caretaker knew of vampires had him flummoxed. Unfortunately, before he could move, Mikael surprised them all by throwing his weight against the great stone beast, the surprise attack briefly breaking its hold. Without hesitation, Mikael flashed away into the night, clearly terrified of what he had seen.
With a terrible screech, the gargoyle stomped her cloven hooves, clearly vexed that the prey escaped. She shifted her heavy wings in aggravation, snorting angrily. Unperturbed by the monster's outrage, Matthew waved his hand carelessly and said, "Quit yer grousing!"
Curiosity got the better of Klaus as he warily watched the beast stride toward them. "Why did she allow me to cross the threshold? You know of vampires, so surely you know my evils could easily rival that of his."
Matthew grew serious as he regarded the gargoyle who seemed to be gazing at the sky, a curious intelligence sitting behind those cold, piercing eyes. "Curses are tricky blighters. The evil that man put upon her may have turned her to stone, but not her heart. Never her heart. She always had a way of seeing through ye, and tonight, she saw someone in need."
Gazing at her in awe, Klaus said in a strangled voice, "She saved me." Before he could properly convey his gratitude, the creature arched her back, spreading her massive wings and leaping into the air, flying wide, lazy arcs around the cathedral before settling on her perch on top of the tower.
"Sunrise will be upon us before long," Matthew explained when he spied Klaus' questioning look.
Nodding in understanding, Klaus followed Matthew back into the cathedral where he helped the man pick up the pieces of the shattered window. By the time the men finished, the first rays of sunlight were peeking over the horizon.
Unable to help himself, Klaus walked outside to the front of the cathedral and craned his neck, searching the top of the tower. There sat the menacing gargoyle, a quiet power emanating from her now vacant expression as the sun turned her into a statue once more. An immense sadness gripped his heart, the likes of which he had never felt before.
The caretaker joined him, shaking his hand and wishing him well on his journey. "May the road rise up to meet ye, lad."
Klaus' eyes never left her, searching for the girl she once was inside the beast she had become. Making up his mind, he turned to Matthew and said, "I have this brother who is quite fond of witches..."