Chapter 13: Part 2 – A Heart of Stone

Author's note: This is a continuation of Chapter 11 in which Klaus, while on the run from Mikael, seeks sanctuary and meets Caroline, a poor soul trapped by an unusual curse. Will Klaus be able to convince his brother to help?

Thank you for all of your reviews, follows and favorites! This one-shot continuation has been requested quite a bit recently, and I finally found some inspiration to add more to the story. I hope you enjoy it and bonus surprise, I'm already working on another part to this story which I promise to have ready in time to post for Klaroline AU Week. Happy reading!

"Too long a sacrifice can make a stone of a heart."
― W.B. Yeats

Klaus sat on the stone ledge of the cathedral's tower, glaring at the sun as it seemed to take its time setting. During these past few months since he first sought sanctuary at the rundown cathedral in Galway, he had grown to detest the sun. Its great yellow orb seemed to mock him with its inherent cheerfulness, demonstrating how helpless he was against its power. For while daylight touched the land, she remained a statue.

When he was granted shelter, he encountered Matthew, the kindly caretaker, who had revealed that his sister, Caroline, had been cursed by a Cailleach, a Celtic witch, because she had spurned a suitor. The witch had twisted Caroline's ethereal beauty, reshaping her form into the demonic, terrifying visage of a gargoyle. The poor girl had been cursed by the spiteful suitor, Alaric, believing that her heart would turn ugly and cold as stone. However, the strength of Caroline's heart could not be diminished, and she found purpose in her cursed existence by protecting the cathedral and all who were in need.

Klaus had been astonished to learn that she apparently believed him to be worthy of her protection as she saved him from Mikael's white oak stake. Unfortunately, Mikael had fled before the beast could destroy him, but Klaus' gratitude toward her was such that he felt compelled to linger at the cathedral, to repay his debt. And perhaps soon it would be.

He had gotten word to his younger brother, Kol, who was infamous for his knowledge of witchcraft and dark magics. Unfortunately, Kol was traveling from Ceylon, which is how Klaus found himself remaining nearby these past few months. But is that truly the only reason he stayed? Klaus admitted that when he first saw the charcoal drawing of Caroline in Matthew's room, he was stunned by her radiance. Long, curly hair surrounded her lovely face, but it was her eyes that drew him — fierce, practically feral as they stared out in obvious defiance of the world around her.

But it was her monster that he inexplicably set out to comfort. For a dark creature who'd marked centuries of depravity and bloodthirsty violence, he could not fathom why he felt the need to soothe a cursed soul. He recalled the night after Caroline had saved him from Mikael. He had spent the day arguing with his other siblings, Elijah and Rebekah, at the docks. They were unnerved that Mikael had been so close, but relieved by Klaus' assurances that what the hunter had tangled with had forced him to retreat for the moment. He was sure that eventually Mikael would find some way to circumvent the monster that had bested him, which was another reason why he felt the need to help Caroline and her brother. He had sent Elijah and Rebekah on a steamer ship to America with the promise that he and Kol would join them once the curse had been broken and Klaus' debt had been repaid.

Even then, he had hated how his heart seemed to clench at the prospect of leaving Caroline. When he returned to the cathedral, he could hear Matthew's even breathing that signaled he was sleeping. His gray eyes flicked to the tower, and he saw the slight movement of wingtips and heard the faint grating of stone. Curiosity got the better of him and he found himself scaling the side of the wall before easily flipping himself over the stone turret.

He was puzzled to find the rooftop perches oddly empty, as he knew Caroline preferred to position herself where she could watch over the valley. A scraping noise to his left drew his attention, and he could see a partial outline of her powerful form in the shadows as she hid from him. "Why do you remain in the dark, love," he asked. "Surely you do not fear me? But if you do, I promise I mean you no harm," he teased.

Her derisive snort delighted him. They both knew that her mammoth beast could tear him apart — after all, he had witnessed her battle with Mikael, awestruck by her prowess. The tapping of her cloven hooves made him realize that she was uncertain and perhaps even self-conscious of her appearance.

Klaus took a careful step toward the dark corner where she partially hid herself from his view and softly told her, "You shouldn't feel the need to hide from me, sweetheart. Your monster is a part of you, just as mine is a part of me." He morphed into his vampiric face, allowing his curved fangs and black veins to appear. When no further movement was detected, he nodded in acceptance and said, "Very well. You don't have to come out of the shadows; it's your choice. I came up here looking for some company, but I suppose the moon will have to suffice." He returned to the ledge and swung his feet casually as he sat under the dark sky and looked up at the stars.

Before too long, his stubborn companion finally took cautious steps toward him, her wings dragging slightly along the rooftop. The beast crouched down on a perch beside him, resettling her wings. When he ventured a glance, he was surprised to see her gazing down at her claws with something akin to sorrow reflected in her piercing eyes. She flexed the curved talons, their razor-sharp points twitching. She seemed strangely uncomfortable by their heft, or perhaps by the violence they represented. She rubbed the tops in a soothing gesture, as though trying to erase her memories of what she had done with them.

Feeling the need to distract Caroline from her pain, he began telling her tales of banshees that he knew in Ireland. He gleefully told her all about their fiery red eyes, snow white hair and terrifying shrieks. He boasted that he knew how banshees only haunt the oldest of Irish bloodlines, appearing when someone is about to die and delivering an ear-splitting wail. He was in the middle of rattling off a long list of Irish surnames when he heard her impatient huff.

Raising an eyebrow, he looked at Caroline and suddenly felt himself grow warm under her unimpressed stare. He thought back to the last fifteen minutes of his speech and realized what a pompous prat he must have sounded like, trying to impress a girl by reciting her own heritage to her. She was Irish born and raised; she probably knew the legends better than he. Stuttering out a string of nonsense, he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of something clever to say.

"You cannot speak, but you understand what we say," he asked, mentally berating himself for turning into a blithering idiot in her presence. At her slight nod, he added, "Right, well, it's a good thing I derive such pleasure from the sound of my own voice, then. Although, you should count yourself fortunate my brother Elijah isn't here. He's not nearly as delightful of company as I."

At her amused snort, he found himself chuckling as well, and it was in this moment of frankness that they found themselves starting to open up to life's endless possibilities.

Klaus smiled to himself at the memory. From that night on, he found himself returning to the cathedral's tower at dusk to wait for Caroline to awaken. He began to let down his guard, telling her stories from his childhood, sharing pieces of his humanity that he had thought were long dead.

Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, he heard the familiar scrape of stone upon stone as Caroline came alive. He couldn't hide the ridiculous grin that spread across his handsome face as he eagerly greeted her. "Kol has been spotted at the docks, sweetheart. He should arrive soon."

The gargoyle's demonic head looked up, contemplating the stars that shone down on her monstrous form. Her eyes suddenly closed, and she folded her wings inward, as though trying to keep herself in the moment. When she favored him with her unflinching gaze once more, he sighed heavily. "This wretched curse may be broken soon. Your nightmare will be over."

She reached out to him with one set of claws, clumsily trying to pat his shoulder in solidarity, but the power behind her claws nearly forced him to his knees. Grumbling at the almost amused expression her fanged mouth seemed to portray, he added, "I should probably head inside and make sure Matthew is ready for my brother's arrival. Kol is an acquired taste."

Matthew was pacing in front of the large stained glass window when Klaus entered. His green eyes looked momentarily startled by his arrival, but then they clouded with worry. "How is she," he asked shakily.

"She's fine. Understandably anxious, so I let her think she was stronger than me to calm her nerves," he replied with a smirk.

The man's nervous chuckle broke the tension. "Keep telling yerself that, lad. That time ye challenged her to a footrace and she beat ye by more'n' land of three cows is a memory I won't soon forget." He frowned slightly adding, "I'd go up there meself but ye calm her down better these days. She always seems to want to cut me visits short since ye've come around. If this was normal-like, I'd be warning ye away from me sister."

Klaus cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Matthew, I can assure you that my intentions with Caroline...what I mean to say is that she's an extraordinary soul and...I mean to say that what I feel for..." he trailed off uncertainly, inwardly cursing himself for becoming so flustered in front of this mere human.

The truth was he didn't know how to feel about the bizarre situation he found himself in. The unusual bond he had formed with the gargoyle was unprecedented, and though she had been unable to utter a word during their time together, he still found himself oddly familiar with her moods and feelings. He was so focused on restoring Caroline, he hadn't given himself a chance to ponder what it would mean to leave her once her curse was broken.

Except that wasn't entirely true. He knew exactly how he felt about leaving her. Every time he thought about it, he felt an enormous pit inside, as though there was a gaping hole that threatened to expunge every brief, beautiful moment he'd experienced with her.

Matthew seemed to take pity upon him and quickly changed the subject. "Now yer brother — I get the sense he's trouble? That his mouth oft' breaks his nose?"

Klaus laughed, thinking of his wild, foolish little brother whose penchant for mischief had often made him the target of numerous supernatural and human factions over the centuries. Fortunately, his knowledge of magic and countless alliances with witches saved him from even the nastiest of predicaments his troublesome ways often created. "Kol is a cheeky bastard, but he can be trusted. I give you my word that if Caroline's curse can be broken, Kol is our best chance of finding it."

"Why big brother, your little speech has warmed my cold, dead heart," a wry voice interrupted. Kol stood outside the threshold of the cathedral, the slight night breeze ruffling his thick brown hair. A devilish grin spread across his face as he asked, "I see the cathedral is letting in all sorts of evil creatures these days, so I assume it's safe for me to enter then?" The moment he tried to take a step into the cathedral is when a high-pitched screech pierced the air, rattling the stained glass and startling the normally wisecracking Original.

Not wasting time, Matthew sprang into action, quickly running outside yelling, "Remember what I told ye about the bleedin' window!"

Klaus flashed out into the cemetery as well, just in time to see the gargoyle hurl Kol from the front of the cathedral, standing protectively in front of the carved stone archway. She started to advance toward Kol, who was now wearing his vampire face and hissing. Klaus moved in front of her shouting, "Wait! All is well! This is my brother, Kol, and he's here to help you. In fact, he's delighted to offer his assistance." He ventured a backward glance at his brother and said through gritted teeth, "Aren't you, Kol?"

Brushing off his grass-stained breeches, Kol muttered, "Well now, after that warm Irish welcome, it's making me question my motivation. Perhaps my compassionate nature to help the less fortunate is more fleeting than what Klaus would have you believe."

Matthew stood beside Caroline, his green eyes flashing angrily. "Then maybe ye best be off. We don't need yer help, vampire."

Kol laughed heartily at the indignant human, his vampiric features fusing back into his boyishly handsome face. "Well, look at that! Klaus, you didn't send word that you found both a gargoyle AND a leprechaun!"

The creature immediately snarled, gnashing its fangs as it took another step toward the mischievous immortal. Klaus found himself echoing her growl of aggravation. "Kol, you aren't helping matters. Now control yourself."

His brother's authoritative voice only spurred his musings further as he joked, "Now that I've gotten a good look at your lady fair, it appears you have a bit of a Beauty and the Beast story unfolding, dear brother. Or perhaps it's more beast on beast activities, hmmm?"

At Kol's tasteless jokes, Klaus barely stopped Matthew from leaping onto the troublemaking vampire in an attempt to pummel him soundly for speaking ill of his sister. Klaus held the furious man back with one arm while he managed to throw a punch that landed squarely on the bridge of Kol's nose, causing a satisfying crunch to echo throughout the cemetery as his nose broke.

"Klaus! I was only joking, mate," Kol complained, smearing the blood that poured profusely down his face as he tried to reset the bone with his fingers. He held up both hands in a surrendering gesture as he said, "All right, all right! I see now emotions are running a bit high with this crowd. Klaus is right to send for me though; I believe I have already tracked down the first bit we need to break the curse."

He waited until the bones in his face knitted back together before continuing his explanation. "All curses must be performed with the aid of a curse tablet to keep the magic whole and alive over the years. They can be anything from parchment, stone, wooden blocks or even pottery shards. The witch needs a surface to etch the victim's name, the outcome of the curse and the incantation used. Then, the tablet must be buried in a place of death to retain its power, such as battlefields, executions or graves."

Kol winked at the gargoyle who seemed lost in thought and added, "I called in a few favors and discovered that the Cailleach who cursed Caroline typically frequents the site of the Battle of Aughrim to bury her curse tablets. I have a witch prowling the grounds as we speak, performing spells to help us narrow down the location." He gestured toward Klaus and said impatiently, "Well, come on then, not a moment to spare. We've curses to break, and your lovely maiden seems a touch impatient."

When he saw that Matthew and Caroline were following him and his brother out of the cathedral's cemetery, he stopped them, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, we cannot afford for the entire group to go on this merry quest. The gargoyle and the leprechaun need to stay here."

Immediately suspicious, Klaus cocked his head, studying his brother. "And why is that, little brother?"

Making an irritated noise, Kol waved his hands wildly in the air as he clarified, "Because of the unsavory characters prowling about near the docks and within the surrounding villages! We're Originals, or have you forgotten what that means? The supernatural world hears barely a hint of our existence over the centuries and now the heartless, brutal bastard Klaus has chosen to immerse himself in the troubles of a pair of insignificant humans. Curiosity has drawn out many, and most will not hesitate to try to turn what they know into a profitable exchange with our enemies."

Klaus' gray eyes widened and he pondered Kol's words. He turned to Caroline and Matthew and sighed dejectedly. "For once, my brother is right. It will be far easier for the two of us to slip onto the battlefield and remove the curse tablet than all of us. Stay here and wait for our return."

Caroline twitched the edges of her wings, inadvertently shearing off the tops of several tall grave markers. She glared at Kol with her piercing eyes, the beastly gaze failing to mask the intelligence found there. She stomped the soft ground with her cloven hooves, glancing over at her brother.

Matthew inexplicably seemed to follow her train of thought and crossed his arms in front of his chest. In a distrustful tone he asked, "Ye said there were several bits to breaking her curse. What's the rest of it then?"

Kol shrugged and resumed walking out of the cemetery. "Your leprechaun is mightily mistrustful, brother." Calling over his shoulder he said carelessly, "We dig up the curse tablet, bring it back to you, break the tablet in front of the gargoyle, and that should break the curse."

Shaking his head at his brother's too-casual tone, Klaus turned to Caroline and Matthew and said in a reassuring manner, "We'll return as soon as we can. If the tablet is there, I'll find it."

Muttering under his breath as he flashed away after Kol he said, "You had best be right about this, brother."