Cami was angry with herself. No, angry was not the right word. Furious was a better description. She'd had Klaus Mikaelson right there, in front of her, and she'd chickened out at the last minute.
She kept thinking about how she could've done things differently. When his back was turned, she could've potentially gotten a hold of her stake and killed him. Or she could've tried to seduce him and then staked him when he was too distracted to realise what she was actually doing. She'd never seduced anyone on a mission before, but there was a first time for everything.
Overall though, she knew that she'd failed. Thinking about what she could've differently wouldn't change that. It was in the past now, and she couldn't change her actions. All she could do was try to figure out how to proceed from there and possibly salvage her entire mission. It wasn't the end of her plan; it was just a slight change in circumstances.
Declan came over to where she sat at the breakfast table, wincing as he handed her a letter. "This came for you this morning. It looks like it's from your parents."
Her heart thudded in her chest, as she looked at the familiar handwriting addressed to her on the envelope. Yes, it was definitely from her father. This is what she'd been dreading. She'd hoped that she'd be able to go home and tell them that she'd killed Klaus by now, but after what had happened at the party last night, she was obviously going to have to stay in New Orleans longer to finish her mission.
She tore the envelope open and pulled out the letter within, unfolding it to read:
Dear Camille,
I cannot possibly express how disappointed I am in you right now. Your mother and I have been worried sick since we found your letter, telling us about this idiotic plan of yours. Going after an Original on your own is lunacy, and frankly, I always thought you were smarter than this. Do you want to end up dead like Kieran? Because that is what will happen. Every single one of our ancestors that went after a Mikaelson ended up dead. I won't have you become the latest addition to that long list. How could you risk your life like this so soon after Sean's death? Your mother and I have already buried one child, and we have no desire to live through that again. Come home as soon as you receive this letter, and we can put this ridiculous moment of yours in the past.
Your Father
Cami swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew that the letter would be bad, but she hadn't expected to feel so guilty from reading it. In truth, she hadn't fully thought about how her parents would feel about their last living child running into danger. She'd been too focused on avenging Kieran and ridding the world of the hybrid for good.
She could tell that her father was disappointed in her, and that hurt more than his anger ever could have.
"Well?" Declan asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. She'd been so focused on reading the letter, she hadn't realised that he still stood there, leaning against the kitchen counter and sipping his coffee while he waited for her reaction to it.
"They're upset and they want me to come home immediately." Her voice was low, her father's words having shamed her.
"Are you going to?"
"I can't," she confessed. "I came here to kill Klaus."
"And that worked out so well the other night."
Cami glared at him. "I made a mistake. Klaus said that he was going to find me again, so I'll have a second chance to do this."
"That's exactly why you should leave right now. The hybrid is after you. Pack up your stuff and get the hell out of here while you can."
"He's not after me to kill me," she said. "He just said he wants to talk again. I actually think he kind of likes me." Having thought about the interaction all night, she could safely say that it seemed like Klaus did like her in some way; enough to want to find her again at least.
Declan looked horrified at the thought. "That's even worse."
She fought to not roll her eyes at him. "I doubt he cares that much. Whenever he finds me again, I'm going to kill him then."
"You said that you'd kill him at the party, and you failed, so I don't really have a lot of faith in your plan right now."
Placing her father's letter down on the table, Cami picked up her coffee cup and held her hands around the warm cup. "It will work this time. I just need to be better prepared, mentally."
To say that Cami was on edge was an understatement. In the few days that had followed the Mikaelsons' party, she couldn't stop looking over her shoulder, half expecting Klaus to appear. He wasn't specific about when or where he'd find her to speak to her again. It seemed like he'd simply pop up one day.
Her stake remained on her at all times, should he make his sudden appearance. She was so anxious with all the waiting around, she mostly wanted him to just approach her already, so that she could get this whole thing over with. She'd even taken to going on long daily walks through the French Quarter to see if they'd bump into each other, but so far, no such luck.
She wished he would just hurry up already. Declan was getting more and more nervous by the day, worried that her plan would get him killed. He'd been tolerant so far of letting her stay with him, but she could tell that he was getting frustrated too. It was only a matter of time until he kicked her out. They were cousins and they loved each other, but she knew that he looked out for himself above everyone else.
Wandering through the streets of the French Quarter, Cami made her way through the crowds at a leisurely pace. At least if she had to get stuck exploring a city until a homicidal hybrid found her, she got stuck in New Orleans. There were much worse places to be.
Due to the heat, she stopped and leaned against a storefront, briefly considering whether she should bother buying some water or just waiting until she got home to cool off. Being born and raised in the north had not prepared her for the southern weather.
"Hello, Camille."
Cami jumped and looked behind her, only to see Klaus standing there with a pleased smile on his face. Her heart raced so quickly from his sudden appearance, she felt dizzy from it, and she placed a hand against her chest, with the hope that it would calm her somewhat.
"Klaus?" The word stumbled out of her mouth as she overcame her shock. "You didn't have to sneak up on me."
"But it's more fun this way."
"For you, maybe."
He chuckled. "Was my appearance really so surprising? I told you that I would find you. Are you telling me that you haven't been waiting with bated breath to see me again?"
"Oh yes, I've been positively pining," she drawled.
"I should hope so," he replied, as if he hadn't noticed her sarcasm, and stepped closer to her. "I've certainly been eager to see you again."
"So eager, it took you days to find me," she pointed out, barely holding back her frustration with him for taking so long. She'd been on edge for days because of him.
His eyes brightened. "You really were waiting for me to show up? Well, I'm sorry it took me so long then, love, but I was a bit busy. It won't happen again."
"No, it won't." Cami thought of the stake strapped to her thigh.
As he looked at her, some of his amusement disappeared. "Forgive me for saying this, but you look a bit peaky." His eyes darted to her chest. "And your heart is racing."
"How do you know my heart's racing?" she countered.
"I have excellent hearing." He winked and offered her his arm. "My home isn't far from here. Let's go sit down and have a drink."
The chance to go to a more private place was too good of an opportunity to refuse. She couldn't stake him in the middle of the street. She had to admit, a part of her was simply curious to see the Mikaelsons' home again.
That in mind, she took his arm and allowed him to begin leading her down the street, to the abattoir.
"I hope you don't have any funny ideas about me going back to your house with you," she said.
"I have completely pure intentions." The mock innocence in his voice wasn't believable in the slightest.
"Sure you do," Cami mumbled.
A low laugh rumbled in his chest, but he said nothing in response to that.
A few people that they passed on the street gave Klaus polite nods of their heads in greeting or said hello to him. Before coming to New Orleans, she'd imagined him to be like some sort of mythical evil villain, ruling over the city with an iron fist. The reception he was receiving on the street certainly didn't line up with her imagination.
"You're popular here," she pointed out.
He didn't say it, but she could tell that her words had pleased him for some strange reason. "I've put a lot of money into this city. People appreciate me and my family for our support."
"Money that comes from where? Because I can't imagine you sitting behind a desk, running some boring company." She couldn't stop herself from prying. Did the Originals just compel people to give them money? Did they invest in businesses over the decades? She wanted to know.
"Inheritance mostly," Klaus replied, vaguely. "You're rather nosy."
Her face warmed with embarrassment. This wasn't the first time that someone had said that to her. "I just want to get to know the man that I'm talking to," she tried to shrug it off.
He smiled as they walked. "Fair enough. I confess, there are plenty of things I want to know about you too. For starters, why are you in New Orleans?"
A touch of panic ran through her veins. This felt like dangerous ground. "How do you know I haven't lived here all my life?" she asked.
"Because there's no way I wouldn't have noticed you in this city if you had," he answered, however untruthfully. "You also don't have a southern accent." She couldn't deny that.
Lying on missions was hardly rare for her. In her experience, sticking as close to the truth, without giving away any important details, was the best course of action, so that's exactly what she did. "I came here a few days ago to visit my cousin."
"So, this is just a vacation then?" he pressed. "You don't plan to stay?"
She thought about her answer. "Perhaps not permanently, but I have no plans to leave right now."
That must've been the right answer, because his smile grew. She didn't want to think about why that was, as she eyed the hybrid carefully.
It didn't take long for them to get to the abattoir. Klaus didn't falter as he led her through the entrance and into the courtyard within. Her eyes darted all around, taking in the place now that she was seeing it in the light of day for the first time.
Luckily for her, none of his siblings were around. Apart from the two of them, the courtyard seemed to be empty. It was the perfect place to stake him.
He dropped her arm and turned to grab a glass decanter full of a dark liquid and a glass off a table nearby. He poured the liquid into the glass and handed it to her. "This should make you feel a bit better."
She took a small sip, almost immediately recognising the smell and taste of bourbon. Looking at the glass, she said, "You know, if I really look "peaky", as you described, perhaps alcohol isn't the best thing." She needed to keep her head clear for whatever he had planned by bringing her back to his home.
A flicker of uncertainty appeared in his eyes as he glanced at the glass he'd handed to her. "Ah yes. Perhaps some water would be better."
As he called out to a maid, who appeared from one of the side rooms, she idly wondered if he ever drank anything other than bourbon, considering that he didn't need to worry about his health or hangovers.
While the maid disappeared to fulfil his request for water, his attention was back on her. "That'll only take a minute."
Cami nodded and started to wander away from him, eyeing her surroundings.
"What do you think?" Klaus asked from behind her, after allowing her a minute to look around. There was no irritation in his voice at her exploring; only curiosity.
"I think it's beautiful," she answered honestly. Whatever she thought about the Originals, she couldn't fault their home. She found herself going into another room beside the courtyard. This room was smaller, with large glass doors at the other end. Dual staircases ran down on either sides of the doors.
"I stand by what I said," he said, following her. "You really are very nosy."
Once again, she didn't hear any agitation in his voice, so she wasn't too worried that he was about to explode at her.
She looked over her shoulder at him. "Do you care?"
"Not particularly," he murmured, his eyes never leaving her.
A not entirely unpleasant shiver ran down her spine, making her avert her gaze from him. She spotted some paintings hung up on the wall nearby; paintings of Klaus and what she assumed were two of his siblings. The clothing that they wore in the paintings looked old, so she imagined these had been created quite a while ago.
"Are those your siblings?" Cami asked, just to confirm that they were.
He looked over at the paintings. "Yes, some of them."
"Some? How many siblings do you have?" She knew about two of them, and vaguely remembered a third being mentioned in her family's history book, but she never saw a thing about any more Originals.
"Technically, I have six," he answered, a slight grimace on his face. "Two of them died when I was young though, and currently, my other two brothers are indisposed."
There were more Mikaelsons? That was new information.
"That's Elijah and Rebekah," Klaus added, standing by Cami's side, both of their attention on the paintings.
Seeing that he wasn't focused on her for once, Cami started to slowly and carefully tug one side of her dress up with one hand, so that she could grab the stake strapped to her thigh. "Are you the oldest or youngest?"
"Neither. I'm the middle child."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Cami drawled, her fingers snagging onto the stake.
Klaus laughed, too distracted to see her hand clasp around the stake. Her hand shook with nerves as she squeezed the wooden weapon.
"Klaus?" A voice rang out.
Cami froze at the sound of the stranger and immediately let go of the dagger, pulling her hand away, so that her dress could fall back into place. So close.
Klaus turned to the man that hurried towards them. "What is it, Louis? I'm quite busy."
"We have an issue with," Louis stopped and looked at her before continuing, "some people and we need to know what to do with them."
"Could you possibly be any more specific?" Klaus asked, bristling with annoyance.
"I would, but what about her?" Louis looked at her pointedly.
Klaus rolled his eyes and turned to her. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek, his fingers folding back behind her neck a little to hold her steady.
The sudden, somewhat intimate action alarmed her. "Hey, what—"
His gaze was fixed on hers. "You're not going to care about whatever Louis tells me. As soon as he leaves this room, you will forget all about him and whatever he says."
It took only a second for her to realise that he was trying to compel her. Unfortunately for him, she'd been taking vervain daily since she was a teenager. This could work for me though, Cami thought.
She kept her facial expression blank and nodded mutely, hoping that was a good enough impression of someone under compulsion. She'd only seen it happen a handful of times, so she didn't have much frame of reference.
He seemed satisfied by whatever he saw. He released her face with a smile and looked at Louis expectantly. "Well then?"
Louis proceeded. "Papa Tunde is causing trouble with the witches. He sacrificed more vampires last night."
Cami remained still and silent, although she filed that name away in her brain for later on. Anyone who was working against vampires could be a potential ally for her family.
"That man is determined to be a thorn in my side." Despite his words, Klaus didn't seem to be particularly upset. "Take a few vampires and go kill some witches as reciprocation."
"That's kind of a problem," Louis said. "Some of the vampires don't want to rile up Papa Tunde. They're afraid that he'll kill them too."
"Cowards," Klaus muttered. "Fine. I'll go down there myself and deal with this later."
Louis grimaced at what he was about to say. "Also, Tony is in the courtyard. I know you wanted to see him."
Klaus grinned, showing his canines. "This will be quite fun." He turned to Cami again and caught her eyes with his. "Stay here and wait for me to come back," he ordered, attempting to compel her again.
"I'll wait here for you," Cami repeated, in what she hoped was a convincing way.
"Watch her and make sure nobody tries to make a meal out of her," Klaus ordered Louis as he walked out, going back to the courtyard. "She's the most interesting person I've spoken to in days," she heard him say before he was out of earshot.
Klaus' compulsion in mind, she stayed standing there, doing nothing and surely looking like an idiot in front of the vampire that had been left to watch her. It was at least somewhat nice of Klaus to leave Louis there to make sure that she didn't become a vampire's unwilling meal. Pointless, since she could defend herself well enough, but nice all the same.
Louis stood by the entrance that led back out to the courtyard and seemed to be more focused on watching Klaus as he spoke to another man in the courtyard.
His attention was so focused elsewhere, he didn't notice the other vampire descending the staircase nearby. Cami spotted the man almost instantly, but she didn't think she could react to his entrance. Klaus and Louis had to believe that she'd been compelled. She didn't know that much about compulsion, but it seemed safer to simply stand and wait to see what the other vampire did.
The man looked to Louis. "Where's Niklaus?"
Louis jumped, having not noticed the other man. "He's, uh," he stumbled over his words, pointing out into the courtyard. "He's talking to Tony."
The man hummed and glanced over at her. Her spine straightened as she met his gaze, recognising him as the man she'd seen at the Mikaelson party not long ago, as well as the subject in one of the paintings nearby.
"Hello," he smiled slightly, his eyes assessing her. "I'm Elijah."
