There were very few things that caused Klaus to react to in the last seventy years. He'd trained himself to show no outward emotion when tortured, despite the agony he felt when he or his siblings were ripped open every single day. Each day one of them was dissected, a group of scientists repeatedly scoping out their organs before throwing them out, forcing their immortal bodies to painfully regrow them. As one sibling re-grew a liver, another was having it taken out. Mikael hadn't seen fit to just imprison his children, he wanted to punish them from every day they'd had him in hibernation. For over two hundred years, Klaus's witches kept the powerful immortal in stasis, until seventy years ago rebellious vampires, angry with Klaus's reign over his hybrids in New Orleans, slaughtered the entire coven guarding Mikael, freeing him.
Today Klaus was strapped to the table, the operating room surrounded by his siblings' cells looked in on the operation room, his siblings wincing in horror as the doctors moved to split him open. Rebekah lying on the floor, she'd been operated on the most recently, and could barely move in her cell. The first ten years of capture, they'd attempted to escape from this prison, but there were no exits and the entire island, including the doctors, were mystically protected. Eventually their pursuit of escape was deemed fruitless. Unless a chink in their enemy's armor presented itself, they were never getting out of here.
BOOM! Klaus's ears twitched at the unexpected sound. A distant slam from somewhere in the complex, causing him to raise his head. The scientists hearing too dull to notice it, continuing their sadistic operation, Klaus sniffed the air, but the chemicals from the lab, were so powerful his hybrid sense was nullified. Looking to his siblings but barely moving his head, he couldn't let the researchers on to the disturbance. Calling out in Aramaic, "Brothers, did you hear that?"
Elijah was the first to look up, he was the strongest currently, his day to be tortured tomorrow. Each week the schedule of operation was different preventing any kind of plan. The extra two days in the week never falling concurrently and with no discernible pattern. Closing his eyes, listening closely, trying to hear over the whirl of the drill that was being used to crack open his brother's ribs. With his eyes closed, he focused his hearing on the struggle happening in the far south of the building, the distinctive clash of metal against bone, giving him reassurance that it wasn't some drill or more humans arriving. Only members of the Lore used swords.
Preparing himself, when he called out to his brothers and sister, continuing in Aramaic "Looks like we've got company…"
Finn stirred, and Kol moaned as he stood up. Rebekah couldn't stand but managed to crawl over to the wall to sit up, the painful process of regenerating her organs, taking so much out of her. Sitting up she called out in the same ancient language, "Who are they?"
Their chatty nature finally drawing the attention of the doctors, assuming it was an attempt to spare their brother more pain, they purposefully ripped out Klaus's stomach, causing an open-mouthed howl of pain. His focus on the newcomers, the 100% focus he needed to show no outward emotion was compromised. Feeling his vision faltering from the pain, flickering towards black, he struggled to stay focused, this could be their only chance to escape. The fighting becoming louder, Klaus noticed that Elijah began pacing in preparation.
Even the doctors started to hear the commotion, especially when what sounded like a sonic shriek echoed through the complex, causing one of the weaker doctors to pass out as blood dripped from his ears and cracks forming in the glass of his siblings' cells. The four other doctors reached for the emergency switch, slamming the thick steel doors down on the operation room, blocking out his siblings' cells.
The blackness closed in on Klaus as another shriek reverberated through the complex, he knew that shriek. A Valkyrie was somewhere in the building and was declaring war on her enemies. Normally the sound would have made him alert, but the loss of blood and organs dulled his senses. A massive explosive rocked the complex originating from inside his siblings' cells. Hoping against hope, that this group was here to rescue them and not eliminate them. Seventy years ago, he'd despised the idea of being dependent on others for his goal, but he understood that the circumstances were different now.
He had enough focus left to notice that his torturers were now being tortured themselves, appearing to see something that no one else could. Three of them clawed at their own eyes, the last cried in a fetal position muttering to himself. Struggling to lift his head as the steel doors bent in and were thrown across the room. The blackness and blurriness to fade together, and three hazy figures appeared in the massive hole-in-the-wall. He could have sworn something tugged deep within him, before he could evaluate it, he blacked out, but he heard the softest whisper from the Instinct: yours.
Caroline stepped over the moaning scientists, Katerina's illusions made them go mad. They wouldn't be able to torture anyone ever again. Mental Note: Do not ever piss off Kat. Releasing the siblings first, they'd saved the operating room for last.
In the center of the room, the once vaunted hybrid king laid with his chest split open and several vital organs missing. He'd passed out from the pain, glancing down at what was removed taken from his immortal body, he should have blacked out a long time ago. She quickly yanked off his bonds, she worried over how she was going to move him from here without causing more damage. Contemplating this, a cultured voice intoned from the doorway. Klaus's brother, Elijah, His voice was cold and clipped, but tinged with brotherly concern, "You have to close the wound, for him to begin regenerating. He'll still be out for about another twenty-four hours."
Caroline nodded, wincing, as she grabbed a medical stapler and began to pull the hybrid's skin over his mostly empty chest. With a glance at Elijah, she motioned him closer, the need to hurry was paramount. Guessing based on the massive satellite, the scientists were required to check in daily, or reinforcements would arrive. If the reinforcements did arrive, they wouldn't be able to fight them off, the Mikaelsons were in bad shape. Their small group could take out the small amount of guards. She tried to keep the pity out of her eyes, seeing what walking skeletons they'd become. They were ghosts of their former selves, barely kept alive by the scientists, keeping them weak and discouraging attempts at escape.
During training with her aunts, she'd regrown several organs it was an excruciating process, and she never had to regrow this many and never all at once. Feeling a twinge of sympathy for what the hybrid king would have to go through in the next twenty-four hours. She and Elijah reached down together, placing rough gauze onto the surgical staples, moving closer to the unconscious hybrid, he carefully lifted him over his shoulder.
Clearing her throat, she quickly commanded the entire group's attention. Elijah kept shifting the heavy hybrid on his shoulder, and she motioned the large group to follow her out the giant hole that Bonnie left in the side of the building. The storm they had flown through, seemed to be getting worse. Looking around, she saw that the private plane that they'd landed in was shaking about in the rough wind. She ran towards it, the only way off this island was sitting there and she wasn't about to lose it in some freak accident. Throwing open the cabin door, she gestured the whole group inside. Having secured everyone in the plane, she threw a frantic glance at Bonnie.
The dark-skinned beauty glanced nervously around her, before crossing her legs and concentrating. The violent shakes kept buffeting the plane, tossing them roughly about, before finally coming to a standstill, when Bonnie's unreliable magik came through, managing to protect the plane from the storm outside. She let out a big sigh of relief, before glancing at Caroline with a smile. Her smile, quickly faded, registering the horror on Caroline's face. Reaching up to touch her own face, drawing away it dripped with dark blood. Caroline moved towards her, but her eyes rolled up and blacked out before Caroline got there.
Caroline's terror at Bonnie's nosebleed and black out almost rooted her to the spot, by the time she snapped out of it and lunged forward to catch her, one of the Mikaelsons was already holding her. Kol, she believed his name was, had caught her in the most delicate embrace, pulling her close to his gaunt body. Momentarily taken off guard, glancing at his handsome face, he was so vulnerable for a moment, she could easily read into his soul. Bonnie was his Bride. It was written all over his face. She also knew her horror at their situation was evidently displayed on hers.
Kol looked up at the Valkyrie hovering over him, her face conveying her disgust at his hold on the witch, for a moment, he clutched the witch closer to his body in instinct. He had to be grateful to her, he reminded himself, she'd saved his and his siblings lives, so he begrudgingly handed the unconscious witch to her. Gritting his teeth as every single cell of his weak body fought against giving his Bride up. Before imprisonment the thought of finding his Bride had horrified him. One woman for the rest of his very long life? He never understood why the gods designed most Loreans with one predestined mate. He had no desire to be tied down for all eternity. But that was before, with the sight and smell of the witch, he understood why so many immortals searched tirelessly for their mates.
With Bonnie in her arms, she precariously carried her to the bed near the back of the plane. Laying her gently down, she grabbed a moist towel, wiping the blood off her best friend's face. She spoke softly to her unconscious friend, ignoring that the other immortals could totally hear her, "I'm so sorry Bonnie, I shouldn't have let you come on this mission. I knew it was too dangerous. I knew."
Absorbed in caring for her best friend, she barely heard Elijah approach her, wiping at her eyes, she glanced up at the poised immortal, inquiring curtly, "What?"
Elijah took a step back, immediately deciding against comforting the fierce Valkyrie. "I was hoping to inquire if you happen to have anything for us to consume, we can't be weak in case we are surprised by more of those despicable scientists."
Calling out to Stefan, so she wouldn't have to move from Bonnie's side, "Do you happen to know where we placed all that spare blood?"
Stefan, forcing himself to tear his eyes away from the female Mikaelson, answered calmly, "I packed them away in the back."
Moving carefully through the group of injured immortals, he removed bags of blood from the mini fridge cuddled into the right side of the bed, Caroline had laid Bonnie on. Wincing again at the bright neon green colors that the room was decorated in, he'd asked Caroline about the horrid design when they'd first boarded the aircraft, she'd shrugged and mentioned that her Aunt Regin had an extremely warped sense of humor.
Filling his arms with bags of O-, he made his way out to the injured vampires. Passing a bag to one of the brothers, who'd barely spoken, Finn, he believed his name was. Throwing one in the direction of the younger one, Kol, who's gaze was still locked on Bonnie, the bag thudded against his chest and Stefan shifted deliberately, blocking his view of the young witch. Despite having known the young witch for only a few short weeks, he felt extremely protective towards her, and was not going to let a Mikaelsson, anywhere near her. He moved on, politely handing another blood bag to the second eldest, Elijah, easily the most approachable. Looking to the injured hybrid still in his arms, he handed an extra bag to Elijah, to feed the hybrid. He approached the bright couch towards the front of the plane, closest to the cockpit, where the only female Mikaelsson was resting. His newly blooded heart was painful in his chest, his Bride was so skinny, having been deprived of nourishment for the last seventy years. Sitting next to her, he gently lifted her head, and guided the blood bag to her lips, waiting until she'd drained the bag before throwing it carelessly over his shoulder. She blinked open her murky eyes, blue with tendrils of red streaking out from her pupil, stuttering out, "Thank you." Before passing out again, Stefan did not move from where he sat, Rebekah's head resting on his lap and her blonde hair falling between them.
Once all the immortals, including the unconscious hybrid, had consumed their blood bags they looked to the Valkyrie that appeared to be running the show, their faces blatantly displaying curiosity and suspicion. She was surprised by how quickly their health seemed to improve with the aid of a single blood bag, some of their gauntness was gone, their cheeks filling slightly, they would be completely healed if they were to feed completely. It was that dark thought that snapped Caroline back into business mode.
Gesturing for Elijah to move closer, bringing the healthier siblings into the cockpit. Katerina was lounging in the captain's seat, her painted-on-jeans on full display as her feet were popped up on the console, she was filing her dark red nails with a dismissiveness that made Caroline almost believe that they hadn't been in one of the most harrowing rescues of all time. However, after the three weeks that she'd spent with the Sorceress, she knew that her "I couldn't care less" demeanor was all a facade. She in fact cared too much what people thought of her, caused by her numerous heartaches in the past, she'd built an almost impenetrable exterior to keep others out. She'd discovered this all by the involuntary flinches and long searching looks when she thought no one was looking. Caroline had seen her aunts do the same thing, especially Regin. Regin the last of the radiant ones, had learned to count by the vampire scars left on her mother. Knocking her feet off the console, she sat in the opposite seat, turning the chair to face the legendary immortals.
"I suppose you'd like to know who we are, and why we're here." Exhaling an exasperated sigh, taking out that many humans with mystical weapons wore on her, and she couldn't wait to catch some sleep. The three immortals nodded, Katerina had returned to filing her nails.
"My name is Caroline, I'm a member of the Valkyrie coven of New Orleans, the vampire in the back, is Stefan Salvatore," Stefan stiffly raised his hand, not moving as Rebekah's head was cuddled in his lap, "The young, mortal witch is my best friend Bonnie Bennett, and the sorceress is Katerina Petrova." Kat didn't even glance up.
Caroline continued, almost managing to ignore the stiff stances of the three Mikaelsson brothers that stood before her, "We are the chosen champions of Veritas, handpicked by Nïx the Ever Knowing herself, to find the hybrid and vampire king and return them to their thrones."
Kol spoke first, his voice filled with mischief, "And why in the world would Veritas need to rescue Niklaus and Elijah? If anything, I would think you would rather leave us all to rot for another hundred years."
Elijah nodded in agreement, his warm eyes turning cold in an instant, be careful of that one, Caroline thought. "Veritas needs a legitimate heir to the Vampire throne, and right now your brother is the lesser of two evils. Mikael has reigned in his stead since Elijah's disappearance and has brought utter havoc to the city. He constantly wars against the Hybrids still loyal to Klaus and has caused panic to grip the Quarter. He and his henchmen drain tourists in the street, causing New Orleans to become an even more dangerous place. The Mortal Council petitioned Veritas and we agreed."
Kol spoke again, "So now that you've rescued us, what's to stop us from draining you dry and returning home?"
Caroline couldn't contain her laughter, even Kat chuckled at the arrogant immortal, "Because the second you make a move towards me, Katerina will have you seeing your worst nightmares made real, and…" Moving so quickly that they couldn't track her until her voice came from behind Kol, and her sword was placed at his throat, "I'd have lobbed your heads off the second you underestimated me."
Relaxing, she pushed the younger Mikaelsson towards the older two, before sauntering back to the enclosed bedroom in the rear of the jet, Kat close on her heels.
Elijah sighed deeply, falling into the chair that had just been vacated by the Queen of Illusions. "We do as they say; we owe them a blood debt for breaking us out. And if what they say is true, we must save all our strength for Mikael." Leaning into the seat attempt to rest his eyes comfortably for the first time in seventy years, Finn took the co-captain's seat, and Kol moved to sleep on the opposite couch that Niklaus had been laid on. Not before he'd hissed at the unfamiliar vampire holding his sister, the vampire hissed back with far more protective venom than Kol's. He raised his eyebrows in surprise at the action. This vampire clearly had a death wish, making enemies with a Mikaelson.
Kol had met the soothsayer, Nucking Futs Nïx, once in the bayou over a century ago. She'd shaken her finger at him, when he hissed at her, saying glibly, "Be careful, Kol Mikaelson, and heed this, when your Bride's death seems imminent, remember that the darkness does not stare back, it winks." To this day, he had no idea what she meant, shrugging it off as Nïx being well, Nïx. But he did know that she did absolutely nothing without purpose, she'd given him and he was guessing two of his siblings their predestined mates, if Elijah's glares of longing at the Sorceress and the way Stefan was holding Rebekah were any indication. He wondered what the rest of her intricate web would reveal and knowing deep down this was far from over.
Waking up to the puke worthy interior of the plane, she winced at the mending of her broken bones from the night before. Her fractured wrist was mostly healed and the long gash along her back a faded scar by now. It's awesome to be immortal.
The filtered sunlight came through the small plane windows, both Bonnie and Katerina were in bed with her, all three cuddled up against the chill. It was funny how easily the sorceress had melded into their friendship, as if she was always meant to be there. Coming closer to Bonnie, she noticed that her breathing was even and her sleep was no longer deathlike. Shaking her slightly, Caroline nearly cried at Bonnie's husky, "Five more minutes…"
Kat turned onto her side, continuing to sleep, Sorceri were a physically weaker species of immortals, so she'd sleep as long as Bonnie did. Their physical weakness was the reason the Sorceri clad themselves in armor from head to toe, revering gold over all other metals, making up for what other immortals were born with. Caroline snuck out of the back room, closing the door silently shut behind her. The rest of the immortals were still resting, the hybrid king appeared to have moved from unconsciousness to a fitful sleep, the blood seeping into the neon yellow couch, becoming soaked with his blood. Silently moving to the hybrid's side, with his face finally clear of blood she was surprised to see how devastatingly gorgeous he was. With dark sandy hair, and a face that would make angels weep in jealously, he was the hybrid king that people both feared, and coveted. He was everything her aunts had warned her against, but I can't very well let him bleed out some more onto this couch, can I?
Grabbing spare paper towels from the bathroom, she pulled up the Henley shirt he was dressed in and looked at the staples beginning to tear at his healing skin, when he tossed in his sleep. Pulling out a pair of pliers that she'd stolen from that perverted lab, for just this occasion, she carefully began to remove the bloody staples from the hybrid's healing skin. She was almost to the final staple that was lodged at the base of his sternum, when his glowing ice blue eyes, his irises rimmed with blood red, snapped open, his need for blood and his need for her, became tangled together for a brief second. Unable to distinguish between the two, he lunged forward, and attacked.
Stunned the hybrid could even open his eyes with his injuries, she didn't sense his hands moving to her arms and yanking her throat to his mouth. She became completely apprised of the situation when his fangs breached her skin, and the surprising amount of pleasure it gave her for the briefest of seconds. The feel of his fangs imbedded in her neck was so shockingly erotic, she moaned loudly before remembering where she was. Outraged and dismayed at being taken unaware, Aunt Regin would have a field day. She shoved the hybrid off her, breaking away from the leech that had taken her blood. It was almost difficult, he was inherently strong, but he was still weakened greatly. Reaching for her short sword, she moved towards him tempted to hack off his idiotic head and be done with it. Elijah caught her sword hand before it could strike the blow.
Looking at her bleeding neck, he winced, his voice morose, "I apologize for that, my brother… he doesn't know what he's doing. I'm sorry but spare him. Please."
Glaring at the elegant brother through narrowed eyes, nodding her head silently, she jerked out of his hold, heading for the cockpit, the sooner they were back at the bayou the better. She was so enraged, mostly at herself, she didn't hear the broken voice whisper to Elijah, "Protect her. At all costs." Before he passed out again.
The sunny sky smiled down at them, and she prepared the plane for take-off. Caroline hated that the sunny sky was there, that it existed at all, when her mood was so turbulent. She was muttering to herself, ignoring the fact that Finn sat in the co-pilot seat, and heard every word. "Stupid girl, know better, how many times has Annika said? Stupid leeches."
Finn tactfully did not comment and sat silently the plane began to speed up, preparing to take off. Taking a cue from him, she sat in stony silence, as the plane took off. They reached cruising altitude before she noticed that Finn had clutched his chair so tightly that he was leaving deep imprints in it. "What's your problem?" She snapped.
Finn was quiet for a beat before he asked in a shaky voice, "How are we in the air right now?"
Caroline almost hit herself for another oversight, "Duh! Sorry forgot about the seventy years in prison thing." Airplanes, especially private ones, where not a common experience for immortals before they were taken. With Finn listening attentively, she attempted to explain basic aeronautics, and tried to cover other basic technological upgrades handing him her iPhone, so he could see for himself. Glancing covertly at the stoic immortal, she recalled the rumors whispered about the reasons he'd removed himself out of the line of succession, letting his younger brother, the methodical and cool Elijah, take the throne in his place. The rumors were his Father did not approve of his Bride, and issued an ultimatum, forcing Finn to either give her up or abdicate. Only Mikael would be so arrogant as to believe that he could be more powerful than Fate. He abdicated immediately and devoted his time to loving his Bride. Caroline was sure, there were more to the story, but it was an intimate thing to ask a stranger.
He was flipping through games when Bonnie came into the cockpit, sliding the door closed behind her. With a breath of relief, she leaned on Caroline's chair, her color was better and Caroline felt the crushing worry about her lessen slightly.
Finn, sensing they wished to be alone and took her iPhone into the back, ignoring Caroline's protests, closing the cockpit behind him. Bonnie plopped into his vacant seat, considering Caroline, "Sorry for scaring you last night Care."
Caroline breathed deeply as the terrifying scene played on a loop in her head, "You should have told me that you were exhausted from all the magic that you'd used. I would never push you to put yourself in danger, you know that Bon. I would have found another way to save the plane."
Snorting, Bonnie threw her feet on the dash, Katerina was obviously a bad influence. "No, you wouldn't have, and we would have been totally screwed."
Yep, Kat is definitely a bad influence. Caroline shrugged, neither confirming nor denying, but she felt that Bonnie was right, on all accounts. The young witch was quiet for a moment, gazing pensively as the ocean flew beneath them. She crossed her arms, and then uncrossed them again, a nervous tick betraying her inner anxiety. A tell Caroline knew well, she was uncomfortable. Caroline looked at her one eyebrow raised, "Something up Bon?"
Bonnie shifted again in her seat before spilling the beans, "It's weird you know? We try to stop an evil by rescuing an evil that is just a little less evil. The fact that Nix sent us here, makes no sense. Why did it have to be the four of us?"
Caroline had the same thought many times while traveling here, "Who knows why Nix does anything? I know to follow her instructions, and that's it." There was always a method to her aunt's madness. It just sometimes too centuries to be fully realized.
Bonnie sighed again, moving her arms up to cushion her head with her hands. "I just don't know what's going to happen when we get home, I just get the feeling that this is far from over."
Caroline shook of the involuntary shudder at Bonnie's words, concentrating on the plane again. Return the hybrid to New Orleans, mission over. That's all she'd signed up for, that was all she'd be involved with. A sense of foreboding cascaded over her when it came to the Mikaelsons, requiring her to keep their interaction to a minimum. Rescue the king, return him to Veritas, go on long deserved vacation.
Bonnie gazed out again, standing only briefly to use the restroom and to get snacks from the back. Her snack run resulted in her radiating annoyance on her return to the cockpit. Heaving a loud breath, she plopped down into the co-pilot seat, a green tube of Sour Cream and Onion Pringles clutched in her hand, her favorite stress eating snack.
Bonnie flipped a Pringle into her mouth, before asking, "What's that guy's problem anyway?"
Caroline could make an educated guess about who she was talking about, Kol. "What happened?" Caroline kept her voice carefully neutral, not betraying her knowledge of Bonnie's new status as a princess of vampires and Bride to Kol. She would do nothing to push them together, relying on Bonnie's own hatred of vampires to keep them apart.
Bonnie shrugged, not realizing she was inhaling the Pringles. "Nothing. But the whole time that I was back there he was staring at me as if he was going to either jump me or kill me. As if he was flickering between the two the whole time. It's irritating." She huffed slumping down into her seat, still munching on the chips.
Caroline's mind blanked for a second on how to proceed, obviously Kol didn't tell the young witch about her new status, Caroline knew her best friend well, and pushing Bonnie towards the leech by telling her was the opposite of a good idea. From what Caroline knew of Kol Mikaelson he probably resented Fate deciding he was to be with one woman for the rest of his immortal life. Before he'd become immortal, he had been a skirt chaser, often never seeing the same woman twice. A Vampire's Bride was everything to their species, a sign from Fate that it was the one person you could be happy with. But the pairings were anything but smooth, especially if they hailed from two different species. For some reason, Fate has decided that Kol would never be satisfied without Bonnie. Bonnie would feel guilty if she knew that he would never be happy without her, compelling her to give him a chance. Freyja help her, if that happened.
Caroline buried her inner through process, shrugging deceptively, "Maybe he was just waiting for you to let your guard down and suck your blood, like that bastard hybrid did to me." She could not completely veil the disgust in her tone, and it was enough to cause even Bonnie's hatred for the vampire species to the fore. She scoffed at the healing skin on Caroline's neck, and made fake retching sounds.
A few minutes later, Kat joined them, with a similar huff of irritation. She didn't delve the source of her frustration, she never did, but Caroline felt a shiver of foreboding about why Nix had chosen such a random group of immortals for this rescue mission. Nïx was legendary for sending Valkyrie's off on missions only for them to blood someone or become someone's mate like Emma and her aunt Myst.. She was pissed for not thinking of it before. Bonnie blooded Kol, she thought with shuddering in disgust, Stefan was blooded by the female Mikaelsson, that pairing she didn't mind so much, she wanted him happy, and judging by Katerina's irritation, the formal Elijah had rubbed her the wrong way. She'd bet that each of them were to blood one of the Mikaelsons. That bitch!
Flipping on autopilot, grabbing her emergency pack she headed for the back of the plane. She didn't glance at any of the Mikaelsons as she stomped to the back room, hoping that the silencer spell Bonnie had placed on the room, would hold up. Digging through her pack, she grabbed the sat phone, and two things of nail polish preparing herself to full on blow up at her aunt. The bitch had set her up! She'd set all of them up! Did she bother to ask if they were ready to be in relationships? No! Caroline was only forty years old! She wanted to have fun, to go on more missions, to gain a page in the Book of Warriors, there was so much more she wanted to do. Stuff she couldn't do, if a hybrid would be following her, with the deluded idea that she was his mate!
She dialed the number she'd known since preschool and waited as the phone at Val Hall rang. Placing the sat phone to her ear, she shook the nail polish and began to paint her nails with A List red. Nïx answered on the second ring. "Hello! Chicky Chick! How'd the rescue go?"
Caroline tried to take a deep breath before she blew up, "Aunt Nix, did you send the four of us, not because of our stellar credentials, but because we happened to be the mates of the entire Mikaelson Family?!" and the calmness she'd been striving for, flew out the window.
She heard Nïx shaking a bottle of nail polish on the other end, preparing herself for a long chat, the Valkyrie loved nail polish, since it was the only way they could alter their appearance. "Well, Caro, I sent you and your friends on this little vacay, because I needed the hybrid king to be on his throne, to stop Mikael's plans from coming to fruition." Another shake of the bottle, "I knew that the witch needed something that would help her gain control of her powers, enter a former playboy prince with destructive tendencies, who's a lightning rod for her powers. The Ripper, to be honest his brooding face was starting to get on my nerves so I sent him off to find his Bride, simple enough. The sorceress was a tricky one, I needed her to pick a side in this battle, she could be a very crucial ally, so I sent her to become the Bride of one of the most noble leeches in history, one who is sure to side with Veritas."
Nïx paused, and Caroline prodded her on, "And me? Your own niece sent like a brood mare to become the mate of a half dog/half leech?!"
Nïx sucked in a breath, appalled, "As if I would ever send my niece to such a fate. He defies foresight my dear, I couldn't tell you if you were his mate even if I wanted to. I sent you to be a leader to these lost souls, to bring them back safely, and get you away from the coven for a while."
Caroline was surprised that her aunt hadn't intentionally set her up, and she knew she could be freaking out over nothing. There was a very big chance that she wasn't even the hybrid's mate, since she would just make him miserable. Managing to relax herself enough to thank Nïx before hanging up and heading back to the cockpit. On the walk forward she took the time to study the Mikaelsons spread out on the four couches.
Rebekah cuddled into the side of Stefan, who was reading a newspaper quietly to her, both the picture of domestic bliss. Caroline stuck her tongue out at Stefan childishly on an impulse, but to her surprise he returned the gesture. Maybe Rebekah would help loosen him up a bit, lighten the shadow of memories always present in his eyes. It must be so much easier when you knew instinctively you were destined for each other. Most same species couples acted like Stefan and Rebekah, the easy companionship of a confirmed fated bond. While others…
Elijah stared blankly at another newspaper, laid out in front of him, trying to subtly glance every few moments at the closed cockpit door. Agonizing over every second that it remained locked against him. Flashes of resentment and burning lust mixed in, giving her the feeling that this wasn't the first time that Elijah had encountered Kat. The cool and composed Elijah was quickly becoming unraveled by the saucy sorceress. She'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy watching him coming undone, just a little. Kol was the worst, he'd combed his hand through his hair at least a dozen times in the last minute, looking in the exact opposite direction of the cockpit door, trying to prove that he could care less about Bonnie's whereabouts. Prove to who exactly? His tense posture gave him away instantly, she almost felt bad for the leech.
Finn, looking up from her iPhone, a genuine smile on his face when he waved, going back to gazing at the phone. There was a pretty good change she was never getting it back. She barely spared a glance at the unconscious hybrid, noticing that he'd stopped bleeding and appeared to be fitful, as he grew back his organs. Re-growing them was almost as painful as losing them, and she personally hoped he was experiencing was especially painful, he deserved it after the way he'd tried to make her lunch! Scoffing at herself, how had she ever thought of herself as his mate? What hybrid would ever lay his hands on his mate in anger, and try to suck their blood? None. The fact that he'd sipped even a few drops of her blood, made her feel the need to take three showers with a piece of lava as a loofah.
Moving quickly the rest of the way to the cockpit, pulling the door shut behind her. Her hurried pace, garnered a delicately raised eyebrow from Katerina, and a questioning look from Bonnie. She ignored both, shooing Kat from her seat, so she could take the plane off auto pilot and begin her descent into Louisiana. Get the two kings to New Orleans, then get out.
After a rather bumpy landing at an airstrip just outside of New Orleans, Caroline winced when she stood up. Note to self: get more flying lessons from Aunt Cara.
Gingerly massaging her back, walking to the back of the plane to alert the Mikaelsons. She wished she had a camera to capture the look of terror on their faces, despite Finn having explained to them about the plane, they all looked frozen in their seats, several of them leaving their hand prints permanently molded to the interior. Snickering before moving to the back room and slinging on her pack, grabbing her three companions' packs as well. Tossing Stefan's in his general direction, handing off the other two, as they came out of the cockpit. With the reappearance of the two women, Elijah and Kol were once again rigid.
Elijah shifted towards Katerina as if he wanted to speak with her; however, before he could open his mouth she gave him a withering glare, turning away, but a flash of indecision and regret displayed on her face that only Caroline saw. She's hiding something. Kol was doing his best to avoid looking at Bonnie and trying to look at her at the same time. Stefan tucked Rebekah under his arm and lead her off the plane, the vampire couple oblivious to the massive amount of tension.
Strapping her pack around her waist, disembarking from the plane. The landing strip was eerily empty, and the lack of any kind of life, not even cicadas humming in the trees, sent a shiver of suspicion up Caroline's spine. Grabbing her sat phone in one hand, she closed the private plane's door with the other. Waving at the other immortals to be quiet, she dialed in to Val Hall. Aunt Regin picked up on the first ring.
Shouting over what sounded like bomb blasts in the background, "Hey little niece! This isn't exactly the best time!" Her usually unflappable aunt sounded slightly frantic.
Caroline cuddled the phone to her ear, pulling out her other short sword, keeping them at the ready. Transferring unease onto her companions. All of them forced Elijah, who'd flung the injured Klaus over his shoulder, closer to the plane, forming a semi-circle of protection around the two kings. "No kidding! Something's not right here too, just landed and something's… off." Caroline called.
Regin continued to shout over the attack, "Well, better find somewhere safe to hole up, we have an army belonging to Mikael marching on Val Hall! Number one priority is protecting those leeches! Oh shit!"
A clashing sound, followed by a dial tone, she assumed that her aunt had dropped the phone, in combat. No worry assailed her, Regin had survived far worse predicaments and she didn't have time to idly worry. She had her own troubles.
Hair raised on the back of her neck, glancing longingly towards the SUV that was left behind by her aunts for her return. Sitting there for almost twenty-four hours, the possibility that their enemies had gotten to it, placing explosives, was simply too high to risk. Looking to the left, the bayou woods were thick and would be easy to lose anyone who attempted to follow them.
Jerking her head in the direction of the woods, cautiously moving the group towards the swamps. Halfway to safety, she heard the shout of war, shortly before fire came raining down, breaking into a sprint, they headed for the safety of the woods, the fire demons repeatedly summoned the balls in their hands and launching them. One deadly ball of fire headed directly for Bonnie, Caroline screaming her name, but Bonnie's mortal reflexes were too slow to move out of the way in time. Caroline was too far, but she ran forward anyway. She was too far, and the ball too close.
Just before the fire was about to roast Bonnie alive, Kol lunged in front of her, taking the fire ball to his chest. Groaning in pain as the fire burned away his flesh, Bonnie lurched forward, catching the falling Kol in her arms, reaching around his body to throw out a bolt of magic in retaliation. several of the closest demons disintegrate to ash at her strike, their remains swirling in the humid air. She didn't even bother to bask in her unreliable magic coming through, she quickly looped Kol's arm around her neck. Continuing forward with the group, luckily making it to the woods before any more fireballs hit their party. The demons had retreated at Bonnie's almost effortless destruction of their brethren, most likely to regroup before continuing their pursuit.
Taking a deep breath of relief, enclosed by the dense woods, Caroline kept them moving forward at a grueling pace for several hours, until Bonnie was about to pass out on her feet, and pleaded for a respite.
Caroline glanced around at the bayou nervously, the feeling of being watched lessening, but the need to get away from the hybrid had not. Peering anxiously at her surroundings, stomping hard on the ground, making sure it was solid enough to sleep on, and agreeing that they could stop for a rest. She slung her pack off her shoulders, rolling them from the relief of its weight.
The unseen cicadas hummed loudly now, drowning out the other ominous sounds from the Louisiana swamp. The thick humidity felt like a sweltering blanket the farther they'd moved, all of them drenched in sweat. Ignoring her companions, she pulled her shirt off, leaving her bra to cover herself, and wrung the sweat from her shirt. Living with the loud, immodest Valkyrie, she'd never been trained to be shy of her body, she also knew how good she looked, standing there with her shorts crinkled with sweat, and her expensive bra cupping her generous breasts. It was only when compared to her ethereal aunts by a third party did her insecurities set in.
Pulling the wrung-out shirt back on, looking back to her party, all of them seemed to be intensely focused on their separate tasks. Elijah was trying hard to not look in the direction of Kat, who was purposefully bent at the waist, causing her shorts to hike up, digging through her pack. When she straightened, she sent a smirk of triumph in Caroline's direction, and Caroline couldn't help but smile back. Kat, renowned in Lore for being a vicious tease was going to lead him on a merry chase, a part of Caroline almost felt a twinge of sympathy for the King of the Vampires. Poor guy had no idea the kind of vixen that fate had paired him with, Caroline was going to enjoy this. The staunch Elijah being brought low by a sorceress? She could sell tickets to this.
Glancing around, she sighed at their circumstances, wandering aimlessly through a swamp, avoiding fire demons and gods knows what else. For the first time in her life she needed advice, and because her aunts were under attack or busy with other things, the only people she had on hand were: a witch, sorceress, four legendary vampires, and a Ripper. Lucky me.
She cautiously approached the fire that Bonnie summoned, pulling the injured Kol closer to it. They surrounded the fire seeking some familiar comfort, a type of comfort that was almost a foreign entity to most of their party now. Crossing her legs, she plopped down, between Kat and Bonnie. No one spoke, which she found strange, for being siblings they sure didn't act like it, she expected mindless chatter and teasing.
Clearing her throat, gaining the attention of the group, "I was supposed to deliver the hybrid and vampire kings to New Orleans, hiding you both within my Coven, a place Mikael would never dare enter until it was time to strike. However, my Coven is no longer an option. We need somewhere to hide, and quickly. Anyplace related to the Valkyrie is compromised. The reason I bring this up is," deep breath, "Any suggestions?"
The fire crackled loudly, putting them all on edge. Rebekah, who'd regrown most of her organs, looking healthier by the minute glanced at her two injured brothers, before speaking. "I might know a place. If it is still standing after all these years." She was leaning back into Stefan's chest, using him for support and warmth. He twirled a lock of her blonde hair around a finger, savoring its silky texture. Had he ever felt anything so soft?
Caroline centered her attention on the blonde vampire, waiting for her to elaborate. However, it was Elijah that continued, "It's an old plantation, near here, but it might be destroyed by now."
Every word was ringing bells in her head, "Are you talking about a big white plantation house, with oak trees that line all down its dirt road?"
Finn nodded this time, had she thought that they didn't act like siblings? Each sibling spoke in turn, like they shared a hive brain, all instinctively attuned to the other.
Caroline nodded, "Well good news is, we're really close if we are thinking of the same place. Bad news is, it's a public place, you have to book a tour, so I doubt that we'd be safe there."
Rebekah spoke again, each word dripping with undisguised malice, "Believe me, Valkyrie, the humans will be no problem for us."
Caroline jumped up in disgust and outrage by the blatant desire to kill that was flickering in Rebekah's eyes, "No! No way in hell, will I take you there to slaughter a bunch of innocent people!"
Just as she was about to storm off in a huff, Elijah's calm voice washed over her, "I vow to the Lore to not harm a single human beneath the plantation's roof."
Caroline whipped around, a vow to the Lore was utterly binding, physically and mentally, if Elijah was required to protect himself from humans while there, the vow would prevent him from doing it. Elijah glanced at Finn who continued, "I too vow to the Lore, to not harm a single human beneath the plantation's roof."
Both Elijah and Finn looked to their little sister, who repeated the vow with the biggest pout on her face, "I vow to the Lore to not harm a single human beneath the plantation's roof." Stefan placed a soft kiss into her hair when she finished.
Caroline returned to her seat satisfied, but she was surprised when the injured Kol muttered the broken words as well, "I vow to the Lore," hacking cough of pain, "to not harm a single human beneath the plantation's roof." With his vow uttered, he looked up at Bonnie, who was gazing at him at surprise and confusion. Caroline did not see the utter vulnerability on his face that Bonnie saw, that moved her on a soul deep level. Caroline didn't stop the disgusted scoff at Bonnie's softening, which caused the witch to move away from the prince.
Caroline transferred her irritation at the still unconscious hybrid, his forehead dripping sweat, she purposefully looked away, he wasn't worth her time.
Her voice, clear with authority she announced, "We'll move towards the plantation in a couple hours, once Kol is able to walk again."
The white plantation was exactly as Caroline remembered from when she was young, Annika planned a day for just Caroline. Taking her for a day to experience a life of mortality, they had sipped mint juleps on the porch and watched the mortals gape at the plantation. It was still one of her fondest memories. The oaks still lined the streets, leading to the stately house. Looking at the picturesque landscape and manor, she would have expected nothing less of the vampire royal family. She'd heard their tastes had run towards extravagant.
Opening the door, the dark interior greeted them, Caroline reached blindly for the light switch before flicking it on. The bright lights caused them all to wince, before they wordlessly broke up to double check the house for any surprise visitors. Satisfied that they wouldn't be attacked in their sleep, she trudged upstairs heading for the master's suite. Unhooking the red velvet ropes that surrounded the centuries old furniture, she plunged face first onto the fluffy duvet. Hearing an identical landing next to her, she turned her head. Kat, landed next to her, falling asleep almost immediately. She envied Katherine's ability to shut it all out, to let nothing but her immediate goal consumes her.
At a soft knock at the door, she pulled herself up to see Bonnie standing nervously at the door to the bedroom. Curious about why the witch hadn't face planted into bed with them, she asked softly, "What's up Bon?"
Bonnie picked at her cuticles, looking anywhere but at her. Alarm bells going off in her head. "Bonnie?"
Finally, the dark-haired girl looked at her, "Promise not to hate me, Care?"
Swallowing deeply, she followed the ebony girl into the hallway, shutting the master door behind her. All the other immortals had retired to different rooms in the massive house, the only light still on was the hallway. Bonnie twitched with her nerves, "I just want to make sure he's okay through the night Care, he saved my life."
The alarm bells that were ringing in her head before were blaring now, with the words RED ALERT flashing. "You stay away from the leech, Bonnie. He's not good enough for you. He could save your life a million times and still not be worthy of you."
Her borderline condescending speech had the opposite effect, instead of being cowed to seeing her way of thinking, Bonnie got stubborn and indignant instead. "Don't tell me what to do Care. You're not my mother, no matter what you say I'm going to do what I feel is right. And right now, that is checking on Kol and making sure he doesn't die from his injuries during the night."
Scrambling to think of another tactic, if commanding her wouldn't work, maybe the harsh truth would. Before she could think better of it, she blurted out, "You know you're his Bride, right? So if you go in there to look after him, for even a second, you're giving him a sign that you would be receptive to his advances. You would never be rid of him!"
Bonnie displayed no surprise at this revelation, only seemed more determined.
Caroline fell back a step, in shock, "You knew? That you were his Bride?"
"I didn't know for sure, but I suspected. Really, Caroline? By reputation alone the Dark Prince Kol should have left me to roast at that fireball. In fact, he should have thrown me in front of it! But instead he sacrificed himself, lunging in front of me to save my life. It was an educated guess."
Caroline stuttered stating, "And you're still going to go to him?" He would never let her go if she went willingly to him.
Bonnie nodded resolutely.
"Well then, Bonnie Bennett don't come crying to me, when he breaks your heart. Everything from now on you chose." She retorted harshly.
Turning on her heel, storming into the suite, slamming the door behind her. The slam even caused the heavy sleeper Kat to jolt awake, as did the pacing that Caroline continued to do for the next two hours. The budding relationship between the prince and her best friend, caused havoc with her internal moral compass, one thing she had always been able to tell, what was right and what was wrong. The longer she stayed in the company of these vampires the more her compass was becoming skewed. Two warring thoughts flashed through her mind, her as a young Valkyrie with her golden hair plaited into braids, sitting before the fire of Val Hall, listening to her Aunt Regin tell her the story of how her entire race, The Radiant Ones, were extinguished by vampires and how leeches could never be trusted. The other memory pulled at her, the way Kol had cradled Bonnie when she passed out and how he hadn't thought twice before putting her safety above everything, even his own life. Muttering to herself, she heard Kat trying to get comfortable as Caroline paced, lost in thought.
Eventually, Kat chucked a pillow at the blonde, pulling her out of her brooding state, "Okay, what the hell Caroline? Can a girl get some beauty rest around here?"
Caroline looked at the woman who exuded sexuality and infamous for being a backstabber, but proved to be a loyal ally in the past weeks, "It's Bonnie, she's going to watch over Kol during the night."
She resumed pacing, as Kat waited for her to continue, when it was clear the blonde was lost in her own thoughts again, Kat gestured blankly in front of her in confusion, "And that's bad because…"
Whipping around to face the sorceress, "Because it is! Not only is he a leech, but he's also the Prince of leeches! And she's his Bride! Do you think that if she gives him even the slightest encouragement, he's ever going to let her go?"
Katerina shook her head again, this time in disbelief, "I took you for an intelligent creature, clearly I was wrong."
Kat trailed off in disappointment, Caroline's eyes narrowed in confusion at the dark-haired sorceress, "What the hell does that mean?"
Kat smirked at the Valkyrie, explaining in annoyingly practical tone, "Bonnie Bennett, despite being a witch, and an extremely powerful one at that, is not an idiot, nor is she the meek mouse you see. When you look at her you still see the vulnerable, young girl that once followed weakly behind you when you busted down my front door. Newsflash Valkyrie! That's not even close to who she is anymore. When I look at her, what I see is a young witch, who's powers are becoming easier for her to control, and herself becoming a creature which one does not fuck. If Bonnie wanted the little leech gone, she could take care of it herself."
Caroline hated that Kat's words made sense, she wanted to stay angry, she wanted to protect her friend from the emotional damage Kol was sure to cause her. But the sorceress was right, she needed to trust that Bonnie knew what she was doing and could handle herself. With a weary sigh, climbing into bed next to Kat and slowly drifted into a fitful sleep.