Ch 12

In the following days, Caroline found herself quite often in the company of Trevor or running into her friend and one of the brothers. On this particular day, which had grown quite hot. She had been out for a pleasant walk which quickly turned into a trial. Trevor had 'accidentally' found her walking the grounds and now proceeded to mindlessly chatter beside Caroline.

The man proved to be quite an odd case. Telling her his life story without any prompting from herself. He'd ask after her life story which she found ways to circumvent back to him with little sharing on her part.

She found his attention to her odd. If they had been at court, perhaps she would have welcomed it. At present... it's not him... a small voice protested in her head. What did any of that matter anyway?! These men are monsters.

And yet, she could not rid herself from thoughts of Klaus. God, how she wished she could. The more time she spent in his company the more she felt affected by him. By the sight of his dimples when she offered a lively retort. Or how charming he appeared when he flashed that mischievous smile her way. And on the days he'd speak to her of things that sounded so wonderful like the far-off places she could only dream of, she found herself longing to join in on those adventures. Wondered at what he could possibly show her of the world. He spoke to her like an equal, as if she were someone of value and not just a poor girl from a disgraced family. A being with wants and dreams, ideas that were useful.

She was no stranger to this wanting, to wish that she could know him with all her heart and mind. She had been in love once or twice. Pining for the man across the room, willing them to just...look at her. God, would anyone look for her? Cast their eyes across the room in hopes that they would find her? Why was it never her?

And now that Katerina appeared, like a long forgotten ghost that had always wandered these halls. Suddenly there like she used to be. Right by her side or off capturing anyone's attention that she had deemed worthy. And as much as she loved her friend, Klaus was right. How she envied the attention Kat received. She could never compete with her, nor would she ever.

In the darkest, most hidden part of her mind, she could admit to herself that she coveted the monster that held her captive here. Wondering at what being a monster like him would be like. She had a vague feeling that it would be liberating. A sense of freedom she had never known. Rules did not apply to these men. They could go and do anything their heart desired.

However, seeing Elijah with her friend put a balm to her confusing and dark feelings. He genuinely looked enamored. And to Caroline's immense surprise, Kat looked much the same. Her friend had been acting quite different around him than she did with Klaus. With Klaus, she appeared just as manipulative as she always was. Around his brother, she opened up much as she would around Caroline, maybe more. And to see her friend allowing that vulnerable openness to creep out in ways Caroline had barely glimpsed-it was an utter shock.

"Caroline?" Trevor's mildly concerned voice broke through her thoughts in a most unpleasant way.

"Yes?" She asked with little concern.

"I have no clue where your mind ran off to just now, but I wanted to express my sympathies to you."

What in heavens name was he talking about now? A quizzical look passed over her face, "Pardon my inattentiveness, would you kindly repeat your sympathies?" Lord only knew what these supposed sympathies could be. The man had a funny way of expressing himself after all.

"For your friend. I understand that the two of you are quite close. You must feel terrible about the sacrifice."

Sacrifice? Her gut twisted at the word, surely this was another one of his odd ways of speaking. "The what?"

His face grew paler, "Oh, you did not know, then I should not have said anything." He made to walk briskly forward, a hasty retreat no doubt.

Before Caroline knew what she was doing, her arm jutted out and clutched onto his in a grip she had not realized she possessed, "Pray, if you would enlighten me a little, you have my word I will not speak of this to a soul." Her eyes bore into his conveying the truth of her words.

"I truly must not. But I will impart you with a little of it. By the next full moon, your friend will be sacrificed to lift a curse." With that, he left her alone in stunned silence.

Her body went cold, face draining of all color. This had been the reason she was searching for, the odd reason why her friend was invited to the castle. Both brothers surely knew this. There could be no way that this was a coincidence. Then why was Elijah being a perfect gentleman? Why not lock her up? What did Caroline play in this scheme? Questions whirled around in her mind till she could feel the start of a headache forming.

There was really only one way for her to get the answers she wanted, she would have to go straight to the source.

If that infuriating little wretch did not stop cornering him he would compel her to stay in her room till the sacrifice, his brother's wishes be damned. Klaus quickly opened the first door that came into his line of sight, locking it just as fast. He waited as he listened for her steps to run past and her obnoxious voice to recede further away.

A soft cough behind him set his nerves into a tense frenzy before the familiar scent of Caroline reached his nose. His muscles relaxed of their own accord as he turned to see her off to the side, that pretty blush fanning across her cheeks. In a rather delayed reaction on his part, he realized what this must have looked like.

He smirked mischievously. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" With his usual casual air, he sauntered closer to her.

Her hand found the side of her hip, "You would have a much quieter day if you went to the library, Katerina hates to read. Takes too much of her time and attention." She pushed her hair away from her shoulders in a clear dismissal at his antics. Caroline then returned to the task he had interrupted. He filed the useful information away for another day.

He marveled at her knack for knowing exactly what he was up to. It seemed a natural talent of hers to see right through him, unnerving him greatly.

He shook her words off, taking a keen interest in her activity. Several of his canvases were being unclothed and examined. His chest constricted in a bout of worry and concern. Not for the state of paintings, these being ones set aside for storage. No, this was a feeling of anxious anticipation, dread. What did she think of his work? Would she be critical of them?

The gleam in her eye worried him greatly. He could almost see the scathing remark forming in her mind. Get it over with, love.

She shook her head, and shocked him further, "Who did you have murdered for these?"

Klaus forced the laugh that threatened to escape his mouth. Would she ever cease to surprise him? Beaming at her, he replied, "You wound me, love."

Rolling those ocean eyes at him, she continued as if he had not spoken at all, "Ignore that- I would much rather know why they're collecting dust in a forgotten room? At least some of us appreciate art for its beauty." She picked one up gingerly and placed it across one of the side tables.

Klaus could not quite express what her reaction was doing to him. He felt his hands flex and clench, itching to be useful. The familiar need to create rose up in him like a slumbering beast rising for a hunt. It felt rather similar to the itching and clawing wolf inside his body. The incessant need to be complete and whole, to shift and run through the woods, the call of the moon to a locked part of his soul was more maddening than the need to put paint on a canvas. But it was a call nonetheless, one he felt much a slave to.

This pretty creature that stormed into his domain and demanded as much as she took from him was like seeing the sun for the first time, too bright and scorching, a blinding light that he had not been prepared for. Oh, how she lit a sense of wonder in him he had not felt for quite some time. Once again, he thought of what she would be like as a vampire. A monster his equal. He wanted, no, needed to see for himself all that he knew she would be capable of. Wanted to see her face light up with all the sights the world had to offer.

"What are your plans for Katerina?"

Her question intrigued him greatly. "What an interesting question, sweetheart."

She eyed him with that stare that saw too much, searched too hard for things he wished to stay buried. "Two monsters over 500 years of age do not just invite a human into their home for no reason at all. And I highly doubt it's in want of a wife." She went back to her task, looking from one of his works to the other.

He took the opportunity to get closer, leaning in to breath in her unique scent and warmth. His lips hovered next to her ear, sending gooseflesh skittering across her neck and chest, as he said, "More than just a pretty face." He straightened his back and moved to walk around the room, trying to stamp out the urge to sink his face in her golden curls. "I admire that mind of yours, Caroline. Few probably do."

Her eyes watched him carefully, assessing his movements with caution. Mouth turning up in a smirk, he continued, "What would you do if I were to tell you the truth, I wonder? Your loyalty to your friend is commendable if a bit misplaced." He ignored Caroline's indignant scoff and continued, "I'm curious, what do you think is in store for your friend?"

Caroline opened her petal pink lips to respond but soon closed them, contemplating what she would say. After a beat, she responded, "Do you plan to kill her?"

His feet pulled him towards her in a dance he knew too well, the predator and its prey. "And if I do?" He watched her chest heave on an intake of air, pulse quickening, a delicious sound. "Would you tell her?" He circled her, watching her closely. "Warn her about her impending doom? Take the risk of what I would do in retaliation?" Catching one of her long locks between his fingers, he continued, "I think you would like to see your friend gone and no longer in your way." Letting go of her hair, he stepped around to face her. "Deep down, you wish her gone for good."

Fiery eyes met calculating ones. "So you'll kill her."

"Yes."

"Why?"

He chuckled at the gall of her. Demanding answers from him. "She's a key ingredient in a spell I need. And you will do nothing about it." Her stubborn chin jutted out in a silent protest. "I recommend keeping your family in mind. I would hate to add to my list."

"Will you kill me with her? Will I be an 'ingredient' as well?" Caroline implored with more than just her words, with the challenging look in her eyes and the stark straightness of her spine. She looked like a commanding queen in that instance. And a part of him hesitated at her words. It had crossed his mind more than once, she was right here after all, ripe for the turning. He recoiled at the thought of her dying in the sacrifice, though.

Instead of commenting further, he left the room altogether.