Hey guys! Sorry for how late this came, I've been super busy with uni, and on top of that won't work whenever I try to update :/ I have no idea why!
Just some things I should probably mention. One of my lovely reviewers mentioned that the speed at which Addie turned on Marcel was probably a bit too fast considering their friendship.
IMPORTANT: I just wanted to say that is definitely true…BUT, I've done that for a particular reason. As the story progresses you'll probably come to realise that sometimes in Addie's mind the lights will be on, but there will be no one home.
Super vague, but you gotta remember that there's something else at play here. I assumed that getting hit with a tonne of dark magic so abruptly would have some emotional and mental damage, and lead to some irregular and impulsive behaviour that probably wouldn't have been very characteristic of Addie…and you'll find out why the further I get into this story, and it will even be touched on in this chapter.
So yep. I totally agree, any normal person wouldn't have switched like that, and wouldn't be so accepting of that little voice 'in her head', but it has been done for a reason so I hope it doesn't put anyone off of reading!
With that being said, I'm actually not too happy with this chapter, but it was a spur of the moment kind of thing :P
Kasuka-chan: I definitely agree! Thanks for picking up on that because I hoped that someone would J The voice will also be looked into throughout this chapter, it was a bit strange to be accepting of it but I wanted to show that she wasn't really thinking clearly after the whole thing, so she didn't really look into it at the time. Thank you for the review! Oh and not to worry, she definitely won't be! You'll see that as you learn more about her, but please kick my butt about it if it looks like it's straying into Mary-sue territory :P
Lilnightmare17: I am so so so sorry for the wait! I think after this chapter we finally get into the more interesting stuff, so this one is a bit boring, but it should finally pick up next chapter J
Guest: I'm glad you like her :D I'm trying to bring something a bit more carefree into his life, everyone is always so cautious around him, I wanted to make someone a little more laid back with him. Thanks for the review!
Roseana23: Sorry! I know it's been ages and I'll definitely be quicker next time J
SweetdreamsaremadeE: To be honest, I usually update within a month because of uni, but I've had a lot of doubts about this story and I had some difficulty with this chapter so it took me ages, I'm really sorry about that! But it's so good to hear that you like it, it means I'm doing something right haha :P Ahhh! You're from Portugal! That's so awesome, I've never met a Portuguese person before so it's really cool to know one of my readers is Portuguese!
awake untill day break: That's great, I was worried about how people would respond to it!
AngelMaree: Sorry for how long it took, but here it is!
HannahBananasxx: Thank you so much! I don't know why, but I feel really iffy about this story. I just feel like I'm not doing a good job with it and that bugs me because I really love the show :P so it's a relief to hear that you like it J
Amazeballs96: hahaha! That's an awesome idea, I could definitely see that happening! You should write this story :P I've said it a million times in these responses, but I' super sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out! I have a lot of doubts when it comes to this story, so thank you for your support! :D
Unconditionally-infinite: That was actually exactly what I wanted to do with this story! :D This might be considered a spoiler…but Addie's always going to come back to Klaus at the end of the day, there's no real competition there. I wanted a character that would be good for him, but wasn't always trying to change him. I wanted someone who generally accepted that he did some bad things. So I hope that's what you're looking for? And don't worry! I'm happy when people give me suggestion! I don't want to disappoint you guys, so definitely let me know what you want to see J
kykyxstandler: The name thingy is explained in this chapter, well done on picking it up! J Sorry this took so long!
BeaAdriana: I'm glad you enjoyed it! This one is really boring because I struggled with how boring the episode was in general haha :P Yeah there is a lot of internal conflict when it comes to Addie, she doesn't know what to think, but she isn't too happy J I personally can't stand Hayley at all, and Rebekah is one of those characters that I just don't see Addie even remotely being besties with. She likes up front people, and Rebekah is a little too manipulative for that! There will definitely be changes in her, especially the more she uses her new powers J This one is honestly really crappy, but the next one won't be (I promise!) thanks for reading!
Brookeworm3: That's good to hear! Yeah he has a whole bunch of information to offer her, so it should work out quite well…I hope :P
apocryphalpansy: That's awesome because my biggest concern is keeping them in character! I'm glad you're enjoying this, and hopefully it doesn't disappoint J
Disclaimer: See chapter 1…
Chapter 6:
Marcel had been chatting with Diego, telling the younger vampire to trust him…that Klaus hadn't really won just yet, and that they would need to be patient. That's when it happened.
To say he was stunned would be an understatement. He was shocked, appalled, confused and above all, betrayed.
To see Klaus marching into the Abattoir with a smug smirk tugging at his lips, the wolf trailing behind him and looking around curiously, was expected. But seeing Addie –his Addie- loyally walking by Klaus' side had left Marcel entirely speechless.
The dark eyes beneath his furrowed brows followed her as she completely breezed past him without even a glance in his direction. Marcel couldn't tell if she genuinely hadn't noticed him, or if she was purposely ignoring him. He didn't doubt that she was most likely still angry with him, but in truth, he was a little mad at her in return.
He was relatively understanding for a vampire. Unlike his sire he wasn't frighteningly impulsive, he didn't need to be. His followers respected him enough to not do anything that would warrant punishment. But one thing that would have gotten any other person the beating of their life, was having the nerve to snap his neck.
He wouldn't harm Addie, but he wasn't entirely happy with her. Seeing her with Klaus, chatting as if they were old buddies, made him see red after his initial shock. Had he not already warned her about the hybrid? Was she unaware of the danger she was placing herself in by just simply being around him? Did she not realise that his sire would only use her, and as soon as he found her worthless, he would kill her?
Despite whatever anger he held towards the young woman, Marcel had made up his mind. He'd have to keep a close eye on her. She had been on Klaus' radar for far too long, and now she was willingly fraternizing with the enemy. He'd have to warn her again, and hope that this time she would actually heed his advice and avoid his hybrid sire altogether.
He hadn't seen Addie for the rest of the day, but he was well aware of the fact that she was still in the compound. Klaus had been flitting about, smugly making himself at home…which he technically was.
When he next saw the two, it was already nighttime. The courtyard was set for dinner in a typical Klaus fashion, ready for the hybrid to boast of his newest achievement and mark his territory. It was going to be a long night, that was for sure.
Klaus had given her a beautiful room. She wasn't sure if it was simply because she had sworn loyalty to him and this was her reward, or if he just gave her any old room that wasn't his and it just happened to be this one.
She didn't really care either way, it was gorgeous. A large bed with maroon coloured sheets that were softer than anything she had ever felt, a wall that acted as a large bookshelf, her own classical looking bathroom, and a wardrobe far bigger than her bedroom at her old house.
Not bad at all.
Of course, she'd need to move her things in as soon as possible, but Klaus had one of his new minions buy her a few pieces of clothing for the following few days. He had already informed her of the dinner he would be hosting, and had left her to her own devices for the rest of the day.
She had decided to make the most of her spare time, and practice a few of the spells she remembered reading about. The more spells she tried, the bigger the smile on her face grew. She had never been able to do so much, and without completely exhausting herself! It was like she was a whole new person, and she couldn't help but wonder if maybe this was for the best.
She knew the answer, but now that it had happened, it didn't seem all that bad. In fact her biggest problem was choosing an outfit to wear for the evening. She had her arms crossed and a contemplative look on her face as she eyed the two outfits she had picked out and sprawled across her bed.
One was a sweet maxi dress with white lace three-quarter sleeves and a square neckline. The top half was white in colour, but from where it fit snugly at the waist, it was a nice peach. The other was much shorter, instead of reaching the floor, it stopped a few inches above the knee. It was a knitted long-sleeved dress, in a deep maroon colour that she adored. For a moment she wondered if Klaus had sent Diego out to get her some clothes, but she quickly dismissed the thought, remembering the pure hatred in the younger vampire's eyes as he attacked the hybrid.
Addie huffed in indignation, her shoulders rising with the movement as she uncrossed her arms to place a hand on each hip.
"Damn it."
The red one.
"You sure?"
It'll do wonders for your figure.
"You think so?"
Oh, I know so…
The voice trailed off with a chuckle as she slipped off her clothes to put on her new outfit. For a moment she didn't even notice the fact that anyone watching her would think she was mad, but when she did, she froze. Her eyes glanced around the room quickly, to reassure her that no one was there. She sighed in relief when she noticed she was alone, cursing the voice in her head for suggesting otherwise. God, she had been practically naked, the last thing she need was a voyeur on her hands.
"Hello?" Addie hesitantly whispered the greeting out, an unsettling feeling drifting over her.
"Evening, love."
She snapped around at break-neck speed, almost yelping in fear. For a moment she thought that the voice in her head had materialized into a person, but that idea was quickly disposed of when she turned to see her host.
"God, don't do that!"
Her shoulders sagged in relief as she raised a hand to her chest, in a poor effort to steady her frantic heartbeat.
Klaus cocked a brow at her behaviour, wondering how his presence had startled her so much. Had she not just greeted him? He'd let it go for now.
"Hey, what do you need?"
Oh that was a loaded question indeed. Many thoughts raced through his mind, but given their only recent 'partnership' he decided to play it safe. Addie had moved over to the large mirror in her bathroom, trying to keep the bun on top of her head as neat as possible. She watched him lean on the door frame, arms crossed casually, as she fiddled with her hair.
"Must you always assume I need something?"
She turned away from the mirror to cross her own arms, and gave him a pointed look. She hadn't known him for long, but she wasn't an idiot…he always wanted something.
"Klaus."
A smirk tugged at his lips before he schooled his features into a faux look of innocence, and imitated her tone.
"Mélanie."
She rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance. She honestly couldn't understand why he was suddenly hell-bent on calling her that. She hadn't heard the name in what felt like years. How did he even know it in the first place?
"You don't like it when I call you that. Why?" Genuine curiosity laced his words, and he watched as she uncrossed her arms and brushed past him, leaving the bathroom to try and get away from the conversation.
She didn't make it far before his voice halted her once more, this time stern and unyielding. If she didn't answer, she felt like he'd make her.
"Mélanie."
Her chin dropped to her chest, and she turned back around to face him once more. She simply stood there for a moment, her eyes flickering around his form while she decided what to say. Eventually she sighed in defeat and perched herself on the edge of the large bed.
"It's not that I don't like it…I just-…no one calls me that." She shrugged nonchalantly, but in truth, it was a topic that was close to the heart.
Klaus studied her. She wasn't a terrible liar, but it was difficult for anyone to fool him. Obviously there was a good reason behind it – why else would everyone call her by her middle name, instead of her given name?
"Adelie…It's a French name. It means 'noble'." She smiled slightly at that, her gaze never leaving the floor. "My father picked it, apparently he saw something in me my mom never could."
Ah. The mother. He should have guessed that it would have something to do with her. He of all people knew the bitter resentment that could come with terrible parents. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but it was one of the few fears he had. Would his child ever hold the same hatred for him?
Luckily he didn't have long to ponder such thoughts.
"'Mélanie' was picked out by my mother." She let out a humourless chuckle as she continued, a staggering amount of anger growing within her at the mention of the woman. She didn't know where it had come from, but it was far worse than she had ever felt before.
"Funnily enough, it means 'darkness'." She shook her head at the coincidence.
"I don't hate it…in fact I like it a lot better than 'Adelie'." She nodded as she spoke, as if to reassure him of her words. "But she was the only one that ever called me by my actual name, and I guess that over the years I've just associated it with the one person who hated me most. It's difficult to like something that constantly reminds you of your short-comings."
Yet another thing he could understand. While he was proud to be the Original hybrid, it was also a constant reminder of his mother's infidelity and the abuse he had suffered for years on end as a child. He used to question why his father mistreated him the most, and the thousand years he spent on the run still managed to darken his mood whenever he thought of them.
But now he had learnt to embrace his nature. He couldn't care less what it meant, in fact, he hoped that it made his father furious over there on the Other Side to watch as Klaus flaunted his new strength. He hoped that the old man went mad –or madder- with rage, unable to do a damn thing about it. Yes, embracing it had made him feel…whole.
"Well then, I guess we'll just have to get you to associate it with someone better…me." He shot her a devilish grin, to which she responded with a small smile and an eyeroll.
Oh please…
Shut up. She mentally scolded the voice in her head.
"Ah yes, before I forget…"
Klaus reached into his pocket, digging around for a moment before finally finding what he was looking for. Addie's eyes widened in relief when she saw what he was holding in his outstretched hand.
"Oh thank god, I thought I lost it!"
She grinned at him gratefully, entirely missing the curious anticipation on his face as she strode towards him. He had seen what happened in the woods, and he knew it was no coincidence. He wondered if it would happen again.
Just as she reached out to grab the ruby ring in the palm of his hand, a small shock clashed between the jewelry and her fingers, sending the ring hurtling away and onto the carpet beside her bed. Her brows furrowed in confusion, wondering what had just happened, while Klaus simply watched on knowingly.
She knew trying again would be futile, so she huffed in indignation and turned to face him.
"I'll deal with that later, but thank you so much for finding it…Davina would have killed me." She chuckled lightly at the thought, only to feel it fade when she thought of her little sister sitting alone in that damn attic.
"What is it?" He was far too aware for her liking.
"I know I'm probably asking a lot, but…can you maybe-can Davina stay here too? I want my sister safe, and I need her here. I can't…I can't-"
"I think that's an excellent idea."
He had been planning to bring the younger witch there anyway, but this way it could at least seem like he was doing her a favour. In truth, he probably would have given in even if it wasn't part of his plan. He could see the inner turmoil beneath her pale gaze, and he knew that she held her little sister above all.
It was true. Addie didn't know what was happening inside her head. It was hot then cold. One minute she was angry, and the next she was missing her little sister more than anything.
At first she had been too angry to go back to St. Anne's, but after really thinking about what had happened since she had woken up, she was terrified. Not once had she ever harmed Marcel. He was family, just as Davina was…so if she so easily hurt him, what could she do to her little sister?
She'd die before she hurt Davina.
"Thank you, I really appreciate it. I feel like a serious pain in the ass for just being here."
He simply gave her a charming grin, placing a hand on the small of her back and leading towards the exit slowly. Despite what she believed, Klaus found the striking young woman to be refreshing. She neither feared him, nor took liberties…it was something akin to respect, but friendlier. It was something he admired.
"Not a problem, love."
Eventually they had made their way down to the courtyard, where Klaus proceeded to flaunt his new title, and warn (read: threaten) anyone who dared to even think of hurting his unborn child.
Addie had dodged Marcel's stare the entire night, with guilt settling in her mind whenever she felt his unrelenting gaze. She knew he was mad, and probably confused, about her new alliance with his hybrid sire. But the fact was, that out of everyone in New Orleans that had genuinely promised to look out for her, Klaus was the only one that seemed to be doing so. Not to mention that she had already impulsively struck a deal with him, not that she wanted to go back on it. He had genuinely been pretty helpful, even coming to lend her some of the grimoires they had laying about the place.
It had made her latch onto him, unknowingly. No one had ever really looked out for her during her youth. Her relationship with her father was non-existent, and her relationship with her mother…well, she wished it was non-existent…
She had always felt the responsibility that came with being an elder sister, and so she was fiercely protective of Davina, but didn't expect the same in return. Then Marcel had come along, and she felt safe. For the first time in her life, someone was watching out for her.
But she was brought crashing back down to earth when he betrayed her trust so easily, and for his own agenda nonetheless. But hadn't she just done the same? One thing was for sure, they definitely needed to have a good long chat…soon!
And then came Klaus.
He made her a promise to look out for her and her little sister, while also allowing her freedom. However, unlike Marcel, he was honest with his intentions for her. He had specifically stated what he wanted in return, and wasn't looking to deceive her in that department. He had told her his expectations of her, and she had agreed to helping him.
Perhaps she was being to harsh on Marcel…actually, she knew she was. But she couldn't help the anger that pierced her mind whenever she thought of someone that wronged her. It wasn't anywhere near the anger that came forth at the thought of her mother, but it was still enough to cloud her judgment. It was completely foreign to her, and it only amplified the guilt she felt when she thought about the actions carried out when it appeared.
So much so, that she didn't even bat an eye when Klaus invited his new minions to go wolf hunting the next day. The wolves weren't her problem, they could take care of themselves.
No, she had a new power to practice and relationships to mend, everything else was irrelevant.
The next day had found Klaus and Marcel talking in the courtyard. Cami had left a while ago, heavy compulsion clouding her mind to ensure she remembered nothing of her little session with Klaus.
Klaus had begrudgingly listened to his protégé's tirade about diplomacy, as if he hadn't spent a thousand years on this planet. He knew all about diplomacy…is seemed too 'Elijah' for his taste. But nevertheless, he mentally noted that the humans wanted a meeting. If nothing else, he'd show them who was really in charge now.
Marcel on the other hand had never felt so betrayed in his life. Klaus had earlier explained to him that not only was Cami compelled to go on a date with him, but Davina had struck a deal with Elijah, behind his back.
"And then there's Davina." The hybrid crossed his legs as he leaned back into the sofa, his right ankle resting on his left thigh.
"She's a powerful weapon. At this point, I'd like to keep her close at hand. I think we should have her move in to the compound here with us. I can only assume she'd be eager to see her sister again."
"She can't leave the attic. I already tried to move her once." Marcel intentionally ignored the hint of a smirk that had appeared on his sire's face, knowing that Klaus was still smug about his latest…victory. Instead his eyes focused on the glass of scotch in his hand as he replied.
"Yes, about that...turns out, your little witch is quite the actress. She made a deal with Elijah while he was in captivity, tricked you into letting her stay put in exchange for some spells from our mother's grimoire."
This time it was difficult to ignore the matter-of-fact tone and matching smirk that spread over his face. Marcel's face was blank as he nodded mindlessly, before a hint of sadness to show in both his words and expression.
"Good to know. Is that all?"
"Not quite. I understand that you're possibly confused by my newest little friend, and since we're being honest with each other, it's only fair that I tell you about our involvement." Klaus gave him a wide grin, knowing that his words could be interpreted in a number of ways, and enjoying the momentary clenching of Marcel's jaw.
"You see, young Adelie was quite distraught when she woke after gaining her powers…in fact, she was so distraught that she decided to pay me a little visit, and pledge her undying loyalty to me." Klaus took a swig of his drink before he continued.
"I didn't buy it, nor did I force it…I guess you could say it came from her unwavering belief in me. Who would have thought that the very thing you thought I'd never have, has been given to me willingly by someone so close to your heart?"
Marcel held back a deep frown at the lighthearted speech. It was obviously a stab at the lecture he had given Klaus after the ambush, where he had told the hybrid that he would never earn loyalty as Marcel had. He knew that he had hurt the trust between Addie and himself, but he wouldn't have thought that it had driven her to Klaus. He had assumed that Klaus had swooped in and made her a deal, or something along those lines…not that she had voluntarily approached him.
"With that being said, I do believe that sweet Addie is no longer your concern. She's officially under my care, and has already proved to me that her allegiance no longer lies with you."
"I appreciate the honesty." Marcel swallowed back his sadness, a crestfallen look taking over his features. The last thing he wanted to do was give Klaus the satisfaction of seeing the impact of Addie's betrayal, so he rose from his seat and made for the exit.
"Meeting's in an hour."
Was there anyone he could trust anymore?
Well, there was Rebekah…but he'd no doubt screw that up too. It had killed him to see her so hurt by his actions in the past, but he was torn between doing what he wanted, and doing what he needed to do for his people. Because despite everything, they were still his people, and he wouldn't leave them to deal with Klaus on their own. No, he needed to make a sacrifice, and that sacrifice came in the form of the woman he had adored since Klaus had first taken him in.
First he had to make sure the humans knew who they were dealing with. They had better prepare themselves, Marcel was lenient, but Klaus…he'd tear them apart.
After her usual morning preparations, Addie had remembered the expensive ruby ring that lay on the floor beside her bed. She knew she couldn't directly touch it, so she was glad to see that the same couldn't be said when cloth acted as a barrier. She picked up one of her shirts, folding it around her hand like a makeshift glove, while she used the material to lift the ring off of the floor.
She raised the gold band to her eye in inspection, her brows drawing together for a moment. The only assumption that she could make, was that the magic held within the ring –Davina's magic- was incompatible with her own.
It made sense when Addie thought about it. Dark magic was vastly different to ancestral magic, and the two would no doubt clash whenever they were in range of each other.
They just couldn't work together. It made her a little sad thinking that she wouldn't be able to share such things with her sister.
Most witches had an aversion to the darker forms of magic, and those that didn't…well, those were dark witches themselves.
There would only be one way for her to be able to touch the ring again, and that was by replacing its magic with her own dark magic. But the more she read through the various grimoires Klaus had gathered for her, the more she realised that there was no simple spell to allow such a thing. Davina's magic would be too power to counteract with a simple spell.
Of course the obvious solution would be to get a new ring, but the idea of corrupting the magic already in the ring, while adding her own to it, had peaked her curiosity. She didn't want just another ring…no, she wanted this one. And she wanted it to mean something.
Klaus' words had played in her mind over and over again, and Addie had decided that she would try to heed his advice and embrace her nature. She was a dark witch, an apparently strong one, and she wanted to honor that. She didn't personally know anyone who had done it before, but she wanted to create her own dark talisman…something that had a meaning. Something that showed that being a dark witch was nothing to be ashamed off.
She had already made a list of spells she would cast on the ring, but first she needed to breach it. The books scattered on her bed around her were helpful for basic dark magic, but it would take something even darker to corrupt something as powerful as Davina's magic.
"What's darker than dark magic?" she mumbled to herself in exasperation, rocking back on her bed to lay down with a 'thud'.
She closed her eyes in contemplation, until they snapped open suddenly when she felt the light gust of wind dance around her face. Sitting up, her eyes darted around her when she heard the distinct sound of flipping pages, and watched in amazement as the familiar grimoire of her ancestor –Mary-Alice- flipped open.
Addie snatched the book up as soon as the pages settled, and she huffed out a breath of pleasant disbelief. Skimming through the elegant slant of writing, her eyes lit up at the spell provided.
Kemiya…
From Mary-Alice's writings, Addie could see that it would already prove to be far more difficult than anything she had ever attempted. Her blonde ancestor claimed that it required a large amount of magic, but was a branch of magic that connected to science as well. How that worked, she had no idea.
But the basic things she had gathered were that:
1. She would need something to draw power from…Mary-Alice had mentioned something called a 'Paragon Diamond', but that was out of the question. She had no idea where to even begin looking for it, so she'd have to look for something else. Having read about many stones that could be used in powerful spells, Addie had no doubt that she'd manage to find something.
2. She would need to dig deeper to understand this form of magic. The grimoire stated that it was Arabian, but what had really caught Addie's attention was a name mentioned. At least she thought it was a name. 'Kol' wasn't something she had heard before, and apparently this man had quite the influence on her ancestor. But she'd leave that curiosity for another day.
3. She needed the object that she would be altering. The ring wasn't going anywhere, so as long as she had the other two requirements, she'd be just fine.
When her eyes finally reached the bottom of the page, she cast them around the room, remembering the breeze that had given her the information.
"Thank you…"
What are friends for?
She heard the humour in the non-existent voice, and couldn't keep the small smile off of her face. She hadn't been able to hear the voice before she regained her powers, and at first she was completely wary of it. Hearing voices was never good, even Hermione Granger said so!
But it hadn't led her astray yet. In fact, it had led her straight to Klaus, had encouraged her to help the hybrid when Marcel's vamps were attacking him, and it was helping her figure out the difficult task she had ahead. It made her wonder why…but more importantly, it made her wonder who.
"Who are you?"
That depends…
"On what?"
How I'm feeling.
She heard the usual chuckle, and her eyes scanned the room around her. Addie knew she was alone, but it was strange having someone to talk to that was only present in her mind.
"Why are you in my head? How are you in my head?"
Oh sweetheart, who said anything about being in your head?
Addie could practically hear the smirk that would have accompanied the words, but her thoughts came to a halt when she finally wrapped her head around the condescending response. Her brows furrowed, a tinge of fear slithering through her. Was someone else there with her? Was the voice that whispered in her ear…literally whispering in her ear?
"Why can't I see you?"
All in good time.
"Why are you here? What do you want?"
She felt the air shift around her, and her eyes fluttered shut as if in a trance. Swaying lightly, she felt the warm puffs of air ghost over her ear, and it was in that moment that she knew she truly wasn't alone.
That part of her…the one that was angry and dark…it clawed at her. Reaching for the entity whispering in her ear, until she finally gave in and tilted her head back towards it. Her mind was too hazy to realise her head had landed on a broad shoulder, focusing only on the word that had left his mouth, before he disappeared once more.
You.
A knock at the door had Addie jolting upwards, eyes wide as she snapped out of whatever strange trance she had been placed under. She didn't know what it was, but she'd never felt such a lack of control before. Did that just happen?
"Klaus!"
She shot up from the bed, stumbling slightly as she quickly strode toward the Original and adjusted her glasses, eager to get the thoughts out of her mind.
Klaus merely cocked a brow amusedly. It wasn't the first time she had acted strangely in his presence, but he couldn't tell if it was due to a nervousness around him, or if there was some other unknown factor in play. He hoped for the former.
"I'll be leaving for a meeting with the human faction soon…working hard, I see."
The usual quirk of his lips accompanied the observation, and she followed his gaze to the books that had been sprawled over the expensive sheets of her equally expensive bed.
"Oh, yeah! I have a lot to practice." She gave him a wide smile, excited at the prospect, before reigning in her excitement.
"It's just that I've never been able to do so much before…now that I can, I want to try as much as possible. I know it's not logical, but part of me keeps thinking that any moment now, it's all just going to go away, so I have to make the most of it."
Klaus slowly nodded in understanding, approaching the bed with his hands clasped behind his back casually. His brows furrowed lightly as he took in the variety of grimoires on display. He wasn't surprised to see them, he had been the one to gather them for her in the first place…but he'd never really been one for magic. That was Kol's forte. Hence why he had given her his little brother's old room.
The abundance of darker spells was expected, and a welcome change, but his eyes stopped their observation when they landed on something familiar. His eyes narrowed on the worn book, and he was so lost in thought that he hadn't really realised that Addie had moved to stand beside him, until her tanned arm reached for the book that held his attention.
"What is it? Do you know anything about this?"
He didn't miss the spark of hope in her pale eyes, and cocked his head slightly in thought. Why was she so interested in it? Was is genuine curiosity? Or were her intentions parallel to his little brother's?
"The paragon diamond? I may have heard a few things about it. Quite a desired little thing amongst witches, is it not?"
Addie's dark brows twitched together for a moment, noting that the hybrid seemed a touch more tense at the mention of the stone.
"I guess so…" Addie's eyes dropped to the antique carpet as she trailed off quietly, not wanting to push the subject with him.
But Klaus' suspicions weren't satiated just yet. As subtly as his temper would allow him to do so, he inquired further.
"Do you have a particular interest in it?"
Tell him.
Addie's eyes almost widened at the sound, knowing that they were no longer alone in the room. She would have thought little of it a mere hour ago, but now she knew that the voice was not truly in her head. Realising that waiting any longer to respond would seem suspicious, she followed the advice that hadn't let her down just yet.
"It's not that I need it in particular, it's just…" He cocked a brow while she tried to explain the situation without giving away her intentions of creating a dark talisman.
"The ring that Davina gave me," she pointed to the gold encased ruby that lay wrapped in a shirt. "I can't touch it at all, and I have a feeling that it's because the two different types of magic are fighting each other…kinda like how two magnets repel."
"And this paragon diamond will change that?" He took a few steps forward, now standing in front of her, and handed the book back to her. His mind was put at ease at the new information, perhaps he had assumed the worst once more. He had been so used to betrayal, that he no longer thought so little of the actions of others. Everything needed to be observed closely, and nothing could be done without reason. It was a paranoia he would never be rid of.
"This magic here-" she opened the book he handed her and turned to stand perpendicular to him as she showed him the very same page she had read earlier. "-Kemiya, it's dark. Really dark, and probably pretty difficult to perform…but if I can eventually get it right, it should overwhelm Davina's magic in the ring."
Klaus found his curiosity peaked at the idea. Was it possible that his newest ally could corrupt the magic that Davina had put in the object? Davina was quite the powerful little thing, and a positive result would be impressive indeed. He found himself wanting to know whether it was possible, but he was ultimately hesitant to hand over the diamond.
"I'd love to help, love, but unfortunately I haven't seen it since 1914."
He had to keep the smug smile off of his face when he remembered the day he took it from Kol. His little brother was always up to something, and Klaus knew that no matter how impulsive he was, Kol was no fool. Whatever he planned would undoubtedly never end well…for anyone.
Addie deflated slightly at the news, but knew that there had to be another way.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure I'll come up with something." She gave him a reassuring smile, before remembering their previous conversation. "Oh, have you decided when to move Davina in?"
He gave her a nod. "She'll be here by the end of the day. But you'll have to excuse me, love. I have a meeting to get to."
Klaus had almost made his way down the hall when he heard the shout.
"Try not to eat anyone!"
After his meeting with Addie, Klaus found himself at St. Anne's for what felt like the millionth time since he had arrived in New Orleans. But he wasn't complaining, things were going quite well for him at the moment. Soon he'd have Davina at the compound too, adding another valuable asset to his already growing list.
Addie showing up on his doorstep had truly been a blessing. Now not only did he have the elder Claire as an ally, but he had no doubt that Davina herself would soon be fighting for his cause too. She cared about her elder sister far too much to go against her…and it seemed that Addie was missing Davina too much to hold a grudge.
And that got him thinking about the newest task on his to-do list. She had asked him about the Paragon Diamond as something to channel in order to perform her little spell. So naturally, he had gathered a few of his new followers and ensured that they knew the importance of finding just what she was searching for.
Unfortunately the thing she had asked him about, was something he couldn't give her, but that didn't mean that there weren't other things out there that could be used.
So he would help her in whatever way he could. He needed her to remain loyal to him, and the happier she was with him, the easier that would be to ensure.
"I know about your deal with Elijah. We can't be lying to each other. I'm trying to protect you. With the witches still looking to kill you for the Harvest, believe me, you're safest with us."
Klaus walked into the attic just in time to hear the end of Marcel's sentence. Klaus was sure that Marcel knew of Agnes' death, but he wouldn't mention anything of the lie had just fed Davina.
The young vampire was leaning against the easel that Davina had been working on, trying to reassure her of his intentions. He could see the shame wash over her when he mentioned the fact that she went behind his back to make a deal with the eldest living –or rather, undead- Original.
"Plus, there's excellent light in the afternoon."
Marcel stepped back as his sire approached them, Davina's attention was trained on Klaus the moment his voice was heard. She still didn't like him…she doubted that she ever would.
"I see you're an artist. Wonderful…I look forward to witnessing your many talents."
It was clear to see that he wasn't speaking of her artwork at all, if the sly smirk on his face was any indication. Davina turned her head to face Marcel, anger both on her face, and in her tone.
"Was this his idea?"
"Davina, please."
She turned to face the hybrid addressing her with a scowl on her face. Noticing her temper rising, his voice softened slightly, but the harsh glare she was sending his way only worsened when he finished his speech.
"I understand you're devoted to Marcel, but Marcel is devoted to me…as is your dear sister. I assume you'll want what's best for all of us, she misses you terribly." Klaus stepped away from her, making his way over to his protégé, who he directed his next words at with a pointed look.
"We have a meeting to attend downstairs."
With that said, Klaus left the attic, mentally rolling his eyes when he heard the sound of humans downstairs.
Davina watched him leave before her eyes narrowed on Marcel.
"You lied to me." Marcel looked down at the floor, knowing that this conversation was bound to come up eventually.
"Davina-"
"No! you told me she was ok…you said she didn't want to get me sick and that's why she wasn't staying here!"
He walked over to her, resting a hand on her shoulder, even though he could feel her tense at the touch.
"Look, I really have to go, D. But I swear to you…I'll tell you everything you wanna know as soon as we get you to the compound. Alright?"
It wasn't alright…not even close. But she could see the pleading look in his dark eyes, and she put a leash on her raging temper. She'd let him go, but there would be consequences if he even tried to get out of telling her the truth.
Marcel waited a long moment, and his form almost sagged in relief when she gave him a hesitant nod. He really didn't have time to deal with a temper tantrum, and there was no doubt in his mind that he was facing one of those as soon as he told her what she had unknowingly taken part in.
"I'll get someone to pick up your things. We'll get you settled in right. Trust me."
Davina frowned sadly at his retreating form.
Trust him. Could she really do that? She hadn't seen her sister in three days, and despite her worry, Marcel had told her that Addie was fine…just sick. He had lied to her.
Was Addie even with Marcel for the past three days? Klaus had said that she was devoted to him…but how could she be? Addie's only interaction with him had been the night of the festival, and the night of the gala, so why would she be 'devoted' to someone she barely knew?
Not to mention the fact that this was Klaus they were talking about! He was a murdering psychopath in Davina's eyes, and Addie was too smart, too nice, too…light, for his darkness. Why did he even want her in the first place? Klaus was hungry for power, and that was the one thing her sister lacked. There was no way Addie would ever side with him, especially considering that she would never go against Marcel. He was family to her, and Addie wouldn't fight her family.
In that moment, Davina decided that she would let Marcel drag her to the compound. She needed to see her sister…to see that she hated Klaus just as much as the rest of them, to see that she was still fighting for the right cause, and above all…to see that she was safe.
"Klaus, Marcel…thank you for coming."
The men in question had just walked out into the nave. Father Kieran's tone was polite as he greeted them, wanting to get this meeting over and done with as painlessly as possible. He wasn't a fool to think that Klaus would be as tolerant as Marcel was of their presence, nor was he naïve enough to think that the hybrid would let them live if things didn't go his way.
"We are aware of the change in the leadership in your community, and we thought it was time to make the appropriate introductions."
Father Kieran gestured to the men around him, two of which rose from their seats in one of the pews. One had dark skin with a stern face and was dressed in a fine suit, while the other was pale with greying hair, and donned a military uniform.
"We wanna be sure you understand how things work around here."
Klaus gave the man in the suit a humoured look, though his voice was flat when he spoke.
"Is that so?"
It was truly entertaining when humans tried to order him about. He loved watching the confidence, arrogance, and superiority melt down into the very thing that fed his ego…fear.
The man nodded confidently, while panic shot through Father Kieran. This was the sort of thing he had wanted to avoid. Challenging Marcel was bad enough, but Klaus?
It was a disaster waiting to happen.
He chuckled nervously as he tried to amend the situation, while Klaus simply stared at the Mayor with a faux smile on his face.
"What the Mayor means, is that we just want some insurance that this new development isn't going to endanger our city or its inhabitants."
Klaus and Marcel turned their attention to the priest as he spoke, before the military man decided to make the situation worse than it already was.
"Look, you freaks do your thing, and we'll look the other way." Klaus' brows shot up in surprise, wondering if the man had a death wish, or if he was just plain stupid. He shared an amused look with is protégé, but decided to let the human have his moment. "As long as our pockets stay full, we won't have a problem."
Ah, a true politician.
"More importantly…" Father Kieran gave the Sherriff a pointed look, though he wasn't surprised that the man only had money on his mind.
"…there are rules. No feeding on the locals. Don't bring any unwanted attention to the city. History has proven that we can co-exist peacefully. However if you cross the line..."
"You answer to us." The Sherriff interrupted, trying to sound as intimidating as possible.
Klaus couldn't help but chuckle. Did they truly believe that they could intimidate him? He was the Original Hybrid. Their irrelevant little human lives could be taken from them in a matter of seconds, if he chose to do so. And quite frankly, he was sick of the lack of respect.
He was a King.
"Okay... I'm sorry, let me get this straight…" He addressed Marcel, but pointed out each man that he spoke of.
"I'm to play supplicant to this pompous ass and his ridiculous group of petty thieves?" He shook his head with a dramatic sigh when he noticed Marcel's look of warning, and approached the Sherriff confidently.
"Here are my terms: You will take whatever scraps I see fit to leave you, and you will be grateful. If that doesn't suit you, I may decide you've outlived your usefulness." All previous traces of humour in his tone had evaporate, lowering to his usual intimidating voice.
Deciding that he was done with them, Klaus dismissed himself, walking away with his usual confident stride. Marcel quickly followed, disapproval of his sire's methods showing on his features.
Why couldn't he just take Marcel's advice for once? Diplomacy wasn't too much to ask for, was it?
After spending her morning going through various grimoires, the elder Claire had decided a break would be beneficial to her mental state. So she had made her way down to the bar of the compound, greeting the vampires she was familiar with, and pleased to see that Diego wasn't among them. The last thing she wanted to do during her break was endure an interrogation.
She knew that he was just waiting to get her alone before he gave her a brutal lecture for her choice in friends.
Knowing that she was still underage, she was served her usual juice drink. It was either apple or orange, everything else was irrelevant. She engaged in the polite conversation offered by whoever approached the bar, knowing that they were all aware that she was 'Klaus' witch'. She didn't really mind the title, it gave her that extra bit of safety, and it was nice to be appreciated by someone at the top of the food chain.
Just as she had finished the thought, the hybrid himself strode in.
Speak of the Devil. She almost snorted at the truth in the words.
He seemed to spot her immediately, making his way over to the bar as well. The bartender hastily left his current patron and fetched him a bottle of scotch with two glasses.
"Hey, how'd it go?"
Klaus gave the elder Claire a smile, picking up the bottle and glasses while simultaneously jerking his head in a signal for her to follow. It was a pleasant change to have someone genuinely caring about how his endeavors proceeded. Most of the time people wished failure upon him, and the rest of the time they didn't like him enough to help him even if their views aligned.
"I'd say it went relatively well. I think it was far more gracious than they deserved, wouldn't you say, Marcel?"
Addie hadn't even noticed the other man enter, but sat down at their table anyway, choosing to sit besides Klaus. There was an awkward moment in which their eyes met, but Marcel broke the contact by giving Klaus a look. Klaus was barely fazed, pouring them each a glass of scotch before sliding Marcel's towards him.
"You're disappointed by my lack of diplomacy. You out of all people should need no reminder of the human capacity for cruelty."
Marcel didn't respond, but knew his sire's words were only too true. He did know how cruel they could be. He had experienced it first hand. Before any more could be said, the familiar buzzing that signaled a phone call broke the silence, and Klaus rose to answer his phone.
"Hello?"
He recognised the irritating voice of the Sherriff as soon as he opened his mouth, but was glad to hear the news, knowing that someone must have talked some sense into the foolish man.
"Mr. Mikaelson. I just wanted to let you know that the faction's considered your terms. We've reached a decision."
His lips twitched in amusement. "Have you?"
He had barely responded before the assault started. The initial explosion that shattered all of the windows, was followed by the rapid gunfire that tore through windows and walls. The day-walkers present were up in flames from the sunlight, screaming in pain, and the rest of them were riddled with bullets.
The moment the first shot was fired, Marcel had jumped into action, tackling the witch to the ground and hoping he hadn't been too late. There was no time to check, the screams urging him into doing his best to save his former night-walkers after realising what was going on.
Addie had barely had time to understand what was happening before the stabs of pain had hit her. There was one in her lower abdomen, two in her shoulder, another in her thigh and the final one was frighteningly close to the heart. Her pained shriek went unheard beneath the cacophony of screams released by the burning night-walkers. But she had been grateful for the force that had literally moved her out of the line of fire.
There was no telling how many bullets Marcel and Klaus had taken, but it felt like an eternity before only the groans of pain could be heard around the destroyed room. Incinerated corpses littered the room, with some day-walkers also meeting their end from the accuracy of the wooden bullets.
The bullets had been enough to take Marcel to the ground, the former King sprawled out on the floor in pain, and Klaus was quick to kneel by his side, inspecting his ward's injuries.
The pungent scent of blood was heavy, and it took Marcel a moment to reorient himself and realise that not all of the scents belonged to vampires.
"Addie!" The shout came out as a growl, the young vampire grimacing in pain at the action, but the sight over her gurgling form took priority.
The shout had hit Klaus like a punch to the gut. In a moment he was hovering over the blood-stained woman, jaw clenching dangerously at the sight.
She was barely alive, if her faint heartbeat was a good indication, but she wouldn't last long unless he got the bullets out. Marcel had stumbled his way over to the pair, fear taking residence in every corner of his mind when he saw the state she was in.
"Damn it! Addie? Sweetheart, you gotta open your eyes and look at me…Addie?!"
His hands shot out, ready to remove the bullets, but they were stopped before they could make it anywhere near her. Marcel's outraged face turned to face his sire, and it took him a moment to register the attentive expression he wore. Following his gaze, he understood why he had stopped him.
Addie had in fact opened her eyes, just as Marcel had asked of her, but it was as if she was looking through him rather than at him.
God, it really hurt. Why was it always her? She'd been shot, impaled, poisoned by her own power…did she break a mirror that she was unaware of?
The wounds had gotten to the point where she could no longer feel any sensation. Her body was numb, shutting down after the trauma that should have killed it. But when her eyes finally focused, it wasn't the crouching form of Marcel that she noticed first, nor was it Klaus'.
It was the man that neither of them seemed to pay any attention to…the man that was standing directly behind them, studying her with a blank look on his face. His features were blurry –almost transparent, but she didn't miss the small wink he flashed at her when he realised that she could see him, his eyes trailing down her torso.
Klaus had torn the plain grey sweater she was wearing off of her, in order to extract the bullets. Despite the situation, he was still a man, and the lace covered sight that greeted him halted him for a barely noticeable moment. The scent of her sweet blood, combined with her half naked form was tempting, but his mind was far too preoccupied with keeping her alive to indulge in such things.
Marcel was talking to her, she was aware of that, but she couldn't understand him. It was like they were under water. Her brows furrowed when she heard his voice cut through the haze, crystal clear.
Dying so soon? And here I thought we wouldn't be seeing each other for a while.
"Y-you're…an…ass." She grit her teeth throughout the sentence, and gave him the best glare she could muster up in her condition. She could taste the blood that had come up to her mouth.
Marcel and Klaus shared a look, confusion passing between them. Klaus had extracted the two bullets in her shoulder and she had merely laid there completely unaware. The comment could have possibly been directed at him, but judging by the glare she was shooting somewhere behind him, he wasn't entirely sure that was the case. Someone or something was obviously holding her attention, and Klaus wondered if she was even aware of where she was at all, or if she was simply hallucinating.
He made a mental note to ask about it when she was safe. The bullet near her heart would be incredibly risky to remove, but it was necessary in order to heal her.
Tell you what, if you heal yourself…I might just give you my name.
Her tired eyes flickered around his features, and he gave her a smirk when she subtly angled her arm to side, perpendicular to her body, and away from both Klaus and Marcel. Her head turned in the same direction, following his movement as he strode around to her outstretched left arm.
She was surprised to feel solid fingers resting on her open palm, considering she couldn't even see his face clearly, it was strange to actually be able to feel him. Instinctively, she curled her own digits around his larger hand, latching onto it when she felt the power flood through her.
She didn't know who he was, or what he was for that matter. But either way, he was dark. It was the type of darkness that only came with someone who had been touched by death. Vampires usually had a similar air about them, they were 'abominations' of nature, and that had a certain darkness to it.
But this was something else. It was something stronger…something darker.
"Marcel, hold her down. Can't have her thrashing about with this one." Klaus gestured to her chest with his bloodstained hands. She remained in her trance, but his attention was drawn away from her lovely face when he heard the concern in his protégé's voice.
"Uh, Klaus…"
His eyes followed Marcel's dark gaze, training themselves on her arm. He did well to keep the surprise off of his face, but allowed his lips to tug down when he noticed something familiar.
Just as they had both seen a few days ago, her left hand was covered in black veins. The darkness slithered though her veins like a snake, rapidly moving across her body. The bullet in her chest was pushed out of her, shiny black goo forcing it out and spilling onto her bloody skin in a haunting mix of colour.
They watched as it poured out of each wound, before the torn tissues simultaneously knitted back together. The inky substance in her veins slithering up her body and settling in her usually grey eyes, before fading from her form entirely.
There. That wasn't so hard now, was it?
She had expected him to have disappeared, but his tall silhouette was still apparent, like a shadow looming over her.
"Oh man, the one time I leave my room today…"
Klaus huffed out a breathy chuckle, while Marcel exhaled loudly in relief, rubbing the top of his head nervously. They were both still a little stunned at what they had just witnessed, but were quick to rise to their feet when the elder Claire tried to sit up.
She took the hand offered to her, and shot its owner a grateful smile. Klaus gave her a flirty smirk as his eyes shamelessly travelled, and lingered, a little too far down for Addie's liking. His brows rose appreciatively, and he teasingly allowed his gaze to meet her own once more, noting the blush that had painted her cheeks a light pink.
Despite the gory combination of red and black smeared all over her torso and right leg, she was still practically half naked. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks, her arms floundering around awkwardly trying to somehow cover as much skin as possible. She settled for crossing them against her chest, trying to at least remain a little decent in the presence of the two men.
Mmm, couldn't have asked for a better view.
Three men. Right. She had forgotten about him.
She would have retorted, but realised how mad she'd look for speaking to thin air, so she settled for inconspicuously (or as inconspicuously as possible under the Hybrid's attentive gaze) shooting the shadow a scathing look.
"You ok? Do you need anything? If you do, I can-"
"Marcel!" she trailed off a laugh, overwhelmed by his concern. Despite their current…falling out…she knew that nothing had changed in his perspective. He'd care about the two Claires for as long as he lived. She knew that, and even though she hadn't forgiven him just yet, she knew it was only a matter of time.
"It's alright, I'm ok. I just…need a shower. Thanks, for getting me out of the way."
Need help washing your back?
She grit her teeth, repeating the mantra in her head. Don't reply, they'll think you're crazy. Don't reply, they'll think you're crazy.
"Yeah…ok. No problem." He nodded as he politely dropped his gaze away from her. He knew she was probably uncomfortable under Klaus' inspection, and even though she was relatively okay half naked around people she knew, he doubted that the same could be said when around his sire. Well, he was glad that they weren't that familiar with each other.
"Pity, I was just beginning to enjoy the view." Klaus gave her a cheeky grin, she rolled her eyes, but she couldn't keep the small smile off her face at his antics. "No matter…we evidently have business to take care of."
He gave Marcel a pointed look, and they came to a silent understanding. Addie excused herself, hastily making her way to her room and leaving the two men behind.
Marcel watched her retreating figure, much like his sire had done, only his dark eyes filled with concern for the girl. She was family. Had she not had her powers, she would have died. He wasn't stupid, he knew that she should have died in a matter of seconds from the wounds she had acquired…but her power had kept her alive. It had healed her.
Looking around what used to be the bar, he took in the sight of his –Klaus'- vampires laying motionless…dead. For real this time. That could have been her.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit!"
Klaus' attention snapped towards his protégé as soon as he roared in anger, flipping a table as if it weighed less than a feather. The grim look on the Hybrid's face intensified as his eyes travelled around the room, but returned to his protégé as soon as Marcel rounded on him.
"This is on you! Her blood, is on your hands!" He lashed out, pointing at the large bloodstain on the floor, the only signal that Addie had been in the room at all.
"Now that you're in charge, these are your guys laying dead. Your guys. You're gonna run this city, that better mean something to you, otherwise no one worth a damn is gonna follow you. No one! Not even Addie!"
Despite Marcel's accusation, Klaus wasn't going to reprimand him for scolding him like a child. In fact, he was glad to see the anger pouring off of the young vampire. It showed him just how far he had come.
But he also acknowledged the truth in his words. The human faction had attacked because of Klaus' resistance to give in to their demands. These vampires were dead because of it, and Mélanie's blood was on his hands…both literally and figuratively.
"I was beginning to worry about you. I don't think I could've taken any more of this differential nonsense. I mean, clearly I underestimated the faction. That won't happen again. But, tell me…now that we've arrived to this point, now that they have come into our home, harmed our family... How would you counsel me to respond?"
He knew including the word would only add fuel to the flames. More than once, Klaus had heard the Claires refer to Marcel as family, and he knew that his old ward thought the same of them. And it seemed that mentioning such a thing had done its job perfectly.
"Let's go kill them all."
Addie usually settled for taking her time in the shower, seldom finishing before half an hour was up. But the paranoia that her new friend was creepily watching her shower was a constant in her mind. She liked to think that he was above that, but she didn't really know him, so she'd assume the worst.
After throwing out her ruined clothes (or what was left of them), and pulling on some running shorts and a tank top, she had settled back on her bed between the books she had yet to move.
It was far too easy for her to get lost in such things. Addie had always enjoyed learning new things and now that she could actually practice what she was reading, it made her even more determined to keep going. It was addicting, having so much knowledge available…so much opportunity.
She often forgot just what her powers meant, and how it could impact upon her life. Dark magic wasn't something to experiment with, but as unnatural as it was…it came naturally to her.
Most of the spells were questionable, in terms of morality, but she couldn't help herself. It was addicting. So she pushed the thoughts of 'wrong and right' away, and did whatever she could.
More often than not, she'd try too much far too soon (not being adapted to her new power), and the taxing spells would wear her down completely. However, the limit on her power had yet to be met, and she had tried some particularly risky spells so far.
It wasn't uncommon for the exhaustion to catch up to her, or for blood to make an appearance, as it once did when she performed even the most simple of spells. Now she only got nosebleeds when she was pushing too hard to quickly, and her body couldn't keep up with the power she was using. The good news was that the more she used her powers, the easier it became to dig deeper into them.
But then again, it also made her more…hungry. Not her in particular, but there was something there that needed more. More of what? She couldn't say…but she knew she had to keep practicing.
It's what led her to try new things, to try harder things. And today was no different.
She could feel that she wasn't alone on the upper floor of the compound, and allowed her mind to reach out, knowing that both Klaus and Marcel were long gone. It didn't take long for her to sift through the thoughts there, and she quickly realised that she was in the wolf's head.
It was hazy, the young witch finding it difficult to navigate through the new world that had been shown to her. It was difficult enough to control her own thoughts, but another persons? All she got was glimpses, small parts of recent memories, and flashes of faces. Addie almost grimaced at the sappy memories the girl had of Elijah, and the entirely obvious feelings between them. Ugh.
Just as she was about to withdraw, a familiar face popped up. Addie decided to ignore the pounding in her head that told her it was too much for her, gritting her teeth as her eyes clamped shut tightly.
Now what business did the wolf have with her little sister?
"I'm the pregnant werewolf. And you must be all-powerful super-witch, Davina? And let's not forget Josh, newbie vampire way out of his element, voted 'Most Likely to Die Next.'"
"Hey, I'm just another one of Klaus' prisoners. Of course, it would suck if he found out you're still lurking around. Maybe there's a world where we can all look out for each other?"
Was she truly trying to manipulate Davina? Who the hell did she think she was? Just because she was carrying Klaus' child didn't mean Addie wouldn't kill her if Davina was hurt because of her.
Sure, she was still angry at Davina's role in her…new acquisition of power…but she was her little sister. Anyone who harmed her wouldn't live long enough to regret it, especially now that Addie could use her power to its full potential. So she wiped the blood trickling out of her nose, a notification of over-exertion, and left her bed.
When had Davina even arrived? And why did no one tell her? She'd find the teen herself, but first…
Hayley let out a muffled yelp as a strong hand gripped her throat and slammed her into the wall. She struggled to fight back, but felt as if she had been completely paralyzed in a moment. Her eyes widened in shocked panic, not understanding what was happening, and more importantly, which one of Klaus' minions would try to defy him.
"I'm only going to say this once, so listen up real good." The words were growled out and upon noticing their femininity, Hayley's eyes snapped to the ones belonging to the owner of the hand wrapped around her throat. When she met the black depths, she couldn't look away.
"You don't know me all too well, but there's a girl here –a witch- that you do know a bit more about. Know who I'm talking about?" At Hayley's nod, the woman's grip tightened slightly, as if telling Hayley to pay full attention to her next words.
"If you ever try to manipulate or hurt her in any way…I don't care if you're pregnant. I don't care that it's Klaus'. And I sure as hell don't care if I have every vampire in town after me…if you do anything to harm her, I will tear your world apart." Her teeth clenched and her eyes narrowed harshly at the werewolf, slowly emphasising each word spoken.
"And I'll start by skinning every last wolf in the Bayou."
Hayley internally struggled harder, willing her limbs to move or her mouth to speak, but she couldn't escape the invisible hold that she was held under. She could only gasp for breath, and stare at the woman before her.
"Do I make myself clear?"
The werewolf gave a jerky nod, and in an instant the hold was gone, allowing her to sag against the wall and rub her sore neck while she coughed harshly. When she looked up to glare at the familiar woman who assaulted her, she realised that she was entirely alone…as if no one had been there in the first place.
"Knock, knock."
Davina's eyes shot over to the doorway as soon as she heard the familiar voice, a beaming smile stretching across her face.
"Addie!"
The younger Claire put down the box of books she had yet to find a place for, and flew into her sister's arms. Three days wasn't a very long time, but it was the longest they had been apart in the past year.
Just seeing her little sister brought a smile to the elder Claire's face, her happiness pressing down the anger. Her arms squeezed the younger girl tight for a moment, before letting her go.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I had no idea, and when he asked I just thought it was a friend. He said that she was-"
"Woah, woah, woah…slow down, kiddo." Addie chuckled amusedly at the rapid rambling. "What are you talking about?"
"I spoke to Marcel, he told me everything." Davina's gaze dropped to the ground in shame, but they were quick to rise when her sister tugged her arm and led her over to the small couch in her new room.
"Addie, you have to believe me, I didn't know! I swear!"
Addie rubbed a soothing hand around her little sister's back, like a mother would to an upset child. She could see that Davina was clearly beating herself up about it, and even though it was partially her fault, Addie wouldn't allow her to think so.
"Hey, come on now, D…it's not your fault. If it wasn't you, then it would have been someone else."
She didn't know where the words had come from, because she actually hadn't thought about how far Marcel would have gone. Would he have asked someone else? Was he that eager to get her powers back for her? She didn't think he would have, but it wasn't important anymore.
"I guess so…I just-I would have told you, you know? I wouldn't have done that without asking you." She looked up at her big sister, brows drooping in regret.
As soon as they had arrived at the compound, Davina had instantly rounded on Marcel, demanding answers. True to his word, he had told her everything. He had told her how Addie had confided in him all those months ago, he told her how she wasn't a typical witch, he had told her that he had admittedly used her to remove the barrier their mother had place on Addie (and also admitted that he was wrong to do so), and he had also told her of the events that took place after Addie got her powers back.
If there was one thing Davina could understand, it was that controlling an abundance of power that you have never had to deal with before, was incredibly difficult. The tiniest change in emotion –anger, sadness, fear- could cause terrible consequences. It was why Elijah's offer of studying the Original Witch's grimoire was so appealing.
It was far too easy to hurt those you care about when you could barely control the power inside you. Hell, Davina had already hurt her sister that night that Klaus saved her life.
So it wasn't too difficult to understand why Addie had broken Marcel's neck when she had awoken. The man had betrayed her trust. Anger. She believed that Davina had willingly taken part in it. Sadness. And on top of that, she had to think about trying to control a dark new power, while also trying to protect her little sister from the witches. Fear.
Yes, she could understand Addie's impulsiveness in that moment.
"I know, D. Look, I'll admit that I was a little mad at first," ok…a lot mad. "But I've had time to think about it, and I know I probably overreacted."
The elder Claire sighed, running a hand through her long her, while Davina watched and waited for her to continue.
"I mean, these past few days I've been able to practice things I couldn't even dream of doing before…and I guess, I've kinda realised that it might not necessarily be such a bad thing."
Davina gave her a wide smile, knowing that Addie had always loved learning about their origins as witches, but had always been saddened by the fact that she could never efficiently use magic herself. No matter how hard the elder Claire had tried to hide it as a teen, Davina could always see that she was disappointed in herself.
"Besides, who can stay mad at this widdle face." Davina's nose scrunched up at the baby voice her sister had adopted, and she had to swat Addie's hands away when she started pinching her cheeks.
"Hey! Stop! Addie!" Her complaints broke down into a bout of laughter, drawing a chuckle from her annoying sibling.
"Alright, alright!"
When they finally settled down, Addie rose from her seat and headed towards the exit.
"I gotta go, I'm dead tired, but I'll see you in the morning. We can have breakfast together, yeah?"
Davina nodded eagerly, a grin on her face at the prospect. She didn't know if Addie realised just how much she looked up to her. She was Davina's hero when they were children, and to finally have the bond back that was severed all those years ago…it was a good feeling.
"Alright, kiddo. I'll help you unpack in the morning, don't worry about it too much tonight. I know you probably have a few questions for me, so we can go over them too."
With a final smile, she made her way back to her own room just down the hall. She wasn't kidding when she said she was tired. Healing the gunshot wounds had exhausted her, and she wondered just how it happened.
"How did you do it?"
As she lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling with her small bedside lamp on, she knew she wasn't alone, this was only reinforced when the familiar shadow appeared beside her, sprawled out on the other side of her bed.
Do what?
"Heal me?"
When she had made it upstairs earlier that day, the thought had hit her. All he had done was touch her, and he had so easily healed her. But how had he done? What was he? Was he like her?
I didn't. You did.
Addie's nose scrunched up slightly, not understanding how that was possible. She hadn't done a thing, he was the one who touched her, not the other way around! She turned to face him as she replied.
"How?"
Think about it. You are a dark witch, one whose power is derived from darkness. You channel it, you absorb it, you use it.
She knew that there was a darkness to him, she had felt it the moment they…met. Did that mean that she had been draining him of power?
"Did I…hurt you?"
She heard his familiar chuckle before he replied.
You can't hurt me, sweetheart. Taking darkness would ultimately mean that you're giving me light. I felt…alive.
She hadn't thought about it that way before, maybe this guy was smarter than his immaturity suggested.
"Is that why I can kinda see you? Well, your silhouette?"
Her left hand gestured to the shadowy form beside her. She could still only barely see his distorted features, but not nearly enough to identify him. It was a little annoying to know that there was someone there talking to her, but not being about to see who.
I suppose. The more you use your power, the darker it gets, and the darker it gets…
He flashed her a smirk that she couldn't distinguish on his distorted features.
The closer you are to me.
She rolled her eyes, before perking up when she remembered something.
"You told me you'd give me your name."
She propped herself up on her elbow and turned to face him.
"Who are you?"
Cliffy…sorry!
My next update should come a lot quicker than this one did, I just had a lot of trouble with this one because the episode was pretty dull and I'm kinda doubtful of this story. It's my second fanfic ever, and the other one just seems to flow better for some reason :P But I hope you guys like it anyway, and thank you for the support even though I waited 80 years to update!
We should be finally getting into the action next chapter, and hopefully things pick up from there J
