Disclaimer: I do not own the vampire diaries nor any of it's characters or affiliates.

I can only apologise profusely for my absence! You have all been so incredibly supportive and patient, I hope this chapter does that justice! Thank you so much for taking the time to read, follow, favourite and review. You are all too kind :) Please try ignore any spelling and grammar mistakes, I know how annoying them can be. Enjoy!

A huge thank you to approvesomuch for the absolutely stunning cover art!

Her hold on my shoulders slowly loosens as she pulls back to cradle my cheek. Her lips turn up in a fond grin as she attempts to wipe the smudges of dirt that adorn my cheeks, I wrinkle my nose in protest and grunt her name as I try and wriggle away.

"You never could keep your face clean." She murmurs with a giggle and raised brow. My tongue pocks out between my grin and it is a welcomed moment of familiarity and warmth amidst the change and death surrounding us.

"Come we must go, dear one."

Katerina pulls me to my feet cautiously, her eyes sweeping quickly across my form. Her brow twitches violently when her senses tune onto the small cut along my palm, the ruby red wound a stark contrast to my pale skin.

I raise my palm to my face to inspect the wound, Katerina's eyes following in perfect unison. I hear the sound of shuffling fabric as she attempts to wind her hands into her dress to prevent from reaching for me. I recognise the hunger in her eyes and reluctantly offer my palm to her. I feel my heart thundering against my ribcage like hooves against stone. I take a deep breath.

Her body jolts in response but not in the way I was anticipating. She untangles her hands from the material of her dress and closes my outstretched palm, placing a soft kiss along my knuckles.

"Never from you, little dove." Her whisper vibrates against the bone, her warm voice encased in a tone of command that left no room for discussion. I nodded silently, cursing my cowardice as a ripple of relief flushes through my veins. Opening my palm I notice that blood from the wound had printed onto the left of my palm, the two streaks of red forming a shape similar to the wings of a butterfly. Strange, how blood could hold such strong ties to tones of death and pain, yet still retain a powerful bond to beauty and freedom.

"But you must…" I begin, a knot in my stomach as I try to find the words, "eat?"

She nods reassuringly to me, a light smile adorning her features. "I will, you need not concern yourself sister." With an outstretched hand, she interlinks our fingers and guides us to higher ground.

With every few steps she turns back to look at me. Before today I had never seen my sister afraid. She was the brave one, the adventurous and daring one. I envied that about her, her confidence. Her assertiveness about her place in the world. Every action, word and movement she made had a purpose and life to it that drew men in like a moth to a flame. It was something in her eyes, some unexplainable pull that reeled you into their seemingly bottomless depths. When she laughs her eyes light up like a sea of constellations. Warm stars igniting against the backdrop of a dark summers evening.

Seeing fear diffuse that light was like a shard of ice to the chest. An unwelcome, uncomfortable sensation that twisted against the bone of my ribs. The sensation deepens once I realise that I am the reason for its existence. She is afraid of me. Afraid that I'll run and abandon her, disown her like Papa did.

I lean over and press my lips to her cheek in a silent apology, intertwining our fingers in an unyielding embrace. Her jaw softens, releasing the tension and fear that rested there, her lips curving into a soft smile. Light dances across her eyes once more chasing the fear into the crevice of her lids. She presses her lips against my forehead and I release a sigh of relief.

We continue walking in silence. I brush my fingers against the greenery as we walk, tracing the veins of the leaves with the pad of my thumb. We reach the clearing that rests before the river that marks the beginning of our land. Flowers adorn the forest floor with every shade of colour imaginable. A rush of familiarity floods through me and I grasp it with both hands. Releasing a small giggle I run through the flowers like I did when we were children, twisting and turning my body to dance in time with the wind. I pull Katerina with me and she throws her head back with a laugh as we fall together into the dirt. I rest my head in the familiar crook of her neck as we lose ourselves in the nuances of the passing clouds.

"We are free, little dove. We are finally free to take flight together. We will soar into the new world, I can show you all of the wonders it has to offer. Would you like that?"

A large grin breaks across my lips as excitement, wonder and anticipation course through my veins at the prospect of travelling the world. I have never had any worldly adventures of my own, the only sources of knowledge and adventure I have ever been able to obtain have come from secondary sources. Passing peddlers and bards would tell stories of the wild and dangerous ways of the Spanish, English, Romans, and Greeks who have laid the foundation for, and were leading, the new world. My adventurous spirit could not be sated by only stories forever, now finally it would get the satisfaction it had been craving for so long.

"Come, I have a horse and carriage awaiting us." She pulls me to my feet and brushes the leaves from my hair fondly.

We walk no more than five paces before dread robs us of any joy we had been able to salvage in those passing moments.

Terror washes over my spine when we reach graveyard that was once our home. Smoke from the surrounding ash of burnt flesh and wood hovers across the meadow in a dense fog. My eyes survey the wake of the destruction. The dense forestry that had once covered the meadow's floor was replaced with the charred carcasses of our loved ones. Their forms were left twisted and torn in unnatural positions, limbs scattered across the ruins, floating in the sea of marinating blood and dirt. Vile burns in my throat and I heave out the contents of my stomach. Soft fingers pull my hair from my face as my stomach burns and churns my insides in acid. I release a gasp of pain, clutching my stomach, taking deep breaths in attempts to regulate my breathing.

I gain the strength to slowly raise my body. The sight of Jareth's body hanging limply from the tree jars through my body like a blow to the chest. His form appears untouched by the destruction surrounding him, his blood painting and staining the bark. I turn my head away sharply in an attempt to oppress the sobs and cries that threatened to spill from my lips. I move from my sister's grasp, her fingers running through my hair as I make my way towards him. Pain and anger consume me as I realise his wrists and ankles are nailed to the trunk, he's been crucified. I grasp the nails in his hands and feet and pull the monstrosities from his flesh. My fingers dig into the flesh of his chest and I guide him into my arms. Jareth. A boy, just a boy.

His weight pushes me to my knees. Sobs of anguish and fury spawn from my chest and I sob apologies of broken promises into his hair.

I do not know how long it takes me to find the strength to part from him. I stroke his cheek fondly as I lye his body down. I move any twigs in my path, I want him to be comfortable.

I feel Katerina's hands encase my shoulders, my broken blue eyes meeting empathetic brown.

"I want to bury him." The words scratch raw against my throat. However my tone is firm, shaping the words as a statement not a question, my nails already digging into the ash and dirt. Katerina does not utter a word.

Twigs and stones bruise and claw at my fingers as I dig and dig until I no longer can. Katerina observes silently, encased in the mournful silence, as I painfully lift Jareth into his bed. I mould a small pillow from the damp dirt, resting his raven locks against it. I kiss his forehead softly.

"Goodbye, my friend."

Katerina does not speak until I encase Jareth in the final grain of dirt.

"Carolina…"

I ignore her call and push my aching muscles to rise to my feet. My feet limply dragging themselves towards the burnt skeleton of what was once our family home.

Katerina's hands fly to encase my wrists in a vice grip halting my movements.

"What are you doing?" She hisses through her teeth.

"I am going to bury Mama and Papa's remains." I whisper softly, my tone and body as limp as a ghost. Panic fills Katerina's eyes as she blocks my path, tangling her hands in my dirt matted hair.

"You cannot. If you bury them he will now I was here."

"Who will know?" I ask confused, my hands grasping her forearms, "Katerina, who will know?"

She shakes her head repeatedly, tightening her grip on my form as she curls into herself like a hunted animal. Her knotted brown tresses flying in the wind as she shoots her panicked gaze to all corners of the ruins, appearing both the predator and the prey. Her look of pain and fear only fuels my anger and confusion and I rip my arms from her grasp and force her gaze to mine.

"If you are going to deny me my right to bury our parents then you cannot deny me an explanation as to why!"

My words ricochets off the armour she has spun around herself in her state of paranoia. All her senses are tuned into monitoring the beating heart of the earth surrounding us, from every rustling leaf to soft changes in the breeze. Predator.

Sorrow grips my heart as I think of Mama's lavender scent and warm soft hands. Papa's stern brow and jolly laugh.

"Do you truly hate them so much, that you would deny them peace?"

That reduces her armour to dust and until now I have never understood clearer the fatal power of words. Her eyes lock onto mine in a shudder of pain and disbelief. A lone tear glides down her cheek as she whispers in a tone no heavier than a feather.

"You know nothing, nothing of the pain I have suffered. Of the sacrifices I made to be with you all once again! You, above all, should never have to question the love I bare for them."

She loosens her grip on my arm, her hands slide down my wrists as she starts to pull away, it's like a dagger to the heart. I throw my arms around her neck and bury my face in her neck, sobbing 'I'm sorry' over and over again into every pore in her skin until my voice grows hoarse. It is only when her comforting arms encircle me once again with a sigh that I feel anchored in the storm.

"I'm sorry Carolina, please trust me. I am doing this to protect you, us. If you want us to survive then we have to leave them." She pulls my face to hers, wiping away my tears and tracing calming designs on my cheeks, a glint of desperation in her eyes. I nod my head solemnly. Katerina, my sister, is my home now.

"I will follow you until the ends of the earth, sister."

She smiles at me brightly in relief, eyes glistening. She nods softly and takes a deep breath to centre herself. She links our fingers together and guides us one more onto the path that leads to the main road.

We pass a garland of wildflowers speckled with dew and Katerina places one in my hair. I touch the silk petals and give her a small smile, she returns in kind before once again we surrender to the silence.

I notice a carriage a few yards ahead with a man seated at the front with light brown curls and eyes. Upon closer inspection I notice that the softness of his features contrasts eerily to the stiff stance of his body and hard gleam in his eyes, focused solely on Katerina's form. I had witnessed Katerina with many suitors, her charm and beauty has always ensured a steady flow of interest. Their eyes would followed her every movements with a boldness and lust that would make me blush and Katerina grin. Lust I had witnessed but I have never seen anyone look at someone the way this man was looking at Katerina. With such intent focus and devotion, his every breath seemingly dependant on her movements. I frown at this realisation, Katerina mistakes my confusion for fear.

"He is with us, he can do you no harm." She reassures, stroking my hair, I nod slowly. Still thrown off guard by the mysterious connection between Katerina and this man.

"Where to, mistress?" He asks, his tone gruff yet soft. Everything about this man exuded a battle between control and submission, it makes my skin crawl.

"The nearest tavern, I want us there before nightfall."

"Yes, mistress." He jumps from his seat and offers his hand to assist her into the carriage. He offers me his hand next, I slip my hand in and out of it within moments, placing myself next to Katerina. Goosebumps decorate my skin where his hand met mine, the pale cold flesh making me shiver. Katerina places her hand over the bumps and strokes her fingers across my knuckles, her eyes watching the sun pass through the trees.

I place my head on her shoulder and watch as the scenery blurs into one, allowing the rocking sensation of the carriage to lull me to sleep just as Mama used to.

We have been settled in a room at this tavern for the past fortnight. Katerina has been attempting to secure us safe passage for several days now, her magnetic pull over the various foreigners and fishermen that come to this establishment for their casual dalliances ensures a steady stream of offers. But for one reason or another she finds a reason not to trust them, there is a paranoia to her thinking that is slowly consuming her. Her eyes so cleverly cloak her fear and desperation in the public eye, but when we are alone it is as clear as water that her soul is tormented.

I feel powerless in the face of it.

The more time I spend in her company the more I come to understand about her new nature. Vampire. That had been the word Katerina had used to describe herself. The stories I had heard through urban myths passed down throughout the generations helped me understand her thirst for the violence…the blood. It is how they survive. It is how Katerina must survive…through blood. I understand that now. However much it pains me to see her soul darken with each drop she consumes I understand that without it I would lose her. That is not something I am willing to endure; and so I take refuge in the moments of innocence. The humanity. Moments when I see the young playful girl who is still only seven and ten summers. When her laugh echoes throughout the room like the chiming of bells as she chases me, her eyes alight with passion and light as we dance around the room in a moment of pure childish liberation. It is what gives me hope, those moments where she is Katerina Petrova my sister, not the vampire. It is those moments I take refuge in when the monster appears more vivid and tangible than the human. When the part of her thrives in the blood and violence is more dominant than the human who owns my heart. It is in these moments that she is lost to me, absorbed in a world of sensation and indulgence that forsakes compassion and empathy.

She has never hurt me. She tries to shield me from who she has become and while a part of me is relieved that I do not have to witness her surrender to the monster, it fills me with shame that I make her feel as though she has to hide.

Katerina tries to time her feeds after we retire for the evening. She will tuck me under the covers and place a kiss on my crown before retiring to her bed. Once she believes me to be asleep she'll slip from the covers and quietly leave the room. I hear the door close every night, the noise crushing against my heart as I try to encase myself in a state of ignorance and surrender to the land of dreams.

One night I assemble the courage to follow her.

The night of the slaughter left its mark on me in more ways than one. The truth is, I have a secret. One that I cannot divulge even to Katerina, which is a sensation I have never experienced before. I have tried to bury it, suffocate it in the dark recesses of my mind. But it pulsates throughout the very fabric of my being. A seed has taken root within me…and given bloom to an insatiable curiosity, the kind that rakes its nails against your skull in its cries for release.

I have always been curious, a dreamer Papa would always call me. A trait that has often lead me on a tangent of deep idealisation. I use it as a means of escaping, of compensating for the innocence and ignorance surrounding me which prevents me from being anything more than a naive girl of four and ten summers. The darker parts of myself curse and despise the nativity and optimism that ripples off me like waves against the shore. But the other parts of myself fear, more, who I would become without it.

The night I watch Katerina feed for the first time that bewitching curiosity builds into an untameable, uncontrollable flood that pollutes my soul in the most subtle and damaging of ways. Igniting a desire for the power and sensuality that the darkness I had witnessed holds that only just outweighs my hatred for its violent and destructive nature. My desire to surrender to the allure of that darkness frightens me, haunts my dreams. That night I follow her gives birth to a part of myself that starts the end of everything.

I find her kissing a boy with her back against a wall.

Heat bubbles beneath the skin of my cheeks, flushing the flesh in a rosy hue and I blush at the intimate nature of the scene before me. My heart beat quickens as I watch his lips travel down her neck, sighs and moans of pleasure and desperation dance at the tips of my ears. I feel my body flush with fire, biting my lip hard enough to break skin as the pain is matched with a chill of excitement that both confuses and electrifies my senses. I have never been kissed by a boy. Touched, respectfully and cordially yes, but never kissed. I have dreamed of being kissed. Until now I had always imagined it to be like an extension of a kiss on the hand. Warm, soft. Lips delicately and respectfully imprinting the skin. A gentleman's kiss.

But that image never made my knees buckle the way this man's kiss was. His lips devoured hers like he's been trapped in a drought and she is his only source of sustenance. Tongues battling, teeth grating the smooth flesh of lips with as moans and sighs escape out the sides of their mouths.

I bite deeper into my bottom lip to quell the whimper that threatens to spur from my chest.

The two lovers remain ignorant, too busy loosing themselves in each other. I watch with bated breath and shameful curiosity as his hand travels down her body and slips underneath the edge of her dress. A loud and animalistic moan leaves Katerina's lips, vibrating against my skin, as she slowly starts to grinds her hips against the hand hidden from my view. Her scalp grates against the wood at her back as they fall into a hard and desperate rhythm.

I feel a hot knot form low in my abdomen, muscles clenching and unclenching in a foreign feeling of pleasure. I dig my fingers into the skin of my palms, cutting deep crescent moons into the flesh. I feel panicked and start to turn away, guilt and embarrassment flooding my senses as I grasp the sick reality of what it is I am doing. Just as I go to turn my face away Katerina plunges her fangs into the boy's neck.

I muffle my gasp against my palm as the face of daemon with fiery hair and emerald eyes flashes across my eyes…'got you'.

The way her fangs pierce the young boy's flesh is too similar to how the fiery haired daemon pierced mine. The destination is the same. The way the skin tears is the same. Except, the boy moans in ecstasy not pain.

I turn away in fear, heart racing as I quickly and quietly make my way back to our room, trying to ignore the fact that the warm pleasurable feeling still had not quelled.

Once the door is safely shut behind me it feels safe to breath. I gasp at the air greedily, forcing it into my body. My heart is still pounding against my chest and I cover my mouth with my shaky hands in disgrace and humiliation, fingers beating against my lips in a maddening rhythm. What had I done? Why did I…why did I take pleasure in that?

What have I become?

I lock those thoughts away with a shake of my head and slowly force myself to my feet. My wobbly knees just strong enough to numbly support me to my bed. I pull the covers around me like a shield, knuckles white as I grip them to my form. I close my eyes and force the images and sounds of ecstasy from my thoughts, ignoring the damp pool residing between my thighs, rubbing them together in an attempt to extinguish the ache until I surrender to oblivion.

I awake early morn to the sight of fine gowns and scent of honey suckle. Katerina is seated at the vanity, her figure wrapped in a deep scarlet gown with gold leaf embodied around the waist. A maid is tightening the lacing of the corset as Katerina ties a loose gold chain around her slim olive neck, a dark ruby falling just before her bust. Her eyes meet mine in the mirror, a playful twinkle dancing in her eye. I look down in embarrassment, tangling my fingers in the linen as I push my form to rest against the head board.

"Finally you have risen, dear sister. I thought you in an eternal slumber. Now I am able to impart the good news."

"News, sister?"

"Spain, little dove. We are taking flight to Spain! A noblemen of my acquaintance is the nephew of the High King who presides there and has offered us sanctuary in his home. We leave at noon." Gesturing the maid to tend to me, she continues "I am sorry it has taken so long for us to depart port but I cannot take any chances. I have secured us safe passage on the vessel of a humble peddler, we are to accompany him as his mistresses."

My eyes fly to hers as a blush burns against my cheeks, my mouth falls agape in shock at her candid suggestion. The maid guides me behind the screen and begins to undo my garments before I can respond. Katerina releases a laugh at the display. "No need to blush, dear one. You will not need to perform the duties the title implies, I have seen to that. None the less we must appear the part." She hands the maid a gown of dark emerald which she places at my feet for me to step into.

Chills jolt my spine as I study the deep jaded bite marks decorating the taunt worn skin of her arms. I offer her what I hope appears to be a reassuring smile and softly squeeze her shoulder, removing the gown from her hands in the process, and continue to fit it to my figure. She remains silent and I feel like a monster.

"Although this development is promising we cannot allow ourselves to feel comfortable. Comfort leads to idleness and idleness to mistakes. Mistakes we cannot afford to make. Come, let me see you sister."

I stumble from behind the blind, the gown falling limp in front of me as I try and fasten the ties at the back. Katerina glares at the maid but before she can say anything I step forward and gain her attention.

"Would you tie them for me, like you used to?"

Her gaze softens and she nods her head.

"You are free to leave. Take our new luggage down stairs and prepare my sister something to eat." She commands softly, pulling the woman's gaze to her own through some form of enchantment. An act I have become all too familiar with over the past fortnight. I hide my face in my shoulder as I watch the frail woman limp to gather our things and depart the room. It is only when the door closes that I realise her eyes are the same shade of blue as our fathers'.

"That was not necessary sister, I am not hungry."

Katerina waves off my words and seats me at the vanity. She pulls at the stings smoothly, entwining them over and under each other with perfect accuracy. I try and meet her eyes in the mirror but she ignores me, focusing on the task at hand. I release a sigh of defeat as I accept that the matter is not up for debate. She runs her fingers through my hair once she is finished, pulling the long strands into a familiar braid. It is the most at home I have felt since we arrived here.

"You are beautiful, sister." She whispers, her eyes finally meeting mine in the mirror.

"Not as beautiful as you, sister." I reach up my hand and hold her fingers in mine. Never as beautiful as you. I drive that cold thought to the back of my mind and bask in the warmth and familiarity of the moment, trying to muster the courage to voice my next words.

"Why must you manipulate people the way you do? I know they do not act of their own free will when they carry out your wishes. I know not how you do it, nor do I wish to know. I just…I can see the pain in their eyes. I do not like what this power is doing to you." I approach slowly, tasting and moulding each word softly, maintaining her gaze. Her body tenses once the first few words leave my lips, slipping her fingers from my hair, all the while staring in

"Everything I do, I do for our survival."

"There is a fine line between survival and cruelty, Katerina."

"And to survive I must at times be cruel!" My body tenses at her outburst and she lowers her voice in response, gracefully bending to her knees and taking my hands in hers with a gentle squeeze. "Do you not see, little dove? It is with this gift that I am able to protect and provide for us. Our safety, your safety, is of paramount importance to me and that is why I cannot disregard this gift. Not when it is the only thing between us and oblivion." Her eyes begs me to put the matter to rest but I cannot.

"Why must it be like this? What are you so afraid of? I have so many questions but you refuse to talk to me. You are pulling away from me and I know not why!"

She rips her hands away violently and I whimper as she turns her fury onto me. Her face morphing into the familiar features of the monster who holds my sister captive.

"Do not push me Carolina! You are but a naive and silly little girl! You know nothing of the daemons that lye waiting in the shadows. You think me cruel?! You know nothing!"

"Then tell me! Let me in!" I beg frantically, falling to my knees before her and clasping my arms around her hips, clinging to her form like a babe. I bury my face into the supple, beaded fabric of her dress and whisper brokenly against her waist. "You are all I have. Help me to understand, I beg of you."

Her fingers dig into my shoulders and lay there for a few moments in silence.

She pulls me to my feet gently, cradling my face in her palms. Her eyes are brimming with tears as she shakes her head at me softly in somber amusement.

"Pulling away from you? No, little dove, it is quite the opposite. I am holding onto you with everything I have. You are the only thing preventing me from plummeting off the edge. You deserve so much more than this. But I am a coward, I am too selfish to let you go. I need you."

"I do not want to leave you. But I need to know what happened to you, I need to understand."

"Someday. But for now I need you trust me. Trust that everything I do is to ensure our survival. Can you do that for me?"

I look into Katerina's eyes and firmly nod my head. Until the ends of the earth, sister.

"Thank you." She whispers, clearing her throat and stroking my cheek teasingly. "You look fit for a King, sister. Now come, we must depart to the docks. Let me show you what the world has to offer, dear one."

I draw patterns in the soil, dirt gathering under my nails, as Katerina exchanges words with the captain over our accommodation. I close my eyes and tilt my head back, savouring my final breaths of Bulgarian air. The only air I had ever breathed. But that was all about to change. A thought that both saddened and thrilled me.

Katerina twirls her skirt as she turns to gesture to me, calling me towards them.

"Come, sister, we are departing port." She holds out her hand to me and I entwine our fingers, shyly looking at the burly man with an ashen face and wise eyes. He frowns and motions to the vessel with a nod of his head, walking ahead of us, his boots thudding against the wood. Katerina pulls me towards the boat with a giggle, whether it was at his slight of me or out of excitement I did not know.

I feel my heart skip as we cast off, the shoreline of our home growing smaller and smaller in the distance. A solemn feeling washes over me and I wonder if I will ever return to Bulgaria.

"Now, sister. Neither you nor I are familiar with the native language of the Spanish, but I am assured that there will be noble men and women who speak English. I am told the High King is almost as curious in the new world as you are, little dove. Finally you will be able to put your studies to use."

This fills me with even more anticipation at the prospect of finally getting to practise and expand my understanding of the English language. I was not highly educated by means, but Papa was good to us girls in that he ensured we learned the fundamentals such as reading and writing. I learned English from Jareth's family, they emigrated from England after they lost a child to the plague to serve our family. It took a course of three years for me to grasp and master the language. Jareth would spend endless hours patiently sitting with me, repeating and rewording phrases as I tried to tame my passionate Bulgarian tone to the slow and calculated pitch of the English.

I swallow the lump in my throat at the thought of Jareth's body crucified to that tree. He is at peace Carolina, let him be at peace.

"That sounds thrilling, sister, thank you."

She places her hands on my shoulders, no doubt understanding the weight behind my words. I can never hide anything from her.

I find it difficult to sleep the first night aboard. The rocking sensation of the waves crushing against the wood keeping me alert and awake.

I leave my hammock, passing Katerina's empty one as I pass, and climb the stairs until I can see the stars. I curl my figure against the main mast, leaning my head against the wood, attempting to centre myself against the constant jolt of motion.

I feel a pair of eyes piercing my shoulder blades and turn my eyes to find the captain leaning against the railing. He makes his way towards me, his boot thundering against the wood despite his slow movements. He places a piece of bread in my lap. I rip into it hungrily, sating the hunger I didn't realise was rumbling in my stomach. I look up to him to offer my thanks but find his eyes empty. Not cold or cruel, but none the less empty. I should feel unease at this realisation but instead find it a welcomed respite from the overwhelming spectrum of emotions that have governed my senses these past few days. He returns to his place at the railing and I rest my head back against the wood, the crumbs sticking to the material of my dress. We say nothing and I am surprised at the comfort I feel at the silence. I succumb to darkness just as a warm cover is wrapped around me.

We repeat this ritual every night until we reach the shores of Spain. Neither one of us speaking a word.

We are at sea for five nights and six days. A man waits at the docks to greet us upon our arrival. Rough blonde hair billows in the sea salt infused air, sharp hazel eyes igniting with interest as Katerina and I depart the vessel. My legs wobble slightly at the sudden grounding, my body reacquainting itself with the motionlessness and serenity of land.

"Sebastian!" Katerina calls, eyes dancing with excitement and hidden relief as she makes her way towards him at a confident pace. I allow myself to trail behind as the two greet each other. The sun has just started to set, hues of orange and red paint the stone walls of the city Madrid, the land's capital and birthplace of the High King Ferdinad.

"Katerina, thank you for gracing our humble shores with the pleasure of your company. It has been far, far too long." His lips trail against her knuckles with a frank familiarity, the space between their forms slim as Katerina releases a charming laugh. The two seem well acquainted, that thought brings a knowing smile to my lips as I recognise Sebastian as another casualty to Katerina's eternal charm.

"Sebastian, always the gentleman." She teases with a raised brow. Although the way her voice stroked the word gentleman hints that his nature is anything but. He responds to her comment with a wide grin.

"But of course. Ah, and this must be the darling Carolina you told me so much about. Tales of your beauty do not exaggerate." He promises darling, his lips meeting my hand in a kiss that was anything but gentlemanly. A blush heats my cheeks at his bold words. His sharp eyes studying my face with interest as I curtsey.

"Pleasure to meet you, my lord."

He keeps his lips rested against my hand longer than is deemed appropriate. A bold grin lights his features as he notices how I shift my body nervously, uncomfortable under his wandering eyes. After several beats he transfers my hand to the crook of his elbow and leans down to whisper against the shell of my ear brazenly, "Sebastian, please. The pleasure is all mine." I pull my neck back and step to the side in order to create space between us, he laughs at my frigid response to advances. I raise my chin in the hopes of concealing my embarrassment.

"Come, let me give you a tour of our home."

He turns from me and offers Katerina his other arm, she accepts it with a flirtatious grin and I release a sigh of relief as his attentions are drawn elsewhere.

He guides us through several squares and paths, I strain my neck in every direction in my attempts to catch glimpses of the exotic scenery as we pass. Sebastian laughs at my eager efforts and murmurs something into Katerina's ear that makes her giggle and nod her head in amusement. I ignore their exchange, my attention absorbed in the beauty of Spain, the exotic air dancing against my lungs as I breathe a deep breath, lifting my head to the sky with a grin and releasing my wings.

I stumble slightly over a stray stone and two hands engulf me from behind before I can gather my bearings. I turn to meet the eyes of the captain, his eyes betraying nothing as he guides me to my feet. I whisper my gratitude but his eyes chose to focus ahead. Katerina and Sebastian remain oblivious to what has transpired, their fingers softly stroking against each others. I shake my head lightly before losing myself once again in the wonders of Spain.

Sebastian guides us through a passage decorated with vines platted with red flowers. I pluck one as we pass and brush it against my nose, the honey scene tickling my nostrils. I turn to find the captain and his crew gone from behind us before my vision is quickly absorbed in darkness as we enter the room. Sebastian's hand leaves mine as he gathers the burning flame in the centre of the room and uses it to ignite the remaining candles, flooding the room with light.

"These are to be your quarters." He announces as we enter the grand space. The floors and walls are layered with cobblestone, a vanity placed beside a large glass stained window is the centrepiece of the space. Two large beds are positioned side by side, adorned in soft inviting sheets. I have never bared witness to such luxury and extravagance. My feet carry me to the window as the tip of the sun's head can just be seen floating above the coastline. It's beauty leaves me breathless.

"I hope they will suffice?"

"It is adequate, thank you for your assistance." Katerina says curtly, her eyes betraying her warmth and gratitude at his efforts. Sebastian's eyes twinkle in delight as he bows respectfully.

"Anything for you, dear Katerina. Please inform myself or the servants if there is anything you require. I shall leave you to rest. We will discuss the details of your disguises in the morn."

"Katerina, Carolina." He bows at us once more before turning and leaving the room.

I return my gaze to the sunset and monitor it's progression until it's last ray is devoured by the night. I feel Katerina's chin rest in the crook of my shoulder and stroke my hair in a loving caress. I lean back into her, my body growing limp as I fight a losing battle to stay awake.

"Come, we must retire if we are to have the energy to wander the city tomorrow, little dove." She urges warmly, undoing the laces of my corset so I can remove the heavy material from my form. I greedily suck in a gust of air, my chest burning at the release. I kick my shoes off unceremoniously and slip under the covers, pull them tightly to my chest, my mind already starting to surrender to the land of dreams. Katerina kisses my forehead and whispers a silent goodnight before moving to her bed.

I poke my head up and watch as she settles beneath the covers. I pull back the covers and pad quietly across the room before slipping under her sheets and resting my head next to hers. She smiles at me sleepily and pulls me to her chest, wrapping her arms around my waist. I snuggle into her soft raven tresses and fall into a peaceful slumber, the familiar raise and fall of her chest lulling me to sleep. Allowing myself to cling on to the hope that this foreign land will somehow mend the hairline cracks in our souls.

Desperate cries of pain and misery echo off the thin stone walls of the dark chamber as a thick plane of wood pierces brutally through the captive's lung. His body thrashing violently as he sways deliriously from side to side, blood soaking the span of his chest, pain blurring his senses. Long, powerful fingers skilfully twist the stake further into the flesh, splinters breaking away and embedding themselves in the wound. A broad shouldered dominating figure turns the hanging victim to face him, the melodic chiming of chains fills the rare moment of silence as the body turns, the shadowed figure stepping into the dim light.

Blood stains glisten in his golden mane as he circles the breathing carcass, appearing like a lion basking in the wounds of its prey, awaiting to deliver the final deadly blow. A pleasured smile tugs at his supple lips, pearl white fangs grating against his light stubble as his tongue traces a line of blood just underneath his bottom lip.

"You failed me, young Hubert. I do not respond well to those who disappoint me." His voice equates to no more than a whisper. His cold, emotionless tone shaping and releasing the words with perfect eloquence and pitch. The only indication of anger or incivility being the raw undeniable power that was grated behind each syllable, holding with it a promise of pure savagery.

"I beg of you my lord, I did not-

"You were entrusted the task of monitoring Katerina. It is through your folly and blind ignorance that she was able to escape from my clutches. Taking with her my only means of fulfilling my destiny. Now, once again, I must wait. Always waiting."

"I am so sorry, my lord I-

The vampire's merciful plea falls cold on his lips, as his head is savagely severed from him body in one elegant flick. Blood rains throughout all corners of the chamber, painting the white material of the predator's shirt a pleasurable red.

The doors open to reveal a man of smaller build and brown locks. Sparing a glance to the scattered limbs he gazes at the drenched figure with an amused purse of the lips.

"You have been busy." His tone mimics the calculated control of the chamber's other occupant. His air and stance portraying the image of a trained and civilised gentleman. "I have received word from your pet. He has been successful in tracking Katerina to the shores of Spain, the city of Madrid."

"Excellent." The voice rumbles with a purr, lips tugging into a smirk, a mad glint in his eye. "Tell him to do nothing, monitor her from a distance, quietly."

"Brother?"

"Dia de Muertos, noble Elijah, is soon to be upon us. I would not want dear Katerina to miss out on the cultural festivities. All the more seeing as it will be the last sight she bears witness to before the ending of her miserable existence."

"Would it not be more prudent to have her incarcerated, Niklaus? It seems hazardous to allow her the freedom to escape."

"Ah, but you see dear brother. I want her to remain ignorant. I want her to feel safe, protected. It will make ripping out her heart all the more sweeter knowing that its final beats were executed under the false pretence of freedom." He finishes with a low growl, his fingers tracing through the air, miming the violent action. A slight flinch radiates through the muscles of the noble brother, fists clenching at his sides as he attempts to quell his involuntary response.

"I thought the slaughtering of her family was intended to fulfil that objective."

Niklaus' lips break into a knowing grin at his brother's blatant display of human sympathy.

"Remember, dear Elijah. We are daemons, we do not feel and we do not care."

"I will make the preparations for our departure." Elijah departs with a final glance at the blood stained walls "As ever I will retrieve someone to clean up your mess."

The doors close behind him with an echoing thud, Niklaus' grin widens.

"Zdravei Katerina. We will meet again soon."

Thank you once again for taking the time to read this! Please drop me a review if you have the time, would love to hear your

Dia de Muertos - Day of the dead.