the demons we hide
Ugh.
Her head is still pounding.
Blam. Blam. Blam.
Wait. That doesn't sound or feel like a headache.
It sounds more like...
Elena is startled awake when the door flies off its hinges. She screams in shock, but it's only Klaus who enters with the aura of an alpha, striding confidently into her room.
At 6:07 in the morning.
"What the hell?" she gasps, pulling her sheets up to cover herself up - although she's only wearing the clothes she bought yesterday - but it's a reflexive action nonetheless.
Klaus doesn't even greet her with a cockeyed grin. Instead he blurs in a flash of muted colour over to her side. "We have to leave. Now." When she doesn't move, still mulling over her dreams and what they could mean, and not realizing the dangers that lie before them, he yanks her up by the forearm, with enough brutal force to bruise her if she was human.
He drags her to the doorway, and Elena nervously looks back over her shoulder at the door. "That wasn't necessary!" she berates.
"You didn't answer when I knocked on your door politely," he says, and sets his walk at a brisker pace, her arm still in his grasp. She falls, stumbling against him, trying to keep up.
"At least tell me where we're going!" Elena demands, annoyed. "And I can walk by myself, thank you." She tries to rip her arm from Klaus but he doesn't budge and Elena knows she'll never get him to do something he doesn't want to do. So she gives up, instead trying to match his pace.
"The witch I contacted at the bar - she wasn't associated with dark magic. Another coven of witches, immersed in expression, killed her. They know about awakening Kol and the blood of a doppelgänger. They don't want me to succeed."
"So they're after us?" she all but shrieks, whipping her long hair back to look over her shoulder again. "They want to kill us?!"
"Seems that way," he observed, sounding slightly amused.
They suddenly hear footsteps clatter and echo behind them, and without turning back to look, Klaus grabs Elena by the shoulders.
"Let go of-" she starts to shout, but the sudden gust of wind cuts off her words quickly. They're running, so quickly, from the hotel, so quickly that no one notices and all they see is a slight blur in the air, nothing else. Although their lives are in danger, it feels exhilarating. Klaus is much stronger than Elena, being an Original Hybrid and all, and she can't even imagine running at this speed.
Soon enough they're back in the hustle and bustle of the city, and they can't vamp speed because of all the crowds. Elena's hair is windswept, and she quickly brushes aside the loose strands that had fallen over her eyes. She quickly scans the area for any sign of the witches.
Klaus grabs her forearm again and this time she doesn't protest, instead hurrying along with him.
They come across a white fountain in the middle of an elaborate courtyard. People are streaming about, talking, laughing, eating. All of a sudden the flow is disrupted, and chaos ensues. People start screaming, running away in all directions. They're panicking. As Klaus and Elena near the source of the screaming they see why. A dead body, her throat brutally slashed and torn into ribbons. Her green eyes stare to the sky, lifeless.
Elena covers her mouth with her free hand in horror. Leaning over the dead body is a witch.
More are coming. Elena can see the woman, all dressed in black, emitting darkness off of them as clear as day, their hair blowing back in the strong gusts of air that comes from their dark magic and powers.
"Run," Klaus growls to her, letting go of her arm and pushing her aside.
"I can fight," she insists. She doesn't want to be useless anymore.
"A valiant attempt, sweetheart, but as we both know, a doppelgänger is no use to me dead. So get out of here unless you want to see me rip out their hearts like the monster I am," he snarls viciously at her.
Shaken, Elena obeys, blurring away at vamp speed, seeking refuge in the crowds streaming away from the dead body. With the multitude of people she hopes the witches won't be able to hunt her down.
But she doesn't need to worry. She knows Klaus will bring them down before they can harm her. He needs to protect her precious doppelgänger blood, she thinks bitterly to herself. Although she doesn't have trust in Klaus, she trusts his abilities.
He never loses a fight.
"You killed my witch," Klaus casually starts off. "For the sake of your pride I'm assuming you had no idea who you're dealing with."
"Careful, hybrid," the lead witch warns mockingly with a testy smile, turquoise cat-like eyes glowing dangerously. "Our magic is stronger than your speed and strength."
"Let's test that theory, shall we?" He shoots the witches his trademark smirk, and begins the bloodshed.
As Elena is pushed along with the crowd she hears a piercing yell of agony. A single thought fills her mind.
Klaus.
If he does in fact lose this battle, the witches will be after Elena. No one will be able to protect her. As her thoughts spiral to death, another emotion blooms. Pride. Klaus is always acting superior to her, and Elena needs to show him that she can take care of herself and fight her own battles. She's not just some bloodbag, useless weight being dragged along with him. And, if he somehow manages to escape and Elena has run away for good back to Mystic Falls, he'll surely come after her again, and she'll suffer his wrath for having run from him.
Convincing herself that those are the only reasons for saving Klaus, she turns around and starts running against the flow.
She doesn't know it yet, but she was lying to herself.
Silently Elena slinks through the shadows hiding her beside a building. She holds the brick wall beside her for support, her heart in her throat. She very quickly turns to glance at the battle. Many witches are dead, their hearts brutally ripped from their chests - just as Klaus promised. She quickly averts her eyes.
The piercing yell had in fact come from Klaus. His knees have fallen to the ground, his hands now over his ears, trying to struggle through the witches' dark magic. They're advancing towards him, the lead witch's green eyes glowing utterly blue with immense power, an amulet around her neck surging upwards. The other witches' eyes aren't glowing, but they possess the same amulets as the lead witch, and are floating through midair in a similar fashion.
Elena can see Klaus struggling to his feet, only to be pushed down forcefully once more.
Elena leans her head against the hard brick wall, eyes closed, swallowing visibly. What should she do? She can't take the witches by herself, obviously. If Klaus lasted only minutes she'll last seconds. She squeezes her eyes. Think, think, think!
Her mind goes backwards in time, replaying a moment that flashes to her quickened thoughts.
The amulet.
Klaus at the bar. "I have an amulet that will intensify the witch's powers."
Her eyes fly open and she runs straight into the crossfire. She moves faster than she ever has. She rips the amulet from the lead witch's neck and manages to snap her neck, hands fumbling.
Then an instant flash of blinding pain.
The witch's amulets are broken, shattered, lying in scattered pieces. But they still maintain their original powers, their hand in front of them, giving Elena an aneurism. Revenge makes their blood run cold, and they pay no attention to Klaus, only focusing on the doppelgänger, who has killed their leader.
Klaus is rising to his feet, eyeing Elena with amusement. So the baby vampire thought she'd come to his rescue? He smiles with distaste and flings himself forward into the uneven fight, killing the witches in the most cruel of ways possible. He tears apart their bodies in a haze, the blood tainting him.
Elena still feels as if she has a splitting headache, and the red gashes over her cheek are slowly fading, but she still stands up.
Without another word they share a look, a sort of understanding crossing between them.
Klaus knows the reasons Elena has come to save him. He gives her the slightest hint of a nod, eyes guarded and expression calm. Although he does not exactly appreciate being rescued by his former sacrifice, he's acknowledging her. Elena swallows and turns away after their look. That's as much as she's going to get from him, and she didn't exactly hope for a warm thank you and a hug, so she supposes it's enough for now.
They set off together again, side by side, in search of a powerful witch that will bring Klaus's brother back to life. Then Elena will be free.
Or so she thinks.
A/N: Thank you so much for reading and I hoped you enjoyed the chapter! Feedback is always welcome and very much appreciated! :)