Thank you Black Star for your continued reviews with this piece, I love hearing your feedback and I hope you enjoy this chapter. In regards to your question that even though her master does not summon her, yes she is still compelled protect them when they are in danger. However there are some limitations, she can't just transport over there and she can try to fight it, but the longer she does the more the compulsion grows and the pain from the ring also grows. In regards to Klaus, well you did guess the first part of it ;) but I can't reveal more than that. I am not even sure I should have revealed that much.

Also I realize that I made a mistake with my previous chapters in that Elijah never actually learned her true name, so for the sake of the story just pretend that that actually happened.

To Be Or Not To Be

Elijah woke up gasping for breath and looking around wildly. He noticed that he was chained but no matter how hard he strained he could not get free. He noticed Keira standing in the doorway, silent and still. Her face seemed closed off, though he could see a hint of worry in her eyes.

"Keira?" He asked.

"Oh she can't help you now." A voice drew his attention to the other occupant of the room. His mother Esther was seated on the wall close to him and watching him with a calculated gaze.

"You see." She said holding up her hand with which a familiar ring was placed on it. "She belongs to me now. Imagine my surprise when after stabbing you this ring magically appeared on my hand." She scoffed. "I would think that with such a weapon at your disposal that you would know how to wield it. Even use it to protect yourself, but no matter, trust me that I will know how to use it."

She turned to Keira.

"Leave us, make sure no-one disturbs us."

Keira bowed her head and left, sparing her former master a last look. She waited outside for what felt like a long time while Esther dealt with her son.

When Esther finally left Keira fell into step behind her, not daring to breaking the silence until her mistress did.

The next few days seemed to pass slowly for Keira. She kept by her mistress' side all the time, except when sleeping or finding food. The other witches and wolves were wary of her at first, but after Esther spoke to them they seemed to get over their fear. Keira was indifferent to them, her focus on protecting Esther, and worry over her former master.

She would go into the crypt only when Esther went to check on her son, never speaking to him, never acknowledging his presence other than a glance here or there.

Only once did she go into the crypt without Esther there. Esther had been particularly brutal that day, slicing Elijah's throat while he hung there, unconscious. Later Keira slipped into the crypt unnoticed and bit her own wrist, feeding Elijah some of her own blood, hoping that it would give him strength to keep fighting. It seemed to work, Elijah was not as vulnerable looking as before, some strength seemed to slip into him.

She might have went in unseen, but when she came out it seemed that she was not careful enough. One of the wolves happened to be coming along and saw her sneaking away and went to investigate.

Keira had returned to her room and was standing looking out the window, lost in her thoughts and dreams of someday being free. The first moment Keira knew something was wrong was when a searing, blinding pain ripped through her head. She groaned and grabbed her head, squeezing her eyes against the pain.

Esther approached her, one hand raised, pouring pain after agonizing pain into her body. Pain was also sent through the ring, Esther used to magic, knew how to use the ring to inflict pain on those enslaved to it.

Keira eventually collapsed under the pain, still gripping her head and groaning in agony.

Esther stopped her attack and knelt down next to Keira, brushing some hair off of her face tenderly.

"Foolish child, I do what I do to him out of love, and now because of your actions you have delayed what it would take to make him so much better. He needs to give up the monster inside of him, but you have only given him the strength to keep fight." She shook her head. "If only you had not given him some of your blood, his agony might have been over much sooner, but seeing that you have, his pain will continue."

She gripped Keira's chin hard. "Never do that again."

Keira nodded, not wanting to experience anymore pain.

Esther left her on the ground, still feeling the effects of the pain, wondering how much longer she would be enslaved to this mistress. After lying there for a little longer Keira cautiously got up and painfully rolled into her bed. Sleep finding her instantly and carrying her away from her pain for the moment.

Agony, unending agony was her reality, both on the outside coursing throughout her whole body, and on the inside pulsing ever stronger. She was no longer aware of her own sanity, was she screaming? Was she begging for it to stop? She did not know, all that she knew was that the pain did not stop.

Until finally it did, ceasing so suddenly that it took a moment for Keira to be aware that the pain had stopped.

"Keira, Keira" Her master chided her, brushing some hair off of her face. "When are you going to learn to obey me?"

She opened her eyes to stare at her master dully, still feeling the echoes of pain. She was not able to answer his question, all she knew was that she was at his mercy for however long he wished.

"Sleep some." He said, kissing her forehead in a mockery of a father's kiss. "And think on your answer."

He had his men untie her from the torture device and lift her up off of it to lay her down on the ground. Done for the day he and his men left her like that. She lay still on the cool dirt, still shuddering from the agony of her torture. She should have known though that he was not done with her. He would give her long enough to sleep for a little then send wave after wave of agony through her by way of the ring. By night it was always like this, by day it was torture after torture. Each day seemed to be an escalation of the torture used, as her body was able to endure and heal itself of any injury.

Keira felt at war with herself. The person who she had been, still full of hope, of kindness wanted to fight, but she was weakening, giving up. A new persona was breaking through now, harsher, colder. Willing and able to do what was necessary to survive.

This new persona had started during the early years of her enslavement to this particular master, when her new master first started to try to "break her into the saddle". Keira was able to keep true to herself, but more and more this dark stranger would break through at times. This was the worst that her master had ever brought upon her, all because of her refusal to obey an order.

When her current master told her to slaughter the entire village she could not bear to kill the children, so fighting her master's will over her for the first time and only time, she let the children go. She was now paying for it in full, day after unending day of agony. She did not know the passing of time, it could have been days, weeks, months, even years. Finally Keira could take it no longer, when dawn finally broke that particular day, and the last wave of agony ended she sat huddled against the wall, knees bent, and arms wrapped around them.

Her master approached her, kneeling down so that he was at the level of her eyes. Keira no longer looked out at him from behind her eyes.

"Yes." He said, his grin widening so that it almost looked like it would split his face. "There she is, my little demon." He tenderly caressed her face. "Are you ready to do my bidding now?"

What used to be Keira stoically endured his touch, where before she would have shuddered, now she did nothing.

"Yes master."

"Excellent. It seems the children that you have let escape have found refuge in another village. Kill them all, let none escape!"

"Yes Master." She said, her voice now void of any emotion.

This time she did not relent when it came to the children, and soon there was nothing but rubble and ashes to mark what was once a thriving village. She walked over to her master, covered in blood, dirt, and ashes.

He, his clothes so clean and pristine, sat on his horse grinning from ear to ear at the sight of the slaughter before him.

"Just look at my beautiful creation." He crooned, looking down at her. "Now everyone will fear my wrath!"

Everyone did fear him, him and the demon that followed wherever he went. She became known as The Cursed One. Not because of her enslavement to the ring, but because of the sheer number of curses that built up over the years as men and women would curse her as they witnessed her slaughtering men, women, and children. None were safe from her, even the supernatural element feared her.

Her master gained power and prestige, rising in the ranks of the nobility until he became one of the wealthiest vassals under the king. The king would even turn to him to put down upstart nobility that sought his throne.

Of course the king was not a fool, he knew that it would not be too long until her master looked to the very throne as his next conquest. So he started to look for ways of getting rid of the problem her master presented.

Eventually a way was found, and The Cursed One found her way to a new master. Throughout the passing centuries Keira surfaced from time to time, as a few kinder masters owned her, but she never remained long before slipping away and allowing The Cursed One control. However along with this new century it also brought more humane masters, Keira was able to show herself more and more in this brave new world.

She woke up, the pain of last night still leaving a trace of it throughout her body. She sat up and leaned against the wall that ran along the side of her bed. She sat, like in the position of years past, knees up and hands drawn around them.

Before her mistress came for her a decision had to be made. Would she continue to serve as Keira, or should she let The Other out? It had been awhile since the last time The Other had been allowed out. And this mistress certainly wasn't as bad as the one she had endured before, but Keira recognized the same hint of madness, and the will to do whatever it took to see Esther's plans carried out. Esther would not hesitate to use more pain to force Keira to carry out her evil plans. Keira was used to pain and she knew that she could handle it, but the pain that Esther had used was so similar to what The Master had used. Physical pain was one thing, but that sort of pain was something altogether different in its agony.

Even now she could hear her mistress' steps walking throughout the house, coming closer to Keira's room. A decision had to be made. Do I remain in control, or do I unlock the cage and let the monster out to play?

Keira closed her eyes, and the door opened.

I know The Cursed One is kinda a horrible name, but I am kinda horrible at coming up with names so I guess we will have to live with it.

Please Review, I would like to hear your guys' thoughts on this story, or this chapter!