Thank you Black Star for continuing to review my work. I love hearing your feedback on this adventure. I am sorry I didn't put in the date before, I am not sure when the Originals came over to Europe but I am placing the time for her flashback to be between 1200-1300 AD. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter!
Also in regards to Francesca stop finding plot holes to my story, makes me work even harder...Lol...jk...when I started this work I had that first chapter playing out in my head, I never really thought that this would be the direction that this story would take me. I am thinking that with Keira in the presence of her master, sensing danger herself, it puts more feedback into the ring, causing its compulsion level to heighten as well and it quickly grows to the point of physical pain if she does not act. If she is not in direct vicinity of it, it still senses danger and the compulsion is still strong, but the signal is not quite as strong at the moment. However the longer she waits likewise the more it and the pain grows. Let me know what you think. Or it could just be a plot hole that I will have to fix up a little later.
Bad Moon Rising
Esther stepped through the door, noting that its occupant was motionless on the bed, her knees drawn up and her arms wrapped around them. Her eyes were closed as if she was in silent prayer.
"So." Esther said while drawing to a halt in front of Keira. "Are you ready to obey your mistress?"
Her eyes opened and Esther took a step back. Staring back at her was not Keira, but a wild uncaged animal. Pure malice was burning in her eyes and her gaze seemed to ensnare Esther in its depths
"Oh yes mistress." She purred, a strange, malicious smile flitting across her lips. She rose to a standing position, each movement perfectly controlled and deadly.
Esther swallowed and took another step back, putting more distance between her and this predator. She knew that through the ring she controlled this creature in front of her, but that knowledge did not still her fear. Her heart thundered and she knew by the curl of Keira's lip that she could hear it beating in terror. She felt as if she had a tiger by its tail, and one false move that tiger would turn its anger on her. She realized just how mortal she was in this body.
Esther was suddenly very eager to get out of that room that seemed to be shrinking in on her. She wondered if it was her imagination, or were the shadows actually creeping closer to her?
"Well." She said, trying to put confidence in her voice that she did not feel. "Let us be on our way. I have an errant son that I must speak with."
"Lead on, mistress." The Cursed One said, bowing in mockery and gesturing Esther to lead the way.
Esther knowing that she was being mocked, tried to take back control and sent a wave of pain to Keira.
"Oh." The Cursed One said, closing her eyes and drawing in a breath as if savoring the smell of something delicious. "That was just a loving caress compared to the levels of pain that I have endured before," She stalked closer to her mistress and circled her, purring in her ear.
"you are going to have to try much harder than that, my dear."
Esther shuddered and walked out of there, no longer willing to be in that room any longer. A dark laugh rolled along behind her as she walked, following her fleeing footsteps until finally, mercifully, it stopped. The Cursed One grinned in malice, oh that was fun! She rolled her neck and rolled her shoulders. After deciding that enough time had passed she walked to catch up with her mistress. When she caught up with Esther she made sure to keep back a few steps behind her, more to unnerve Esther than to show subservience.
When Esther could not bear to keep The Cursed One behind her any longer she sent her ahead to inform Klaus that Esther wanted to talk with him.
"As you wish, mistress." The Cursed One said then sped on her way, leaving a relieved mistress behind. She wondered how the other masters had controlled one such as this demon.
"Are you watching this mother? Nothing says I loathe you quite like desecrating a corpse." Klaus said, pouring gasoline on the coffin, under the watchful gaze of the bird perched on the tree.
"Klaus." The sound of that voice calling out his paused his process of lighting the coffin. He looked up and saw Keira, arms crossed, leaning against the very tree where the bird was perched.
"I thought you were working for my brother."
"Well yes that was the case, but I fear I am bound to the one that holds a particular ring. Your brother had it for a bit, but it seems that he could not hold it for long." She shrugged her shoulders. "It just so happens that the ring has fallen into the lovely hands of your dear mother, who, in case you didn't already know, also has your brother."
"And just why has my "dear mother" sent you?" Klaus said, not taking his off of her for a moment.
"It appears that she wants to talk with you." She said, pulling away from the tree, and stalking around Klaus and the coffin.
"Just for the sake of curiousity, how much control does my witch of a mother have over you?"
"I would say quite a great deal." The Cursed One said. "And yet." Here she leaned over to whisper close to his ear. "Not enough." She gave him a dark smile and a wink before walking away just before Esther made an appearance.
It looked like Esther would be talking to Klaus for quite a while so The Cursed One decided it would be nice to take a run as a wolf.
"Where is Elijah?" Was the last she heard before she ducked out of sight.
She took off her clothes and carfully folded them and set them where she could find them. She shifted and ran around, taking the time to chase a few squirrels and to nose around sniffing out a few scents, it had been a while since she had last been able to run in her wolf form and it felt glorious.
She would creep back, silent and unnoticed, to see if Esther was done dealing with Klaus, but it didn't seem to be the case so she kept enjoying her bit of freedom.
When night fell she padded over to where her mistress was keeping a watch on an unconscious Klaus. She laid down, her head on her paws, and sighed. She wondered how much longer they would be waiting for Klaus to wake up, with only Esther there it seemed very boring.
When Klaus finally gasped back to life her ears perked up and she raised her head, but she remain otherwise motionless until her mistress made to leave.
The Cursed One took the time to shift and change into her clothes before following her mistress, keeping close to her all the way back.
She arrived with her mistress at the crypt just in time to see Klaus urging his brother to wake up. She remained in the shadows, a dark witness to her mistress' continued efforts to try to persuade Klaus to give up his mortality.
When Klaus slammed Esther against the wall, holding her by her throat, yelling at his mother for going after her own blood, Klaus' child, The Cursed One smiled. Oh she felt the compulsion as she did not move to protect her mistress, but she was enjoying the moment to much. She held off for a moment longer relishing the look of terror on her mistress' face before shoving Klaus off her mistress. She placed herself between them and growled a warning at Klaus. She had not placed her full might behind the push, so Klaus only flew a few feet before landing.
He pulled himself to his feet but made no further move to attack Esther, instead he swore to make her suffer as only he could.
"After all. I am my mother's son."
The pressure that Klaus had exerted on his mother's throat caused Esther to sink to the floor as she tried to collect her breath.
The Cursed One watched, her face impassive her eyes cold, as Klaus carrried out his brother's still form. She then turned her attention to her mistress, watching her as Esther seemed to slip back into a memory.
She smiled to herself, today had been glorious, yes she was still chained to a master, but she was back and in control. Esther was not a strong master like The One before. The Cursed One did not think that she would remain under Esther's control for very much longer.
The Cursed One they had called her, and they were right, cursed to be enslaved to whoever was fortunate enough to hold that infernal ring. Cursed at by victims and witnesses. Cursed into namelessness, for her name was forgotten by all but a few. So let her remain nameless, let them curse her some more! What made her Keira was no more, and she would remain that way until it was safe for Keira to come out, however long that would take. For now, they dealt with Her!
Please let me know what you think of this chapter, I can assume since you keep coming back that you like it, but I would like to hear your thoughts. Whether you like the direction it is going, or even if you don't.