Thank you Black Star for your continued reviews! After everything that Keira has gone through I would like to see her fall in love and maybe have a kid of her own, but I know that she is too broken now so that would take a while for that to happen. I didn't realize that happens a lot in this fan fiction...wow! I am thinking that Keira and Freya will interact more, but for now she is still an outsider. But I think that a little alone time is in the near future with these two which will give them some room to 'get acquainted'.
An Alliance Forged
Something was not right, that was the feeling that had woken her up. Something sinister was creeping along the walls, moving through the shadows, stalking along the halls. The Cursed One had taken to staying at the Manor for good, or at least while her master and Gia was a thing. He certainly didn't have room for her plus the other vampire, and with enhanced hearing She really didn't want to hear them go at it at odd hours, or even normal ones for that matter.
Now it was late at night and her instincts were screaming at her, though She could see no attackers, and could hear nothing. Nothing except quiet footsteps that were making their way to Hope's room.
She sped off in time to see Klaus get taken down by Rebekah, and it confused her. Why would Rebekah be attacking her own family? But then She realized that it was not Rebekah but it must be the previous owner, Eva Sinclair. She didn't give a warning but took advantage of the witch's focus on Klaus to attack Eva, unfortunately just when She swiped at the woman with her claws Eva turned just right so The Cursed One only managed to wound her shoulder. The witch grit her teeth in pain and tried to use a spell, and to The Cursed One's surprise it worked in throwing her up against the wall. She must be channeling someone like Finn had. She thought to herself. She recovered and charged the witch again, but she was gone through the window. The Cursed One snarled in frustration, wanting to hunt her down but unwilling to leave Hope. No matter that she was already protected by her parents, She felt uneasy to leave the baby for now. Though injured the witch was still powerful enough to be a formidable opponent.
Hayley was distracted by the threat to her daughter, picking her up to make sure that she was alright. So The Cursed One stuck around, hanging in the shadows, watching, alert for anything out of the ordinary.
When it looked like Hayley was no longer going to be distracted She left the room, prowling around the mansion checking for anyone that might dare to enter unwelcome. She was surprised that instead of heading out with her master to visit Josephine again, Klaus specifically 'asked' that Elijah allow her to remain to protect the child. Which The Cursed One was only to happy to do. With Klaus gone on an errand, and Hayley going with Elijah She felt that someone should stay with , of course, was not so happy to leave her child with The Cursed One, but Klaus spoke to her, and she was needed to speak to Josephine, so her wishes were overruled. Much to The Cursed One's delight.
She felt relieved that Hope was finally back in her arms, and it seemed that Hope was happy about it as well. The baby would babble with excitement, of course there was the times that she would make her needs known as well. Times for feeding and diaper changes, but overall The Cursed One was glad to be around the child again.
It didn't last long enough in The Cursed One's opinion. Hayley arrived and took Hope back, and She was left bereft once again. But She was used to the feeling of loneliness so she sucked it up and turned her attention to the threat of Eva.
She arrived with Elijah in time to hear of Freya's plan to use Klaus for an anchor, The Cursed One was only too happy that no-one thought to use her for an anchor instead of Klaus or Elijah. She didn't want Freya anywhere near her thoughts or past. She thought Elijah was a fool for offering himself, but She supposed when family was in trouble one would do anything for them.
The Cursed One blinked in surprise when Freya snapped Klaus' neck, then followed her master to meet up with Vincent Griffith. She kept close to her master, ready to kill Freya should she prove to be false during the ritual. She watched the struggle as Elijah's strength was not enough. She thought that he might remember her own hybrid strength and order her to assist them, but before he could Klaus showed up to give his own strength.
With Klaus' strength the ritual was successful and all the people involved were apparently no worse the wear for being in some murderous witch's head.
Apparently defeating a witch inside her own head merited a ceremony from the witch's of Josephine's coven. That many witches in one area made her wary, it felt like her skin was crawling with so many enemies around and yet She was not allowed to attack. It made her angry and slightly resentful. All of those witches right there gathered together, all that warm blood just begging to be spilled. Such easy prey all conveniently gathered in one place, and yet She could not attack.
Yet if it was one thing She learned all these years it was to grit her teeth and bear it, so that is what She did. Standing leaning against the stairs rail, waiting for her chance to get out of there. She noticed that She was not the only one out there, Klaus did not look as happy as his siblings did in there. She could see that Elijah was smiling, happy with the proceedings going on before him, but Klaus' expression was definitely not one of happiness. When he indicated with his head for her to follow She did, glad to be out of the enclosed area with so many enemies around.
They walked for a bit before drawing to a halt, pretending to pay attention to the river that was floating by.
"I gather by the expression on your face that you are not in favor of this alliance with the witches." Klaus said
"My feelings on this matter are not important." She said, both to remind him of it, and to remind herself of the fact, lest She get too comfortable.
"Nevertheless, I am asking you, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
"Alright." She said, gathering her thoughts. "In all of my long existence enslaved to this ring I have never seen one thing good of these witches. They are proud, have delusions of superiority over all others, stubborn to see their own means to an end never mind the pain it would cause to others, and they look to their own. It may mean they will align with you now, but if it comes to it they will turn on you in an instant, or simply withdraw their support if it turns to the worst. I wouldn't trust them with my own life, let alone the life of your child. But you know all of this already, so why are you really asking me?"
"Despite your objections on the matter I can see that you have come to care for my daughter." He gave her a look as if daring her to deny it.
She blinked at the sudden change of topic, and not seeing a good reason to deny it She merely nodded her head.
"Your defense of Hope when Eva Sinclair attacked using Rebekah's body shows me that unlike my sister, who is willing to manipulate or use anyone to protect only herself, you would protect someone other than yourself, namely my daughter Hope. I have need of that willingness to protect my daughter against the coming threat against Dalia."
"I can't deny that I have come to care for your daughter, but whether or not I do Elijah is still my master. I think that you have your own plan, and if you do Elijah certainly will have his own idea of what that plan should be. Knowing what I have seen of your family's interaction lately they won't follow your plan but will band together with your newly found sister. Since Elijah is my master I will have no choice but to obey his orders."
"And here I was thinking that as you so readily displayed with my mother Esther that my brother would also not have total control over you."
"He does not, but that doesn't mean that I can directly go against a spoken order. Your brother displays a carefulness with his words, so that every word spoken is precise. Your mother's way of speaking and her fear of me allowed for my taking control as much as I could. Elijah though wary is not afraid of me, nor is he careless with his words. I can only do so much with the perimeters before me."
"Just answer me this question." He said, looking at her with an earnestness he had not displayed earlier. "Would you do whatever needs to be done, kill whoever needs to be killed, and follow my plan even against that of my brother Elijah?"
"To protect your daughter I would do all that and more!"
Her answer filled with such intensity surprised him. "Why are you so eager to go to such great lengths to protect Hope who you have only so recently begun to care for her?"
She really did not want to tell him this, but for some reason felt compelled to tell him. "Your daughter is special to me, and not just for what she is, but she sees the monster before her and for some reason likes me, even wants me around her. She might not comprehend the full significance of the monster in me, but I find myself not wanting to lose her affection towards me. And when I look at your daughter I see innocence. I see a child untouched by the evilness of this world. Once I was one of those monsters who, without care or thought, slaughtered that innocence. I still would do it if one of my masters commanded it of me, but looking at your daughter I am reminded of the innocence I once had before it was taken away by a witch. Your daughter represents the hope that the innocence that was lost a long time ago, might be found again, or I might never regain that innocence, but seeing it in her for some strange reason I cannot bear to see it snuffed out. Least of all by the same kind that has damned me to this life."
"All of what you say tells me just why you would protect Hope, but before I can trust you to do that I need to hear just why you would betray my brother to join me. Tell me, what drives you to except my plan and not Elijah's and the lot of them?"
"Your brother is smart, especially when planning. Everything is moves and counter moves, yet his weakness is his trust. Trust in his family, trust in his allies, and trust in his way of thinking. He is a formidable foe, and a calculating tactician, yet for all of his planning you have beaten him time and time again. You are well known for your deeds throughout the centuries. Your reputation throughout the centuries incites fear in even your own siblings. Hope needs that, she needs the unpredictability of your tactics. The sheer brutality, and the paranoia that keeps you and your family alive. You have the ferocity and the drive to win at any costs, that is what is needed to defeat one as powerful as Dalia, the willingness to do anything to anybody.
There is a time for Elijah's type of fighting, but this is not it. You will protect Hope with every strength in your body, and your quick grasp of the situation. If Elijah has time to study his opponent then he would win, but we face an opponent that he cannot study, nor can we learn too much about. You are able to think quickly, to analyze the situation, and then to strike just where it needs it most. That is the type that Hope needs, and that is how you will defeat Dalia. For the sake of Hope surviving Dalia's return then I would side with you over that of my own master."
He seemed satisfied with her answer if his smile had anything to say about it.
"Now that Freya has seen into my head, and knows my tactics and no doubt my continued refusal to trust her, she will indeed have plans to turn my siblings against me, and should she prove to be truthful in her fight against Dalia she would still use that information against me to further her own agenda. I need you to be my weapon, so to protect Hope will you swear to follow my lead? To obey my orders, and to ally yourself to my cause?
And for the first time in centuries since her first master She willingly submitted, as The Cursed One, to another.
"I swear." Was all She said, keeping her eyes on Klaus'
Well then, let us go dance with the devil." He said giving his hand to seal the pact. "For now you had best get back to my brother before he suspects something is up. I will inform you of your part in the plan, for now just follow my lead." He turned and started to walk back to his home.
"Before you go I think I should tell you something." She said, stopping his walk away. She told him a very important piece of information, one that could change the course of the war that would wage on in the near future.
Hope you enjoy this latest chapter, please review and let me know what you think!