It's definitely been a while, AN at the bottom to explain, I'll let you get on with this chapter.
Hope you enjoy :D
He stood tall. Once. Yet once was enough to build a city as mighty as this. Until he had to run, until he was driven out of his kingdom to let it crumble to the ground. But it was rebuilt by another.
And look at him now…a stranger in his home, the one who they all whisper about but don't know.
How sad, how unwelcoming, how weak.
Oh, how far the mighty have fallen…
Klaus made his way down Boulevard Street letting the sizzling air fill his lungs even though he didn't need to breathe, his eyes roamed over the scene, people passing him by from every direction as he stilled in the middle taking in the feeling of standing on the pebbled street. His lips curved up into a smile as he felt the electrifying air that washed over his body welcoming in into the city. His city.
"It's changed…" He didn't spare a glance to his sister who stood beside him looking over the street as he did, a sorrowful tone seeped into her voice but he refused to offer any words to comfort her. He continued his walk at a slow pace as he took in the sights, a shiver ran down his back as he heard the smooth melodic sound of a saxophone which rang in his ears. "Nik?" He ignored her and continued passing the saxophone player and continuing on towards the centre of town. "I missed it."
"As did I." He murmured under his breath only allowing Rebekah to hear his words, until another Mikaelson joined them.
"I must agree with you both. New Orleans has flourished." Elijah said as he walked beside his siblings taking in the array of music, culture and beauty. "Niklaus, where are you going?" Klaus smirked as he ignored his older brother as he scanned the area once again allowing his eyes to fall on a quaint little bar which seemed to be bursting with life and death simultaneously.
His legs carried him towards the glass doors as his siblings followed him to the building, the tenor voice of a man singing encompassed them as Klaus pushed the door open to be hit by a warm bourbon and scotch scent. His blue orbs rose to the grinning dark skinned man on the stage who had just finished and skipped off the stage to be handed a glass of scotch as he laughed at something the men he stood next to had said. The man placed the empty glass back on the bar after having knocked it back and then stilled feeling a sense of uneasiness suddenly overwhelm the atmosphere. The previously booming bar quieted down quickly as they noticed him freeze. He looked up to his side to see the blonde haired newcomer watching him across the room.
"Marcel?" He heard Thierry ask as the other noticed his body reaction, he ignored him and slowly moved towards the hybrid who was smirking at him.
"Klaus." Marcel's voice reverberated throughout the bar as he locked his eyes on the other.
"Marcel." Klaus said in an unwavering tone.
"Must be a hundred years since that nasty business with your papa" Marcel began walking towards him just as Klaus did the same.
"Has it been that long?" Klaus shrugged his shoulder carelessly as he kept his eyes on Marcel but was still able to acknowledge the silence which had descended upon everyone.
"The way I recall it, he ran you out of town. Left a trail of dead in his wake." He stopped as Klaus tilted his head.
"And yet how fortunate you managed to survive." Klaus' eyes turned cold as he continued to get closer. "My father, I'm afraid, I recently incinerated to dust." Once the words had left his mouth to be accompanied with a smirk, the people who were behind Marcel stood up suddenly and stepped forward but Klaus kept his eyes on Marcel who quirked up his eyebrow.
"Well, if I'd known you were coming back in town, if I had a head's up I-"
"What, Marcel?" Klaus' smooth voice interrupted him, "What would you have done?" Marcel clenched his jaw as Klaus stepped closer and narrowed his eyes.
With a stern expression Marcel said, "I'd have thrown you a damn parade." His mouth split into a giant grin to be mirrored by Klaus as they embraced each other chuckling. Marcel moved back and looked at him. "Niklaus Mikaelson, my mentor, my saviour, my sire." He stepped back and raised his arms. "Welcome to New Orleans." Klaus smirked as he breathed in the exhilarating air.
"It's good to be back…"
Several days later…
Klaus raised his brow as he came to stand beside Marcel looking over the courtyard, his eyes scanned the crowd beneath him and couldn't help but wonder how the situation at hand was related to his quest.
"Are you ready for answers?" Klaus glanced at Marcel, "You'll get them before the sun sets." He stated before he gestured towards the doors which opened at once as a woman strode in, her blond curls held up into a ponytail as soft tendrils fell around her face framing her features and adding to the innocent vibe she gave off.
Klaus watched her curiously, she was dressed like a typical teenage girl, a sight that most definitely did not belong in the middle of a dark courtyard filled with vampires and the original hybrid himself.
The girl's eyes scanned the crowd which was forming around her, looking up towards the balcony she spotted Marcel and the blond man next to him whose eyes locked onto hers.
"Caroline." Marcel's deep tenor voice rumbled throughout the building setting silence in place.
Caroline.
The name seemed fitting for the girl. Klaus tilted his head watching her as she broke her eyes away from him to settle on Marcel instead as the dark-skinned man pushed himself away from the balcony and ambled down the steps moving closer towards the girl who hadn't uttered a word since she had arrived.
"It's been a while, Cherie, how have you been?" The blonde's eyes narrowed, her eyes jumped back towards the blond still watching from the balcony before she looked back towards Marcel who walked lazily through the parted crowd.
"I was doing well until your lackeys disrupted my evening." Klaus' lips quirked up as he heard the blatant edge to her sweet melodic voice.
Marcel raised his hands in surrender, "My apologies, Caroline," he glance over her shoulder, his lips fell into a straight line, "Though I see they didn't accompany you back." She shrugged.
"Hmm, they must have gotten lost." Marcel's eyes hardened as he plastered a fake smirk across his lips. Klaus' amusement heightened, he could sense Marcel's anger. "I don't think they'll be turning up soon."
Whispers broke out just as Caroline's smirk did which she directed towards the king of the Quarter. "Though they did mention you had a little proposition for me." She raised her perfectly curved brow.
Marcel let out an unnatural hearty chuckle, "You see my…friend is looking for someone. A vampire. And you're just the girl for the job." Caroline's features remained impassive so he continued. "What's your price?"
Caroline blinked several times before reaching into her back pocket drawing out a small folded piece of paper which she handed to Marcel. Hesitatingly, he opened it up as his brow furrowed.
Lorenzo Augustine
0624-052-471
"I asked you for a price, what's this?" He asked with an unsure quirk to his lips.
"A man who might be interested in taking the job." She said keeping her face free from emotion. Marcel chuckled low as he wrapped his fingers around the paper crumpling it.
"My sources said you're the one for the job." Caroline shrugged her shoulders lazily.
"Well your sources got their facts wrong." Marcel stepped closer slowly resting his hand on her shoulder.
"My sources are never wrong and I never take no for an answer." He replied in a slightly sinister tone.
"There's a first time for everything." She answered, casually brushing his hand off. She stepped back turning towards the door before she stilled as those under Marcels' rule gathered near the door blocking it off from her.
"Not this time, Cherie." The girl turned slowly back to face Marcel who watched her carefully.
"You don't want to do this." She said as her scanned her surroundings. Marcel smiled.
"I don't think you're in a position to tell me what to do. Or what not to do." He moved closer into her personal space, his mere presence only a few inches from hers. "You have 10 seconds to change your mind." He said sinisterly once again setting his hand on her shoulder but this time pressing his thumb hard into the muscle between her shoulder blade and collar bone.
Caroline's features hardened, her eyes were set like orbs of ice in her sockets whilst her nude lips pressed into a thin line. Her orbs moved to the touch of his hand on her shoulder before she followed the limb back up to the body and face it belonged to.
"I'll give you five seconds to remove your hand." She said in a low gravelly tone.
A beat passed as they stared into each other's eyes.
Caroline's eyes darkened to azure blue, Marcel caught the flicker of a smirk cross her lips before he felt two hands push against his chest hard sending him flying into half the crowd that had surrounded them.
Klaus watched as she flew across the room taking every single vampire down, crushing their windpipes and ripping out their hearts. It was messy but oh so delectable. Blood spluttered everywhere as she continued to rip out body parts, she snapped necks with her bare hands until she was completely done.
They were dead.
All of them.
Caroline let out a deep breath as she let the final heart fall from her hands.
Caroline gasped sharply as an arm wrapped around her neck crushing her windpipe, she flailed trying to twist round before she spluttered when her back was ripped open and fingers slammed through her ribs coming to wrap themselves around her pumping heart.
The blonde's movements stilled immediately, Klaus tilted his head as he froze mimicking her, had Marcel ripped her heart out already?
The question was quickly answered as he saw her tilt her head back against his protégé's shoulder with a sinister smile.
"You know who I am…" she strained, her voice weak from the pressure on her vocal chords, "…you know what I am…" a few drops of blood escaped from the corner of her lips as Marcel squeezed her mildly beating organ harder, "…are you really willing to risk it?" She breathed out in a small whisper knowing full well that he would never go through with the act knowing what he knew.
Grinding his teeth he slowly withdrew his fingers from her chest cavity whilst loosening the arm around her throat. The blonde's smirk slowly fell as she straightened up, she could feel her blood soaked shirt sticking to her back and couldn't help the level of annoyance that rose within her. "You just ruined my favourite shirt." She whispered mostly to herself before swiftly spinning on her heel and snapping Marcel's neck. "Idiot." She murmured.
Klaus leaned against the banister, he tilted his head running his eyes up and down her form.
You know what I am…are you really willing to risk it?
The words resounded in his head, she appeared to be a vampire, the way her fangs had torn into necks resulting in missing chunks, the way her body had moved yet…it moved a little too quick.
"I suppose you have no idea who I am." He was brought from his thoughts coming to meet the blue orbs watching him intently. She licked the pearls of blood lingering on her lips drawing Klaus' attention.
Caroline ran her eyes over his body…hmm…not bad. She couldn't help but admire the stubble peppered over his angled jaw, the way his cheeks seemed sharp enough to cut her hand, she spotted the smirk he was sporting yet picked up on the curiosity swimming in the depths of his eyes.
Fresh blood.
Yummy.
Caroline's lips quirked as she felt the hunger growl within her chest, now is not the time to snack-especially after the meal you feasted over with Marcel's minions.
Or should I say feasted on Marcel's minions.
"Caroline." He stated, her name rolled off his tongue effortlessly wrapped in his delicious accent. "Quite the kill, sweetheart." He eyed the blood-soaked vampires on the concrete ground. "A dat-bit messy I must admit." He murmured teasingly as he watched her smirk.
"I see the city opened its doors to the riff-raff." He narrowed his eyes as he suppressed the chuckle threatening to spill from his lips. "Are you just going to stand there or tell me your name, pretty boy?" His brow quirked.
"Pretty boy?" Klaus echoed, he'd never once in his entire existence been referred to as that. She shrugged kneeling down beside Marcel lifting his hand as she slipped his daylight ring off his finger.
"Have you looked in the mirror?" She asked rhetorically as she rose, "Those cheeks are to die for." Caroline smiled with no obvious hidden intention. "But that ego…" She murmured with distaste, Klaus couldn't help but chuckle.
"What of it, love?" He asked casually moving closer towards her sidestepping the collateral damage littered across the room.
"A little too big for you, pretty boy. I don't suppose you've got a twin who can't speak."
"No, sweetheart."
"Pity." She whispered running her eyes over his physique.
"Niklaus!" Klaus sighed, he hadn't even figured out what kind of creature this girl was, she had spat all over Marcel's rules and yet she was alive and well and the cherry to top that was Marcellus know lying at her feet with his neck snapped.
"What are you?" Klaus asked moving closer hoping she would provide him with an answer before Elijah saw the scene around him and falling into his self-righteous attitude once more.
"Wouldn't you love to know?" She murmured walking backwards towards the door sliding Marcel's ring on her thumb. "See you later, pretty boy." Caroline clicked her tongue with a wink and just as the doors were opened by Elijah who froze at the sight in front of him, Caroline flashed past him immediately disappearing.
Elijah looked over his shoulder before returning his gaze to the bloody floor then to his younger brother.
"Don't look at me like that brother, this one was most definitely not down to me." Klaus smiled his dimples revealing himself whilst his mind was continually replaying what had just happened.
What the bloody hell was that woman?
A few hours later…
Marcel groaned as he sat on the steps in the courtyard, he lifted his hand examining his bare fingers. The absence of his daylight ring making his body tense up. No ring meant no outdoors which meant weakness, anyone could storm in and kick him to the kerb causing his body to burst into flames.
"Well?"
Marcel sighed running his hand down his face before he looked up at the glass of bourbon that Klaus held out for him to take. He grabbed it and threw it back relishing in the feel of the burning liquid rushing down his throat.
"Caroline. Care to tell me about our little killer?" He couldn't help but feel glee at Marcel's frustrated features, this girl most definitely pissed his protégé off.
"Caroline Forbes." The blond tilted his glass in his direction as he took the seat next to her in the dimly lit bar. "That's my name."
"Marcel Gerard, lovely to meet you." He grinned as he watched her sip her drink.
"Ah yes, the king of the Quarter, right?" Marcel nodded.
"You're heard of me."
"A little." She set her drink aside.
"I hope my reputation precedes me." He raised his own glass towards his lips.
"Maybe." He looked from his glass towards her face, her voice seemed on edge, he noticed her staring at his daylight ring. Marcel knew the piece seemed antique with its silver engravings and blue centre but he hadn't seen anyone who was as interested in the ring as her. He relaxed slightly when he noticed the little blue gem sitting on her ring finger mimicking his.
"I've never seen you here before, passing by or staying?" She drained the last of her glass as she stood up flashing him a wide grin.
"You'll have to wait and see." She said gliding her hand across his broad shoulders as she passed behind him. "It was nice to finally meet you Marcellus."
Marcel's lips quirked, mysterious blond chick: he could totally dig that.
He sipped his drink as he turned his attention to the entertainment of the night, he stilled suddenly setting his now-empty glass down.
Marcellus?
He'd never stated his full name.
"I'm sure she just heard your name from a passer-by." Klaus said not believing his own theory.
"Nah, man." Marcel said chuckling, "She'd heard of me before we met. In fact, she was born and raised here."
"And yet you'd never met her before?"
"I may be King but New Orleans is huge, it don't mean I've met every single soul in this city." Well, that's something Klaus could definitely exploit, the hybrid smirked thinking the exact same thing.
"We've got a problem." Thierry exclaimed as he strode into Marcels' office.
"Which is what exactly?" Marcel asked as he set his papers aside.
"Killings across the city. All vampires, all stakes to their hearts." Marcel sat upright.
"For how long?"
"We don't know, bodies have been turning up over the past few weeks but we never connected the dots until this." He his phone across, Marcel furrowed his brow as he flicked through the phots, each of a dead greyed vampire with a stake sticking out of their chest. Thierry reached over enlarging the hand on one of the photos. "See that?" He gestured to the little black spiral like shape set on the wrist. He enlarged it further. "A witch's trident mark. They were all marked for death."
"That girl was responsible for that, she's a witch and a vampire?" Marcel chuckled.
"Oh no…it's much worse than that."
Caroline slammed the book shut as she leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapped out a rhythmic beat on the hard green cover. She let her eyes glide shut allowing herself to become immersed in her surroundings.
It was quiet.
A nice type of quiet.
The wistful sound of pages being sliced through the air lulled the blond into deep thought.
Two Originals, a vampire protege and the Original hybrid...sounds like the start of a really bad joke...
Caroline smirked as the thougth passed trough her head, but the lilt to her lips faded as she felt a presence across the table.
"Can I help you?" She asked politely with her eyes still shut. She trusted her sense to disassemble the person and tell her who she was dealing with. So far she picked up the soft creak as the person leaned back in their chair, the gentle breaths that glided through the person's parted lips.
"Miss Forbes."
A deep, well-mannered voice. Old. Yet modern...respectful.
Original.
Caroline's eyes slid open, her features remained expressionless as she took in the man's appearance. Brunette, suit and tie. Clean-shaven.
"Who's asking?" She retorted in a soft voice not moving an inch. The man's eeys bored into hers and vice-versa.
"Elijah Mikaelson."
"Oh, pretty boy's brother." She said watching the man carefully, his face remained without expression as he watched her.
"I prefer Elijah, Miss Forbes."
"Well, Elijah, what do you want?" She leaned in setting her intertwined fingers on the table. The way he was looking at her freaked her out yet she did remained calm and collected. She'd met worse people before, this was nothin as of now.
"I'm looking for a woman." She raised her brow.
"Aren't most people?" He didn't react to her joke.
"Katerina Petrova." Elijah spoke softly. "Where would I find her?" Caroline shrugged.
"Try the cemetry, I hear she's been lying-low." Elijah blinked.
"She's dead." Caroline rolled her eyes.
"Oh don't be so literal about it, of course she's not dead." Caroline swiped her tongue over her lips, "The closest cemetry, I'm sure you'll find whatever you're looking for there." Elijah watched her for a moment, contemplating the information she provided.
"Thank you, Miss Forbes." He got up buttoning his suit jacket, he proceeded to step away from the table when he stopped and looked back at Caroline, "Though...if you are lying to me, Miss Forbes, I will not hesistate to take your heart from your chest."
Caroline couldn't help but giggle, "I'm sure you would just love to, but you should double check that move with Marcel. He knows a lot more than he lets on." Caroline leaned back in her chair flickering her eyes to the exit before opening the book that lay in front of her, "I'm sure you've got things to do, Mr Mikaelson, I won't keep you." She focused on the book intently reading the words that were printed on the page, she could feel his presence getting further away until he finally left the building without another word. "Silly man." She whispered to herself as she turned the page.
Elijah stood behind the gate, his eyes ran over the derelict graveyard whilst Klaus stood beside him itching to go in. There was someting off about this place and the desolation was not it.
"Caroline told you that she'd be here?"
"Hmm." Elijah hummed in agreement, "She said the closest cemetry, Layfette is the only cemetry within the French Quarter as I recall. Katerina is most certainly here."
Klaus nodded sharply before striding determindly into the cemetry pushing aside the wrought-iron gate. He felt his brother follow a few seconds after, both Mikaelsons made their way deeper into the cemetry passing the old grey stones and statues that marked the graves of the dead. "Where is she?" Klaus turned in a circle with outstretched arms giving his brother a fustrated look. "Well?"
Elijah glanced around not feeling another presence within in the cemetry. "It appears as if Miss Forbes lied."
"Fantastic." Klaus said sarcastically proceeding to walk back to the entrance when he suddenly felt an unbearable pressure cascade over him, his vision went blurry but he could make out a dark figure walking towards Elijah who had fallen to his knees in the dirt from the pain he felt as well.
"Enough!" He heard someone order, he tried to make out who the person that gave the order was but he couldn't, his head felt too heavy causing his body to collapse. He tried to keep his eyes open but it was inevitable for him to fall into a dark abyss just as Elijah did the same.
"Hello pretty boy." His eyes flickered open to meet lit up cornflower blue hues that were watching him. "For an immortal vampire you sure can sleep for a whole day." He tried to lift his head but failed as the heaviness was still set deep inside.
"Day?" He winced at the hoarse voice as he squinted the blurriness from his eyes and realised that the voice belonged to the blond-Caroline.
"Well only 8 hours, not quite a day but it must feel like it I'm sure." He didn't realise he was laying in a bed until Caroline got up from where she had been sitting beside him. "Now, want to explain to me how the hell you ended up in Layfette cemetry of all places?" She asked with a raised brow as she looked across the room to another bed, Klaus lifted his head finally succeding and coming to realise that in the twin bed across the room was Elijah sitting with his back hunched over unlike him.
"You told me the cemetry, Layfette-" Caroline shook her head.
"I told you the closest cemetry. That definitely isn't Layfette, in fact it's the Bayou cemetry. Do try to check your facts before you enter an expression triangle hotspot."
"Expression?" Klaus groaned as he sat up against the headrest, "You do realise expression is the most dangerous forms of magic, right?"
"Of course I do, pretty boy, but do you realise that you are the most feared being on this planet and witches and threats don't mix, especially the expression kind."
"So the bayou, huh?" Klaus swung his legs over the bed, there was no way he was going to stay here any longer, he had business to attend to.
"Katerina Petrova, huh?" Caroline retorted holding back all the information she knew he would love to know.
"It doesn't concern you, love, know why don't you run along and go play with Marcel's minions."
"One, it concerns me completely and two...I played with all of them already, they're no fun." She said with a wink and a click of her tongue.
Klaus held back the chuckle that threatened to escape his throat, "The bayou, it's pretty deep out there."
"Well you know what they say, if you want to get the big fish you're going to have to put on your big-boy panties and get out into the deep water, pretty boy." Caroline said as she tossed him a ring. "Oh and you definitely need to have a talk to Marcel. I don't think he's realised that sending a hoarde of witches after daddy isn't the right thing to do." Klaus furrowed his brow.
"Witches?"
"Well what else do you think took you down, a group of fairies?" She rolled her eyes.
For the first time in the past ten minutes Klaus listened to the alarm bells that his senses where creating. He could smell blood, and it didn't belong to himself or Elijah.
"You killed them?"
"Killed is such an evil word. I prefer the phrase 'rearranged their heads', it seems a bit more elegant." Klaus rose from the bed.
"What are you?" He asked curiously, "They could have killed you and yet here you are, alive and they're not. Why?" Caroline tilted her head, her lips curved up into an innocent smile.
"I've got moves, pretty boy, moves that make me very, oh how do I put it, very unlikely to be targetted."
"Why?" he asked, his voice had a hard edge and Klas was getting more and more fustrated by the absence of information on the blond stood before him. "What are you?" he stepped closer.
Caroline could feel puffs of breath glide over her face as he spoke. "You want to know?" He stared blankly at her. "Are you sure?"
"Positive." Caroline tilted her head looking into his eyes, she nodded to herslef before leaning closer into his ear dropping her voice so that only he would hear.
"I'm part vampire." She whispered, her eyes were on Elijah as he struggled to hear her words, funny that...being a hybrid had it's perks. She pulled away coming to look into Klaus' eyes.
"Hybrid?" He whispered having no recollection of ever turning this blond woman.
"Yes, hybrid." Klaus shook his head not believing her.
"l never turned you."
"Not part werewolf, pretty boy." His brow furrowed as she smirked. "Part hunter." She giggled as his eyes widened.
Caroline turned away from him as she grabbed a bottle of scotch that was sitting on the chest of drawers behind her and gave it to him. "You look like you need it." She smirked pulling away from him and moving towards the door. "Oh and pretty boy..." She turned back to him as he was still trying to understand what she was, "you might want to go easy on that whole' I'm the Original hybrid' thing."
"And why's that?"
"Katerina Petrova, otherwise known as Katherine Pierce...well...she's kind of the leader of all witches in this town. She might set your ass on fire." She winked at him. "Good luck, you look like you'll be needing it."
So...how was it?
I'm so sorry about the gap in updates for any of my stories but I've done my mock A2 exams and they didn't go well so I've been putting extra work in, unfortunately that means not being able to update as much as I'd like. I started this chapter late December and it took me whole month to do because I could only spend a few minutes adding to it since I had no time. To me the day is: get up, spend 6 hours working (I work through lunch as well since I have so much work) and the rest of the day is homework and rewriting class notes, (I have no social life because of schoolwork) :(
I hope you all understand but I'll try my best to keep writing little bits and updating as soon as I can.
See you next time :D