Thank you for all your comments and I'm sorry if I have made this too complicated. Basically she is energy, the best example I can think of is Dawn in Buffy the vampire slayer. She was a key and Annabelle is a vessel but the basic idea is the same. I hope that makes some sense but please ask if you have some questions.

Chapter 18

Bonded

Klaus was holding Annabelle tightly when they rode back to the castle. She was sitting in front of him. Her presence alone was intoxicating. Not to mention feeling her body and smelling her scent. Klaus had never felt anything like it before. He wasn't sure at all did he like it.

He couldn't even describe the sensation he had felt when he had drank her blood. It was the sweetest nectar he had ever tasted. It was perfect. He had never felt so possessive and protective towards anyone or anything before. This creature, what ever she was, belonged to him. Suddenly she started to move on his lap. She was trying to say something.

"We need to stop", Elijah said. He was riding right next to them.

Klaus jumped down and took Annabelle in his arms. He didn't want to put her down at all. She looked at him cautiously and started to squirm.

"Niklaus", Elijah said.

He placed her reluctantly on the ground. She started to sign to Elijah.

"What is she saying?" Klaus asked. It really annoyed him that he couldn't understand her.

"She is not feeling well and she wants to walk", Elijah interpreted.

"What is wrong with her?" Klaus asked immediately. He took a step closer to her but she backed away and moved next to Elijah. That annoyed Klaus even more.

"She is just feeling nauseous", Elijah said calmly. "And she is afraid that we will attack her again."

"She said that?" Klaus asked.

"No but I believe it is obvious."

They both looked at her. She looked at them cautiously and started to sign to Elijah. Klaus made a mental note to himself that he really had to learn those signs of hers.

"No", Elijah said. "It will not be like that again, I promise. I know that we lost control last time but it will not happen again."

She continued to sign. Elijah looked shocked.

"No! Of course we won't keep draining you."

She didn't seem convinced. She looked at Klaus and apparently signed some question. Elijah looked uncomfortable.

"What?" Klaus asked annoyed.

"She asks is she our prisoner", Elijah said.

Klaus was about to say yes but for some reason he changed his mind. She was looking at him with her big eyes.

"No", he said calmly. "You are not a prisoner. You are under our protection and no harm will come to you."

She touched her neck. That Klaus understood without any interpret.

"Yes, we will drink your blood but like Elijah said we won't drain you."

She looked at Elijah who seemed distressed.

"I would never want to hurt you Annabelle but…"

She shook her head and took his hand. Elijah smiled at her and she hugged him. Klaus looked at them feeling something he hadn't felt for centuries. Jealousy. That was just absurd. He knew exactly what Elijah was feeling because he felt it as well. The need. The hunger. Her blood was like an oasis in the middle of desert.

But it wasn't just her blood that attracted him. There was something else as well. Abigail had said something about them being bound to her. That didn't sound good at all. That sounded like some kind of weakness. There had to be a way to break that bond. But right now the most important thing was to keep her safe. Speaking of which…

"Who is threatening you?" Klaus asked.

Annabelle turned to look at him.

"What?" Elijah asked.

"She is afraid of someone and I need to know who that someone is."

She looked at Elijah and signed something to him.

"Yes, of course we can talk about that later", he said.

"No, we will talk about it now…"

"Niklaus, she is hungry and tired, we should get her back to the castle first", Elijah interrupted him.

She looked at him insecurely. It wasn't acceptable that she was hungry.

"Fine", Klaus said and got on his horse.

Annabelle followed Elijah and signed something to him.

"Of course", he said and lifted her in front of him.

Klaus had to use all his self control for not to say anything. It wasn't surprising that she felt safer with Elijah. But it was still very annoying.

...

I had never been so hungry before. Not even when Lucian didn't give me any food for a week. He wanted to see how my body would react. Needless to say that it wasn't pleasant but it didn't kill me either. Now I felt like I haven't eaten in months. I ate everything a servant brought me. Some stew, bread, cheese, apples. Klaus and Elijah were sitting on the table with me. They were both looking at me. I tried to remember my table manners.

"You really were hungry", Klaus murmured.

I nodded. It was probably because the whole dying thing. Or being drained at least, I actually wasn't sure had this body died for a moment. I was finally starting to feel better. And I had started to understand what they wanted with me. If I wasn't mistaken my blood had caused them some kind of addiction. I couldn't blame them for that.

And apparently they weren't planning to drain me every time when they wanted to drink my blood. I was sure that I could handle that. Things could be much worse after all. Elijah had forgiven me for lying to him and I was sure that it was better to be with him and Klaus than Sebastian and the family. I started to feel very tired so I signed to Elijah that I would like to go to sleep. He repeated that to Klaus.

"You will not sleep in your room anymore", he said.

I looked at him confused. Where did he want me to sleep then? I was about to ask that when I realized the obvious answer. I asked quickly could I sleep in Elijah's chamber.

"Of course", he said.

Klaus didn't seem happy at all.

"Fine but we will take turns", he said annoyed.

I nodded. I didn't really appreciate his tone but I was too tired to argue with him. This all felt so weird. I wondered if it felt like that to Klaus and Elijah as well. I wasn't really sure what kind of bond had Abigail talked about. I would probably find that out sooner or later.