Chapter 41

The past is never dead

Klaus was in his study sketching. It was quiet around here when Bekah was spending most of her time with Stefan. Klaus was really starting to like him. At first he hadn't been sure was Stefan good enough for his little sister but he had proven to be just the right man for Bekah. Sure, he was ruthless, a real ripper, but that was just the way Bekah liked it. And he certainly knew how to party.

He could be just the kind of second-in-command Klaus had been looking for. But he better not get lost again. If Klaus would have found any other man in his bedroom alone with his wife, that man would be already dead. Klaus sighed when someone knocked the door. He didn't want to be bothered at the moment.

"Yes?" he said impatiently.

The door opened and he saw Roxy. She was a mean little witch, always looking for his approval. Klaus had noticed that she had some kind of crush on him but as long as she was useful, it didn't matter.

"Can I have a word with you, sir?" she asked. "This is important."

"Fine. What is it?"

Roxy closed the door behind her and cast a silence spell.

"What…" Klaus started.

"This is very…delicate matter, sir. It's best that no one else hears about it."

Klaus placed his sketchpad on the table and looked at the young witch. There was a determined look in her dark eyes.

"I'm listening", Klaus said.

Roxy sat on the chair opposite him.

"This is about your wife", she started calmly.

"What about her?"

Roxy hesitated.

"Forgive me if I'm out of line but how much do you know about her? About what she is?"

Klaus looked at her suspiciously.

"Why are you asking?"

Roxy swallowed.

"I…First of all, I'm asking you to hear me out before…Anyway, the thing is that after your wife was injured, I examined her blood and found something quite interesting."

Klaus kept his face emotionless. He wanted to hear where this was going.

"Do you know why she was trapped in a human body in the first place?"

"Yes", Klaus replied.

"Right, well I'm sure you also know that the people who trapped her were planning to use her as a tool or a vessel, if you will. What I'm wondering is why you haven't use her for breaking the curse?"

Klaus couldn't do anything but stare at her.

"What?"

"Surely you know how she could be used…"

"First of all, this is my wife you are talking about, not some object. And second, what the hell are you talking about?"

Roxy seemed very pleased with herself.

"I studied some old scripts and I found references to this old ritual. It requires a perfect vessel, which would be your wife. A powerful and skilled witch could channel enormous amount of power through the vessel's body. Enough to even undo the curse."

Klaus tried to understand what he had just heard. All these years he has had a way to break the curse without the doppelganger, the moonstone or any of those complications. That sounded incredible. It was almost too good to be true. All he would have to do was… Wait.

"Would that hurt my wife?"

Roxy looked uncomfortable.

"Well, the process wouldn't probably be completely painless but surely breaking the curse is more important…I mean, I can find ways to make it easier for the vess…your wife."

Klaus was quiet for a moment. He had to gather his thoughts.

"I need more information", he said. "Get me everything you can find."

"Yes sir, right away", Roxy replied eagerly. "I have made some notes…"

"Yes, yes, leave them on my desk. I must think about this."

"Yes sir. Do you want me to find more information about the ritual itself?"

"Yes", Klaus said without even thinking about it. "This stays between the two of us, at least for now. Is that clear?"

"Absolutely, you can count on me, sir", Roxy said smiling.

She placed some papers on his desk before she left. Klaus sat on his chair for a long while before he got up. He wasn't sure what to think. Anna had told him many years ago that the people who had trapped her where planning to use her in some kind of ritual but she hadn't told him more about that ritual. Klaus couldn't believe that he hadn't look for that information. Anna was his wife, she belonged to him. It hadn't matter to him what some people had planned to do with her.

Now she could help him to get everything he had ever wanted. But only if he could be sure that it wouldn't cause her any harm. Klaus headed to the library where he would probably find Anna. She was sitting on the armchair in front of the fireplace reading. The dog was sleeping on a rug. Damn animal was probably tired after destroying a pair of his best leather shoes. Anna raised her head when she heard him coming. She smiled when she saw him.

"Hello darling", Klaus said when he sat on the couch. "Could you come here, I need to talk to you."

She stood up and sat next to him. Klaus took her hand. She was looking at him expectantly. Klaus touched her cheek and looked into her big blue eyes. She was the only person who had ever looked at him like that, so trustfully. But then again, she was the only person who had a reason to look at him like that.

"Do you trust me?"

She nodded.

"What if I would say that you could give me something I have wanted for centuries?"

She seemed confused and asked what that something was. Klaus smiled.

"The biggest gift anyone had ever given me."

Anna looked at him for a moment before she asked what he needed her to do.

"According to one of my witches there's a ritual that would allow a witch to channel power through your body…"

Anna stood up before he could finish his sentence. She looked shocked. She was shaking her head furiously. Klaus stood up as well.

"It wouldn't hurt, Anna. I would never do anything to hurt you."

She shook her head.

"Is that really so much to ask?" Klaus said trying to hide his annoyance.

Anna looked hurt. She turned around and walked out.

"Come on, Anna…Dammit", Klaus murmured.

That certainly didn't go well. There had to be a way to solve this. So close and yet so far away… No, he would find a way. He always did.