"Buried Secrets 3: Enter the Shadows"
Chapter 5
Bella quickly returned to the place she was staying at. As she was changing she heard the door open and sighed.
"You've got a big mouth," Bella yelled as she looked through her closet.
"What?" Camille asked after coming in.
"Thierry" Bella said and looked at her, "Really Camille."
"He was going to find out sooner or later," Camille defended.
"I would have preferred later," Bella said as she grabbed a shirt and threw it on, "You know Camille if you don't watch it I'm gonna compel you."
"And you know when it wears off I'm coming to kick your ass." Camille countered, "Besides you need some back up here."
"I can…" Bella started.
"Handle yourself yeah, yeah, yeah. We've all heard it and guess what, we're all fucking tired of it." Camille interrupted. "You may not want to admit it, but you need some backup and here you've got a bunch."
"Yeah, but I have a feeling that something big is going on here." Bella said and sat down, "The way Thierry talked, he's hiding something."
"Bella," Camille came over to sit next to her, "I know I'm just a little human," she said sarcastically, "But why don't you let me help."
"You're not just some little human," Bella replied, "You're a good friend." Bella sighed, "I could use someone to listen around at Jane-Anne's place."
Camille smiled, "Now see was that so hard?"
"If anything happens," Bella warned though, "If for one second it gets dangerous…"
"I'm out," Camille said, finishing Bella's sentenced. "Nice outfit," Camille changed the subject. "How do you do it?"
"Do what?" Bella asked while slipping on her leather jacket.
"Throw on a pair of random jeans, plain black spaghetti strap top, boots, and leather jacket and look out of this world? I mean seriously if I were a vampire or werewolf, I would take a bite out of you." Camille explained.
"You would have to get in line," Bella said as she brushed her hair, "And I don't look out of this world."
"Yes you do," Camille replied, "You look like a hot badass chick, who every guy and probably most girls would get down and dirty with."
Bella just shook her head and walked to the door with Camille following behind. She locked the door and turned to Camille.
"Do me a favor just for tonight please," Bella said with a sigh.
"What?" Camille asked crossing her arms.
"Stay out of the Quarter just for tonight." Bella said.
"Fine," Camille grumbled, "I've got an exam to study for anyways."
The two parted ways and Bella quickly made her way to Bourbon Street. She walked briskly through the crowds of drunken tourist and college kids. She smiled as she reached the last bar on the street and walked inside.
Behind the bar was Jane-Anne. Sophie (Jane's sister) looked up and spotted Bella. She tilted her head towards the back and Bella followed both of them.
Jane-Anne locked the door and said a few words before she lit a candle.
"We thought you were coming next month," Sophie said.
"I had to make you think that," Bella said casually before sitting down, "Elijah is having help from other witches."
"You look tired," Jane-Anne mused.
"I don't get much sleep while on the run," Bella replied with a shrug.
"You aren't eating either," Sophie said.
"You offering?" Bella asked while smirking.
"Being on the run has made you a pain," Sophie replied, "Lucy called, asking if we had seen you."
"She's being watched by Angela and Damon," Jane-Anne added, "they think you're getting help from her."
"Good thing they don't know I've got lots of witch friends." Bella stretched herself out, "What's going on around here? I saw Marcel's boys stalking around the town."
"Marcel has us on lockdown," Jane-Anne replied nervously, "We aren't allowed to do magic without his permission. We can only do small stuff without being detected."
"Want me to kill him?" Bella asked.
"One of his little protégés would take over," Sophie replied quickly. "He's looking for you too…Elijah talked to him."
"Then you don't need to be helping me," Bella said before becoming tense and standing up, "You get caught, he'll kill you."
"We're already dead," Jane-Anne replied, "Bella we owe you our lives so don't try to make us back out."
"Jane's right," Sophie added, "You need to rest and here is the best place. With us we can at least help you regain your strength and there's plenty of supernatural blood around for you to feed on."
"You don't owe me anything," Bella said seriously.
"You saved my daughter and gave her a new life," Jane-Anne said, "Away from all of this…away from Marcel."
"What good is that if she finds out her mother is dead," Bella countered.
"Bella let's talk about this tomorrow," Sophie interrupted, "You're exhausted. Please go and feed even if it's a little."
The three women walked out of the room and Bella tensed.
"What is it?" Sophie asked.
Bella looked to her left and saw the side door shutting. Quickly she moved and walked out the door. She saw a man jump up to the roof and she quietly followed. He stopped and started to turn, Bella blurred and by the time he turned back to face forward, Bella was standing in front of him.
"You know it's not nice to spy," Bella said before she grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up in the air.
"Marcel will hear of this," the man choked out.
"No he won't," Bella said before she slammed him against a chimney. Bella felt her fangs descend and the man quivered in fear at her, "I see you know I'm not normal…no matter, this will be over soon…I'm so hungry."
Bella quickly bit into the vampire's neck and drained him within a few seconds. She dropped his lifeless body and took a deep breath as she felt the blood course through her veins as her energy became restored. She grabbed the dead vampire and blurred back to Sophie and Jane-Anne, who were waiting.
Bella dropped the body.
"That's one of Marcel's right-hand men," Sophie said.
"Why was he following me?" Bella asked agitated.
"Marcel probably saw you on the street and wanted you for dinner." Jane-Anne explained, "He likes bad girls."
"Well than," Bella said while wiping her mouth "Maybe I should introduce myself."
"Watch yourself Bella," Sophie warned as she walked out the door.
"She drained him, but she's still pale as a corpse," Jane-Anne commented.
"She's gonna have to do something," Sophie added, "Between Katherine coming here and what she wanted, Bella's gonna need all her strength." Sophie looked at her sister, "Do you think she's up for what's coming?"
"It's Bella," Jane-Anne replied, "She's stronger than most give her credit for. But this one I don't think she's ready for it. She has no clue what's coming and there's no way for us to predict the future."
.*.*.*.*.*.
Bella had gone out the back and took the body to an abandoned building to torch it. She took the daylight ring off his hand before she dropped the match and examined it.
"Smart," she said while twisting it around. "Oh well wish it had been a Nightwalker, but this might be a better message." She said and tossed the ring into the air before catching it and placing it in her pocket.
Bella made her way back to the Quarter and ended up at a bar called The Howlin' Wolf. Not very inventive or conspicuous in her opinion, but then again Marcel was Klaus' protégé.
Bella walked into The Howlin Wolf and it didn't take long to spot Marcel, who was singing 'How you like me now' by The Heavy.
Bella laughed and shook her head; once again irony reared its ugly head.
Marcel's eyes suddenly turned towards her and he smiled widely. He finished his song before the crowd (most of them were his followers) cheered. He then made his way towards Bella. She shook off her jacket and ordered a whiskey straight.
"Pretty girl like you should never drink alone," Marcel said smoothly.
"Bet you say that to all the girls," Bella replied and took a drink.
"Only the ones I like," Marcel replied.
"And how do you know you'll like me?" Bella questioned while never making eye contact.
"I have a sense about these sorts of things," Marcel said with a chuckle.
"It wouldn't happen to be that you can smell how…enticing my blood is." Bella replied coolly and smirked.
Marcel tensed, "If you're a witch you need to know how I run my town." He said carefully.
"I've been accused of being a witch, just not in the magical sense and instead of a W there tends to be a B in front of the itch part." Bella replied with a laugh.
"Who are you?" Marcel asked.
"Wouldn't the better question be what am I?" Bella suggested before finally turning to face him.
"Not really into labels," Marcel replied calmly.
"Can we talk in private?" Bella asked. "Not really a big fan of guard dogs," Bella said as she pointed to the room.
Marcel laughed, "Right back here," He said and started walking.
Bella grabbed her drink and followed. Marcel led her to a small room and once they entered, he shut the door.
"Don't worry it's spelled," Marcel said while taking a seat, "Once that door closes nothing gets out of this room…hearing wise."
"I highly doubt that's the only thing that doesn't get out," Bella said before sitting down across from him, "I can smell different types of blood."
"So my dear what are you and what brings you to my lovely city," Marcel asked.
"My name's Bella Swan," Bella said and she saw Marcel tense, "You know me."
"I know of you," Marcel said carefully, "I know Elijah's looking for you."
"I know my Uncle's been here," Bella replied.
"Uncle?" Marcel said, shocked.
"Oh he apparently didn't give you the run down," Bella said amused, "I'm Klaus' daughter."
"Niklaus Mikelson," Marcel said, "He's…"
"Your maker," Bella interrupted him, "Yes I know. I know a lot about you Marcel."
"Elijah said you have Niklaus…" Marcel said before leaning forward, "Is that true?"
"You think I'll tell you?" Bella asked, "I just wanted to meet you and let you know I'm in town. I will be for a while."
"This is my city," Marcel said seriously.
"I don't care," Bella replied, "I'll leave you alone and you make sure none of your 'family' follow me again or there will be more than one dead vampire in this town." Bella said and tossed him the daylight ring she had taken off the vampire she had drained.
"You've killed one of mine," Marcel said with anger seeping into his voice.
"You don't know much about me do you?" Bella asked with a laugh, "Oh this is going to be interesting."
"No one hurts my family," Marcel said and lunged for Bella, but she was quicker and she pinned him against the wall.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," she clucked and tightened her hand around his neck, "I don't like being attacked and I don't like being followed. Now since you have been in this city for some time I'm going to let the whole attacking thing slide, but there are a few things you should know about me," Bella said and her face changed, "I'm stronger than you…in an instant I could kill you…drain you dry. You see I feed off supernatural blood; it's the only thing that satisfies me. I don't want trouble. I merely want a vacation here in this lovely city of yours."
"Elijah will be back," Marcel choked.
"I know," Bella smiled at him, "And when he does come back, I'll be gone. But for now you have two choices. You can either listen to me or you and all your little friends can be dead by the end of the day…your choice."
"You're your father's daughter alright," Marcel choked, "You have a deal."
Bella let him go, allowed her face to go back to normal, and stepped away, "I'm glad." She grabbed her jacket, "I'll be seeing you around Marcel…I have a feeling we may even become friends." She said before she opened the door.
Bella walked through the bar towards the front door, but Marcel's voice stopped her.
"Bella," he said and everyone froze.
Bella turned around, "Yes Marcel?"
"Join me for dinner?" he asked while smirking.
Bella walked over to him, "Now why would you want me to join you for dinner when I just threatened to kill you and everyone here?"
Two vampires quickly moved to either side of her (one of them being Thierry) and Marcel held up his hand, stopping them.
"I have a thing for bad girls…you're my maker's daughter and he was the ultimate badass. I have a feeling you're worse." Marcel said as he stepped closer to her until he was stroking her cheek.
Bella quickly grabbed his hand and pulled it away from her face.
"You have no idea how bad I really am," Bella said, "But I'm taken Marcel."
"Then at least let me show you around," Marcel said, "I mean I am King of this city, it's my duty."
"You aren't going to give up are you?" Bella asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not in my nature," Marcel smirked.
"I'll be seeing you around," Bella said and headed out the door.
"Marcel," one of the vampires said, "Should we go after her?"
"Do you want us to kill her?" Another asked.
"No," Marcel said while crossing his arms and smiling, "She's off limits." He turned to everyone, "This city just got a lot more interesting."
.*.*.*.*.*.
Bella walked down the street and felt someone following her. She ducked into an alleyway and suddenly Thierry was standing in front of her.
"What the hell?" he asked shoving her against the wall.
Bella hissed and shoved him back, causing him to fly to the other side of the ally.
"One of his lackeys followed me." Bella growled, "I was hungry and pissed. You know how I get."
"He's not gonna let you get away with this," Thierry growled back.
"What's he going to do Thierry? Put me in the garden," Bella said in a pretend scared voice, "Please he doesn't have the stones to do anything to me."
"You promised me you wouldn't have me choose," Thierry said while pointing his finger at Bella.
"And you aren't gonna have to," Bella pushed his finger away. "As long as he doesn't have someone following me no one else will die."
"You should leave," Thierry said pacing, "This isn't going to work."
Bella sighed, "Thierry I'll play nice from now on, but I don't want to be followed." Bella said, "I won't put up with that. I'm not gonna cause him any trouble, but if he crosses me I'm not holding back."
Thierry sighed, "Bella if it comes down to a choice you know who I choose."
"I know," Bella said, "And you know what I will do if you make that choice."
Bella disappeared into the darkness and Thierry walked back to the bar.
.*.*.*.*.*.
Elena sat in her room writing in her diary when a laugh disturbed her.
"Always writing," Bella laughed, "No wonder you and Stefan are a match."
Elena frowned, "I thought I was…"
"Awake," Bella interrupted her, "No sorry."
"Are you going to tell me where you are?" Elena asked.
"No, not this time," Bella moved to sit on the bed, "That's why I choose this scenery," Bella said while waving her hand around Elena's dream room. "I see Rebekah and Kol are done."
"Did you have any part in that?" Elena asked.
"Rebekah, yes. Kol, no." Bella said, "Though I can't say I'm not happy he's done or it could just be a clever rouse to get you and me to drop our guards."
"So keep on my toes," Elena said.
Bella nodded, "Elena there's another reason I came. Look it's gonna be a while before you see me again."
"What?" Elena was tense as she stood.
"Calm down, I'm not hurt and Klaus isn't out, but there are some things I have to deal with. When it's safe I'll contact you." Bella explained.
"What if something happens? What if you get hurt?" Elena asked.
Bella became very solemn and said, "If that happens you'll know…you'll feel it."
"You mean…" Elena trailed.
"I mean if someone kills me you'll feel it. Our bond will be ripped apart. I won't lie it will be agonizing. Same goes for me with you. Something happens I'll know." Bella said, "I gotta go. Watch your back Elena and keep training."
"Bella wait!" Elena screamed only to find herself sitting up and sweating in bed.
"Elena," Jeremy called out before he came inside, "What's wrong? Is she okay?"
"I don't know," Elena said, "She said she was not going to be around for a while." Elena looked at Jeremy, afraid, "She said if anything happened to her I would know."
"It's going to be okay Elena," Jeremy said before hugging her, "Bella's stronger than all of us. She will be okay."
"But what happens when she isn't?" Elena thought to herself, "What happens to us then? What happens to Damon?"
.*.*.*.*.*.
Bella stood up from the chair and walked out to the balcony. Something was brewing in the Crescent City…she could feel it in her bones and Marcel was behind it.
Bella walked over to the coffin and opened it.
"I met Marcel tonight," Bella said while leaning on the edge as Klaus looked at her, "He's just like you…a smug asshole. He's got something going on here with the witches and I intend to find out what it is. Jane-Anne and Sophie are my friends; they saved me after I escaped you. You can thank Elijah for that by the way. He helped me. I like it here, perhaps it's because you built this city or maybe it's because you saved a little boy and raised him as your own." Bella said and looked at Klaus. "Why did you save him? Why did you treat him so much better than the rest of us?" Bella looked at Klaus, "I used to ask myself what I did that was so horrible to you to deserve the abuse you inflicted on me. I spent years wondering that."
Klaus attempted to speak, but of course he couldn't.
"Doesn't matter," Bella said after reigning in her emotions, "You're there in that coffin where you belong. Trapped like so many others that have suffered at your hands. Do you want to know something Klaus? I lied to you about being over what you did to me."
Bella straightened up, "I think Rose Kennedy said it best, 'It's been said time heals all wounds. I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens, but it is never gone.'"
Bella grabbed the lid, "Some wounds run too deep to be forgotten Niklaus. I have a daily reminder of the ones you inflicted upon me, but my wounds go deeper than just the physical ones. I want so badly to believe that if I gave you to Elijah he could control you, but that's a fantasy. You would dagger him and then you would torture and kill every last person I loved and then keep me around to suffer." Bella spat.
"Over the last several weeks I've tried to deny this, but there's no need to anymore. It's not like I will ever have the life I want so here you go Klaus, my confession to you. I am like you, I enjoy seeing you like this, I enjoy knowing that I put you here and that you can do nothing about it. If the only joy I get for the rest of my eternity is seeing you crumble piece by piece and the price of that joy is my soul then so be it." She turned and glared down at him.
"You ripped my soul away long ago and for a moment I thought I could have it back, but you took it away again so now you will know how I have felt all these years…alone, trapped, and with no control." Bella slammed the lid on the coffin and pushed it into the hidden room.
She shut the hidden door and went to bed.
.*.*.*.*.*.
Damon sat on the couch in front of the fire and drank as he had done so every previous night.
He thought about the first time he saw her in the fight with the werewolves and then at the bar. She got under his skin and not in a good way. She was cocky, pushy, challenging, condescending, she was a pain in his ass. She was like him and that's what annoyed him, she could push his buttons because hers were the exact same.
The night he discovered her true nature, he was ready to kill her, but then she showed him her scars. Something in him changed that night. A rage began to boil as his fingers traced over each bit of raised skin from the lashings and deep cuts. How could someone do that to their own child, but then again he knew better for his own father had done the same to him…his father had killed him.
The night at the party when he discovered that she was Klaus' daughter, every bit of his mind screamed at him to leave her for dead, but his heart couldn't allow that to happen. It was the first time since Elena that he wanted to save someone because he cared for them. He didn't care about the fact that she was Klaus' daughter. He just knew that for the first time in a century he could truly trust someone who didn't want anything, but take out the bully.
"Damon," Jeremy's voice said, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"What do you want?" Damon growled, "Did you bring the crossbow to kill me?"
"No," Jeremy said, "I need your help."
"With what?" Damon asked.
"Elena and Bella," Jeremy said and Damon tensed, "Bella came to Elena again tonight and she said she won't be in contact for a while. She told Elena if something happens to her, Elena will know…she'll feel it."
The glass in Damon's hand shattered.
"She's in danger," Damon said after turning around.
"I don't know." Jeremy said, "But I do know that nothing can happen to her because if it does it will break Elena."
"What do you want me to do?" Damon asked.
"Elena talks to me about Bella," Jeremy said, "If I can get some kind of clue, we could find Bella and bring her back here. Elena needs her, she won't survive without her."
"You would betray your sister's trust?" Damon asked.
"If it will keep her alive then yeah, I will. She can hate me forever, but at least she won't be hurt." Jeremy said.
"You get me the information and I'll find Bella." Damon said, "But no one can know. No one can have any idea because if they do, Elena will warn Bella and that will be it."
"Deal," Jeremy said.
As they shook hands the front door burst open and Tyler came stumbling in with Caroline (who was trying to keep him steady).
"What the hell now?" Damon asked annoyed, "Don't get blood on that rug, it's over a thousand years old."
"Shut up and help me," She said as she tried to hold up the bleeding Tyler.
"What happened?" Jeremy asked while helping her place him on the couch.
"Oh, not the couch too!" Damon said annoyed.
"Call Bonnie and the others," Caroline said, ignoring Damon.
"What happened?" Jeremy asked as he dialed Bonnie.
Caroline looked to Damon, "Hunters…that's what happened."
"Huh?" Damon asked.
"HUNTERS," Caroline said angrily, "You know people that want to kill supernatural beings like us!"
"Yeah," Tyler said and then he groaned in pain, "And we aren't talking run of the mill like Alaric."
"Alaric wasn't run of the mill," Damon said angrily.
"Yeah well he wasn't strong or fast like this guy," Tyler said before he yelled in pain.
"What's going on?" Elena said while rushing in to join them.
"We've got trouble," Caroline said.
"I swear," Damon grumbled as he reached for his cellphone and dialed a number, "I'm leaving this shithole once all is said and done and never looking back."
"Meredith Fell." A woman answered.
"Hey mob doctor, get over here now we got issues." Damon said and hung up before he turned around. "Tell me everything. I want to know who I'm killing."
A/N: Hey guys sorry I'm late with the update. It's almost the end of the semester so I've been extremely busy with my seven classes (all of which have papers due).
Thank you as always to my wonderful beta and friend Dark~Supernatural~Angel who is just so supportive and great.
Thank you, you wonderful readers. I love reading your reviews and as you all have known it has been an extremely tough year and half for me so thank you for all the support. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I can't wait to read your feedback.
Review my dears I love hearing what you think and your theories on what is going to happen. They inspire me to get the next chapter finished and get it up ASAP!