A/N: Hi everyone! I hope you've had a lovely week. Here's the next part. I can't believe we're nearing the end with this story but if my plotting holds true then there's about two chapters and an epilogue left. My hope is to have it all up before Christmas.
Thanks for all of the reviews, follows, and favorites and enjoy this next part!
Real gods require blood—Zora Neale Hursto
Nothing was happening like it was supposed to, but then again it rarely ever did in the middle of a war. That was why there had always been countless scenarios planned out for every situation but Rebekah wondered if they would have ever been able to plan ahead for everything that had happened in the last few weeks.
Elijah was dead. Their mother apparently on the loose and looking to kill them and now Klaus had run off to try and save Caroline, leaving the rest of them to carry out the plans he had come up with. But Henrik was alive and she was going to cling to that fact for as long as she could.
"Nik! Nik!" Henrik continued to scream after their brother who could no longer be seen even with her vampire sight.
"Henrik, we need to go now," Rebekah told him, easily sliding back into Old Norse for the boy, trying to sound comforting.
It was an odd way to act, an odd way to feel and she didn't quite know how to handle the emotions her youngest brother brought out in her. She loved her other brothers dearly but that love had become distorted over the centuries, twisting into the codependent relationships marked with jealousy and rage that brought about a weird sense of loyalty. It was different with Henrik, more pure, a remnant of what love had been like between all of them centuries ago, and Rebekah desperately wanted to protect that love, to protect him and keep him safe from the horrors of the world.
She also never wanted to lose him and in order to accomplish that they would have to corrupt him just as they had been, wouldn't they? If he remained a witch and mortal he would die and Rebekah didn't know if any of them could handle that kind of blow all over again.
The boy shook his head, still looking in the direction Klaus had fled, and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. "He'll be back, little brother. It will be okay."
People were watching them by then, gossip already starting and she was certain she'd heard one person mention the police. It'd be an easy enough situation to deal with but killing in front of Henrik was something she wasn't quite ready to do just yet.
"He took Caroline. The madman," Henrik murmured as he allowed Rebekah to pull him along, expression becoming pained, a clear reflection of the empathy he'd always displayed. "She is not like Tatia, Bekah."
"No, she is not," Rebekah sighed, not wanting to think about the woman who had strung along two of her brothers or the doppelgangers that all looked like her. She didn't really want to think about Caroline either or the importance she held for Klaus. Now wasn't the time for that particular jealousy to take root again. "He will find her, Henrik, but we need to go now, okay?"
Henrik nodded and they headed toward the car that Rebekah and the others had been using. It'd be a bit cramped, but what mattered was getting to Amara's resting place now. "He will not do well without her," Henrik murmured as he slid into the backseat with Bonnie and Rebekah.
She didn't quite believe that. It might take some time but surely Klaus would move on from the loss of Caroline. At least that was what she tried to believe, but it was hard to hold onto that notion. She had seen the devastation in his face, the desperation in his grip as he'd looked at her, wanting a promise to not kill Amara until he had Caroline free of Silas. She had only seen him look that lost a few times before, back when he'd carried Henrik into their village, when Mikael had come to kill them all so they could become vampires, and when Elijah had helped string him up so that their mother could bind his wolf side. The desperation he'd exhibited during the Hunter's Curse had been different, that need to die twisting it into something darker.
Perhaps her little brother was right in his assessment and Rebekah knew she would keep that promise she had made to Klaus. As angry as he could make her, as much as she wanted to cause him pain sometimes, and even though he'd killed more of her lovers than she'd ever be able to remember, she couldn't quite bring herself to cause him that much grief. Especially if Caroline being in the picture meant that he wouldn't go around killing her lovers any longer. She could hope for that at least. It didn't seem like something the blonde cheerleader would approve of.
"We need a new game plan," Bonnie started, the anger from before seemed to have shifted to worry, no doubt over Caroline's well-being. "We can't just go straight to Amara and kill her anymore."
"Why not?" Sheila barked from the front, turning to look at them, lips pursed in disappointment. "This is what the Spirits want, Bonnie. Amara must die and the Other Side cease to exist so that Silas will not be able to get what he wants."
"Yes, and we'll be fulfilling all of that," Rebekah pointed out, rolling her eyes at all of the spirit talk. "Just a little delay in it happening."
"Such as the delay you caused when you killed Lucy," Sheila turned her attention toward her and Rebekah shrugged. She wasn't about to regret that. "How many have died because of that foolish deed? How many more will?"
"I have my brother back. That's what matters," Rebekah replied, fighting back the urge to rip the woman's head off.
"And what of your other brother? Did his life not matter?" Sheila arched a brow at her and Rebekah could only glare.
Of course Elijah's life mattered but that was another reason they couldn't just kill the girl. They needed time for Elijah to be able to find his way back to them. Then the Other Side could be destroyed and Silas could die as well.
"I suggest you don't speak of things you know nothing about," Rebekah told her, lips pressing together in barely contained rage. "Or my brother's presence will not stop me from ridding your body of your head." Bonnie looked ready to open her mouth to protest that and Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Oh don't you start either. We only need one of you to have access to Amara."
Henrik was looking at her, frowning as he tried to understand the body language of the group, the words still not meaning anything to him. Rebekah smiled gently at him, patting his hand before looking over at Kol. "When will we be unlinking them?"
"I want to get us a bit more out of town and we'll pull over and do it," Kol replied, glancing back at her. "Then I'll do what's needed so Henrik isn't bound to Silas anymore."
"You don't wield magic," Sheila started, and Kol glanced over at her, eyes practically twinkling with mischief before looking back at the road.
"Might want to ask your granddaughter about that one." Kol clucked his tongue and Rebekah couldn't help but grin as Bonnie shifted uncomfortably.
"Oh yes, Bonnie, do tell it all to your grandmother," Rebekah urged, wanting to see the older woman's reaction. "How you foolishly believed a word out of my brother's mouth. I'd honestly thought you were smarter than that."
"Bonnie?" Sheila was watching her, the concern etched into her features almost endearing.
"We needed more power to be able to handle everything with Silas," Bonnie murmured with a sigh. "Kol knew a spell that would grant me access to all the power that was just drifting through the world."
"Oh child," Sheila breathed out.
"My magic just happened to be there as well," Kol piped in, his cheeriness causing Rebekah to stifle a laugh. "We're linked."
"You do not know what you mess with, boy," Sheila started, and Rebekah snorted at that. Contrary to what the witches seemed to believe Kol wasn't exactly a novice. She was pretty sure he knew more about witchcraft than most witches anymore. He did have a thousand years to study it, even if he'd only been able to actually practice it for a fraction of that time. "The spirits will never allow this to pass."
"The spirits will soon no longer exist so you can see why I don't much care what they think," Kol replied with a shrug. "Never did. Never will. The world is changing and you can either come along for the ride or follow Silas over to the land that will cease to exist. I don't really care which you choose."
"He can unlink you too, Grams," Bonnie told her, voice full of hope at the idea and Rebekah could only imagine what the girl was thinking about. It wasn't hard to do so; she did understand how much comfort being reunited with a dead family member could be. "And then I'll unlink myself from him once I know the spell." Bonnie's glare directed at Kol and his responding grin had Rebekah wanting to gouge her eyes out.
"No, Bonnie. There will be consequences for what they do and I will not leave any for you to deal with," Sheila replied, turning back to look at the road. "I will take those you've already been given on with me when my time ends."
"How lovely of you," Rebekah remarked, lips twisting as bitterness filled her. All their mother wanted to do was kill them while Bonnie got a grandmother who was ready to take on her sins and handle the consequences. "Can't you drive any faster, Kol?" She wasn't sure how much longer she could stand to be in such cramped quarters with these people.
Henrik leaned against her, resting his head against her side, and took hold of one of her hands, squeezing it gently. He smiled up at her and she reciprocated it, the bitterness of a few moments ago pushed to the side. It took too much energy to hate the others for what they had and she never would. Instead she would focus her energy on Henrik and ensure that no matter what he would come out of everything unscathed.
One thing Elijah's death had confirmed without a shadow of a doubt was that she hadn't been part of his vampire lineage. There hadn't been any real confirmation before that it had been Klaus and perhaps there was a chance that they were all of Rebekah or Kol's line, but Elijah's potential had definitely been taken off the table. The disbelief in his eyes as Esther had plunged the stake through his chest would forever be seared in Katherine's eyes, a look she didn't think she would ever be able to run far enough away from.
Part of her could have sworn he'd glanced at her before bursting into flames, that she'd seen a tinge of regret to his gaze before she'd fled the house. Most likely it was her mind playing tricks with her, giving her what she wanted to have happened. If Elijah had thought of anyone upon dying it was probably his siblings, it was probably Klaus, and that thought had Katherine clenching her fists with a fury she didn't even know she could feel any longer.
He could always return through some crack in the veil and she was certain that Vincent and Vaughn were looking for him, no doubt getting themselves killed in the process by others who'd slipped from the Other Side. She loved Elijah, or at least she thought she could love him if they had ever gotten the time together to really fall in love, but like every other person in the world his survival didn't outweigh her own.
"That is why you will never be happy," a voice spoke from in the train car, causing her to sit up. She had a single room. There shouldn't have been anyone there. Definitely not anyone with that voice. "Hello, Katherine."
"Emily." Katherine forced a smile at seeing her old friend. It was never good to run into old friends in her experience, probably because more often than not she'd had a hand in their death or indirectly caused it, usually directly did. Such as the case with Emily when she'd informed the Mystic Falls town council that the woman was a witch. "I'm guessing you're not here for courtesy call. Shouldn't you be looking in on your descendants? I hear they're in a bit of a bind."
"They are quite fine where they are and fulfilling their duties," Emily replied as she placed her hands in her lap, watching Katherine carefully. "There is no use in looking for exits. You will find none tonight."
"Always so cryptic," Katherine murmured unable to help but look around, trying to find a good route out. It should be easy enough to overpower the witch, even if Emily was one of the more powerful Bennett ones, then she could head off the train and away from whatever madness was happening here.
"Gloria is right outside this door, spelling it so you cannot leave. There are a few other witches as well who I am sure you remember. You had a hand in all of their deaths," Emily continued, and Katherine narrowed her eyes at that, not liking how the odds were stacking up.
"What do you want?" Everyone wanted something, didn't they? It was just a matter of figuring out what exactly it was and giving it to them or convincing them that was happening so she could disappear into the night.
"Justice," Emily told her and that was not the answer that Katherine wanted to hear. "Or I suppose you could call it revenge."
"I did what I had to survive. You would have done the same," Katherine replied, shaking her head at the woman, utilizing all of her senses to find any path that she might be able to take. There had to be a weakness that she could exploit. "You weren't exactly blameless with anything that happened, Emily." It wasn't like she'd twisted the woman's hands into making all of the devices and everything else she'd done.
"I think you will find that blaming me for my death will not get you very far today, Katherine," Emily replied with a smile.
"It was your choice to do magic, not mine." Of course she may have twisted her arm a little here and there, but that was hardly the point. "I was looking out for myself. Like I've always done. It was nothing personal."
Emily arched a brow at that. "Most people find dying because of another personal. Especially when their word is what has them ripped away from their children."
Katherine shrugged. "They were all fine. Your line continues on today." After all, Bonnie Bennett wouldn't be alive if it hadn't.
"You will not sway me with your words, your trickery. Even if you did, there are more than enough witches who want to complete this plan. We are sacrificing our own return to do so," Emily told her, and Katherine felt a chill in her bones at that. There went trying to entice the lot of them to go out and live their lives instead of wasting time and effort on her.
"So what? You're going to kill me?" Because then she could just find a crack and head back through, a giant screw you to them for trying to take her down.
"We're about to head through a rip in the veil," Emily informed her, ignoring her words and Katherine stood up, not liking what she was hearing at all. "You would not even notice it without us here, would simply slip past it, but we will be bringing you back with us and keeping you there until they destroy the link between the two worlds."
"But I'm not dead," Katherine stepped back, not liking the maliciousness of Emily's smile. She didn't think she'd ever seen the woman look that mad.
"No, but we both know that you might as well be," Emily replied and Katherine tried to move, to take her out and then take on the others. Like hell was she wasn't going down without a fight but she was locked in place and unable to move. "After all, survival is hardly living. Consider this a favor. My last one to you."
"Don't do this," Katherine started, ready to offer her anything, ready to say anything to give her a few minutes to figure out a way out of her situation.
It was as if she was slammed into a wall, the world around them disappearing and her body feeling like it was being ripped apart. Skin stretching, bones breaking, her lungs and heart collapsing as she was forced through the crack into the veil and onto the Other Side where she shouldn't have been. Her body slammed forward and she dropped down to her knees, head pounding and every inch of her aching, as she took in the scene around her.
Far too many witches to count were circled around her, keeping her locked to the ground and she watched as the rip that leaked out to the world she'd just been in grew further and further away as the group tugged her along with magic, intent on keeping her on the Other Side.
"Dobre doshŭl u doma, dŭshterya," a new voice started and Katherine looked up to see a sight she hadn't expected to ever glimpse.
"Mama?" Katherine shook her head, refusing to believe what she was seeing.
"Hish. Vsichko shte svŭrshi skoro," the woman told her, gently brushing her forehead as the witches continued to hold her in place. How was she here? She'd never expected to see her here.
"No." She pushed against the invisible bonds that were holding her down, tears filling her eyes as she looked at the woman who had given birth to her. "Az ne iskam da umra, mama."
"Vsichki sŭshtestva tryabva da umrat, Katerina," the woman told her, and Katherine closed her eyes at the words, not wanting to believe them. "Dori i vas."
"No. Mama. No." She continued to struggle against the spell holding her down, shaking her head as she stared up at her mother who continued to speak soothingly too her. Each minute only bringing her further away from any hope of escape.
[1]—Welcome home, daughter.
[2]—Hush. It will all be over soon.
[3]—I don't want to die, mama.
[4]-All creatures must die, Katerina. Even you.
Waking up from a broken neck was never fun but waking up with a psychotic immortal who was intent on ending the world as she knew it definitely made the experience that much worse. Caroline had never been a fan of someone watching her when she was sleeping—and while a broken neck didn't exactly equal peaceful slumber—she still got the same creepy sensation of being watched as she opened her eyes.
"Has anyone ever told you that the whole watching the girl while she sleeps is so nineties?" Why had she ever thought it was charming when Edward did it to Bella in those books? God, she needed to get better reading material when she got out of this. Her entire vampire experience was nothing at all like it had been in those books. Which, honestly, not a bad thing. Sparkling in the sunlight would probably get old after a while. Plus she was okay with not being able to have babies eating their way out of her stomach.
Silas' gaze never wavered from her even if he didn't respond to her question. Great. So she was captured and would be talking to herself for an undetermined amount of time. His steady unyielding gaze was sending shivers up her arms, but unlike with how she'd liked that sensation when Klaus looked at her, Silas doing it was unnerving and she wished he'd stop.
"What did they do to you to keep me out of your mind?" he asked, breaking the silence and Caroline wished it had kept up instead, not really wanting to answer that. She shrugged instead, nearly jumping when the chair that had been beside him slammed into the wall near her head. "You will find, Caroline, that I do not appreciate waiting for answers."
"And I don't appreciate being kidnapped by creepy immortals but well, here we are," she bit out, almost regretting her words. "But hey, it seems to be the thing to do nowadays." First Kol. Now Silas. Maybe it would be better to keep quiet or at least answer his questions but Caroline refused to be the victim again. She had been tortured enough in her short life and if that was what this guy wanted to do then she was going to fight back with all she had, and part of that would be using her words. "Besides what you really want to know is what I know about Amara. So why not just ask me instead of wasting time with the how I'm immune to wacky mind powers?"
Silas' eyes were narrowed and she saw the barely contained rage in them. This wasn't Klaus who she was certain wouldn't kill her even in his own bouts of madness. This guy would probably have no trouble tearing out her heart and eating it or whatever else crazy villains liked to do, but she could just find a rip in the veil then and come back, couldn't she? Then she'd be far away from him and the others could kill Amara without any worry.
It seemed that Silas must have been having similar thoughts as he carefully regarded her, lips curling into a malevolent smile. He waved his hand for her to continue as he sat down on one of the remaining chairs. "You and I both know that your death means I lose out on controlling the Hybrid." She didn't like the intensity of his gaze in that moment or the sudden bout of amusement that seemed to come out of nowhere as he looked her over. "I wonder how intoxicating it must be to know the power that you have over him. What it must be like to wait for the day he finally snaps and kills you."
Caroline took a deep breath, ignoring his comments, knowing they were meant to rile her up. Thinking about Klaus and how he was most likely reacting to her abduction wasn't going to help. She needed to keep her composure while also glancing around the area as best she could. She needed to know where they were, to get at least a layout of the house they were in, so that she could maybe come up with some kind of escape plan. Klaus had been given ample opportunities to kill her and he hadn't yet. Even as a wolf he hadn't been able to do it—something she knew went against nature since wolves apparently wanted nothing more than to rip vampires apart.
"Anyway I'm guessing you eavesdropped—which not classy at all—and heard that Amara's alive," Caroline started, trying to mentally remind herself not to ramble and to stick to the facts. The less she told him the better probably. "Apparently Qestiyah thought it'd be fun to get you to kill yourself and then find out once you were on the Other Side that Amara wasn't dead. That lady had issues."
Maybe some of them created by Silas' betrayal but there was seriously a point where revenge was taken entirely too far. If the witch had just rammed the cure down his throat and killed the guy they wouldn't be in the position they all were now, but no, she'd needed to have the last laugh. As far as Caroline was concerned they were both in the wrong.
"Qestiyah was never one to dole out easy punishments," Silas replied, almost looking amused, but Caroline knew better than to trust that almost relaxed vibe he was giving off. He could kill her before she could blink and while she would try not to show any fear, she wasn't about to forget that fact either. Even if death might get her away from him quicker, it still sucked to die. Not to mention there was no guarantee she would find a rip in the veil before the others killed Amara.
"And yet you actively betrayed her. Like shouldn't you have known what the consequences were?" Caroline muttered, instantly regretting her words.
Silas arched a brow, not making any move toward her, but she continued to carefully watch him. "The benefits far outweighed the consequences at that particular time," he informed her, and she watched his gaze seem to drift away for a moment, glimpsed a trace of sadness in his eyes, before he focused on her again. "It will all be worth it when I am finished."
Maybe if it had just been a love story that had ended badly and just had him reuniting with his lost love without the whole bring down the veil and rule over everyone part, it would have been something beautiful. But Caroline doubted reuniting with Amara would be enough for the man in front of her. He wanted revenge on the woman who had forced their separation.
"So why not just take the cure, be united with Amara who also takes the cure and go live out your lives happily together for a while?" Caroline suggested. Wasn't that kind of win-win for everyone?
"And lose out on forever with her? I think not." Silas shook his head. "I much prefer my ideal endgame of being reunited with her and destroying every single legacy of Qestiyah's."
That included Bonnie and like hell was Caroline going to let Bonnie die. "What was Amara like?" she asked, not surprised that he was caught off guard for a moment by her question. "Because like from what people have said about her in legends and stuff she seems like a sweet girl—aside from the whole cheating thing—so what makes you think she'll be all that happy with you when she learns what you've done or what you're willing to do?" Okay, so maybe they hadn't really said that but it didn't hurt to try out that angle, did it? It wasn't like he couldn't refute what she was saying if she was dead wrong.
"You of all people should realize that your feelings for someone can outweigh their troublesome deeds," Silas countered, and Caroline hated that he knew about her life.
"I'm not a saint either. Maybe I haven't done as many awful things as Klaus but I've killed people. I survive on blood to live. I have horribly dark urges that I suppress all the time because I feel I need to." And maybe there would be more days she wouldn't feel that urge to do so and she'd let them run free but it wasn't quite that day yet. "Did your Amara ever kill? She wanted forever with you, wanted to run away, right? I doubt any of that equaled killing others. Did you even tell her the side effects of immortality?"
He was gripping the sides of the chair then and Caroline knew she should stop, but her mouth was never one to listen to her brain. "She's had two thousand years to think about all of it just like you did. Maybe she decided that you're not worth all of the pain she went through. Two thousand years where she was trapped and linked to the Other Side, unable to do anything because of your mistakes. Maybe she blames you."
Silas was in her face seconds later. "I may not wish to kill you because then you are no longer the perfect little leverage but I have no need to listen to your annoying prattle."
"Maybe she fell out of love with you."
Silas' hand was on her chest then and she waited for the sensation of it tearing through her skin. He looked murderous enough to do it but she stared at him, refusing to show fear. His hands were on her neck a moment later and Caroline had never been more happy to receive a snapped neck than in that moment, welcoming the darkness and pleased that she'd been able to plant some seeds of doubt.
It had worked.
Damon hadn't been sure that it would, that the witch they found would be strong enough to pull Elena from the Other Side and help her cross over through the crack in the veil. She hadn't seemed it with how quickly she had been fading; dropping dead as soon as the spell was complete, but fear for a loved one had always been a good motivator. He could hear the children's sobs and Stefan trying to calm them down, to get them to head over to a neighbor's house or something to that effect, but none of that mattered to him.
Not with Elena alive and there right in front of him.
She was shaking, hands on her ears as she looked around, no doubt confused over what had just happened. He remembered his time on the Other Side, first following her around, trying to watch over her and then trying to find her once she'd been killed. It had been such a lonely place, so cold and something he wanted to be stricken from her mind.
"It's me, baby, you're free," he started, heading over to her and gathering her into his arms.
She didn't seem to react to his touch, her hands still on her ears, though she shut her eyes, body still shaking and clammy to the touch. He rubbed his hands along her back, trying to warm her up. "You're okay. We're both okay. We're gonna get out of here and go and live a long, long life, Elena," he murmured, trying to reassure her, to calm her down.
"No." She pushed away from him and he blinked at her, startled by the madness he saw in her eyes. Her gaze darted here and there, hands trembling as she brought them down, wrapping her arms around her body.
"Elena?" Stefan tried, the children finally having fled. He took a step toward her but she jumped back, reminding Damon of a wounded bird, frightened by any noise.
"What did you do?" she asked, her gaze falling on the body of the dead witch. Her hands were back on her ears, eyes closed, as she rocked back and forth. "What did you do? What did you do? No no no no no."
"Elena, it's okay," Damon stepped toward her, frowning as she moved back away from him. "You're okay now."
She looked at him then, more broken than he'd ever seen her before. "No. I'm not."
"You will be," Damon assured, moving slowly as to try and not upset her. "It'll just take time."
"I killed all of those people," she started, moving back until she was backed into a corner and collapsing down to the ground. She pulled her knees up to her chest. "I shouldn't be here."
"It wasn't your fault, Elena," Damon tried, coming to kneel in front of her, throwing Stefan a helpless look over his shoulder, wanting help. "The crazy man made you do it."
"We'll help you deal with what happened," Stefan started, his voice calm and Damon nodded at that. They could help her deal with what happened. If the sire bond was still in effect maybe he could simply make her feel better, make her forget all that had happened.
"I killed you," Elena sobbed, looking over at Damon and he reached out, placing his hands on top of hers.
"You didn't know, baby." It had sucked but he knew it wasn't her fault. Elena wouldn't have done it if she'd had control of her mind and body and he knew she hadn't at the time. "Let's get out of here and get you some new clothes, a couple of blood bags into you, and you'll see. It'll get better."
It would just take some time but they had that on their side. He'd do anything to ensure that she would be okay. Damon rose, offering her a hand up, smiling softly down at her until she hesitantly took it, and allowed him pull her up. "It's going to be fine," he promised, kissing her forehead as they started toward the door, Stefan moving forward to open for them.
"I'm sorry," she whispered and he turned to give her another reassuring smile, ready to remind her that it was okay, that he didn't blame her, when she utilized her speed to move away from him, picking up one of the wooden stakes the brothers had managed to get out of the kids' hands. "I can't live with this."
She plunged through her heart before either he or Stefan could make a move, body turning grey as she fell. Damon barely caught her before she hit the floor, unable to do a thing to save her. He shook her, trying to process what had just happened.
"We have to get her back. We did it once. We'll do it again," Damon muttered, placing her dead body down on the floor and rising. He'd find another witch and do it all again, make sure there were no pointy wooden objects around the next time. Maybe snap her neck so he could get her to wherever Caroline was, get the blonde to talk Klaus into compelling the memories away from Elena.
"She doesn't want to return, Damon," Stefan murmured, and Damon whirled around, shoving Stefan into the wall. His brother didn't even flinch, only looked at him with a pity that Damon didn't want to see, refusing to accept that he'd lost Elena. "Let her go."
"No," he bit out, glaring at the younger man. "You can help me or not, but I'm getting her back."
"And then what? She'll just do this again. She's miserable. You're going to make her live with that misery?" Stefan demanded, and Damon dropped him, refusing to listen to any of it.
"Like I said, help me or not, brother, but I'm going after her," Damon muttered, heading for the door and out of it.
He waited for the sound of Stefan following him, certain that his brother would, but the footsteps never came, and he cursed him under his breath before flashing away, intent on finding another witch, refusing to be parted from Elena.
Love would always be his downfall.
"Hello, Damon. Remember me?" asked a voice that he couldn't pinpoint, pain erupting in his head and causing him to stumble forward, grasping it.
"Can't say I do," he muttered. Obviously a witch but he'd met so many of those that there was no way he'd remember all of their names.
"Couldn't take you down before but I've been practicing and I brought a friend," the woman continued, and Damon forced himself to look up, trying to figure out who the woman was. "You might remember my friend Lexi. The one you killed. She didn't want any part in this though. Still has loyalty to your brother. But this one…" She nodded over to the young man who had joined them.
"Luka." Of course it had to be that one. "Technically your dad's fault that you died. Shouldn't have sent you over to mess with Elijah, kid."
The pain intensified and he cringed, bending over at the pain, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. He heard Stefan then, and almost smiled, knowing his baby brother wouldn't let him die. "Don't worry, Damon," Luka told him, kneeling down in front of him. "We're going to bring you to Elena. You can have your eternity with her. Just not like you imagined."
The teenager's hands were on his shoulders and suddenly Damon felt as if he was being crushed, lungs and heart collapsing as he was pulled forward. He heard Stefan scream for him but seconds later the sound was muffled. The pain stopped in his head and Damon looked around, knowing where he was as soon as he opened his eyes. He hadn't wanted to ever see this place again.
"What the hell?" How did they get him onto the Other Side? "Where's the rip?" It had to be somewhere close.
"Shifted by now, far away from here. You have fun trying to find it without any powers to guide you," Luka smirked at him, disappearing with the other witch and leaving him alone to watch Stefan fall to his knees where he'd been seconds before, crying out for him, looking absolutely devastated.
Regret flashed through him for a moment as he watched his brother breakdown, seeing what the loss of him had done, something he didn't think would affect Stefan as much as it apparently did. The emotion was gone almost as soon as it had begun though, anger replacing it over, blaming his brother for not getting there fast enough to save him.
The coldness of the Other Side began seeping into the very heart of him, the image of Stefan fading away and leaving Damon alone with no clue on where to go. All he knew was he needed to find Elena and wouldn't stop searching until he did and got her back to the land of the living.
Klaus had been unable to keep after her scent for long, the smell swept away by the coastal breeze and his wolf shook its head, trying to locate it again. He didn't need it though, not with his blood pumping through her veins, a constant tether to him. He would be drawn to that for as long as it was inside of her and Klaus wondered if even bleeding her dry would stop him from knowing where to find Caroline. He ran across the rocky ground, cuts healing almost as soon as they drew blood, his focus absolute and unwilling to let anything get in his path.
He hadn't known that his speed could increase as a wolf, had thought he would only be able to go as fast as a normal one moved even if he'd been stronger than any wolf could hope to be. But he'd pushed himself beyond any limits he'd ever used before, unwilling to let Caroline slip away, to become a regret that he didn't think he would ever be able to forget. It surpassed the fastest he was able to go even in his vampire form though he didn't have quite the same control over it as he ran, muscles rippling as he sprang over rocks and terrain in the direction her body called him toward.
He wasn't sure when it happened but along the way native wolves began to follow him, trailing behind but he could sense their presence, and knew they were being drawn in his direction. Part of him yearned to run with them, to turn around and see where they could take him, but that desire was easily squashed, his focus remaining on finding Caroline. He'd think about and deal with the rest once he knew she was safe.
The path brought him to a small beach resort and he circled through the paved pathways, the gorgeous day aiding him as no one seemed to be in the residential area. All were down enjoying the beach instead and that helped him plenty, the last thing he wanted was for Silas to be alerted to his presence.
He easily transformed back into his usual form, the pain barely registering, not bothering to take time to adjust to the change. It was easy enough to break into one of the bungalows that dotted the landscape. Clothing was found and he breathed in the salty air, picking up Caroline's scent a few houses over to the right. He heard her muttering under her breath as well and couldn't help but smile at that. She didn't sound as though she was under any duress and that offered him a little comfort.
He was going to need to compel nearly everyone down on the beach if his distraction technique had a chance of working. It shouldn't take too much effort though. Vervain wouldn't be an issue and he could circulate through the lot of them, drop the task in each of their minds and then once he was ready give the signal for them to come pouring out of the woodwork. It didn't matter to him if they died. All that mattered to him was getting Caroline away from Silas so that they could move onto destroying the immortal, something that couldn't happen while he had her.
Klaus had to trust that Rebekah would keep her promise and that was difficult. Trust was something he'd found hard to put in his siblings in the last few centuries. Too many so-called betrayals, too much rampant paranoia for him to ever truly believe they were loyal to him. For every instance where they proved it to him another moment would crop up where he saw what they did as a slight against him. He had to somehow put that paranoia aside now though and put a little faith in Rebekah instead. After all, if she failed him he'd be able to dole out consequences for the rest of their immortal lives.
The front door to the bungalow opened and Klaus pulled on the shirt he'd found, ready to compel whoever had entered and get the show on the road. He froze in mid step as he entered the front area, staring in shock at the man who had walked in.
"Elijah?" His heart constricted at the sight of him, Vincent's words from only hours ago echoing in his head. His brother was supposed to be dead and part of him wondered if this was some slight of hand, a trick to catch him off guard.
Klaus was on him in a second, ready to catch the man by the throat, to force him to reveal something that only they would know. Elijah side stepped him though, utilizing that vampire speed that Klaus didn't think could be replicated, but perhaps his senses were being tampered with.
"What shall I reveal, Niklaus? What your first word was? Or perhaps what we used to do to Kol when he tried to follow after us and we did not wish his company as children?" Elijah inquired, watching his brother carefully, obviously ready to defend himself but he wasn't making any outward attacks. Klaus circled him, trying to figure out which answer would cement in his mind that Elijah was real and standing before him, that he wasn't an imposter. "Or shall I go into my biggest regret? Helping father strap you up and allowing mother to do what she did all those years back."
Klaus stopped moving, staring at the man in front of him. "The way you looked helplessly at me, thinking that I wouldn't go along, that I was your brother and that loyalty should have outweighed any toward our parents," Elijah continued, head bowed slightly as he shook his head, voice tinged with emotion.
"Now isn't the time for a trip down memory lane," Klaus bit out, refusing to acknowledge that period, to remember how weak he had been in that moment. He stepped forward though and clasped a hand on Elijah's shoulder, nodding slightly as he squeezed tightly, needing proof that he was solidly there. "I have things to do and if you're done playing dead I could use a hand."
"Do I dare ask what your plan is, Niklaus?" Elijah questioned and Klaus simply grinned, knowing that it would be much easier to pull off with Elijah's help.
Klaus nodded toward the beach below, taking another listen toward where Caroline and Silas were residing, needing to make sure that she was still okay before heading that way with Elijah. Klaus compelled the first person, putting in place the signal and the notion that once it was set off he would feel nothing but an all-encompassing fear and head straight toward the bungalow Silas occupied. Elijah easily followed along and it didn't take long before they had the entire group ready to go.
Klaus pulled off his shirt and handed it to Elijah. "You go upwards, past the resort, miles out to the north—I believe you'll recall the ruins of Dion are that way. I'll lead Caroline there." If he was in wolf form there would be less a chance of the immortal being able to read his mind. The man had been able to get into their heads while entombed so Klaus wasn't putting anything past him. But with the onslaught of people Silas would no doubt be scanning the human minds if he could and in his wolf form he might be able to slip on by that scan if the immortal was able to accomplish such a fête.
He should have enough focus not to attack any of the others if the last few hours of tracking the two were any indication to his control over his wolf. He hadn't harmed any that he'd passed by and his wolf wouldn't harm Caroline which in Klaus' mind was all that truly mattered.
His transition was seamless, Elijah already disappearing from the area, and the others not registering that he was even there. The whistle blew from the lifeguard stand and the response was immediate, a stampede of people rushing toward the bungalows. They pushed one another, children and elderly, those that were simply not fast enough trampled over and Klaus could smell the blood, the fear an intoxicating mix as they rushed forward. He leaped over them heading and to the side, keeping out of the way of the mass but heading in the same direction.
He spotted Silas at the balcony then, looking out at the stampede, and watched his brow crease in concentration. It was all the confirmation that Klaus needed that the immortal had some sort of telepathy. The first group of people collapsed before they ever made it to the porch, grasping their heads in pain as they fell, blood seeping out of their eyes, ears and nose. No doubt a trick of the Immortal's but there were too many for him to stop all at once and he stepped backwards, random people collapsing in the same manner but far too many able to get over the fallen and were pushing toward the immortal, grabbing onto him and trying to pull him down.
There would be no hope for any of them. Klaus could practically taste Silas rage in the air and knew his confusion wouldn't last for long. Everything had to happen in a matter of seconds but that was all he would need to get Caroline out of there and away from Silas. They would head toward the others and he simply wouldn't let her go so even if Silas did find them again he wouldn't be caught off guard and like hell would he let the immortal lay a finger on her.
He was ready to make his move when he spotted the wolves dotting the area behind the resort, their focus on him. He was still unsure as to the reason they following him but this could only help with distracting Silas and he would use every little bit to his advantage. He'd never howled before in this form, but it came from deep within his throat, the sound increasing the fear in the humans and causing the other wolves to echo the call.
Klaus's wolf leaped through the open window on the side of the bungalow, the throngs of people shielding him from Silas' gaze. He spotted Caroline as soon as his paws touched the floor and she grinned at him, already at the back window and ready to head through it. He leaped out of it with her, leading her away from the chaos that was only increasing behind them. The wolves didn't go near her, running off in various directions which would hopefully make it more difficult for Silas to find them.
They flashed away, not bothering to talk but her hand was in his fur, staying beside him as they moved through the countryside and toward where he knew Elijah would be waiting. The sound of Silas' rage echoed behind them, the screams of those he was no doubt torturing for their distraction rising up behind them. Klaus pushed at Caroline when she started to slow, refusing to allow her to stop just yet, needing more distance.
He had no idea what would be enough but he knew they were not far away just yet, not for his peace of mind. They stopped finally, Elijah waiting with his clothes and Caroline gasping at the sight of his brother.
"We thought you were…" she murmured, as Klaus shifted back to his normal form, taking the clothes from Elijah to pull on.
"I was," Elijah replied without elaboration. "Shall we be on our way then? I believe time is of the essence."
Klaus was in front of Caroline before Elijah had finished his sentence, needing to check her over, to see with own eyes that she was unharmed. His hands were on her cheeks, relief sweeping through him, his heart beating faster at the touch of her skin. Her reassuring smile enough to lessen the vice like grip that had been on his heart since he'd lost her.
"I'm fine," she promised, hands moving to cover his before moving to touch his face. "Elijah's right, we need to go. Last thing we want is your mother to find us."
"I believe the last thing Niklaus would want is to face me again, girl."
It was a voice that had haunted his nightmares even after he'd finally defeated the man. He could conquer the world over but he could never seem to rid himself of Mikael's voice in his head. Esther had escaped the veil to carry out her own plans. Klaus known there was a possibility for Mikael to do the same and of course the bastard had come for him.
He grabbed Caroline, roughly pushing her behind him, out of Mikael's line of sight. Elijah needed to take her, to get her out of the area and away from the man he had once called father. Just as he'd done with his prized horse, Klaus knew Mikael would try to make a point with Caroline, to destroy her as a way to cut at the very heart of him. That was something he couldn't allow to happen, he wouldn't allow it to happen. He'd defeated him once before but he'd had the white oak stake to use to permanently kill him. There was nothing at his disposal now to do that and unfortunately all Mikael would need was his bare hands to kill Caroline.
"You know what happens when you find something good, boy," Mikael continued, the hatred evident in his eyes.
There had been a time, long ago, that he had tried his hardest for this man's approval, when he had done everything in his power to try and make him proud of his accomplishments, only to be met with ridicule. Perhaps it had set him up for that thirst for power that he could never quite quench, added that dose of fear that had caused his siblings and him to flee every so often, unable to stay ahead of him for too long a stretch. But he was hardly that simpleton human anymore and he'd enjoyed a few wonderful months of not having to deal with the constant looking over his shoulder.
Klaus wasn't about to go back to that way of living again "Have we not seen how this already plays out, old man? You lose."
"But not before I take away everything that you love just as you took from me," Mikael replied, his gaze shifting to Caroline and Klaus felt the beast inside him rage at that and he didn't bother to try and stifle it, letting his hybrid features start to show. "Hide behind your bastard roots instead of fighting me like an equal."
Klaus laughed at that, Caroline's hand on the back of his shirt the only thing keeping him grounded. "I'm far superior to you now, father, and that's something you can't handle. The whelp, the one not of your blood, far surpasses all the others." Klaus smirked at that. "What a disappointment that must be for you."
"You have no chance here," Elijah added, coming to stand at Klaus' side. "You will not get near the girl."
"You stand with him. The one who killed your mother. Who got your brother killed," Mikael replied, turning his gaze toward Elijah. "You can meet the same fate as him."
"I stand with my family. Something you and mother are no longer part of," Elijah informed him, his answer only seeming to enrage Mikael.
"I will hunt you down, every day, waiting for you to slip up." His gaze fell on Caroline causing Klaus to shift again, Elijah stepping even closer to him, both intent on blocking her from view. "What a life you'll get with her. Always on the run, no doubt you'll figure out a way to lock her up to keep her safe from me," Mikael taunted and Klaus could feel his bones breaking at that, the wolf wanting to sink its teeth into Mikael's neck and end his life. "She'll come to hate you."
"Or you could leave. Find mother and start over," Elijah offered up and Klaus couldn't believe his ears. Was he truly trying to bargain with the man? Had he not realized in the last thousand years that nothing would sway Mikael from his need for revenge? "Henrik is alive and well." And would never step foot near Mikael if Klaus had any say in the matter. "Be the bigger person and choose to turn away."
Klaus felt the air shift around them and turned swiftly, grabbing Caroline and pulling her downward toward the ground. His mother appeared a second later, white oak in her hand and if they had still been where they were it would have impaled Caroline's chest. His hand was through the Esther's chest before she had time to react, tearing out her heart as he'd done years ago. Mikael's yell barely registered in his mind as the white oak stake fell to the ground. All he knew was that the man he'd called father wasn't allowed to get his hands on it.
Elijah caught it first, catching Klaus' eye and he didn't like the look that he saw there, the one that echoed back to times when Elijah had tried to protect him from Mikael's wrath when they were younger.
"I see I have my answer," Elijah murmured, the resignation in his brother's voice only adding to his worry. "Take care of Henrik and the others, Niklaus. I will insure these two do not make it back through the rift. Let me protect you as I could never before."
The next moment seemed to happen slower than anything Klaus had experienced, Elijah plunging the stake into Mikael's chest, the two of them burning up in front of his eyes. No sound came out as he tried to scream, the sound catching in his throat as he reached out for his older brother, but there was nothing for him to do. He had just gotten him back, not even had a moment to truly accept that Elijah had found his way to him, and suddenly he was gone again.
This was different than before.
There had been hope that his brother would find a crack and make his way back through it. He'd done so and they should have all been reunited. So of course Esther and Mikael would show up to ruin those plans. Klaus knew Elijah wouldn't be leaving the Other Side this time. He would stay and make certain that the other two would never be able to wreak havoc in their lives ever again.
Gone was the boy who had taught him how to fight, the one who had repeatedly cleaned up his messes, believed there was some good still inside of him if only he tried hard enough to find it. Hearing about it on the phone was far different from seeing it first hand, the reality of the situation hitting him like a ton of bricks. The rage gave way to gut-wrenching sadness, something he tried not to feel, his grief wanting to drag him down and bury him deep.
Caroline's arms curled around him, hugging him close, and Klaus nearly lashed out at her, nearly pushed her down into the ground, wanting to force away the comfort that her body offered. Instead he clung to her as he stared at the charring bodies. He needed to kill, needed to enact the pain he was feeling on someone else and he couldn't do that to the girl murmuring softly to him.
"I am going to rip out Amara's still beating heart in front of Silas and then feed it to him as I bleed him dry," Klaus promised, needing to focus all of his grief and pain into an emotion he knew how to handle and hatred was one he knew all too well.
It was the least he could do for his brother.
A/N: We know next to nothing about Katherine's family so I went with the belief that she was a witch (not a Traveler because that storyline makes no sense to me, just a regular old witch). And that's why she was on the Other Side.