Chapter 7:

Mari couldn't help the bubbling feelings of something like excitement every time Klaus was near. After the incident in the alley, things seemed different between them. She would catch him glancing up at her over his glass of wine, across the table, where she sat beside Kol. She, herself, couldn't help but let her gaze flick to him occasionally.

She sat in her room the following evening, after a nice but kind of awkward dinner with the Mikaelson. Mari ran her brush through her hair mindlessly, staring out of the double doors leading out to the balcony. There was music wafting in from the street, and it was a pleasantly breezy evening. It was almost sureal. She wasn't used to seeing New Orleans from a place like the compound. The whole city felt different when she was on top of it.

As usual, she found it hard to sleep. Ever since she started sleeping at the compound she would stay up late, thinking and thinking until she drove herself into a frenzy. She had a lot of fears and concerns, and they made it hard to relax, even in that soft, luxurious bed they had for her to use. It was decorated and dressed with beautifully adorned pillows and silky sheets. If the circumstances had been better, she would have melted into it without a second thought.

When she heard a soft knock at the door, her heart fluttered a little. That excitement was caused by the possibility of seeing Klaus again, but she knew that such feelings were dangerous at best. With a deep breath, she headed to the door. Her hand hesitated on the handle, but after a moment, she pulled it open.

"Did I wake you?" Kol asked from the other side, lingering in the doorway for a moment. When he realized she hadn't been in bed yet, he stepped into the room and pushed the door closed behind him. "Good. I've got a craving, Mari, darling, that I need you to satisfy."

"Alright." Of course it was Kol. She was there to be his donor after all, not Klaus'. After clearing her throat, she tugged up her three quarter sleeve to fully expose her wrist. "Help yourself, I guess." Kol looked at her wrist for a moment, then up at her.

"Is there something the matter?" He asked her curiously. "You're holding your wrist out to me like you don't want me to be close to you. How come?"

"I'm just tired is all."

"You're a poor liar, love," Kol clicked his tongue. "What's made you so opposed to me all of a sudden?" He took a step closer to her, and Mari instinctively stepped back. Kol raised an eyebrow. "This... wouldn't happen to be about Niklaus, would it?" He questioned. Her face lit up almost instantly, cheeks burning. As much as she wanted to lie, she knew he would see through her anyways. Mari really was a bad liar.

"I said Im tired."

"You know," Kol sighed, "I did notice those glances between the two of you. Klaus is almost too predictable these days. Tell me, though. Is he perhaps suddenly interested in you because he's tasted you?" His hand lifted, fingertips ghosting over the skin of her throat. She turned her face away from him, unable to answer at the moment.

"I just want to sleep. I'll feed you tomorrow."

"Silly, Marigold," he whispered, getting closer to her again. He took her small face in his hand, his thumb under her jaw. He tilted her head to the side, and she closed her eyes in response. "Know this about my brother. He is not who you think he is. You think he's a gentle vampire because he drinks from donors instead of innocent people. That won't last forever. Once Camille's influence wears off, he will become the same, monstrous thing he always was."

"I'll be gone by then," Mari said bravely.

"Do you really think he wants someone like you?" Kol scoffed, a little frustrated by her naivety. Klaus was a heartbreaker, and if he didn't destroy a woman from the inside, he did so on the outside, sometimes by his own hands. Marigold was not the kind of woman that would be strong enough to withstand the kind of destruction Niklaus caused.

"Like me?" She looked up at him, her big, bright eyes wide and hurt by his words. There was almost a pang of guilt inside of Kol, something that appealed to his residual humanity. Almost.

"Klaus loved Camille. Genuinely. He loved her because she was brave and strong. She wasn't frightened, nor did she allow herself to so easily become someone's victim. She was everything you are not. Just because he enjoys the taste of your blood doesn't mean you'll ever be more than a blood bag to him. A walking, talking blood bag."

"Get out," Mari squeaked, walking away from him, facing the open doors to the balcony to keep her back to him. She didn't want to see his face, didn't want to hear any more than what he already said. It already felt like there was an anvil sitting on her heart.

"It was fun while it lasted," Kol muttered as he left the room. Mari wrapped her arms around herself once he was gone, just wanting to forget everything in that moment. To forget her family, her father's debt, and to forget Kol Mikaelson.

Elijah glanced up from his book when Kol came into the library. There was a look of distaste on his younger brother's countenance, and he hoped that it was something simple or trivial. The last thing they needed was Kol to lose all of the progress he'd made and revert back to the drunken recluse he had become after Davina's death.

"What is it now, brother?" Elijah asked with a sigh, closing his book and setting it to the side. He folded his hands together over his knee.

"I'd like a new donor," Kol said bluntly. "I've grown bored of this one." Elijah looked at Kol closely. It was hard to believe he had so suddenly changed his mind after seeming to enjoy the company of the little blond they'd invited into the house. Kol had gotten so much better. Elijah wondered what could have changed so suddenly.

"Mari is a guest until we find a solution for her problems at home," Elijah reminded him calmly. "If you'd like a different donor, I'll have one found tomorrow morning. However, she's going to stay here at least for a couple more days while we find an arrangement that suits her."

"She's become infatuated with Klaus," Kol said, his tone a little sharper than before. "This situation is good for no one. Have her moved as soon as possible. There's a number of hotels around here."

"Kol, do I detect a hint of jealousy in this demand?" Elijah smirked up at his brother. "Because if so, perhaps you should try working this out with Klaus. I'm sure he has no interest in this girl. Just politely request that he let her down. Then, you can do with her as you please as far as pursuing a relationship is concerned."

"Do you think me that soft, Elijah?"

"I think, after centuries of isolation, we're all a little desperate for companionship. You've lost your love recently. It's natural for you to seek another to fill the void she left." The way Elijah talked about Davina's death did more than just annoy Kol. He grapped a glass from the table beside Elijah and threw it as hard as he could across the room, shattering it into a million pieces.

"It's not like that. Get her out of here, Elijah, or I will."

"Does it scare you that badly to have feelings, Kol?"

"My feelings died with Davina," Kol bit out harshly. "This is no good for our family, to bring in someone like Mari while we're trying to heal. She'll only cause trouble, Elijah, mark my words." Kol stormed out of the room, then, and Elijah picked up his book again.

While he tried his best to focus on the words of the novel, his thoughts took him elsewhere. Yes, it certainly had become a dangerous situation it seemed. Elijah didn't want another reason for Kol and Niklaus to argue. As much as he hated to admit it, Kol might have been right about moving Mari to a different location. Perhaps distance would squash any disagreements before they began.