-2-
Kol
Kol picked restlessly at his tuxedo, standing at the mirror in his room. The party was just about to begin and though he loved a good party he didn't enjoy his family hovering over him and telling him how to act.
Which Elijah had been doing. Incessantly.
It made Kol want to act out.
But, their mother had given them rules .
Kol swirled his glass of bourbon and knocked it back. Undaggered mere days and still he'd taken no retribution for his unfair imprisonment. Niklaus is so easily forgiven by Mother and Rebekah. Elijah seems to have put away his grievances. The only other sibling beside himself who seemed angry at all was Finn, and he was so boring Kol didn't bother even attempting to talk to him.
He'd lost a hundred years. The first time in a thousand years anything truly interesting had happened to the world, too. He glanced down at the rectangular contraption on the table beside his bed. So much progress, and he'd missed it.
As soon as this absolute farce with his family was over he was leaving. Kol had no reason to linger in a house where those bloody daggers would hang over him… and so long as they existed Nik would always wield the daggers as a threat to keep them all in line.
The rage was nearly overwhelming him now. As much as he tried to suppress it, Kol could feel what slight hold he had on his control slipping as Elijah walked into the room.
Kol witheald his sneer as he threw back another glass of bourbon, reaching to refill it just as Elijah over and took the decatur from him.
"I believe you've had enough for now."
Kol huffed a sarcastic laugh. "And who are you to tell me how much is enough, Elijah? And don't say 'your older brother' as though that means anything to you. Not when it comes to me."
Elijah's eyebrows pinched and he turned slightly, facing Kol completely. "Of course it means something. You are my brother, despite our many differences-"
"Right." Kol cut Elijah off with a flippant wave of his hand, eyes narrowed at Elijah's pinched expression. He threw himself down on the decorative sofa and crossed one leg over the other, an arm carelessly tossed over the back. Feigned nonchalance as his chest tightened. "I'd have an easier time believing you had 'Always and Forever' ever included me. But it hasn't. Not once in a thousand years." The glass in his hand shattered and he leaned forward.
"Control yourself, brother." Elijah warned, inching closer to Kol as though he could stop his younger brother from whatever madness had seeped into his mind this time.
Kol laughed, the sound was dry, and he stood once again. He leaned close to Elijah daringly. "I don't think I will."
Elijah frowned at this and caught Kol by the elbow as the younger made to brush past him. "You won't ruin Mother's night. The guests are arriving. You will exercise control."
Kol pulled his elbow in and then sharply pushed it back out, sending Elijah back a few feet and putting some distance between them. As he exited the room, he spared one last glare toward his elder brother and said; "I'm not Klaus, Elijah. Your great wish to see our family redeemed and whole won't sway me into behaving the way you expect me to. You never did understand me, and you never cared to. But I'll be damned if you and Klaus put me back in that god's damned box. On this, I'm sure even Finn would agree."
At Elijah's stunned expression Kol turned and walked off toward the foyer, still seething. The rage was beginning to boil over and he felt the tightness in his chest clench even further. Several guests had arrived, a bunch of well-dressed opportunistic sycophants looking to get on well with the new, ostensibly wealthy family in town. Just as Nik had wanted.
He could hear a multitude of conversations. The cacophony of voices, colors, and twinkling lights Rebekah had set up around the banister served only to agitate him further. The muscles of his upper back and shoulders began to tighten. Jaw clenched, Kol spotted a server with a tray of champagne near a shadowed corner and Kol made a beeline. He needed a bloody drink and not even Elijah could stop him from partaking in the evening's refreshments.
As Kol reached for one of the champagne flutes, his hand brushed against another's. The person yanked their hand back right away.
"Apologies, go ahead." A gentle, smoky feminine voice toned to his left.
Kol turned, planting a wry grin upon his face and deciding to turn on his ample charms. Just because it was Mother's night didn't mean he didn't deserve his own fun. It had been a century since his last affair and he could use a night to unwind. He met the eyes of his newest conquest, likely to be drained by morning, and stopped short.
A thousand years of life, experience, and education yet still he had no words to describe the wash of calm, cool, comfort and safety that flowed over him when his dark eyes met hers and his breath caught.
Her eyes were like pine trees in the middle of winter. Vibrant and naturally beautiful; the only thing proving that life yet persisted in a sea of cold, dead nothingness. Her hair fell in dark waves and framed a pleasant face, continuing to fall well past delicate shoulders until the ends reached a slender waist. Made even more so by the black corset dress she wore.
Staring at her he began to feel the broiling rage inside of him recede, the knot in his chest tentatively start to unfurl. Kol watched as recognition dawned across her features. He likely looked as shocked as she, he assumed, based on the slight widening of her eyes and the sharp inhale of breath.
They were soul bonded. Such a rare, precious thing in this world. A partner, a confidante, a friend, a lover; a soul bond was all those things and more. He'd only known a handful of supernatural beings who had found their soulmate in all his years. It was more common in humans, though they had no way of knowing for certain like supernaturals did.
Kol wasn't going to miss this opportunity. Though it would take work, it didn't matter. He wanted it; the bond. He wanted her.
He recovered faster than she, snapping his jaw together and producing his hand. "Kol Mikaelson, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Her eyes snapped down to his hand, then back up to his eyes. She seemed to be thinking over whether to accept his hand or not. Kol didn't pull his back but the tightness in his chest started to come back just slightly with each second that passed. He could hear her heartbeat; it wasn't erratic. She didn't smell like a wolf, but she could perhaps be a witch? If she was supernatural it was likely she'd heard of him.
Unbidden, parts of his life began to play through his mind like a horrific play featuring every mad, awful thing he'd ever done. Kol Mikaelson; the Original Psychotic Maniac. It was no wonder she hesitated. He couldn't blame her for it.
The seconds ticked, and just when Kol thought she wouldn't accept his hand hers slowly raised and her cool fingertips slid into his palm. The tightness swept away again and Kol couldn't contain his genuinely happy grin, lifting her hand to bend and brush his lips over her knuckles.
"Isolde Alexander," she introduced with a small smile, her voice lightly accented and resembled something distinctly southern European now that he was paying attention, "the pleasure is mine."
She gazed over his shoulder, her smile fading and eyes widening.
'No. No no, not Nik. Not now .' Kol thought, letting go of Isolde's hand so he could spin and put himself between his mate and his demented older brother.
A quiet, breathy laugh escaped the women behind him. "Forgive me, Kol Mikaelson, we'll talk soon."
When he spun back around Isolde Alexander was nowhere in sight.
Di… did he really just fall for that ?
Isolde
The Mikaelson ball was just as tasteful and pretentious as all upper echelon society events usually were. The twins loved it; they practically floated in and began to work the room like the expert socialites they were. It wasn't long before they'd made contact with the new Mayor. Isolde crept off to the sidelines, where she was most comfortable.
This is how social events always worked in their family. Even when they were mortal. Her siblings networked, appraised people by speaking to them and getting the measure of who they were, what they stood for, what their goals were, and if they were worthy potential allies.
Isolde hid in the shadows, observant, detached. Her cool, assessing gaze identified every threat and missed nothing. At the slightest sign of trouble, Isolde was the family's first line of defense; and she took that job seriously.
Dipping deeper into the massive manor, Isolde noted that all rooms were brightly lit and crowded.
It didn't matter.
One shadow, no matter it's size was all it took for Isolde to warp it and be completely hidden. Just like when she was human, the shadows were her safety net. In immortality, she could control that element.
Passing a group of ladies who were marveling at the size of the mansion (apparently it was a new construction, finished in a matter of days) Isolde found one shaded corner and wrapped it around her. Feeling a cool sensation, like dipping into a lake in late autumn, envelop her like a soothing balm. That feeling had always invigorated her.
In the shadows sound, smell, and sight became sharper as Isolde embraced her monster. The monster licked at her heels as she jumped between shadows. Pacing, growling it's greeting and letting her feel it's hackles rising. He was desperate for some sort of outlet for his pent up energy, malice wafting off him in droves. Isolde locked the leak back down, promising to let him out soon. Now was not the time.
'Is that an Amara and a Silas doppelganger?' Isolde wondered, having hopped shadows back to the foyer in time to see the two enter with another man, rolling her eyes when the woman grasped both men's arms dramatically. 'Well I'll be. Maybe I should venture into town more often.'
Following the triad a moment was long enough for Isolde to learn the Amara doppelganger was named Elena, and Silas was actually a vampire named Stefan. The other man was Stefan's brother Damon, and Elena was romantically interested in both of them but stringing them along.
'Girl if you want them both and they both want you just tell them you'll take them both or you'll take neither. It's not that complicated.' Isolde thought, watching as the older vampire, Damon, glanced down Elena's dress while she wasn't looking.
She was just about to move on to a more interesting conversation when Elena mentioned Esther's name and something about needing to speak to her.
So… Esther was alive? Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for her family to be here. Isolde was certain even a thousand years later Esther would recognize Vera. Not that Esther had any power at her disposal that could harm Vera but even the potential threat was enough to worry the ever so cautious Isolde.
Hopping a few more shadows had Isolde right next to a server with champagne. A drink, to deal with the evening, she could use. She stretched her hand out to snag a glass, dropping her shadowy protection for a moment, and froze as her hand brushed against someone else's.
A young vampire (well, he looked young, at least) stood before her, turned slightly away from her. It was clear he hadn't seen her reaching, just like she hadn't seen him. Isolde pulled her hand back, mentally berating herself for not being more cautious. "Apologies, go ahead."
The vampire turned, his playful smirk and dark eyes his fit aristocratic features quite nicely. Or it would, if it wasn't so obviously fake. He was slender, and quite tall. She had to raise her head slightly to make eye contact and when she did…
It was a wash of security, like the whole world tipped sharply to the left and snapped back together. Everything that had been out of place just fit back where it was always supposed to go. A feeling of rightness, of near completion.
It was new, it was thrilling.
It was a soulbond .
A quick flash of memory; Theon with a stake in William's heart just hours ago. Vera's callous remarks. Isolde's own uncaring flippancy afterward.
She'd have to talk to Theon and Vera. Shit, she'd have to call Emeric . Isolde's muscles began to seize thinking about her family's reactions (and subsequent future actions) to this news, but she smashed it down. Smashed deep into the place where she keeps her monster; only to be released when she had time to process it. Isolde was so caught up in her thoughts she almost missed him introducing himself.
"Kol Mikaelson, it's a pleasure to meet you." His expression was open, and hopeful; hand extended. Isolde glanced down at his hand and felt like the second she took it she'd be signing his death warrant…
… wait, Mikaelson ?
Kol Mikaelson ? Maybe he would survive her family. It's unlikely they'd get their hands on something that could easily kill the Originals, right?
...No. No they definitely could, if they tried hard enough. Decapitation would work on an Original, that would be Emeric's go-to. Desiccation for Vera, and she could do that in a heartbeat. Theon was more of a stake man, but he could probably rip Kol's heart out if he really wanted to, it would just take some finesse. And Theon was the absolute king of finesse.
Fuck , that conversation needed to happen fast.
She watched as Kol's face began to fall; she'd been introspective too long. Damn, I'm so awkward.' Isolde thought as she slid her hand into his with a sheepish smile. She felt jitters course through her body when he bowed over her hand and pressed his lips to it. It wasn't the first time someone had greeted her like this but it was the first time she'd liked that swooping feeling in her belly.
She was so caught up it took a moment to recall she hadn't introduced herself. "Isolde Alexander, the pleasure is mine." Fuck yeah, didn't even stutter. Nailed it.
Isolde wanted nothing more than to talk to Kol and start getting to know him, but being visible right now was just asking for trouble from the twins. Or for the twins, if Esther happened to come down and recognize her. Especially if Esther recognized her while she was with her son.
Right, this was Esther's son . By the gods. Did things just get complicated? Isolde felt the first throb of a massive headache coming on.
It had been a long time since anything interesting had happened to her family.
She had to get rid of Kol for now, and though she felt her chest tighten at the idea, she didn't have a choice. Her younger siblings were currently in what she would consider enemy territory with a small threat alive and wandering somewhere in this massive house.
Oh, and she couldn't forget the scheming doppelgangers .
Vera and Theo needed to know about Esther. So it was with great difficulty that Isolde looked over Kol's shoulder and faked a wide eyed, fearful look. He did exactly as she expected him to, he turned and moved in front of her, as if shielding her from the unknown danger. Worked almost every time, but for once she actually felt guilty for it.
She didn't want to leave him thinking she was hiding from him. Even though that's exactly what she was doing. So she spoke, hoping to ease whatever anger he may have at her for leaving; "Forgive me, Kol Mikaelson. We'll talk soon."
Isolde jumped between rooms before Kol even turned back around. Now to avoid him and look for the twins. She found them locked in conversation with the new Mayor, Isolde wasn't sure what her name was… C, something. Looking around to ensure nobody had their eyes on them first, she carefully unshrouded herself and walked up from behind the mayor.
Vera noticed her first, a small look crossing her sister's face.
It wasn't never a good sign if Isolde was unshrouding in the middle of a social gathering.
"Thank you, Mayor Lockwood, for your time. Have you met our sister, Isolde?" Theon asked, noticing his older sister and dialing up all his charm as he grinned wildly at the woman in front of him. "Isolde, this is your Mayor, Carol Lockwood." He glanced at her and gave her a look before going back to the Mayor and ushering the poor woman just far enough away that Isolde had plenty of room to speak to Vera. "Isolde lives on the property at the north eastern corner of the county, a bit of a recluse but nonetheless someone good to know. She's a gifted poet and lyricist; sells her songs to many well known artists if you can believe it. We're quite proud..."
Embarrassing, but worth it to get a second alone with Vera. Once far enough out of ear shot, Isolde leaned in close to Vera with a small smile and a glance over at someone near the refreshments table, just to make it seem like she was gossiping instead of what she was really doing.
Just as she went to speak, her eyes caught a pair of dark ones, dark but lighter than Kol's, and the same feeling of security and rightness washed over her once again.
Holy. Fucking. Fuckballs.
This person had been standing in front of Elena, and it appeared that (like Isolde) anything he was saying to the younger woman was completely forgotten as he stared at his soul bonded from across the room.
She didn't have time to explain anything to Vera, because the new soulbond looked as though he was making excuses with Elena, likely intent to come over to Isolde. Instead of lingering, Isolde looked her sister dead in the eyes and said; "Level three, code black." Then promptly darted around a corner and shrouded in shadow once again.
Isolde was thanking all the gods that her and her siblings came up with codes for threat levels years ago. They also had their own personal sign language between them, which was useful as hell when other supernatural beings were around.
One couldn't speak low enough in a room of vampires to actually get away with plotting or passing information.
The levels were measured in a one to five scale. One being the lowest, meaning that a small threat was present but not likely to bother them at all. Five being an end all be all. That was the level of threat that had only been used once in the twenty five hundred years they'd had the scale.
The colors were directions on how to handle the threat. White meant very little needed to be done other than observing and keeping a lookout. Yellow meant one of the family needed to be rescued (just from sycophants, usually- green was for rescuing family from danger.) Red was for evacuation. Orange for fast evacuation. Grey was for watching each other's backs and making way to a secure location to regroup.
Black was the worst. It meant they were to watch each other's backs as if every person in the room was a potential threat, and to yield to the orders of the eldest; who was now in charge.
Level 3, code black meant there was a decent threat, the twins were not to separate, and when they heard Isolde speak a command they were to follow it without hesitation.
And Isolde knew that the twins absolutely would not hesitate. They were nothing if not seasoned veterans. Five thousand years of near constant warfare would create paranoid warriors of any family.
"If everyone could gather, please." A voice rang out over the crowded hall and people began to move to the grand staircase. Isolde slipped into the shadows behind the stairs, seeing the backs of the Originals. Kol at the top, and her newer, nameless, soul bond abandoning his mission to find her and congregating at the bottom of the steps.
Another Mikaelson, then.
Isolde didn't know who the speaker was but he had a nice voice as he welcomed the guests. He reminded her a bit of Emeric in the way he addressed the room. Confident, refined. It was a nice understated elegance. She propped herself against the wall, watching as Esther finally made her appearance.
Isolde looked over to Vera just in time to catch her younger sister's pinched frown. She'd seen Esther as well.
"...it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance."
Ha. Fat. Chance, Mr. Nice Voice. Even if she liked dancing (which she doesn't) she wouldn't be doing so with a room full of unknowns. That was more Theo's modus operandi.
Isolde could see Kol's eyes scanning through the crowd, searching, and she felt bad for a moment, knowing he was likely looking for his new bonded. She couldn't show herself, so instead, with just a bit of regret, Isolde jumped from the shadows underneath the stairs to the shadows on the landing and followed a shifty eyed Esther and Isolde's second bonded down the expansive hall and into a room.
Inside was just a regular, if overly pompous, room. It was lit with candles and a few wall sconces. Good for Isolde, even more shadows to hide in. Esther was burning sage, making the entire room smell like she'd invited Snoop, Cheech, and Chong over for a hotbox. Isolde had always hated that smell.
Instead of watching Esther, Isolde decided she would take a moment to observe her second bond as he reached into a drawer and pulled out a silver dagger. He was… handsome, actually. It seemed all the Mikaelson's were. When a knock sounded at the door, he first looked to Esther for direction.
Ugh, a Momma's boy. Normally not so bad but when that Mom was Esther . Isolde had to fight the urge to judge him too harshly right off the bat.
He went to answer the door, and when Elena walked in, he spoke accented English. A nice voice, not as nice as the staircase guy but nice all the same. Esther dismissed her son, calling him Finn.
Finn. Isolde briefly wondered if that was short for Finnick or if it was just Finn, as she watched her second bonded exit the room and shut the door.
"How are you alive?" Elena asked, sitting down on the sofa.
Getting to the real questions right away, Isolde could respect that.
With grave seriousness, Esther responded. "When I died, the witch Ayana preserved my body with a spell. She was a close friend of mine. An ancestor of your friend Bonnie."
Bonnie? As in Sheila's granddaughter? Isolde had made nice with the witch when she'd moved into town decades ago, ensuring she wouldn't be on the wrong side of that particular bloodline had been imperative to staying in Mystic Falls unmolested. Esther had died over a millenia ago, to have been friends with one from that bloodline, friends so close that the witch had gone out of her way to preserve her dead body.
That didn't bode well.
"So that's why only Bonnie and her mother could open up the casket." Elena continued, connecting dots Isolde didn't even know where in play.
This is what she gets for hiding away on her property for decades.
"They complete the Bennett bloodline, I drew power from them and their ancestors who were with me on the other side."
Oh. Oh shit . Things were starting to make sense.
Esther had tapped into the magic of Qetsiya's fucking bloodline . And the dead witches were letting her. Why would they do that?
"So you were on the Other Side for a thousand years?"
"Nature's way of punishing me for turning my family into vampires." Isolde frowned. This wasn't going anywhere good. "But there is a way to undo the evil I created." There it is.
Esther went on to ask for blood from Elena.
This… was bad. Using the blood of the doppelganger Esther was going to link her children. Knowing what Isolde knew about magic and how it worked, she reckoned Esther was going to kill one, likely Mr. Momma's boy since he seemed to have known what Elena was here for, and they would all then fall.
Was Esther even considering the implications of that? Killing the creators of a whole species would wipe them all out. Nature had grown accustomed to vampires, they were now a part of the world power balance. Killing them all in one go would create huge issues, nature would fight back. Isolde wasn't much of a witch herself, she could hardly cast the most basic spells. But she knew there would be grave consequences for the death of an entire species, despite the reason they were created in the first place.
It would've been different had Esther killed them after she'd created them. But now there were thousands of vampires...
And that's without even mentioning how royally fucked up it was to plan to murder your own children .
Esther was out of the running for mother of the year. She could have the worst mother of the year title, though. Hell, she could have the worst mother of the millenia title.
Fuck, and her two bonded were this woman's children. The very people Esther was planning to murder. Isolde couldn't let this happen, but she couldn't stop Elena from giving her blood to Esther.
Isolde knew couldn't fight off Esther so easily by herself, especially with access to Qetsiya's bloodline, she had no real martial skill and very little magical prowess.
Unless she let the monster out.
And she couldn't do that, not when he'd been caged so long. The minute he was free he'd rampage. Deep inside, so deep it was barely recognizable had she not spent five thousand years with him there, Isolde could feel the monster rumble in agreement. He'd rampage the second she let him loose.
Isolde was upgrading to level four, even if the twins weren't around to know about it just yet. Hopefully they were safe together while the guests danced merrily.
"I love my family, Elena, but they are an abomination," Esther said, "I betrayed nature when I created them. It's my duty to kill them."
'No,' Isolde thought scathingly, 'it was your duty to love them. You are the abomination, Esther Mikaelson.'