The memory was shrouded in a thick haze, but she could sense that she was gazing upon the visage of pure malice. For a brief moment, the fog obscured his features before revealing a smirk that sent chills down her spine. A faint scar rested above his left eye. "I thought I'd rid myself of you long ago," he sneered, his voice slicing through her thoughts and igniting a deep, unsettling fear within her. She couldn't remember who he was, and that realization gnawed at her. His grip around her throat tightened, suffocating her with dread. "How are you still breathing? I saw your burn after putting the steak in you myself."
A second voice interrupted, catching her attention away from the man gripping her neck. "She can't respond with your hand wrapped around her throat, Mikael."
She collapsed to her feet, gasping for breath, nearly shouting, "I don't know who you are!" The truth of her words rang clear; she genuinely didn't.
Her gaze darted to the man as he glanced past her, momentarily distracted by the voice echoing in the distance. Then, she saw Mikael kneel beside her, his hand gently resting against her cheek. "I regret allowing you to marry him. If only you had chosen Elijah or Finn, perhaps my children wouldn't be so entangled with that inbred fool. Perhaps I would still have a grandchild and my youngest son. The choice of having you marry him, I do truly regret." His fingers brushed softly against her skin. "My witch tells me you're telling the truth. You really don't know who I am, do you?" She shook her head, denying any recognition.
"I'll let you go this time," he said coolly, bringing his touch away from him "but if I ever catch sight of you again, I won't hesitate to kill you. This is not a weakness, but a choice. You were once my child, in marriage but still my child. Stay away from New York—both the city and the state. I will know if you come across the state line, and I will come after you, I will not let you go again."
"New York," Caroline confessed to the group. "I encountered him once, but nothing he said made sense. And if I am going to be honest, it was the first vampire I came across that scared me." She chose to keep some details to herself, they did not need to know about the conversation about her marrying someone else that was not NiKlaus. It would do nothing good but bring hurt to him. "It was years ago, back in the early 1700s. He captured me, and although I couldn't remember him, I sensed he was a very dangerous man. He was accompanied by a witch, who confirmed that I was telling the truth when I said I didn't know him. After that, he let me go, warning me never to set foot in New York again, or he would come after me."
"He doesn't just let people go…" Elijah remarked thoughtfully.
Caroline sighed, tilting her head back as a wave of unease washed over her. "He referred to me as his child and insisted that it would only happen once. He gave me ten hours to leave the state."
"He showed you mercy," Kol replied, a hint of incredulity in his voice. "You were always his favorite after He…" Kol stops speaking when he feels his older brother's eyes on him.
Caroline sighed, her gaze dropping to the floor. "After he let me go, I didn't return to New York. I didn't want to tempt fate again," she confessed to the group, her voice laced with vulnerability. Running a hand through her hair, she added, "I could really use a strong drink right now."
The two eldest Mikaelsons exchanged glances, and Klaus was the first to speak. "Let's take a moment, a small break. Rebekah, could you check in with the witch and see how long until the ring is done? I'd like to ensure that the ring is on Caroline's finger before sunrise." Rebekah nodded in agreement. "Eli-"
"I'll reach out to my contacts in New York," Elijah said, his expression thoughtful. "It might be a long shot that he's still there, but if he told her not to return to the state, it could mean he has a home or a hideout there." He turned to the youngest Mikaelson brother. "You have a few contacts there as well, don't you?"
"I do," Kol replied. "I'll get in touch with them. We should also consider contacting the Bennett witch—the one Stefan knows. She may be young, but if she's anything like the rest of her family, she'll be powerful."
"Agreed," Klaus interjected, his gaze shifting to the blonde just a few feet away. She was staring out the window. "Let's reconvene at two a.m."