Bonnie is ready to throw up as Klaus places her gently on the ground. Her body sways and her knees feel weak. "What the fuck?" she cries out while pushing her hair away from her face. "Are you out of your mind?"
Klaus chuckles at her reaction. "It's called vamp speed, love. You better get used to it."
Bonnie leans back against the concrete wall and closes her eyes, everything is spinning still. When they got out of the house, she expected Klaus to drive them into town but no, he picked her up and carried her in his arms at lightning speed instead. Bonnie had no choice but to hold on tight and scream like a banshee. She's not sure how long it took them to get from the farmhouse into town, the one thing she knows for sure is that she's ready to faint. When Bonnie opens her eyes again, she glares at him. "You could have given me a warning."
"Where's the fun in that?"
Bonnie feels grateful she didn't puke and now that the dizziness has passed, she takes her time to study her surroundings. She is leaning against a red brick building right on the corner of Main Street. Behind them is an open space where she easily spots the church and the cemetery on its grounds. In front of them is a row of houses with bay windows and spring flowers already blooming in their front yard.
"Come on," Klaus guides her down the street.
As they turn to the left, Bonnie sees rows of quaint houses, shops, and restaurants on either side. A few people are walking up and down, while a couple of cars drive by from time to time. This looks like the kind of small town where everyone knows each other's business. Once upon a time she might have liked growing up in a town like this.
An elderly lady with glasses and silver streaks on her hair approaches them. Her dog-a Golden Retriever-stops to sniff at Bonnie's legs. "Hi." She can't stop herself from petting the friendly canine.
The owner does not spare Bonnie a glance focusing on Klaus instead. "Good morning, Mr. Smith."
Bonnie's head turns to the lady, brows furrowing in confusion. The dog licks her hand and Bonnie goes back to petting him. "You're so cute," she murmurs.
"Good morning, Agatha." Klaus greets the woman with a friendly smile.
"Come on Sadie," the woman pulls on the leash and steers the dog away from Klaus and Bonnie.
Before Bonnie can ask Klaus anything, a policeman talking to a guy-in a grey suit- waves at Klaus. "Good to see you, Mr. Smith."
"You as well, Peter." Klaus gives the policeman a friendly smile while he nods to the man wearing the grey suit and matching tie. "George."
"Mr. Smith," the man greets back before continuing his conversation with the police officer.
Bonnie glances back at them. Neither man acknowledged her. Like the woman with the dog, they don't see Bonnie at all and she finds that weird. Aren't small towns supposed to be full of friendly people? "Why is everyone calling you Mr. Smith?" she questions, once they are out of earshot.
Klaus smirks while leading her towards a restaurant called, Betty's. "Because everyone thinks I am Mr. Smith." He opens the door for her.
The restaurant is bigger than expected and is half full as they make their way towards the hostess who smiles brightly at Klaus. "Good morning Mr. Smith, it's good to see you."
"Good morning," Klaus replies cheerfully. "Can you get me a table in the back, love."
"Sure thing." The preppy blonde walks them towards a table in the back of the restaurant. Bonnie notices a couple of elderly people sitting around a long table, deep in conversation. On a table nearby is a middle aged woman attempting to stop her sons from throwing food at each other. The back seems to be empty, and the waitress seats them in a dark corner. She only places one menu in front of Klaus.
"Am I invisible or something?" Bonnie wonders while she watches the waitress walk away from them.
Klaus hands her the menu. "Here you go, love."
Bonnie gives him an exasperated look.
Klaus only laughs.
"You think this is funny? Nobody is looking at me or greeting me, I though small town people were supposed to be super nice and friendly." She crosses her arms over chest and pouts.
"They're compelled to ignore anyone with me and pretend I am alone," Klaus finally takes pity on her.
"Why?"
"Protection," is the vague response he provides.
Bonnie wonders if he means that he wants to protect her or maybe he wants to protect himself. "You mind control them," she looks at the people around them, all seemingly unaware of what is truly going on. "The whole town?" she is rather impressed. "How powerful are your mind controlling abilities? "
"I told you it's called compulsion, sweetheart."
Bonnie rolls her eyes. "That's not the point."
"And yes, I have compelled everyone in town." He leans back in his chair, lips curving into that all too familiar smirk. "Impressed?"
"Yeah." Bonnie studies his face, trying to figure him out. "Is that why Elijah didn't want me to come to town? He helped you with this?"
The smirk drops from his face, he seems rather annoyed by the mention of his brother. "Can't stop thinking about my noble brother, can't you?"
Bonnie frowns, not liking his tone. "How does that even work?" she asks. "You make them think you are this Mr. Smith and then what-"
"Don't worry about the details, love." Klaus dismisses her concerns with a wave of his hand. "We have done this a thousand times before."
"I want to know how it works," Bonnie insists. She's learning so much but she is still very new at this whole supernatural thing.
Klaus sighs. "We compel the locals to do our bidding, plant a little backstory to ensure they think we are important members of the community, and use them to gather information and protect ourselves from anyone looking for us."
"What about new people coming into town?"
"Hardly anyone stays long enough to notice anything out of the ordinary but we get them too." His eyes glint maliciously. "You'd be surprise how easy it is to take over a small town with a little compulsion and magic."
The waitress arrives to take Klaus's order before Bonnie can ask more questions. The waitress acts like Bonnie doesn't exist and doesn't seem at all concern when Klaus orders two traditional breakfasts of scrambled eggs, bacon, and potatoes and a pot of coffee.
"So, she doesn't see me or hear me?" Bonnie questions Klaus while the waitress-her name is Becky-apparently, smiles and scribbles down Klaus's order. It's weird sitting there and not being acknowledged. In other circumstances, Bonnie has enjoyed being invisible though.
"Not unless I tell her too."
"Is it a spell or just the power of your compulsion?"
"It's a secret." Klaus offers her a dimpled grin.
After Becky leaves with their order, Klaus and Bonnie hold a staring contest. Bonnie itches to ask him all kinds of questions but she needs to be careful. Judging by the look on Klaus's face, he is also studying her carefully and probably has a bunch of questions of his own. Neither is sure who will be the first one to draw blood.
When the silence stretches between them, Bonnie decides to take the plunge. "Who is Katerina?" she questions him suddenly. She heard him and Elijah mention the name and Bonnie is curious, Klaus alluded that she did something to him, five hundred years ago to be precise. She still can't wrap her mind around the fact that he is at least five hundred years old. How crazy is that!
His eyes narrow and his lips twist into an ugly smirk. "No one you should concern yourself with."
Okay, Bonnie decides to try again. "You are compelling an entire town for protection why?" She finds it hard to believe that he is doing it for her but if not for her protection, then it's for them and that seems strange too. She looks into his eyes, trying to see if she can read his expression. "Aren't you and Elijah supposed to be the oldest vampires in existence? Why would you need to hide in this small town?"
It takes a while before Klaus finally offers her a response. "People have been after me for a thousand years."
Bonnie's eyes widen. "A thousand…" she repeats. Elijah told her they were the oldest vampires in the world but receiving confirmation it's amazing and terrifying. "You are a thousand years old-" she gulps. The things they must have seen and done in all that time. She stares into his youthful face with awe and wonder. He does not look a day older than thirty, younger even.
"We have been vampires for a little over a thousand years, yes." His smirk is back in place. "My brother was not lying when he said we are the oldest, most powerful vampires in existence. In the supernatural world we are known as the Originals, because from us, all other vampires' descent."
"From you, Elijah, and-" Bonnie licks her lips, anticipation spreading across her body. "Your siblings." She heard enough of their conversation to know that.
Klaus's eyes flash with an emotion she cannot quite describe. They are bordering on dangerous territory again and Bonnie knows she needs to be careful. "You have people looking for someone or something too, a doppelganger." She thinks back on that conversation he had with Elijah. "This Katerina girl is connected to the doppelganger, isn't she?" she chews on her bottom lip, struggling to remember the exact wording they had used. "You said something about a girl being Katerina or a new doppelganger…." she trails off, struggling to put the pieces together. "What exactly is a doppelganger?"
"Do you enjoy spying on people?" Klaus snarls.
"I didn't mean to," Bonnie is quick to defend herself. "You and Elijah were fighting and I caught bits of your conversation that's all."
"So, you say."
The arrival of their coffee allows them to take a pause.
Bonnie takes a sip, enjoying the hot liquid going down her throat. She feels nervous. He's angry but he is also doing a good job at keeping his temper in check.
"Why did you run away?" Klaus asks her then.
"I didn't." Bonnie hopes she's keeping the panic from her voice hidden. She avoids looking directly into his eyes though.
"Do you know that your heart skips a beat when you lie," Klaus tells her casually. "You said your foster mom kicked you at eighteen, when you aged out of the system but it was a lie." His eyes pin her to her seat, daring her to contradict him so he can pounce on her like the predator he is, "or a half truth, at least." He tilts his head to the side, eyes still on hers. "I haven't quite decided yet, if you are truly as innocent as you appear or if underneath lies a master manipulator."
"If anyone is a master manipulator, it's you." Bonnie snaps.
Klaus chuckles. "Touché." He continues watching her in that intense way of his and Bonnie's heart begins to pound loudly in her ears. "Will you tell me the real reason?"
"What's a doppelganger?" Bonnie challenges him instead. "Does she have anything to do with that spell you need me to do?"
Klaus lets out a low growl.
Bonnie stares back at him unflinchingly. She is not going to back down and he has another thing coming if he thinks she will be easily intimidated.
Elijah knocks on the door twice and waits patiently for it to open. After his fight with his brother, he drove straight to Norfolk. He needed to put a bit of distance between them. The fights with Niklaus tend to end in blood often, so he is glad this time they only traded words. The waterfront city in Southeastern Virginia is where one of his witches lives. The last time he visited her had been nearly a year ago. Since moving to the farmhouse, Elijah has been thinking a lot about Evelyn and the spell she had perform for him the year before. He needs answers.
The door finally opens and a tall, dark-haired witch, with high cheekbones and thin lips stares at him apprehensively. "I did not expect to see you again so soon, Elijah."
"Good evening, Evelyn." Elijah smiles politely.
"What do you want?"
"No time for pleasantries, I see." Elijah is not offended by her lack of manners or the wariness on her face as she contemplates him. "I need you to do a locator spell. May I come in?"
"You've been invited in before," Evelyn reminds him as she reluctantly lets him inside her home.
Elijah follows her into the living room. "Alone this evening?" He wonders as he does not sense another heartbeat inside the house.
"My husband is still at the shop." Evelyn leads him to the center of the room. With a wave of her hand, she summons a couple of candles and a map and gracefully lowers them into the coffee table. "It's going to cost you double than last time."
Elijah arches an eyebrow.
"Times are hard," she explains with a shrug. "Might as well make good money out of my craft." She watches him carefully. "I could however, be persuaded to lower my fee to nothing in exchange for a page from the Original witch's Grimoire." She smiles rather sweetly at him. Someone who didn't know her at all, would think her young and beautiful, she is in fact ninety-two years old although she does not look a day older than thirty. "If you do not want to give a page away, I will be satisfied with a copy."
"You don't give up, do you?" Elijah gives her an amused look. Evelyn is not the first nor will she be the last witch to ask for the Original witch's Grimoire.
"The Original witch is a legend." Evelyn arranges the map inside a circle of candles and with a snap of her fingers the candles light up. "Do you have blood, or a personal item?"
"I do." Elijah pulls a pendant out of the inner pocket of his suit jacket and offers it to her.
Evelyn recognizes it immediately. "This, again?" She schools her features as she grabs the pendant and stares at the teardrop shaped emerald attached to a dainty gold chain. She traces the polished gem with her thumb, feeling the thrum of power inside it. "We've done this before." She looks up at his face with uncertainty. "It didn't work."
"Indulge me again, please."
"You don't give up, do you?" Evelyn throws his words back in his face.
"The Bennett witches are legendary," Elijah responds. His face devoid of any emotion.
"Aren't they all dead?" Evelyn seems afraid although she is doing an adequate job at hiding it. "Last time-"
"So, the rumor goes." Elijah sits on the arm chair across from her. "It's hard to imagine that such legendary line would one day cease to exist."
"I couldn't find any Bennett witches last time," she reminds him. "So, the rumors are not rumors but a harsh truth you need to accept."
"Do the spell again, Evelyn. Please." Elijah's tone is soft and yet, it leaves no room for argument.
Realizing she has no other choice, Evelyn relents. "Very well." She takes a deep breath and holds the pendant with both hands as she begins chanting the locator spell.
"A doppelganger or shadow self is a near identical copy of another person," Klaus explains to Bonnie once their empty plates have cleared from the table. They ate their breakfast in silence, both stubbornly refusing to cave until now. "A supernatural occurrence created by nature."
"This woman that you are looking for-Katerina is a doppelganger?"
"Katerina," Klaus says the name with disgust. "Yes, she is a Petrova doppelganger." He drums his fingers against the table. "She is the copy of another woman I used to know." He glances away, eyes getting lost on the people sitting around them. The restaurant is buzzing with activity but no one is paying any attention to them. "Were you really kicked out?" he finally turns to face her again.
"Yes," Bonnie answers with no hesitation. "Before I turned eighteen."
"Why?"
Now, it's Bonnie's turn to look away. She feels conflicted. She's not sure how much she is willing to share with him. Quid pro quo, she thinks. "My foster mom did not like me," she finally confesses in an almost whisper. "She hated me actually." Thinking about that woman made her blood boil. "Why are you looking for her?" she looks at him again. "Why do you need a doppelganger?"
"I need doppelganger blood for a spell, a ritual actually."
Bonnie watches him warily. "The spell you need me to do."
"Indeed," Klaus murmurs. There is a hungry look on his face now, as if she is the answer to all his prayers but that seems ridiculous. "Why did your foster mom hate you?"
"She thought I was weird," Bonnie shakes her head, thinking back on all the insults the woman had thrown at her. "She hated me from the moment she met me." She had tried at first to stay in her good graces, it was better to get along with her foster parents, it made things easier. In the end, her attempts had been for nothing.
"That's not all, though." Klaus is giving her that look again.
Bonnie shifts, feeling uncomfortable in her seat. She debates whether to tell him or not, in the end she knows she needs to give him something important in exchange for more information even if it means opening a can of worms. She can't really lie for he would know. Her heartbeat would betray her.
Klaus waits patiently, watching her, almost daring her to lie to his face.
Bonnie takes a deep breath. "She accused me of trying to seduce the piece of shit she calls husband," she snaps angrily.
A dark look flashes across Klaus's face.
"What is the spell or ritual you want me to do, what does it involve?" her hands feel warm, her magic is reacting to the conflicting emotions inside of her. "What kind of spell do you need me for, Klaus?" She waits for his answer, hardly daring to breathe.
Klaus's gaze pierces her soul. "I need you to break a curse, Bonnie."
"A curse?" Bonnie was not expecting that answer. "What kind of curse?" She holds his gaze, heart skyrocketing.
"A curse created by the Original witch." Klaus's jaw clenches and his hand nearly breaks the edge of the table. He continues to hold her gaze. The tension between them is electrifying. They are peeling away all the secrets, one by one, everything is coming to the surface and they will either swim together towards the shore or they will sink into the abyss.
"The Original witch," Bonnie repeats. "Who is that? What is the curse?"
"Did they hurt you?" Klaus asks instead. "Your foster parents?"
Bonnie feels a lump in her throat. She doesn't want to think about her last foster family. She ends up pinching her arm, she cannot lose herself in those memories, not here, not now.
"Did they hurt you?" he asks again, in a much gentler tone.
Her ears buzz and her heart hurts from how hard it's pumping blood. She wants to bolt out of there but Klaus's gaze keeps her captive and she is powerless to resist him. "Yes," she whispers shakily, tears forming in her eyes. "Please don't ask me for more than that." She can't talk about it. What they did to her and her foster siblings, what she did to them. She squeezes her eyes shut, struggling to control her breathing. A few minutes pass in silence and when she finally opens her eyes-the understanding she sees reflected in his stormy gaze takes her by surprise. The look he is giving her is almost as if he knows what it's like.
Klaus gives a slight nod. He won't push her for more, not now at least.
The relief that washes over her makes her almost delirious.
"The Original witch was my mother," Klaus reveals at last.
"Your mother was a witch!" Bonnie gasps.
"One of the most powerful witches known to exist," Klaus asserts. "She created the spell that made us vampires," he sounds proud and melancholic. "And the curse I need you to break, is a curse she placed on me a thousand years ago."
Bonnie is floored by the revelation.
Evelyn is not sure how long it has been but when she finally opens her eyes, she is sweating and her head hurts like hell.
"Anything?"
"Nothing," Evelyn sighs and places the emerald pendant on the table. "I told you, either this pendant is fake or there are no more Bennett witches alive."
"Or they could be cloaked," Elijah suggests.
Evelyn shakes her head. "I would have sensed it." She contemplates the emerald, the flickering flames of the candles reflect across the smooth polished surface, making the gem seem as if it is bursting from within. "If you don't want to give me a page from the Original Witch's Grimoire, you could give me this pendant and I will consider your debt settled." She finally meets his eyes.
"What would you do with a fake pendant?" Elijah questions, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"I could sell it to other fools for more money," Evelyn is quick to retort. "You'd be amazed what other supernaturals and even other witches are able to pass off as authentic these days."
"The pendant is authentic, Evelyn. It was forged with the magic and blood of one of the most powerful witches in the Bennett bloodline." Elijah stands up and begins to approach her. "There is enough blood and power in that emerald to do incredible things." He gives her a knowing look. "As you no doubt feel it."
Evelyn remains quiet, watching him approach. Her shoulders tense, and a cold tingle spreads down her spine.
"Imagine how dumfounded I am that you could not locate a single Bennett witch with it."
"I told you, the Bennett witches are dead, that line has always danced with death and they finally met their end." The coldness spreads all the way down to her toes.
"Or you have purposely been deceiving me." Elijah comes to stand behind her.
Evelyn goes rigid.
"Other witches try again, or attempt a different locator spell but you," Elijah powerful aura pulses dangerously. "I found it curious that you never attempted a second locator spell, or offered me an alternative. I told myself that it must be because a witch of your caliber would not need anything else, you are powerful enough to break through a cloaking spell after all." He places his hand on her shoulder.
"Elijah-"
His hand moves to her neck, silencing her completely. "Why did you lie to me a year ago when I came to you, Evelyn?"
Evelyn feels her magic surfacing, ready to defend her. "I told you-"
"Don't," Elijah warns, fingers caressing the nape of her neck but applying enough pressure to let her know he will break her neck before she chants any spell against him. "I cannot be killed by your magic, Evelyn. Do not try anything foolish."
Evelyn presses her lips together. Her eyes dart around the room, desperately trying to calculate her chances of surviving this encounter.
"You purposely mislead me," Elijah lowers his head, until his lips are near her ear. "You lied to my face." The hold on her neck tightens.
"No, I-" she sputters, desperately trying to come up with an excuse.
"You lied to me the last time I was here and you just lied to me again," Elijah hisses in her ear.
"I didn't lie," Evelyn cries out. "Not exactly," she amends quickly. She knows she has to tell him, maybe they can work out a deal of some sort but telling him also implies revealing certain truths. "Damn it," she whispers. She's stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Tell me," Elijah demands.
"The spirits blocked me!" She confesses fearfully. "They didn't want me to help you. They didn't want you or…" she licks her lips nervously. "…Klaus to find the Bennett witches." Evelyn feels the pressure on her neck easing but another darker and stronger power begins moving towards her. "You must understand, even though I have done spells for you from time to time, I am a servant of nature." Shadows grow around her. "I am bound to obey the spirits." She can feel them growing stronger.
Elijah's releases her neck and Evelyn breathes with relief.
"So, you did not see anything at all?" he appears in front of her in a flash, looking directly into her terrified blue eyes.
"When I attempted the spell the first time, the spirits warned me not to tell you anything. I saw a thick fog," she shivers, hugging herself. A shadow behind Elijah catches her eye and she whimpers fearfully. She can feel their angry power. "Please, I feel cold." She trembles with fear. "I felt cold that day too. I was filled with dread." She sees the shadow moving closer and closer.
Elijah follows her gaze but he does not see anything out of the ordinary.
"Dead, dead," Evelyn repeats fearfully. "I kept hearing that word in my head…I knew it was what the spirits wanted me to tell you." The shadows begin taking form, distorted shapes that circle her like sharks in the water. Evelyn cries for she knows the fate that awaits her.
Elijah presses his lips together; his face does not give any of his thoughts away.
"I am sorry, Elijah."
"Are you?"
"I am, truly." She is having trouble breathing now, her body is frozen in fear, and even her magic seems dormant. It's the spirits, Evelyn knows. She has revealed too much already.
"You know more than what you are telling me," Elijah deduces quickly.
"Please I-" Evelyn shudders and begins rocking herself. She's cold and her bones feel heavy. The shadows whisper angrily inside her mind.
"What else have the spirits whisper to you Evelyn?" Elijah demands. "What else do you know?" He does not need to threaten, or yell, one look alone is enough to intimidate Evelyn and let her know that he is not playing any games. She got away with deceiving him once but she won't be so lucky a second time.
Evelyn looks at Elijah and then at the shadows behind him. She's doomed either way. She might have a chance if she were to make a deal with him but what can Elijah do against the powers of the spirits? Even if he were magnanimous enough to forgive her, the spirits do not forget nor do they forgive. She knew this day would come. From the moment she did that spell a year ago, she knew she was living on borrowed time.
"Evelyn," Elijah brings her out of her thoughts. "Tell me."
Evelyn closes her eyes. "I know that-" She struggles to get the words out, almost as if something or someone was trying to keep her lips shut. "Only a Bennett witch can break the curse." She meets his gaze accepting her fate. She signed her death warrant a year ago but if she is going down, she might as well do it with a bang. "For as long as Klaus has been working to break the curse, the spirits have been working to stop him." Her entire body is set a flame. The whispers in her head grow louder as the spirits warn her to keep her mouth shut. "I am dead either way," Evelyn snarls. "Whether by your doing or his," she laughs, a harrowing sound that echoes through the living room. She can feel their power closing in on her. "The spirits will not rest until the Bennett line is eradicated from this earth."
The candles blow out.
Evelyn whimpers and grabs her head. "You are going to kill me so why does it matter!" She shouts suddenly, frenzied eyes seeking Elijah's surprised face. "They've been killing them," she confesses. "The spirits have been hunting down the Bennett witches for centuries." She spits out before falling to her knees, crying out in pain. "That is why they always die tragically; it's the spirits. They want to kill all the Bennett witches so that Klaus never breaks free from his curse."
Elijah watches as blood begins oozing down her nose and ears.
Evelyn begins choking.
The spirits are punishing her for speaking up.
Elijah watches as Evelyn's dead body falls on the floor, eyes wide open. He picks up the emerald and wraps it around a silk handkerchief before placing it in his pocket. "You will fail," he vows to the empty room. He cannot see them but he can sense them. The spirits may have punished Evelyn for revealing their plans to him but Elijah will make sure they never get their claws on Bonnie. He is going to protect her and ensure she breaks his brother's curse. And if he and Niklaus have to go to war against the spirits, so be it.