The Original Love (Book 5)

Chapter 38

Klaus

I stand in the dinning room, leaning on the back of a chair while Star sits in it. Elijah

has just arrived to the compound, where he has joins us. "There you are, finally" I say as Elijah strips off his coat and hangs it up before heading toward the table "I was delayed" Elijah says and I smile "our guest of honor will be here momentarily" "joy" Star say's with sarcasm. "Strange, our house is conspicuously absent of our lupine guests. I do hope it wasn't on my account" Elijah said and I laugh "I sent Hayley and her poorly groomed husband off to spend the day with their werewolf brethren to test the limits of their new abilities. Leaving me to deal with family business as I see fit" I told him.

Elijah looks suspicious "Niklaus, Rebekah's situation has taken a turn. We may need Freya's assistance. So, whatever you are planning here, don't" Elijah said and I roll my eyes at him. "All I'm planning is a simple chat with a long-lost relative. You yourself said to hear her out and besides this was not all my idea" I said and looked at Star who smirked and Elijah sighed. "and you yourself said that would be idiocy" Elijah said and I am simply amused. "Did I" I said and think for a second "well, it does sound like me. Regardless, on the off-chance Freya has some information that could protect our daughter, I'd prefer she share it on my terms".

I point to my ear "ah, I think I hear her now" I said and to the door just as Freya walks into the dining room, smiling at us as I say "sister, well, come in, come in! Make yourself comfortable" I say and Freya looks slightly nervous, but smiles warmly at them. "Don't worry, we don't bite" Star said and Freya smile a little bigger.

Star

Freya, Klaus, Elijah and I are making small talk in the dining room of the compound. Freya has a small round artifact in her hands and is examining it carefully "this witch-hoop, it's Danish. Is this from when you lived all in Copenhagen in the 1500s" Freya asked Klaus and Elijah. "Quite the eye" Klaus said and Freya smiled "by the way, let me say congratulations, I was very happy to hear that my brother got married" Freya said looking at Klaus and I with a smile.

Elijah looks impatient "forgive me, are we here to discuss family heirlooms, or do we have more pressing concerns"? "Please excuse my brother's lack of decorum, he's been in a foul mood of late, but he is right. I did ask you here in the hopes that you would share some of Dahlia's secrets. So, without further ado, let's get to it" Klaus said and sat at the end of the table as I sat next to him, Elijah next to me, and Freya across from Elijah and I.

Freya clears her throat awkwardly before starting to speak "the first thing you should know is that Dahlia is the most powerful witch I've ever seen. She craves more power still. Right now she is like me, limited to one year of life in a century. But, she wants to be free of that restriction. To gain true immortality and that is why she will come here, drawn by your daughter to take the child's power for herself. And she would kill anyone who would defy her" she says looking at us. "And yet you would defy her" Elijah asks "I don't have a choice. She will never let me be free, my one chance is to align with you and kill her" Freya says. Elijah looks troubled by this revelation, but Klaus doesn't seem convinced.

"Well, now that we're all suitably motivated, let's talk specifics" Klaus said and Freya takes a deep breath before speaking "for you to understand, I need to start from the beginning. After taking me from my family, Dahlia used me to forge a new brand of connective magic, one that augmented my power even as it allowed her to draw from me. Once we were bonded, Dahlia became unstoppable. She wasted no time proving her might. The chief of a nearby village threatened to run us off, accusing Dahlia of witchcraft. She decided to make an example out of the entire encampment, men, women, children" Freya said as we listened.

"She killed them all with a wave of her hand. That was my first inkling of the power Dahlia had. Over the course of a thousand years, she's only grown stronger" Freya said and turned to Klaus and I "and she will bring all her power to bear against you when she comes for your child". Klaus looks terrified by this revelation and I take a shaky breath. The story is interrupted when Elijah's phone rings. When Elijah sees who it is he answers and stands "excuse me" he says and steps out into the hall. I look down as Klaus looks over at me.

Elijah returns and we continue talking "your stories are fascinating, and Dahlia does indeed sound dreadful, but Elijah and I and even Star have killed our fair share of evil witches" Klaus says as I look back up. "Not like her" Freya says "what are her weaknesses" I asked? "She's paranoid, obsessed with power. She hungers constantly for what's been denied her, be it love, or revenge" "hm, that sounds familiar" I say with a smile and Elijah and I look at Klaus who just smirks.

"When I was a child, she would tell me tales of her own youth. Being victimized by those stronger than her. Dahlia vowed never to be weak again. She bargained for the first-born of Esther's bloodline intending to raise us in her own image, forming a coven of her own from which she could draw endless power. That plan was foiled the day she learned that Esther had ended her bloodline by turning her children into vampires" Freya said and looks at Klaus, who looks as though he has something to say, but Freya keeps talking.

"And so the burden fell to me. Dahlia demanded that I bear the first-born that would add to her power, but, I would not allow a child of mine to live as I did, as a slave" she said as her eyes filled with tears. "So, I vowed never to love, never to have a child of my own. Of course, the more I resisted, the harder Dahlia fought to control me. 'Til the day that she took the last of what little freedom I had left. And so we slept, our magic accruing over time. Until we woke, filled with immense power and allowed to live a single year of life. That has been the existence I've suffered for the last ten centuries" Freya said.

Klaus begins to laugh fakely, and Freya shoots him a glare as do I "well, that's quite the ordeal, isn't it? But, it does beg the question, why not end it yourself" Klaus says and Elijah shakes his head in disgust at Klaus' words and tries to stop him from talking, but he continues on. "A high enough bridge, a tight enough noose? You must have considered it" "Klaus" I say a little loud and look at him. He stops talking. Freya closes her eyes and sighs before opening them and talking "long ago, I did consider it, but Dahlia would never give me even that freedom". Klaus is surprised by this answer "I would later learn that the spell made me like her, immortal and impervious to harm". She laughs bitterly and wipes the tears from her face "so, you see, I am like you. A creature of great power, cursed for all time" Freya says.

Rebekah returns and has much to tell, we all head up to one of the rooms while Freya waits downstairs. "It was this witch, Eva! The nocturnal cow is inside of me trying to bust her way out" Rebekah says, talking about the body she's in. Elijah looks at Klaus "Freya is waiting downstairs. Perhaps we shou-" Elijah starts but Klaus cuts him off "have you lost your mind? Tell me we're not considering opening our sister's head to someone we barely know". Rebekah looks frustrated "Nik, for God's sake, she is our sister! I've known her since she saved me from the Fauline Cottage"!

"An act no doubt meant to secure your trust! Perhaps for this very moment, to strike when we are vulnerable" Klaus says and I sigh and roll my eyes. Rebekah scowls at Klaus, but he shakes his head "no, we've no way of knowing that anything she said today is true" Klaus says. Elijah sighs " Niklaus, I understand your concern. All three of us are powerless to help our sister. Now, either we leave Rebekah to suffer, or we place our faith in the hands of someone I believe to be our blood"

Klaus looks appalled, but Elijah maintains his position "right now, I'm inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to family" Elijah says. "Klaus" I said and he looks over at me "I think we should trust her, the way she spoke, the way she carried herself. I know a lair when I see one, I don't think she is lying" I said. Klaus sighs and looks at the ground before nodding okay.