OUTCASTS | THE ORIGINALS

23

Cadence cried out, the two of them hugging once more before she pulled away. She turned toward the door and forced herself to continue walking. She stopped at the doorway, however, trying her hardest not to break down.

It took everything within her not to turn around. She took a deep breath, wiping her eyes before she forced herself to continue walking.

_____

In the Lafayette Cemetery, Genevieve entered the Lycee, only to find Klaus standing in the darkness with a serious look on his face.

She smiled and began to walk toward him, looking satisfied. "I'm surprised to see you here," She commented and Klaus began to walk toward her.

"The Bayou Explosion, the attack on my child and Cadence's sons," He informed her in a low, threatening tone, "Tell me what you know."

"I know the wolves have no shortage of enemies, Marcel for one," She suggested and Klaus scoffed since he wasn't foolish enough to believe such a thing.

"Marcel wouldn't stoop so low. Especially where Cadence's sons are involved. He loves them like family. He's been present in their lives since the day they were born. The witches, however--" He began to say, smiling at the uneasy look on the woman's face, "I have witnessed firsthand the depths of your cruelty. And I know how badly you lot want those boys in your grasp. And if you couldn't do that, you'd rather them be dead, right?" He asked, smiling threateningly, "Even New Orleans witches are no match for Gemini twins, especially when the werewolf gene just amplifies their power even more."

"You don't think I did this," Genevieve complained, looking offended by his accusation, "What kind of monster do you take me for?"

She moved toward Klaus, only to watch as his expression didn't change. He continued to glare at her, looking emotionless.

"How ugly and weak I must seem compared to little orphan Cadence, whose had her claws latched into you since the day you returned to New Orleans as she hides behind that innocent little outcast front she always has on," She explained, beginning to smile in amusement, "Your precious Cadence. The mother who'd do anything for her children, even when it means standing up to those she has no chance against. You admire that, don't you?" She asked and scoffed loudly at the thought, "So sad about Kieran, by the way. I know he was the only father she ever had in her life. Now, she really is an orphan. She has caused the death of every parental figure in her life now."

"Kieran is in transition," Klaus informed Genevieve as she turned her back to him, "He has been released from the hex."

"A hex of that magnitude? Kieran's hex will return...If it hasn't already," She informed Klaus, whose eyes widen in concern at the revelation, "That boundary spell, on the other hand... Now that he's died, I imagine it won't be quite so confining anymore. I suppose this will make it the second time in Cadence's life when a man she views to be her father attempts to kill her."

As she turned to glance at Klaus, the immortal hybrid felt uneasy. He knew for a fact Cadence was far too stubborn to leave the church while Kieran was still alive, even if he had asked her to.

____

On the second floor of the church, Cadence sat on one of the benches. Her hands were folded together and her eyes were closed as she attempted to pray.

Growing up, Kieran had always tried to turn her toward God, to give her something to believe in. It never worked, however. Not when everyone around her growing up had convinced her she was a spawn of the devil after it was revealed that she had been born without magic but instead was cursed with the ability to take it from orders like a parasite would take from its prey.

Hearing footsteps, Cadence stood up and turned to face him, too caught up in her grief to wonder how he had gotten out of his room after the boundary spell had been placed on it.

"Have you changed your mind?" She asked him curiously and Kieran slowly walked toward her.

"Yes. It appears I have," He announced and Cadence's eyes widened in fear as he revealed the blade he had hidden behind his back.

He raised the knife in preparation to attack her, causing Cadence to cautiously back up. "Kieran, no!" She shouted, realizing his hex had returned.

Before she could react, he had cut her cross her forearm with the blade, causing her to cry out. She continued to back away from him as he swung the blade at her, only to feel uneasy as she reached the balcony. There was no escaping unless she jumped.

He raised the blade that was stained with her blood and she watched as he licked the crimson liquid off of it. It meant his transition was complete.

She felt uneasy as she watched the veins appear under her eyes. She was no match for him now. Not in the slightest.

As he moved toward her, having no other choice, Cadence pushed herself off the balcony, landing on the ground face first. She cried out but it didn't hurt her as badly as she had expected.

However, despite that, she felt unable to stand up, which forced her to have to use her arms to crawl away. She didn't get far before Kieran appeared, roughly grabbing a fistful of her hair. "Don't fight it, Cadence. There's no use."

Grabbing her up, Kieran threw her across the church. She landed against one of the benches, which broke upon impact with her body.

Cadence groaned in pain as she landed on the ground once more but knew that the fact that she had fallen on something wooden was better than anything else, especially since it had broken off pieces to the bench. And wood was the only thing capable of helping her defend herself.

"In death, we are whole again," He announced and as he grabbed her ankle, Cadence felt defeated as she didn't have enough time to reach the piece of wood she had sat set her eyes on.

She turned and threw her hand in his direction, hoping she had at least some bit of magic in her. "Motus!" She shouted, only to cry out when nothing happened and he continued to drag her by the ankle.

He dragged her toward the altar before stopping. He bent down, forcing her into a kneel as he held her roughly by her hair.

Kieran hissed as his fangs grew. He prepared to feed off her when Cadence pushed herself forward and grabbed him by the leg.

The red glow appeared at the palm of her hand as she began to siphon the magic that came with his vampirism.

Kieran yelled out in pain and it wasn't long before his grip on her loosened.

Cadence managed to get out of his grip in time. She continued to sit on the ground as she turned to face him, pushing her hand outwards. "Motus!" She shouted out and Kieran found himself thrown several feet away before he was thrown against the altar.

Cadence forced herself off the ground as he began to recover. She watched as he began to charge at her, only to stop when Klaus appeared behind him and snapped his neck.

Klaus caught the man's body before he could fall and turned to Cadence, waiting for him to give the approval to kill him.

Slowly, Cadence nodded her head and forced back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

"You deserved far better than this," Klaus spoke to Kieran softly before stabbing through the heart with the stake he held in his grasp.

Cadence flinched at the sight and watched as Kieran's body slowly desiccated.

Klaus gently placed Kieran's corpse on the ground before turning toward Cadence, who stood before him, looking as though was about to faint.

In just enough time, Klaus sped over to Cadence, catching her body in his arms as her eyes shut. He sighed and picked her up, carrying her in his arms as he walked out of the church.