Immortal Desires: A Klatherine Story

02| The Art of Deception

The sun filtered through the narrow windows of Alaric's apartment, casting faint beams of light across the room. Katherine sat silently in the old, tattered chair, bound by invisible chains that hindered her to move. Her mind raced as she replayed the failed deal in her head over and over again, and how that one fatal mistake had landed her in the grasp of her centuries old enemy yet again. She should have never trusted Isobel. Never trusted anyone.

She heard the rustling of keys as the door to the apartment opened, and Klaus returned after a long day of posing as Alaric Saltzman. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of mind games he had played with the students there, or with Elena and her friends.

She sat obediently in the chair, her eyes remaining fixed on Klaus as he moved through the room; He looked to be in a good mood. Her gaze was a mix of pain and anger as she watched him scatter about. The blood-stained knife was still clutched firmly in her grasp, her hands and legs covered with deep crimson. It was still seeping down her legs, the thick liquid forming a trail as it slowly dripped from her thigh and onto the floor.

"Can I stop now?"," she muttered, her voice dripping with resentment.

Klaus glanced over at her, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. "Yes, Katerina, you can stop now."

She breathed a sigh of relief as she dropped the knife to the floor. Then she quickly regained her composure. After a few hours of this continuous stabbing, she had almost become numb to the pain, but for every time the blade had skewered through her flesh, her resentment had only increased, and her hatred for him burned brighter than ever.

"So, teaching a bunch of high school kids, huh?" Katherine asked as she watched him move to the kitchen, her tone bearing a hint of mockery. "I must say, I never thought I'd see the day."

"Boring, Katerina, utterly boring. I long for more thrilling pursuits," he humored, pouring himself a glass of bourbon. "I cannot fathom how Alaric does it."

"Seems like you're doing quite a convincing job," she snorted. "Maybe you've found a new calling."

Unexpectedly, he chuckled at her words, clearly above entertaining her sarcastic retorts at the moment. "I'm afraid my skills lie in other areas," he said as he began rifling through Alaric's wardrobe. As he contemplated his outfit choices for the decades dance that evening, Klaus continued the casual conversation. "You were right about that witch, Bonnie. She's gonna be a problem."

Katherine observed Klaus's every move as he shuffled through Alaric's drawers. She knew that Bonnie was growing more powerful by the minute, and if Klaus was concerned, it meant she must have figured out a way to potentially kill him, or at least damage him severely. It gave Katherine a sense of hope that there might still be a chance of escape.

"That's terrible," she replied dryly, her tone devoid of any emotion.

Klaus soon shifted his attention to Maddox, walking over to him by the counter where he awaited his next command with an almost detached, dutiful gaze. They conspired up a plan for the evening on how to take out Bonnie, a plan that Katherine attentively listened in on. Apparently, their plan involved provoking the witch until her powers ultimately would become too powerful for her to bear. Maddox would hex Alaric's body so that he wouldn't die, making Bonnie waste all her energy which would eventually lead to death.

Katherine wasn't sure what she thought of that plan. It seemed too convenient for a Bennett witch to simply go out like that. She herself had been close friends with a Bennett witch in the 1860s, and had seen up close how powerful they are, how resilient. Nonetheless, any concerns she had about their plans, she did not voice aloud. She simply kept quiet, silently waiting to see how this would all play out.