Black Magic ▹ The Vampire Diaries [1]

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER ONE
STARTING THE GAME

"Heroes always get remembered, but you know legends never die."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

     Henrik Mikaelson liked to think he was pragmatic. He thought it was perfectly reasonable for him to question the decisions his siblings made, specifically the sibling with the worst temper and a habit of shoving his other siblings into coffins when they didn't do what they were told. Henrik also thought it was perfectly reasonable to grate on that same sibling's nerves until they were raw and the sibling was seething with impatience and barely controlled rage. Someone had to be the one to do it, after all, and since his other siblings had daggers in their chests, Henrik figured he would take up the role as annoying, bratty younger sibling to make up for their lost time.

He was doing a pretty good job, if Klaus's never-ending glare was anything to go by. Henrik liked to think it was. He knew Klaus needed his help—and he was perfectly willing to give it, otherwise he wouldn't have even answered his call—but it was fun to make him wait. God only knew Klaus could use a lesson in patience. Still, as much fun as it was to poke fun at his older brother, he had to admit that waiting to actually help Klaus like he said he would when his sister was missing probably wasn't the best idea, so he finally muted the movie he was watching and turned his gaze toward Klaus, who had been standing in his bedroom doorway for the last five minutes. His glare was dark and heavy as he waited for Henrik to acknowledge his presence.

"Did you want something?" Henrik asked sweetly, even offering up a smile to annoy his brother further. It was just so much fun, if only because Henrik knew Klaus couldn't do a damn thing about it. The daggers didn't work on him since he wasn't an Original Vampire, Henrik was powerful enough that Klaus would never dare attack him physically, and there was no one Henrik cared about that Klaus could hurt instead. Their entire family was either dead or daggered, and Henrik didn't have anyone else. He was free to act however he pleased. That fact would have been liberating had the reason for it hadn't been so depressing.

"I asked you to come to Mystic Falls because I needed your help," Klaus seethed, his voice quiet in a way that told Henrik it was a silent warning. He probably should have heeded it, but he didn't particularly feel like it. He had been free of Klaus's warnings and threats and orders since 1912, and the time away from them had been a relief. He wasn't exactly eager to experience them again.

"And I'm here," Henrik pointed out. He wasn't sure what Klaus wanted him to do when he had told Henrik literally nothing about the situation. He only knew bits and pieces about Rebekah and her predicament; in fact, he thought Klaus was more upset about Stefan Salvatore than he was about their missing sister, something Henrik hadn't ceased pointing out since he had arrived and heard Klaus's version of the story. "The only thing you told me when you called was that Rebekah was missing, and then you proceeded to say that if I didn't arrive in Mystic Falls within two days, then you would come to Italy and drag me here yourself. I'd hardly consider that asking."

"Be that as it may," Klaus said through clenched teeth, "you still haven't done a single thing to track her down. No invasive questions, no tracking spells, nothing. It's almost like you haven't a care in the world, though that certainly wouldn't surprise me. You certainly didn't seem to care when you broke off contact completely, for nearly a century at that. How was Italy, Henrik?" Henrik tried not to flinch at the words, tried not to let Klaus see how much they hurt when they landed, but Klaus sensed it anyway in Henrik's abrupt silence. A small pleased smile curved at Klaus's mouth. There was no warmth in it, though Henrik had stopped expecting that a very long time ago.