Above It All " SEQUEL TO ABOVE ALL ELSE "

Chapter 3

Caroline slammed her hands against the table, causing its contents to rattle and shake, "Why is this so fucking hard!"

"Maybe you're not giving it your all." Kol narrowed his eyes harshly, "We've been at this for nearly three hours Caroline and you've yet to do more than make the damn feather spin the table."

"You don't need to be such an ass. God!" She harshly yanked her fingers through her hair, "Is that a Mikaelson trait or something? People don't do what you want so you treat them like crap!"

"I refuse to handle you with kid gloves like my brother. You may have him wrapped around your dainty finger, but you don't me. You have all this power locked up inside you and can't even tap into it! It's a bloody waste!" Kol stomped next to her slamming a book closed, "If you can't lift a simple feather I don't know why I should bother teaching you. Perhaps this is why you and Nik are so well suited for each other. You both have all this power and yet you don't even use it. It's a wonder why he ever bothered breaking his curse! The sap hasn't even shifted since."

"Maybe it's your teaching that's the real problem here." Caroline scoffed.

"I've taught witches how to hone their magic when I didn't even have access to my own. I think the real problem here is that you just can't do it."

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do." Caroline hisses through her teeth, her fists clenched tightly at her sides as she vibrated in rage wanting nothing more than to lash out at him as he cracked a smirk. "What? Am I entertaining you? You think this is funny?"

Kol grinned widely, pointing over her shoulder to the table behind her, "Look."

Caroline turned with a gasp at the feather she had been concentrating on for the past few hours floated eye level with her before slowly drifting back to the table. Wide eyed she looked to him with a stunned gasp, "Did you do that?"

"No. You did."

"But...how? I wasn't even trying."

Kol hummed thoughtfully, "Maybe that is the key. You've been spending all this time focusing so hard that you aren't just letting yourself feel." At her confused glance he explained, "Magic isn't just about order and focus. It's also about emotions and feelings, being attune with yourself and all that's around you. Try again."

Caroline closed her eyes, inhaling deeply before eyeing the feather calmly as she outstretched her hand. This time instead of trying to force the feather to move, she focused on how it would feel in her hands, how the air would move around it. Amazingly it began to lift off the table, slowly floating up to her eye level once again until she began jumping and shrieking in excitement sending it back down to the table.

"Oh my God! I did it! I actually did it!" She cried out with joy, throwing her arms around Kol's neck with so much enthusiasm they fell into the table knocking a few things to the floor. "I don't really care for your tough love approach, but I did it!"

Kol chuckled at her elated beaming face as she pulled away from him, "You did well darling, for a beginner."

"Hey!" She jokingly punched his shoulder, "No killing my buzz. Besides, pretty soon I'll be more powerful than you so you better watch it."

"Really?" Kol quirked a bow with a wave of his hand sending the pile of feather on the table dancing through the air around them.

Caroline deflated a little, begrudgingly admitting with the smile still firmly locked on her face, "Okay fine. I'm a beginner. But still! Everyone has to start somewhere!"

Eve shook her head fondly at the two as they laughed. Setting aside the book she had been studying to bend down and pick up the items that had fallen in Caroline's excitement over her accomplishment. After placing the jars that had thankfully not broke to the table she glanced around searching for anything that she might have missed. Spying a small stone, its dark swirling colors blending in with the carpet, she knelt down further to reach under the table to grab it.