Klaus and Elijah stand together near a fireplace. "I've decided I will be sacrificing Katerina in my ritual, brother."
"Are you sure, Niklaus?"
"Yes, brother," he nods, "I am. Audrina will be spared and she is welcome to stay with us."
Elijah eyes his brother suspiciously, "do not tell me you've gained feelings for this silly human girl."
Klaus scoffs, "do not be foolish, Elijah, of course not. Katerina is clearly the better option. Better in every way. If you want to go around accusing, I shall accuse you of fancying Katerina."
"I do not," Elijah denies. "I could never."
"Then it is settled. We shall sacrifice Katerina."
Katerina gasps softly and places her hand over her mouth, pressing her back against the wall.
~
Audrina lays in her bed, sleeping peacefully when she hears footsteps in her room. She clenches the blanket against her body and holds her breath.
Her body jolts when she feels a cool hand on the bare skin of her shoulder. "Audrina," the familiar voice of her sister whispers, "wake up. We must go."
"Go?" she questions as she pushes her blanket off slightly and sits up in her queen-sized bed, "b-but why? I like it here. We have food, water, a nice warm place to sleep."
"You do not understand, my dear sister. They mean to sacrifice us for Klaus's ritual."
"What?"
"I'm sorry to tell you this and make you leave so suddenly," Katerina apologizes, "but we must go."
~
Katerina and Audrina run hastily through the woods.
Katerina suddenly falls and Audrina is forced to help her up. "Come, Katerina!" she whisper-shouts. "Let us hide behind this tree."
The two twin girls rush to hide behind a tree as Elijah and his men become closer to finding them.
"They are here," Elijah says. "Katerina! I know you're near. I can smell your blood. It's pointless to run, Klaus will find you wherever you are. Your sister will be spared - just come out and Audrina will be safe."
Audrina places her hand over her sister's as she begins to unveil her hiding spot hesitantly, "don't you dare," she whispers.
Trevor arrives and indicates a false direction. "This way. There is more blood over there."
Once they leave, Audrina lets out a breath of relief, "thank the Lord for Trevor's obsession with you."
The two girls get up and try to leave but Trevor arrives and puts a finger on Katerina's mouth and pushes her against the tree. "Head east. I can't lead them astray anymore."
Katerina shakes her head, "I can't run anymore. My sister does not deserve to be put through this."
"Never mind. There's a cottage. You'll be safe there. Go now. Go!"
Katerina takes Audrina's as they run through the woods to a cottage. She knocks on the door. "Help, please help us," Katerina begs as she squeezes her sister's hand.
An old woman opens the door
"Please, help me," Katerina pleads.
The woman stares back at her, "I don't invite strangers into my home."
"Please," Audrina begs, "Trevor, h-he said that you'd help us."
A woman inside overhears the conversation and walks up to the door. "Damn him. Always making promises I don't want to keep." She looks at the both of them, "let the girls in."
The twin sisters quickly enter.
The woman goes up the old woman and compels her. "Bring them water and something to eat."
"You must be Rose. Thank you. Trevor said to show you this," Katerina shows her the moonstone. "To prove we are who we say and that you'd help me to freedom."
"You stole this from Klaus?" Rose asks.
"It was to be a part of the sacrifice. When we made our escape, Katerina grabbed it," Audrina explains.
"People do not escape from Klaus. Everyone who tries ends up back in his grasp and anyone who helps them dies."
"I know the risk you bring on yourself by giving my sister and I aid," Katerina acknowledges.
"I'm risking nothing. At nightfall, I'll bring you both back to Klaus and beg him to show us all mercy."
She roughly grabs Audrina and Katherine and pushes them into an empty room.
"No! No!"
~
Rose enters the room in which she is holding the girls.
The twins sit on the bed as Katerina rubs Audrina's arm comfortingly. "It's nightfall. Time to go." She sees that Katerina is hurt as she notices there's blood on her stomach. "When did this happen?"
"In the woods, I tripped," she lies.
"It's a lie, I would have smelled it."
Rose snatches the knife from Katerina's hands.
"We'd rather die than go back to Klaus. Please, just let us die."
"If you die then Trevor dies with you."
"Please," Audrina begs, "do not do this to us."
Rose bites her wrist and puts it in Katerina's mouth, forcing her to drink the blood and her wounds heal.
"No. No!" Katerina shouts.
"It's alright, my sister," Audrina hugs Katerina as Rose rushes out. "I'm so sorry."
"Do not apologize, sister," she replies as she rubs Audrina's back, "I have an idea."
"What is your idea, sister?"
Katerina stands up and presents a rope to her sister, "Rose gave me her blood and if I die then I will be a vampire."
"Katerina!" Audrina gasps, "no!"
"It is the only way, Rina. When I turn I can turn you as well and we can protect ourselves from Klaus."
"No, I will not be a vampire," she says. "Do what you must, sister. But I will not succumb to such evil."
Katerina caresses her sister's cheek, "I shall protect you as long as I live."
~
Trevor and Rose rush in to see what's happened after they hear a noise in the room.
They find Audrina sobbing under Katerina's dead body hanging from the ceiling by a rope.
"No, Katerina!" she weeps and claws at the bottom of her twin sister's dress.
"What have you done?" Rose screams and she snatches Audrina up roughly.
"Please! I did not do anything," Audrina swears.
"Because of you and your sister, Klaus will kill all of us."
"No, I promise. I did not do this."
Rose tosses Audrina at the wall roughly but Trevor catches her, "if she said it wasn't her fault then it wasn't her fault."
"Thank you, Trevor!" Audrina turns quickly and abruptly hugs him.
~
Katerina wakes up in the cottage, her sister is holding her hand.
"You're awake," Audrina smiles, "I was afraid that it wouldn't work."
"What did you do, Katerina?" Trevor asks in disbelief. "I would have helped you live."
Katerina shakes her head, "you would have helped me run. That was never going to be enough."
"It was enough for me," he tells her.
"Do you not see, Trevor?" Rose asks. "She used you to help her escape and me to turn her. Klaus will see our role in this."
"And for that I'm sorry," Katerina apologizes.
"As am I....for this," she rushes over at Katerina with a stake but Katerina grabs the old lady and pulls her in front of herself for protection. Rose stakes the old lady on the shoulder and then, Katherine drinks the old lady's blood.
"Please understand," Katerina pleads.
"You have just signed our death sentence."
"Better you die than I," Katerina replies. She throws the old lady into Trevor's arms, grabs Audrina, and leaves with her new super speed.
~ Bulgaria, 1491
"Are you sure we are safe here, Katerina?"
She smiles and places Audrina's tea and cookies in front of her, "I am sure, sister. I promised to protect you no matter what that meant." She sits next to her, "are you hungry, Rina?"
"I'm starving," she replies and takes a bite from the cookie on her plate, then washing it down with the tea.
"How about I prepare a bath for you later before bed?" Katerina suggests.
"I'd love one," she grins at her, "thank you."
❣︎
Audrina sits peacefully in the warm soapy bath. She sighs happily and closes her eyes, trying not to think about Klaus currently hunting her and her sister down.
Suddenly, her eyes snap open when she feels firm hands on her shoulders. They begin pushing her down into the water. "Kater—" she screams loudly but is cut off when her head is pushed underwater.
Her arms flail around frantically as she attempts to bring herself back to the surface. But the person holding her down is much too strong.
Her hands grip the sides of the bathtub as water fills her lungs.
Her hands loosen their grip and she slowly loses the strength to struggle much longer.
Audrina's eyes suddenly snap open and the last thing she sees is her twin sister staring back at her.
❣︎
Her eyes snap open and her body flies out of the water as she takes a deep breath. Audrina coughs and looks around her. The bathroom is empty.
She pushes her wet hair out of her face and stands up, exiting the bathtub. She holds her body with her hands, walking down the halls of the house. She is dripping water and completely naked.
Fear strikes her when she finds her sister Katerina waiting for her. Katerina sighs in relief when she sees Audrina, "oh finally, I feared that I had done it wrong." Katerina stands up to hug Audrina but she quickly jolts back.
"How could you, Katerina?" she asks tearfully.
Katerina stares at her sister sympathetically, "I'm so sorry, sister. I said that I would do whatever it took to keep you safe."
"So you drown me!?" she shouts, "how am I alive? I never drank your blood."
"I laced it in your tea," Katerina shamefully admits.
Audrina looks at the table where her empty teacup sits. She grabs the cup and throws it at Katerina roughly. It shatters, "Rina stop it!" Katerina shouts, "I know you'll never forgive me for what I've done. And I'm so sorry, my dear sister. But since we were little girls I've always promised to protect you and this is me doing that."
"You went against my wishes," she whispers, "you've taken everything from me. I wanted to get married an-and have children one day and you took it all from me!"
"No!" she argues. "Klaus did. After we fled from him our lives were ruined."
A forgotten memory runs through Audrina's mind, "no.. no. You ruined my life. From the day you got pregnant. Klaus was going to sacrifice you, not me. I would've been safe. He told me so."
Katerina furrows her eyebrows, "what are you talking about?"
"Lord Klaus," she says, "I suddenly remember a conversation we had one night. He said he couldn't lose me and that he would spare me and sacrifice you. But I argued that and he threatened to turn me into a vampire. Instead, he made me forget and sent me off to bed."
"You're lying."
"I am not a liar, Katerina. Not like you," Audrina steps closer to her. "I don't know what it is but I'm only just remembering."
"It's called compulsion," Katerina tells her, "vampires are able to compel humans."
Audrina sighs and backs away from Katerina, "I love you, Katerina. But you ruined my life."
"It was to protect you, Rina. Don't you understand that?"
"You've done just fine protecting me so far. You could've just let things be."
"I'm sorry," she apologizes, on the verge of tears. "I am so sorry, Audrina."
"What am I to do now?" she asks, "hmm? Drink human blood and complete my transition?"
Katerina grabs her sister's hand comfortingly, "please, don't die. I have the blood already prepared for you."
Audrina stares at her sister in disgust, "I will never forgive you."
"That's not what I want. What I want is your safety to be ensured and this is the only way."
~ Bulgaria, 1492
Audrina and Katerina arrive at their parent's home together. They stop their horses and both get off the them before heading towards their old home.
The twin sisters rush in, entering the home. But to their dismay, they find their father dead on the wall. "Oh no," Audrina cries.
But then Katerina sees their mother. "Audrina, look," Katerina points.
Both the girls rush over to their mother and begin crying over her body. "No, please mama."
"No, no, no, mama. No!" Katerina cries.
~
word count: 2069