I close the grimoire carefully and sigh in frustration, "We've been at this for hours."
"Well, Georgina and I have been at this for days, so imagine what we're feeling," Adalynn states.
Georgina rubs her eyes tiredly, "And we're not gonna find anything. I have been through these, and every spell book in existence multiple times before the first spell. It's impossible to transfer or create the immortality that you have, Claramay."
"Someone must have done it," I insist. "I'm obviously alive even after dying multiple times."
"Must we bring that up so often?" Klaus groans, coming into the parlor.
Much to my surprise, Stefan trails behind him. He looks annoyed and uncomfortable in his environment, but I've learned that that's kind of Stefan's signature persona.
I question their presence immediately, "What do you want?"
"Your assistance, love," Klaus says, as if it's so obvious. "Stefan here would like to know more about The Five. I know it was before our time, but you know my dear sister better than anyone."
"The Five?" I ask, "I've never heard of them."
"And I don't care. Call me when you're ready to get back to work," Georgina complains, leaving the room.
Stefan takes the seat across from Adalynn. She squirms uncomfortably in her chair but doesn't say anything. Klaus plants himself on the arm of my chair. His casual manner makes me shift to the opposite side in annoyance.
"The brotherhood of the Five was a group of highly skilled vampire hunters. We crossed paths with them in the 12th century Italy. My siblings and I had followed the Normans as they conquered the South. Feeding, turning people as we went," he begins.
"That's how you two met, right?" Adalynn asks, "Clara was trying to get you under control."
Her look is wicked, as is the smirk that crosses her face.
"My family, but yes," he eyes her suspiciously. "Anyway, these hunters liked to put on a show. They would stake vampires and out them on display in town square as a warning. Elijah, the noble brother, was concerned that they might learn about us, but I wasn't worried. My sister, however, actually fancied one of them. Alexander."
Stefan's eyes widen in realization, "So these hunters have been around for nine hundred years?"
"Apparently," Klaus shrugs. "Though our friend in the other room is the first I've seen since then. Kind of makes you wonder what they've been up to all these years."
"I'm sorry, what?" I question. "You brought the hunter here? What the hell were you thinking?"
"It is my house—"
I leave the room before he can finish his sentence. Fighting with him is exhausting, especially when he uses whatever hurtful thing he can think of to spark some kind of anger in me. History has taught me to just ignore it.
Because Adalynn and I had spent most of our time in the parlor the last few days, Klaus has been able to sneak in whatever he'd like. In the opposite wing, I immediately notice an obvious extra presence of hybrids.
Harry nods to me as a greeting, "Clara."
"Hello, Harry," I smile genuinely. "Care to show me the hunter?"
His eyes shift over my shoulder to where Klaus must be standing. I turn slightly, raising my eyebrow.
"Fine," he gives in. "Let her see him."
"As if I needed permission," I grumble as he leads the way.
The hunter is strung up on some kind of torture device. He's conscious and in obvious pain.
"Isn't he lovely?" Klaus says.
Adalynn walks in behind him. She has her arms crossed over her chest, disgusted, "Since when do we have a torture chamber?"
When I turn around to speak, I nearly run into Klaus. He hovers very close to me while staring daggers at the captured man. This obviousness is almost comical.
"My daughter lives here. You could have at least given me a heads up."
He makes a face at my soft tone, "What? You're not going to yelling at me this time?" His sarcasm swiftly changes when he sees my serious look, "I would never put your daughter in danger, Clara. You should know better than to think otherwise."
He's right. Of course, he's right. I react with anger to people that I cannot trust, but Klaus has never been one of those people. When it comes to our family, he would do anything to protect us. I know that, so why am I so quick to doubt him?
"I just... don't know anymore," I mumble, watching Adalynn gaze up at the man from across the room. Her face is scrunched in confusion. "What is it, Ady?"
"He recognizes you," she whispers.
All eyes turn to the hunter chained before us. He is looking directly at me.
I advert my eyes awkwardly. It doesn't matter, the uncomfortable familiarity is suddenly bothering me too.
"How do you know each other?" Klaus asks him.
"We don't," he hisses, "I've never seen her in person before."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Adalynn questions.
The hunter shakes his head, and something tells me that he doesn't really understand either.
"Can things get any weirder in this town?" I whisper to the floor.
I pull my hair away from my face. It's grown so hot in the last few seconds, though it seems to be only me. My usual response is to look at Adalynn, but she's wearing the same confused look as before.
Klaus is quick to be at my side, "Maybe you should sit down."
"I've got her," Adalynn insists, taking my hand instead. "I think a little time away from you might be beneficial."
"I would direct your anger elsewhere, sweetheart," Klaus growls.
"Or what?" She throws back at him, "Do you honestly think I can't take you?"
I can't breathe. My lungs have just stopped working as the room starts to spin. I don't hear them anymore, but I can feel the cold touch of undead hands.
Someone picks me up. My small frame would make it easy for anyone with adequate strength to do it, but this person especially has no problem. Soon, I can breathe again. The air doesn't feel so thick anymore as my lungs are filled with fresh, cool air.
I open my eyes. It seems that it was Harry who got me out of the room. He sets me down on the main staircase and I give him a nod of gratitude.
"Whatever is happening to you has to do with that hunter," Adalynn announces. She looks at Klaus, "You have to get rid of him."
"I can't just yet."
"Seriously? Do you have to make everything so damn—?"
"Can you two just shut the hell up?"
All eyes turn to me on the floor. My outspoken daughter, the overly complicated man I've adored, and the enslaved hybrid all stare down at me like I'm the last person they'd ever expect to get upset.
God, my life is complicated.
"Listen, you all have good intentions, but I am still the same person that I've always been." I look between the two most familiar faces, "Stop treating me like I don't have a say in what happens. You guys were getting along so well the other day."
"Well—"
"I get it. You were thrown into each other's lives, but we've all been living long enough to call this," I point to myself, "normal. Ever since I came to this town, I have just become the target of whatever madness is happening around us. Whatever this... sickness is, I can't figure it out when you two are always at each other's throats."
My scolding had turned to rambling, but I said what I had been holding in. If the last month has taught me anything, it's that Mystic Falls is not my home at all. The promise that Klaus made to me about leaving when all this is over weighs heavy on my heart. I'm ready, but I can't.
"So, the hunter," I continue, having completed my tangent. "You think he has to do with what's happening to me?"
Adalynn nods, "You first became sick after he arrived. With what happened just now, it makes sense that he's connected somehow."
"Then we need to learn everything we can about him," I decide. "I need to speak with Rebekah."
Klaus tilts his head, which has grown to be the tell-tale sign that he hears something I can't, "She just arrived. Let us all speak over dinner, shall we?"
He disappears after giving Harry the order of helping Adalynn and I to the dining room. We are surprised to see that it has already been set up with elegant place settings, bottles of wine, and candles. I immediately pour glasses for the three of us before we even sit.
Harry lifts his hand to decline, "I'm not sure that I should..."
I shrug, "Trust me. Dinners in this family never end well."
When Klaus comes into the room, he is trailed by Rebekah and Stefan. They look over the setting suspiciously, but neither one of them say anything.
"Sit, Rebekah," Klaus tells her when she hovers over her chair. "It's worth your while, I promise."
"I doubt that," she mumbles, taking a seat beside Adalynn.
Stefan sits across from me and next to Klaus, who is at the head of the table. I am on my second glass of wine when the food comes out.
We start eating. Klaus wears his signature smirk as he looks across the table at his unamused sister. She hasn't touched anything. "Rebekah, love, eat your veggies."
"I'm not eating until you apologize," she responds.
"For which indiscretion? There have been so many," Klaus teases her.
"You broke my neck."
"You threw away Elena's blood so I can't make any more hybrids."
"Because you took me for granted!"
"That's what big brothers do, sweetheart!" Klaus bangs his fist on the table.
Silence befalls us. Adalynn casually coughs beside me and Harry reaches for his own untouched glass. I smile to myself.
Stefan awkwardly looks down at his plate, "Let me just name the million other people I'd rather be having dinner with right now..."
"Alright, fine," Klaus exclaims, "I'm sorry. I often forget how delicate you are. Forgive me?"
I look at him, "Don't call her delicate."
"Fragile? Hard to please?" My face doesn't change, "Come on, Clara, I'm doing my best—"
"Fine," Rebekah interrupts, "I'll take it under consideration."
Stefan scoots up in his chair excitedly, "Okay, good. Now, why don't you tell me about Rebekah's hunter?"
Klaus takes one last look at his sister, then continues the story from before, "Right, Alexander. Nice chap, foregoing the obvious issues. He was looking for creatures of the night, which is why we felt quite safe around him wearing our daylight rings. He told us about the five men that made up his crusade. They were born from a witch to bring vampire extinction with their most powerful weapon."
"So, that's what this is about? A weapon?"
"Not just any weapon," Rebekah claims.
Klaus holds up a hand to stop her, "Rebekah, love, don't get ahead of the story."
Stefan looks between the two siblings. Neither one of them say anything.
"The tattoo. What is it?" He demands.
"A map. Leading us to its treasure." Klaus reveals.
I lean forward in my seat, suddenly interested, "Do you remember what it looked like? It's invisible now."
He condescendingly pats my hand and I quickly pull it out of his reach, "I do not, my love, but I do know someone who can see it on our very own hunter." Harry leaves the room when Klaus looks to him before he continues, "You see, the hunter was so eager to get to the bottom of his mystery tattoos that he mentioned there was only one other person that can see them."
Sounds of struggle can be heard upon his reentry, and we all turn to see Jeremy Gilbert being dragged in by the hybrid.
Adalynn and Stefan are out of their seats before I can blink. Klaus disappears too to stand between them.
"I wouldn't," he warns them. "Lucky for us, young Jeremy here is a bit of an artist."
"I'm not helping you with anything!" The boy protests.
Klaus shakes his head in disagreement. Harry uses his speed to snatch his resurrection ring and he tosses it to Klaus.
"Oh, I'm afraid you are."
Adalynn looks over at me as Harry drags Jeremy from the room, "You're not going to do anything?"
I glance over at Klaus, "Are you going to hurt him in any way?"
He shrugs and I narrow my eyes. His answer changes, "Fine, no. But I can't have him thinking that, now, can I?"
"Then I'm not going to do anything."
Adalynn huffs angrily and storms from the room after them. Klaus looks down at me, but I shake my head to signify not to worry. She understands why it's important, she just doesn't like his methods.
I guess I don't care about them. The only people I care about in this town now are my daughter, Klaus, and Rebekah. Finding more information about the hunter could save my life, and in turn, save hers. As long as no real harm comes to the innocent, I do not have a problem.
"I need to know more about this tattoo," I insist when things have settled again.
Klaus smirks, "My sister's suitor was unwilling to tell us anything. Rebekah, however, was more than willing to investigate. Isn't that right?"
Rebekah looks down at the table in shame, "he told me that reading the tattoo required his sword. They also had a weapon that would bring the destruction of a special species of vampires. I didn't know at the time that he meant us."
"They knew about you?" I ask, shocked.
He nods, "And my sister's boyfriend threw a slumber party that night. He and his brothers put us all down in our sleep. Elijah, Kol, Finn, and me."
Klaus looks at Rebekah with an accusation written across his face. She rolls her eyes, "How was I supposed to know?"
"Cheers, to my sister's uncanny ability to choose men." He raises his glass.
"The daggers don't work on you because of your wolf side," I recall. "God, it must have been a bloodbath."
"That's an understatement," Rebekah agrees, "but it would have been worth it if it was true. The tattoos disappeared off their bodies the moment they were slain."
Klaus and his sister suddenly look at each other from across the table. Something unspoken sits between them.
"So, what was the treasure?" Stefan questions.
It takes a moment before Klaus grows tired of Rebekah's silence. He leans back in his chair dangerously and extends his hand to her, "Go ahead, Rebekah. Tell him. Tell him what the hunter told you the tattoo leads to. What is this great weapon that could bring about the end of the vampire species?"
Rebekah stares at the table. I can tell that the answer pains her more than she could ever admit.
"A cure. He said there was a cure."
I lift my glass to be refilled. Stefan yells his disbelief at them, but I'm not inclined to listen. Admittedly, my hopes were crushed with the answer, though I guess that that's not much of a surprise. This whole night has been dead end after dead end, but at least one thing has been decided: I could care less about a cure for vampirism.
Stefan has different feelings on the topic, "Why wouldn't you have searched for it, found it?"
They've gotten up during their squabbling and are now standing in the space between the dry bar and the table. I sit back in my seat with a fresh glass, somewhat excited to see how this plays out.
"Because for nine hundred years, there was not a whisper of another hunter, until our friend in there showed up in town," Klaus explains.
"Well, now we have the map, what do we do next?" Rebekah questions.
"We don't do anything," he scoffs. "You can't be trusted, little sister. You'll be blabbing this secret to the first boy who calls you pretty. I mean, it's pathetic, really, isn't it? How she continues to hand her heart to any man who shows her a hint of affection. You'd think she would have learned by now from the endless cycle of disappointment and deception."
I can't help myself but to interject, "Is that really what you want to say in this moment?"
Rebekah seemingly ignores me, "I stayed with you and let you leech every moment of happiness from my life! You know, at least I fared better then Finn! Klaus left him daggered because he was tired of his judgment." She turns around to me, "And you! Stop defending me just because you failed to last time. You can't just keep switching sides based on who suits you that day!"
I hold up my hands, "How am I the enemy right now?"
"Because we can't trust you, Clara. We've never been able to, I just wish I would have figured that out sooner." She grows quiet, her eyes finding Klaus's, "She killed Finn, Nik. I know you've never been able to see past your love for her, but for once, choose your family over whatever twisted relationship you two share. I know she always will."
*******
Chapter 47: 7/21/21 -- 1:07 am
Top Comment 👑 : This chapter is dedicated to Ciara7217 for a golden comment that made me laugh out loud. Literally. Thank you for reading!! <3
Also, hello! Long time no see lovely people! ;)
I know this chapter ended on a bad note with Rebekah, but I really love her character.
Raise your hand if you watched H2O: Just Add Water!!
Meeeeee
Quiz: Who was the other TO character that was in that show?
Like and comment please! I absolutely love hearing your feedback!
- Mae