OUTCASTS
— 22. Denial
In the church attic, Cadence stood with Dr. Sheski, Cami, and Josh in front of Kieran. The man was tied to a chair, being prepared to have ECT performed on him.
"There's a special place in hell for your kind," Kieran told Josh, who stood behind him as he placed a piece of leather in his mouth to help him not break his teeth during the procedure.
"Eh. Not the first time I've heard that one," Josh commented and Cadence smirked in amusement since she knew what he meant.
"I feel you on that one," She replied and earned a small smile from Josh. Both had been something frowned upon by many in the human world aside from what they were supernaturally.
Josh was gay, which many were still against despite it being the twenty-first century.
And Cadence was a teen mom to not just one child, but two. She, too, was given dirty looks in her life because of that, not to mention being born a siphon witch.
"Well, isn't this a gruesome, little scene?" A familiar voice suddenly spoke up, causing Cadence's eyes to widen as she whipped herself around to see Klaus standing in the doorway.
"Klaus!" She exclaimed, surprised to see him, "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I received an urgent call on your behalf," He responded, earning a confused look from both Cami and Cadence, "It seems I've been tasked with doing what Cami's coward of a boyfriend could not, which, by the looks of things, is dissuading the two of you from whatever madness it is you're about to attempt."
As he spoke to her, Klaus slowly approached Cadence until he was standing right in front of her. "I suppose you were the one to suggest this rash idea?" He asked and Cadence glared at him coldly, "And here I thought you were smart."
Cadence glared at Klaus once more, just before whipping herself about to face Kieran and the others. "Are you ready?"
"Please, I'm begging you, don't force me to do this," Dr. Sheski pleaded and Cadence rolled her eyes at him. For someone who was compelled, he sure did try to fight it all.
"Fine. I'll do it myself," Cami announced and moved toward Kieran with a look of determination.
He pushed Josh out of the way, standing behind Kieran as she grabbed the electrode pads.
Klaus sighed, his lips parting as he watched the scene occur. He noticed the look on Cadence's face. He knew it all too well. She was determined. Determined to fix what she felt she was at fault for.
Marcel was right. If Cadence lost Kieran, she'd break in too. But Marcel had forgotten the most important part of all. She'd truly be broken because she felt like she was at fault for it. After all, her own mother had been the one to hex Kieran. Just like she hexed Sean. Both of which because of how close they were to Cadence. And if Cadence had shown up weeks ago instead of being in the bayou, she could have siphoned the curse before it had reached his brain. That most of all were what would break her.
The fact that she had been the only one who could have cured him but her need to be in the bayou with the wolves like when she was a teenager led to her being too late.
"Camille, your uncle is a good man," Klaus spoke up, glancing between Cami and Cadence, "He shouldn't suffer."
"He's been suffering for weeks. He's dying, Klaus. This might be the only chance he's got," Cami argued in a cold tone and turned to Cadence.
The woman sighed, her lips parting as she glanced down at Kieran. She looked back up at Cami, nodding in encouragement. "Do it."
Cami waited a moment, just before pressing the pads against Kieran's temples.
Kieran groaned in pain, the sound muffled by the leather belt in his mouth.
Several moments had passed before Kieran began to recover, panting for breath. He turned to the doctor, glaring at him. Cami handed the electrode pads to Klaus, just before she and Cadence knelt in front of Kieran.
She studied him in concern, watching as Kieran slowly turned to glance at her. "Cadence..." He trailed off, his eyes tearing up.
Cadence began to smile softly, a sense of hope finally appearing in her expression. "Kieran--" She began to speak up, only to watch as his face turned cold once more.
"What the hell did you do to me?" He growled at her lowly.
Cadence turned and exchanged a look with Cami. They both stood up, a determined look on Cadence's face. "We have to do it again," She demanded and moved toward the electrode pads.
"Whoa, are you serious?" Josh asked and everyone in the room except for Cami stared at her as if she were completely mad.
"She's right. That something coherent," Cami replied as she moved toward Cadence, "It's working."
Cadence went to grab the electrode pads, only to have Klaus place his hand on top of hers. She frowned at Klaus, watching as he turned to glance at Dr. Sheski.
"Doctor, see to your patient," He insisted and the man immediately obeyed him.
He knelt down in front of Kieran, shining his flashlight into the man's eyes. "Get away from me," Kieran managed to get out in a weak tone.
"Heartbeat is irregular. We can't keep this up. It'll kill him," He informed them and Cadence shook her head.
"No, no. We need to do this. We have to--" Cadence began to say, only to have Klaus pry her hands on the electrode pads. He lightly grabbed her by the arms, forcing her to turn to face him completely.
"We need to have a word in private," He insisted in a soft tone, causing Cadence to begin to tear up.
She already knew what he was going to say. Because it was the truth. Deep down, she knew she needed to stop, but she refused. She was desperate to help Kieran, for she felt at fault for what had been done to him. She was at fault.
Moments later, despite being reluctant, Cadence walked downstairs with Klaus, wearing an unreadable expression.
"I think you need to prepare yourself," He told her and Cadence rolled her eyes at him, "This story does not have a happy ending."
"But the treatments--" She began to say as Klaus turned to face her with a sympathetic look on her face.
"Will kill him," He finished, causing her to sigh in defeat.
"We don't know that," She argued, shaking her head in disagreement.
"We do, Cadence," He assured her in a soft tone as he lightly squeezed her arm in comfort, "Deep down, you know it, too. You're just far too stubborn to admit it out loud. For you fear that if you do, it'll become the truth. But it is the truth. And refusing to admit that will only make it hurt worse in the end. Were you to push him over the brink, I would hate for you to have to live with that, no matter how noble your aim."
"So that's it, then? You just expect me to surrender?" She asked him and let out a loud scoff, "If you knew me as well as you claim to, Klaus, then you'd know I don't give up that easily."
"Maybe it's time..." He trailed off and sighed when he saw the look on her face, "Not to give up, to let go."
"It's not your decision, Klaus," She argued and stepped toward him with a cold look on her face, "It's mine and Cami's."
Cadence shot Klaus a glare, roughly pushing past him before she made her way back upstairs to the attic.
_____
On the other side of the river, Hayley was walking in the direction of where Marcel had been staying after being exiled from the quarter. She had her phone pressed to her ear, on the phone with Klaus as she informed her about what had happened in the bayou and how the twins were safe.
"Klaus, where are you?" Hayley asked the hybrid in a concerned tone.
"His wrath burns against you, demon," Kieran growled at Klaus, who was pinning him down to the bed alongside Cadence and the others while also speaking to Hayley on the phone.
"I'm in a bit of a situation here, love," Klaus commented in a calm tone, looking unbothered by it all.
"Somebody sent a suicide bomber out to the bayou this morning," She informed him, causing Klaus' smile to fade.
He briefly glanced at Cadence, the first thought on his mind upon hearing the news being Hunter and Hayden.
She looked back at him, frowning in concern. Whatever he had heard clearly involved her somehow.
"What? Where are you?" He asked Hayley in a concerned tone.
"I'm fine," She assured him and Klaus sighed in defeat, "And you can tell Cadence that her kids are fine, too. They're safe. They used some type of magic during the explosion that left them with no sign of the explosion, not even soot or ash. But I'm in the city now. I figured an attack like that must have been Marcel. He's hated the wolves for years, and after that stunt, he pulled with the witches-So I tracked him down and I thought you might like to help kick his ass for trying to blow us to kingdom come."
Klaus sighed as he looked down, watching as Cadence stuck a needle into Kieran's arm and injected him with something despite not even having a medical degree to do so.
He sighed, pointing his phone in the direction of Dr. Sheski. "Would you get him out of here now, please?" He told Josh, an aggravated look on his face, "Make sure he remembers nothing."
He sighed, placing the phone back to his ear. "Hayley, listen. I assure you, once I am finished here, you will have my undivided attention," he assured her, refusing to leave Cadence, "In the meantime, please stay out of trouble."
"You don't have to worry. Elijah's with me," She told him, despite it being a lie.
With that, she hung up and Klaus placed his phone back in his pocket. He turned to Cadence, who was staring at him in concern. "What was that about?" She asked and Klaus sighed, looking away for a brief moment.
"Nothing," He assured her in a calm tone, and Cadence frowned, "I'll explain later."
Cadence stared at Klaus in confusion, knowing for a fact he was lying. What was he keeping from her?
____
Later on, in the attic, Cadence continued to stand near Klaus in front of where Kieran laid. The human man gasped and Cadence's eyes widened in concern when she heard the flatline beep.
"He's in cardiac arrest," Klaus informed them and wasted no time removing his jacket, "You might want to look away."
"What? Why?" She asked, only to gasp in fright as she watched Klaus plunge his hand into Kieran's chest, "Klaus! What the hell do you think you're doing!"
"Massaging his heart," He informed her calmly as Kieran gasped, his eyes remaining closed, "His body is shutting down. Even with my help, he doesn't have much time."
"Your blood," Cami quickly suggested, which was the first thing that had come to mind, "If you fed him your blood, he'd wake back up, right?"
"As a vampire in transition, yes," He replied, glancing over at Cami as she stood close to Cadence with tears threatening to spill from her eyes, "As for the hex, perhaps his death will be a mercy."
Cadence remained silent for a long moment as she looked around, reluctant to make the decision she so desperately wanted to make.
Finally, she sighed, glancing over at Cami. She turned back to Klaus and nodded, looking determined. "Do it," She answered in a flat tone, much to Klaus and Cami's surprise, "Just do it."
"Cadence--" Klaus began to say, noticing how she looked to be on the verge of breaking down.
After all, she knew Kieran would be pissed if he woke up to find himself in transition. She refused to lose him, however. Her decision was selfish, but she refused. She refused to lose him. He was the only father figure she had ever had. He was there for her when no one else was.
She had been just another outcast on the street, yet he took her in, not caring that doing so placed a target on his back. He saw her for the innocent child she had been, not the abomination her own people viewed her to be since the day she had been born.
"Please, Klaus," She interrupted him, a single tear spilling down her cheek as her bottom lip quivered, "I can't...I can't let him die. Not like this. Please. I'm begging you."
Klaus sighed at the look on Cadence's face. He knew it wasn't wise to do it, but he couldn't bear the thought of the pain Kieran's death would cause Cadence.
It was written all over Cadence's face. She would never be the same. She'd be colder, more ruthless. The loss would bring her even closer to becoming just like Klaus. For he was her once. But she had the capability to never become as bad and as heartless as him. Yet Kieran's death would steer her down the wrong path. He just knew it.
Determined, Klaus turned back to Kieran. He bit into his wrist, just before bringing it to Kieran's lip. He removed his hand from the man's chest and watched as Kieran died soon after.
Cadence sighed in relief, knowing he'd return as a vampire. She closed her eyes, wiping her streaming tears before turning to Klaus.
"Thank you," She mouthed to him and Klaus nodded, despite knowing they'd both regret the decision.
He didn't care, though. Not when he knew it would bring Cadence the peace and closure she so desperately needed. And he couldn't bear the thought of her experiencing the pain Kieran's death would bring her.
There was a moment of silence before Cadence turned. She watched Cami glare at her, just before leaving the room. She clearly didn't agree with Cadence's decision, knowing well enough to understand Kieran would have never wanted to become a vampire. And yet Cadence had done it anyway, because of her own selfish desires.
____
At Saint Anne's church, a few hours had passed before Klaus made his way downstairs. He found Cadence standing in front of the altar, lighting numerous candles.
She wore an emotionless expression, causing Klaus to sigh as he approached her.
He lightly placed his hand on her shoulder in comfort yet Cadence made no attempt to turn to him. "I'm afraid I must go," He told her in a calm tone and Cadence slowly lowered the match she held.
"What happens next, after he wakes?" Cadence suddenly asked. She took a deep breath, trying her hardest not to cry, "I know they must feed, but what exactly happens. I never brought myself to learn during the time I spent with Marcel and his vampires. I never wanted to. I was raised to hate your kind."
Cadence smiled sadly and shook her head. She was a hypocrite. She grew up hating vampires and yet she had turned the man who had been like a father to her into one for her own selfish gain.
"He'll be in transition, graving blood, but I'll be back before then," He assured her and Cadence sighed in defeat as she lowered her head in shame.
"He is gonna be so pissed at me, Klaus," She confessed and finally turned to face him. She was trying her hardest not to break down, to not let all the pain she had been bottling up for years explode. For she knew it would cause destruction for everyone around her and she knew if anything was going to make her snap, it was Kieran's death.
"He's a priest and yet I turned him into a vampire," She continued him, feeling utterly guilty, "It was so selfish! What the hell was I thinking?"
"Well, you know as well as I do, love, he'll never go through with it," He reminded Cadence and slowly approached her until he was standing directly in front of the siphon witch, "Turning him wasn't the goal. You know that. It was to give you a chance to say goodbye, properly."
Cadence sighed and stared up at him, nodding slowly. "Why?" She suddenly asked him and Klaus raised a brow at her, "Why do this for me? Marcel wouldn't have. Nor would Josh even if I had tried to force him. Why turn Kieran into a vampire, just so I can have a proper goodbye?"
"I do not wish to see you in the pain that losing Kieran at that moment would have brought you," Klaus admitted and Cadence's eyes softened, "I know you blame yourself for being unable to save Kieran. You think if you had arrived sooner, you would have been able to siphon the hex when there was still time to. And you feel at fault because it was your own mother who had placed the hex on him, to get back at you. I know what it's like. I've been in your shoes."
"You hated your parents," Cadence pointed out and Klaus smiled sadly.
"I never said it was my parents I was referring to," He admitted and Cadence tilted her head as she stared up at him, "Before returning to New Orleans, I had lived in Mystic Falls for a short time. Elijah and Rebekah aren't my only siblings. I had two other brothers. Kol and Finn. Finn hated all of us, but Kol wasn't half as bad. He was an outcast but I still cared for him. He was my brother, after all. He and I were always causing mischief together when we weren't at each other's necks. Kol had gotten himself into a bit of trouble with the people in Mystic Falls. I knew what he was up to, but I didn't do as much as I could have to stop him. As it turned out, they were planning to kill him for reasons I don't feel like explaining. They just needed to kill one of my siblings and Kol seemed to be the easiest target. When I learned of what they were planning, I rushed to stop them before they could kill them. I was too late. I was forced to stand there, watching as he erupted into flames after the white oak stake was stabbed into his heart. If I had just arrived a bit sooner, I feel as though I could have stopped it, but it was too late. He died because of it. And while people assumed I hadn't, I did mourn him. I yearned for revenge. So I know, Cadence. I know what it was like to feel at fault for someone you care about's death because you weren't there in time to protect them when you could have."
Klaus sighed, trying to hide his sadness as he turned to leave. Before he could, Cadence stepped forward and grabbed his hand. "Wait, Klaus," She called out to him and Klaus stopped, slowly turning his head to glance at her, "Will you stay just a little longer? Please."
Despite knowing he had placed to be, Klaus smiled and nodded. "Of course," He assured her and Cadence smiled sadly.
She wasted no time wrapping her arms around him, much to Klaus' surprise. "Thank you," She whispered and Klaus gradually began to smile, wasting no time hugging her back.