OUTCASTS
— 23. Parasite
Later that day, Klaus and Cadence stood in front of Kieran's bed in the attic, watching as he rose from the bed with a loud gasp.
He looked around, clearly confused as to what was going on. "Cadence," He called out, stopping when he was looking directly at the woman standing before him, "What happened?"
"The hex..." He trailed off as he set his feet on the ground, "I could feel it. Like a living thing inside me."
He glanced down at his hand, shocked to see the x no longer there. "It's gone," He stated and smiled slightly.
Hearing the news, Cadence sighed in relief and rushed to hug the man. She began to cry, relieved that her plan had worked.
As he hugged Cadence, Kieran glanced down at his hand, only to become horrified at the sit of his missing thumb. He had bitten it off after all. "Oh! Oh my god!" he exclaimed and Cadence pulled away from the hug, looking guilty.
"Yes, you've had a trying day, Father. How best to break it to you?" He spoke up, turning to glance at Cadence before back at Kieran, "It appears the hex was broken by your death."
"Back up," He replied and turned toward Cadence in concern, "I died? For how long?"
"A few hours, give or take," Klaus answered and Kieran sighed, realizing what it meant.
"I'm...I'm sorry. I really am," Cadence spoke up, giving Kieran an apologetic look as tears spilled down her cheeks, "It was selfish, I know. But I couldn't lose you, not like this. Not when all of this is my fault. So I made Klaus give you his blood."
"Ah. I see," Kieran responded, taking a moment to process the information. He was in transition, "So the devil has a deal for me, after all."
"Kieran..." She trailed off as Kieran practically glared at her.
Klaus knew it was more than that and gave the man a warning look. "That hunger you feel, it'll only grow stronger."
"I know how it works," He replied in an annoyed tone, causing Cadence to feel uneasy.
"Then you will also know if you do not feed, you will die," He reminded Kieran, glancing over at Cadence, who avoided eye contact with both men.
"I know if that's the choice that I have to make, I'm dead already," he admitted and slowly looked up at Cadence, who looked to be on the verge of breaking down, "Please leave me with Cadence. I'd like a private moment to talk with her."
Klaus stood in place, however. He was clearly hesitant to leave her, especially after everything that occurred that day.
Cadence noticed Klaus' reluctance and sighed. She glanced at Kieran briefly before walking over to Klaus. She grabbed Klaus' hand, holding it assuringly as she stared up at him. "It's okay, Klaus. I'll be okay," She assured him but by the look on his face, it was obvious he didn't entirely believe her, "Thank you for today, for being kind. I really needed someone to be here at my side today. And you did just that. So thank you."
She sent him a soft smile and with that, she walked back over to Kieran. She wasted no time hugging the man and Klaus stood in place for a brief moment, just before walking out of the room.
Later that day, after collecting everything Kieran had asked her to obtain, Cadence walked back into the room in the attic where Kieran stood. She carried everything he had asked for. "Everything is where you said it would be except that key you mentioned. That's the one thing I couldn't find. It's the one you usually wear around your neck?"
"That key is a very important part of my family's legacy,"He informed her and Cadence gave him a puzzled look, "You have to find it."
"Why me?" She asked, smiling sadly, "It's your family legacy."
"Because you are my family, Cadence. What don't you understand? You might not be my family by blood, but I took you in, I raised you as best as I could. And no matter how it may seem, you didn't turn out half as bad as everyone claimed you would," He complained, causing Cadence's eyes to soften at his confession, "You have to find that necklace. I'm begging you. And you must give it to Cami alongside the rest of these things. You need to look out for her, make sure she doesn't get herself into the messes I have as an O'Connel. She needs you. She's stubborn. But so are you. You have to look out for her. You need to look after each other."
"I will, I promise," She assured him, looking determined.
Kieran placed the belongings Cadence had handed him down on the chair next to him. He sighed and slowly turned to face Cadence once more.
"I am so sorry," He apologized, which caused Cadence to frown.
"Why?" Cadence asked, smiling softly, "You didn't do anything."
"You've grown a lot since you first came to live with me, Cadence. And I might not say it a lot, but I am proud. You've been through so much but through it all, you put on a brave face and stayed strong no matter. The twins couldn't have asked for a better mother. A mother who will fight for them until her dying breath. There are many people against you in this town. Many enemies who want you dead because of what you are and what your children are. They're scared of your power. And the twins even more. I thought Marcel was the one who could keep you safe, but he's not," he explained, causing Cadence to begin to frown in confusion, "And even if I didn't like the idea of it first, I think the alliance you have with Klaus might just be the best thing to keep you safe. He cares about you, you know. More than he lets on. Stick with him and you'll be safe. Because I won't be here to protect you anymore."
"No," Cadence spoke up, tears forming in her eyes as she shook her head, "No. This can't be how it ends."
"It was the only way it was ever going to end," He reminded her and Cadence lowered her head in shame, "I made peace with that a long time ago. Deep down, you knew that too."
Noticing how Cadence looked to be on the verge of crying, Kieran rushed over to the young woman and hugged her tightly. She began to sob and Kieran sighed, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. "Listen, Cadence, I don't know how bad this gonna get, and I don't want you to see it. You've seen enough, you've endured enough pain and loss in your life. You don't need to witness this too. I don't want you to. So in a moment, I'm gonna let go, and you are gonna turn around, and you are gonna walk out of here without looking back...Okay, kiddo?"
Cadence nodded but didn't answer.
Kieran knew that was her loophole out of breaking promises such as that one. "Promise me, Cadence," He demanded in a stern tone, "Promise me, without looking back."
As she hugged him, Cadence's eyes remained closed as she tried her hardest to hold back her sobs. She hadn't felt so heartbroken before, not since the day she lost Jackson to the Crescent Curse.
Cadence cried out, the two of them hugging once more before she pulled away. She turned toward the door and forced herself to continue walking. She stopped at the doorway, however, trying her hardest not to break down.
It took everything within her not to turn around. She took a deep breath, wiping her eyes before she forced herself to continue walking.
_____
In the Lafayette Cemetery, Genevieve entered the Lycee, only to find Klaus standing in the darkness with a serious look on his face.
She smiled and began to walk toward him, looking satisfied. "I'm surprised to see you here," She commented and Klaus began to walk toward her.
"The Bayou Explosion, the attack on my child and Cadence's sons," He informed her in a low, threatening tone, "Tell me what you know."
"I know the wolves have no shortage of enemies, Marcel for one," She suggested and Klaus scoffed since he wasn't foolish enough to believe such a thing.
"Marcel wouldn't stoop so low. Especially where Cadence's sons are involved. He loves them like family. He's been present in their lives since the day they were born. The witches, however--" He began to say, smiling at the uneasy look on the woman's face, "I have witnessed firsthand the depths of your cruelty. And I know how badly you lot want those boys in your grasp. And if you couldn't do that, you'd rather them be dead, right?" He asked, smiling threateningly, "Even New Orleans witches are no match for Gemini twins, especially when the werewolf gene just amplifies their power even more."
"You don't think I did this," Genevieve complained, looking offended by his accusation, "What kind of monster do you take me for?"
She moved toward Klaus, only to watch as his expression didn't change. He continued to glare at her, looking emotionless.
"How ugly and weak I must seem compared to little orphan Cadence, whose had her claws latched into you since the day you returned to New Orleans as she hides behind that innocent little outcast front she always has on," She explained, beginning to smile in amusement, "Your precious Cadence. The mother who'd do anything for her children, even when it means standing up to those she has no chance against. You admire that, don't you?" She asked and scoffed loudly at the thought, "So sad about Kieran, by the way. I know he was the only father she ever had in her life. Now, she really is an orphan. She has caused the death of every parental figure in her life now."
"Kieran is in transition," Klaus informed Genevieve as she turned her back to him, "He has been released from the hex."
"A hex of that magnitude? Kieran's hex will return...If it hasn't already," She informed Klaus, whose eyes widen in concern at the revelation, "That boundary spell, on the other hand... Now that he's died, I imagine it won't be quite so confining anymore. I suppose this will make it the second time in Cadence's life when a man she views to be her father attempts to kill her."
As she turned to glance at Klaus, the immortal hybrid felt uneasy. He knew for a fact Cadence was far too stubborn to leave the church while Kieran was still alive, even if he had asked her to.
____
On the second floor of the church, Cadence sat on one of the benches. Her hands were folded together and her eyes were closed as she attempted to pray.
Growing up, Kieran had always tried to turn her toward God, to give her something to believe in. It never worked, however. Not when everyone around her growing up had convinced her she was a spawn of the devil after it was revealed that she had been born without magic but instead was cursed with the ability to take it from orders like a parasite would take from its prey.
Hearing footsteps, Cadence stood up and turned to face him, too caught up in her grief to wonder how he had gotten out of his room after the boundary spell had been placed on it.
"Have you changed your mind?" She asked him curiously and Kieran slowly walked toward her.
"Yes. It appears I have," He announced and Cadence's eyes widened in fear as he revealed the blade he had hidden behind his back.
He raised the knife in preparation to attack her, causing Cadence to cautiously back up. "Kieran, no!" She shouted, realizing his hex had returned.
Before she could react, he had cut her cross her forearm with the blade, causing her to cry out. She continued to back away from him as he swung the blade at her, only to feel uneasy as she reached the balcony. There was no escaping unless she jumped.
He raised the blade that was stained with her blood and she watched as he licked the crimson liquid off of it. It meant his transition was complete.
She felt uneasy as she watched the veins appear under her eyes. She was no match for him now. Not in the slightest.
As he moved toward her, having no other choice, Cadence pushed herself off the balcony, landing on the ground face first. She cried out but it didn't hurt her as badly as she had expected.
However, despite that, she felt unable to stand up, which forced her to have to use her arms to crawl away. She didn't get far before Kieran appeared, roughly grabbing a fistful of her hair. "Don't fight it, Cadence. There's no use."
Grabbing her up, Kieran threw her across the church. She landed against one of the benches, which broke upon impact with her body.
Cadence groaned in pain as she landed on the ground once more but knew that the fact that she had fallen on something wooden was better than anything else, especially since it had broken off pieces to the bench. And wood was the only thing capable of helping her defend herself.
"In death, we are whole again," He announced and as he grabbed her ankle, Cadence felt defeated as she didn't have enough time to reach the piece of wood she had sat set her eyes on.
She turned and threw her hand in his direction, hoping she had at least some bit of magic in her. "Motus!" She shouted, only to cry out when nothing happened and he continued to drag her by the ankle.
He dragged her toward the altar before stopping. He bent down, forcing her into a kneel as he held her roughly by her hair.
Kieran hissed as his fangs grew. He prepared to feed off her when Cadence pushed herself forward and grabbed him by the leg.
The red glow appeared at the palm of her hand as she began to siphon the magic that came with his vampirism.
Kieran yelled out in pain and it wasn't long before his grip on her loosened.
Cadence managed to get out of his grip in time. She continued to sit on the ground as she turned to face him, pushing her hand outwards. "Motus!" She shouted out and Kieran found himself thrown several feet away before he was thrown against the altar.
Cadence forced herself off the ground as he began to recover. She watched as he began to charge at her, only to stop when Klaus appeared behind him and snapped his neck.
Klaus caught the man's body before he could fall and turned to Cadence, waiting for him to give the approval to kill him.
Slowly, Cadence nodded her head and forced back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
"You deserved far better than this," Klaus spoke to Kieran softly before stabbing through the heart with the stake he held in his grasp.
Cadence flinched at the sight and watched as Kieran's body slowly desiccated.
Klaus gently placed Kieran's corpse on the ground before turning toward Cadence, who stood before him, looking as though was about to faint.
In just enough time, Klaus sped over to Cadence, catching her body in his arms as her eyes shut. He sighed and picked her up, carrying her in his arms as he walked out of the church.