I wake up with a small gasp, propelling myself forward. Quickly looking around I notice the room is a disaster and Nik is screaming in anger. I scrunch my eyebrows as I remember Cami staking me. Nik hasn't noticed that I've woken up and I don't speak, too confused on what's going on. However, my attention is grabbed by the weight across me feet. I allow me eyes to drift down the comforter, until they land on the lifeless face of Cami. Blood is soaked down the front of her from where her neck has been cut.
My heart starts pounding and my breathing picks up. "No." I mumble in disbelief. "No, no, no. Cami?" I start to panic as I grab her shoulders and pull her into my lap. I start to shake her, not even noticing the crashing around the room had stopped until I felt Nik climb on the bed next to me. "Wake up, Cami! Wake up." I pull her even closer as my tears coat my face. Nik doesn't say anything, he just brings my head into his chest.
We stay like that for a few minutes. The only sound being me sobbing. That is until, a deep breath leaves Cami as she suddenly lifts her head. Nik and I both look at her in shock, not expecting her to be alive. Her eyebrow pinch together as she brings her hand to her neck and then looks at her bloody fingers. She turns her confusion to us.
"Kelsey? Klaus?" She questions and we just stare at her with wet faces.
"Let's get you up." I croak, my voice a bit raw from crying. She nods and I help her sit up as Nik stands a gets a throw blanket. He hands it to me when I get me and her situated on the edge of the bed. I drape the blanket around her shoulders and she clutches it tight.
"Tell me what happened." Nik says looking between us.
"I don't know." I shrug. "I woke up and found Cami standing next to me. Next thing I know I had a stake in my heart."
"Aurora." Cami states. "She did this." She starts to cry. "Before Kelsey woke up when she kidnapped us and held us in the vampire gym, she compelled me." She looks at Nik and I place my hand on her back and rub it up and down to try and comfort her. "She knew that you have feelings for someone that isn't her. She just didn't know if it was Kelsey or me at that point. So, she compelled me. She told me that when I thought you had confessed your feelings to one of us that I had to..." She takes a shakey breath. "That I had to rip out Kelsey's heart, slit my throat, and you couldn't know until we were both dead. But, I'm not strong enough to just plunge my fist in someone's chest." She looks at me as I continue to rub her back. "S-- So, she made me stake you, that way I could cut your chest open without you screaming or fighting back. But Klaus started to wake up and so before he even opened his eyes I had to snap his neck, which is a lot harder then you all make it look." She cries. "I'm so sorry, Kelsey. I- I didn't want to kill you." Her face falls even more. "I died. I'm dead." She breaks down in shock. I pull her into a side hug and lay my head on her shoulder.
"Oh, you will not stay dead." Nik says lowly, before raising his voice in rage. "She will pay for her actions. I swear to you!"
Cami groans and leans forward. "Oh, what's happening to me?"
"You're in transition." I explain to her.
"You need to feed on blood soon or you will die again, this time for good." Nik finishes. She starts to breath heavily, hating all of this.
"Let's focus on one thing at a time." I state softly. "I'm going to help you start a shower so you can get the blood off you, okay?" She nods and I help her stand and I lead her into the bathroom. I grab her a towel and I start to warm her water. "You go ahead and I'll go get you some clothes." I walk out and close the door behind me. I quickly go to my old room and go through her clothes, getting what she'll need. After popping my head in and checking on the twins, I go back to the bathroom and knock on the door. "It's me. Can I come in?" I hear a small 'yes' so I open the door and place the clothes on the counter next to where she's leaning. "I think I got everything."
"Thank you." She mumbles without lifting her eyes from the floor.
"Of course." I say gently. "Just yell if you need anything."
I make my way into the study just as Elijah does. Nik is clearly still enraged and I don't blame him. I'm not ecstatic either. Quite frankly, I can't wait to rip the bitches head off.
"How is she?" Elijah asks in concern as he removes his jacket.
"Distraught and in shock" I say simply.
"She's just risen from the dead." Nik states. "As soon as she feeds, her mood will change for the better." He adds with an underlying of hope.
"And you?" Elijah inquires looking at me.
"Pissed off." I cross me arms. "That bitch had one of my close friends kill me."
"I had to put her heart back in her chest... again." Nik seethes. "Thankfully, Aurora has no idea about the bond. These attacks need to be answered. Our retribution must be swift and it must be brutal." He yells in frustration.
"Agreed." Elijah nods. "After the Serratura has been recovered. Freya's pendant is also missing."
"And Finn's mystical essence along with it? So, let the imbecile stay lost." Nik says not caring about the pendant as he starts to get loud again. "Our business today is to finish off the De Martels."
"No, brother, think, think. Tristan needs the most powerful witch in the city to activate that weapon." Elijah tries to reason. "A Regent."
"Vincent." Nik states. "Who was once possessed by Finn." He starts to storm out.
Elijah stops him. "No. Stay. Stay with Cami, she may need you and Kelsey, brother."
"He's right. If they're making plays then I have to go warn Hayley. Her and Jackson are getting his things from the Bayou this morning." I tell them. I turn to Nik. "Please. Please, stay with her. At least until I get back." He nods reluctantly with a sigh and I quickly kiss him, before following Elijah out the door.
___________________________
I pull up at the cabin and step out of my car. Jackson and Hayley are headed to his truck with boxes in their arms playfully arguing back and forth. Hayley sees me and smiles widely.
"Kelsey!" She exclaims with a small laugh. "Please, tell Jackson that a dart boards are for bars, not apartments and arrows don't belong in the hipsters of the French Quarter."
"Listen." I tell them, not wasting any time as I stop next to them. "Something's happened. You guys should come to the Compound. It's not safe."
"What do you me--?" Hayley starts to questions, but Jackson groans and hits the ground.
Hayley quickly turns and catches a dart that was shot at her neck. Jackson is still on the ground, as anger floods Hayley and me. A third dart is shot at me but misses.
"You gonna hide in the woods? Or you gonna come out and fight?" Hayley yells.
We scan the area, not seeing anything. Until two vampires run up behind us and both stick us with darts. Hayley and I grunt.
"Gladly." Aya says from behind Hayley.
Hayley and I look at each other with Hybrid faces. Simultaneously, we turn and swing at our attackers. Hers being Aya and mine being some male vampire I've never seen. He dodges my fist, but I manage to kick him in the torso. He staggers back and out of the corner of my eye I see Jackson stand up and run at more vampires coming at us from where they were hidden in the woods. The man I am standing off with catches me off guard and punches me in the face. He goes to attempt it again, but I catch his arm and I break it, pinning him done.
"Jack!" I hear Hayley yell. I turn and see three against Jackson and he is having a hard time keeping up.
I reach down and bite my assailant, knowing it'll kill him. I toss him to the side and start to head to help Jackson. I barely make it half way to him, when two more darts hit my shoulder, one after the other. I stumble as my vision goes blurry and my body falls weakly to the ground. Everything goes black.
_________________________
"Kelsey? Kelsey?" I hear someone say urgently. At first they sound really far away, but as I slowly wake up I realize it's coming from right next to me. I blink a few times and see that Hayley was the one calling for me. Then, I see that she is chained to a chair, along with Jackson, who is on her other side. I look down and realizing I'm in the same position. Shackles around both my wrist with chains bolted into the floor. My eyes travel to the bend on my arm and I see gauze and tape around my elbow with a small hose trailing out of it. The hose leads to an IV bag, that judging by the fire in my veins and how weak I feel, it isn't saline. "Don't struggle." Hayley warns. "The more you struggle, the more wolfsbane gets pumped into your veins." I look around and if I had to guess, it looks like we are in some kind of basement. The walls are cement and there are a few exposed pipes. Hayley has dry blood on her face, neck, and chest. Jackson has it on both sides of his face and his nose. And I can't imagine I look much better.
Jackson is breathing heavily and I can tell he's in worse shape then me and Hayley. Especially, with the pool of blood at his feet. "What happened to your leg? Are you okay?" I ask him trying to stay calm, even though I'm fuming.
"Before you and Hayley woke up, they, uh..." He breathes out with difficulty. "They worked me over pretty good. With all the wolfsbane in my system, I ain't healing so well."
"We have to get out of here." I grit. "I already watched someone I care about die and died myself today, I'm not looking for a repeat."
"Someone died?" Hayley asks in concern. "You died?"
"Aurora compelled Cami to kill me and then herself after she drank vampire blood." I sneer. "Cami's in transition and Aurora didn't know about the bond between me and Nik."
"Cami's becoming a vampire?" Hayley asks in shock.
"How exciting is that?" Tristan's voice announces as he enters behind us. "It's foolish to think that one could stay human when their lives are so intertwined with the supernatural. Either they end up dead or vampires. If you ask me she got lucky."
"You let us out of here or so help me I will kill you!" Hayley threatens as he removes his jacket.
"Hmm." He sigh arrogantly. "Somehow I doubt it." He looks over at me. "And what a surprise you were. When Aya brought me them, I wasn't expecting you. According to my sister, you're supposed to be dead. You've made quite the enemy in my sister. It's a shame, really, I actually liked you, Kelsey."
"Funny." I scoff. "Because I despise you."
He shrugs and looks at Hayley. "I've been pondering this moment since you tortured me." Hayley grunts and pulls on her chains, trying to break free. But it's no use. "What is the best way to truly hurt a Hybrid?" He reaches forward and yanks Jackson by his hair pulling his head back and making him grit his teeth. "And then it came to me..." My eyes widen in fear. Fear for Hayley. Fear for Jackson.
"No!" She screams "No! No!" He plunges his hand in Jackson's chest and holds his heart.
"Wait! Tristan!" I beg him to stop. "Me. Take me." He holds Jackson still and keeps a grip on his heart, but doesn't yank it out. Jackson groans in pain and Tristan stares at me. "Kill me. You want to hurt Hayley. I'm like her sister. We're cousins. Plus, you'd make Aurora happy. You know what they say, happy sister, happy life. C'mon. Don't kill him. Kill me."
"Interesting proposal." He clicks his tongue. "But I'm going to have to pass." He finishes and then he rips Jackson's heart out without giving me or Hayley any time to process his denial.
"No!!" She screams in devastation.
"You son of a bitch!" I yell as tears cascade down my face.
Tristan turns and walks out, leaving us to look at Jackson's dead body. Hayley continues to scream in horror. Unable to do anything else I just stare at the wall with a constant trail of tears, knowing Hayley's screams will haunt me.
________________________
Hayley hasn't stopped crying and my heart breaks for her over and over again with every sob. Her eyes are red and puffy. Her cheeks and eyelashes are soaked from her tears. Runny mascara and old blood paints her face. She takes a couple of deep breathes and lifts her head to look at Jackson.
"Jack, I'm so sorry." She chokes out making my heart clinch and new tears to fall down my face. "I never should've brought any of this into your life. I was so selfish." She swallows down another sob. "I never met anyone who was always just there for me, other than Kelsey. You let me feel what it is to be loved." She lowers her head and her body starts to shake as she tries to hold it together, so she can say what she needs to. "But I will make them suffer for this." Hayley vows. "I promise you. I will make all of them suffer." She stares at him and I swallow thickly.
"I know this won't help right now, but you need to hear this." I grab her attention. She looks at me and doesn't say anything, so I continue. "This is NOT your fault. This is The Strix. This is Tristan. Not you. You were the best thing to ever happen to Jackson. He wouldn't blame you and you shouldn't blame yourself. Place the blame where it belongs and I swear when this is over Tristan will be dead." Hayley doesn't reply, she just slightly nods and hangs her head. I take a deep breath and go back to staring at the wall.
__________________________
Four vampires come in. Hayley and I watch them as they approach us. Two go for Hayley and two come at me. One of the vampires in front of me holds a large needle. The other one takes the gauze off my arm and pulls out the IV. When he's done the guy with the needle jams it into my neck and injects the poison into my veins. I'd try to fight but I'm way to weak. My body is to the point of being numb, the pain being dull. Unable to keep it up my head lolls to the side. The two vampires grab me up by my arms and follow the guys dragging Hayley out of the basement.
The vampires vamp speed us to a shipping yard and into one of the buildings. They hold Hayley and I in the back of the group. I can't see anyone I know because of the other Strix's members blocking my view, but the familiar voices are clear.
"Gentleman." Tristan greets. "I wish I could say it was a pleasure."
"Marcellus." Nik says to Marcel. My heart flutters, knowing that if he can get to us in time, Hayley and I will be okay. "Made your bed with the enemy, I see."
"Membership has its privileges." Marcel tells him.
"Let's get on with this, shall we." Nik suggests.
Assuming they got some kind of signal from Tristan, the vampires holding Hayley and I drag us forward and to the front of the group. Hayley grunts and I groan as they drop us. Since our legs are unable to hold us we hit the ground on our knees next to each other. I slowly grab Hayley's hand to keep her close and we use each other to stay upright. I look up at Nik to find him already watching me. Underlining rage in his expression, but he keeps his cool.
"Hayley Marshall Kenner and Kelsey Claire, only slightly worse for wear." Tristan presents. "You'll have to forgive them if they seem a bit off. There's enough wolfsbane in each of their systems to kill an entire pack. However, here they are as requested." Nik smirks sarcastically and clearly agitated. "Now, where's my sister?"
"She lives." Nik answers with a deadly glare. "You can thank Elijah for that." He walks toward Tristan. "I wanted to flay her and hang her skin as a flag. Anyway, enough chit chat. Let's conclude this tedious business, shall we?"
Tristan steps forward until he is standing in front of Nik. "My sister first. And if you're tempted to argue, consider the numbers."
Nik gets closer and stares him down for a second, challenging him. Then, he turns and goes to the large shipping container behind him and Elijah. He opens the door to reveal Aurora tied to a chair with a bag over her head. Nik smirks and rejoins Elijah.
Tristan looks back at Aya. "If they try anything, attack."
He, then, vamp speeds into the container and yanks the bag off her head. He turns around and nods at Aya and Aya nods at the vampires behind Hayley and I. They suddenly grab us and bring us to our feet.
"Oh, brother. You came for me." Aurora says as Tristan starts to untie her hands.
"Always." He tells her.
The vampires walk us forward and then they shove us towards Nik and Elijah. Nik catches me and Elijah does the same to Hayley. Nik tightens his grip and holds me up as I weakly lean on his shoulder. He brings his wrist to my face and I know what he wants me to do, so I extend my fangs and bite. I don't take in a lot of his blood, just enough so that I can hold myself up and some of the pain subsides.
"Come on." Tristan urges as he helps Aurora up and he hugs her.
I watch as she reaches into his pocket and pulls out the Serratura. She yanks herself away from him.
"Rory." He whispers slowly reaching for it back, but she takes a half step backwards. "What are you doing?"
She stares at him and then she slams in against the side of the container. The ground shakes and I clutch Nik as best I can as he makes sure I don't fall. Tristan quickly turns and attempts to run out of the container, but he is stopped by an invisible force. He grunts and stumbles back.
"No." He mutters in disbelief as he turns to his sister. "Aurora, what have you done to us?"
"Not to us." She grits as she walks to him.
"Aurora..."
"To you." She says in his face and then she exits the metal walls.
She turns around and faces him as her appearance changes. In Aurora's spot stands Cami. Tristan stares at her flabbergasted and in defeat.
"What is this?" He asks in confusion.
"You know what they say." Cami responds as she walks backwards to stand next to me and Nik. "Payback's a bitch."
"How is this possible?" He questions again.
Nik smiles as he walks closer to Tristan. Cami steps next to me and grabs my hand, knowing we are surrounded by enemies. "The Serratura creates an impenetrable boundary. Nothing living or dead can pass through."
"And thanks to your lunatic sister, I'm neither." Cami states nonchalantly and I squeeze her hand.
"No." He denies. "No. No!"
Nik turns back to Cami and I. "Stay close to me, okay?" He whispers to us.
"What are you waiting for? Take them. Now!" Tristan demands to The Strix.
The Strix start enclosing in on us. I pull Cami slightly behind me, keeping a grip on her hand. Nik stands next to me watching for anyone to attack. I'm still pretty weak but I refuse to not fight back.
"Before you rush headlong towards almost certain death, as your sire, I would like to invite you all to employ just a little bit of common sense." Elijah suggests walking in between us and The Strix.
"We are ancient vampires, Elijah." Aya says. "Each of us almost as strong as you."
"And you might almost be successful in subduing us. But at what price?" He counters as he addresses all of them as he holds a chain in his hands. "Most of you will die in the process. And for what? To avenge a fool, marching you headlong towards your very extinction in the name of a witch's prophecy? You do realize, he engineered absolutely all of this purely to satisfy some petty grievance against my family." He turns and faces Tristan. "Tristan doesn't care for any of you."
"Stop listening to him." Tristan orders sounding a little panicked.
"The only danger here, is the choice that you must make." Elijah leaves Tristan and walks back in front of us . "You see, I'm not your enemy. It's true. I delivered you into existence. I can easily pluck you out of it. The choice is yours to make." He then tosses the chain at Aya's feet. Aya straightens as she glares at Elijah.
However, before she can attack Marcel step up to her. "It's done. The moment's passed." He whispers. "Be smart, Aya. Smarter than Tristan. Don't waste anymore of our guys."
Aya turns and looks at their followers. She hesitates. "Stand down."
"You will not abandon me." Tristan says.
The Strix back up slightly and Aya takes a few steps at Elijah. She stops in front of him and holds his stare for a moment. Then, she passes him and approaches Tristan. "It's a shame it has to end like this."
"Aya, this isn't over." Tristan denies.
"May the ghost of our fallen keep you company." She says her goodbye.
"Aya." He tries as she walks away, The Strix following after her. "Aya!" He yells again in frustration. "Aya!"
When the building is clear besides us, Cami releases my hand. She gives me a quick hug, that I weakly return. Then, she starts walking away. I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion.
"Where are you going?" I inquire.
"Are you so eager to die?" Nik asks accusingly.
"What?" I say in disbelief. "Is that why you're still in transition? You have no intention of sticking around?"
"I'm already dead." She tells us emotionlessly without turning and looking at us.
"Well, at least let me thank you." Nik replies.
Cami swings around. "Do not mistake me helping your family with forgiveness for what you tried to do." She says as she storms up to him.
"Forgiveness?" I question looking between them.
"My choice in this is the only thing I have left." She continues as I put the pieces together. "And no one is taking that away from me. You need to get that."
She turns again and walks away. Nik wastes no time vamping in front of her and cutting her off. "Camille. I am begging you. You're my only friend. You're Kelsey's friend. Don't leave us."
I sigh and swallow the lump in my throat. I walk up to them and place my hand on his shoulder. "This isn't about us, Nik. It's about Cami." I sigh as a tear escapes my eye. I look at her and try to give her a reassuring smile, but it falls flat. "Listen I can't say I'll be happy if you decide to die. It'll hurt a lot. But if you can't see yourself moving passed this, then I'll be there. If you decide that you want to try being a vampire, then I'll help you. This is your choice. I'll support whatever you choose."
"Thank you." She nods lifting the corners of her mouth. I pull her into a tight hug.
"And thank you for helping them get me and Hayley back." I mutter into her hair. She nods again and looks at Nik one last time before walking out of the building.
"I really hope she wants to live." I sigh. Nik puts his arm around me waist and pulls me to his side. "I don't want to see anyone else I love die again."
We silently rejoin Elijah and Hayley. Nik keeps his arm around me and I'm thankful he does. I'm exhausted and still a bit wobbly. Elijah sees us and he opens the shipping container that Tristan occupies.
"So, this is to be my end?"
"No, no." Elijah denies walking closer to him. "This is the very beginning. You are going to the bottom of the ocean where you will drown, in darkness, again and again, and again over the course of centuries. This will be your splendidly horrific and perpetual end."
"Seemed fitting." I shrug. "You know, since you and your lunatic of a sister thought that was what Rebekah deserved. Karma really is a bitch."
"What have you done with my sister?" Tristan asks.
"Nothing." Nik answers. "Yet. But I assure you, her death will be spectacular." Nik goes to close him in, but Hayley interrupts.
"Wait." She approaches Tristan and Elijah moves out of her way. "You took a very good man from this world. He will be with me forever. But you? You will be forgotten. And as you rot in the ocean, remember my face." She grabs the door from Nik. "Cause it's gonna be the last one that you ever see." She finishes as she closes him in. She takes a deep breath and steps away.
"Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" I ask her.
"I would like to be alone, if that's okay." She says and I nod.
"What about you guys?" I inquire looking at the brothers.
"I'm going to stay and compel the right people and make sure this container gets abandoned in a deep pit in the ocean." Elijah says.
"Let's get you two home and then I will deal with Aurora." Nik replies.
_______________________
When we get to the Compound Nik gets me and Hayley a couple of blood bags. Hayley heads out the the Bayou to have a funeral for Jackson. I offered to go with her, but she told me after the day we had I should stay with the twins and she's right. So, I sent a text to Elijah. He will meet her out there and help her handle all the necessary things, like gathering the pack. She shouldn't be alone.
"She's gone." Freya tells us as she stands in the doorway of her room. She turns and leads us inside, where there is a circle and a bunch of symbols chalked out on the floor.
"How can Aurora be gone?" Nik inquires.
"Oh." Freya states sarcastically as she sits on her bed. "Apologies I left your lunatic ex unattended. See, I was busy casting the spell that saved the day. The effort left me a little taxed."
"Thank you, by the way." I smile at her and she returns it.
"She was drugged to a stupor and confined by your spell." Nik says.
"Well, she couldn't have broke free of my barrier on her own." Freya tells us. "Either she was aided by a witch or someone who has access to dark objects."
"Lucien." I mutter in conclusion.
"He's the only one left who would risk his life for Aurora." Nik states.
"Clearly his loyalty is misguided." I snark.
______________________
Nik and I decide to head to Cami's to check in. We have both have already been invited in, so we enter her tiny, comfortable apartment through her balcony door. Her lights are off, but there are a few candles scattered around illuminating the space. Cami softly moans as we walk around her shelves to find her drinking from a blood bag. She inhales deeply and cuts her eyes over at us.
"Camille." Nik says with caution.
"I hope you don't mind." She sighs as she discards the empty blood bag with the others on her small coffee table. Next to her is a cooler with more full bags inside. She doesn't look at us. "I helped myself to the Mikaelson family blood stash."
"Are you alright?" I inquire trying to gauge her mood, but she stays stoic and just stares at her lit candles.
"I have to admit, at first it felt strange, that metallic taste." She explains. "But then, it was like electricity coursing through my body. A million stars exploding in my mind all at once." She continues as she mentally relives the bliss she felt. "Like nothing I have ever felt before." She, finally, turns to us. "It was amazing." She stands up and walks over to us. "And all I can think now is, I want to do it again."
Nik slightly lifts the corners of his mouth as I silently watch her. I know that when you change, sometimes, so do aspects of your personality. However, Cami is acting off. Concern for her floods me, but I don't let it show. Maybe as she adapts to her new life she will get used to it and be more like herself. And hopefully her becoming a vampire isn't a bad thing.