Song: 'Time' by Mikky Ekko
'The curse. The moon. The blood will run'
Kol looks at me in complete awe. The fact that I'm a beast hitting us both hard.
But with me it's more of the fact that my mother never said anything. She let us go through life thinking we were normal when we were anything but. Mother and Father knew for our whole lives and I bet my brother and sister still don't know. If I hadn't killed someone and activated this curse then I still wouldn't know.
They sometimes said things that wouldn't add up and I was confused but never thought anything of it. Like when mother would said "Go get the door" seconds before someone knocked. Father would always say "Trust your Instincts" and "Let your senses take over". I always thought he meant don't do something you don't want to do and listen to your heart type stuff.
Now I'm a freak. A vampire and a werewolf. Natures most unlikely combination of killing machines in one girl. I'm a blood sucking vampire who turns into a beast on full moons! I'm apart of the species that killed poor Henrik!
Oh my god, Henrik.
My mouth drops open when I remember poor Henrik died because of a werewolf. I'm not the one who killed him but I might as well be now.
I look at Kol with wide, frightened eyes. Not knowing what to do now. But most of all hoping he won't leave me because I'm more of a abomination now than I was. Apart of a species that killed his brother.
It's like how my family hates witches because of what they did to my father. I'm sure they hate werewolves for what they did to Henrik.
"Kol" I start to say in between frantic breaths of air. I notice his grip holding my head up has gone limp and I'm afraid after everything he'll toss me to the side.
I grab fists full of his shirt and cling to him. Tearing up again, feeling like that's all I'm able to do now.
I thought I was alone in this world for as long as my eternal life allows but I realize I have Kol. I don't want to lose him. I'll do anything to keep the man I love. I'll do anything not to alone for the rest of our existence.
"Please..." I whimper. Burying my head into the crook of his neck. I wrap my arms around him. "I'm not evil. I didn't know what I was, I promise." I plead.
After a few seconds, when I believe he's going to push me away, he ends up wrapping his arms around me too and pulling me onto his lap. His large hand digs into my hair and his breath comes out shallow.
"Evil is not born, it's created" Kol mutters into my ear "You have never been evil nor will you ever be. You have nothing to fear, Calla. We will get though this together."
That's easier to believe when you didn't just kill someone. When you didn't just become a hybrid freak. Vampire life was not meant for me and I was the one that was slowest at learning of our abilities. What happens now with being something else entirely?
I don't know how long we're sitting on the cold, hard ground. A lifeless body drained of blood laying just feet from us. It could be minutes or even hours. Neither of us wanting to move and face the unfair world we were brought up in. And the uncertain future that's ahead. Because like Esther said, Everything will change.
We all had our different outlooks on life and what we'd become in the future. Who we would marry and how many children we'd have. Where we would live and how we would protect the people we love. We would have made our own decisions and followed our own path.
It's all changed.
Now each and everyone of us has the same outlook on the life that someone else choose for us. Now, we see nothing. A black abyss holds the once endless opportunities we had and I'm not sure what we're to do anymore.
This isn't the life I would have choose for myself.
Me and Kol sit there, wrapped up in each other. Neither of us wanting to let go. We've been in hell and and if we lose each other we might never come out of it. We've all we got left and we're afraid to be ripped away from each other.
The surrounding woods are quiet. Not even our breaths are heard. I wouldn't believe we were breathing if not for the puffs of steam coming from our mouths. Birds who usually chirp in the tree tops are strangely quiet and there's no sign of any small animal around us. The wind doesn't even blow and disrupts this moment. It's a deafening silence that causes me to shift just slightly so the leaves under me would make a sound.
It's a different kind of silence. Not one that I feel safe in. It's a strange kind and unnerves me for the woods are never this quiet without reason. It causes my body to tense slightly, not even Kol's arms around me could shake this uneasiness in the pit of my stomach.
The little voice in the back of my head tells me to run away until I feel safer. But where could it be safer than with Kol?
"Kol..." I begin but something cuts me off. A blood chilling scream echos through the air and chills me to the bone. Nothing but terror and pain laced into the loud sound that causes me and Kol to jump apart and look around frantically.
It takes us both a moment to realize that we're hearing it with our heightened hearing and that it's miles away within our village.
The bad feeling in me grows when I lock eyes with Kol. Our wide and frightened eyes stare at each other, wondering what on earth that was. What could have happened during our moments away that caused such pain to a individual?
My shoulders drop in defeat when I imagine innocent Rebekah or moral Elijah losing control and attacking someone like I have done. That is the most reasonable explanation I am able to think of.
"What on earth..." Kol mutters under his breath, standing up. He gives me his hand and helps me to my feet as well. We both stand frozen in place, waiting for something else to happen. Maybe it was just a false accusation on our part. I mean me and Aiden used to scare each other all the time which was no big deal.
My hand wraps around Kol's bicep and I inch closer to him. "Maybe it was nothing..." I try to convince myself more than anything. This bad feeling in my body won't go away and a scream like that had to mean something.
"What if-"
Another scream cuts Kol off, sounding just as terrified as the last time. But this time it's followed by multiple screams and more and more until their's too many to count. The noise of them all grows so loud that we don't need our heightened hearing to hear it anymore.
"Oh my god" I mutter as their screams go on and on as if in pain.
Kol grabs my hand and starts to run as fast as are new speed allows us to go in the direction of the village. By the horror in their screams then I'm not exactly sure I want to find out what's happening. Whatever it is can't be good and they truly on fear us so my thoughts go to Niklaus, Elijah, Finn and Rebekah. Wondering what in god's name they did to cause such chaos.
Dodging through the trees and rushing through the leaves on the ground, the woods go by us in a blur. The miles that would take hours for an average human to trail lasts only seconds to us. Arriving at the border of the woods and the village is where we stop and take caution.
What we see causes Kol to wrap a protective arm around my waist and pull me closer. My eyes widen even more and my mouth drops open in shock. Fear starts to flood through me and the instinct to run only grows until I'm shaking. Bodies of the villagers dash in every direction. The fear is evident on their faces. Some trying to hide and others rounding up their children and wrapping them in their coats to comfort them.
The mass of bodies causes some to run into each other, some gaining there balance back before taking off again but the others fall on the floor and people don't care enough to help them. They step on them as if they we're trash and even through the screaming and bangs of people pushing each other into things to get away I hear the their bones breaking. Some people are being trampled to death yet no one around cares. All they care about is getting away from whatever torments them.
Fruits and baskets litter the village floor telling us people we're in a rush to get out of there so they dropped everything. My nose picks up on the amount of fear and panic in the air, it causes my mouth to water with hunger. Them running hits the animal instinct inside and I wish to run after them and quinch my thirst but Kol's arm around me tightens like he knows. In reality he is the one about to loss control. His heavy breathing is loud in my ears and I hear his fangs rip from gums. His arm is still wrapped around me with his hand flat on my stomach so I put my hand over his to try and calm him down. If he starts to attack then I know I will too.
"What's happening?" My voice comes out breathless and fear is evident. I push aside the hunger and cling to what's left of my humanity which isn't much since I killed that man.
It's madness. These people are running like it's life or death and they won't stop no matter what. Why are these people acting like scared mice running from a cat. No not a cat, it feels like their running from a tiger. Something big had to have happened while we we're away and it's a chilling sight. I don't want to leave the cover of the trees.
"It's madness" Kol mutters as if reading my thoughts. I detect the cautiousness in his tone but also the fear he tries to hide.
So much has happened and been thrown our way that we're all just done. Life has worn us out and we should just expect something around ever corner. It seems like the peace we all want will never come.
I panic when Kol takes a step forward and I yank him back into the safety of the woods. "What are you doing?" I nearly scream, my finger nails dig into his skin.
Kol glances at me before looking back into the village. "We need to find out what's happening, Calla" he tells me but I shake my head furiously. There's no way we're going to do that.
"No, Kol, we have to get out of here. Whatever it is has to be bad to cause this reaction out of the villagers"
We both nearly jump out of our skin when hands are placed on our shoulders suddenly. We whirl around to face who ever came up on us while we we're watching. Our tense bodies relax when we see who it is. And by the looks on there faces they didn't cause this like I thought. If they did the fear and anxiety wouldn't be rolling off them in waves.
Fear is one each of there faces, not bothering to mask it. Rebekah looks ready to burst into tears as she clings onto Niklaus's arm in a death hold. Her bottom lip quivers and she's shaking so hard that she nearly falls over. Elijah and Finn's body are rigid and they're eyes are constantly moving, as if waiting for something to happen. Their heavy breathing and deep frowns give me the impression that it's really not good. Niklaus holds onto Rebekah and his gaze doesn't meet ours. It's casted down and he shrinks inwardly like a puppy whose been kicked one too many times.
"Kol, Calla" Rebekah sighs in relief but the fear doesn't leave her face "We've been looking every where for you." her words are rushed so fast that a normal human couldn't keep up.
"Something happened" Elijah starts but is cut off by a loud sound of crates falling. They all jump in fright over something so small.
"What's going on?" Kol asks hurriedly. "What's happening to the village, brother?"
Rebekah lets out a heart wrenching sob and it brings tears to my own eyes. My fear just feeds off hers. "It's Father... he's on a rampage" she manages though her voice cracks.
The breath leaves my lungs and true terror paralyzes me. Mikael. It's him who's causing this chaos. I don't know why he's doing this but I know from experience if you feel too much of one emotion then it makes you do impulsive things.
Mikael got what he wanted though, his family is safe from the wolves. Why would he kill the villagers? Why would he maim they werewolves who make up this village? We are insuperable compared to them, they are nothing so why must they die?
I realize I'm shaking my head, my wide blue eyes lock on Niklaus who flinches at every little sound that is heard. The son Mikael never liked is cowering at the mention of his father's name. Tears look to be shinning in his eyes but I'm not sure since he won't look at any of us. But he doesn't need to for me to know he's the cause of this disruption.
"He's going to kill any one in his path" I point out the obvious. Mikael wasn't someone to mess with as a human but now he has power backing him up and it makes him hazardous and unpredictable. It's foolish to cross him, everyone knows that but Niklaus did something anyway "What did you do?" I grit my teeth, my eyes never leaving Niklaus's body.
It takes a moment for him to realize that I'm talking to him. He doesn't look me in the eyes but he raises his head slightly in acknowledgement. It's then I confirm the tears swimming in his broken blue eyes. Niklaus starts to shake like a puppy.
"Niklaus!" I yell when I don't get an answer. My voice trembles but I don't let the tears fall.
Niklaus jumps at my yell but still doesn't say a word. It's Rebekah who speaks up "Stop, Calla, It wasn't his fault! He didn't know!" she screams at me.
My gaze shifts over to her and my mouth drops open in disbelief. "Him not knowing is what going to get the whole village killed by your psycho father!" I scream right back at her causing her to shrink into her brother's side.
"Hey, both of you stop" Kol snaps at both of us and we reluctantly stay quiet. He then turns to Elijah and Finn "What did he do?"
They both hesitate.
Before they can answer we all look in the same direction of the scream coming closer and see a blonde haired girl younger than us running. She doesn't see us for she's looking over her shoulder.
Just feet away. Her legs traveling as fast as she can go and her breaths come out rapidly and I can only imagine the strain she's putting on her body.
She turns her head back around to watch where she's going. If she would trip then it could be the end of her and I see that she's determined to survive.
Her eyes look forward and she spots us through the leaves of the trees. Her eyes connecting with each of ours. Hope in her eyes. A loud gasp leaves each of our lips when a spear shoots through her chest from behind and she pauses. Our wide eyes can't process what just happened.
When she falls to the ground, behind her reveals Mikael covered in fresh blood and we all quickly duck down to be hidden by the bushes. I'm crammed next to Kol and Finn. Elijah, Niklaus, and Rebekah are close in front of us, all practically on top of each other.
Each of us trying to stay quiet, hoping he won't hear us. None of us knowing if it's us who he's after and wanting to kill. The villagers may just be collateral damage until he finds us.
My breathing must be loud because Finn covers my mouth with his hand, shushing me softly. Rebekah buries her head in Niklaus's arm, her sobs being muffled. Kol is gripping my arm, his whole side against Elijah.
The suspense hangs in the air and suffocates us. I expect a hand to come out from no where and grab one of us but that doesn't happen. Instead we hear Mikael's foot steps go the other way and after a moment more screaming occurs. I jump at hearing the sound and I let out a sob, unable to contain it any longer. It's muffled due to Finn's hand but when he hears it he pulls his hand away and wraps both arms around me to comfort me.
"Why is he doing this?" I sob, my voice no higher than a whisper in case Mikael comes back. My eyes rush in between each of them.
Elijah looks at me and Kol with troubled eyes until he finally says it "Niklaus killed someone and... it activated the curse..." his voice trails off but I instantly connect the dots since it happened to me not that long ago. Just the word curse is enough for me to know what Niklaus is now.
"Werewolf" I breath out, my eyes going to the man of who we speak about.
At the word, Niklaus's head snaps up at me. Despair in his eyes that makes him look broken. Well, we all are broken but he is just a little more. All Niklaus does is nod in confirmation and it maybe selfish for me to feel relief wash over me. Knowing that I'm not the only one going to go through this. I have him and we can help each other control what being a beast comes with.
"That's impossible" Kol whispers. "You can only be one if the parents pass on the gene. Mother and Father do not so that would mean..." he trails off, almost terrified of where his thoughts led him.
Elijah nods and continues for him "Mother had an affair with a werewolf village. Klaus isn't Mikael's son"
The ultimate sin a women could make is adultery. The pride heightened in Mikael is going to be the very thing that kills us all. Niklaus being a bastard child disgraces the Mikaelson name and it ruins Mikael. And his once honorable name will die with the rest of us.
After everything Esther has done I don't feel bad for her but I do feel bad for Niklaus whose done nothing wrong. Mikael is after him from a mistake Esther has done. He should be after her, not Niklaus. Although he must be tracking done Esther's lover right now. He is as much to blame as Esther is.
Niklaus's whimpering snaps me out of my thoughts and I can how terrified he is. Not just of Mikael but of what he has become. Believing that he is a monster and how alone he must be right now. Thinking he's the only one of his kind. Being the disgrace his father always told him he was.
I reach out and place my hand on his shoulder. He jumps at my touch but I don't pull away. Niklaus's teary gaze lifts up to meet mine and I barley recognize the man I've seen before. He tried to comfort me with the prospect of family not long ago which hadn't of worked but now I realize I should have listened. Now I return the favor.
"You may think you are alone Klaus, but you are not" my voice is barley a whisper as I speak. "My parents also kept a secret from me. Not telling me of what I really am and if they had then things would be different, I'm sure. But now I am like you" the veins under my eyes become prominent for a couple seconds before smoothing out but in the couple seconds he was able to see the golden eyes of a beast.
Niklaus's eyes widen and he looks at me surprised but I also see the relief that he's not alone.
Rebekah looks up from her brother's arm with teary eyes. She looks at each of us, ignoring the chaos we all hear in the background of our village crumbling. "We are family. We stick together as one. Always and Forever." she promises.
XXXXXXX
The tears have stopped long ago, leaving stains on my pink cheeks. The numbness runs through my entire body and I relish in the fact that I can't feel anything at the moment because the second I do is when the pain will kill me slowly. An eternal death is what I'll suffer. After all death is frightening but so eternal life.
The cold dirt under me stains my already ruined dress that couldn't last one day. From the dirt and the blood covering it shows how unprepared I was when I woke up this morning. But who could have predicted this to happen?
The village is destroyed. Not a single soul still lives from the once quiet village. Mikael made sure of that before he went home to tear his own wife's heart out while Niklaus watched. I guess since she broke his heart, he broke hers. Esther tried to make amends before doing so though, casting a spell so Niklaus's werewolf side stays dormant, not realizing that the spell happened to work on me as well. It wasn't enough for her just to turn her back on the bastard child because Mikael isn't forgiving.
Mikael killed her before fleeing the destruction he caused. Leaving his kids to mourn over the mother they lost.
Finn leaving soon after because the one person he loved in the family died. Not caring at the fact that his siblings are still alive. I guess Kol was right about him too.
A shaky sigh leaves my lips and the puff of steam flows through the cold air that's nothing on my skin. My fingers subconsciously twist the bracelet on my wrist that was once Belladonna's and I realize that it's become my greatest treasure. Something to remember her and the family I was raised with for when I take on eternity.
I look down one last time at the body of my mother laying in front of me. Her blue eyes have lost the lively gleam they have and is a dull color. Lifelessly staring up at the setting sun. My mother's blond halo of hair is spread out around her and despite the bone sticking out of her neck she is still beautiful. Her skin used to glow in the sun but is now a deathly pale.
Not far away is Belladonna laying in her own pool of blood from the large branch sticking out of her chest. Her eyes are closed so I won't have to see her lifeless eyes. Next to her is Aiden who in his final moments must have protected her. Or tried to at least. Now he has a large hole in his chest where his heart should be. I'm not sure where the muscle is but I'd rather not hunt it down.
Mikael must have made them suffer.
New tears build in my eyes but I try to blink them away. I have already cried for them, long and hard. Most of the day actually. Now I'm a hallow shell of the girl I use to be. No one from my past to relive the experiences we've made.
My whole family is dead.
My ears twitch upon hearing footsteps coming up behind me. I don't move a muscle for I know exactly who it is. The person stops a couple feet from me and I can easily sense that he's hurting too. After all he just lost his mother.
"I could have protected them" I mutter numbly, my voice is thick and wavers only slightly. I have cried that last couple weeks more than I have ever done in my life. I'm determined to change that.
"You couldn't of stopped Mikael." Kol's voice says from behind me. His voice is hard and I have never heard him sound so emotionless before. "If you interfered then you would be dead too"
His voice bothers me. It's so monotone and I don't like it.
I push off the cold ground and turn to face him. His brown eyes looking just as emotionless as the rest of him. "I'm sorry about your mother, Kol." I may not have liked her the past couple of weeks but Kol loved her. She may have done questionable things but she will always be his mother.
A flash of pain crosses his eyes but it's gone the next second, making me rethink ever seeing it. He just nods at my words, not saying anything else about the subject. "C'mon, I have the graves buried for your family. We can bury them and we can leave this place far behind us." he turns to walk away but I use my new speed to zip behind him and grab his arm. Pulling him back around to face me.
He doesn't say anything, he just looks down at me with his jaw clenched.
"Are you sure you want to leave your siblings, Kol?" I ask him. When he first told me what he wanted to do I was shocked but I got over it when I saw my family lying there dead by the hands of their father.
Kol wraps his arm around my waist and presses me to him "They'll be fine and we'll be better off away from my dysfunctional family. Trust me, Calla" Kol leans in and presses his lips against my forehead in a sweet kiss.
"Okay" I mumble. My hand reaches up and cups the side of his face. "I trust you, Kol. We'll have forever together"
His lips curve up slightly and it's the first time since all this has happened. "It will just be you and me, my love."
XXXXXXX
This will be the last chapter during Ancient Times until it's Present Day. The next chapter will be the last chapter of the book!
Check out the song on the side by Mikky Ekko. He's an amazing artist and I believe this song goes well with the story.