The Fox Doppelganger TVD

Chapter 24: Poisonous Tongue



Katherine is seated on the couch smiling at Hailey ever so slightly making Hailey very uncomfortable. "Hailey, don't pretend. It's s been a while now and I gave you spirit force so you should be able to talk by now." Katherine said lightly.

"Thanks." Hailey said reserved opening her eyes feeling stupid for trying to deceive one of the most powerful creatures on earth.

"I make you uneasy. You can say it. I am an old woman so I value honestly." Katherine said.

"What did you say to Klaus that he got so angry he passed out?" Hailey asked looking at Klaus who never stopped bleeding from his mouth even as he lays there.

"I gave him a chance to get along with me. I asked him nicely to stop attacking me every chance he gets." Katherine answered making Hailey frown because she feels Katherine is underestimating her too much. That is clearly not all she had said to Klaus.

"I saw you watch my husband. Do you have feelings for him?" Katherine asked straightforwardly. Hailey is caught off guard by the question.

"I barely know him. He was just kind to me at a time when I was feeling alone and confused. He made me feel safe. Like I can trust he will keep me and my baby safe." Hailey explained flustered.

"I see. I was going to say if you like him I won't stop you. But since you are not interested I guess I got overly excited for nothing." Katherine said surprising Hailey.

"You see, I am a cut throat bitch, even to him. I have been alive for so long and been through too much to maintain the sweet, innocent and fragility that is normally found on delicate little girls like you. Men are creature of habit, they want to be the protectors, the white knights that weak little princesses swoon over." Katherine said with a voice devoid of warmth.

"I have had to count on myself for too many times that even if I cry wolf he will know it is fake. Elijah is the Pillar that holds his siblings together even as he tries to curve his brother's impulses. He is generally a strong man and will probably need to have that level of power over the fate of his lover. To have someone need him and depend on him so he will feel like a knight saving his princess."

"I have already been forged in the fires of hell and came out stronger. So strong that I may no longer satisfy that aspect of his innate desire. So, I need a fragile kitten like you who is also at the center of the storm to need him." Katherine said making Hailey widen her eyes.

"What if he leaves you for me? If he decides he wants to be with just me? What then? Will you use your strength to kill me off?" Hailey suddenly had this question in her mind.

"You have my word that I will step aside and never show my face in front of him. If he looks at me in the eyes and tells me he doesn't love me I will not retaliate. I have many things to be happy about in my life I will not waste it on a man who doesn't even want me."

"Then why marry him at all if he is so easy to leave?" Hailey doesn't buy it.

"I never said it will be easy. Love is very interesting Hailey, when yo love someone, truly long for that person you do not just want to have them by your side forever but also want for them to be happy. Even if their happiness will hinder yours. You are young, but you will understand soon. But can you handle Elijah?" Hailey kept silent feeling out of place. Katherine didn't seem to notice her discomfort.

"Don't get me wrong, I am not without jealousy I saw how he looked he looked at you upon our arrival. Which means he also has feelings for you."

"My question is, When you find out who he really is beneath his clean suit worth thousands of dollars and those polished shoes of his, will you accept and love him still, or will you shy away from him unable to look him in the eyes with the same tenderness I saw earlier on?" Katherine smiled an unkind smile.

"We immortals are complex creatures. What you see is rarely what you get once you dig deep. I am itching to find out if your love will be the likes of that Elena and her beloved Ripper or will it crumble in the face of the horrors that lay beneath my husband's gentlemanly façade. I am not holding my breath. Not all fragile humans can handle that kind of fire. Elena is special, she is after all my blood." Katherine delivered a hard line and went back to her musings.

Just because she can understand the problem doesn't mean she likes it. What woman would? Flirting with her husband right in front of her. How bold!

Katherine's phone rang. "Hello." Katherine answered.

"Katherine." The voice said and then fell silent.

"Did you call just to breath on my speaker?" Katherine asked with a bit of impatience.

"I need your help." The voice said then kept silent again.

"Why should I help you? Didn't you turn me away without hesitation a while ago?" Katherine asked nonchalantly.

On the floor, Klaus finally woke up and saw how much of a mess his clothes are. He stood there looking at Katherine with what seems to be complex feelings.

"I know you didn't just leave without taking what you wanted from my memories. I realized a while ago what you did. So, I want you to pay me for the information you stole from me, while I am still asking kindly." Qetsiya said with a bit of an edge on her tone.

"I'm so scared I'm trembling in my Sandals. You accuse me but where is the proof? Why don't you show me what you've got 2000 year old witch?" It is obvious Katherine has no fear at all.

"You know what you have done, there is no need for me to prove anything. Just do the right thing and pay me with that which I seek. Or I will come for you with all the power of my bloodline." Qetsiya said with a cold voice.

"How interesting...." Klaus said from the place where he is standing listening on her phone call.

"It is nice for you to stand on that moral high ground, looking down upon those of us standing on the lower platform and ask us for help just the same even though you condemn us. Just like now, your tone is high sounding and laced with thick condemnation as if I owe you something." Katherine said sounding bored.

"You do owe me, you violated my mind and took something that doesn't belong to you." Qetsiya said and the sound of her breaking something made of glass transmitted on the speakers. 1†.

"You sound stupid. Did I also steal away your intelligence during this theft I don't remember pulling off?" Katherine still sounds uninterested.

"Alright, what do you want?" Qetsiya seeing her blackmail doesn't work on Katherine, she asked.

"An apology." Katherine said, stunning Qetsiya.

"Apology for what?"

"For accusing me of doing something I didn't do."

"I'm sorry. I am desperate."

"We are all desperate. Now, what are you going to trade for what you want? Make it good." Katherine said and Klaus leaned against the frame of the door looking at her curiously.

"I will surrender the immortality elixir recipe like you had asked." Qetsiya said.

"You said you won't alter a person's life's span and blah blah blah...I had to find alternatives to achieve my goals. In short, I don't need your immortality elixir anymore." Katherine explained but Qetsiya got so angry.

"Of course you don't need it because you already have it." Qetsiya greeted her teeth.

"Like I said, where is the proof?" As if she wants to annoy Qetsiya even more Katherine said in a lazy tone.

"What else do you want?"

"Find me all the information you can on the witches of New Orleans and something called the harvest ritual. If it is not good I won't give you what you want. Remember to be very thorough in your research." Katherine turned off the call before Qetsiya could refuse.

"What is the harvest?" Klaus asked but Katherine ignored him. Seeing his anger getting out of control Katherine spoke.

"Do we have a deal? Or you and I are going to have a problem?" Katherine asked Klaus who didn't waste time agreeing to her request because he has too much to lose should she go through with her retaliation.

"Call the witch that brought you here to explain what she knows. I will compare it to the information I will receive from Qetsiya. She created the other side so she must know something or someone who knows something." Katherine said getting up to get snacks.

"Why would you waste a good chance like this just to ask this? Did you already take the other thing from her mind?" Klaus asked curious.

"Like I said, innocent until proven guilty." Katherine said with nonchalance. Klaus became speechless at her blatant disregard for the truth. But he thinks he can work with this type of person.

"I'll take your deal." Klaus said going to change his bloodied shirt.

"It seems you can trust me Hailey, for now." Katherine smiled at the pregnant wolf.

"So, let's have idle chat between us girls. Where are you from? Your blood is very powerful." Katherine asked Hailey who became stunned.

"What do you mean my blood is powerful?"

"I'm a Devine beast. You are a mortal beast which means I can see most of inner makings of your bloodline."

"What are you talking about?" Hailey couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm not sure yet. Some werewolves have stronger bloodline while others do not. It must be some sort of hierarchy among wolves. Like how Vampires have the first Vampires who are also the most powerful. You are probably part of the first werewolf bloodline. Which explains how you were able to concieve with the hybrid. Your child will be a force to be reckoned with." Katherine explained patiently.

Hailey touched her stomach with a small smile at the corner of her lips. She then looked at Katharine with intrigue.

"What do you mean the inner workings of a bloodline?" Hailey asked with an unusual amount of interest in her tone.

"I could see the sire line between a vampire and their sire, but not the direct line more of who has the blood of Elijah, Kol and so on inside of them. And that was when I only had one tail." Katherine says.

"Do you normally have more than one tail?" Hailey asked with widening eyes.

"I am a fox beast darling." Katherine smirked St her expression.

"I have never heard of a fox beast. Is it very powerful?"

"It's a Devine beast. It gains a mystical power with each tail It grows."

"How many tails do you have so far?" Hailey held her breath.

"Three."

"Can I see them?" Hailey seems like a little child with sparkling eyes.

"No." Katherine shattered her dream of seeing a mystical beast.

"It's a private thing. I don't know, at least buy me a drink first." Katherine said in amusement. "Besides, my husband doesn't like me showing my partial transformation to other people."

Hailey nodded in understanding.

"But if you become his woman too, maybe he won't be against it." Katherine laughed at Hailey's exaggerated expression. It seems their earlier conversation got to the girl.

"What nonsense are you feeding her?" Klaus's angry voice reached them, he entered looking at Katherine with fire in his eyes.

"I'm sorry are you two together? I was under the impression that it was a one time thing." Katherine looked surprised as she said.

"I'm ... We..." Hailey didn't know were to put her hands and feet in embarrassment.

"Whether we are together or not is non of your business. Stay out of it!" Klaus said to Katherine who seemed to understand something.

"So you are not together? Then why are you upset about my suggestion Nicklaus? At least she will still be within the family and not out there with some stranger while being the mother of your child." Katherine is delighted seeing the increase in discomfort on Klaus's eyes.

"I'm only trying to help." She shrugged.

"Don't! No one wants your help." Klaus shouted

"Let me finish. I am trying to help her." Katherine pointed at Hailey who is trying to silently leave the room. Klaus looked at Hailey.

"She doesn't need your help either." Klaus said.

"But she does." Katherine blurred in front of Hailey and cycles her until she stood behind her. She bent down and sniffed her neck, inhaling deeply like a creep.

"She is pregnant with the world's most complex creature, it's draining her and also putting pressure on her body making it extra sensitive." Katherine blew on Hailey's ear and watched as her body gets goosebumps she staggered and sat on the chair folding her legs tightly together.

"She is probably needy all the time Nicklaus. While you are out there playing politics the mother of your child is beside herself with desire. She needs someone to take care of her and you are not up for the job." Katherine said taking a jab at Klaus's pride. Klaus showed his werewolf eyes and took a step forward.

"Stop!" Hailey stood up angered by the topic. "This is my business. Katherine, I know you think you're helping but just stop, okay?" Hailey looking at Katherine she asked.

"Sigh, I'll listen to you little wolf. But holding all that desire is not healthy." Katherine raised her hands in mock surrender.

"About what you were saying on bloodline, can you tell if people are related?" Hailey changed the topic.

"I can tell this, why?" Katherine asked.

"I initially come here to find my family. They said my family is in the bouyou but I got kidnapped before I could make it out there." Hailey said and Katherine felt sorry for her.

"Klaus, did you bother to ask around about the werewolves who live in the bouyou while on your quest for domination?" Katherine folded her arms and asked

"No, why would I bother with weak people who nearly went extinct because of their own greed and internal strife?" Klaus sneered in contempt.

"So you did ask. Good job Nick, I'm proud. What else did you find out?" Katherine coaxed gently. Nicklaus can see what she is doing but he is tired so he just told them.

"They were all cursed into being in wolf form and only turn back human once a month. This was done by Marcel and a deceased Devereaux witch. So, just forget about them sweetheart. They can't even help themselves, they will only be a burden on you. Like I said, weak." Klaus finished with spite.

"You are a wolf too, are you weak? Besides I happen to know people who would disagree." Katherine said making Klaus remember her powerful group of werewolves.

"We can't all be your pack of werewolf freaks now can we?" Klaus mocked but is let with a bitter taste in his mouth thinking of all that power under the control of his foe.

"Don't worry Hailey, he isn't a total asshole. And I will help you find whatever remnants of your family when you have given birth so that your child can learn what it means to be a wolf." Katherine comforted.

"That is a big promise to make Kat. What if they are awful people...? I don't think we will want them around my little niece or nephew." Rebekah came in silently. She had come in blazing and shouting last night and already met Hailey.

"I heard you found Elijah. I never doubted you." Rebekah smiles at Katherine.

"Thanks. Did you see your ex?" Katherine went straight for the big stuff.

"Yes as the matter of fact, I didn't ask him to give me my brother back because you are here."

"I need you to do something for me. It's about Elijah." Katherine said with a serious expression.

"Go and find him. If he is having troubles with his power still, call me and I'll talk him through it." Katherine said and Rebekah stood up.

"What is going on? Is he alright?" Rebekah asked with slight panic.

"He is evolving. But power is not easy to obtain. It demands a price or at the very least pain and suffering of equal measure. Elijah will be fine if he pulls through but if he fails ...well, who know what will happen?"

"Wait, what?" Hailey got to her feet and asked not seeing the eyes everyone is giving her.

"Just go find him, follow the trail of destruction." Katherine gestured at the shattered floor where Elijah's aura had run amok.

"What happened to him exactly?" Rebekah asked sternly.

"I gave him something that will make him stronger ....over time. Look, I am a leader of a large clan made up of powerful creatures. I can't have my husband be incapacitated at the whims of a deranged psycho he calls 'brother'. Many might challenge him for my hand in marriage." Katherine said rolling her eyes.

The room is silent because Klaus is growling at her in anger. Rebekah seems to have missed something.

"Umm, challenge him for your hand?" Rebekah said in question.

"I made a rule that people are allowed to challenge others for their partners hand in marriage. The challenged party is not allowed to refuse."

"The bride will have to marry whomever wins? Isn't that a little..." Hailey failed to get the wording.

"Barbaric? Beastly? Don't worry the person doesn't have to go along with the marriage if she doesn't like the winner. However, the person who lost the fight, will already be disgraced."

" The point of the rule is that weakness is a sin. I wanted them to not ever be weak. Imagine the man coveting your woman beating you in front of her? It's not about the price, it's about the process."

"Clever. So that is why you juiced up Elijah." Klaus said.

"Thanks. Not just that, I had told them to challenge him if they want to. What?" Katherine said blinking

"You are the one who brought trouble to yourself." Hailey shook her head.

"I can't make rules and then not follow them. Being a leader is not just about having a bunch of yes men for yourself. They should appreciate you and respect you."

"But now your so called rules are pressed against you like a sharp dagger." Klaus left laughing at her.

Katherine bit her lip and stood up after Rebekah left. Hailey looked at her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm taking a walk young wolf, this house is gloomy." Katherine walked out but Hailey followed.

"Are you also taking a walk?" Katherine asked her. Hailey nodded but she seems to be hiding something from Katherine.

"Okay, let's walk together." Katherine put on a pair of sunglasses. She can not believe Elijah is messing up evolution. Men, inability to perform at the most inopportune moments.

"The French quarter witches are a sad bunch." Katherine said out of the blue.

When the two girls part ways Katherine can feel a heavy aura on Hailey but she decided to let it be. Katherine sped to the church where Davina stays and entered wearing one of her stealth artifacts she is basically invisible to everyone but those she wants to converse with.

She entered when Marcel came inside. Marcel finds the place a mess. The coffin that was holding an original Vampire is now empty. "D, what happened?"

He rushed to her checking if she is not harmed. "I'm fine, someone came for the old one. She called him husband." Davina sat down looking at the coffin.

Marcel is stunned at the information. "What did she say her name was? How could anyone find this place? It means your location has been compromised Davina and we must move you somewhere safe." Marcel is visibly panicking.

"It's no use Marcel, she is very powerful. She told me that you will lose against the hybrid and that he with you. I have never seen anything like that, her eyes were like those of an animal."

"Wait Davina, let's first move you to a new safe place. Then worry about all these other things." Marcel made calls and Davina is then moved by a group of vampires to a small house near the lake in the bouyou. This plot of land is vast. Mikel didn't by the entire place so there is a place where they can stay.

The place is out of the way and peaceful. "I know it doesn't have electricity but it is also away from the witches. This is wolf territory, my friend and her husband loved this lake house." Marcel said with a nostalgic expression. Davina cu?0an feel his sadness through the magic. She holds his hand in comfort making Marcel smile.

"Try to put a boundary spell around here so you are safe. I have to go to Klaus, I don't want him to get suspicious." He speeds away. Davina looks around the dusty old cabin with no furniture since they didn't want to make a commotion and a group of people moving furniture out of town would have been suspicious.

She closed her eyes and cast a simple cleaning spell and the place is left spotless. 'Clap' 'Clap' "Good job." Katherine said from behind her. Davina jumps in surprise. She saw who it is as came down but still remains on guard. She always feel like this person has no malice but just likes to see people squirm.

Katherine is not even looking at her she looks around the empty cabin and picks a spot, she pointed and materialized a large comfortable looking bed with a complete black and pink bedding set. She jumped on the bed and hugged a pillow.

"How can you do that? Are you a witch?" Davina touched the bed in wonder.

"It space power. I can take things from this warehouse I bought a while ago. It has everything in case I ever need something." Katherine said rolling on the bed happily.

"What are you doing here?" Davina said still not coming close to her.

"I haven't met anyone here and then I remembered how lonely you were. I will keep you company when I can."

"Why? Do you want something?" Davina became suspicious.

"I might not be a witch but I don't lack magic in my life. Let me show you something cool." She took out a dazzling tiara. The base is silver and made of what seems to be golden branches, green and red rubies as budding fruits, crystal looking leaves on the branches and under the fruits. The entire thing looked beautiful and bewitching.

"Put it on and you'll see something cool." Katherine clapped her hands in anticipation.

"No, I don't know you." Davina said disappointing Katherine. Seeing her dejected expression Davina felt a little bad for making her sad. "How about you tell me about it first?" Katherine nodded.

"It can allow who put it on dominance over plants. If you have a natural affiliation with life and plants, you can even bend the shape of dead wood and make it into whatever you want it to be. Image a person seated comfortably on a chair with wooden makings, you can make it imprison him inside and even bend the wood to strangle him to death."

Katherine said but her earlier energy is gone. Davina is amused by her sulking face. Katherine put on the tiara and her eyes turned green, she waved her hand and a small sampling growing on the corner of the window grew long and crawled around the window it's green leaves swaying in the wind coming from outside.

"Amazing! Are your eyes going to stay like that forever?" Davina said without with much joy, she has obviously seen better.

"Only when I'm using it. This only a small part of what I can do with it. But we can't change the structure of this place without alerting your witch friends of your location. Ooh I know what can bribe you without fail." Katherine took out the simple looking black ring she is wearing on her finger and gave it to Davina.

"This is sure to win you over. It's a stealth artifact, no one can see, smell or hear you unless you want them to. Even magic won't be able to trace you. It's the ultimate weapon for thieves and fugitives. Like you." Katherine said giving her the ring. Davina felt her resolve to stay away from her thin by a fraction.

She took it and looked at it. "Does it really work like you said?"

"I entered the attic with Marcel and also kept poking him but he thought he was being paranoid." Katherine laughed.

"You are immature for a grown up." Davina comments.

"I am a fox beast darling Davina. I am playful by nature."

"So, what are we doing today? Besides hiding and fearing for our lives." Katherine asked the girl. Davina shook her head indicating she doesn't know.

"Perhaps you should make furniture With the help of my fun new friend." Katherine showed her the tiara but Davina is still suspicious of it. Katherine put it back to her warehouse. She took some of Davina's sketch books and wrote down a few of Qetsiya's spells.

A powerful boundary spell that will require many normal witches to pull off. She gave it to Davina who had a little trouble understanding it since she is used to spells in French.

"Where did you get this? It is very powerful, and a normal witch wouldn't be able to pull it off." Davina looked at her in suspicion.

"I stole it from the mind of a two thousand year old witch."

"You can enter people's minds?" Davina moved her head a bit further away from her as if she will protect it that way.

"Yes. Can't you?" Katherine asked confused. Seeing Davina react to her she Sneered in contempt. "What useful things will I get from entering the mind of a small child running for her life from her own people? Don't flatter yourself young witch.

"I can't and even if I can, I won't." Davina answers her first question.

"You're a better man then I am." Katherine mocked.

"Do you want to learn or not? The people who you were sacrificed with are being taught by the ancestors as we speak. You will be left behind if they come back. You'll be that loser who just can't get it right." Katherine rolled her eyes.

"That was just a lie they told to get us to the slaughter." Davina said with a stern voice.

"Yeah, but learning doesn't hurt. Come on, I am being uncharacteristically kind here." Katherine said and Davina agreed. Hours went by but no results.

"Look maybe I should put the normal boundary that I already know." Davina wanted to give up.

"They want to kill you and you want to use their knowledge to hide from them? You forget, they taught you all that you know so they will know how to counter it. Use foreign knowledge, something they don't know how to fight back."

Davina felt empowered by the speech and doubled her efforts. "Besides, no one can find you if you are wearing that ring. Good luck young Claire." Katherine disappeared from her spot.

She went home and found Mikel there doing his afternoon training. He is also training his little army which for some reason includes Vicki Donavan.

Katherine answered a call from Klaus. "Find Hailey she is in danger." The call is dropped just like that.

"Send out your people to find Hailey and bite those who tried to harm her. Now!" The wolves and Mikel disappeared in front of her. She had helped Mikel in improving the effects of their Vernon.

Katherine wanted to help Mikel to not be under Nicklaus's shadow especially since half the time he will most likely be fighting Klaus and his allies. Having the werewolf bite venom of his own army be easily cured by the enemy is like giving away and advantage.

She then called Nicklaus, who answered with an attitude.

"What?"

"Tell him it was me." She dropped the call.

Mikel found Hailey in a few seconds and took her home carrying her princess style. Hailey got surrounded by a group of vampires she got ready to fight, she blinked and found herself inside the house she had been residing in for a few weeks now, being gently put on a couch. "Mikel? What's going on?"

She had met this handsome person before but he always try and avoid her or only comes inside the house only when Klaus is around. Mikel looked at her with interest and then he was gone.

Marcel got a call just after Klaus finished explaining to him that he was not behind Elijah's rescue mission and that he still hasn't met his brother yet. Marcel left Klaus sitting at a bar alone so Nicklaus went to the hotel he has been pretending to be staying in and wait for Marcel to find him. It didn't take long and three people came, Marcel being the fourth.

"My guys were patrolling and found a wolf. They attacked her but here blindsided by a group of hybrids and got bitten. Something you want to tell me man? How the hell are there other wolves with the ability to shift at will?" Marcel asked with visible outrage.

"That is not me. It is Katherine, she found a way to grant wolves the ability to shift at will and made them very powerful. I really shouldn't have daggered Elijah." Klaus gave Marcel his blood in a glass. The wounds seems to come down.

"Who is this woman? I want her head for this." Marcel showed his fangs making Klaus surprised. This is it? His weakness is the people around him? How painfully obvious, Klaus thought he had taught his adopted son better.

"I wouldn't recommend a direct confrontation with her." Klaus said making Marcel stunned.

"Who the hell is this person that even you can't control? Should I be worried?" Marcel asked.

"Normally she like to torment people with her poisonous tongue, she is generally not someone who goes around flaunting her power. But if you go against one of her people, all bets are off." Klaus warned.

"And this person is here now in my city. How can I ignore such blatant disregard for my rule? I have to answer in kind. And you are going to help me." Marcel is gearing up for a fight.

The sound of someone screaming came from the three vampires making the conversation between the two people halt. They saw the wounds that had just healed open and look hideous with black smoke coming out of them. The two most powerful Vampires in the room took a step back. Klaus called Katherine.

"I find myself in a bit of a pickle. My friend is bitten by one of your freakish werewolves and now I'm going to need a cure."

"Do you know where my husband is? It is already noon and the food is already cold." A lazy voice came from the other side of the call.

"Katherine this is important." Klaus said sounding helpless.

"Those are not my wolves. They belong to Mikel. Good luck." She dropped the call.

"Mikel the young man you are always walking with?" Marcel asked in anger.

"Mikel is someone I word a favor to and he asked I bring him to New Orleans for a fun time. I may be a bastard but I pay my dues."

"His scent is not like that of werewolves." Marcel said in contemplation.

"She removed it from her immediate pack, I think it is so the enemy doesn't raise their guard until it is too late." Klaus said as he called Mikel.

"You remembered me. I'm touched." Mikel said

"What sort of bite your does wolves have and what is the cure?"

There is silence from the other side until Klaus looked at the phone to see if it is still on call. Mikel's speaks and his voice has suddenly changed. It's now has an obvious distance and coldness that surprised Nicklaus.

"Were they friends of yours? Did you send them to harm a pregnant woman?" Mikel has been briefed on how to handle Marcel on this matter, it is best to have him indebted to either Mikel or Klaus as long as he is now aware of the presence of a powerful world pack.

"They belong to Marcel and he wants them cured." Marcel answered for Klaus.

"The king wants the them cured? Ow my, whatever will I do?" The phone got disconnected.

Klaus looked at Marcel with disapproval. "You just made a mistake of thinking you are in charge. If he doesn't want to cure your friends there is nothing you can do about it. Nothing."

Marcel looked at Klaus in suspicion. Klaus is not someone who can be so easily subdued, it just means they are playing him. No matter, as long as his people are cured he will deal with this Mikel later.

"Bring me to him, I know a few ways to convince him." Marcel showed his Vampires face again. Klaus called Mikel again.

"Klaus, may I help you with something?" The voice doesn't have the coldness from before.

"I need that cure." Hearing the silence on the other end Klaus speaks again.

"Where are you?"

"Inside Marcel's cellar there's so much alcohol, I was right to come here. I will tell you how to save your friends and then I'll help myself into your alcohol. Deal?" The voice said and Marcel got even angrier but he agreed and Mikel chuckled hearing him grind his teeth.

The vampires are laid down on the bedroom and Mikel nodded and looked at Marcel. "Alright, Don't get mad. There is no cure." Mikel flashes d behind Klaus when Marcel lunged for him.

Marcel is stunned by the impossible speed the kid just showed casually to run away from him. Marcel realized Klaus may have been telling the truth about this group of wolves. "Then why have us transport them here? Is this a joke to you?"

Marcel is angry and his Vampires can see it so the room is soon full of tens of vampires ready to attack. Mikel hides even further behind Klaus. When he is sure of his safety, he he whispers to Klaus. "Do these savage creatures not know I have guest rights or this is not a civilized society?"

"Perhaps you shouldn't have toyed with the young King's feelings. He seems very touchy with the lives of his people." Klaus whispered back.

"I am not! It is true there is no cure, but there is a way to reduce the death aura from the bite, thin it out until it is not too strong to affect them and eventually it will leave their system on its own if it is not strong enough to take their lives." Mikel said back to Klaus in a whisper.

"Then you should have led with that. Klaus played along and whispered to Mikel who rolled his eyes.

"I barely got a word in before I was surrounded by savage looking vampires looking to tier me to pieces. Ah! Where was time to explain myself? This is the child you raised?" Mikel put his hand on his should in comfort. "Better luck next time."

"He is not too bad." Klaus defended weakly.

"Really? His people led an assault on a pregnant innocent woman, he is surrounding and is going to attack me even though I am going to help his evil men." Mikel whispered back making Klaus shrug helplessly.

"Look man, help my guys, I'm sure they didn't know she was pregnant alright?" Marcel couldn't take it anymore. He could see the faces of the vampires in the room growing disgusted at the deeds of the fallen.

"So, a wolf should die regardless of crime?" Mikel came out from behind Nicklaus and faced Marcel, his earlier cowering expression gone. Mikel is a wolf so he stood face to face with Marcel even as he is young in age. The broad shoulders and strong arms that Marcel has are just as prominent on Mikel.

"Wolves are not allowed in my city. Those are the rules." Marcel said and his Vampires agreed with him in howls.

"My apologies but that is dum. This is a tourist city, it doesn't even grow its own food and make its own clothes. It's interact with the outside world. So you as a leader allow your people to slaughter innocent people who have not come to harm you or challenge you just because of who they are? How are you different from the humans who enslaved people of color all those years ago? Or is that where you are headed? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, though poison it may be." Marcel lost his cool and attacked but Mikel dodged.

"It appears I've struck a nerve." Mikel smirked at Marcel's increased frustrated expression as he can't touch him at all let alone land a a punch.

"You have no right to come into my home and throw accusations around." Marcel shouted but Mikel is not impressed.

"Years ago when you made your so called rules 2617 werewolves have died in total that we know of. Last year alone many tourists of werewolf descent have lost their lives in this city of yours. People who work hard on their lives and have to suffer the cure every month, put aside their savings so they can come and enjoy the wonders of New Orleans but will be killed on your streets because of how they smell."

"Is that not evil? Are you a good man by butchering people who have children, families they want to take care of and put thousands of werewolf children on the foster care that knows nothing about the curse. Which increases the chances of them triggering the curse even more because you want to be liked by these filthy peasants you call your people?"

"Or is it the illusion that you are invisible that made you so blazen? These ....." He gestured to the Vampires in the room with disgust.

"Things call you king and you think yourself King? When I found out about the happenings of this city I was planning to lock you and your ... subjects into a room and set all of you on fire, cleanse this town of all your sins. But then there's this annoying Vampire leader in our clan who thinks the vampires in this city have not a good leader and that it is your fault. "

"Marcel is still young, he can still be taught." Klaus decided to insert himself in this talk.

"Time will tell. For now, I have a way to ease your friends pain. Come forth and take on some of their pain to yourself. Since the sinister qi was not inserted with a bite to you, you can survive even if you take on all their excess aura." Mikel said back to his charming self.

Marcel narrowed his eyes at him. "You sure you are not just trying to kill me off?" Marcel looked at the three vampires who seems to be out of their minds with pain they are even going delusional now seeing things that are not there.

"They will survive if the only qi is that in their system only and not the excess that is ravaging their skins and muscles. Which is the that I will be transferring to you. Just a heads up, they are not hallucinating. They can really see dead people." Mikel said with a chuckle.

"You're bluffing so that I will back out." Marcel tried to gauge out Mikel's reaction to his statement but he can not see anything.

"When you kill people and they feel resentment towards you, their spirits will follow you, silently condemning you for your unjust actions. That leaking aura coming out of every opening in your friends body is called death aura. It literally brings you closer and closer to death. It is obvious the first dead spirits you will see when you die is that of the people who are always with you." The reason he explained is because the three people are shouting at the people they have killed.

The room became silent as many Vampires took several steps away from Mikel. Marcel still had a question. "But they are not dead."

"Yet." Mikel said making Marcel change his mind about trying to find another way.

"Alright I'm ready." Marcel came to Mikel who tout his hand on Marcel's should and put Marcel's hands on each of the two Vampires. Soon the screaming of the two Vampires stopped and they fell unconscious. Marcel started growling in pain as black lines wiggled up from his hands to the rest of his body. Marcel staggered but Mikel carried him to the last one doing the same thing until he fell unconscious himself.

'Dud' Marcel went down hard falling to the ground as Mikel moved out of the way. The vampires are still scared of Mikel's venom but some one went straight towards Marcel making Mikel run back to behind Nicklaus.

"Shivers, so scary. It's like accompanying a tiger." Mikel went back to acting scared. He showed only a head smiling lightly at the vampires. This irritated them until one vampire said "Kill the bastard." The vampires got incised and made a move.

Klaus doesn't even know why he moved but he stood still in front of Mikel like a wall. One Vampire comes he snapped the neck of said Vampire. Soon no Vampires came forth.

"Thanks Nick, let's get out of here, I helped these savages and this is the thanks I get. "Mikel shamelessly used Nicklaus as a shield the entire way.

"That was quite the show of strength you did back there. Is that why you are here?" Klaus asked when Mikel finally stood next to him instead of hiding behind him.

"No ways. I only did that to prevent any unprovoked attacks on my kind. I would have done it even if it was Elijah who did it. Even if it was you but I don't think I will have to worry about you doing something so demeaning. You are part wolf after all. You are my kind." Mikel slapped his shoulder but Klaus narrowed his eyes at the obvious threat. He is about to say something but is called by Rebekah with a panicked voice. He left Mikel on his devices to go and enjoy the alcohol he liberated from Marcel.

....

"Hello." Katherine answered her phone, it Rebekah.

"He is spiraling. There's an invisible force destroying everything surrounding him. We don't know how to stop it. Katherine, help him."

"It's an evolution. All he has to do is open himself up and allow himself to evolve into his better version. The process will not succeed if he holds himself back." Katherine said with a calm voice.

"Katherine! Human words please." Klaus said from the other side making Katherine chuckle.

"The process will be done if he is able to go through three steps. One, have a clear purpose for seeking strength."

"You know why I need to get stronger." Elijah's hoarse voice came through the speakers.

"I know what you told me, but is it the truth? You can fool me Elijah you can try and say one thing about why you want to grow stronger but you can not fool your subconscious. So, in order to gain that which you seek, you must be honest with yourself about why you want it."

"It's okay Elijah, you don't need to share this information but you need to pull it out of your subconscious mind and accept it. The second step is to know yourself. You have lived for so long and built this persona that you may have lost your true self among the many faces that you wear."

"What do you mean?" Elijah asked sounding confused.

"Who are you? Are you the noble man who pulls his violent brother back from going too far in adding to the ever increasing pile of innocent dead corpses on his pursuit for world domination? Or are you his butcher, the executioner by his side ready to cut down any threat against him and your family regardless of whether innocent or evil?"

"Katharina I don't understand...what are you saying?" Elijah's voice sounded strained.

"Alright I will make things easier for you. You remember Elena? Sweet, kind and human Elena? I can't see you but I'm going to assume you are all nodding. Your mother bound her life to that of the super Vampire who was to hunt you and your siblings." Katherine said and Klaus, Kol, Rebekah and Finn looked at Elijah with solemn expressions. They already know what he would do. But would Elijah accept it himself?

"Had it been you on that bridge and not Rebekah, and you had to decide between killing the innocent child who hadn't even gone to college and letting your 1000 years old group of siblings with more than enough innocent blood on their hands be hunted down, what would you have done?"

"Who are you Elijah? A noble stag? Or an ruthless butcher? Once you find this out and accept who you are, you will be a step closer to complete your evolution successfully."

"The third step is not easy either. I like to call it. Things I have done. You need to open the darkest place in you where you hide and throw away all the terrible things that you have done and shine the light on them. I can't tell you how you do it but it all comes down to how they make you feel about yourself."

"Negative emotions will hinder your progress so you need to face your past actions and move past them feeling better and able to move past them. Do you remember when I was making amends? I didn't want to but I couldn't forgive myself for hurting that lovely woman no matter how I tried to justify it to myself I just felt guilty. So I went out of my way to befriend and ask for her forgiveness."

"You see, the process of growth is learning and doing better in the future having learnt your lesson from your past mistakes. If we don't acknowledge that we did something wrong in the first place, we deny ourselves the opportunity to evolve and mature. If your mentality does not progress, you will be denied the opportunity to go to higher levels in evolution because you are stuck in your circle of indulgence."

"A person who refuses to admit their mistakes and learn to do better next time must never be given infinite power. They will use this new found strength to repeat the same circle or commit even more atrocious deeds, when they have more power, the victims will find it impossible to survive such a character."

"Hey, I have a perfect example. Nicklaus Mikaelson." Katherine said and Klaus growls.

"I'm warning you."

"Come now Nick you haven't even heard what I have to say. He has repeatedly denied his siblings happiness. He kills their partners, compel them, or simply chase them away. Finn loved a girl once, Klaus chased her away, Elijah fell in love but is repeatedly ripped apart from his women by his brother who claims to love him. Rebekah, oh poor sweet Rebekah."

"Should Nicklaus gain more power, what fun things would he do to you and your foolish need for romance I wonder... So, in order to not have a similar situation with you my dear husband, you need to unearth all your misdeeds and forgive yourself for them. You may find it is impossible to move passed some of them before making things right with whoever you have wronged. A thousand years of experience, I don't envy you my love."

"What happens if he fails?" Klaus, who is very familiar with his own brother asked.

"The power will consume him from the inside out, grinding his innards and turning them liquid, then extricating them from his body through all the openings. This will be excruciating, I don't fancy your chances. Any of you."

"Katherine, you have to do something to help him. This is your doing after all." Klaus said with a threatening tone.

"No! You did this to him. When you decided to stab him in the heart, making me almost lose my unborn children. You are the author of his suffering. Had it been before I would have left him be but now, he can not be at the mercy of his beast of a brother, or the many enemies who will no doubts flock to New Orleans now that the great Klaus Mikaelson has a devastating weakness."

"You didn't need to risk his life like this! You speak of love and how you want to have with him, but is this what it means to be loved by you? You told me you will make him happier than I can. Is this the happiness you speak of?" Klaus shouted.

"What can I say? Love is pain." Katherine said unconcerned.

"If you don't fix this this instance, we will come after you and your so called family and believe me, we might fight amongst each other but together, we are a force to be reckoned with." Finn said with a cold tone.

"I'm scared now. The older brother has spoken." Katherine still didn't sound moved. Sounds of breaking branches and cracking earth came through the phone. Katherine sighed.

"Elijah, my love. You have to come to terms with the man that you have become after all this time since that faithful day of your turning. Do what I have said and you will be the Pillar that you have been trying to be for your family. Do this, and I will stand by you. Maybe you will lose some people but they will come back they always do. That is what family does."

"But if it gets too much and you think you are going to die, turn the right ear of the fox on your pendant necklace and pour your blood on that ear. It will remain in that awkward position until you turn it back when you are ready to face your truth." She sighed again and dropped the call.

"Thank you Katharina." Elijah said but she had already dropped the call. He didn't even think before doing as instructed on the pendant. The siblings looked at him. They all wonder what could he be hiding that he will deny himself a chance to be granted more power. But none of them opened their mouths.

The moment Elijah did what Katherine said on the pendant a blue light enveloped his entire body and soon all the extra power he had been trying to contain with in his body left him and he once again felt like his usual self. He is disappointed that not even a shred more is left for his use but he will deal with it.

His wife is really ruthless. She didn't even leave him the extra sharp senses. All day long he had been hearing things happening in the city and he is nearly a thousand miles away from it. He could zoom in a specific location with his eye sight and see it as clear as if it were in front of him even as it is too far for an original Vampire to see..

They walked to the house in silence.


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