Chains | N.M

05 | siblings

Chapter five
sɪʙʟɪɴɢs

𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑.

River hadn't got another location on Hope, as much as she wished she had and Klaus hadn't asked her about it. Though, his interest in her seemed to have spiked significantly.

She liked answering his questions, and was getting quite good at dodging the personal ones. Family related questions received vague answers, and if he noticed, he didn't make any comment on it.

"Have you ever read my mind?"

River didn't bother looking up from the strings of her guitar, "No. I do siphon from you everyday, though."

"What?"

She hadn't told him that, and judging but the sharpness of his question, he wasn't happy about it.

"I need magic to create this mind room, and that blade in your chest only did so much. I'm not taking a lot, just the tiniest bit."

"And you weren't going to ask me?"

River finally looked up to find his eyes already on her. "Honestly? No. I didn't think it mattered. I'm sorry, and I'll stop if you like."

She saw his jaw clench, "No, it's fine." However stubborn he was, he didn't want to go back to sitting in squalor. "You should've asked."

"Sorry, blue."

It fell silent for a moment, but his eyes never left her. "What?" she asked after his staring became too much.

"You're practically a stranger to me. I've know you for almost two years, yet I know nothing about you."

She knew what he was implying, "But you'd like to." He nodded, a hopeful glint in his eyes. "Alright. I hate cold weather, my favorite color is a very dark purple. Pepsi is better than Coke, no question. I write music, as does everybody in my family, that's really about it."

He refused to believe that was "it", but didn't push her on it. "Pepsi is not better than Coke, and frankly, I think your opinion privileges have been revoked, just for that," Klaus said, a teasing grin on his face.

River scoffed, "Coming from the guy who like pineapple on pizza."

"The flavor of it is perfect. I don't think it's that horrible of an opinion," Klaus said, feigning offense.

"No, it certainly is, and you've had a thousand years to realize it."

| Chains |

Their routine was consistent by now. They would wake up, do their hobbies (he loved listening to her play the piano while he was covered in paint), eat then repeat. He still wasn't quite sure how blood worked in the mind room, despite the many times she explained it, and he didn't want to bother her by asking again.

He watched as she put two braids in her hair, something she did most nights, while he decided when to ask her something that had his curiosity flaring.

"Do you know why your parents named you River?" Klaus asked, staring up at the ceiling. Sleep just wouldn't come to him, and judging by the way her heartbeat hadn't evened out, she was still awake too.

She nodded, not that he could see it. "My parents didn't learn I didn't have magic until I was a around one. I was supposed to be their saving grace with my extraordinary power, which didn't happen, as you know."

He knew what she was implying. He rolled on his side to look at her from across the room, finding her staring at the ceiling as he previously was. "River by literal definition means; a large quantity of a flowing substance. They were after your power," he said softly.

"And that's exactly what Theodin gave them."

They stayed silent for a moment when Klaus was debating whether or not to leave her alone.

Deciding not to, he spoke again, "You never talk about them. Your family, I mean."

River rolled to look at him, and he saw something on her face he'd never seen before and he couldn't exactly place what it was. "That's because it's quite depressing. Theodin is dead-ish, and I didn't get custody of my niece. Now very entertaining conversation, is it?"

"I suppose not. But I am very curious about you, your brother as well. Now, what do you mean 'dead-ish'"

She was kinda hoping he didn't catch that. "I'm trusting you, you know," she said dangerously low."If I have even the slightest feeling of ill intentions I will erase your memory of everything I'm telling you, including me before I torture you senseless. Do you understand?" It wasn't meant to be answered, but he nodded anyway.

"Yes."

To be honest, he didn't believe she had it in her to do so, but the way her gaze lingered on his a moment longer, made sure he knew she meant it.

"We can be killed, similar to if I snapped your neck." Her tone instantly became light again, and he somewhat shocked by it. "Killing me, no matter how, drains all the magic from me, and without magic, I can't resurrect." She paused to make sure he was following, continuing when he didn't have a confused look on his face.

"To make sure a fabrikator stays dead, you need to put the body somewhere they can't siphon magic. Somewhere like a crypt, or magic proof room. My brother is semi dead," she reiterated.

"You are your brother are on good terms, yes?"

She nodded.

"So then why are you here, and not out looking for him? I know my company is great, but—"

"Don't flatter yourself," she interrupted, smiling slightly. "The witches who took him are part of some anti-siphon group, whose got is to rid the earth of "siphon like abominations". Looking for him myself would be incredibly stupid," she said.

He didn't get it. "You have an empire? People loyal to you and your brother."

She snorted, "Hell no. Too many loose ends in that, and it draws attention. Its not worth it when I have no desire to be queen. I have mind control, blue, it comes in very handy."

Klaus had more questions, a river of them, but she spoke before he could.

"Goodnight, Niklaus."

A slight smile washed over his face at hearing her say his full name.