Tainted | Finn Mikaelson

Chapter 28

Klaus was babysitting her.

"Seriously?" she coughed when she woke up. "They put... you in charge?"

"I put myself in charge," he said with a smug look on his face. "After, of course, I took Camille somewhere safer."

Katya rolled her eyes, leaning back in the new chair she'd been chained to, in the dungeon. "Am I meant to be your prisoner?" she asked.

"You're meant to be kept somewhere safe for the time being. When we kill Lucien, the compulsion will end. You'll stop wanting to kill your best friend. You'll remember that she is one of the people you care most about."

"I don't care about her," said Katya blandly. "I don't care about any of you. All of you hate me. So, I hate all of you."

"You'll sing a different tune once Lucien is dead. Or, sooner, perhaps, if Davina manages to find a spell that will undo your compulsion."

"What, don't you like me this way?" asked Katya. "Now I'm actually competent. You can make me do your bidding an infinite number of times. It's the only thing you've ever liked about me. Being able to use me for your own gains. As a vampire, I can do so much more."

Klaus shook his head. "To be frank, I despise you this way. You're far more annoying when you don't give a damn about anything."

Katya's lips curled upward. "And here I thought I'd be more likable. No more emotions to burden me. To cripple me. I won't be hurt anymore, if anyone tries to blame Finn's death on me."

Klaus looked away. "We should not have blamed you."

"But you did, and now we're here. It's fine, really, I don't care. I don't have the capacity to be angry with you about it."

"Did Lucien say you couldn't turn it back on? Or that you had to keep it off?"

"I don't think so."

"Good. Then it means I can make you turn it on willingly."

"How, Klaus?" she asked, rolling her eyes yet again. "Going to make me sentimental by talking to me about your brother? Don't you get it? I don't feel anything. You could remind me of every time I ever kissed the guy and I won't budge. I like it this way. Not feeling anything. Besides, I swear I've spoken to someone about this. To turn my humanity back on, you need the person who I care about most or whatever. Newsflash, he's dead."

"But you rescued him from the pendant," said Klaus. "A projection can suffice."

Katya snorted. "Yeah, definitely not... he won't be able to touch me. Are his words alone really supposed to stir something in me?"

Klaus growled, growing impatient. "That bloody compulsion will fade and I will make you turn it back on whether you like it or not!"

She fake pouted and batted her eyelashes. "Aw, is Klaus sad to see me this way?"

"I'm frustrated with your obnoxious antics. You've always been insufferable but this makes you more so."

"How sad," she said. "I would hate to keep bothering you, so why don't you leave?"

"And grant you the pleasure of solitude when I could otherwise be here bothering you back? Certainly not."

Katya gritted her teeth. "This is why you're my least favorite of the Mikaelsons."

"This is why you aren't a Mikaelson," he shot back. "Hayley is a Mikaelson. So is Camille. But you? You don't have what it takes."

"You're trying to hurt me, but you can't. I don't want to be a Mikaelson. Finn is dead. Chances are, he's never coming back. I'll never see him again. I'll never marry him. Therefore, I'm not becoming a Mikaelson. Fine by me, it's a stupid last name. I would have changed my name if I were you. Your name should be Anselson, right?"