Savior | Klaus Mikaelson

Chapter 24

Rebekah wanted her death to be slow.

And painful, of course, because what fun would it be if it didn't hurt?

"He'd never forgive you for this," panted Maddy as Rebekah tied her down after beating her so savagely that she could hardly see. "When he finds my body—"

"Shut up," said Rebekah. "I don't give a damn."

"I'm sorry, Rebekah," Maddy wheezed miserably as she looked around the dark room where Rebekah had her. She figured she must have snapped her neck dozens of times to get her here.

This hadn't been planned. Rebekah had likely been coming to speak to Madddy when she overheard her admitting to Elena that she already knew. Rebekah had had to decide a location to torture her based on impulse. This could mean that there were escape routes that weren't taken care of. Maybe there was a chance for her to get out before Rebekah went on to deliver the final blow.

Maddy knew this was a fight for her life. She could have all the wild hopes that she wanted that Rebekah would just try to turn her against Klaus. That she'd let her live just to be a reminder to Klaus of what he took from Rebekah, and what she made him lose in retaliation.

"You're not sorry," Rebekah decided. No, she didn't want to believe that Maddy could possibly feel remorse, because that might influence her to not kill her. "You're just as awful as he is."

She gripped her head, forcing her way into her mind to bring forth the memory of how Klaus had admitted it to her. This only seemed to flare up her rage.

"Do you regret it?" Maddy had asked him.

"Some days," admitted Klaus. "Other days, I feel that I gave her what she deserved. Go on. You have my permission to tell me what a wretched man I am."

"Stefan killed our father. I was bitter for a while, but he had it coming. Anger... does things to us. Makes us do things we don't intend to. It happens and you can't take it back. You can only accept it and move on. I don't blame you. She never should have treated you that way. Nik..." she drew back, holding his face, "they were so awful to you. You didn't deserve that. You should have been loved no matter what. You were just a child. How could she have allowed your father to mistreat you so? For something that was her fault? I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

He could feel himself getting emotional, and he tried to force it down, but she reached her hand up, running her fingers through his hair. "It's okay," she said. "I don't judge. I will never, ever judge you for feeling. It's natural. There isn't anything wrong with it."

"You apologized to him?" sneered Rebekah. "Apologized to him for being so incapable of controlling his anger that he ripped out the heart of the woman who gave us life?"

Maddy gave a shriek as Rebekah punched her. "I'm sorry!" she sobbed. "I should have told you, I should have!"

"Yes, you should have. I thought you were my friend, but you didn't tell me. Go on. Explain to me why the ruddy hell you apologized to him instead of telling me. Or instead of scolding him for being a murderer."

"He's part werewolf," whimpered Maddy, trembling and not daring to look at her. "He can't control it... just like I can't change the past... he looked so miserable... I knew judging him would only make it worse..."

Rebekah scoffed. "You should have judged him. You should have told him what a monster he was."

"All of us have done things we regret," Maddy said, flinching when she sensed Rebekah lifting her arm. "All of us are monsters."

"Shut up!" snarled Rebekah. "He killed my mother! MY MOTHER!"

"I'm so, so sorry," Maddy sobbed. "I'll never be able to say it enough. I should have told you right after he told me; you deserved to know. I should have told you when the compulsion was undone and I remembered..."