The Red Queen | Lucien Castle & Tristan de Martel

Chapter 1

October 21, 2010

Being daggered was a nightmare.

As the color returned to her face, she felt only frustration and a savage hunger that was not sated by the human that was tossed onto her, his body drained entirely of blood to help her to her feet.

"I'm going to kill that bastard," she snarled before her fangs had even detached from her victim's neck.

"Good luck with that," came the voice of her sister. "You know as well as I that it's been impossible to get rid of him." She toyed with the dagger in her hand, sliding it over her fingers. "But it's always been rather easy to hurt him."

"Quiet, all of you," commanded their elder brother. Rebekah was quiet. The younger girl paid him no heed, rolling her eyes then cracking her neck, fingers, and back. She was still wearing the clothes she'd stolen from Kol a century ago. Thinking of Kol made her click her tongue, noticing that he, too, had been awakened. As had Finn. The younger of the two clicked his tongue back at her.

Perhaps it was necessary to shut up and see what Elijah had to say.

Though, not before she asked him directly to get things going. Her brother was glaring at them all, waiting for them to calm down. But she wanted answers immediately.

"Why are we awake?" demanded the girl. "Why now, why here?" She looked around at the ornate walls, the carefully crafted archways. They were in a luxurious house, and somehow, Klaus was nowhere in sight. "He prefers standing beside us when we come to, so he can gloat. Where the bloody hell is he?"

"Sister," said Elijah calmly. "All will be explained at a later time. What you must now know is that our father is dead at Niklaus's hand. We are safe. However, there is something else. It has come to my attention that it was Niklaus— not Mikael— who killed our mother, a thousand years ago."

"Well, then," said Kol, looking at his sister. "What do you say we show him what happens to liars?"

He led the way into the parlor where a man was screaming. Elijah motioned for them to stay where they were, all of them still holding the daggers that'd been in their chests just moments ago. He motioned for Kol to hand his dagger over to a servant girl holding a platter. He did as told. The girl beside him mimicked Finn and Rebekah, all holding theirs much tighter in hand.

"Go ahead and kill me," an unfamiliar man's voice spat to Klaus. "I know you'll do it when he brings the coffin."

"You really have given up, haven't you?" came Klaus's taunt. "Where's the fight? Where's the Ripper?"

The girl sensed as a man walked past her, heading for Elijah and standing beside him. "Elijah," said Klaus when he noticed them in the doorway, apparently unable to sense the proximity of his siblings. "Why haven't you left?"

"Where are your manners, brother?" asked Elijah. "You forgot dessert."

The servant with the platter held it out. Elijah plucked off the cover to reveal both his dagger and Kol's laid neatly in the center.

A beat, and Klaus realized what it meant.

"What have you done?" he sneered.

"What have you done?" Elijah countered. "You see, I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We're doing this on my terms now."

He flicked his finger at his siblings. Rebekah made for the other doorway into the parlor, but Kol walked right ahead, his mere presence causing Klaus to step back quickly. "Kol," he said weakly, holding up his hands in surrender.

"Long time, brother," said Kol with a smirk.

Finn sped forward, stabbing his dagger right through Klaus's hand as the man cried, "Finn, don't!"