New Blood (The Vampire Diaries - Book 2)

Chapter 3 - The Five

Matt was working at the Grill, cleaning glasses.

Rebekah walked closer, placing a set of car keys on the bar.

"What's that?" Matt asked.

"The key to your new truck," Rebekah answered, smiling. "It's parked outside, paid for, insured. Everything but a big red bow."

"If that's your idea of an apology, you should probably give it to Elena," Matt told her. "She's the one that you killed."

Matt walked away.

Kara was sitting at the end of the bar, drinking wine. "You're trying too hard."

Rebekah looked at her. "Like you could do any better."

Kara stood, walking closer. "Oh, I most certainly could, but I would much rather eat him."

"You leave him be," Rebekah told him.

"Aw, but he looks so yummy," Kara said, teasingly, pretending to pout.

"I mean it, Kara," Rebekah said.

Kara rolled her eyes.

Klaus walked closer. "Now, now, sisters, play nice."

Kara and Rebekah looked at him, clearly unhappy.

"Last I heard, you were leaving town," Rebekah told him. "Forever."

"Well, I was, but then I thought to myself . . ." Klaus trailed off. "'How can I when one of my sisters, clearly so desperate for love and affection, is left here bribing the help and the other is stuck in a town she despises without a purpose to occupy her?'"

"What did you want, Nik?" Kara asked. "Thought I was dead to you."

"Things change, Kara," Klaus answered. "I've stumbled upon something I think might be of interest to you both."

"Doubt that," Kara told him.

"No?" Klaus questioned. "Well, what if I told you the Brotherhood of the Five still existed?"

Rebekah was in shock. "What?"

"You see, and like that, bygones," Klaus said. "Come on, loves, work to do."

"We don't have anything to do," Kara said, still angry. "There is no 'we'. I don't care about the Five and I don't care about you."

"As you wish," Klaus told them, walking away.

Rebekah looked at Kara, clearly affected by the mention of the Five.

"Don't give me that look, Bekah," Kara told her. "No good will come of digging up the past, best to leave it buried."

\/

Klaus returned to his mansion and walked into a room.

Connor was chained to a table, upright and shirtless.

"Looks like I'll have to beef up the hybrid security detail," Klaus said, turning to look at Stefan.

"I was gonna take him, but I figured you went through such trouble to truss him up in your red room of pain," Stefan told him.

"It's from the Inquisition," Klaus replied. "I thought it was a nice touch."

"What'd you get out of him?" Stefan asked.

"Not enough," Klaus answered. "He's mum about the Council fire and he's not saying anything about this greater evil we're all supposed to be shivering over. What brings you snooping?"