If only | Damon Salvatore

038. NOT EXACTLY A BEDTIME STORY

Chapter thirty eight

"Not exactly a bedtime story."

The next morning, Beatrix sat downstairs eating breakfast with her mother and grandmother.

She took a sip of her juice, looking between the two older women, and huffed. "Seeing as Klaus is officially back in town, can you maybe tell us the real story about him? I'd appreciate something other than that fairy-tale bedtime story about a king who was cursed by an awful witch to never turn into a werewolf."

Her grandmother, Winifred, chuckled softly. "Well, technically, that story was true. It was just a little embellished for a child's mind."

"So?" Cassandra prompted, giving her mother a look.

Winifred looked at both of them and let out a long sigh. "Okay, fine. But for the record, I wasn't actually there. I only know what I was told by Klaus and Elijah themselves."

Beatrix and her mother both raised their brows, leaning forward over their plates.

"In 1492, there was a grand ball where Elijah was speaking to Katerina—who you all know as Katherine," Winifred began. "In normal fashion, much like yesterday at the school, Klaus loved a good entrance. Although he prefers to be called Klaus, and I'm sure he has dropped the 'Lord' title by now, even if he still acts like a king. He and Elijah are brothers. Their father..." Winifred scoffed, rolling her eyes. "What a piece of work he was. He was a wealthy landowner in a village in Eastern Europe centuries ago. Their mother had seven children, though I was only ever told about six."

She counted them off on her fingers. "Henrik, who died a very long time ago, Finn, Elijah, Klaus, Rebekah, and Kol. When I personally knew them, I only ever met Elijah, Klaus, Rebekah, and Kol. They happen to be the oldest vampires in the world, having once been entirely human themselves."

"Hence why they are called the Original family," Beatrix realized aloud, absorbing the history.

Cassandra furrowed her brows, looking deeply confused. "If they are brothers, then why on earth does Elijah want him dead?"

Winifred's expression turned somber. "Well, with that family, it could be for many reasons. As to which specific grudge it is at this exact moment in time, I am honestly unsure."

With that final mystery hanging in the air, the three of them quieted down and continued to eat their breakfast.

"Where, like I told you the day after you came back from being taken by the wolves, nothing can kill an Original," her grandmother continued as they lounged in the living room. "Neither the sun, fire, a standard stake, nor a werewolf bite can stop them."

"But the dagger?" Beatrix asked, her brow furrowed.

"The silver blade had to be dipped in ash from a very particular tree—the White Oak—that I was told was burned down centuries ago," Winifred explained. "Because as witches, we can't truly let something immortal walk the earth without a flaw. Everything has a weakness, which is what creates balance in nature."

"So Klaus wants to break the sun and moon curse so he can... what?" Beatrix asked.

Her grandmother laughed out loud. "The sun and moon curse? Remember how I laughed when Alaric mentioned it was an Aztec drawing? Because Klaus, when he was completely drunk centuries ago, drew that up alongside Roman scrolls, African tribal sketches, and any other culture or continent they wanted to trick. It was a fake piece of folklore."

"And why would he do that?" Cassandra asked, leaning in.

"Well, if you have almost every supernatural species—especially ones at war—looking for those specific items, the quicker you tend to find them for yourself," Winifred shared with a clever smile. "The curse of the sun and the moon itself doesn't actually exist at all." Beatrix and her mother both raised their eyebrows in pure astonishment.