The love for my enemy

Chapter Seven: The Calm Before the Storm

Mystic Falls was unusually quiet. The tension in the air had yet to fully dissipate from the battle at the church, but for a moment, it felt like a normal day—almost.

Klaus sat at the dining table in his mansion, absently swirling a glass of red wine. His thoughts, however, were far from leisurely. The Blade of Thorns was still on his mind, and more importantly, the implications of Sebastian’s return.

Elijah, on the other hand, was lounging casually on the couch, flipping through a stack of old books, clearly not nearly as concerned.

“You know,” Elijah said, breaking the silence, “we might just get through this without any more drama. A quiet few days for once. It’s almost... peaceful.”

Klaus glanced at his brother. “If you’re suggesting we go on vacation, I’ll remind you that we’re currently at war with a mad vampire who’s hunting for a weapon capable of ending us. So no, Elijah. A ‘peaceful’ day is not in our immediate future.”

Elijah raised an eyebrow. “I was simply suggesting we consider the possibility that our problems might be... temporary.”

Klaus gave him a look. “You’ve been reading too many of those books. They’re clearly affecting your brain.”

“Ha! Says the man who reads anything with the word ‘dark magic’ in it,” Elijah retorted, smirking.

Arianna entered the room, her hair in a loose ponytail, dressed casually—clearly trying to relax after the chaos that had unfolded. She immediately spotted Klaus and Elijah’s banter, and rolled her eyes.

“If you two are done bickering like an old married couple, there’s something I need to tell you,” she said, not missing a beat.

Klaus and Elijah exchanged a look, one that spoke volumes about how accustomed they were to Arianna’s no-nonsense approach.

“Go on,” Klaus said, his tone slightly dry.

“I’ve been doing some research on the Blade of Thorns,” Arianna said, sitting down beside them. “And I found something interesting.”

"Let me guess,” Elijah said with mock seriousness. “It’s a cursed relic that grants unlimited power, but only to those who are worthy. And the first rule is—never trust anyone who offers you a deal with it.”

Arianna stared at him blankly. “...How did you know?”

Klaus snorted into his wine glass. “Honestly, Elijah. Have you considered writing a book on the history of cursed objects? I’m sure it would sell quite well.”

Elijah shot his brother a look. “I don’t know, I’m getting tired of the whole ‘prophecy’ angle. Let’s just pretend it’s a treasure hunt instead.”

Arianna sighed. “You guys have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”

"Oh, we’re just trying to lighten the mood, darling,” Klaus said with a grin. “It’s not every day we fight off an army of vampires.”

Arianna narrowed her eyes at him. “This is serious, Klaus.”

Klaus put his hands up in mock surrender. “Fine, fine. Continue, Professor Arianna.”

She rolled her eyes but kept going. “The Blade of Thorns was forged by a witch who was obsessed with eradicating vampires. According to the ancient texts I found, the Blade’s power doesn’t just kill Originals—it can control them. If you’re powerful enough to wield it.”

Klaus leaned forward. “Control?”

"Yes,” she said, looking around as if making sure no one else was listening. “Control. It’s like a leash for vampires, but only the most powerful ones. The witch who created it was looking for a way to subdue the Originals, but... she never succeeded. The Blade was too much for her to handle. She was killed by it in the end.”

Elijah raised an eyebrow. “So, the Blade is not only a weapon but a trap for those who aren’t capable of controlling its power?”

“Exactly,” Arianna said. “Which is why I think Sebastian is after it. He probably believes that if he wields it, he can control you both.”

Klaus’ eyes narrowed. “Not likely. No one controls me.”

Arianna shot him a look. “Yes, well, that’s the problem.”

Before Klaus could respond, a knock on the door interrupted them.

“Speak of the devil,” Klaus muttered.

A moment later, Damon Salvatore sauntered into the room with a smirk plastered on his face.

“Well, well, well,” Damon said, eyeing the three of them. “Looks like the gang’s all here.”

Elijah sighed dramatically. “What brings you to our humble abode, Damon?”

“I’m just here to check on my favorite family of psychotic immortals,” Damon replied with a grin. “And to see how my favorite human is holding up.” He gave Arianna a wink, and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

"Let me guess,” Klaus said, taking another sip of his wine. “You’re here because you want to get in on the action. I’m sure you’ve heard about Sebastian’s little vendetta.”

“Of course I’ve heard. Everyone in this town’s heard,” Damon said, shrugging. “But I’m not here to fight. I’m here to make a deal.”

Arianna raised an eyebrow. “A deal? With who?”

“With you,” Damon said, locking eyes with her. “You know, since you seem to have a... unique relationship with the Blade of Thorns.”

Klaus straightened in his chair, his expression darkening. “What exactly are you suggesting, Damon?”

"Oh, don’t worry,” Damon said with a smirk. “I’m not planning on taking the Blade for myself. I just thought it might be useful if we all teamed up to deal with Sebastian once and for all.”

Arianna raised an eyebrow. “And what makes you think we’d trust you?”

Damon shrugged. “You don’t have to trust me. Just know that I’m offering my help. And trust me, you’ll need it.”

Klaus’ eyes narrowed. “We’re not in the habit of working with people we don’t trust, Damon.”

“Fair enough,” Damon said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me.”

With that, he turned and walked out, leaving a trail of smugness in his wake.

Klaus sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I think he’s starting to enjoy these visits.”

Arianna couldn’t help but smile. “You know, for a vampire, he really does have a lot of... charm.”

“Charming? He’s more insufferable than anything else,” Klaus said, rolling his eyes. “But for now, we’ve got bigger problems. Sebastian isn’t done with us, and if he’s going after the Blade... it means we’re running out of time.”

Elijah, who had been watching the exchange with mild amusement, finally spoke. “If you ask me, we could use all the help we can get. Even from him.”

Arianna looked at Klaus. “What do you think?”

Klaus scowled but said nothing.

"Don’t make me remind you that we’re outnumbered,” Elijah said, his voice dripping with amusement.

Klaus glared at his brother. “Fine. Let’s humor him—for now.”

The room fell into a tense silence, but for a brief moment, there was a flicker of something close to humor in Klaus’s eyes. Perhaps there was a tiny bit of hope that, just maybe, their unexpected team-up could turn the tide.

For now, however, they had to focus.

The battle wasn’t over.