The love for my enemy

Chapter Eighteen: Preparing for War

The air in the mansion had shifted. The looming threat of Sebastian’s attack made every moment feel heavy, every shadow suspicious. Klaus and Damon had set aside their tension—at least temporarily—as the group gathered to form a plan.

Maps and scattered notes covered the large dining table. Bonnie traced a finger over the lines of a boundary spell she had been preparing, while Elena paced behind her, anxious and frustrated.

“I don’t like this,” Elena said suddenly. “He’s one step ahead of us. Always. How are we supposed to fight someone like Sebastian when he knows everything we’re doing before we even do it?”

Klaus leaned back in his chair, calm but serious. “Because he’s arrogant, Elena. Arrogance makes him predictable. He expects us to be afraid.”

“Are you not afraid?” Damon muttered, pouring himself a drink.

Klaus smirked, his eyes flicking up to meet Damon’s. “I don’t fear men like Sebastian. I hunt them.”

Damon rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.

Arianna stood quietly near the window, her arms wrapped around herself as she stared at the horizon. Something deep inside her was shifting—her powers, her instincts, everything. She could feel the Blade of Thorns pulling at her from across the miles, its whispers now constant. The darkness in her veins felt alive, like a second heartbeat.

“Are you with us, Arianna?” Bonnie’s voice cut through her thoughts, bringing her back to the present.

She turned, nodding slowly. “Yes, I’m with you. I just… I can feel him. He’s close.”

Klaus’s gaze snapped to her, sharp and watchful. “What do you mean you can feel him?”

It’s like… a connection,” Arianna admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “The Blade links us somehow. The closer he gets, the louder it becomes.”

Klaus stood, walking toward her with quiet purpose. “This link could be useful,” he said. “If you can feel him, you can track him.”

Damon immediately stepped forward, his tone hardening. “And what happens when it becomes too much for her? That thing is already in her head, Klaus.”

“I can handle it,” Arianna said, surprising herself with how firm her voice sounded.

Both men turned to look at her, their expressions equally conflicted. Damon’s frustration was clear, but Klaus’s eyes held something different—admiration, perhaps, or pride.

“Fine,” Damon said finally, his jaw clenching. “But if you start losing control, we pull you out. No arguments.”

Arianna nodded, though part of her knew it wouldn’t be that simple.

Later that evening, the mansion was quiet, the kind of silence that felt heavy with anticipation. Outside, the sky had faded into a deep blue, stars barely visible through the looming clouds. The fire in Arianna's room crackled softly, casting warm light across the walls as she sat by the window, staring out into the dark.

Her mind was restless, a tangled mess of emotions she couldn’t sort through. The Blade’s whispers were softer tonight, like a predator waiting in the shadows, and yet its weight still pressed against her. Always there. Always watching.

A soft knock broke the silence. Before she could answer, Klaus stepped inside, his presence commanding as always. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, his gaze fixed on her.

“You’re hiding up here.”

Arianna turned, the corner of her mouth twitching into a faint, tired smile. “I wouldn’t call it hiding. Just… thinking.”