WAR OF HEARTS ↠ KOL MIKAELSON [1]

1:06

[ THE RISE: CHAPTER SIX ]

[THE RISE: CHAPTER SIX]

Rhea awoke with a start, her head heavy from the painkillers and the herbal poultice Kaleb had prepared. She had barely stirred after falling into a deep sleep, but the commotion outside her door jolted her awake. Disoriented, she followed the noise to the main room, only to find Davina unconscious on the floor.

Kaleb stood near her, eyes fixed on the door where Klaus loomed like a storm cloud. "We're not done here, you and I," Klaus said darkly to Kaleb, his tone laced with venom. Rhea blinked, still shaking off the grogginess, confusion washing over her.

"What the hell is going on?" Her voice cut through the tension as both men turned to face her.

Klaus's face softened when he saw her, a flicker of something familiar in his eyes—something that reminded her of the man he used to be, the man who had once cared for her. But then, just as quickly, his expression hardened. The betrayal of her supposed involvement in plotting against him surfaced, and whatever softness he had vanished.

"I need to find Cami. Mikael has taken her," Klaus said, his voice tight with urgency. Rhea's hand instinctively went to the bracelet on her wrist, noticing it had been disarmed. But there was no time to dwell on that. She needed answers from him, and she wasn't about to let Klaus just run off.

Before she could react, he vanished into the night. Rhea moved to follow, but Kaleb grabbed her arm. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked, his voice urgent.

"I won't be long," she said, pulling away from his grasp. "Keep an eye on Davina." Their eyes met, and Kaleb understood. No more words were needed. He nodded, knowing she'd come back.

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Rhea raced through the dark woods, her senses locked onto Klaus's presence. She could feel him nearby, hiding in the shadows. She stopped in a clearing, scanning the trees. "Klaus! I know you're there. Come and face me, you coward!" she shouted, fury driving her words. Within seconds, Klaus materialized in front of her, only a few feet away, a sly smirk on his lips.

"I should kill you right now," she spat, her blood boiling with rage.

Klaus shrugged casually, the smugness on his face infuriating her further. "You still don't get it, do you, love?" he said, amusement lacing his voice.

Rhea glared at him, her confusion mixing with her anger. "What are you talking about?"

"You're as clueless as ever," he chuckled darkly, the sound grating against her nerves. "Now, tell me—why have you been plotting against me? Weren't we almost family at one point?"

"Family?" Rhea barked out a bitter laugh. "You wouldn't know what family was if it slapped you across the face. You've spent a thousand years making the same mistakes. You want to know why I'm plotting against you? You know damn well why." Her voice grew louder, more cutting with every word. "You daggered Kol repeatedly for centuries, kept him isolated, treated him like he was nothing. And when he finally died, it was because of you. His death is on your hands, Nik."

Klaus's expression shifted from amusement to shock, though he quickly masked it. He hadn't expected her rage to be directed so squarely at him.

"Kol was reckless, a menace," Klaus retorted, his voice losing some of its edge. "He brought trouble upon the family, and you know it."

"How can you even say that?" Rhea's voice trembled with fury. "He was deprived of love from all of you from the moment he was born. You alienated him, all because you were threatened by his power. And now, because of you, he's gone." Her voice cracked, pain seeping through her words.

Klaus stood speechless, taking in her words. He hadn't realized the depth of her anger or how much Kol's death had impacted her.

"He didn't deserve you," Klaus finally said, his voice quieter. "You were too blinded by your love for him to see what he really was."

Rhea's heart ached at his words, but before she could respond, Klaus vanished into the night, leaving her standing there alone—reeling from the confrontation.

Rhea clenched her fists, staring into the darkness where Klaus had disappeared. The heartbreak and loneliness of Kol's death clawed at her chest. She had lost him because of Klaus. And now, more than ever, she vowed to make Klaus feel the same pain she had carried since Kol died.

Her revenge would come. Maybe not today, but soon. It was only a matter of time.