WAR OF HEARTS ↠ KOL MIKAELSON [1]

1:19

[ THE RISE: CHAPTER NINETEEN ]

Klaus lay unconscious in the pews of St. Anne's Church, oblivious to Rhea's relentless slaps across his face. Her anger, bubbling up for hours, finally had an outlet in the form of his unresponsive cheek. She slapped him again, harder this time, her frustration palpable.

"You know, no matter how much you hit him, he's not going to wake up," Ares remarked, watching the scene unfold with a bemused expression. His sister, however, was not ready to stop.

"I know that," Rhea shot back, her voice tight with anger. She slapped Klaus again, harder still. "But it feels pretty damn good."

Ares chuckled darkly. "You're a sick sadist, Rhea."

She paused, finally letting out an exasperated sigh as she sank to her knees beside Klaus' unmoving body. Her hands shook slightly, and she bit her lip, the humor from moments before quickly dissolving. "The one time we actually need him," she muttered under her breath, the weight of everything crashing down on her.

As if on cue, Klaus' phone started to buzz. Without hesitation, she snatched it from his pocket, her heart sinking as she read the name flashing on the screen. Camille.

With a heavy sigh, she pressed the answer button and put the phone on speaker, sharing a quick glance with Ares.

"Rhea? Why are you answering Klaus' phone?" Cami's voice came through, laced with confusion and concern.

"Because he won't wake up," Rhea replied tersely, rubbing her temple. Her patience was fraying by the second.

"What?" Cami's alarm spiked. "Elijah collapsed too! What's going on?"

Rhea exchanged a look with Ares, her pulse quickening. Before she could respond, Ares pieced it together.

"Oh, that sneaky son of a bitch," Ares murmured, realization flashing in his eyes. "It's a spell. He trapped his brothers."

The color drained from Rhea's face, dread crashing over her like a tidal wave. "Which means Kol's in trouble."

On the other end of the line, Cami gasped. "What do we do?"

Rhea's mind raced, but she found no answers. She looked to Ares, who only shrugged, equally at a loss. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Minutes felt like hours, the weight of helplessness settling thickly between them. Finally, Klaus stirred, groaning as he returned to consciousness. Rhea wasted no time, leaning in close, her words sharp. "What happened? Is Kol okay?"

Klaus scoffed, dragging himself to his feet. "I'm fine, thanks for asking," he said with a sneer. "As for Kol... well, he and all the people of the French Quarter are in more danger than you can imagine. But we don't have time to stand around. Either you trust me and come with me, or you stay here and waste precious time."