Every King Needs A Queen / Book Three / Daring Spell Series / The Originals

An Old Friend Calls

Cami and I were in St. Anne's Church at the gym, in workout gear.

I was trying my best to hold the punch bag still for Cami as she was punching and kicking furiously as she trained to become a better fighter. "Whew! Come on, now. Defense. Keep your hands up."

Cami gave me a look, but didn't stop punching. "Up? I'm at least a foot taller than Aurora... Not that that'll stop her from kicking my ass."

I frowned in confusion. "Aurora? I thought Klaus took care of her."

"According to Hayley, he said he condemned her to a fate worse than death," Cami told me. "Translation, not dead. Which means sooner or later, I'm screwed." She started punching the bag harder and harder. I winced with every blow as I struggled to keep the bag from moving. "She turned me, thinking it would make Klaus run back into her arms. It didn't, so once she gets out, wherever she is, ripping my heart out will be number one on her to-do list."

I gave up, holding up my hands, backing away from the punching bag.

Cami kicked the bag so hard it nearly flew right off of the stand.

"Whoa, there," I told her. "I figured he'd rip her head off."

Cami sighed. "He didn't."

"So, are you scared that she's gonna come for you, or that there's a reason that Klaus didn't kill her?" I asked. Cami gave me a look. I backed off. "Or, we can not talk and keep hitting things..."

Klaus walked in, looking at me. "I'd prefer we use our words. I have a few matters I wish to discuss with Camille." Cami sighed in annoyance. Klaus tried his best to make it seem like a tolerable request. I gave him an amused look. "Matters of a personal nature, to be discussed within appropriate professional boundaries, of course." Klaus gave Cami a hopeful look. "Shall we?"

Cami sighed, seeming to be agreeing to his request.

~~~

I was still in the fight gym, punching the bag repeatedly.

A man walked in. "Are you Auria Rayvnne?"

I stopped in the exercise, turning to face him, sighing. "Yeah."

"I've been looking for you," the man told me, handing me a handwritten note.

Your presence is requested at Rousseau's. Immediately.

I gave the man a bemused look. "Immediately? Who gave you this?" The man stood completely still and silent. I became annoyed. "Look, man, I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me what this is all about." The man pulled out a switchblade, stabbing himself in the neck with it. I watched in horror, too late to do anything about it. "No!"

The man collapsed to the floor.

I ran closer, only to find that he had already died of blood loss. I quickly became furious, walking out, leaving.

~~~

I walked into Rousseau's to find all of the patrons standing completely still and motionless. I was unnerved, walking around until I found a man sitting at the bar with a plate of food and a glass of scotch.

"I prefer utter silence when I eat," the man man told me. "Helps me to think. And I think you must be Auria Rayvnne... Regent of New Orleans."

"And you must be the psycho who compelled somebody to die in my arms," I told him. "See, that sort of thing is not gonna fly in my city. I'm really gonna enjoy killing you."