Our Demons {Kai Parker Book 1}

four: in which he plans a trip

"Rise and shine, it's a beautiful day here in Mystic Falls. The temperature is in the low twenties, meaning it's a perfect day to go on a road trip, picnic, or get the hell out of here."

Ria's eyes snapped open and she gritted her teeth. So this is what it felt like having to wake up early in the morning. Being on her own for the past two years, she got to make the rules and this was great especially since she was not a morning person.

"Wakey wakey sleepy head," Kai pulled on Ria's arms, forcing her to sit up.

"Can I please just have one more hour?"

"Nope, we've got work to do. Now come on,"

She watched in confusion as he left the room appearing energetic and hyper, a lot like a child.

She followed after him, down the stairs and into the kitchen where the smell of warm pancakes and orange juice greets her.

"Do you need any help?"

"Stop talking, eat," he ordered, drizzling syrup onto her plate. Ria shrugged and cut into her food without much of an argument. When she puts the pancake piece into her mouth, another memory of Kol Mikaelson surfaces.

"You can't tell me what to do, Kol. I understand you were born in the tenth century but women today are their own independent persons."

Kol had rolled his eyes, "I'm not stupid love, I am all for feminism. But you haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning. You've got to eat something. If you're sick we should see a doctor,"

"I'm not sick," Ria murmured holding her stomach. It was that time of the month again, the time she called shark week and all she wanted to do was curl up in her bed with the curtains pulled down for darkness and die.

"Then eat,"

"I'll puke it right out,"

"Babe,"

"No,"

"Come on,"

"No, Kol,"

"Just one bite, if you love me-"

"I'm on my period okay?" she yelled out, face turning red in anger and embarrassment. "I think you should go,"

She was self-conscious and having to explain anything about herself always resulted in anger and embarrassment. Kol did leave, but half an hour later he returned with her favorite treats, a stuffed bear, pancakes, and some comic books.

"So tell me about him,"

Ria looked up, "about who?"

"Kol Mikaelson, the original vampire who you tried bringing back from the dead but managed to get sent here instead. I'm intrigued," Kai leaned closer and holds her locket in between in his fingers. It popped open and he hummed seeing a picture.

Ria rolled her eyes already feeling annoyed. She forced his shoulders back, "I know you said you're new to this whole people thing, but you have to understand personal space."

"Sorry," Kai grinned following after Ria. She was headed for the couch where the Grimoire was placed. "I can't help but get touchy-feely especially since, you know, no human contact for eighteen years."

"Well, save it for when you get out. I'm sure you'll find a nice girlfriend."

"Speaking of girlfriends," he paused, "were you his?"

She glared at him when he moved closer on the couch. "It's complicated."

Kai held up a finger, "Wait, don't tell me. I think I know what you mean. You liked him, but he liked your mom-"

"Ew gross" she jumped back and hit his shoulder with the book.

He chuckled when she rolled her eyes and shifted her attention with a glare back to the Grimoire. However, Kai didn't remove his stare from her. He watched her doe eyes blink every few seconds, the way her lips are parted and move as she tried to understand the symbols.

A feeling of annoyance and hate overcame him as he thought back to the man's photo in her locket.

Kol Mikaelson held meaning to her, he was an important man and dare he say a love interest. For some reason unknown to him that idea was enraging. If the vampire held no meaning, was insignificant, or was even as she said "complicated" then she would have told him.

Kai liked answers but he didn't know if he was ready for the answers she had.

"There's a page missing," she turned to face him and Kai blinked.

"No there isn't,"

"Yes, there is, right here."

She set the grimoire in between them on the couch and pointed to the crease in the middle of the open book. A small, two inches of paper was left where a full page should have been.

"Someone went through a lot of trouble get rid of that," Kai noted, explaining that when a witch wanted to rip out a page from any Grimoire they had to have support from the entire coven.

She sat back dejected but Kai smiled.

"Get up, time for a picnic." He jumped to his feet and pulled her up and then ran for the kitchen.

"Um what?"

Kai didn't look back at her, "A picnic, specifically in Portland. That's where I grew up by the way."

"We're going to your home?"

"Yup. Now go pack what you need, I don't know when we'll be back."

Confused but content to be back out on the road again, Ria began to pack.

~~~~~

"I still haven't heard from Ria,"

Damon looked up hearing Elena's voice.

They had spent the entire summer together void from drama and war. This was his heaven and he got to spend every second with the woman of his dreams, but of course, she wanted to remain as human as possible.

That included attending college.

"Who cares?" he stood up, "Let's take one day just for ourselves, be selfish-"

"No Damon, this is serious," Elena pushed past him, Damon rolled his eyes and she checked her phone. "Jeremy hasn't heard from her and she's not responding to my calls."

"To be fair you two did kill her boyfriend."

"Kol wasn't her boyfriend."

"This is Ria we're talking about. Five foot five, fiery dark eyes, bitter little mouth. That girl's like, the definition of over dramatic. She'll come back when she finds another brunette with an accent who's got mommy and daddy issues."

Elena scrolled through the hundred messages she'd left on Ria phone. Neither one had a reply. She cared for her cousin, Ria was a year younger than her but both had gone through the pain of losing their parents.

Another thing they had in common was their foolish belief that they could save the 'bad boys' in their lives, redeem them. And although Elena seemed to have succeeded with Damon, Ria's search to help Kol Mikaelson was one in vain.

But they could have handled the situation differently, Elena knew that because as of right now Ria believed she was alone in life.

Damon pulled her close, tossing the phone away and relishing in the moment because he knew that she would be adamant to leave in three, two, one....

"We need to get going, Damon."