Through the Darkness

Chapter 24: A New Queen

A distant sound of dripping water, the feel of a hard, cold slab underneath her body, and the familiar scent of Klaus Mikaelson brought Cami's senses back to life. Her eyes snapped open and she inhaled a long, deep breath. The pain in her chest prevented her from sitting up. As she tried to move, it was as if all her muscles had not been used in a very long time. Crying out in pain, Cami was unable to speak as she looked around, trying to figure out where she was.

Her eyes focused on Klaus's handsome face as he came quickly to her side. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Easy, Love. Your body needs time to heal."

"Heal from what?" She asked hoarsely, struggling to remember what happened to her. The scent of blood finally reached her nostrils. She touched her chest and stared at her fingers, which were covered in it. The horror of what she saw and felt caused her to shiver. He immediately embraced her and stroked her hair, cradling her in his arms. Pure terror continued to consume her as she held tight to him, unsure of what was real and what was not. Hot tears streamed down her face. "I don't remember anything. What am I doing here?" She gripped his jacket with all her might as he placed soft kisses on her forehead. He looked down into her eyes and placed his palm on her cheek.

"You came back to me. My beautiful, brave warrior." His eyes shined with pride and complete devotion. "Nothing will ever tear us apart again."

Cami stared at Klaus, recalling every moment with him and gaining comfort from his presence. "Please help me, Klaus. What happened?"

He placed his lips gently on hers, smiling as she returned his kiss with what little strength she had. "You were victorious, my love. You won the Merge."

She looked at him in confusion and shook her head as the memory of the Merge came back to her. "No. I couldn't have. Sean threw that knife at me. He tried to kill me. I didn't kill him. He was alive when I...died." Her eyes grew wide with shock. "I died, Klaus! I lost! So, what am I doing here?" She struggled to sit up, but Klaus held her in place. Before she realized what she was doing, her eyes snapped shut and a healing chant came tumbling out of her lips. In a matter of minutes, her body was completely healed. Still shivering, she sat up, opened her eyes wide and stared at Klaus, who was somewhat stunned.

"Your powers have come full circle...so quickly," he commented, with a hint of shock in his voice.

She looked past Klaus and saw Gianna lying on the ground. She scrambled to her feet and knelt next to her. "What happened to her?"

"Gianna is dead. She cast a linking spell before you left. That is how you survived."

"Why would she do that?" Cami stared at the lifeless witch, feeling confused.

Klaus prepared himself as she realized the truth. "Because she wanted to die."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them, she zeroed in on the broken knife and waved her hand towards it. The pieces vibrated, then began to melt into a puddle. "That knife killed me. Shouldn't we both be dead if we were linked? Did these new powers bring me back from the dead?"

Klaus sighed, then told her the truth. "No, Love. Gianna was immortal. She gave that gift to you so that you would not die."

The revelation caused a sinking feeling in her stomach. Cami looked incredulously at him. "You're telling me that I can't die?"

"Yes, that is what I am telling you. You now possess the gift of immortality." The fear in her eyes caused Klaus to feel a twinge of fear himself.

"Am I...like you?"

"No, Love. You are nothing like the monster that I am. You are now a very powerful witch. You won the Merge, so you inherited your brother's powers, as well as Gianna's. However, you do not have to hide every other century as she did. You are free to do as you wish." He paused before continuing, walking up to her and helping her to her feet. He took her hand into his. "Camille, you are no longer bound by the limits of mortality. We can be together forever."