Written In Blood

Chapter Twelve.

Katerina woke up with a start.
"What did you do, Katerina? I would have helped you live." Trevor said with a sympathetic look.
"You would've helped me run. That was never going to be enough." The new Vampire replied.
"It was enough for me..." Trevor sniffed.
"Do you not see, Trevor? She used you to help her escape and me to turn her. Klaus will see our role in this." Rose growled."And for that, I'm sorry." Katerina put her head down."As am I..." Rose started. "For this."
With that, she grabbed a stake, Vamp speeding to Katerina.
Katerina grabbed the old lady and pulled her in front of herself for protection, causing Rose to stake the old woman in the shoulder, instead. Katerina, in turn, drank from the wound.
"Please understand." She begged as the blood dripped down her chin.
"You have just signed our death sentence." Rose snarled.
"Better you than I." Katerina shrugged.
She threw the old woman into Trevor's arms and left with her new Vamp speed. 

Weeks later, Katerina arrived back in Bulgaria, outside her parents' home.
Bodies littered the entrance, making her blood run cold.
She ran inside, seeing her father pinned against the wall with a sword in his chest; his body lifeless and freezing.
She looked to the bed next, seeing her mother in a similar condition, splayed across the sheets, and her little sister on the other side, in a sitting position against the bed post.
Katerina burst out crying.
"No, no, no, mama! No!" She cried. 

The year was 1584, and Rayna found herself on a ship sailing from London to the Americas.
The Leader of the expedition, Walter Raleigh, had become a friend of Rayna's purely through compulsion, which gained her access to the ship.
Out of the seven ships in the fleet, there was one other girl besides Rayna.
That girl just so happened to be Katerina Petrova.
The two became close friends, until one day that all changed.
Rayna approached Katerina's quarters, nervous as she knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" The Vampire called from the other side.
"It's me, my love." Rayna replied.
The door opened, revealing a blushing Katerina.
Rayna entered, grabbing Katerina's hand as she closed the door.
"Mr Raleigh said you wanted to speak with me." Rayna said, sitting on Katerina's bed.
"I did – I mean... I do." Katerina replied, shakily.
"What is it, darling?" The Heretic asked.
Katerina took a deep breath, thinking over her words.
In the end, she just decided on actions.
She leaned in rather abruptly and joined her lips to Rayna's.
Rayna was shocked, of course, but soon fell into the kiss, knowing she felt the same way.
The girls parted, leaning their foreheads on one another as they took in all that had just happened.
"I've been wanting to do that since we met." Katerina breathed.
"So have I..." Rayna replied.
"If anyone found out, though..." The Vampire sighed.
"They'd kill us. And then find out what we are. We need to keep this a secret..." Rayna finished, cupping Katerina's cheek.
"You're the best thing to happen to me in almost a century..." She whispered.
Rayna breathed a chuckle and kissed the girl on her forehead.
"I'll always be here for you." She promised. 

By the time the settlers had found land and started building on what would soon to be known as 'Virginia', four months later, the two immortals had grown closer than ever. And as the 17th century rode past, Katerina and Rayna made their way across the brand new United States of America.
But one day, in February of 1692, everything turned upside down for Rayna.
"Klaus is in town." Katerina announced, barging through the door in the girls' large house.
"What? How do you know?" Rayna asked, putting her book down.
"I've just seen him watching the execution of a witch in the fields outside the town." Katerina replied, packing her things as fast as she could.
Rayna sighed and approached her, placing her hands on her hips as she placed herself behind her.
"It'll be okay." She cooed, using hushed words. "He won't find us here. He can't possibly know we're here right now."
"Then why is he here?" Katerina turned round in her lover's arms, quite abruptly.
"He's probably looking for another witch to perform the Doppelganger curse. The news of the witch trials have spread all across America. This place is a goldmine for him." Rayna replied, cupping the girl's face.
"A goldmine with a Doppelganger." Katerina countered.
Rayna sighed, thinking her words through.
"Fine. We'll get out of town." She nodded.
The pair packed their things, eager to leave. But just as they were about to make their exit, an angry mob of townspeople marched through the door.
"Lady Rayna! Show yourself!" One of them called.
Rayna shot a look at Katerina.
"They know..." She gasped.
Katerina's face went from scared to cold in a few seconds.
"Of course they know. I told them." She smirked.
Rayna's heart shattered.
"W... What?" She asked, taking a step back.
"She's up here! Please, help me! She's going to kill me!" Katerina shrieked.
The sound of a dozen pairs of feet coming up the stairs could be heard, loudly."
Katerina, what have you done?" Rayna asked, wide-eyed.
"Well let's see. I pretended to be in love with you because I knew you'd protect me from Klaus and so, whilst he's distracted trying to save you from execution, I'll be taking my leave and getting myself to the darkest corner of nowhere to continue to hide from him." Katerina replied nonchalantly.
The Watchmen entered the room, grabbing Rayna as they put her in shackles and dragged her away, Katerina smiling slyly and waving as they left. 

Rayna stood in front of a large crowd, awaiting her 'execution'. But as soon as Niklaus saw her, he made it his mission to free her before the Humans found out just how hard it was going to be to kill her.
He weaved through the crowd until he reached the guards holding her.
"I've got it from here, thank you." He smiled, compelling the guard closest to him.
The guard nodded and released Rayna's arm.
After he'd compelled the other one, Niklaus led the Heretic away, breaking her shackles open as they moved.
"Don't worry, my love. I've got you." He smiled.
"What are you doing here, Niklaus?" Rayna asked.
"Just in for a visit. And in the market for a witch who has less of a death wish than the others." Niklaus shrugged.
"So why are you saving me?" She asked.
"Well... You were in trouble, you don't have a death wish – as far as I'm aware – and you're a witch." He replied.
Rayna scoffed. "Thanks." 

They made their way to the next town, laying low in a pub for an hour or so before moving on again.
"I'm not going to help you with your curse." Rayna snarled, taking a sip of her ale.
"I wasn't expecting you to." Niklaus replied.
"So why am I still here?" The Heretic countered.
Niklaus chuckled with disbelief.
"Does it look like I'm keeping you here? You have been free to leave this entire time." He replied.
Rayna couldn't help but feel a little bad, so she decided to change the subject.
"How have you been?" She asked.
Niklaus looked up from his drink, not expecting her small talk.
"I've been well, thank you. Have you been up to much since we last met?" Rayna thought about telling him the truth, but decided against it and just shook her head.
"I need to go. I have somewhere to be." Rayna sighed.
"So soon, my love?" Niklaus asked, watching her as she rose from her seat.
Rayna gave him a small smile."Unfortunately, yes."
Niklaus sighed and stood up.
"Then I shall see you next time." He said, lifting her hand and placing a small, but meaningful kiss on it.
And with that, she was gone, leaving Niklaus feeling a little warmth rise in his chest – finally, they had parted on better terms.