✔ The Way We Burn || Kol Mikaelson (Complete)

Chapter 18

A/N: Sorry, I truly thought it was published, and I've just seen now that it wasn't... 

For a few minutes, Kamil said nothing. Even after he let go of Nora's hand, his stare remained on the empty space between them. His brow furrowed and his mouth a fine line, he spread out his hand then closed it.

"Once again," he finally whispered, his voice barely audible, "magic opens the path in a rather odd way, yet the truth indubitably lies with magic."

"A dark omen," Kol commented, his expression not right while Nora was watching the witch before them worriedly. "Am I to understand that you cannot give me the answers I seek?"

Kamil's hesitation was obvious, his eyes flickering between Nora and Kol with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. His hands shaking, he went to turn over a lone card. However, on its face, there was nothing but a light spot in an ocean of darkness.

"I have never felt such magic before," he quietly admitted. "There is no doubt that if someone were to attempt to harness this magic, they would wind up being burned alive and reduced to ashes. To think that a young woman like the Lady is the embodiment of this scorching magic is...simply incredible, if not slightly unbelievable. However..."

His voice trailed off. At this point, the length of the answer was starting to annoy Kol. What Kamil had just said, Kol already knew it and thus had no need to hear it. Kamil was known to have one foot in the past, the other in the present and his heart in the future. It was said the young man had pushed his capacity to read the future so far that even the Universe had for secret to him. The rest of his magic though, was truly limited.

"Time." Kamil's voice interrupted Kol's train of thought and Nora audibly squeaked when she heard the witch use this particular word. "I need more time."

Kol was immediately suspicious. "How much?"

"A whole lifetime to seek the answer you are looking for."

Kol's stare became icy and his smile mirthless. "Only that?" he mocked, the contempt obvious. "Or are you trying to run away?"

"Kol," Nora cut him off sternly, "I think we should trust him."

"We? Nora, darling, you do not know a single thing about witches... How could I rely on your judgment?" he replied as kindly as possible while brushing his fingers against her cheek.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Yet, words were like spilled water. Once out, it was impossible to take them back. As such, he kept his fingers on her skin as if everything was perfect in the world while inwardly, he dreaded her reaction.

"Are you saying that I cannot make a good decision honey?" Nora said in a low, sensual voice, void of anger, her lips stretched in a peaceful smile even though her eyes glowered at him.

He immediately tensed and coughed before stating, "now darling, that's not what I said."

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow. "So... is my hearing bad then?"

"Definitely not. It's perfect, just like you." Groveling was definitely the way to solve this slip of his tongue.

Her smile almost blinded him as it made her eyes sparkle. With a laugh, she flicked his forehead, unaware that she was the was the only one in the world who could do that and still breathe afterwards - beside his siblings, obviously.

She then grabbed his hand and brought it to her mouth without caring about the outraged eyes on them. She blew on his hand as if to warm his body that had been dead for more than thirty years.

"I did not know a lot about vampires, yet I chose to trust you. Was it not very clever of me?" she stated proudly.

"Quite the contrary darling, I am hardly an innocent."