UNORTHODOX | KAI PARKER

XIX. GREY. NOT BLUE.

Chapter 19

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"So like, where are we even going exactly?" I ask the sociopath, stumbling over a rock embedded into the woodland floor with a hissed curse. We've been walking further into the disorienting woods surrounding the town for what feels like miles, the sociopath leading the way and allowing me to tumble and trip like a child. Kai lets out a snort at my almost-demise from in front of me.

"Can you do anything other than ask questions?" he asks rhetorically, spinning around to face me whilst walking backwards and raising his brows. My eyes narrow into slits, hoisting his rucksack strap up my shoulder — because apparently I'm the designated BagBoy now — and silently will him to trip.

"Well sorry that I would like to know if you're taking me out here to murder me."

"What if I am, huh?"

He comes to a halt, lips curling into a menacing grin. But I simply blink at him. Unamused as I cock my brow and hug my photo to my chest— I felt weird letting it go, like a kid attached to a teddy bear.

"I don't think you realise how little you scare me, at this point."

He barks out a laugh, cocking his head in a condescending matter and almost looking down on me. Which is only mildly infuriating, but I've come to accept the witch's slight superiority complex. Kinda. "N'aww well, I don't know about that. You seemed pretty scared at breakfast?"

I throw him a glare, not even attempting to indulge in the memory of earlier as he merely shrugs with a smile. "Shut up," I grumble, kicking my feet against the muck and stones and sticks. "Where are we going, asshole?"

He throws his arms out, twirling around in a little circle. "Right here."

My brows shoot up, a little breath of a gasp leaving my lips as I only now notice the gargantuan fucking hole dug into the ground behind the siphoner. Not even a hole, but something that resembles an underground cave. My eyes bounce back to Kai, who's wearing a smug little smirk. Asshole.

"What the fuck is that?"

Kai cranes his neck to face behind him. "Oh, just a little something I got Damon to dig," he pauses to make room for a sigh, rolling his eyes at the memory, I assume. "Y'know, when I actually thought we could escape this place together as a big happy family and before that little Bennett witch threw an axe into my chest."

"What!?"

The single exclamation escapes me so easily, because what!? What the fuck? I'm sure my face appears almost comical— eyebrows kissing my hairline, blinking stupidly, and mouth catching flies. Because Kai let's out a scoff of a laugh, stepping towards me and tugging me around like a ragdoll to rip the bag from my shoulders. And I let him, still held captive in my stupor of what the fuck do you mean Bonnie threw an axe into your chest?

"Bonnie and Damon found out about my... past, not that I was really hiding it," he explains with a poorly concealed giggle, kneeling before me as he drops the bag to the ground and rummages through it.

"Thought me better off dead than free, which..." he trails off, unsheathing the hunting knife harbouring Jo's magic. Eyes flicking up to me as the blade glints under the speckles of sunlight trickling through the canopy of leaves. "Can't say I really blame her, but still— ouch."

The witch's eyes flutter closed, emitting a small sigh as his hand glows red. Extracting the remaining magic from the blade as the metal attempts to call to me. Attempts to beguile like last time, whispering my name in a syrupy voice and clawing at the veins decorating my body— but it doesn't work.