Book Two: Aquiver (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Fifty-Five

At Alaric's apartment, Katherine wakes up and sees the warlock casting a spell on someone sitting in a chair. There are two vases. One is full of blood; the other is empty and knocked over on its side. She starts to get up and sees that Elena's necklace is gone. It's Alaric that is in the chair. He opens his eyes and gets up. The warlock bends down in a bow. Katherine gets up slowly. Alaric turns around and sees her.

"Alaric?" Katherine asks. A smile crosses Alaric's face. She rushes over to the door but an invisible force prevents her from exiting. Alaric slowly walks over to her and speaks in a Slavic accent.

"Zdravei, Katerina." He takes her face in his hands. "I have missed you."

"Klaus!" Klaus smiles widely at her.

...............

Katherine is now strapped down to a chair in the centre of the room, Klaus walks around her, intimidating her. Katherine looks at the front door as keys rustle on the other side before one is slid into the lock.

"Dian...!!!!" Katherine actually attempts to warn her. Klaus shoves his hand over Katherine's mouth and gives her a look before looking at Maddox, he nods and holds out his hand towards the door as Diana lets herself in. Music is flowing from the headphones in Diana's ears as she closes the door and adjusts the shopping in her arms. She glances up and around the room but to her eyes it appears empty, she narrows her eyes a little, something about this bothering her, her eyes flickering around the apartment to find what it is that's out of place to her. Maddox concentrates harder on Diana. She takes a breath and turns heading towards the bedroom. She sets her shopping on the bed and then heads into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Klaus, Katherine, and Maddox hear the shower turn on. Maddox drops his hand and lets out a breath.

"She's strong" Maddox counters and brushes his hand under his nose to remove the blood that leaking. "She almost saw through that illusion" Klaus looks back at Katherine and pulls his hand back from her mouth.

"Who is she?" He asks her.

"Diana Gilbert" Katherine answers. "You're wearing her fiance and planning on killing her little sister" She adds. "And yeah...you're so screwed..." Klaus backhands Katherine and leans back. Katherine chuckles. "I hope she kicks your ass" She mumbles and turns a glare on Klaus.

"Maddox" Klaus starts. "Is it worth killing her?"

"No" Maddox answers. "She's a telepath, a pretty powerful one at that...more useful alive then dead" Klaus hums a little. "But I would say take that weapon away from her friends, it would make it difficult for you pass as this man if she tells them you're not him..." Klaus nods. "Use these" Maddox digs out a pair of cuffs from his bag and sets them on the counter. Klaus raises an eyebrow. "They'll cut off her powers, and I'll cover the apartment in sigils just in case"

"I am assuming she's not just going to let me put those on her" He points out.

"You're wearing her fiance" Maddox reminds him, Klaus then smirks.

.................

Diana hums a little as she leaves the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her as she moves to her shopping bags. 'Alaric' appears behind her, his eyes on her back as she digs through the bags. He cocks his head and steps closer to her. She glances over her shoulder at him and smiles before going back to her bags. He brushes her hair over her shoulder and lowers his head to kiss her neck. Diana lets out a sigh and leans back against him. He smirks against her skin and pulls her closer to him.

.................

Diana wakes with a groan, a throbbing pounding in her head. She lets out a breath and rolls over seeking out Alaric. The bed is empty on his side so she sits up seeking him out.

"Morning" Klaus greets leaning in the doorway, she frowns at him and then realises.

"No" She whispers. "No..." he nods a little. "You're not Ric" She whispers, he shakes his head.

"No, luv, I'm not..." He agrees, she takes a breath and then lunges off the bed, only to have her ankle caught in the cuffs causing her to tumble to the floor, she cries out in pain. She turns to glare at the chains. She wraps her hands around the length of chain and pulls, pressing her foot against the bed. The ruins etched into the cuffs light up as she fights the enchantment. And for a moment, Klaus actually thinks they're going to give. Diana cries out and then releases the chains.

"So who are you?" she asks him. "Which deepest, darkest, corner of hell did you crawl out of?" He frowns at her.

"Not a demon" He corrects her. "The name's Klaus" Her features pale with that. "Ah, you've heard of me"

"How....?" she asks and then realises. "Isobel" She groans. "Should have killed the bitch when I had the chance" She kicks the bed and lets out a breath.

"She's dead, if that helps" He admits, she looks at him.

"She's dead?" she asks him, he nods. "Oh" she frowns to herself. "Why didn't I see that she found you?" she asks herself.

"You read what was planted" Maddox offers as he steps up to Klaus' side. "If you'd dug a little deeper....you probably would have figured it out, you're young, not had much training..." she glares at him and then holds up her hand and throws out a quake, instead of hitting them, it bounces off an invisible barrier across the door frame and returns to Diana, her eyes widen just before it hits her instead, she screams as it sends her flying back into the wall. She groans when she hits the floor, her arm coming up around her middle protectively.

"Nice call on the barrier" Klaus offers Maddox before walking away. Diana shifts to sit up with her back against the wall. She closes her eyes as she starts to cry, the whole realisation and weight of this situation hitting her like a dump truck.