Wicked Schemes

Chapter 13

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But if I listen to the dark,
You'll embrace me like a star,
Envelope me, envelope me...
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"I take it that your talk with Caroline didn't go exactly as planned?" Rebekah asked as she entered the study. She closed the door behind her, surprised to find Klaus smiling behind the desk. After the shouting from earlier and the fact he had left the room, she had assumed she would find him brooding away, not looking like the cat who just ate the canary. She wasn't sure if she should have been pleased or annoyed by the expression.

Klaus arched his brows, lips turning into a smug smile as he leaned back in the chair. No, it hadn't gone as he expected. Oh he was certain they hadn't had their last discussion about Hayley, but Caroline's anger meant something. She may have kept trying to reiterate that she didn't care what he did-or, well in this case, who he did-but the way she seethed, the very emotions coming off of her in waves had shown him that she did care an awful lot. The business with the wolf girl was only an obstacle and he would overcome as many of those as needed for Caroline to realize that her proper place was beside him.

"Tell me what happened tonight, Rebekah, and don't leave out any details at my expense," he told her, and while his tone was jovial, they both knew from the way he narrowed his eyes, locking his gaze with her own, that he wasn't joking. He wanted to know everything, no matter how minor it may have seemed to her.

Not for the first time, Rebekah was pleased that he was unable to compel her. It wasn't as though her brother didn't have other ways of ensuring her compliance, but it was still helpful to know that he couldn't do that. Being daggered every hundred years or so was enough of punishment and she still wasn't ready to forgive him for the most recent one or the fact he had so easily given her cure to Silas.

However, Rebekah also knew there was little point in not giving him what he wanted right then. If anything, maybe she could use it to her own advantage. She recounted the events easily enough, from when she had found Caroline outside of Marcel's establishment, compelling a girl to hurry away up until they were at the bar. She hesitated at recounting Caroline's admissions on always being second best, not quite sure she should say anything on the matter. She knew those kind of emotions a little too well, the doubt, the uncertainty, and while her opinion on the little blonde cheerleader wasn't exactly the greatest, Rebekah chose to keep that part of the conversation to herself and skipped ahead to explaining the vampires attacking, remembering to add in what the first one had said to Caroline about entertainment.

"He's lucky it was you who dealt with him," Klaus groused, his entire demeanor growing colder and Rebekah could almost feel a chill in the air. "Perhaps we'll have some fun with the one we're containing before doing what is needed."

"He's on vervain. Should we bleed him dry or let it leave his system the normal way?" Rebekah asked, already knowing his answer. Klaus would want the most painful scenario possible to play out for the vampire. "I've wanted to try out the new knives."

"And why would I let you perform that task?" Klaus mused, honestly curious why she thought he wouldn't be at the helm of that torture. Not only had the vampire had the audacity to go after Caroline but he had tried to harm his sister as well, and while he knew they were still locked in their little battle of wills, no one was allowed to hurt Rebekah aside from him.

"Because you, Nik, are going to be too busy with your little blonde friend to be able to engage in that with the attention that it deserves. Plus the witches will be here soon-her coven," Rebekah reminded, watching him frown in acknowledgement. His priorities would have to be elsewhere and they both knew it. "And he attacked me as well. And you do so know how much I love showing those that attack me how wrong they were in choosing me as their so-called victim."