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

Chapter 35

It was late in the afternoon. Here and there, rays of light seeping through the tree leaves painted the ground with a layer of gold. Sitting at a table under the cover of the trees with a steaming cup of tea in her hand, Nora looked like a young and idle miss from a rich and noble family.

As she entered Kol's sight, he fell into a daze, his throat constricting with a dull ache and his heart clenching painfully.

Now that his mind was clear, he fount it hard to fully understand why he had slaughtered a whole village. All he knew was that, at that time, it had felt good. The blood had flowed abundantly around him and there had been no possibilities for a - real or not - servant of Silas to escape his clutches. The fear, the screams, the sorrow that echoed his own... In this sordid moment, Kol had been overwhelmed with feelings of power and madness.

Now looking at the so painfully young version of his wife who had just travelled through time for the very first time and was deeply traumatized, Kol regretted it. And couldn't help but blame Niklaus for this killing spree.

Letting out a deep sigh, Kol adjusted his clothes before walking toward the young woman. However, the moment Nora got a glimpse of him, her whole body started shaking and the cup of tea fell to the ground, instantly shattering into pieces. She immediately jumped out of her seat and crouched down to pick up the sharp shards with her trembling hands, only to end up with a cut.

Nora healed faster than a human and the cut was already slowly closing up. However, because of her current mental state, it only frightened her more and tears suddenly filled her beautiful eyes.

Kol imitated her posture and crouched down next to her, trying hard not to be hurt when she flinched away. With a soft smile, he pulled out a handkerchief and grabbed her hand, wiping off the blood gently.

"I apologized for earlier," Kol told her when he noticed the terror in her gaze. Her heart was racing and her scent was also tainted with fear and the distinct scent of smoke. All in all, it was probably a miracle that, one, she was still there and two, she hadn't peed on herself yet. "You should have never seen something like that."

In his few centuries of existence, it was naturally far from the first time he dealt with a younger version of his dear wife. But never one like this. Never one who looked so... fragile. With her true self hidden behind layers upon layers of fear and confusion.

"Do you... understand what is happening to you?" he asked tentatively, unsure whether it was the right way to go with this conversation.

Should he try to justify his actions instead? But no matter what he said, Nora would never agree with what he did. She didn't really mind killing someone who hurt them. But killing innocent people was another matter.

As a matter of fact, Kol never lied to his wife. It was a matter of principle. That, and she knew him far too much for a lie to work. However, the Nora who was currently with him wasn't his wife. Nor was he in a relationship with her. No matter how much it hurt, he was basically a stranger to this young Nora.

As such, when only silence followed his question, he added contritely, "These people were dark witches. They were going to sacrifice poor, young, virgin women to their gods."

After all, Nora had always been a proud defender of the fair sex.

Unfortunately, his plan failed miserably. Just hearing about the existence of witches was enough for Nora's terror to reach a new high.

He tried to reach out but she curled into a ball the moment his fingers were going to come into contact with her cheek.

"Don't! Please don't kill me!" she cried out and he smelled the salty scent of her tears. "Please!"