Vulnerable / Klaus Mikaelson {Book 1} (EDITING)

Chapter 11: The Hex

Scarlett sat at the bar counter, waiting for Kieran to arrive when he finally did. She heard him as he walked into the bar and she turned her body to him. "Hey, why did you call me here?"

Kieran sat down on the reserved barstool next to Scarlett. Scarlett noticed his frantic state and was immediately worried. "I need help and you're the only person I can trust right now."

"What is it?"

Instead of responding with words, he showed her his hand. An X was carved into his hand. Scarlett was startled by the sight. When Kieran's nephew Sean murdered all those people, he had the same symbol on his hand. She knew because she pretended to be a cop and she examined the crime scene. "There has to be some sort of... I don't know, antidote or..."

"Scarlett, I need you to promise me one thing." He began, Scarlett nodded, telling him to go on. "When it gets bad, I need you to be as far away from me as possible."

"Kieran, I'm a witch and a vampire. I can protect myself." She assured him, knowing he was over exaggerating. "But there has to be some sort of way."

"Of course there is." A woman joined their conversation.

Scarlett turned towards the voice to see a red-headed girl and by her scent, she guessed she was a witch. "Who the hell are you?"

"Genevieve." The woman introduced herself. "If you want to save his life, all you have to do is take this-" She pulled out Papa Tunde's blade and laid it down on the bar counter. "-and make sure it ends up in Klaus Mikaelson's heart."

...

Scarlett sat in the pews of the church, holding Papa Tunde's blade in her hands when Klaus arrived. Once she heard his footsteps, she hid the blade under a book that she held. "I got your message. Where's Kieran now?"

"In the attic, resting. Praying." She answered, unsure of what he was doing. "He's gonna go crazy and die, isn't he? Just like the kid from the massacre."

Not getting a response from Klaus, she knew what the answer was. "I don't know why I called you-"

She tried getting out of her seat and walking away when Klaus stopped her. She backed up, knowing she wouldn't win a fight with him and she sat back down.

Klaus sat down beside her, not knowing what to say to help her. "I can see why you hate me. Truth be told, I have done some dreadful things. But the things I've done were to make sure I had a home for my family. No threats could be sent our way, just the life that my child deserves."

Seeing Scarlett shake her head at his words, he decided to continue. "I act impulsively when it comes to my family as you can see. That's why I hurt you. I didn't think about losing you. And I don't want to lose you. I know you hate me but I'm willing to do whatever I can to earn your trust back."

Scarlett didn't know how to answer. Seeing the reluctance from Scarlett, Klaus decided to leave her be. He was walking away from her when he felt a grip on his wrist. He looked back to see Scarlett, keeping him back. She held a soft expression before looking down at her lap. She tore her hand away from Klaus' wrist, revealing the blade to him.

Seeing his slight worry, she slowly handed him the blade, denying his suspicions. He hesitantly took the blade out of her hand before examining it. "This is Papa Tunde's blade."

"A witch gave it to me. Said it would cause untold pain and torment, even to an Original." She revealed. "She said if I stuck it in your heart, she'd heal Kieran."

"And yet, you chose to reject their offer." Klaus pointed out.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I don't want to harm you, Klaus." Scarlett confessed, making a slight smile appear on Klaus' face. "Now, get that smug look off your face and tell me what to do."

...

Klaus bit into the palm of his hand, letting his blood drip into the communion goblet while the other two watched. Scarlett held the goblet while Kieran side-eyed Klaus, clearly appalled. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Klaus looked away from the blood dripping into the goblet and to the man before him. "A vampire is trying to reverse a witch's hex placed on you, and it's the cup you find sacrilegious?"

Kieran sliced open the palm of his hand with a knife and placed it in the basin of holy water at the sacristy.

Scarlett looked skeptical of what was happening and looked to the hybrid for answers. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Not remotely." Klaus answered her honestly. "But, I can't attempt to use my compulsion to counter Bastianna's curse if the good Father has vervain in his system. Thus, we bleed him out. I never said this would be pleasant."

Scarlett sighed heavily, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just do what you have to do."

...

Klaus handded Kieran the communion goblet full of his blood after he had drained the vervain from his system. "Drink up. It will heal your wound."

Kieran reluctantly drank from the cup, hoping to see good results. Kieran visibly hated the taste of the blood.

"I think you've suffered enough." Klaus walked over to Kieran and placed his hand on his shoulder firmly. Klaus stared directly into the man's eyes and compelled him. "You will overcome what the witches did to you. You will resist the dark urges of their hex."

Kieran blinked, the compulsion taking effect as Klaus backed away from him. and they all waited a moment.

"Did it work?" Scarlett asked Kieran.

"How do I know if it worked?" Kieran returned. "All I know is that the vervain is out, and I'm at the mercy of this murderous bastard. I bet you find that really funny, don't you, Scarlett? You little-" He cut himself off, clearly shocked and embarrassed at what he had said. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that."

"Well, I guess that's our answer." Klaus said disappointedly.

He turned on his heel to leave when Scarlett chased after him. "Wait, Klaus! Where are you going? What are we going to do?"

Klaus paused in his tracks, walking back over to Scarlett. "I'm gonna find the witch who did this, and then I'm gonna do what I do best."

"Just be careful." She warned him.

He hesitantly nodded before running off with his vampire speed.

...

Scarlett and Kieran walked out the church and stood while Scarlett called Klaus, frustrated. "Come on, come on, come on. Klaus, where are you?"

Suddenly, a woman came out of the shadows to join them. "Mr. Mikaelson is currently indisposed."

Scarlett's eyes flared a familiar red as anger clouded her mind. "What happened? What did you do?"

"I did nothing." The older woman shrugged. "Someone completed your task for you."

"If you got what you want, what does that mean for him. He-"

"Will die soon and in great anguish." The woman finished. "You see, dear, you failed to hold up your end of our bargain. You chose instead to side with evil as this man has done many times before you. But take heart. His punishment will atone for his attempts to prevent the Harvest. His suffering will purify him. You'd do well to heed his lesson, girl. To oppose us is to oppose the natural order. By choice or by force, the witches of the French Quarter will rise again."