Ace of Hearts

19

I wanted to scream the whole time. Rebekah refused to say a word and constantly looked over her shoulder until we were safely back at the mansion. My limbs were trembling so violently I feared they would break off at the slightest touch. I kept peppering Rebekah with questions, but she only ushered me on with worried looks.

The mansion was horrifyingly silent when we arrived. The walls seemed to hold their breath in anticipation for something to happen. Klaus was a statue in the front room. Elijah pulled at his tie in irritation, and I felt a stutter in my chest as I searched for the last Mikaelson. No one would meet my gaze as I looked around the room.

My heart drummed in my ears overpowering every other sound. Every nerve in my body seemed to fray with each passing second, and I nearly swung a fist when a hand touched my shoulder. "It's okay, Ace." Kol's voice was soft and kind, yet I still feel tears building in my eyes. "Hey, hey. Everything's alright. I'm right here." He pulls me into his chest and strokes my hair as he whispers reassurances to me.

"Thank goodness you're okay." I sigh as I regain my composure. "What happened? Why is everyone so freaked out?"

"What didn't happen is probably a better question." Klaus mumbles angrily. "The Salvatore's have found more white oak stakes, Alaric has developed a psychotic, second personality, and—" His voice drifts off as he takes in my already dismayed expression.

It's clear there's something he's refusing to say, and a pit develops in my stomach when I realize it must involve me. "And what else?" All eyes divert away from mine, each of them too scared to meet my gaze. "Come on, you're some of the most powerful vampires around, yet you can't tell me?"

Elijah finally whispers after a long moment, "It's your father." My head instantly snaps in his direction. I consciously hold my breath as I wait for him to continue. "There was a disagreement , and he's currently in the hospital."

Every fiber in me bristles with anger, it was exactly what I saw in my first vision. "Let me guess, he was stabbed with a broken bottle." I flex my jaw and meet Elijah's gaze with fire in my blood. "Who did it?"

Elijah seems to sense my anger and hunger for revenge, because he remains deathly silent. Klaus, on the other hand, has no qualms about giving me the information. "Damon Salvatore."

I give Klaus a curt nod as I turn on my heel and march out the front door. Kol follows after me without a moment's hesitation. "Ace, shouldn't you go visit your dad before you run off hellbent on revenge?"

"I'll visit him after Damon learns his lesson."

"No, you're not." Kol argues, and his tone stops me dead in my tracks. "You're angry, hurt, and not thinking straight. If there's one thing you've taught me, it's to clear your head before making snap decisions. So, you need to see and talk to your dad first."

I'm half tempted to refuse and snap at him, but the other half knows he has a point. Although, if it were anyone else saying it at the moment, I would probably snap and leave. The tension in my muscles releases, and I relax in his grip. "Fine. Let's go to the hospital first, but I'm still gonna kick Damon's butt after."

Kol chuckled and pressed a hasty kiss to my temple as he opened my car door. "I would expect nothing less from you, Ace. Plus, I'd never miss a chance to get into some trouble."

...

The continuous beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room aside from my dad's laboring breath, and it was driving me nuts. We've only been here for a few minutes, but everything in the room is grating on my nerves. "Maybe I should just come back when he's awake." I mumble to Kol as I shift around in the stiff hospital chair. "I hate hospitals. I'd rather not be here any longer than I have to."