When The Shadows Haunt Us {Book Three In The Klayley Trilogy}

The Next Step

All they saw was blood. It dripped down onto their bodies as their mother slipped onto the floor, choking on the red substance.

Hope screamed. It was loud and she clutched onto her brother. Hayley reached up and attempted to call for her, trying to tell her everything would be alright. But she knew it wouldn't. And her hand dropped, and she squirmed. Tears fled from her eyes. "Hayley!" Klaus called, rushing to her side. He gripped her hand, watching her skin attempting to heal but then burn. "What. Have. You. Done?!" He shouted angrily and Gwendolyn smirked.

"She won't heal if that's what you're waiting for. My tail gives off a natural poison to other supernaturals that can kill them. For her, it's wolfsbane and angel root. That's what's stopping her healing."

Hayley looked over at Heidi, reaching out her hand. Heidi looked up at her, tears streaking her cheeks. Following her motion, Heidi held up two hands. One towards Gwendolyn and one towards Hayley.

Gwendolyn was confused. "What-,"

Heidi began to squeeze her palm into a fist, chanting in a different language. Darkness came off Gwendolyn making her drop to her knees, and shrink.

Then, she turned to Hayley and shot it into her. Hayley arched her back, gritting her teeth. She held onto Klaus' hand and Klaus cried out in pain, hearing voices swim in his brain. They were loud, demanding and saying different things.

And then it was silent, the only noise coming from his wife who was panting and now healing. He looked down at her, and saw her up on her elbows. "Are you okay?" He asked, and she looked at him. She nodded, and stood with his help.

Looking up, they noticed Gwendolyn was gone and Heidi stood in front of a mirror, looking herself over.

Hope and Henrik slammed their bodies into hers, hugging her tightly. She grunted with a laugh, and a smile. She lifted up their heads, smiling down at them. She looked at Hope. She was bawling.

"Hey what's wrong? I-I...," she paused, biting her lip. "I-I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I was so mean to you and when she kidnapped me...," Hope took a breath. "I thought I'd never see you again. Never get to apologize for all the horrible things I said."

Hayley kneeled before her daughter, caressing her face. "Oh Hope, I will always forgive you. You're my daughter and though what you said was really mean, I know you instantly regretted it. And I know that you have both mine and your father's anger making it hard for you to handle it. But the point is; it's okay. I forgive you."

Hope hugged her again, crying into her mother's chest. "Shh. It's okay." Hope shook in her mother's arms while Henrik talked to his father.

"I am very proud of you, Henrik. Protecting your sister like that. And that threat you got to do that more often. Do what, the evil eye you always do when you're pissed?" Rebekah asked a hand on her hip. She put her other hand on her nephew's shoulder. "But he's right. Good thinking, Mini Nik."

Hayley looked down at her daughter who had let her go. "Go speak to your father. I need to have a moment." She whispered to Hope who nodded.

Hayley walked over to Heidi who turned to her with an angry but happy expression. "You're alive again. I guess so. Now that I revived you, I want you to leave my family alone as you promised. Well we need to work together if you want to do anything. And technically, they are my family too."

Hayley stood taller, a sudden iciness in her eyes. She stepped closer. "No, you are absolutely not my family. I may be the reincarnation of your mother but you and I are not family

I beg to differ. The fact that you survived without any consequences from the immense dark magic being pushed in you proves it. But, your husband on the other hand...,"

Hayley glanced at Klaus before tunring back to Heidi and slamming her into the mirror. This got everyone else's attention. "If you even think about touching him, I will personally show you hell."

This got Heidi to laugh. "Please. I don't want to hurt him. He's going to be affected by the black magic. You and I both know what's going to happen.

What is it?"

Klaus stepped forward.

"You're wife forgot to inform you that you and her were infected by black magic. Since she and I along with my grandmother are all related, we don't have a problem. But you...," she smirked. "You're not related to us. Which make you vulnerable to the magic in you."

Hayley tightened her grip on her. "Hayley is that true? No." She lied through her teeth, shifting. "You're lying. What?" Hayley looked at him angrily. "When you lie, you move. You believe her?" Hayley asked, crossing her arms. "Yes. She saved your life and she seems to know more about the situation." Hayley glanced over at Heidi who was looking at Henrik.

"Fine. But I'll let you help us but let's get one thing straight." Hayley turned to her. "If you so much as lay a finger on our children, I will personally show you my wrath. Making so many threats, if only you could see I have no intentions of hurting you or your lovely family.

Why don't you? How about this, your family reminds me of my own before it was destroyed. Perfection. And trust me, I have no intentions to destroy that." Heidi turned to Henrik again, and looked him over.

"Plus, I can get rid of such potential. Your children have power that they have yet to unlock along with you Hayley. And since I unlocked all my power with the help of dark magic, I can help you. No way. Absolutely not!"

Hayley said crossing her arms protectively. "Now Hayley you act like I'm going to hurt them. "Not only did you give me seizures, you possessed me, made me kill 6 people and you used me. How so. You used me to come back. Did not. We made a deal, the consequences that came with were not my fault."

Hayley growled at her.

"I'm talking about when you came back in the first place. I am not your damn mother. Fine. I'm sorry. Are you happy? Can I leave now?" Hope and Henrik pushed forward.

"But you have no where to go. No worries, I'll find somewhere. No, stay with us." Hayley started laughing. She held her stomach tightly before looking up with a frown. "No. She will not. I don't care if she chased off that thing. The last place she will stay is in my house. And that's final."

She said and Freya nodded. "She's right. Heidi may have saved Hayley but she is still a possible threat. We can't take any risks. Give me a truth serum. I'll show you I'm not a threat. Stay out of this." Hayley snapped, grabbing Klaus' arm and walking outside. With a slam she turned to Klaus.

"No. No. No. No and no. She will not stay with us no matter what you say." Hsyley spoke, finality in her voice. He sighed and grabbed her arms. "Hayley we might not have a choice. I can feel the dark magic inside of me. It's spreading. I would rather I'm at full capacity and not dying when we take on Gwendolyn." Klaus made a point and Hayley hated that. "But Klaus I don't trust her. She possessed me and made me do things I haven't done in years. I fed Klaus! I'm not even a vampire! I shouldn't be able to do that."

Hayley trembled. "Maybe it's who you were but it isn't you now. Klaus you don't understand. I loved it. The blood was wonderful. I wanted more. I was going to get more if I didn't stop her. She possessed me Klaus. I don't like that. It-it felt wrong." She said hugging herself and he nodded. "I understand that Hayley, I do. But if we are to truly beat this we need to be at our full strength and Heidi can help with that. But I can too! With what Gwen gave me-,"

"We don't know if that's true. Well some of it has to be!" She shouted at him, then huffing and turning away. "Hayley?" He called and she looked over her shoulder at him.

"She ordered them killed. I thought the whole time that she was sorry for me. That she was showing me some type of help by giving me peace. But all she did was fuel my rage for her. I can't be at peace until I know she's gone. I need to avenge them. Hayley for all you know, that might be a lie too. They could be out there. No Klaus. When the vision was coming to an end, I felt a kiss on my forehead. I felt her kiss. A kiss of love for me. That though she may be gone, she'll always be with me. My mother's kiss, Klaus.

Why would I ever trust her of all people? And she almost killed me." Hayley said angrily. She kicked over a concrete lion.

"Hayley I understand your anger. Just trust me. If she hurts them, I will let you tear her apart."