Chapter 22 - Aubrey
I stepped outside and felt tears bloom from his words. But I also knew that Klaus hadn’t meant it. I wasn’t stupid. I knew that Klaus was pushing me away because he was scared. I understood that. I was scared. But why couldn’t we be scared together?
I opened my eyes and took in the quiet. I glanced down the hallway, and I could see a couple of workers who had stopped. I’m sure they could hear what happened and were probably wondering what had happened.
I wiped my eyes and turned, heading out. I drove back to the house and took a shower. I had to get the smell of us off of us. I stood under the water for a long time, letting the water flow over me.
But I could still feel his arms wrapped around me. The way he held me, even when he was chained up. Klaus was in there. I knew it.
I reached a hand up to my neck, feeling where his teeth had been. I swallowed. I wouldn’t let him succumb to the darkness.
After I got out, I headed to the library. I went straight up to the magic section, determined to find the answer. It had to be within the pages of the book. There was no way that the answers weren’t here.
Janella and Elize had gone through all of the books that they owned. Klaus and I had gone through all of these books, and still we hadn’t found an answer. But maybe we missed something.
I stared at the book in my lap, feeling my eyes were starting to burn from staring at the text for so long. I slid the book off my lap and scanned the space. I had books piled around me, pages marked and dog-eared.
I leaned back against the bookshelf and closed my eyes. I felt tears welling up as I thought about all the work that had been done and that we had no answers.
I felt like I was failing. Klaus brought me here to help him, and instead, we’d gotten nowhere. He was chained up, and I was alone.
I opened my eyes and felt them falling free. It was like someone had reached a hand into my chest and was twisting everything up. I shouldn’t have cared as much as I did. When did it all start to change? When did I start feeling like I belonged here?
Maybe because Klaus wasn’t like anyone else, he cared about me. Klaus was grumpy, but he was never harsh. He liked his space to be quiet, but I understood why. It was peaceful in a world of noise.
And he noticed the little things. He left me dinner if I came home late and left snacks in the cabinet because he knew that I liked them.
Even when I was crying in the bathroom when I first arrived here, he stood and offered me a gentle shoulder.
He protected me from everything and opened his house up to me.
He was sweet, and when he held me, I felt like nothing could harm me.
And I loved him.
I suddenly couldn’t breathe as those words sank in. I loved him, and I couldn’t save him from what was going on. I’d been running for so long, and Klaus freed me. And now he was the one who needed help, and I was unable to do anything.
I grabbed the book and threw it across the space. I felt more tears break free and wanted to scream. I hated how unfair everything was. How we were working our asses off for answers, and that we weren’t getting anywhere.
“You okay?”
I turned my gaze up, finding Cal standing a few feet away. He bent over and picked up the book. He offered me a weak smile. “You look like you aren’t having a good day.”
I wiped at my eyes. “I’m not.”
Cal walked over, sitting down next to me. He leaned back against the bookcase and sighed. “I’m not either. I am not cut out to be Alpha.”
I sighed. “I know that I’m new to all of this. Magic and shifters, but… I just don’t understand why everything is so complicated. There are so many books and yet none of them seem to give you the direct answer you’re looking for.”
Cal nodded. “Yeah, that doesn’t change.”
I could hear a clock ticking next to us. I turned and looked at Cal. He looked exhausted. His hair was a mess, and he looked like he wanted to throw up. “So, not cut out to be Alpha?”
He snorted. “No. The council wanted an update on Klaus. Then I had several angry members calling me wanting updates on their family members that were in the infirmary. A fight broke out, and I got punched in the face trying to break it up.”
He turned to me. “All before noon. Plus, I was up all night because there were finances that we had to finalize.”
“Do you think we can do this? That we can get Klaus back?”
“I don’t think we will stop until we do.”
I looked down at the books. “I’ve been through everything. There is nothing that is going to help us.”
“What did the others say they did?”
I frowned. “They fought it. Klaus has to fight against it and win.”
We both fell quiet. Cal sighed after a moment. “We should get home. You need sleep. I need sleep.”
“I need answers more. I can’t be the reason he’s stuck locked up, Cal. After everything he’s done for me. I can’t just sit aside and let him lose this fight.”
“You’re not the reason he’s locked up. The magic is. This would have happened whether or not you were here, Aubrey.”
I nodded. I knew that deep down, but I couldn’t accept it. “I love him, Cal. I know you might have a hard time believing that, considering everything that’s happened. I know you don’t know me that well, but I do.”
“And he loves you.”
I snorted at this. “No, no, he doesn’t.”
Cal shook his head. “No, I think he does. He might not know it, but I’ve been working for him to know him.
He has never been as protective as he is when it comes to you.
I’ve never been asked to watch after someone.
No one is above him, but he puts you there.
He’s had me watch after you since you came here. ”
“You’re just saying that.”
He shook his head. “I’m not. He’s dated, but not like this, Aubrey. I see the way he looks at you. You mean the world to him. And if he’s going to do this, he’s going to do it with you by his side. So, we need to get you home so you can rest.”
I chewed on my cheek. “I don’t want to lose him.”
“You won’t. I won’t let you.”
I softly smiled. “When we get him back, I’ll be sure to tell him to give you a raise.”
He smirked. “I would much rather have a vacation.”
“Fine.”
Cal took me home, where I curled up in Klaus’s sheets. Peanut lay next to me, and I decided I was done moping around. Tomorrow I would get answers. I was taking action.
We headed to Riley and Janella’s pack early the next morning. I left my anger fueling me. I wasn’t going to sit around and cry anymore.
We arrived at City Hall and headed inside.
I guided Cal with me to the large room where the door led to the basement.
We headed down the stairs and into the room where the cauldron stayed.
It sat bubbling in the middle of the room.
The strong scent of a rotting corpse filled the space, and Cal scrunched up his nose.
“Man, that’s just foul!” He pinched his nose and shook his head. “Oh my god, did someone die in here?”
I shook my head, staring at the cauldron. “No, but you’d think that.”
I stepped around the chains and took in the back of the cauldron. I found nothing new, which I knew would happen. The cauldron was the key to the problem, and yet it gave us no signs on how to save everyone.
“Find any answers?” Cal asked, looking like he was ready to vomit.
I shook my head. “No. Cal, why don’t you go back upstairs? You look ready to hurl.”
She shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I’m going to stay here and help.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re turning green, and I don’t think you vomiting is going to help me. Go up, and I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Cal was quiet for a moment before he nodded. “Okay. But only because this smell is so bad. I’ll be upstairs if you need me. Call for me if you need me.”
I nodded. “I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
I rounded back to the front and leaned forward, staring into it. “Why won’t you just show me? Tell me what we have to do.” I knew that Riley said she heard a voice, but I heard nothing.
“Don’t you understand all the terrible things that you’ve done! We don’t deserve this. I know that the council hurt you, but all of these people are innocent.” I curled my hands into fists. “We don’t deserve this.”
I got silence in return. I screamed as I kicked the cauldron, pain radiating over my entire foot. “Fuck,” I cursed as I stepped back, taking a deep breath in through my nose.
I groaned, knowing it had been a waste to come down here. I shouldn’t have thought I’d see anything or that anything new was going to happen.
I turned and froze. My body stiffened as I stared at Mike. He looked untouched, his hair perfectly put together. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a red shirt. But his eyes had their normal blue hue. There wasn’t a single scratch on him.
I didn’t understand because I saw him. I glanced at him before I crawled out of the car, and he was bleeding out. There was blood oozing out of his forehead, and his jaw looked like it was broken. His eyes were empty as they looked at me.
“Mike.” My voice shook slightly as my heart stopped beating for a moment. He was really standing here.
“I found you.” His voice came out dense, almost like it wasn’t him.
A part of me was scared, afraid of what he could do. I knew what he was capable of, but another part of me was calm. A part that knew I would never let Mike hurt me.
I wasn’t the same person I was before. I had magic, and I wasn’t vulnerable. A part of me knew that I deserved better, and if I wanted a future with Klaus, I wouldn’t let Mike ruin it.
I quickly pulled myself together, looking him over, spotting the differences. He had dirt under his fingers, and his veins were darker around his eyes. I could see them clearly under his skin. He looked alive, but I wasn’t so sure of it.
Mike died. Everyone stated that he had died, but he stood before me.
My stomach dropped as I realized magic had to be in play.
It was the only way he could still be moving.
I thought of what they told me about the cauldron and how the magic would leach onto a person. But didn’t they need to be alive?
“How are you alive?” I asked, trying to piece it together. “You stopped breathing. Your heart stopped beating. This isn’t possible.”
He stared at me for a second longer before taking a step into the room. “I have ways. You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?”
It sent a shiver down my spine, but I held my head up higher. I wouldn’t let him see the weak side of me. I wasn’t the same person I was before.
“Did someone heal you?” It was the only logical question I could think of.
But who? Who would have gone into the morgue and healed him?
But that didn’t even work. He was dead. It had to have been dark magic.
But the only thing powerful enough to do this was the cauldron.
But he wasn’t near it. He was in the morgue.
He smiled like he knew I realized it. “Magic is an interesting thing. It’s given me a second chance.”
I took a step back because it shouldn’t be possible. You couldn’t bring someone back from the dead. Could you?
“It’s time you stop running from me, Aubrey. There is nowhere you can run now.”
“I’ll never go back with you, Mike. Never.”
“You will. I just have to get Klaus out of the way, and you’ll have no choice. No one you can run to and hide behind like a little bitch.”
I swallowed, curling my hands into fists. “You’re not you. Not anymore.”
He smirked. “So, the little witch learned a little magic, and suddenly she knows everything? Is that how it is? Don’t worry, I’ll beat that confidence right out of you.” He moved further into the room, and I backed up toward the cauldron. My heel hit the metal. It felt hot against my shoes.
“I’m warning you, Mike.”
He stepped even further in, his shadow crowding over me. He kept that smile on his face, and my stomach dropped knowing I had nowhere I could move.
He grabbed me, and his hands wrapped around my neck.
I screamed, pulling my hands up, trying to pry his fingers off, but they only tightened.
My legs smacked into the cauldron. I felt him pushing me back, and my nails dug into his skin as I gasped for air.
My lungs screamed for oxygen, and my throat felt like it was being crushed.
I could feel my nails ripping at his skin, his face holding no emotion now, no sign he even felt what I was doing. “Then I guess I don’t need you.”
I felt dizzy; my vision started to blur. I kicked hard, trying to break free. His fingers turned harder, and I felt too much pressure on my neck. If I didn’t get him to let go, I was going to pass out. I moved my hands up, clawing at his face now.
I watched as his body stiffened and his eyes shifted.
They lost their color, and suddenly, he didn’t look so alive anymore.
I watched as his fingers let go, and the magic that had been in him dissolved.
Mike suddenly looked dead as he fell backward.
I was doing the same. I went into the cauldron, the water sucking me down.
I gasped for air, but sucked in water. A giggle filled my ears.
“I don’t need him anymore now that I have you. Everything went dark.