Chapter 19(Edited)

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The sounds and smells of this school are utterly vile. It's as if the universe itself conspires to punish me for daring to exist here.

"Bekah, why can't you have normal whims like anyone else? No, it's always something ridiculous like this." Kol gestured dramatically to the school around him, his face a picture of disdain.

Rebekah shot him a glare but said nothing.

Kol groaned, throwing up his hands in surrender. "Fine, I'll bear this self-inflicted torment on your behalf. But know this, Bekah—I'm only doing it because I'm the best brother you'll ever have." He sighed as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go compel the educators not to get too attached to me. It would simply break their hearts when my charisma overwhelms them, and I inevitably leave."

Rebekah's lips twitched, but she didn't rise to his bait. Instead, she raised a brow, skeptical. "And what about when you skip every class and compel your way through the tests? Is that part of your master plan, Kol?"

Kol smirked, unrepentant. Ah, caught already. But I'm a thousand-year-old vampire with no shame. Why would I ever feel guilt about such trivial things?

"Why, Bekah, I'd never dream of such dishonesty. Nik would catch on to such simple tricks in a heartbeat. Besides, if I attend these dreadful lessons, it adds credibility to the bet. And you know how I adore raising the stakes." With a mock bow, he added, "Farewell, darling sister."

Kol's POV

The day crawled by, every second as dull as the one before it. Whatever spark of joy mortals found in this pitiful routine was utterly lost on me. If I were their age, perhaps I might've been swept up in the novelty of it all, but I sincerely doubt it. Mingling for the sake of appearances was a chore, and I loathed every second of it.

Thor, give me strength.

Why Rebekah insisted on this charade was beyond me. What could possibly be so fulfilling about playing human? It's not as if she had some great revelation to uncover here. No, she subjected herself to this misery for reasons I couldn't fathom.

Still, I couldn't deny her one small credit. Despite her many flaws, Bekah remained stubbornly loyal—to her family, to her lovers, to everyone who didn't deserve it. Even when all she got in return was indifference or betrayal.

I grimaced at the thought. If Nik's latest courtship ended poorly, I had no doubt Rebekah would find herself in the crosshairs once again. It was an endless, tragic cycle.

Cafeteria

I grabbed a tray of what could only be described as slurry masquerading as food and headed to Rebekah, who had the baby vampire trailing behind her like a lost pup.

"Ah, darling, how have you been?" I greeted her with an overly theatrical kiss on the temple, earning a furious blush in response. Adorable.

"Kol, stop embarrassing me!"

I clutched my chest dramatically, as if her words had wounded me to the core. "Oh, Bekah, how you wound me so!"

Caroline, the baby vampire, laughed—a genuine, amused sound that caught me off guard. Well, well. Perhaps this day wouldn't be entirely wasted.

When the Bennett witch arrived, I saw Caroline wave her over, no doubt hoping for some semblance of normalcy. How quaint.

"Caroline," the witch greeted, her tone cautious. She eyed me warily, the animosity practically crackling in the air. I, of course, basked in it.

"My, my," I drawled, my voice dripping with mockery. "Where is the doppelgänger today? Trouble in paradise, perhaps?"

Bonnie's jaw tightened, her expression a mixture of anger and exhaustion. Ah, there it is—the righteous indignation of a martyr. Delightful.

As they exchanged barbs, I tuned them out, my thoughts drifting to a more interesting subject. My latest project—a set of enchanted artifacts for the family.

For myself, I envisioned a dragon, its eyes glinting with lapis lazuli and its scales carved from obsidian. Nik's would be a snarling wolf, equally fierce. Elijah's design was simple yet elegant: a raven with a single lapis lazuli eye. For Finn, I had something far more elaborate—a locket in the shape of Hela, the goddess of death. I would wait to gift it to him, though. Timing was everything.

Only Bekah's design eluded me. A swan, perhaps, or a winged horse. Something befitting her complicated nature.

"So, Caroline," Bonnie's sharp tone snapped me out of my thoughts, "why are you mingling with the Originals?"

I smirked, leaning back in my chair. Oh, this should be good.

"My, my," I interrupted before Caroline could answer. "If anyone heard how you spoke, it might sound as though she required your approval to associate with us. And yet, from what I've gleaned from dear Damon, you've treated her as little more than a convenient shield—a pawn to be sacrificed whenever it suited you. Even you, her so-called best friend, couldn't be bothered to give her a daylight ring when the vampire blood was offered at your behest."

The table fell silent, the weight of my words settling over them like a storm cloud. Caroline's face shifted through a spectrum of emotions—anger, guilt, and something I couldn't quite place.

Bonnie glared daggers at me, her magic sparking faintly in the air.

"Anyway," I said, brushing off the tension as if it were nothing, "Bekah, I'm thinking of forging something for you. A ring, perhaps? Or maybe a bracelet? It'll be eternal, so do think carefully."

Rebekah studied me for a moment, her expression softening. "A winged horse, brother," she said finally, her voice quiet but sure.

I nodded. "Very well." Rising from the table, I turned to Caroline. "Baby vamp, if you'd like a new daylight ring—one without any pesky strings attached—do let me know."

Rebekah's eyes widened in shock. Bonnie, on the other hand, gritted her teeth, her anger manifesting in a whispered spell.

The aneurysm spell hit the defensive wards I'd woven into my runes, fizzling out harmlessly. I leaned down, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

"Such bravery, witchling, to challenge a thousand-year-old warlock over something as trivial as a trinket. Do pass a message along to your ancestors: I owe the Bennett line one less favor now. And remind them—you're running out of favors."

With a cold smile, I straightened and walked away, leaving them to simmer in the chaos I'd sown.

Caroline's POV

The cafeteria felt suffocating, thick with unspoken words and simmering tension. It didn't help that Kol Mikaelson was the embodiment of chaos, his sharp tongue and unapologetic arrogance making it impossible to ignore him. The way he thrived in moments like this was infuriating. And yet… he was so damn compelling.

I wasn't sure what was more unnerving: the sheer confidence he carried himself with or the fact that I'd laughed at his theatrics earlier. Laughed. As if he wasn't someone capable of snapping my neck without a second thought. But watching him kiss Rebekah's temple, earning an uncharacteristic blush from the Original, had been strangely disarming. It was a reminder that even monsters could have moments of humanity.

Of course, that moment didn't last.

Kol's voice cut through the room like a blade, his words directed at Bonnie. And then, it happened. He turned his sharp tongue on me, pulling at threads I hadn't even realized were so fragile.

"From what I've gleaned from dear Damon, you've treated her as little more than a convenient shield—a pawn to be sacrificed whenever it suited you. Even you, her so-called best friend, couldn't be bothered to give her a daylight ring when the vampire blood was offered at your behest."

His words landed like a punch to the gut. I froze, my tray slipping from my fingers onto the table with a dull thud. Damon.

The memory resurfaced, unbidden and unwelcome. That night, my body broken from the car accident, Damon hovering over me, offering a salvation I never asked for. I'd always assumed the decision was his—just another one of his whims, another power play in his endless games. But now, the truth hit me like a brick wall.

It had been because of Bonnie. Because she asked him to.

The betrayal clawed at my chest, raw and ugly. How could she? How could my so-called best friend make that decision for me and then… then treat me like I was less than nothing afterward? She couldn't even give me the dignity of a daylight ring, leaving me to beg Damon for one. She had stood by and watched me struggle, let me feel like I was something broken and wrong—just a shadow of my former self.

All because of her.

"Caroline?" Bonnie's voice broke through the fog, cautious and tinged with concern. But I couldn't look at her. Not now.

My eyes stung, but I refused to cry. Not here. Not in front of him.

Cafeteria Scene – Rebekah's POV

Kol leaned back in his chair, smirking as if he'd just orchestrated the world's most elaborate prank. I wanted to throttle him—and hug him—at the same time.

"Anyway," Kol said, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather, "Bekah, I've been working on some designs for enchanted artifacts. I thought you might like to see them."

That caught me off guard. My eternally self-absorbed brother, crafting something for us? For me?

Kol reached into his jacket and pulled out a leather-bound sketchbook. He flipped it open, revealing intricate designs. Each page was more breathtaking than the last.

Nik's was a snarling wolf, fierce and wild. Elijah's was a raven, sleek and elegant, with a single lapis lazuli eye. Finn's was a locket shaped like Hela, the goddess of death, her figure delicate but menacing. And then there was his—a dragon with obsidian scales and lapis lazuli eyes, fierce and proud, just like him.

When he turned to the blank page meant for me, I hesitated.

"What do you think, Bekah?" Kol asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "A swan? A winged horse? Something else entirely?"

I stared at the designs, the care and detail he'd poured into them. Despite his insufferable nature, Kol always had a way of surprising me.

"A winged horse," I said at last. "Strong and graceful."

Kol nodded, a rare moment of sincerity flashing in his eyes. "Very well."

Caroline's POV – Continuing

Kol's voice snapped me out of my spiral.

"Baby vamp," he said, his tone teasing but not cruel, "if you'd like a new daylight ring—one without any pesky strings attached—do let me know."

My head snapped up, my emotions roiling like a storm. He knew. Of course, he knew. Kol always seemed to know exactly where to strike, exactly which nerve to hit.

Rebekah's eyes widened in shock, but Bonnie's reaction was immediate—her jaw tightening, her magic crackling faintly in the air.

And then Kol's smirk vanished, replaced by a cold, dangerous expression.

The spell Bonnie whispered fizzled harmlessly against whatever defenses Kol had woven into himself. He leaned down, his voice a low, menacing whisper.

"Such bravery, witchling, to challenge a thousand-year-old warlock over something as trivial as a trinket. Do pass a message along to your ancestors: I owe the Bennett line one less favor now. And remind them—you're running out of favors."

The air grew heavy, thick with tension. Kol straightened, his smirk returning as if he hadn't just shattered the mood entirely.

"Now," he said, addressing the table, "if you'll excuse me, I have far more interesting things to attend to."

As he walked away, I felt the weight of his presence linger. His words had left their mark, exposing cracks I hadn't even known were there.

And the worst part? He was right. Bonnie had betrayed me. Damon had used me. And I had let them.

Tears threatened to spill, but I swallowed them down, forcing a brittle smile.

But inside, something shifted. Something raw and fierce. I wasn't the naive girl they could push around anymore. I was stronger now. And maybe it was time I started acting like it.