CHAPTER EIGHT

Finn was right to lie, I decided as my whole body began to shake. I definitely could not handle the truth. Just hearing her name sent tremors through my body.

Kol looked incredibly alarmed as he took in my shaking form. He reached a hand forward before pulling it back, unsure whether or not touch would comfort me. I struggled to catch my breath and panic flooded through me. With the panic came magic.

"Kol!" I whispered in horror as I felt my whole body heat up, fire desperate to burst free.

He cursed before hastily picking me up, "Hold on, darling."

Using vampire speed, Kol rushed me outside and placed me in the center of the lawn. He then took several steps backwards and turned on the garden hose. Despite the heat that clawed at my skin, I felt so extremely cold. I looked up at Kol with wide, pleading eyes.

"What do I do?" I asked, trying to push the magic down.

"Don't fight it," Kol urged me, "Embrace it. Let the magic flow freely from your skin."

I swallowed nervously, "I don't want to hurt you, Kol."

"Whilst I am touched by the sentiment, Kresley, I am immortal." Kol reminded me, his eyes softening, "And I have experienced far greater pain than fire."

"You don't need to be here for this." I urged him, tears welling in my eyes, "Leave while you still can."

Kol scoffed, "I am not leaving you, darling. Now, release the magic."

It was as if his words flipped a switch. Unable to contain it any longer, fire burst from my skin. It surrounded me like an aura as the flames grew brighter. I was a beacon of light and I felt my body relax as it let go of all that energy.

The panic that had accompanied me the previous times was not there. I was in a safe place with no innocent people around me. It felt so freeing to use my magic without fear taking the reins. I let out a surprised laugh as I admired the soft orange hues of the fire I had created. Under controlled circumstances, my magic was truly beautiful.

The fire did not travel and instead remained close to my body, tickling my skin. My eyes met Kol's in astonishment and he grinned broadly at me. He released the garden hose from his grip, letting it fall to the grass. He clearly thought that precautions were no longer necessary.

When the last of the flames burnt out, I fell to the ground in an exhausted heap. Kol hurried over to me and knelt down beside me. His eyes trailed over my body, looking for injuries that were not there. Once he was certain I was unharmed, Kol grinned and pulled me to his chest in a tight embrace.

"I did it!" I said in disbelief as I smiled up at him.

"I had no doubt that you could," Kol said, smoothing a hand over my hair, "After all, I am a fabulous teacher."

"Thank you, Kol." I whispered, tears coming to my eyes.

"It's not over yet, darling." he warned, "You need to prevent these magic build ups from happening in the first place, which means frequently using your magic."

I tensed up at his words, "But I don't know how."

"Then you are lucky that I am such an excellent teacher!" Kol answered and I had to suppress a smile.

"You have a huge ego!" I chastised him playfully, lightly slapping his chest.

"Do you know what else is huge?" Kol asked with a smirk and my eyes widened in horror.

"Kol!"

"My knowledge!" he told me smugly, "Which is why I am the best teacher ever!"

I laughed, "I'll have to get you a mug that says that."

"I would rather have you say it."

"Keep dreaming!" I teased him.

Being with Kol felt so natural. I was not a very trusting person but in the short amount of time that I had known him, Kol had won me over. A sudden wave of guilt rushed over me. Maybe I should have given the others the same chance that I had given Kol. I had known them for mere minutes before forcing them to leave.

"What's wrong, darling?" Kol asked, noticing my shift in emotion.

I let out a long sigh, "I feel guilty about how I treated your siblings."

Kol smiled sadly, "You are not to blame, Kresley, and neither are my siblings. We are all victims of our circumstances. When you met them, you did what was best for you at the time and I cannot fault you for it. My siblings were rash in their decision to search for you. They should have known better than to approach you so soon but they were blinded by their desire for a mate."

"I wish I hadn't been so terrified at the time." I admitted.

"You had good reason to be!" Kol assured me, "Us Mikaelsons are complete lunatics!"

I let out a soft chuckle, "I guess that there is no going back. We just have to look forward."

Kol nodded before pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. He then stood and pulled me up with him. My legs were shaking from exhaustion but he held me close, preventing me from falling.

"Kresley?" He asked as we walked back into the house.

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I ask what caused your reaction? Does my sister's name really inflict such fear on you?"

I shook my head, "It wasn't fear that led to my magical breakdown."

Kol frowned, "What other strong emotion would my sister cause?"

I sucked in a breath before answering honestly, "Heartbreak."

Kol paused midstep and looked down at me thoughtfully. "You know my sister more than you led me to believe."

"Yes, I knew Rebekah." I replied, nodding stiffly. Her name felt like razor blades on my tongue.

"What happened?" Kol asked softly and I smiled sadly, preparing to reveal a devastating truth.

"We broke each other."