𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐒
Chapter Thirteen | Lady Katherine

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KALLIOPE AWOKE WITH A START. Eyes blown wide, breathing coming out in short spurts, chest rising with a dull ache. After their love making or ravenous sex, whatever Damon thought it was, he nodded off to sleep. Kalliope on the other hand stayed awake the rest of the night. She laid on her side, bare back facing him, staring out the window till her eyes stung from lack of blinking.

The Genie was not well. She couldn't get herself to sleep. The inner turmoil stirring within kept her eyes glued open. She feared, that when she closed her eyes, this would all be a dream.

Her rekindled love and friendships, all but a sequence of glittered fantasies. Kalliope was terrified she'd close her eyes and wake up back in her chalice. Those enclosing four walls, mocking her. Somehow shrinking in on her.

She couldn't bare. Wouldn't face reality. It was only when her body forced her into a dreamless sleep due to her eventful day that she actually rested. That happened not but thirty minutes ago and she was already forcing herself back to the living.

Kalli needed to be moving, doing something other than lay down and exist like she had been for a hundred plus years.

It was when she screamed herself awake that Damon finally peeled his eyes open. Grumpy and drowsy from his peaceful and sated slumber, he sat up on his elbow and tended to her.

"Flore, hey. Hey, it was just a dream," He shushed her with a husky voice.

Kalliope ran her hands through her curly hair, soothing herself from her violent morning. She calmed her heavy breaths, leaning on Damon for support. He immediately accepted her in his arm, brushing her wild hair out her face, tugging her closer.

He had to admit, it felt nice being needed again. Having a routine and creating something incredibly domestic. Though they weren't perfect, they were figuring things out.

Running his fingers through her hair, Damon gazed at her from above. "What was it? Talk to me."

Kalliope shook her head, briefly closing her eyes. "Nothingness. Just endless black, blank walls. They stretched on for ages and I c-couldn't - I couldn't get free." Her body trembling as she relived it. A worry built in Damon, his brows furrowed deeply.

He was confused how she could wake up screaming bloody murder by seeing a few walls. He couldn't connect the dots. Didn't know she was once trapped away from society forced to endure her own reflection.

Nevertheless, he cradled her, kissing the top of her head in a nurturing manner. "You're safe now, there's no need to worry."

His words were sweet, but they didn't remedy her paranoia. Something wasn't right. In the air, about the house. She didn't know what exactly... until a voice broke their tender moment.

"How sickeningly sweet. I think I have a cavity," Katherine stood at the open door, clapping her hands once - twice, with a devious smirk curling her lips.

At first, Kalliope thought it was Elena. Her brows pinched as she brought the covers up and over her exposed chest. But when Damon rolled his eyes in annoyance, leering at her figure, Kalliope thought it was uncharacteristically mean to be Stefan's lady.

"What the hell are you doing here," Damon grumbled sliding out from under Kalli to put on a shirt. He didn't seem too surprised just fed up with her presence entirely.

Katherine ignored him, staring intensely at Kalliope with a knowing smirk. She padded closer to the bed, furthering the Genie's uncomfortable confusion. "Wow, you haven't changed a day. What's your secret, Genie? Mind sharing?"

This made Kalli recoil in shock. Memories of the horrible woman who came to Mystic Falls in 1864 and ruined the beloved bond between brothers flashed before her eyes. Her lips sagged into a dreadful frown, giving the doppelganger the reaction she sought. She loved the drama.

"Katherine," Kalliope simpered.

"The very one," She stood and did a little twirl, jutting her hip out with a tilt of her sleek straightened head. It made her look like a Elena.

"You're still alive."

"All thanks to you," Winking Katherine ignored Kalli's blatant distaste for her presence and strolled to Damon with a seductive purr. "Freedom feels good, doesn't it Genie? Oh wait, that's right..." She smirked down towards her, twirling a strand of her dark brown hair around her perfectly polished finger.

Damon instantly grabbed the vexing vampire by the throat, choking her against the wall. Although, it had little to no affect on her whatsoever. "Okay, shut up and what is she talking about?"

"Did I forget to mention by daggering Elijah, you're breaking any and all compulsion he's ever done?" She pouted before grinning wide, not looking in the least apologetic. "Oops."

Damon growled as he shoved her before backing away. The Eldest Salvatore was younger than Katherine by a long shot, he had no physical hold on her. That little fact annoyed him to no end. Just then, Stefan jogged in his brother's bedroom with Elena not far behind him. His face was incredibly unamused, eyebrows furrowed in agitation.

"Don't feel special... she pulled a little trick on us too this morning." Stefan paused in the middle of his sentence, not expecting to see Kalliope in Damon's bed. Better yet, he didn't expect to see her completely naked, covering herself with a thin silk sheet with flaming cheeks and ruffled hair.

Kalliope have never felt more uncomfortable than she did in this moment. She huffed in embarrassment, rolling her eyes as Stefan quickly averted his own. Katherine was enjoying herself, examining her nails.

"Aw, just like old times. What a family reunion. We just need to get rid of pouty over there," She pointed to Elena with a scowl.

"Okay, I hate to be rude and interrupt Katherine's antagonizing tirade but can I have a moment to become decent?" Kalliope slightly raised her voice, gesturing to herself with lips pursed with enough attitude to level a mother of six.

When Stefan turned with Elena following, Kalliope knew Kat would do absolutely nothing. She would be disappointed but she didn't expect any better. Instead, Kalli stood with the sheet wrapped around her and decided now was the time to reveal herself to Damon and Stefan. With a deep breath, the Eldest Salvatore looked at her strangely. She shared a glance with him before nodding her head once and instantly, a pair of blue jean capris and a bright boat neck blouse covered her figure.

"What -" Damon blanched, blinking dumbly.

"So they still don't know, interesting." Katherine tapped her chin with a secretive expression, cutting Damon off.

"No, they did not." Kalliope ran a hand through her unruly hair to calm it down. Supplying her hands with something she can control verses the situation at had which was unpredictable.

"You've been a witch this whole time," Stefan was the first to ask the question, turning back around while tilting his head as if seeing Kalliope with brand new eyes. She felt shy under his gaze, but shook her head in disagreement.

"I'm not a witch, but I was created by a powerful one. I'm a Genie. Mythical being, make a wish, it could come true..." She waved her hands around nonchalantly.

"And you've just- been keeping this a secret for hundreds of years." Damon scoffed, finding it hard to believe. "I've never seen you grant one wish in 1864."

Biting her bottom lip, she glanced at Stefan momentarily, before turning to Katherine. "I've granted Stefan's... and reluctantly, Katherine's."

Stefan stepped forward with Elena looking unsure. Of course, she knew what Kalliope was, she witnessed it first hand at her own house. But now they were talking about the eighteen hundreds, a time she had no foot hold in. There was nothing she could comment on. "W-When? What wish? I don't remember saying -"

"You wanted to be more decisive in everything. The price was you felt more intensely than everyone else. Happiness, sadness, love, guilt. I'm sorry, I just wanted to make you happy, you were so distraught."

Stefan frankly didn't remember any of that and he searched his brain for the moment. That is, until it clicked. A random afternoon when he was pinning over his brother's wife and Kalliope was too compassionate and nurturing to let his moodiness drop.

He ran a hand through his golden hair, furrowing his brows in thought. He became quiet after that. Damon scoffed at seeing his brother's contemplative expression, throwing his hands up. "Okay, great. You're the reason Stefan broods. What other lies are you covering up?"

His tone was so distrustful, Kalliope was offended. He didn't know the real reason why she did what she did. Why she hid for so long. Still, it all left a sour taste in her mouth. "Everything I've hidden was for a imperative reason, maybe not to your standards but I was protecting myself."

"And really, I admire that," Katherine grinned, thinking her and Kalliope were not that much different. Better yet, she had said the same motto to the Salvatore's before. "Saved my ass plenty of times."

Rolling her eyes, Kalliope pursed her lips in contempt. "You took advantage of me. What you did was conniving."

"Like you said, 'I was protecting myself,' I will always look after myself..."

EIGHTEEN SIXTY FOUR

THE STORM CLOUDS IN THE SKY SHOULD'VE BEEN AN OMEN TO THE EVENTS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE. Kalliope usually made it a habit to read tarot cards every morning before her husband would wake but she didn't today. That was her first mistake, Kalliope grew too comfortable in her surroundings.

All the love and kindness she received in Mystic falls, who could blame her. After years of hiding and running, she could finally breath. But not tonight.

Damon hadn't come home after telling her that he was visiting his brother. He left mid afternoon and now the grandfather clock tolled a ferocious midnight.

There was no distinguishable moon in the night sky, only the stars which blared warnings for the Genie in a way she could not put into words. Plainly speaking, she had a very bad feeling and when it swirled and twisted her stomach, Katherine instantly came to mind.

She knew the lady was a vampire. Kalliope had been around vampires to know their scent, their charm, and their inability to blend in. They stuck out like sore thumbs to Kalliope. After two weeks of staying with the Salvatore's, mingling with the town's folk, and coming over for Sunday roasts, Kalliope grew suspicious of Katherine.

The girl held a mischievous glint in her brown eyes. She was too perfect, too sickly sweet. No doubt, it worried Kalliope for a moment. But as Katherine caught on to Kalliope's suspicions, she toned down her theatrics. After a while, the Genie was just beginning to think the Pierce girl was in Mystic Falls to start fresh.

Who was Kalliope to deny her the divine right for freedom and secrecy when she herself was doing the same. So the Genie left it at that.

Soon Stefan was courting Katherine and her awareness increased as she feared for the youngest Salvatore. Everyone seemed enraptured by the young ladies splendor. Her seductive and virtuous ways left little to be desired. Even Damon found himself back at his old home many times out of the week. The tables had turned.

Of course, Kalli noticed a change but what was she to do about it? There was no proof of unfaithfulness. Only suspicion.

However, tonight she planned to follow her instincts and venture into the night. A lantern creaked and sway in her enclosed fist, eyes squinted as they adjusted to the dark. She didn't know what she was doing but if anything should happen, she wouldn't die. Her shackled existence made very clear of that.

Her footfalls were all but mute against the grass. Her mind building with many different scenarios. Some heartbreaking and others scarcely devastating, there was no in between. Heart thudding loudly against her rib cage, her breath was stolen when she saw men in the distance.

Pitch forks and rifles were in silhouette by the night. Faintly, she could hear the sound of chanting, boisterous crude language among baritone voices. Kalliope quickly realized they were hunters, better yet, the founder council. Rounding up vampires, no doubt.

If they were staking vampires that would mean Katherine was involved. And if Katherine was involved, sadly she knew, the Salvatore's would be too. She quickened her steps, sticking to the deepest shadows. Kalli had never been given the opportunity to be heroic but she thought now was a good time.

She didn't want anyone to die. Her naïve heart even clenched at the thought of Katherine being lynched, a swift stake to the heart if the council was merciful. She doubted it however.

Maybe she had her reservations for promiscuous women like Katherine, but she had been in the lady's company for months now. Unknowingly, she had grown a bond, even if it was superficial in Katherine's eyes. Kalliope could relate to her in some obscene way. There was a sense of understanding and with it, Kalliope buried her suspicions, allowed her refuge in her home. That could've been a dreadful mistake but Kalli would do it again because she would want someone to do it for her, if given the chance.

In her haste, Kalliope tripped over a dead body. On her way to the Salvatore's, she saw dead men left and right. Some human and very few were vampires. All bled red, all dead by shot wound or stake. There was no difference in her eyes. No one deserved death by the hands of another.

At least, that's what her wish guidelines specified.

Her body collided with the ground. Lantern smashing against a rock before the open flame swiftly caught fire on the dry grass. Kalliope's eyes widened at the sight as she pulled her skirts and backed away. In her efforts to leave, her hand made contact with something wet.

Pulling her hand to her face, she made out the coppery smell of blood. It soaked into her skirts as she sat on the ground. Slid down her wrist in droplets. The blood was still fresh, hauntingly so.

Turning over, Kalliope almost screamed at what she saw. The building flame beside her illuminated the side of an unconscious face. A face she never wanted to see in this circumstance. Her stomach rolled at the sight of Stefan. Eyes closed, chest barely moving as it oozed the dreaded red stain over his white blouse.

"N-no," She stuttered, reaching her shaking hands to his face. The blood streaked against his cheeks as water from directly above washed it away. She was crying over him, with disbelief keeping her on the precipice of insanity. "No, no, no. Come on, Stefan. Please."

With a pang, Kalliope felt inclined to look around. Somehow, she knew Stefan would not be anywhere Damon didn't linger. If she wasn't hysterical before, she was hyperventilating now.

Kalliope crawled to Damon's side and trembled in despair. Mud caked to her elbows and bloodied skirt, mixing the colors of vengeful red and decrepit brown. Her shoulders shook with her sobs, a disturbing scene you couldn't help but avert your eyes.

She couldn't speak her denial like with Stefan. This hurt too deep, scarred too hot like a branding iron to her heart. It triggered a wave of memories she had long buried where another great love dead in her arms. A little bit of Kalliope's sanity went with him.

A lot of people say the dead look at peace, but Kalliope didn't see it. Damon was not at peace. His face was impossibly still but not at peace. Stone cold and vacant, but not at peace. Ghostly and somber, but certainly not at peace.

Kalliope was right there with him, laying against his bloodied chest for a resemblance of a heart beat. She prayed it was would beat just for her. This was by far the cruelest part of her existence. She outlived every good thing, and she couldn't grant a wish of her own.

Suddenly, a rustling stirred Kalliope and she instantly jerked upright. Her eyes wide. Face colored in red as the wild fire raged on beside her. She looked like an unhinged murderer, seeking her next kill. Truth be told, the Genie was halfway there.

"Who goes there," She called in a stern voice. Kalliope wanted to be left alone to mourn. Apparently, the universe hated giving her what she wanted.

In the brush, Katherine stalked out with sinister dark eyes. She was determined, Kalliope knew the face well. Her skirts were ripped at the hem, far more unkept than Kalliope had ever seen her.

"You've been hiding a secret, Kalliope." The Genie moved to hold Damon's hand, her lip slightly trembled in fear. "I think it could be of use to me..."

In the wake of the blazing fire light, Katherine held up a certain chalice. The runes were all too familiar. The impressing, suffocating doom that came with simply looking at that thing made fresh tears prick the corners of her eyes. "W-Where did you get that?"

"I had to get you before you came for me... So I went digging, got a friend to gave it to me, someone we both know."

Swallowing deeply, Kalliope dragged her knees against the soiled ground. Her heart sped up in a dangerous tempo, like a ominous drum pounding the soundtrack of her fate. "Katherine, please. You don't know what you're doing. D-Don't put me in there. Don't put me back in there!"

For a moment, Katherine paused at her pleading. The stark fear in the usually bright woman before her disturbed something within. The desperation that suddenly possessed Kalliope as she begged on her knees invoked an inner repulsion. For the first time, Katherine was not pleased with herself. Nevertheless, she steeled her emotions and locked them away until a later date. When she was far away from this horrid place and starting over once again.

"Its either you... or me," She whispered in a haunting drawl. The flames grew, reflecting in her eyes in a terrifying display of her power. "Aliquis a somno expergisci."

The chalice suddenly shook, glowing an inconceivable color. It radiated heat, igniting the once invisible, golden cufflinks around Kalliope's wrist. The Genie started to panic, her breath coming out in short spurts. "Katherine! P-please don't put be back in there."

"I wish to always have an opportunity of escape, no matter how dire the situation," She worded it precisely, her chest heaving as the gravity set in what she was wishing. However, she didn't know what the price would be, nor did she care at the moment.

Kalliope was forced to obey. Her head bowed as she granted the vampire her wish. "It's done," She answered in solemn.

Her eyes stole one last teary glance at Damon and Stefan before she was sucked back into the chalice, leaving Katherine all by her lonesome. Suddenly, the bushes rustled once more, the familiar Bennett witch making an appearance seemingly out of no where.

"Katherine, I've made you safe passage on a carriage nearby. Lockwood kept his word."

Staring down at the chalice, Katherine thought it useless now. She didn't understand the principles behind it, nor the lore. Thinking she only got one wish out of Kalliope, she shoved past the Bennett witch and placed it in a coat pocket for safe keeping. Little did Katherine know the chalice would soon disappear. Materializing beside the book in which it was transcribed, deep inside Kalliope's old chest.

Never to be opened again till more than a hundred years later.

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Unedited. 5/2/2021

I don't even know what to say.
KAT AND KALLI COULD'VE BEEN FRIENDS. Why Katherine, why!?

Also, we all know Damon wasn't just going to see Stefan, right? Smh. Kalliope's too good for everyone, but who do you think gave Katherine the chalice?

Let me know your thoughts by comment, Vote! Xx