Chapter 44

Okay, Kol did know how to have fun. He had taken her to one of the hotels on the Strip and told her that the hotel revitalized their entertainment area every 10 years or so. There were coasters inside the building. Full blown roller coasters that went fast and had loopings. Things that shot you in the air. Bumper cars.

Myriam wasn’t with them because she was still coming down from her blood high and moping about the fact that her husband went to France without her.

But what fun the resort was! She usually wasn’t keen on things that went really fast but with her new motto of ‘going with the flow’ she did it anyway. Izzy was sure that her dad wasn’t going to believe it. No, she wasn’t going to give them an update. No. Not for at least another week.

Afterward, Kol took her to the steak restaurant at the resort, one of many different restaurants present, and she happily devoured a steak, cooked to perfection, and, because they hadn’t had enough of the adventures with the coasters, they went back until the place closed and they went home.

Izzy was surprised by how she hadn’t been bothered by feelings or residuals for the entire day because her mind was occupied with something else. Maybe she was stronger than she realized.

Kol told her to get some rest because he had a full day of fun planned for her the following day as well. Something that was slower in pace, but something he thought Izzy would appreciate very much. It was so endearing, he really was trying, and she was wondering if he was going to take her to places every day she was with them. Because if he would, that would be insane.

For the first time in a few days, she slept like a rock. The next morning, she took a shower and got dressed in her usual clothes instead of super comfortable, because she felt super comfortable in her normal clothes as well. Jeans and a t-shirt. Hair up. Effort. She was surprised to see breakfast on the table after walking into the kitchen and a fresh pot of coffee. Myriam looking severely come down from her high and Kol sipping on a glass of… wine? No, blood. It was too thick to be wine.

“Morning!” Kol greeted her with a big smile on his face. “Slept well?”

“I did, thank you,” she smiled back at him as she sat down at the table.

“You have Myriam to thank for that,” he said as he nodded to his sister-in-law. “She put something in your room that makes you able to sleep without disturbance.”

“Thank you, Myriam, I needed that.”

Myriam smiled then. “Kol told me what happened in Texas. I’m sorry about that.”

Izzy shrugged. “Let’s just look forward and not back, okay? I don’t want to get stuck.”

“And we will,” Kol replied as he pushed the stack of pancakes towards Izzy. “Eat up, full day ahead for you and I’m sure you’ll like it.”

“Can I come with?” Myriam asked, uncharacteristically wringing her hands nervously. “I hate being home alone. I really stepped in it this time with Klaus.”

“Well, if it helps, he was run over by my car,” Izzy said as she put a pancake on her plate and drizzled some syrup over it before rolling it up and took a bite out of her meal.

Myriam’s initial instinct to growl defensively of her mate started up before she tempered herself, clearing her throat. “He went to check on you?” She quietly asked, having not known where he left after his lecture.

Izzy looked at Kol. “You didn’t tell her? You’ve had so much time with her and didn’t tell her?”

“Well, no, because when she’s blood drunk, she’s impossible,” Kol replied as he took a sip of his blood. “It’s a well-known fact.”

Myriam shrugged a shoulder, silently agreeing. “I’m not upset he went to see you. I’d be if someone hadn’t.”

Izzy let out a breath. “So, after celebrating my birthday, my boyfriend drove us home in my car and he hit a wolf,” she started to explain. “I made him stop the car and call the vet and told him we were taking the wolf in. Jim thought it was a bad idea, wolf and all, but I didn’t care. Wolf healed a little faster than I was used to, so we stopped and released him. He didn’t like Jim much, but ah well.” She took another bite of her pancake and swallowed it down with coffee. “Next day, my parents tell me that Jim’s dead. The paper tells me that Jim was a member of a Volturi Club. I wasn’t sure if I had to be sad or angry at that point.”

Myriam was initially sadistically entertained at the imagery of the wolf version of her mate being hit, however, the mention of the Volturi stirred up her growling again. “What the hell is Volturi doing in Texas?! I thought we slaughtered those fuckers!”

“Well, not all of them, obviously,” Kol rolled his eyes at her. “We cut off their head, but that doesn’t mean that there are still tiny pockets of them everywhere, but this is where it gets interesting,” he smiled widely at his sister-in-law.

“My dad said he’d take care of it, after he realized who the Volturi were in relation to what I am. He had rounded them all up and Klaus had killed them all,” she took another sip of her coffee as she saw the dumbfounded look on Myriam’s face. “Yep, that’s exactly what I thought when I found Klaus in my kitchen the following morning, all bloodied and my parents compelled. Klaus made them tell me the truth. They’re vampires.”

“Well fuck me sideways,” she muttered in shock.

“And not just any vampires, but more on them later. As it turned out, when I was about five, we had a visitor on our farm who seemed to recognize who I was. He then lead the Volturi to our town to integrate and observe. Klaus is getting that prick right now.”

Myriam’s eyes narrowed as she shifted her gaze from Izzy to Kol, who’d remained suspiciously quiet. “Who is it?”

“Remember that we undaggered Elijah for his help with the Volturi the first time and then afterward he bolted?” Kol said playfully.

The vampire was never particularly fond of the older brother. He tried hard to come between her and Klaus when they had gotten together and she was a strong advocate for his being permanently daggered. “Excuse me a moment,” she whispered before taking off, disappearing elsewhere in the house. Sounds of destruction echoed through the hallways, but it wasn’t quite enough to sate her anger and she broke through the glass window and took to town on foot.

“Let me get her back before she does something silly,” Kol said quickly before speeding after Myriam and bringing her back home. He set her down on the chair and pushed a glass of blood in her hands. “I trust that Nik will do everything in his power to make things as uncomfortable as possible for Elijah,” he eventually said.

“He’s Klaus’ weak spot! There’s no doubt that they’ll return together, Elijah undaggered, and he’d try to weasel his way back in!”

“We’ll just tune him out or have Izzy dagger him,” Kol shrugged simply.

“No, if he returns out of a box, I’m going to rip Klaus to shreds and feed his balls to the closest mutt I can find!”

“Umm,” Izzy hedged as she grew anxious after the recent display. She hadn’t said anything, letting the vampires get their emotions out, recognizing it was coming as a shock. Should she share the sketch she envisioned of Klaus? Yes. “Hold on,” Izzy said as she quickly ran to her room and got the sketch she’d done of Klaus and Elijah before returning and handing it to Myriam. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

Myriam looked at the image and she let out a deep breath. “Are you sure about this?”

“I think so, I don’t know why I drew it,” Izzy shrugged. “I was trying to focus on what I was going to do next but that came out.”

“What did you see? I want to see!” Myriam tried not to sound demanding but she was worried and angry over the new information about her family.

“That,” Izzy pointed at the drawing in Myriam’s hands. “That’s all I saw.”

Myriam blinked and looked down and uncurled her hands, straining the paper. “Sorry,” she blushed. It looked like Klaus was stabbing a very good rendering of Elijah and she had been certain that Izzy hadn’t met her brother any time recently to know what he looked like. “That does look like one of our daggers. Bravo Nik.”

“I got Elijah’s name during the drawing but yeah, I don’t get much. Sorry, I’m quite limited in my drawings. I usually don’t even see things for others but use it as a means to meditate for myself to calm down,” Izzy said apologetically.

Myriam stared at the drawing before eying her. “How many of your drawings tend to become reality or proven to have been a historical fact later?”

“None, apart from that one and the one I drew after but that one was influenced by Kol and I didn’t have my statue on me,” Izzy replied as she took another sip of her coffee. “I usually got some advice in words before that, but it stopped after… well, you know, I got my head to myself.”

“But what about the drawings that lead you to New Orleans?” Kol wondered.

“I think that was Bella telling me to find you. It was like an obsession for me to draw the home you lived in and then your faces.”

“But you’d never seen it and she was long gone,” Myriam mused. “I think without the angel that I made to block everything, you may have some premonition with your drawing in some capacity. I might work on that some because it could help give you a heads up for incoming dangers.”

Izzy huffed. “That’s not necessary, thanks. Kol made me leave it at home anyway.”

“Okay,” the vampire quietly replied, shooting Kol a questioning look.

Kol grinned. “It worked. Why do you think she came here to undagger me?”

“Clearly,” Myriam said with a dry tone, unhappy about his subtle manipulation to make her leave her bubble behind. Once he’d made the connection, he’d be able to speak with her anyway despite the totem. What an ass.

“Oh, tell Myr about your vampire parents,” Kol coached Izzy. “She’ll get a kick out of that.”

“I’m sure I will but when she wants to share she will. I need to go grab a bite,” she glared at him, her irritation rising again. “Want to join me?”

He eyed their glasses of blood and had to admit that he’d been itching for a normal bite. This restraint that he had put on himself for the sake of Izzy was annoying, but he didn’t want to scare her off. Again. “Yes, and after that, we’ll get to having a fun, exciting day,” he nodded as he got to his feet. “You’ll be alright for a while, won’t you?” he asked Izzy who put another pancake on her plate. “We won’t be long.”

“Have fun,” Izzy said as she took a bite. At least they weren’t doing it in front of her, that would have been disgusting. The blood in the glasses was something she tolerated as it likely came from a blood bank or trusted source, but other than that, she’d likely throw up her breakfast.

That being said, the two disappeared quickly. Myriam stopped short just inside an alley and had her hands on her hips as she waited for Kol to catch up. “I can’t believe what you did!”

“You have to be a bit more specific darling,” Kol replied with a smile. “I’ve done a lot.”

“Why wouldn’t you let her take her totem. It won’t kill her to have that comfort. She obviously is willing to try to step out of the box. But two steps further she can go absolutely mad! You know this yourself before you came begging for my help!”

“Relax, darling!” Kol countered. “During the day she’s without it and at night she has mine so she can sleep. And yesterday she didn’t have any encounter. At all.”

“This is Nevada. It’s mining towns all the fuck over. It’s just as dangerous of history as Louisiana you moron,” she hissed.

“She’ll be fine, she’s not as sensitive as Bella.”

“No. Her visions come more at night in her dreams and when she opens herself when she draws. I watched her those first nights when she slept. And when you came back with her. She didn’t fall into a deep sleep until I got the protection up in her room,” she smacked him over the back of his head.

“What do you want me to do? Run back to Texas to get it for her? Because I would, but I don’t see the necessity.”

She rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. “No! I don’t know! Give her yours? I don’t have the materials to make more so it’s either sharing or getting hers for emergencies,” she sighed, rubbing her eyes. “This shit with Klaus and Elijah is giving me a migraine. Vampires don’t get migraines except from witches. I hate your brother.”

“Trust me, darling, once he’s boxed, I intend to fill his box with cement and drop it into the deepest of oceans. He went too far,” he said with a nod. “As for her trinket, I’ll just call her parents to send it over. Or have Nik call them to send it over.”

“Your brother is gonna be sleeping in the dog house when he gets home,” she muttered. “Can we pick one up while we are out later? And maybe a collar and leash?”

Kol let out a snort. “It’s been a while since you’ve done that to him. Sure! Sounds like fun, although Izzy has taken a liking to Nik, you may have to fight her.”

She pouted as she looked back at him. “We were besties before. Well, Jeremy included. I actually miss that turd.”

“If only he’d been able to stick around for two more years, he’d have gotten a kick out of knowing Izzy,” Kol sighed as he scratched his head. “Bloody wanker didn’t want us to do anything to prolong his life.”

“Well, let’s get us our snacks and head back. Make the most of whatever time she lets us have. I’m not going to try fucking it up again,” she mumbled as she leaned against the building and glared at the passing humans. “When this is over with the Volturi and Elijah I might kidnap your brother for a long vacation.”

“I think that if Izzy gets bored of Las Vegas I might take her on a trip around America. Or the world, whatever she fancies.”

“Just keep your plans short-term. That way you won’t get hurt if she decides to leave again,” Myriam said as she stepped in front of the man passing them and compelled him to shut up before taking a bite out of him.

He didn’t comment as he waited for her to finish eating. “I’m well aware of the risks. It’s constantly in the back of my mind even now. I suppose that is why you are looking for that vacation with Nik?”

She glared at him. “I like her but he’s mine. And he needs to remember that.”

Kol barked out a laugh then. “You’re jealous? Of Izzy? Oh, come on, Myriam! That’s just ridiculous! If it weren’t for Nik checking up on her and be more level headed than you and I, she wouldn’t even have considered returning even if I kept annoying her to death.”

“Aren’t you jealous of the bond she seems to have with him?”

Kol huffed. “No, because I know that Nik is committed to you. He’s never strayed. Ever. Why would he start now?”

“I know he wouldn’t. Call it irrational but I can’t help to feel annoyed by it,” she replied, throwing the human behind the nearby dumpster. “Bella cemented herself at your side quickly and it was clear she was yours. Izzy just – mmm – I can’t describe it but while I want her to be my friend I just want her to step back from Klaus,” she rambled her own frustrations at not being able to describe her feelings. “Step up your game, Kol. Do what you do best and fucking woo the girl already.”

He sighed and glared at her more. “She’s not that easy to win over. I’m working on it! Talk to Nik and let him know you’re not comfortable with him being so close to her. If you let this go without saying something you might end up hurting the girl unintentionally.”

Myriam grumbled. “You’re not going to eat anything?”

“I was, and then you ruined my appetite,” Kol said easily before making his way back to the house and found the breakfast table cleared apart from Izzy sitting at the table with her coffee. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Izzy said as she got to her feet and swung her backpack on her back. “Where are we going?”

“Wherever Klaus doesn’t go,” Myriam answered, staring at her.

Kol ignored her and smiled. “There’s this great aquarium tucked away in the mall, it’s been here for about sixty years and they even have a tour behind the scenes where you can feed the exotic fish they have or cuddle with reptiles,” when he saw Izzy’s eyes widen in surprise and anticipation, he felt quite happy with himself. He had chosen well.

“Could we neuter a wolf there?” Myriam curiously asked, heading for the door. “I can send the video to Klaus.”

“Wolves aren’t reptiles,” Izzy replied as she looked at Myriam confused. “What did Klaus do?”

“He was a naughty puppy,” she smirked as she glanced back at her with glittery eyes. “Forgetting the rules of the animal kingdom. I told you about our nature, didn’t I?”

Izzy looked back at Myriam and crossed her arms over her chest. “I didn’t ask for Klaus to come to Texas. I didn’t ask for him to kill my boyfriend or help my dad with dealing with the rest of the Volturi. What I did ask was if he wanted to stick around so I could show him around. But he left to go after his brother. If you have any issues with that, don’t take it out on me.”

“And I’m not. I’m taking it out on him,” Myriam replied with a cheeky smile. “It wouldn’t be the first time he’s gotten himself in trouble over silly things.”

As they got into the car, Izzy looked at Kol from her seat in the back. “Are you that bad, too?”

“Nah,” he shook his head and started the car. Only when they were driving, he grinned. “She’s worse.”

Kol and Myriam took her to the aquarium that was inside a mall, and, as with the place he took her the previous day, it was a lot bigger than she’d believed it to be initially. There were a wide variety of fish, reptiles and even otters and Izzy absolutely loved it. The behind the scenes tour was very informative and she loved handling the snake and lizard.

Kol really liked to see that smile on her face. It wasn’t a fake smile either, Izzy was enthusiastic and her eyes were sparkling and she was just beautiful.

After a few hours, Kol went to take the girls to a restaurant that served southern food and mostly chicken. While they were waiting for their meals, Kol decided to tell Izzy a bit about Elijah and why Myriam had an even bigger hate towards him than Kol did. And he also added why he hated Elijah so much. And why Klaus was usually on the fence about their brother.

“He sounds like a real piece of work,” Izzy muttered as she tucked into her meal. “No wonder I started screaming when he approached me when I was a kid – that’s what I heard from daddy, I don’t remember that event. I was too young.”

“He’s a manipulative fucker who likes to control people and didn’t want his brother to be happy,” Myriam said as she tore into her food. “Elijah believes he’s the one who keeps his family a family, but he’s so wrong.”

“What did he think about Bella?”

“Fairly neutral,” Kol replied after thinking about it. “A pain in the arse so we kept snapping his neck and later boxed him. But we needed the full family for the Volturi and he participated in that. Not because of her, but because the Volturi were a threat to the family.”

“Of course, his latent knowledge of the Volturi was worthless,” Myriam said as she munched on a fry. “Bella found more information with you and Jeremy than he ever could.”

“Well, that makes sense then, why he sent a handful of Volturi to settle in my town, he wanted to make sure I’d never get to know you,” Izzy said as she took a sip of her drink. “What a jerk.”

Kol beamed at Izzy. He was glad that she was feeling the same way about Elijah without ever having met him that she remembered. She was on his and Myriam’s side with this, and that felt good. He was grateful that the three of them could be together like this without all the extreme emotions they had all felt. It certainly helped that Izzy was calm and at ease with herself.

Despite Myriam saying that he shouldn’t think of the future, have hope for the future, he felt that everything was going to be okay. They just needed to be patient.

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