⠀⠀⠀⠀the laugh that left him earned nothing more than a tired narrowing of her eyes. normally, she would have had a far sharper response ready. normally, she would have enjoyed dismantling his argument piece by piece until all that remained was irritation beneath that infuriating grin – well, at least in her mind, because she certainly wouldn't want to provoke a possible violent reaction.
⠀⠀⠀⠀today, however, every thought felt as though it had to claw its way through fire first. still, she managed a faint scoff. "stubborn people tend to have that problem." her voice came out rougher than intended. "we rarely make things easy for anyone." least of all klaus mikaelson.
⠀⠀⠀⠀another wave of pain rolled through her body. it started somewhere deep beneath her ribs before spreading outward like cracks through ice. her fingers tightened briefly against the edge of the couch. she refused to make more of a reaction than that, refused to give him one. because despite everything, she still had a plan.
⠀⠀⠀⠀she was not going to curl up in some forgotten corner and quietly cease to exist; that had never been her style. if katherine pierce was going to leave this world, she intended to do so spectacularly. people would talk about it, they would remember it. and once she was gone, it was hardly her problem what happened afterward – provided she managed to get away from klaus first. the very thought of spending her final hours trapped in a room with him was exhausting. his arrogance alone was enough to drain what little patience she had left.
⠀⠀⠀⠀when he moved away, part of her almost hoped he had finally decided to leave, to go torment someone else. to stop stealing minutes she could no longer afford to waste.
⠀⠀⠀⠀the illness (or rather poisoning) was doing strange things to her senses. everything felt wrong, and in a way distorted. sounds seemed to arrive too loudly and too sharply. vampires had excellent hearing but it seemed like it was more enhanced by now. the faintest noises echoed through her skull until they felt unbearable. every shift of fabric, every creak, every distant movement.
⠀⠀⠀⠀and smells were even worse. they lingered and multiplied. they turned her stomach and made the nausea twist beneath the fever. yet through all of it – she smelled blood. immediately, before she consciously registered why.
⠀⠀⠀⠀she heard skin tear, heard the brief sound of liquid striking glass, and suddenly it was everywhere. it was impossible to ignore. it caused her throat to tighten; the dark veins beneath the dark and sickly rings under her eyes became more pronounced. she felt them.
⠀⠀⠀⠀felt the hunger stirring beneath the sickness, felt her body react before her mind approved of it. the whites of her eyes flooded with red. her gaze snapped toward the source and when he returned, she saw the remnants of the wound at his wrist.
⠀⠀⠀⠀she swallowed, trying unsuccessfully to relieve the dryness burning through her throat. and then her expression changed subtle; calculation replacing irritation as her eyes narrowed. measuring and estimating. counting possibilities.
⠀⠀⠀⠀could she take the glass? could she move fast enough? could she surprise him? escape before he stopped her? the answers came quickly and none of them were encouraging.
⠀⠀⠀⠀for one brief, feverish moment an entirely different thought crossed her mind. a thought that was wild, reckless and borderline insane.
⠀⠀⠀⠀attack him. bite him. leave him with something unforgettable. she's certain no one had been that bold before. (un)fortunately, the image lasted less than a second before practicality reasserted itself. it would end disastrously, even by her current standards.
⠀⠀⠀⠀slowly, she ran her tongue across her dry lips. more to occupy herself than anything else and to force those thoughts away because hunger was dangerous. especially when klaus was deliberately placing temptation directly in front of her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀her gaze finally lifted from the blood and back to him, unwilling to trust a single thing. "what exactly is it that you want? because i think we can both agree that the price isn't simply asking." and possible falling on her knees and beg. that would be humiliating but he probably is into shit like that. "so what is it, klaus? what do you actually want from me?" what does 'being of use to him' mean? putting her head on a chopping block? humiliate herself for his amusement? what could he possibly want? || @devilfated