This was written for cupcakemolotov for the Klaroline Vacay Gift Exchange.

Thanks Angie for beta work.

"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul."

Sonnet XVII - Pablo Neruda

Caroline Forbes revised the plan in her head for the umpteenth time as she waited for the full moon to reach its apex. She knew the spell by heart, had foreseen different outcomes for each step of the plan, had prepared herself for every one of them… And had memorized every possible escape route.

Everything had been detailed and thought of thoroughly, all the planning carefully put into paper (with colour coded precision and a neat handwriting) before it was put into action tonight.

And yet, her hands trembled as she lit on the match, as she set each of the five candles that formed the pentagram alight. The voice in the back of her mind wouldn't stop telling her that there was still time to give up on this idea – probably less of an idea, and more of a death wish.

But she had to remind herself of what was at stake: Elena, locked up in a tower like a cursed princess at the beginning of a fairytale, sheltered from her own life by the Salvatore brothers, her supposed knights-in-shining-armour. Bonnie, taken away from her in such ways that no spell would tell her if she was even still alive.

Her friend's doppelganger blood had always attracted trouble, and after a coven had tried to sacrifice Elena in some power ritual, Damon and Stefan had allowed their concern over her safety turn into paranoia. They kept her away from all, not letting her go out or anyone visit.

So Bonnie and her decided that enough was enough. They'd tried to free Elena… The Salvatores weren't happy about that, so they took Bonnie, casted spells over her so that she couldn't be tracked and reinforced the security in their house so no one could get in or out.

Caroline still wasn't sure if this was a rescue mission or pure old-fashioned revenge, but she was the only one of them who was still free. And she'd fight with everything she had and was to destroy the people who had hurt her friends.

The Salvatores hadn't thought her capable of causing real trouble without Bonnie, she hadn't been worthy of the time it'd take to take care of her as well. And, yes, perhaps the Forbes line wasn't as powerful as the Bennett or the Salvatore one, but let it never be said that she wasn't resourceful or that she wouldn't do everything for those she considered hers.

They would rue the day they had underestimated her.

That thought gave her enough courage to start chanting, the Latin words spilling from her mouth as moonlight bathed her. The wind ruffled her golden hair, danced with the edge of her white dress.

Her hands were still and her gaze filled with determination when she dragged a knife across her left palm, closing her hand into a fist to let the blood drop on the grass by her barefeet.

The flames of the candle grew higher with each word she said, the atmosphere around her getting hotter, filled with energy and the increasing smell of sulphur.

And then, in the blink of an eye, a man appeared in front of her – no, not a man, she corrected herself.

"Hello, love."

She hadn't expected him to look good, but he did. His dark blond curls, full lips and face shadowed by stubble were charming, the way his dark Henley clung to his lean body was enticing. But his eyes… There was something vicious about his cold blue eyes. They wouldn't let her forget what he truly was. A demon.

Caroline raised her chin and rolled her shoulders back.

She wondered if 'charming' would still be a word she could use to describe him after she told him she hadn't only summoned him. She had bound him to her, made him her prisoner.

Perhaps she should feel guilty, but his kind was known for their treachery. She was just playing his own game, getting some leverage for when negotiations began.

One shouldn't play with the devil without a card up their sleeves, after all.