She sped, as a blur, out of the cave, and came to a stop right before Lumina. Her hair wasn't as immaculate as it was before. Dust collected along the shoulders of her jacket. Soot was on her pants and boots.

Katherine stood before her as though she was made of stone, but the hardness of her gaze and the slight glistening shine to her eyes was the only tell she wasn't as invincible as she wanted to posture herself as. Her eyes remained dark, blood pooling around them, with veins popping beneath the skin. They eventually vanished; the vampire retreated as the woman Katherine was returned, features smooth and eyes are dark as they'd been previously.

With her lower arm slick and dripping with blood, she held the heart in the palm of her hand. The heart was red and unmoving in her tight grip.

"Here's your heart to save your little bird," she said, tone a lot more sharper than she had intended for it to be.