I stood in the closet, holding my breath, waiting for Esther to leave the room. She'd been in there most of the night, so I was likely going to be stuck in here awhile.
I can't believe she would kill her own children, all to restore the balance of nature. A mother's love should go beyond that.
Suddenly, the closet opens and I'm looking straight into the face of the Original witch herself.
"I thought I sensed someone in here," she said coolly. "I assume you heard Elena and I talking."
"How could you kill your own children?" I ask, stepping out of the closet, a hint of anger coming into my voice.
"I upset the balance of nature," she answers. "And I was sent back here correct it. But the real question is, why are you hiding in my closet?"
I racked in my brain for a good enough lie that even a thousand-year-old witch would buy.
"I was looking for the bathroom…"I trail off, trying to sound as convincing as possible. It was a lame excuse, I know, but I honestly couldn't think of anything else.
"Aria," Esther says, looking through me. "I know you were spying. You cannot breathe a word of this to your father or the rest of my children. Otherwise, there will be consequences."
"Are you threatening me?"
Esther gave me a knowing look.
"Go ahead, kill me," I shrug. "Make my father even more suspicious. I'd love to see how you play off my death as a 'oh, she left town' excuse."
I turn to leave, I'd had enough of her.
"You'll die eventually if everything goes according to plan," she calls after me right before I reach the doors.
"Excuse me?" I whirl around and face her once more.
"If an Original dies, so does their entire blood line," Esther answers, walking towards me. "When Elijah dies, you'll be the first one to go because you're the first one he turned."
My heart fell, fearing the end of my father's life, and possibly mine, if Esther's plan came through.
"Then I'll make sure your plan fails," I said determinedly, throwing open the doors and storming back into the hallway. I heard the doors shut close behind me a few seconds later.
"Aria?" my father's voice says behind me.
I turn to face him.
"Father," I smile, trying to hide my worrying. "That was a wonderful speech you gave to start off the evening."
"I see you did not attend the waltz," Elijah notes. "Where were you?"
"Talking to Esther," I reply, partly telling the truth. "She said she wanted to have the pleasure of getting to know her one and only grandchild."
"Tell the truth," he says, seeing through me like always.
I was speechless. I didn't know what to tell my father. I obviously couldn't tell him the truth.
"Did you hear someone call my name?" I ask. "I'll be right back."
I turn and walk quickly away from my father.
"Aria!" he hollers behind me. I ignore him and continue down the hall towards the staircase.
God, it was so hard keeping something from my father. Especially something as bad as this. Our impending death could be upon us and I couldn't warn him. This secret was killing me. He'd find out soon enough.
What seemed like hours later, waiters were coming around with champagne, handing them out to the guests. I look up and see Esther descending the staircase with a glass already in her hand.
I spot my father talking to Elena and make my way towards them.
"Good evening, Elena," I greet her. "Father," I acknowledge Elijah.
Elena gives me a nod, not quite sure what to say.
"So," my father says to Elena. "How was my mother?"
"Intense," Elena replies.
Intense didn't even begin to describe it.
"And for what reason did she need to speak with you in private?" he asked.
Elena looks up at Esther, and Esther smiles back at her. Esther's eyes flicker to me, and she gives me a look, telling me to keep my mouth shut.
"Elena," my father says, pulling both mine and Elena's attention back to him. "Should I be concerned about my mother's intentions?"
YES! I wanted to yell.
"She just wanted to apologize for trying to have me killed," Elena lied.
"So it's true then?" Elijah asks. "She's forgiven Klaus?"
Nope. Not even close.
"It's true," Elena lies again.
Just then, glasses start clinking and all eyes are on Esther.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Esther greets everyone. "Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass."
Right then, a waiter came around to me, offering a glass. I take it, looking down at the contents with great disgust. I refused to drink it.
"It provides me no greater joy than to see my family back together as one," Esther continues. "I'd like to thank you all for being apart of this spectacular evening. Cheers."
"Cheers," everyone repeats and takes a sip.
"Cheers," Elijah says to me and Elena, clinking glasses with us.
No, don't drink it! I wanted to scream at my father, but it was too late, he'd already taken a sip.
"No violence," Esther had her voice raised. "That was all I asked." She was pissed over the fact that Rebekah and Kol and a conspiracy to kill Matt at the ball and then Kol and Damon ended up getting into it. "Rebekah and Kol disgraced our family tonight."
"It won't happen again, Mother," Elijah promised. "I'll deal with them."
I was standing behind my father, listening to her rant.
Esther steps closer to my father and places her hand on his cheek.
"Thank you, Elijah," she says, almost sounding sincere. "I wish the others were more like you."
My father turns and walks out the door, leaving me to face the witch.
"Thank you for not saying anything to him tonight," Esther says. "He still has no idea, but is still suspicious."
"You're welcome," I retort. "How can you live with yourself?" I turn on my heel, following my father, not waiting for her response and running into Finn on my way out.
"Don't even get me started with you," I whisper under my breath, so only Finn could hear it.
Finn grabbed me and pushed me into the room along with Esther, closing the door behind him.
"Seriously, dude?" I ask, incredulously. "Way to treat your niece."
Finn ignores me and walks towards Esther, who was now sitting at a table, writing on what looked like a piece of parchment.
"Are we all right to speak freely?" he asks her.
"Yes," she answers. "The sage still burns."
I walk towards them, and look over Esther's shoulder at what she was doing. She was writing each of her children's names in runic.
"You're not having second thoughts are you?" Finn asked, suspicious.
I didn't want to admit it, but when Elijah was in the room, I thought I saw regret flash in her eyes.
"Of course not," she answers, focusing on her parchment. "It's just Elijah. He's so moral."
And who did he learn mortality from? You, you Original witch bitch.
"You're doing the right thing, Mother," Finn says, persuading her.
Oh, I wanted to kill him for saying that, he was the only one who was unhappy as an Original. Although, if I got into a fight with my uncle, I'm pretty sure I'd lose because he was older and stronger.
"You understands what this means, don't you?" Esther asked, not looking at him. "This spell I'm casting tonight will bind you all together as one."
"I understand," Finn assures her. "When it is time, I will be ready to die."
I wouldn't say he was a martyr, because he wasn't. He was trying to inflict his unhappiness on the others, and make them die along with him. He also seemed like a suck up. So set on getting mommy's attention away from Elijah, who was obviously her favorite, that he would do or say anything she asked in order to receive praise. A thousand years is a long time to grow up, but apparently not enough.
"Then we must complete the link," Esther responds, standing up, reaching for the knife that was also on the desk along with the pen and parchment.
Taking Finn's hand, she places the knife in his palm, squeezing it closed, and pulling the blade out, making blood drip in fast droplets onto the paper.
Dropping the knife back onto the table, she places her other hand around Finn's and begins her incantation.
The blood on the page starts to move towards the names etched into it. First hitting Kol's name, then Rebekah's, Finn's, Elijah's and then finally Klaus'.
Esther stopped chanting and the blood on the page appeared to be in the shape of a tree, meaning that they were now linked.
"The link is complete," Esther announces, echoing my thoughts. "You are now one."
This was not good. I had to warn my father, even if it killed me.
Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in awhile, school has been absolutely crazy with the semester getting ready to end and everything.
I do not own TVD, just my OC Aria
As always, please continue to read and review :)