Thanks to all those amazing, lovely people who read, reviewed and scrolled through. Love y'all. So on with the next chapter.

Chapter Nine

You can take my heart like a criminal,
Won't you make me believe I'm the only one?
So grab me by the neck and don't you ever let go,
Mess me up so good until I'm begging for more,
You tear me apart like an animal...
Like an animal, animal….

-Animal by Connor Maynard

Jason Evyanton didn't know what to do as he sat watching his sister who lay still as a statue. There was no heartbeat, no pulse, nothing that could suggest that she was even alive. He didn't want to dwell on the prospect that she could be dead. Verrira couldn't die; she couldn't leave him and Nyx alone. He felt terrified as a small kid but this time Verrira couldn't ease his fears, she couldn't sooth him.

"You can't die on me. You said you would never leave us. You promised Ira, you promised." The tears ran down his cheeks.

"What will I do without you? You know Nyx can't sleep until you sing her to. You know I can't hold a note to save my life." They were desperate pleas of a soul bordering on desperation.

"Who will teach me to hunt? Who will fight with Mr. Brunner for my grades? Who will wake me in the mornings for school? Who will do those things Ira? Who will love me?"

"Nicklaus took Nyx. Nikki has gone to bring her home but I am afraid. What if she never returns? What if she dies Ira? You have to wake Ira, please wake up." His tears fell on her hands, sank in her skin…..

Her whole life was flashing before her eyes. In this cursed darkness she was a spectator of her own life. She could see herself when she was two years old.

She had blasted her brother Demetrius feet's away because he was annoying her with applesauce, she didn't like applesauce. She had scorched him with a colossal ring of fire. She saw her brothers laughing at her newest trick, pouting good naturedly that she had favored Ardiendus's element over theirs.

She was five next moment watching herself cry beneath her sheets from the fear of monsters. She could see her brother Rémy crooning her to sleep, watching her whole night as he sat beside her bed.

She was seven now. She saw herself sitting on the kitchen counter drumming her fingers restlessly as Mathilda fed her breakfast and Ardiendus braided her hair for school.

Numerous memories, heart breaking memories flashed before her and she could do nothing, just see. She could see her younger self dragging Demetrius from shops to shops in search of her prom dress. She could see a much smaller Verrira nestled in the crook of sixteen year old Julius's arm as he sang her to sleep. She saw herself and Nikki when they were kids, trying to create mirages, trying to craft illusion.

Dry sobs racked her frame as there were no tears left to shed. She missed her family. She missed being coddled, loved and protected. She missed being the baby.

She was tired of being strong, so tired. She wanted to go back, back to her brothers, her sister. Back at being little Verrira.

But you can't. A new voice woke in her head. You can't go back to what it was Verrira, you can't. Jason needs you, Nyx needs you. You have to wake up. You promised them a family Verrira, you promised them love. They need you as you need them. You have a family here Verrira. If you let go now, it will all be in vain, you would never avenge Stefan, and you will never fulfill your promises. If you let go now, you will let Azmor Iven Vearinniar win and we can't have that. If you go to sleep, it will be centuries before you wake again. What will happen to Nyx and Jason Verrira? Think about them. Carissa will always have Nikolas but Nyx and Jason? They need you. You love them, don't you?

Yes she thought. She loved Nyx and Jason. She loved them.

Then wake up Verrira. We don't need ash wood and wolfs blood. We are stronger than that. Remember their faces Verrira. Remember how happy they are with you; remember how much they love you. Open your eyes Verrira. Open them.

Yes I must open my eyes. I should wake from the void; I should rouse myself from the limbo. I feel so tired. Why am I tired? I want to sleep.

No you can't. Concentrate Verrira, you have to wake up.

Who are you? How are you in my head?

I am you Verrira. I am the parts of you that hate Azmor Iven Vearinniar. I am chaos, destruction, power and yet I am love. I am the avenger Verrira. I am you that hides in you. Now open your eyes.

Yes I must. I am going to.

And moments later Verrira Evyanton's eye took in the crying visage of her brother.

"Why are you crying Jason?"

Nicklaus Mikaelson relished in the taste of wolf's blood as he drank the woman dry. One down, two to go. He started towards the vampire when he heard it, a quite calling of his name which suspiciously sounded like Caroline. He turned around in hurry and there she was, on the border of the rings of fire, a translucent specter of her past.

He couldn't move. Had Caroline came back as ghost? How had she breached the walls of other side?

"Nik…" she called again, her voice coming from far away.

"Sweet heart?" he mumbled incoherently.

"Nik…."

"I am here love, I am here." He couldn't believe she had come back. His Caroline, his light.

"You are a murderer Nik. You killed me." Her words were like stake piercing his heart.

"You killed me Nik. You tore out my heart." Her face twisted in a facade of pain.

"Caroline love….." he was helpless.

"Don't you dare call me love you psychotic mass murderer. Loving you was the greatest mistake of my life." She shouted.

"No sweetheart you don't mean that. I love you Caroline."

"No you don't. I was just some whore for you wasn't I Nicklaus?" her eyes were sad.

"No love, don't say things like that….." tears were pouring out from his eyes. She was fading.

"Caroline no. Love, don't go. Please Caroline…" he looked around in bewilderment.

"Did you like the show Nik?" Katerina's voice laughed in mock glee. He turned around fuming with anger to break her neck but found himself face to face with Nyx Evyanton.

Her face had a cold smile, her eyes glittering with hatred for the man in front of her. She had dealt with Katherine earlier. She had fed on the vampire to the point of desiccation and had staked her afterwards.

"I thought the sad haunting eyes of 'dear Caroline' were amazing. The effect was instantaneous, won't you agree Nik?"

The hybrid snarled and lunged for her. She danced out of his reach.

"Not so soon, freaky wolf boy. I have some lessons to teach first." She flashed behind him and her hands were an unbreakable band around his neck.

"You are tolerant to vervain, wolfsbane and a werewolf bite. Let's see how you do against ash wood." Her choking hands became rough barked branches, her fingers emerald new leaves. Light purple flowers grew in clusters that smelled familiar. He started choking on the scent, his insides heaving; water running out from his eyes. The flowers smelt like Caroline's blood, their smell was sweet, cloying rotten smell of decaying corpse.

"That's what I thought. Got guilty conscience Nicklaus?" she mocked.

He tried to get up. He tried to stand but the smell still clung to his every pore. He sank under its weight. He wanted to kill Nyx Evyanton. How dare she use his memories of Caroline for her dirty work?

"Get up Nicklaus. Don't you wanna kill me? Poor baby, did Caroline hurt your feelings by calling you a monster, telling you that loving you was her greatest mistake? Truth hurts, does it not Klaus?" she taunted.

"The illusion you showed me wasn't my Caroline." He shouted.

"But she was Nicklaus, she really was." She said in mock sympathy.

This time when he attacked she wasn't prepared. He caught her by neck, his fingers digging in her flesh.

"No clever retort this time love?" he whispered in her ear.

"Oh but I have one Klaus. Don't underestimate me." And she was gone from his grip, vanished as if she had turned in air and flew away.

They danced like bull and matador. Lunging, evading, thrusting, backing, parrying, attacking, charging, escaping. It was the dance of death. No mistakes were tolerated. She gave him a gash, he gave her a cut. She broke his ribs, he broke her leg. She had power, he had experience. She had hatred, he had revulsion. They both had numerous injuries to prove their determination.

"Come on, surrender yourself to me love. I will grant you a quick death." He mocked as he dodged her attacks.

"I am not your snack Klaus nor am I weak as Elena Gilbert. Pray my brother comes in time with your wolf and precious cargo otherwise you are minced meat." She snarled as she dashed away from his oncoming assaults.

Nicklaus Mikaelson wasn't a patient creature but his bout of patience yielded results as he saw her stumble. It looked like little Nyx Evyanton was all out of energy, who was going to save her now?

Shit, she could feel her energy decreasing. If she didn't stop this cat and mouse game with Nicklaus soon, she was gonna be the mouse in this proverbial game. It had taken a lot of energy to heal from the broken neck Katherine had awarded her. Her vision was going black. At the recognizable crucial moment she lurched and Klaus literally had her by neck.

"My my, exhausted all your resources Nyx Evyanton?" he was choking her, cutting her air supply completely.

"No waspish comeback? I feel so bad for you love, so bad about killing you. Dot worry its just business nothing personnel." His hold tightened on her neck as he swept her hair away. The familiar feeling of dread and fear started bleeding in her heart and she thrashed to break his hold. She clawed and scratched to break free but he was adamant. She was going to die; she was going to die as Elena Gilbert had died. The stark realization propelled her to fight him with renewed strength but she was failing. It was going to happen in mere seconds, she was going to end up sacrificed for some archaic curse. She closed her eyes in acceptance when somebody snatched her away from the arms of Nicklaus Mikaelson.

The relief of freedom forced her clogged tears out. She sobbed in the arms of her protector. She didn't know who he was but he seemed familiar. For the moment it was enough for her, his close proximity was enough.

"Shh, it's okay. It's okay, just let it all out." He ran his hands on her back in comforting circles and Nyx Evyanton jumped up in surprise.

It was Elijah Mikaelson. Her savior was Elijah bloody Mikaelson. She couldn't believe it.

"Why did you save me?"

"Nyx….."He started.

"He had to Nyx Evyanton. Your brother has Hayley and he demanded you in return. That's why my big brother came to your rescue. Don't conceive notions of his gallantry and heroism. If Hayley had been safe he would have watched from the sidelines as I drained you and sired my hybrids. Isn't that right Elijah?" Klaus had a calculating gleam in his eyes.

Elijah was saved from answering by Nikolas's arrival. Hayley was trailing behind him, teary eyed and dejected.

She ran in his arms as if they were the safest place in the world and for her they were. He inspected her for injuries and his fingers came to rest at the barely healed scar of her broken neck.

"Who did it Nyx?" he was thunderous in his fury.

"Katherine and I paid her in kind for the deed." She smirked but he saw the charade.

"Wait for me in the car sister." He gave her a kiss on temple and turned to face the Mikaelsons.

Nikolas Barosche cold sense Nicklaus Mikaelson's injuries and he was impressed. If not for energy loss, Nyx could have sent him to his desiccation single handedly. He could see Elijah Mikaelson staring after his sister and the sight of Hayley Marshall's silent tears amused him.

"So what had I said? No marks on my sister gentlemen. And here I find she had her neck broken, several cuts and fractures. There is no mark on Hayley. Ask her if I man handled her." he paused for the effect, "I kept my end of the deal but you failed in yours Elijah Mikaelson. The deals off." They were too surprised to protest when he tugged Hayley Marshall towards him. Klaus started towards him when he blew something from his palm towards the hybrid.

"My final parting gift Elijah, the ashes of ash wood. When he recovers come around the manor for negotiation, she would be there. Safe and unharmed." He pointed towards Hayley.

"Till then say goodbye sweetheart." He murmured in her ear and she fainted.

Before Elijah could say something or take some action, Nikolas Barosche had vanished with the originals precious cargo…..

Where is Hayley gonna be kept? Guest bedroom, dungeons? Where is Carissa? And what is gonna happen when Evyantons and originals start a negotiation? Bloodshed and sarcasm is guaranteed. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

And guys don't forget to review, love ya loads.

-Eos