"Elena!"
His scream tore from his chest with his heart as he slammed against the invisible barrier of the veil, his hands spanned against nothing and everything. She laid unconscious - and human - in Silas's arms as he carried her through to the other side, and the ancient man merely smiled at Elijah's panic. And Bonnie was nothing more than a puppet at the moment, one who allowed her best friend to be stolen by a madman because her only focus was the veil.
Elena's fatal mistake was in bristling against his psychic warning and downing the cure anyway. Now she was beyond his reach.
"Damnit," he cursed under his breath. He had never felt quite this helpless. She would certainly perish on the other side, and he could do nothing to stop it.
"He took her," Klaus remarked grimly as he approached. "And you're standing here?"
"You truly believe I'd still be here if I could follow?" Elijah's eyes narrowed in an acidic glare. "Are you completely daft? I love her, brother - I wouldn't just hand her to her death!" He struck his fist against the seemingly open air, gritting his teeth against the electrocuting pain.
Realization registered in Klaus's gaze. "You can't pass through the veil?"
Elijah sighed as his brother met the same resistance with his hand. "No vampires can."
Now the others were surrounding them, and Elijah felt Damon staring him down. "But you let her hand herself over. Wonderful master plan, Mikaelson! If she dies..." His teeth were clenched as he pushed his index finger into Elijah's chest.
"And what was your brilliant idea?" Elijah retorted as he twisted Damon's hand away, his ire flamed by the proverbial yapping dog round his ankles.
Damon winced and pulled out of his grip. "I sure as hell wouldn't have brought her to Silas! The girl is on a perpetual suicide mission... you haven't realized that by now?"
"Everyone else's life for hers, then?"
"If that's what it took to keep her safe, because she isn't going to do it."
Damon stared him down, always recklessly defiant in the face of his powerful elders. Elijah briefly considered tearing the elder Salvatore's hand from his arm as a lesson for even daring to challenge him in such a manner. But he recognized the same panic in them both, over the young woman they similarly adored. And they were stuck here while God only knew what was occurring on the other side.
He saw Caroline and Stefan standing a few steps back, both somber as they watched and allowed Damon to speak for them, neither stepping in to temper his anger. Caroline looked down awkwardly, breaking away to approach their witch friend. Elijah sighed, running a hand over his face in an attempt to clear the slate of his outburst. He was a fool to have thought Silas would leave her here to wait for his return. And he'd betrayed their trust in failing to keep his promise of keeping her safe.
"Then I'll go." The blonde young man whom his sister fancied stepped forward, mind set upon passing the barrier. True to form, Rebekah caught his arm.
"No, Matt - you can't!" Her eyes pleaded with him as he gave her a look of disdain. "You're human and God only knows what you'd encounter!"
"My ring," he threw back, holding up his hand.
"It may not work... we have no way of knowing if the rules are different past the veil." Her face softened as his shoulders fell in disappointment. "I know you'd do anything to save her, but we have to think first."
"And we have to do it without the only person who *would* know," Caroline said, her arms crossed as she came back to the group again. "Bonnie's in some catatonic trance. I can't break through."
"Maybe if she can't tell us, her grimoire still can." Stefan looked around at the others. "Not that we can perform any spells but there may be a clue, since they're witches from Qetsiyah's bloodline."
"Good point," Elijah conceded. "And perhaps the only option we have at the moment."
"I'll go," Caroline offered, and Elijah thought he saw a flash of sympathy in her gaze when she glanced at him. "I'm probably the only one of us with an invitation into her house anyway."
"And I'll accompany you."
Klaus's mouth twisted into a smirk as she rolled her eyes, reluctantly huffing, "Fine."
Then she turned on her heel and he jogged forward to fall into step with her. Stefan followed, prepared to chaperone his friend and the Original who was smitten with her. If Elijah cared, he could have focused on their conversation to hear what the blonde was bickering about with his brother. However, he figured he would leave Stefan to that mundane task. And he chose to ignore Damon's remaining presence. Elijah didn't need his current uselessness venomously thrown back into his face. He wasn't familiar with having no options for recourse, nor was he used to this depth of emotion toward another who was completely vulnerable. His siblings were nearly invincible in most situations, so his anxiety level regarding their danger wasn't the same. He'd always imagined he would see them again. But Elena...
He closed his eyes as guilt tightened around his lungs, making it impossible to breathe. She'd sought his reassurance last evening and he'd turned her away, selfishly lost in his own turmoil at the thought of her remaining human. Now he'd give anything for a few short years with her, even if she couldn't promise eternity.
There was a hand on his shoulder, and he glanced to see Rebekah. Matt stood in the background, watching the siblings wistfully.
"We will get her back, Elijah," she said softly. "I'm sure the witches on the other side will do everything in their power to stop Silas, as they have for centuries."
"But she's a human doppelgänger," he said. He was reluctant to counter her welcome reassurance, but his mind would not quiet. And he had to remain realistic. "She's a liability. If she procreates, the bloodline continues on. Her death would solve many problems."
Rebekah opened her mouth to reply, no doubt to dispel his worries, but they were interrupted by a familiar voice.
"So wise as always," Kol said, sauntering forward. His angry eyes were a harsh contrast to the jovial smirk he wore. "And your girlfriend, too - as she proved when she murdered me. Something that didn't stop you from chasing after her."
"Kol," Elijah said, and he wanted to defend himself, defend Elena... but there was nothing to say. She had killed his brother, and Elijah had betrayed Kol's loyalty by choosing her. Something he would do again.
"Did you even mourn me, brother? Or were you turned on by her resourcefulness? Ruthless and cunning, that one." He glanced around. "It's a shame she's not here, I was looking forward to evening the score. Ah well, Silas will take care of that matter for me, though I'm sure he won't draw out the torture as I could have."
"Shut up, Kol," Rebekah seethed through clenched teeth. "You forget the role you played in your own death. She was defending her brother! You were the one who was too stupid to let it go!"
"Oh, she's your bestie now too? Just one big happy family without me, I see." He put a finger to his chin. "And still she ditched you for the cure. She's human, while you're a vampire. Funny how that worked out for you. Maybe if you'd been on my side instead of selfishly chasing the cure..."
"If you've no help to offer, I'm going to suggest you find other people to terrorize," Elijah said. "I'm hardly in the mood."
"Oh, I touched on a sore spot. I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm really not." Kol shrugged. "You may as well say goodbye to her now... there are no loopholes with the veil. That's one thing Qetsiyah made sure of."
"Leave, Kol."
Elijah's warning did nothing to deter his brother, however, as the younger Original ,settled onto a fallen tree trunk. "I'm a little hurt that you aren't enjoying our reunion."
"Because you're an ass," Jeremy called as he approached over the hill into the clearing.
"Don't listen to him,"Ric added.
"What are you doing here?" Elijah asked.
"Yeah, if we can't help Elena - shouldn't you guys be there?" Matt added. Jeremy clasped his shoulder and Matt looked down in shock. "I felt that."
"Because we have physical forms while the veil is open... and we can't go back through to the other side until Bonnie closes it up again," Ric explained. He looked in her direction, concern appearing on his face. "What's going on with her?"
"She's under Silas's control." Elijah sighed. "But she can't close the veil until we get Elena back. The others have gone to search for the grimoire."
"Which wouldn't even be an issue if someone knew how to say 'no' to her harebrained schemes." Damon stood with them now, arms crossed at he stared at Ric. "Wish I could say I'm happy to see you, buddy."
"No, I get it, man." Alaric pushed his hands into his pockets, as he let out a deep breath. "Under different circumstances. But you can't blame anyone else - she gets an idea, and that's it. That much I can say she got from Isobel."
"Have you seen her?" Damon asked curiously, since Ric had opened the subject about his ex. All of these unanswered questions about the other side... and now people had returned who could explain some of it. The opportunity was too enticing to pass up, even if there were more pressing matters at hand. Besides, they were waiting on the others to return and there wasn't much to do in the meantime... except worry.
"Yeah, we cleared the air," Ric allowed, glancing around at the others. "Look, though - that grimoire isn't going to help you. The witches don't want you to have access to the other side. They generally leave us alone, but they control everything over there."
"Including any contact with the living. Or undead," Jeremy added. "And since we can't get back to help Elena, you have to."
"We have no way to pass the veil," Elijah said again, his irritation creeping through in his tone.
"No, but I have a theory." Ric picked up Matt's hand, twisting it to show the ring to everyone. "Remember how your mom turned me into a lunatic who hated vampires every time I died? She did that because I went to the other side. But when you die with the ring on, you wouldn't stay out long enough to find Elena. Time and distance are different there."
Elijah's gaze narrowed. "So what are you proposing?"
"The daggers," Rebekah breathed, and Ric nodded. "Damn you, Kol! You knew this, didn't you? And instead you've been wasting time!"
"Why should I care if you find her?" he shouted back, rising to his feet and circling in front of her. "I hate her! Let her die! Let the apocalypse rain down on you all - I could care less what happens to this world. It has no effect on me now. And you deserve it for how you've turned your back on family."
"Bekah - it's not worth the fight-" Elijah interjected as he furiously pulled his phone from his pocket and began to dial. They were nose to nose but there wasn't a second to spare to break them up. And quite frankly, he was tired of Kol's presence already.
Rebekah growled in frustration and she shoved Kol so hard that he launched through the air. His trajectory was halted suddenly by an enormous old oak tree in his path, and the cracking of his neck echoed. He slid down to the ground, unconscious.
"That'll shut him up for awhile," she muttered, tossing her hair. She noticed the boys smirking. "What?"
They all shook their heads, clearly impressed by the tempestuous powerhouse before them. Elijah was just thankful for the moment's silence.
"Klaus," he said once his brother answered the phone. "Bring the daggers back with you. Now."
A/N: Yes, the show gave me the idea for the other side with the rings (and daggers). However - anything else that may appear? Merely coincidence. I've stopped watching the show after the ridiculous appearance of Amara and Silas's backstory and this dumb soul mates storyline that turns a lot of the history of the show on its head. But anyway... Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
