***A/N: Here's a new chapter for ya'all. It's a bit of a filler so I hope you guys don't find it boring. A friendly reminder that this is fanfiction and because of that, I don't always follow the rules. I know that the song I have Elara play in this chapter would not have been released yet in the year this takes place... let's just ignore that fact mkay? Thanks! As always I appreciate the reviews, follows, and favorites. You guys are amazing; keep it up. Until next time. Hope you enjoy!***
My nails chipped away at the wood beneath my fingertips as I absently stared out at the two people arguing in the front yard. With a deep sigh of irritation, I tried to ignore them, focusing instead on tracing an indistinguishable pattern along the porch swings armrest. It had been days since Niklaus had appeared at our front door — making his presence in Mystic Falls known and subsequently learning of mine. Since then I had heard nothing from him, not a peep. I had at least expected to hear from one of his lackeys, I mean, I did have access to what he needed for his ritual, but no...utter silence. I wasn't stupid, things were different now; he knew about my curse and what had led to it, but I had not at all expected his aloof reaction. He simply reiterated what I had told him, stood, and left. His end of the conversation had been cold and to the point; he had shown little to no emotion. During our trip into my mind, things had seemed to be going well, we had even shared a moment or two — or had that only been my imagination? It would be rather fitting, seeing as we had been in my mind. Chuckling mirthlessly I couldn't help but groan, throwing my head back with exasperation.
With a jerk, I winced, brought out of my thoughts by a pinprick of pain. Glancing down, I found a small splinter sticking out of my nail bed. Grumbling at my stupidity and lack of luck, I pulled the small piece of wood out with my teeth, eyes rising to glare at the duo in the yard as their voices rose. Elena and Stefan had been fighting for as long as Niklaus had been absent. Stefan had arrived at our door as soon as I had called the all-clear. He was not happy to learn that Niklaus's reaction to my miraculous rebirth wasn't nearly as pleasant as Elena had expected. He was now back on the 'Elena should disappear' train, and it was not only annoying me but seriously pissing off my sister. She was starting to grind her teeth at even the sight of her ex-boyfriend. I couldn't help but point out how bad a sign that was — she hadn't appreciated my thoughts on the matter.
Pulling my feet beneath me, I put my elbow on the armrest, placing my knuckles under my chin as the swing shifted and Jenna sat down next to me — two mugs of coffee in hand. With a moan of appreciation I took the one she extended toward me and shot her a grateful smile. Nudging her head toward the arguing couple, her brows furrowed in sympathetic unease and she glanced over at me.
"What's going on there? Does it have anything to do with the weirdness Elena and Ric don't wanna explain to me?" she asked, crossing her legs and gently rocking us backward.
I had been amused to witness Jenna becoming something of an amateur detective since I had started dosing her with vervain. She was quick to notice the differences in Alaric and Elena's behavior, the way they shifted conversations when she entered the room, and all the weird things that seemed to happen around them. It also didn't help that they both sucked at lying and were terrible actors. My lips quirked and I quickly hid it behind my chipped rainbow coffee mug.
"Honestly Jenna, their relationship issues are too numerous to list, but I guess the biggest one would have to be the fact that Stefan likes to act like Elena's father instead of her boyfriend." Jenna grimaced, her nose wrinkling with disgust, and a glimmer of understanding passed over her face. I sat my mug down on my thigh and clicked my tongue, looking at her thoughtfully. "And yes, what they are fighting about has everything to do with what Alaric and Elena are...reluctant to let you in on," I said, choosing my words carefully.
I liked Alaric, and although I didn't agree with his choices (like the fact that he seemed to agree with Elena that Jenna should be kept on the outside of the supernatural world) I didn't want Jenna to hate him when it all finally came to light. I was surprised that Elena had not clued Alaric in on exactly how bad this was bound to turn out. She knew how it felt to lose someone over this secret. Jeremy had yet to forgive her — even if his main focus now seemed to be saving her from me.
Jenna slowly nodded, her attention focused on watching Elena push away from Stefan, huffing dramatically as she readjusted her disheveled t-shirt and stomped toward the house. "Are you of the same mind, Elara?" Jenna hesitantly asked?
I twisted around, dropping one of my legs back to the ground, and leaned closer. "No, I think you should have been told the moment Elena felt comfortable with the knowledge herself. This isn't something you play around with. You need to talk with Alaric, tell him that you want to know and if he doesn't agree...then your relationship is over. I doubt he refuses you then," I said, my confidence only as strong as the firm expression I forcefully kept on my face.
Jenna fumbled with her empty white mug, a pitiful expression on her face. "What if he does say no?" she meekly asked.
With a sad smile, I took her free hand. "Then you tell him to fuck off and come home. I will tell you everything anyway. Then you can decide what you wanna do." My eyes hardened and I squeezed Jenna's hand, exhaling deeply. "If I'm being honest, and as hard as it may be to hear, if he is willing to let you remain blind and suffer all the danger that puts you in — then he doesn't deserve you," I said.
Jenna nodded, swallowing past tears, and squeezed my hand — exhaling shakily. "Your right of course. When did you get so smart? It's like you're a wise old woman," she giggled, leaning close to scrutinize my face. I froze as her nose almost touched my face, her eyes trailed my features as she intensely scanned me. Pressing my hand against her collarbone, I pushed her away — squealing in discomfort.
"What are you doing?! Personal space is important, ya know!" I said, leaning as far away as the swing would allow.
I lifted my coffee mug to my lips, scowling at her one more time in disapproval. Jenna's face glowed as she laughed, her eyes crinkled as she watched me shiver in displeasure. "What? I was looking for wrinkles. You must be an old woman trapped in the body of someone young. No one your age should be so all-knowing," she said, one last giggle escaping her.
I snorted, accidentally inhaling coffee in the process, and started coughing dramatically — drawing the attention of the fighting supernatural couple in the yard. Jenna patted me on the back, her face red with held-back laughter. Turning to glance in our direction, Stefan glared intensely at the interruption, his lips thinned in anger. With a heavy exhale of air, Elena blew her bangs from her glistening forehead and used the distraction to yank her hand from Stefan's grasp. She quickly jogged to the porch, her nose wrinkled with exasperation. "What happened to Ellie now? I swear I can't leave her side without the Angel of Death coming after her.
I rolled my watery eyes, shoving my half-empty mug into her chest. "Shove it, Elena!" I gasped, voice raw.
Jenna continued to giggle, hiding her smile behind her hand. Stefan inched up behind Elena, his wary gaze falling on Jenna. I could tell he wanted to speak with us alone. Inwardly groaning with exhaustion, I leaned back, clearing my throat. I turned to look at Jenna, tilting my head. "Didn't you say you needed to meet up with Alaric?" I asked, my words lilting meaningfully.
Her smile dropped, lips twitching with unease, and she nervously shifted her feet. She loved Alaric and the thought of losing him scared her. I leaned closer, taking her into my arms, and kept my voice steady and firm. "He would be a fool to let you go. Be strong, and just remember that regardless of what happens, I will be here," I said, pulling away.
I effortlessly avoided Stefan's questioning gaze and patted Jenna's arm. "If Damon is hogging his attention, send him my way; I'll deal with him," I said, smiling weakly.
Jenna took my mug from Elena as she stood, her brows crinkled with concern. "I might have too. He's been sticking to him like moss lately. I expect an explanation about what happened between the two of you soon," she said, pointing her index finger in my direction, gaze tracking my reaction curiously.
Elena snorted, crossing her arms defensively. "She is better off without that bi-polar asshat," she said.
Jenna's eyes widened at Elena's outburst, her head quickly turning toward Stefan, who merely rolled his eyes, sighing quietly. "Well then...I need to hear what's going on, El," she commanded.
With a shake of my head, I grumbled in annoyance. I didn't like the idea of Aunt Jenna being privy to my past heartbreaks. I was getting sick of reliving my past. It was like constantly picking at a healing wound. "Yeah, yeah. I promise I'll explain all that too," I said, waving my hand out beside me.
Jenna bit her lip, a quiet sigh escaping her. I could sense that she wanted to say more but chose not to, instead, she nodded, turning away and escaping inside. Elena rocked her head side to side, rubbing her neck with an exhausted sigh, and sat down next to me. I watched warily as Stefan paced in an almost perfect line in front of us, his stressed expression morphing between angry and fearful.
"Why don't you just say what you have to say so that we can get this over with? I have a lot of shit on my mind and even more to deal with," I said, leaning forward and placing my elbows on my knees.
Stefan jolted to a stop, rotating his stiff shoulders in an attempt to calm himself. His eyebrows furrowed as he twisted around, fists clenched. "What do you plan to do now that you're an Original short and Klaus is obviously not as smitten with you as you led Elena to believe? How do you expect to protect her when you can't even protect yourself?" he said, lips curling into an unattractive sneer.
Elena's breath caught in her throat and her fingers curled around the ends of her jacket, her knuckles turning white. I could hear her teeth grinding together and grimaced, turning my head away from the awful sound. Reaching toward her, I took hold of her chin, wiggling her face until she gasped, jerking her head away. "What was that for?!" she said pouting as she rubbed her chin.
I pulled at my earlobe in disgust. "I understand how obnoxious the Salvatores can be, but for the love of the Gods, could you please refrain from rubbing your teeth together? It's like nails on a chalkboard...or sanctimonious pricks who don't understand when they're not needed," I said irritably, turning toward Stefan and angrily squinting my eyes.
I could see a tick in his tightly sealed jaw and his mouth twitched as if he was moments away from baring his fangs at me. I was poking at a ticking time bomb, just as Elena tended to do with Damon, but I couldn't help it — I was on edge. No one needed to remind me that Elijah had been daggered and that Niklaus had gone MIA. I was well aware that everything I had built throughout the years was teetering on the edge of a cliff. Yet it seemed the moment I was meant to become useful the opposite proved true. I was supposed to be the one to fix things, and here I was, uselessly sitting on my front porch.
"You said that you had everything under control Elara, but from what you've both told me, Klaus nearly killed you. This is the point where someone else needs to step in. You obviously don't have as much pull with him as you thought," Stefan said, a taunting raise of his brow in Elena's direction the only indication of what he really wanted to say, "I told you so."
I could feel the annoyance leaking from Elena as she shifted next to me. She released the ends of her jacket sleeves, and color slowly started to bleed back into her waxen knuckles. Her dark eyes narrowed in on Stefan and I could imagine steam rising from her reddening ears. I placed my hand on her shoulder and patted her gently, a silent sign for her to remain calm. With barely contained anger, I looked back up at Stefan, the bouncing of my knee the only outward sign of my quickly unfurling temper. "Listen, Stefan, I understand that what happened during my first encounter with Nik must seem like a red flag, but really it's no more than I expected."
Stefan crossed his arms over his chest and snorted in obvious disbelief, rolling his hazel eyes toward the sky with a shake of his head. I felt my temper rising again but held on to Elena's shoulder, inhaling through my nose to keep myself in check. If I wanted to get Stefan back on track then I needed to stay calm and not give him any new reasons to think me a threat. "Im serious, Stefan. Elena may have expected something different." With a playfully sarcastic smile, I glanced at my sister, shaking my head with exasperation. "I'm guessing something along the lines of the two of us, eyes meeting across a crowded room, arms rising as we rush towards one another. A slow-motion lovers reunion perhaps?" I said, giggling slightly.
Elena sighed, smacking the side of my thigh with an irritated huff of breath. "I didn't expect any slow-motion lovers meeting, but yes I did think it would go a bit differently," she said, her cheeks shading magenta.
I flourished my hands out beside me, twisting my wrists around dramatically like a conductor, to add a hint of embellishment to the movement — presenting Elena as evidence. "See, she had her hopes set too high. I tried to tell her that his temper was not something to take lightly. On the bright side, we are past the meltdown and can move on to the ritual. The most important thing is Elena's survival," I said, maintaining eye contact in hopes that he would see how serious I was.
I knew that the easiest way to get the Salvatores on board was to prove to them I was Elena's best hope at survival. They were so wrapped up in the idea of loving her that she was all they could see. Was it manipulative to use their love for her as a way to guide them down the right path? Yes. Did I care at the moment? No. Did it also make me feel a little like a Petrova? Hell yeah but at this point in time I'd known three of them; I guess you could say I'd learned from the best. At least I was doing it for a good cause. Stefan ran his fingers through his hair, pulling at the ends as his fingers glided toward his neck. He took a deep agitated breath and shot a glance down at Elena, who glared up at him in defiance.
"You still want to go along with her suicidal plan don't you?" Elena simply lowered her head minutely, her heated chocolate eyes narrowing. Stefan lifted his fisted hands, a low growl building in his throat, and turned away from her — tilting his head to stare down at me with resentment. "Of course you do. She has you blinded," he said, closing his eyes with a pained grimace.
Elena scoffed, her red face pinched with fury. She placed her hands down on the porch swing and heaved herself up, shoving me backward in the process. I gasped, taking hold of the chain to keep myself seated. With her back to us, she crossed her arms, brown hair swaying as she angrily nodded to herself, answering an unspoken question. With an irritated click of her tongue, she lowered her chin and bounded down the porch steps, her arms like steel rods at her sides. Stefan slowly made to follow but was stopped by her icy voice.
"Don't follow me, Stefan! Not this time. I am so tired of you and Damon constantly judging me for my decisions and trying to force your own ideas on me." Her shoulders flexed as she silently tried to contain her emotions and her voice was as raw as I had ever heard it. "It seems no matter what I say, or how much I beg, you cannot accept that I know what I'm doing." Elena paused, taking in a deep rattly breath, and her voice shook as she fought to continue. "There isn't a place in my life for you anymore, Stefan. I love you, but not enough to give up my family." Placing her trembling hands on her stomach, she swallowed deeply before turning her head in our direction. I could just make out the tears in her dark eyes before she turned away. "Come on, El. We have a ritual to discuss," she said.
Once again my sister had shocked me into open-mouthed silence. Slowly I rose from the swing, removing the keys from my back pocket. With my eyes averted from a stunned Stefan, who appeared more statue than vampire, I jogged toward Elena. With her posture still rigid, she walked toward the passenger side of the car, her near-silent sniffles the only evidence that she had just told Stefan she no longer wished to see him. My already damaged heart broke for her; I had such high hopes for their relationship but understood why she had ended it the way she did.
"Elena, wait please!" Stefan cried, hastily walking toward the car.
His hazel eyes were wide with shock and fear, and I quickly focused on slipping into the car to avoid looking at him. I fastened my keys into the ignition and turned to look at Elena, who sat beside me — tears spilling down her pale face. Her hands shook in her lap, nails digging into the fabric of her jeans. "Drive, El, please. Get me out of here," she begged.
Stefan appeared beside me, placing his palms upon my window. His eyes were red with sorrow, and he bent down, lowering himself so that he could easily see across me to Elena. "Please Elena, I'm so sorry; we can talk about this," he pleaded.
Shakily I placed the car in reverse, biting my lip to keep from crying. Stefan was still my brother after all, despite all he had done. Elena closed her eyes against the sound of his pained voice, and with a final shake of her head, Stefan collapsed to his knees.
"Not this time, Stefan," she quietly said.
Carefully, I pulled out of our driveway and headed toward town, leaving Stefan in my rearview.
Not knowing where else to take us, I pulled into a space in front of the Grill and shut down the car. Elena was weeping beside me and I was not sure how to help her. I had been through my fair share of heartbreak but had never been good at comforting others during their own. Clumsily I readjusted myself, turning in my seat to look at my sister. With a weak smile, I took her hand and placed it in my lap, rubbing circles on her skin. She sniffed, wiping her face with her free hand, and laid her head back — hiccuping.
"Elena, I don't know what to say. I know how much you love him. I-I just hope that you didn't feel obligated to break up with him because of his anger towards me," I said, admitting the fear I had been holding onto ever since they had started fighting.
Elena turned her blotchy face toward me and her expression shifted from sorrow to incredulity. "What? Why would you think that? Our break up had nothing to do with you," she said, aghast.
I cocked a brow, tilting my head in disbelief. Elena sighed, turning her head to look out her window. She twisted her wrist to intertwine her fingers with mine, grasping onto me tightly.
"Ok, our break up had a little to do with you, but honestly it had just as much to do with Aunt Jenna and Jeremy." I leaned against the window and narrowed my eyes at her. Without looking at me, she jiggled my hand, smiling weakly. "Really it did. They kept getting in the way — Stefan and Damon — no matter what I said. Stefan was my boyfriend, he should have listened when I practically begged him to let us handle Klaus, but he didn't. It's their way or nothing," she sadly said.
I nodded in understanding, my hair bunching up around me, and let out a deep breath. "I just want to make sure you don't resent me for this decision. Things have been different between us lately Elena...almost like they were before, and I-I don't want to lose that. I'm afraid that something is going to happen and things will switch back," I admitted.
Elena turned her head to look at me, and her doe eyes became misty again, but this time it wasn't from loss. There was a light behind the tears, a hint of happiness that I was glad to see. I leaned forward and placed my empty palm on her cheek. "I love you, Lena. You're my sister. Always and Forever," I vowed.
She may not understand the meaning behind my choice of phrase, but I felt it needed to be said. With everything that was going to happen in the coming weeks, I needed her to know that she would always be important to me. Elena cracked a smile and closed her eyes, leaning close to wrap her arms around my neck. I patted her back gently and sat back, wiping my teary eyes. With a slightly strained laugh, Elena tilted her head, her expression clouded with mischief.
"Ya know, I vaguely remember us starting a game that we never finished," she said, wiping at her red nose.
I couldn't stop the way my jaw fell, an appalled gasp leaving my throat. I propped my knee up in my seat and shook my head. "You can't be serious? I am fairly certain we have more important matters. Besides, we put it on hold so that we could contact our third, something we never did," I said, pointing at her accusingly.
She waved away my concern, ignoring what I said completely, and smiled manically. "Who cares! We can still ask him and I think we could both use this. It's been too long since we acted like the sisters we are." She reminded me. "You're just afraid to lose."
I scoffed at her taunting Cheshire grin, and crossed my arms, wincing as my elbow collided with the steering wheel. Elena laughed, placing her hand on the dash to keep herself upright. I wrinkled my nose in annoyance and grumbled childishly. "Like hell I am! If war is what you want, war is what you'll get, my dear twin," I said.
Elena chuckled, fisting the air in victory. I could sense that she needed this; it was an escape from what was going on. If I could help her out by planning a childish game, then I would. The twinkle in her eyes started to diminish as the sounds of the Grill met our ears, the door opening to release a few customers. They passed by the front of our car and we both watched them, unsure of what to do next.
"So...what's the plan?" Elena asked, turning to me with wide cautious eyes
I wanted to throw my hands in the air and proceed to rip out my hair, all the while crying incessantly that I didn't always know what to do, but I couldn't break down. That wasn't something I was allowed to do, so instead, I took hold of the steering wheel and started tapping at the fraying polka dot cover as I tried to come up with a decent plan. I had plenty listed on my internal checklist, most of which it was either too early to do anything about or not the right time. Which didn't help my stress level, seeing as I was on borrowed time. Biting at the inside of my cheek, I went over the top five problems on my list and narrowed it down to three things that Elena and I could get started on.
One: undagger Elijah.
It was risky, and would most definitely piss off Niklaus, but it needed to be done. There was still too much that I had to do before the end, and Elijah would be a huge help. He was my brother and I would be damned if I left him in a box.
Two: Bring Katherine and the moonstone to Niklaus and reveal the truth about the ritual. Now that was a little more difficult. Currently, I was completely unaware of Niklaus's location. Thanks to Rebekah, I knew Elijah was temporarily being stored in the basement of Lockwood Mansion, but I hadn't seen Rebekah since the night Niklaus had left — so I was blind to where he had taken off to.
Three: Sit down with Elena and fill her in on what she needed to know for the future. That was something I had been avoiding for quite some time, but it was no less important. It was obvious that eventually, Niklaus would come for her, and at that time the rest would fall into place. In a sense, option one could wait. As for option three, me putting off the inevitable helped no one.
Laying my head between my hands, I stopped the idle tapping of my fingers. I could feel Elena's nervous impatience and closed my eyes. "I'll leave the choice up to you. We have three viable options. One: we take Katherine and the moonstone to Nik and explain the truth to him. Two: we risk a daring rescue and go get Elijah, or Three-" I sat up and kept my face blank, turning to glance at her. "We can both turn around and go home, there I will sit you down and fill you in on some things. Things you'll need to know...when the time comes," I stonily said.
Elena shivered, her nervous expression changing to one of stubborn denial. "I'm gonna ignore option three completely because it's bullshit and you know it. There is never going to be a time where I need to know what to do without you. Even Elijah said so," she said, jutting out her chin in defiance, eyes lighting up like a warrior after a hard-won battle.
I wanted to laugh at the weird way she had taken to Elijah but instead chose to observe her severe expression. I guess I could understand it, she was human and to her, he was an incredibly powerful and almost calming presence(when he wasn't knocking people's heads off with a single swipe of his hand) and she felt like he could do anything. I just hoped she could get past the hero-worship long enough to see the real him, otherwise, they would never learn to get along properly.
"Elena-"
"No, don't even try to talk me into listening. I won't sit and have a conversation about your impending death. I won't do it!" Elena glanced around the car helplessly, reminiscent of an animal searching for an escape. With an unintelligible grumble, she glanced back at me, glaring darkly. "I choose option two," she blurted out, her nails scraping at the door panel.
With silent acceptance, I came to terms with her decision, locking away the rest of my checklist in the recesses of my mind. "Okay, I said it was your choice and I meant it. I guess it's a rescue party for two then," I deadpanned.
Elena looked at me and rolled her eyes with a long-suffering sigh. "That was one of the lamest things you have ever said, and that's saying something."
I stuck my tongue out at her as I started the car, nudging my chin toward my hip where my purse was lying. "Dig in there and grab my cell. On second thought, we could use a little backup," I said, making a split-second decision.
Elena took a calming breath and glanced at me questioningly. When I made no move to explain further, she simply shrugged and unzipped my bag, digging around with a grimace. "Good lord, it's a massacre in here El! Why do you have so many different chapsticks and old receipts?" she whined, grunting as she pulled out my cell.
Blushing slightly, I winced, shamefaced. "I'm kinda obsessed with chapstick and I tend to forget to clean out my purse. Don't judge," I said, whispering despite the fact that we were alone.
Elena chuckled, a fond smile pulling at the corner of her lips. "Who am I calling?"
Briefly glancing over at her, I bit my lip, hating myself for what I was about to do. "Tyler. Who better? It's his house after all. It'll be easier for him to get us where we need to be," I said.
Elena tapped at the side of my phone uneasily. "Isn't it dangerous to involve him...or anyone for that matter. It's not so bad for us; Klaus needs me and I highly doubt he'd hurt you," she said, her nose scrunching up in thought.
I ignored her, not as sure as she seemed to be, he had all but disappeared after all. "I won't send him in if I think there is any risk; I promise. He is one of my best friends," I told her, leaving out the fact that I was his Alpha and sworn to protect him.
Elena ran her finger across the screen, her face twitching as she fought back a frown. "I trust you, Elara. I just hate putting the people we love at risk, but I get why we need him. It makes sense."
"Put it on speaker," I said, knowing he would need to hear from me.
The phone only rang twice before his rushed, breathless voice answered. "Ellie! Are you okay?!" Tyler asked.
With a small smile, I nodded, despite our distance, and kept a tight hold on the wheel. I had alerted Mason to what had happened with Niklaus, and for the safety of the pack, asked him to keep everyone at 'Wolf House' for a bit longer. I was sure Tyler was freaking out and pacing a hole in the floor at the idea of being stuck in a single location.
"I'm good Tyler. Didn't Mason fill you in?" I reassured, my tone filled with casual teasing.
Tyler cleared his throat and I could practically see him blush through the phone. "Um yeah, of course, he did. It's the job yo-"
"Elena and I actually called for a reason. You're on speaker," I quickly said, cutting him off before he could reveal something I didn't feel like explaining to an already on edge Elena.
From the corner of my eye, I could see Elena blink in confusion, and her hand flexed around the phone. Before she could ask me about my sudden rudeness, Tyler jumped in. "Elena?! Oh...hey, what's up?" he asked, his falsely casual tone as fake as the cubic zirconia ring on my middle finger.
Elena quickly forgot about the weird start to the call and leaned closer to the phone, her eyes bright and filled with excitement. "We need help breaking into your house, Tyler."
The speaker cracked as Tyler inhaled sharply, cursing. "Why the hell are you breaking into my house? Do you know who's been staying there? Elara Gilbert, have you lost your mind?" he said.
Sighing, I pulled to the side of the road a few miles from Lockwood Mansion, turning to glance down at the phone. "No, Tyler Lockwood, I have not. We need to get in there and yank the dagger from Elijah's chest to revive him. From what I've been told, Nik isn't there right now. This will be our best, and maybe only, shot at a rescue. Help us?" I asked, making sure my words were as far from an order as possible.
I wasn't sure if it mattered in the long run, I was still his Alpha and I wouldn't be surprised if he felt compelled to help me, but I still had to try — for my conscience if nothing else. There were a few moments of silence, filled only by the rumbling of the engine as we waited for his answer. Finally, his deep voice punctuated the awkward air.
"You'll need to let Mason know that you've asked me to help you with something," he reluctantly said, annoyed at even the thought of asking for permission.
I couldn't stop the proud smile that lifted my lips. He was actually trying to take his place in the pack, just as I had asked him to. "Of course, Ty. I'm sure he'll be cool with it once he knows Nik isn't around," I said, carefully eyeing Elena.
She was nodding in agreement, and it didn't look like she had thought anything of the fact that Tyler had mentioned Mason. It was one less thing for me to worry about. There was no way I was going to attempt to explain my involvement as pack Alpha to her — especially when I still didn't understand it completely myself.
"I'll be on my way as soon as I can. Just stay away from the house until I get there, Elara. I mean it! We don't know what you'll be walking into," Tyler warned.
I could hear the fear in his voice and it filled me with warmth. It was still a surprise to me that I had more than Caroline on my side. Elena smiled in genuine approval and glanced over at me, wagging her brows, head nudging toward the phone suggestively. I rolled my eyes and ran my finger between the phone and myself. Lolling my head to one side, I traced a line across my neck and dropped my tongue out of my mouth dramatically. I watched in amusement as she held back a laugh, chest shaking.
"Will do. We are parked a few feet from Hickory Drive. You'll find us there," I said, and Elena hung up the phone, handing it over to me.
With a few swipes of my finger, I shot a text to Mason, letting him know that I had asked Tyler for his help and that I would send him back safe and sound. Elena caught my attention as I placed my cell back in my purse, the guarded humor in her voice perking up my ears.
"You're right, Tyler would be one dead pup if he tried to rock your world again," she said, wiping away a fake tear. "Too bad, looks like your dry streak will just have to continue."
Gasping in shock and indignation, I gently slapped her in the back of the head. With a cry of pain, she fell forward, placing both hands on the dash to catch herself. "How do you know I've been going through a dry spell? You know nothing about my love life. I could be as sexed-up as Henry the eighth for all you know," I said.
Elena giggled and pursed her lips in disgust. "I sure hope you're not as 'sexed up' as Henry the eighth. That would be so disturbing."
"What I meant was, I could have a sexy double life and you would know nothing about it. I've been a witch and a Reincarnate for years and you knew nothing, so ha!" I said, grinning at my perceived win.
Elena winked goofily, popping her thumbs in the air. "Good for you. You're definitely winning at life, but for all our sakes, let's hope it's not true. I'm not sure your Hybrid would care to hear the sordid details," she said
Not caring in the slightest if Niklaus ended up angry about my past, love life, or otherwise, I simply dismissed her — rolling my eyes. I glanced out the rear windshield as a car pulled up behind us, shutting down its engine. I squinted past the sun, quickly unlocking the doors as soon as I recognized Tyler's truck. He slipped in the back, taking hold of my seat and pulling himself closer, glancing between me and my sister, brown eyes judging us.
"So, this is the rescue team, huh, and you both think this is a good idea?" he asked, gaze falling on Elena, his head tilted in doubt.
Elena barred her teeth, leaning closer to Tyler with a fire in her eyes created from the pain she had gone through only an hour before. She was not in the mood for anyone else to doubt her. "Yes! This isn't just about rescuing a member of the Original family, or Elandra's family, this is about protecting our family; the best way we can," she said, her finger tracing a line between us.
Tyler frowned, nodding slowly, and cocked his head to one side as his eyes scanned Elena's face searchingly. With a clap of his hands, he sat back, buckling up. "Okay then. I just needed to be sure that you were doing this for the right reasons. Who knows what we'll have to go up against in there, and I won't do this with someone who isn't all in," he said.
Elena laughed, her eyes brightening again, and she turned back around — looking over at me with interest. "It's always one surprise or another when I hang out with your group," she said.
With a small smile, I pulled out my phone, hooking it up to my radio. I flipped through my music until I found a good song to pump us up. As 'Unstoppable' played, I started the car, pulling onto the street. "I'm lucky like that, Elena. My people are the best of the best. That's one of the reasons I'm so protective of what's mine," I said.
Elena grinned, blushing prettily, and I wanted to giggle at her reaction. She knew now, beyond a doubt, that she was one of my people. Her reaction to that fact always left me feeling proud. Tyler patted his knees along with the beat as we sped forward, windows down. I kept my mind on the lyrics and not what we were about to do. I was going into this blind, which was not something I was entirely used to. I wasn't one who just jumped into things unless I had no other choice. It was dangerous and I hated taking unnecessary risks. As we snaked along the driveway, I slowed down, keeping my eye out for Niklaus's guards. Even if he was MIA, I knew he would have an assortment of vampires and witches hanging around. There was no way he would leave Elena or Elijah unattended.
"Okay, Tyler, this is gonna be all you. I'm sure Nik has people watching the house: witches, vampires, hell maybe even a wolf or two. You never know with him. They have probably been given fair warning about me, and it's not out of the question to think they know what Elena looks like, most in the supernatural community do. Katherine likes to cause trouble wherever she goes," I said.
Elena groaned, laying her head back and glaring out the window. "Stupid cow," she muttered. With a deep nod of agreement, I pulled up in front of the mansion and shut off the car. The large colonial sat seemingly quiet beside us, the only sign of life coming from the open front windows — white lace curtains fluttering in the cool afternoon breeze. "It doesn't look like anyone's here," Elena said.
Pulling my keys from the ignition, I narrowed my eyes at the eerily quiet house and leaned back, turning slightly to glance at Tyler. "That's because he has a very powerful witch on his payroll. I can feel it. Your house is seeping with magic, Ty. It's sickening," I said, scrunching up my nose with a grimace of discomfort.
I could feel magic slithering along the sides of my car, digging into the metal as it fought to find a way inside. It had a tint of the familiar to it, and the buzzing feel of it itched at my skin. 'Well hello, there Greta Martin.' Her magical signature wasn't hard to recognize. Since the oath, I had taken to rescue her (if she needed to be rescued, that is) my wrist still stung whenever the Martins were nearby. A constant reminder of what I needed to do to dissolve my vow. I placed a hand on my window as a spark of her magic bounced off the glass, in an invisible burst of yellow that only I could see.
"You mean there's a witch here?" Tyler unbuckled his seatbelt and sat forward, getting as close to the window as he could, his forehead touching the glass. He looked around the property. "I don't see anybody, not even my mom's gardener — and today's Tuesday. He should be out there, " he said.
Elena placed a hand on my thigh, her mouth set in a fine line, and her eyes darted back and forth between me and Tyler. "I don't think this is a good idea, Elara. Remember your promise."
I kept my eyes on the mansion, my heart in my throat, and debated our options. I had promised to keep Tyler safe and had every intention of doing just that, but this could be our only shot. I glanced into the rearview mirror at Tyler, my face set in a mask of determination. "You need to pack a bag of stuff, that's why you're here. You're going to go inside and scope out the place. If you think we can get around without being detected then unlock the kitchen door — Elena and I will come in that way and head for the basement," I said.
Elena threw her hands into the air, her foot tapping incessantly, and she rocked herself slowly as she looked out at the house. "Sounds like a plan. Don't worry; I got this," Tyler said, smiling widely.
I reached out before he could open the door, and took hold of his shoulder, gripping onto him tightly. "Be careful and don't take chances," I ordered.
Tyler's eyes narrowed for only a moment before he smiled softly and nodded, clearly accepting my orders. "You're the boss," he said, saluting poorly.
I snorted as he got out of the car and jogged toward his porch, his right hand idly slipping into his back pocket. My stomach flip-flopped as he opened the door without a key, glancing back at us with his brow cocked. Elena placed her face in her hands and Tyler shrugged, stepping inside.
"Everything is going to be okay, Lena. Let's get to the backyard. Stay right by me and do not make a sound," I said, turning toward her, my fingers alight with blue flames.
I flicked my wrist and her eyes went wide, her pupils dilating as she watched my magic engulf her in a haze of smoke. "That'll ensure you and I aren't detected by the witch when we come into contact with her spell. We were never here," I winked.
Elena bit her bottom lip, troubled by my statement. "And what about Tyler? We're gonna leave him to take all the blame?" she pungently asked.
I took hold of the door and glanced back at her with an annoyed roll of my eyes. "Of course not, but if the witch were to sense we are here, I can just about guarantee the cavalry will arrive. I'm sure Nik knows I am not happy right now." Elena floundered, her palm fidgeting on the door handle, and an agitated breath of air escaped her lungs. "Tyler and Mason both have a safe, protected, place to go. They are in no real danger; I promise. Once I get everything set in motion with Nik, I will reveal that I released Elijah. There's no way I'll leave that 'crime' for Tyler to bear alone," I said.
Elena's eye twitched, and her shoulders sagged in defeat, but she seemed to accept the reasons behind my decision and hopped out of the car — hugging herself. I came to join her and took her hand, guiding her down the garden path toward the back of the house. These were always the moments when I worried about her the most, she was strong in voice but sometimes she faltered when it came time to act. I had to remind myself that she was only a seventeen-year-old girl, and had a lot to learn about herself and the world. I pulled Elena through the tall shrubbery and past a large garden full of various species of flowers. We hopped over a rose bush and up the stairs heading to the back porch. I glanced around cautiously and pulled Elena in front of me, guiding her behind one of the tall white pillars. "Stand here while I check the door," I said, my hand gripping her shoulder in warning.
She irritably flicked her fingers toward the door, and turned around, taking hold of the pillar with both hands and scanning the garden timidly. With careful steps, I made my way to the screen door, taking the handle in one hand and placing my other hand flat against the edge. I gently started to open the door, wincing when the metal whined. Elena's head twisted around, her expression anxious. I bit my lip, exhaling through my teeth. "Sorry, I really hope there aren't any vampires around," I laughed nervously.
Elena released a breath and ran her hands across her face in exhaustion. With a quick jerk, I flung open the screen door and stepped in front of it. I took hold of the back door's shiny gold doorknob, and turned it slowly in the palm of the hand, pushing the door open with ease. Tyler had done it; we were in. I reached out and took hold of Elena's wrist, leading her into the immaculate white marble chef's kitchen. No matter how many times I step foot into the Lockwoods home, it never gets less extraordinary. The beautiful white Italian marble countertops and stainless steel appliances are any cook's dream. We both easily traversed past the kitchen island and into the dining room. Elena sidestepped the antique wood table and headed for the door on the other side of the room. "The door that leads to the basement is down the hall. I hope Tyler made it okay," she whispered.
I placed my hand against the wall next to me and felt the swish of magic fly up my arm, its static feel sharp and almost painful. "She isn't in the house. This is a protection spell, one that will alert her if breached, but I don't feel her in the immediate area. We need to hurry; she'll know Tyler is here," I said.
Elena tilted her head in acknowledgment and stepped through the swinging door. I followed behind her, the both of us racing down the hall as quietly as we were able. I kept one hand outstretched beside me, my fingertips grazing the wall. All we needed was for me to trip on my feet and bash my head in. As we approached the end of the hall, Elena placed her hand out behind her, stopping me in my tracks. I bumped into her, taking hold of her shoulder to keep from landing on my face. "The door to the basement is right here, try not to fall down the stairs," she snarked.
With a crass lift of my middle finger, I leaned around her, taking hold of the doorknob and pulling open the door. "After you, doppeldear," I said.
Elena pointed a finger at her wide-open mouth and gagged. "You suck so bad," she said before taking the first few steps.
"I'm a Queen, thank you very much! I rock," I whispered loudly.
"Well aren't you full of yourself?" Elena mocked not unkindly and continued down the stairs.
I felt around on the wall beside me and found the light switch, flipping it on with a sigh of relief. Elena shot me a thumbs up over her shoulder in thanks, and I smiled, following her footsteps down the stairs. We descended down the curved staircase, keeping hold of the handrail as we maneuvered the steep steps. The wrought iron baluster, cool grey paneled walls, and sleek dark beige wood steps made the basement appear just as refined as the upstairs. Elena hopped off the final step and glanced around the finished basement. The main room was a large communal area with a pool table, a small bar, and a place to play darts. Down a small hallway was a room that the Lockwoods used as their mini theater. It had a large brown sectional sofa, a concession stand with a popcorn machine, and a huge 85in flatscreen TV. It was an awesome place to watch late-night movies. Elena and I quickly bypassed the family room and the theater, heading instead for the final room, a small, rarely used storage room at the end of the hall.
"This has to be where Nik had them take Elijah. I can't see him storing him anywhere else right now," I said, anxiously standing before the closed door.
Elena shifted her weight from leg to leg, eyes darting around, as I quietly opened the door — holding my breath. I felt a swift rush of air as the door was snatched from my hand. I fell backward, my hands shaking wildly in front of me as I attempted to grasp onto empty air. Elena gasped, a loud shriek building on her lips, but before she could gain momentum, a hand came up — covering her mouth. "Shh, zip it! It's just me. Damn girl," Tyler said, his tone frazzled.
Tyler released Elena once he knew she was calm enough, and reached down, taking me by the arm and helping me to my feet. I winced as my hip protested; I was definitely gonna bruise. Tyler stepped back and I noticed he had a silver flashlight in one hand. "Ow! That bloody hurt. What were you doing hiding on the other side of the door, you moron!" I sniped, my accent shifting in my annoyance.
Elena giggled, hiding it behind a small cough, her hand coming up to cover her throat in an attempt to play it cool. I glared at her, rubbing my hip with a pained grimace. "What did you find out? Did you see anyone?" I asked.
"What did I find? Well if that ain't a loaded question," he said, his voice thick with panic.
Tyler took my hand and yanked me into the room. Elena squeaked with surprise, angry at the idea of being left behind, and bolted inside — closing the door behind her with a nearly silent snap. I blinked a few times, the darkness lit only by the dull yellow glow of Tyler's flashlight and felt my stomach sink with sheer shock. The room was small and fairly plain, the walls eggshell white and clean of decoration. The floors were smokey quartz and seemed to almost sparkle when met with the light, but that wasn't what had my skin crawling with a mixture of fear and excitement. I stepped into the center of the room and felt the others join me, our eyes glancing from side to side. On the one side, lay three black coffins, their sleek exterior shining brightly as Tyler moved his light onto each of them.
"One. Two. Three" Tyler counted, and turned on his heel, shining the flashlight on the other side of the room, where two more coffins lay — one wrapped in thick ominous chains. "Four, and five. Wanna explain this Ellie, cause I am kinda freaking out right now?" Tyler said.
Even with the fear I could hear in Tyler's voice and the disgusted intrigue I could see on Elena's face, I felt a sudden rush of rightness. It was like I was finally exactly where I was meant to be, surrounded by my family. The warm feeling that had been building abruptly stopped the moment I realized that I wasn't surrounded by my family, not entirely. Niklaus was missing, always missing. I placed my hand on my chest right where it felt like a huge hole was forming and stepped around Elena.
"This is my family." I touched the first coffin, and lifted the lid, smiling brightly when I was presented with Kol. He was dressed in an old-fashioned outfit that looked to be from the nineteen hundreds. A long sleeve shirt and vest. The dagger protruded nastily from his chest and I felt my fingers twitch dangerously. "Hello, brother." I felt Elena and Tyler beside me and glanced up at them briefly. "This is Kol. He is the troublemaker of the family — as hard as that may be for you to believe." I brushed my knuckles along his cheek, a sad smile on my lips, and closed the lid. Elena placed her hand on my arm, her lashes fluttering in confusion. "Are you not going to-" she stuttered.
I shook my head, caressing the lid lovingly as I passed by. "Are you kidding me? Releasing Elijah is dangerous enough. If I were to undagger the others he would kill me," I sternly said, not a hint of doubt in my voice. "All in good time Elena."
I would free them when the time was right. Sadly that wasn't today. I moved on to the next coffin and lifted the lid; I found Finn resting inside. His silky brown hair was shorter than I remembered it to be, and he wore an outfit similar to what we had grown up wearing. From what I've been told by Rebekah, Finn has been daggered the longest and I felt such anger on his behalf. "Who's that?" Tyler asked, nudging his light toward the coffin. "My other brother, Finn. He's been sleeping for a long time," I said.
I closed the lid with a deep frown and moved on, opening the last coffin. It was Rebekah, and she looked exactly as she did every time I saw her in spirit form. The pure white flapper dress she wore shimmered as Tyler lifted the flashlight, shining it inside the coffin. I heard Elena gasp and looked over at her as she forced her way in front of the coffin. "Oh my God. Who is that?" she asked, her eyes wide. I smiled at the way her eyes almost glazed over as she took Rebekah in.
"This is Rebekah Mikaelson, their little sister. She is also my best friend….and I guess you could say guardian angel," I lovingly said.
Elena's awe-filled expression changed, twisting into something not unlike jealousy. "This is who you were talking to that night — when Klaus came? This is your sister?" she spitefully asked.
My brows rose in surprise and I glanced back at Tyler who was fighting a smile. "It seems you attract the jealous types, Ellie," he mumbled.
Elena shot him an ugly glare over her shoulder and turned back around, crossing her arms. The edges of her pink-painted lips turned up as she sneered down at Rebekah. "I'm not jealous, what would I have to be jealous of? I'm your real sister, not her. She can be your best friend but she'll never be your sister, not really," she said, smiling hatefully as she stepped away from the coffin.
I reared back as if I'd been slapped and closed Rebekah's lid. Elena moved to the next coffin, placing her hand atop it with an unbothered expression. There were times where I would forget that she was a Petrova and then moments like this would appear and I would be hastily reminded. "Elena, I love you — you know that — but I need you to never say something like that again. Rebekah is my sister, the same as you. We grew up together, went through hell together, and she has been with me for centuries — keeping me sane in moments when I thought it was impossible. Don't disparage that again. Your lucky Rebekah wasn't awake to hear that, I couldn't have stopped her from ripping out your trachea, even if I wanted to," I nervously laughed.
Elena frowned, her ears red with anger — and quite possibly embarrassment — at being reprimanded in front of Tyler and a host of dead/undead Originals. Without glancing in my direction, or acknowledging what I had said, she puffed out her cheeks — tapping at the coffin lid beneath her fingertips. "This is Elijah then?" she asked.
I came up beside her, brushing her hand from atop the lid, and lifted it open. She was right of course, it was Elijah. There was an urgent sense of relief that slithered down my spine as soon as I gripped hold of the dagger and yanked it from his chest. There was a large tear in his suit and I winced on his behalf; that was going to piss him off. I took the dagger and leaned my hip up against the coffin, looking at Tyler and Elena with unease.
"So, since this was an unplanned trip I didn't come prepared. It shouldn't take him long to wake, which is good because my guess is the witch will be back soon and I'd like to be gone before she is. Thing is, I can't leave him like this. He needs blood," I said, nodding slowly to help guide them to the right conclusion.
Tyler was the first to understand and his nose wiggled in disgust. "Oh yuck, El. You can't just pop a vein for him. What if he drains you dry?" he asked.
Elena's head jerked toward Tyler and back to me, her doe eyes widening with surprise. "No way! You didn't say anything about feeding him. That's dangerous and so disturbing," she said.
I crossed my ankles, glancing down at Elijah briefly to check his progress and looked at her with a wicked grin. "It wouldn't be my first time feeding a vampire, and please Elena as if you've never 'helped' before," I said, using air quotes.
I refrained from using Stefan's name, hoping that it would hurt less, but by the pain-filled expression on her face, it didn't work. "That's fair, but just like Tyler said, this isn't safe, Elara," she said.
I took the steel end of the dagger into my left hand and looked back at my sister. "What part of our life is?" I said, slicing into my flesh.
I cupped my hand as bright bursts of crimson flowed from the wound. I held out the dagger to Tyler and spoke through my clenched teeth. "Clean this please and hold onto it," I asked.
The minimal light in the room shifted as Tyler placed the flashlight under his arm and took hold of the dagger, his expression one of genuine disgust as he started wiping the blood from the blade with his shirt. I leaned over the coffin, placing my injured hand over Elijah's mouth, and tried to tempt him into waking with the smell of my blood. "Come on, 'Lijah, we've got things to do. Wakey, wakey," I sang, smearing a bit of blood onto his full bottom lip.
Elena's heavy breathing, and the sound of my heart pounding in my ears, was all I could hear as I waited for any signs of movement. When I had just about given up, the color started to return to Elijah's skin and I quickly looked back at Tyler and Elena. "Move away. Now! I sternly said.
I could hear their feet skittering on the floor as they moved, but I didn't dare look. As Elijah's skin started to appear less grey, and the veins across his flesh disappeared, I waited with bated breath — my bleeding hand was shaking above him. With a deep inhale of breath, his eyes snapped open but instead of their usual warm hazel, they were a dark blood red. I tried to speak but couldn't seem to utter a single syllable. I was mesmerized by the way the sclera of his eyes seemed to be pulsing with blood. In the split second, it took for me to realize the stupidity of my silence, it was far too late for me to fix it. In a swirl of overheated air, I felt a rush of pain crawl up my spine. It took my mind a minute to comprehend why I was in such pain, but as my lungs struggled to contain air, it was able to catch up. My body was flying through the air at an unimaginable speed. Something I was really getting sick of. My body rattled as the speed slowed to a sudden stop, and I could feel a pair of rough hands cradling my head. Before I could do more than inhale a grateful rush of air, I felt a sharp prick of pain in the side of my neck. My jumbled mind tried to fit the pieces together, but it was difficult for me to think past the pain. Suddenly, like a puzzle piece slipping into place, I realized that I was in Elijah's arms and he was feeding on me. I took hold of the lapels of his suit, my sticky bleeding hand pulling at his jacket desperately. I could hear Elena crying somewhere behind us and was surprised she wasn't getting involved.
"Elijah, please, Elandra. Stop," I said.
Reaching up, I started running my fingers through his hair, curling the strands at the end. It was the same way I used to play with their hair when we were growing up. My eyes started to close with exhaustion, and I could hear my heart hammering dangerously in my chest. With a growl of anger, Elijah pulled away, looking down at me with ruby-colored eyes. There was a strange animalistic confusion in his gaze that I had never been around to witness before, and for the first time in my existence, I was scared of Elijah. My hands trembled as I lifted them toward his face, when they came into my line of sight, I paused, noticing the blood coating my left hand. Swallowing back my fear, I placed my hands on his cheeks. "I'm sorry that I was forced to wake you this way but I didn't have much choice. I wasn't sure if Nik planned to move you and I didn't want to miss the opportunity," I said.
Elijah's brows furrowed, and his gaze raked my form. For an electrically charged moment, Elijah stepped closer, his eyes shining — and a sad reverence took over his normally stoic face. Then his expression changed and his gaze became heated with anger as he stepped backward, my hands falling from his cheeks. "Elandra? I almost killed you. What were you thinking?!" he spat through clenched teeth.
I held my injured hand close to my chest, kicking at the empty air, and winced. "I wasn't and that was incredibly stupid of me. I'm not usually one to fly by the seat of my pants, 'Lijah. I just wanted to help and I couldn't leave you here defenseless," I said, my excuses lame even to my own ears.
There was a rustling beside us and I felt a painful stinging on the bare skin of my arm. "You freaking idiot. You stupid, stupid fool! We told you popping a vein was a bad idea," Elena screeched.
I placed a finger on my lips, reminding her to be quiet, and was surprised when a wide-eyed, nearly frantic Tyler stepped up beside her. "Do you realize how hard it was not to step in? I was barely able to keep Elena safely away. If you ever do something like that again, I will skin you alive!" Tyler said, his tone promising murder.
I looked at them both and nodded as I rubbed my newly sore arm. Turning around, I found Elijah staring at the coffins. "So this is where he is keeping them?"
I joined him, my steps awkward, it almost felt like I was on a rocking boat. "Yeah, they are all here. You know we can't wake them, not yet. He at least needs to break his curse first. It'll help him feel stronger, less weak. As long as he feels like he can protect them from Mikael, he will wake them on his own," I promised.
Elijah looked down at me, taking in my weak and bloodied state with a surprised widening of his eyes. "Im sorry, sister. I should have healed you immediately. Drink," he said, biting into his wrist and holding it close to my lips.
Smiling warmly, I leaned close, taking in his miraculous blood until I no longer felt on the brink of death. "Thank you."
I glanced around at our family one last time. Finn, Kol, Rebekah...
With careful steps, I headed toward the final coffin, the one that just happened to be wrapped in thick chains. I stood in front of the coffin and felt a heavy sheen of sweat start to cover me. There was magic radiating from the coffin that I hadn't felt in over a thousand years unless you counted my recent voyage into memory. I could feel my breathing becoming labored and stumbled backward, bumping into Elijah, who was watching me guardedly. "Elandra? Are you alright?"
Scoffing, I pointed at the coffin, jabbing my fingering in the air accusingly — my magic sparking. "Are you and Niklaus mad?! Why did you keep her? Oh, my Gods. She's here. She's here!" I frantically said my voice breaking.
I looked back at the coffin and felt like vomiting, with a rushed panic, I bolted. I no longer cared about Greta Martin or Niklaus finding out about Elijah's resurrection, the only thing I cared about was getting as far away from Esther's coffin as possible. Why would they carry her around with them? It was mad, and with the amount of energy I could feel radiating from her, there was no way in hell she planned on staying dead. I raced out the front door and toward my car, my lungs burning. I could feel my skin prickling uncomfortably, and I placed my hand atop the hood of my car, trying to control my breathing.
"Elara, are you okay? What the hell was that all about?" Elena asked, rushing toward me.
I turned away from her, bending over and inhaling deeply. I felt her hand come to rest on my upper back, and the corners of my eyes started to burn. I angrily wiped away the tears and straightened my posture. "I can't get into that now Elena. Please don't force me." I turned to look at her and felt my expression tighten. "But it's time we spoke to Nik. I have a lot to discuss with him," I flatly said.
Elijah stood in the doorway, Tyler behind him, and I almost laughed at the way he morosely picked at the tattered remains of his suit. "Elijah do you think you could get him back here? I'm sure he'll be quite surprised to find you awake," I said.
Tilting his head, he sighed, wiping away invisible lint from his jacket. "Of course. I have plenty I need to discuss with Niklaus," he said
With a roll of my eyes, I smiled, pointing at Tyler who was still hovering behind my Original brother. "Tyler, do you think you could help Elijah find something to wear?" I asked.
He looked Elijah over and nudged his chin toward the house. "My mom still has dad's stuff upstairs. I think he has a few suits that'll fit you," Tyler said.
Elijah nodded gratefully and allowed Tyler to lead him inside. When they were gone Elena took my hand, squeezing it with a grim frown. "You aren't okay. What happened? You can talk to me, El," she said.
With a wave of my hand, a pool of magic passed over my sister, lifting her hair from her shoulder and pulling a gasp from her lips. "Whoa! That was intense," she said.
"No, I'm not okay but I can't deal with that right now. Just...stay outta the basement," I warned, heading toward the house despite the fear that wanted to drown me. "The witch should know we're here now. It's only a matter of time. Once Elijah makes his call, he won't have any other choice but to come back. Nik has a lot of explaining to do," I said, my eyes narrowing.