Hello loves!
Right, I seriously can't believe that this story has over a hundred favourites and follows, I'm practically crying right now. I had no idea so many people actually liked what I was writing. Thank you all so much for all the support, it seriously means the world to me. And because of that, I am sorry that I've left this chapter on a bit of a cliff-hanger, I just wanted Aria and Elijah's relationship to grow back a little before he broke the news to her. She was bound to find out about it eventually. Okay, right *takes deep breath* as usual, I own nothing other than my OCs and any other original plot lines I've added in. Now let's get on with it!
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Aria felt her world stop spinning as she came back to the one Dahlia had created with a sudden jolt. She still had her mouth open to speak once more but, well, now there was no one to speak to. She sighed and looked around the room, thanking the fact that Dahlia wasn't there before she turned to lie down on the mattress and look up at the ceiling as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
When she woke the next morning, she dressed in a black bell sleeved top with white ripped jeans and simple black ballet flats but before she could even pick up Dahlia's Grimoire, she heard a voice from behind her.
"Did you manage to create a foothold yet?"
She spun around in surprise and sighed, reaching up to place a hand over her rapidly beating heart as she glared at Dahlia, "Yes, actually. But I won't be able to tell you if I have a heart attack."
"You're already dead." She pointed out as Aria paused before rolling her eyes in annoyance. She took a deep breath before standing up and moving to stand in front of the witch.
"I found out that Sabine is being possessed by a witch named Celeste DuBois. She's your nephew Elijah's old lover. She was drowned for being a witch a couple hundred years ago and apparently, she's managed to cheat death all this time. That's why she can see me." Aria offered as Dahlia hummed underneath her breath.
"Celeste DuBois. I believe I might've heard of her."
"Anyways, she's been jumping bodies and then offing herself to jump into others for centuries. That's how she can see me, and that's how she's able to talk to me."
"Have you been able to create a foothold?" Dahlia asked as Aria wilted slightly.
"Well, uh, I-I've been able to use my magic a bit."
"So in short, you've failed so far." Dahlia summarised.
"I wouldn't say I've failed." Aria protested, defensive nature rising.
Dahlia shot Aria a short glare, "Well I would. You must create a foothold as soon as you are able or else there will be no hope of bringing you back."
"Dahlia, I'm trying here. It's just difficult, I don't know what you want me to do to create a foothold in the-" She couldn't finish her sentence because her mouth opened in shock and her hands moved to the sides of her head as she cried out in pain.
"You have such potential, Girl, but you must remember, without me you are dead. Without me, you are nothing."
"I-I'm sorry."
"You could do so much if you just let yourself." She continued.
"Please-please-" Aria murmured as she dropped to the floor and blood began to leak from the corners of her eyes and nose.
"Please?" Dahlia asked, her head tilted.
"Please make it stop. I'll be good." She gasped out as Dahlia stopped the spell. Aria breathed in shaky heaps of air as the older witch moved to kneel down in front of her.
"Excellent. That's all I wanted to hear." She whispered as she gently tucked a strand of her hair behind Aria's ear as she flinched. Dahlia's hand moved to cup her chin and she gripped it tightly as she made Aria look her in the eyes.
"Now was that so hard?" She asked as Aria shook her head. She then stood up and spoke again, "Try to practise some spells again. I expect a strong foothold when I see you next." She said before she left the room.
Aria's eyes opened slowly, no trace of emotion seen to be held in them as she blinked away the tears and focused on the girl to her left, trying to get rid of Dahlia's face that was seemingly engraved into her mind, "Another nightmare?" Davina asked groggily, rubbing sleep out of her eyes just as a child would even though she'd already left the warmth of her own bed.
Aria nodded and Davina sighed sympathetically, "Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try taking something that'll help you sleep? Or maybe we could do a spell?"
"No." Aria's voice was firm and decisive, "No, If I do that, then Dahlia wins. I'm not letting her win."
Davina frowned as Aria sat up in her bed before getting up and dressing, "I'm going out. Want anything?"
Davina shook her head, "I'll see you at the church in a half hour."
After Davina nodded, Aria walked out of the living room Davina had followed her through to and closed the door behind her before walking out of the building all together and onto the street just outside her apartment.
She crossed the street, relishing in the sun rays that were shining onto her face and the cool breeze that was ruffling her hair up and walked into the small café she usually had her breakfast and sometimes even dinner in, both her and Davina being horrible cooks.
But lunch was a different matter entirely.
If they were in the attic, they'd usually forego leaving for fear of Mikael finding a way around their admittedly rather perfect warding around the room. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually had a proper lunch or at least something that wasn't just an apple. About four and a half months or so ago she'd say.
Aria ordered a fruit salad and water before taking them to sit down in a booth in the corner of the café, digging Dahlia's Grimoire out of her bag and placing it in front of her as she began to eat. She knew that she'd sworn off anything to do with the witch, but she needed to find a way to get to Freya, wherever she was. And considering Dahlia had been the one to cast the spell that put them both into a slumber, the answer had to be somewhere in her Grimoire, right? She could only thank the fact that Dahlia hadn't found a way to take the Grimoire back from her.
She flipped another page before sighing, rubbing the space between her eyes furiously as a headache came on from staring and trying to decipher a mixture of scribbled lines and Norse runes for hours on end. She looked up and her eyes roamed the café before stopping on a particular table and head of messy hair.
Kaleb.
Aria smiled slightly as they locked eyes, and watched as he made his way over to her table, sitting down in the chair opposite her with a rather obnoxious sigh before grabbing one of the apple slices in her bowl, "I've seen you twice in two days and it's not even noon." He pointed out, accentuating each word with a jab towards her with the apple slice, "If I didn't know any better, I might think you're stalking me, love." His lips twitched as he tried not to smile, tilting his head to the side curiously as he continued, "So, Aria, are you stalking me? Or is it just a coincidence?" He wondered, finally eating the apple slice as a smirk made its way onto his face.
Aria laughed, eyes bright and her nose scrunching up in amusement before she sighed, "I'd say that you were the one stalking me. You've lived here for all of… what? Probably two weeks if you're finally heading into the Quarter?" He nodded affirmatively, "Well I've been coming here for months. Same with the record store."
"Sooo…" Kaleb drew out the word, "You're not stalking me?" He didn't bother to hide the fact that he was blatantly grinning. Aria shook her head and quietly muttered 'no' as he pouted.
"Shame. I wouldn't rather mind a gorgeous girl trailing after me."
Aria rolled her eyes, "Well, thanks for the compliment, but I assure you that I have never nor will ever be a stalker."
He chuckled, and it sounded so familiar. Scratch that, his eyes, his smile, his laugh, everything about him was so familiar. He gestured towards the door suddenly, "Want to take a walk?"
Aria glanced to the clock in the café and noticed that she still had a little while to go before meeting Davina in the attic. She looked back to Kaleb, "Sure. Why not."
So, the duo left the café and began walking down the streets of the Quarter as they both took turns talking, Kaleb currently holding the conversation. Aria smiled, as he continued to talk about the many places he'd wanted to see now that he was living in New Orleans while they continued on their walk, now side by side.
Apparently he'd travelled before moving there. A lot. And Aria wouldn't lie, she loved her home desperately, but if there was one thing she'd always wanted to do, it was travel. Unfortunately, her father had always politely declined her desperate pleas to leave New Orleans. She understood why – the Originals had left him to die and since he didn't know where they were, he couldn't protect her from them. He was paranoid like that, but it came from a place of love, as hard as it was to believe sometimes – but it still hadn't quelled her thirst for adventure.
Aria could feel Kaleb's eyes on her every once in a while, and her skin would involuntarily flush slightly before, for the most puzzling reason, Kol came to mind. And the thought of him made her frown in complete confusion. It wasn't like Kol and her had anything special other than an admittedly rather confusing friendship, so why did she feel so guilty when she was talking to Kaleb? She frowned suddenly as Dahlia wormed her way into her memory, the lengths of what the witch would and could do to people Aria cared about her foremost thought. Glancing over to Kaleb who was still talking, a small smile graced her face before she forced it off. She wouldn't care. She couldn't care. Aria refused to care.
But every time she felt his eyes on her… she felt the lines blur.
~*•°•*~
In the attic, Aria and Davina studied Esther's grimoire whilst taking notes in their own notebooks, paying no attention to Mikael who was restlessly pacing around the room,
"How frustrating. Two novices trying to interpret the work of a master." Mikael drawled as he sighed dramatically, Aria clenching her jaw and Davina rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"It's a simple de-linking spell!" Davina defended as Mikael scoffed and stood up.
"Simple?" He echoed in disbelief, "You're trying to erase the link between Klaus and every single vampire he's sired."
"No. All we care about is Marcel, Thierry and Josh. Then another select few. You kill Klaus? They die, too. We can fix that. We have Esther's grimoire, it's just a matter of time." Aria ranted, temper rapidly rising to the point she absentmindedly feared she might set Mikael on fire as he was the one well in her sight range.
"Perhaps I can help you two solve the riddle."
"Unless you trick us into a spell that will free you from our control." Davina shot back, eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation.
"You know, for somebody who despises Klaus so much, you certainly share his paranoia, Davina. The sooner you two perform the spell, the sooner I'll be free to kill the bastard."
Aria rolled her eyes, looking down to her phone when it beeped before she smiled brightly. Kaleb's name flashed on the screen and her eyes darted down to the message beneath the name, 'Coffee? Now-ish?'
"Is that him?" Davina wondered quietly, sending a knowing smile towards her friend even before she nodded. Davina laughed, "Go."
"I have to stay."
"Go, Aria. And leave that Grimoire, it's only bad luck."
Aria was prepared to nod before the last sentence her friend uttered. A strange sensation washed over her as she glanced down to her bag where the Grimoire was and frowned. A tug. She felt… a tug towards the book. Visibly shaking her head to clear her mind, she smiled at Davina and, with a distrustful look to Mikael, stood up, "Keep him on a leash." She muttered, leaving the attic and the church.
~*•°•*~
Kol, Esther and Finn walked through the Lafayette cemetery in silence before, after much deliberation, Kol spoke up, "Well, you were right to be suspicious." Kol began, choosing his words carefully, "Aria and Davina are hiding something in that attic. Even after Aria left, Davina stayed in the room with the door locked with a rather complex spell."
Esther hummed in thought, "Could be a weapon, or a source of power. I prefer not to leave anything to chance. Better we know what they have and whose side they're on. So, you'll take Aria to dinner."
Kol's eyes widened and he laughed nervously, Esther not realising the true reason behind it, "Well, I just stood her up for coffee. She probably hates me by now."
That thought gave him sudden pause and he fought to keep the frown off of his face.
"Just do what you're told, Kol." Finn groaned as Kol scoffed.
"Oh, of course! Finn the sycophant speaks up! Are you gonna grovel at your mother's heels for eternity, or what?"
"Stop it, both of you. There's enough conflict to come." Esther said quietly as they paused in front of a small group of werewolves at the Lycée.
"Look at this pack of freeloaders." Kol muttered as Esther smiled.
"Nonsense! These are our friends. Wolves in need of a gift only I can provide. Moonlight rings." Esther led her sons inside and Kol's eyes widened at the sight of multiple witches either chipping away at small pieces of black kyanite or enchanting the stones and polishing them afterward.
"The witches have been working day and night. Soon, we will have enough rings for an army. And, when we do, we will pay your brothers a visit." Esther said, picking up a stone from a nearby bowl and looking to her sons, "We will teach them the unfortunate error of their vampire ways."
~*•°•*~
Whilst Esther, Kol and Finn were plotting, Marcel waited for his daughter and Davina in his apartment nervously before turning and smiling widely when they both walked in, the girls copying his expression.
"Hey! Long time, you two!" Marcel grinned.
"We got your message. What's going on?" Davina asked as Marcel walked closer to them.
"Come on, I don't get a hug?"
Aria laughed and ran up to her father before embracing him tightly, Davina copying. They stayed like that for a while and, for a moment, Aria felt calm like she hadn't in a long time.
"It's good to see you, dad." Aria whispered as Marcel hugged her tighter before stepping away.
"It's good to see you two, too. I really appreciate you coming all the way out here. How's school? Make any new friends?"
Davina spared a side look to Aria who sighed, "This one guy asked me out... but then he stood me up."
Marcel's expression dropped and his eyes went cold, "He stood you up?" He echoed.
Aria hummed as she nodded.
"Say the word, and he's dead." Marcel assured darkly, expression completely serious as Aria laughed. Davina gave them a funny look, "He's serious." Aria murmured, leaning over to whisper in Davina's ear, "Dad may not be good with emotions, but he's good enough. The first guy I kissed, I had to stop him from killing. He broke both his legs."
Davina's eyes widened further but Marcel broke them out of their conversation,
"Now uh, listen. I hate to ask for a favour, but I need a locator spell. Something's missing… a white oak stake that's powerful enough to kill an Original."
Aria and Davina's smiles fell and whilst Davina looked angry, Aria looked betrayed.
"Did one of them put you up to this?" Davina whispered.
"Girls, if that stake is used on Klaus, every vampire he's sired dies too."
"We know. But what if we do find it? I mean, we're not just gonna give it to Klaus of all people! It would give him more power than he needs! Than he already has!" Aria scoffed.
"He and Elijah are both brutal, sadistic monsters!" Davina added before they heard footsteps behind them.
"I do wish I could disagree with you. Tragically, however, you're quite right." Elijah said from behind them.
Davina glared at Marcel and Aria's expression remained stoic.
"Although, you and I both have excellent reason to find that weapon. I want to protect my family, and you want to protect your friends and family. We'd do well to forget our grievances and join forces." He continued.
"No." Davina said coldly.
"Davina, just-" Marcel tried.
Aria spun around, "No! No, we're done just listening!" She yelled before Davina took over talking to Elijah, "For a long time, you and your family have had all the power. You manipulate and kill anyone who gets in your way. Do you remember when Aria 'joined forces' with you? How did that end up? No, no from now on, you can know what it is to be afraid."
Davina grabbed Aria's arm and the two girls stormed out of the room, "Aria, Aria come on!" Marcel's futile yells were drowned out to Aria's ears as she and Davina left the building and headed on their way back into the Quarter.
Aria didn't care that now they probably knew they had the White Oak stake, she didn't care that the simple fact that they'd declined helping showed they already had it, all she could focus on was the blinding rage that was gradually building beneath her stoic expression.
Marcel Gerard had just pissed her off.
~*•°•*~
Back in the attic, Aria was sat on the floor with one of Esther's Grimoire's in her lap as she copied notes into one of her own books whilst Davina sat on the sofa doing the same thing. Both were aware of the glare Mikael was sending them but ignored it completely, "Stare all you want, but as long as Aria and I have these bracelets, we own you." Davina snapped after another suffering sigh from the vampire in question.
Mikael scoffed, "You foolish little girls. You both imprison me here, you both refuse my help, but all the while that hybrid monstrosity roams this city, free to pray on everyone you two care about. Those few that remain."
Aria rolled her eyes and exchanged an annoyed look with Davina, looking back down to her phone when it chimed. Involuntarily, she smiled slightly when she saw a message from Kaleb pop up on her phone 'Can I make it up to you over dinner?'
Sparing little more than a glance down to her work, she texted back a positive reply and stood up, showing Davina the message as she gathered her bag before she left the attic.
~*•°•*~
At a table in Rousseau's, Aria sat opposite Kol, though she didn't quite know it was him, with a small smile on her face.
"My family?" Kaleb let out a forced chuckle, "Oh, no. They're all crazy as loons." He waited a beat, "How about your family?"
Aria bit her lip and shifted uncomfortably before sighing, "Not much to say. Only child. Adopted, even. My dad was brilliant, but recently he's been a little distant. Family problems. Uh, I recently met my birth mother."
Kaleb's eyebrows raised high on his forehead, "Really?"
How would that work? He wondered.
"Yeah. We're scheduled to take a walk around the Quarter tomorrow. She hasn't really been here in a while."
"Good for you. I have some mummy issues, myself so in some ways, count yourself lucky you never knew yours. Yeah, bit of a control freak mine is. In fact, she's the reason I stopped practicing magic for so long."
Aria's eyes widened, her smile dropped and she searched his face for any trace of hidden amusement that might be showing he was lying. He wasn't.
"You're a witch?" She could barely contain the surprise and excitement in her voice.
A smile bloomed on Kaleb's face at the excitement in her expression and he chuckled, "Don't look so surprised, love. I didn't just ask you out because you're stalking me anyway." Aria raised an amused eyebrow at him, despite the smile on her face, "No, we're, uh... well we're kindred souls."
"What do you mean?"
"I know your story, Aria. I mean, you're practically famous. You're the fifth Harvest girl who gave them all hell before telling them to shove it." He paused slightly, "I'm a lot like you, I don't really believe in following people blindly. Your courage for leaving your Coven should be celebrated. Not many witches would be able to do that without losing their minds."
Aria smiled at him and for a moment, the two just stared at each other before her phone suddenly rang, interrupting their conversation. Aria spared a look down, missing the sudden look of annoyance on Kaleb's face directed solely to her phone before she sighed and winced, looking back up apologetically.
"I am so sorry. It's my dad, he'll just keep calling until I answer. I'll make it quick, I promise." She explained, standing up and leaving the bar to answer the call.
"I never said I had it." Was the first thing that came out of her mouth.
Marcel sighed, "I won't even ask how you know what Elijah thinks. The thing is, he does think you have the stake. Matter of fact, he's convinced."
"Well, let Elijah think what he wants." She growled, "Dad, I am asking you to have some faith in me." She practically begged.
"You're not safe, kid. Anyone who's ever wanted to kill an Original is gonna be coming after you."
"Let them try." She challenged.
"Aria, come on! Just tell me where you are. Hey, we can talk about this!"
"I'm at Rousseau's. Don't bother coming. I'm leaving now. Thanks for the faith, Marcel." Even Marcel could hear the contempt in her voice and he grimaced. She hung up the phone and re-entered Rousseau's, pushing through a crowd of people to find Kaleb looking around the room confused as everyone filed out.
"Kaleb? What's happening?"
Kaleb sighed in annoyance, "Some fellow just announced they were closing for a private party."
Aria spared a glance around the room, "We should leave now." She murmured. Before the duo could leave the restaurant, a group of werewolves approached them, one at the front looking to Aria with his head slightly tilted.
"And what's your rush, sweetheart? Why don't you stay and party with us?"
"Get out of our way. Now. I don't want to hurt you." Aria growled.
The werewolf laughed as if not believing her and, with barely any effort at all, her eyes narrowed and he was suddenly on his knees in pain, grabbing at his head.
Kaleb's eyes widened and his eyes darted between the werewolf on the ground and Aria who was glaring at him, had she even used words?
What are you doing, Little witch? He asked himself.
He was broken out of his thoughts as the werewolves began surrounding them both and immediately began panicking. He wasn't a vampire. They could very well kill him. And Aria. The thought alone put him more on edge.
"Can you do that with the rest of them, or...?" He trailed off.
"...Not all at once. There are too many." Aria replied, the anger fading from her face as she took an uncertain glance around the group.
The werewolf Aria had previously forced down to the ground rose to his feet and snarled at Aria before pushing her back across the room. Aria let out a grunt as her head hit the floor roughly and Kaleb's eyes flashed. He shoved the werewolf back just as Aria had, succeeding slightly more but ending in himself being thrown across the room and into the wall behind the bar, shattering the bottles at the impact.
Aria's head snapped up at the sound and worry flashed across her face as she saw Kaleb's state, she looked back to the wolves surrounding her and whimpered, twisting the bracelet around her wrist that bound her to Mikael before muttering a few words under her breath so quietly that the wolves didn't hear.
One of them grabbed her and shoved her against the bar, turning her head as if to bite her but before he could, Aria felt the pressure lift and spun around to see Mikael standing there, snarling at the werewolves like they were the bane of his very existence.
"You filthy dogs."
Mikael lunged for the werewolves around him and, one by one, began fighting them off as they approached him. The mild relief Aria felt at the sight of him quickly disappeared as another of the werewolves grabbed her. As she struggled to fight him off, she didn't notice her bracelet slipping off her hand before she was able to slam him across the room, his head hitting against one of the wooden beams and cracking on impact. Aria let out a breath of relief even as she fell down to the floor. Relief that quickly vanished as she realised her bracelet was missing.
"Well, now. What an interesting turn of events." Mikael murmured as she looked up, fear crossing her expression because of how utterly drained she was after slamming the werewolf away.
Mikael yanked Aria up off of the floor by her arm, holding her tightly enough to bruise before he snarled at her, "I'm going to enjoy this, girl." He sneered, "Countless months of your taunting and ridiculing will finally come to an end. I only need one of you to do what you brought me back for. It won't be you."
Aria tried to struggle away from him but it was futile, he was infinitely stronger than she could ever hope to be. Before fangs pierced her neck, she felt someone else pull Mikael off of her. She spun around and saw Elijah there, facing Mikael with a wide-eyed expression.
"Father?" He muttered faintly.
"Hello, son. I'd hoped to see your brother first, but we have some unfinished business as well." Mikael snarled.
Aria's eyes widened as the duo began to fight and they widened further when Mikael pulled the white oak stake out of the waistband of his trousers, aiming it for Elijah's heart as the Original in question desperately tried to pull away. She looked to her left as someone dropped to his knees beside her and instantly wrapped her arms around Marcel's neck as he hugged her back, relief clear in his posture.
"We're getting out of here." Marcel said adamantly.
Aria pulled away, "No! Dad, I need my bracelet. I can use it to control him."
Marcel sighed in annoyance as his eyes scanned the room, finally spotting the bracelet beside a dead body. He moved to grab it and tried to tune out the yells of Elijah as Mikael tried staking him. He tossed it over to Aria just in time before Mikael noticed what was happening. He stepped away from Elijah, intending on attacking Aria instead but she managed to put on the bracelet and force him to stop.
"STOP!"
Mikael snarled at her and everyone in the room looked to her in shock as her anger gradually increased to the point it seemed to be swirling around the room. But she wasn't paying attention, her focus was solely on Mikael and vice versa, "You know that I would happily kill you for trying to hurt me. But I'll leave that choice to Davina. After all, she is the reason you're alive. So go back."
Mikael hesitated, "You're making a mistake, girl."
"Are you challenging me?" Aria asked, an eyebrow raised and a positively deadly expression on her face, "Leave. Now. Before I send you back to hell."
Against his will Mikael reluctantly left the bar and everyone in it, Aria then took a look around the room before leaving, the doors slamming shut behind her as she headed through the Quarter, fingers twitching with pent up magic, energy and fury.
She desperately wanted Mikael dead.
~*•°•*~
"What the bloody hell was that, huh?" Kol yelled, shoving Finn against a wall as he walked into the Lycée.
"You need to calm down." Finn replied as Kol scoffed.
"Calm-calm down?" He echoed incredulously, "You almost got me killed! Those wolves didn't just go after Aria, they almost attacked me!"
"I'm aware. I gave the order. The attack had to look convincing." Esther said calmly, entering the room and joining her sons.
Kol let go of Finn and, not for the first time, physically restrained himself from attacking his mother, instead gesturing to the cuts on his forehead.
"Look at my head! This isn't gonna heal for weeks! I haven't had a scar in a thousand years!" He yelled.
Esther scoffed, "You'll live! And, more importantly, Aria will feel indebted to you. She will seek you out to apologise for what she perceives as an attack she caused, as I planned."
"Well, I've had enough of your plans! You force me to sneak around like some common toady. If this is the grand new life that you planned for me, then you can have it back!" He yelled.
Esther's eyes narrowed and her hand flew forward, forcing Kol to his knees as his nose began bleeding.
"You are here by my grace, and you will remain by my grace! Have I made myself clear?"
Kol groaned in pain, "…Yes." He said eventually as Esther stopped the spell.
Esther knelt down after a moment and took his face in her hands gently as if she cared, just as her sister had after hurting Aria all those months before, "Your brother was in the attic during the attack, thankfully Davina wasn't there. Finn, tell him what you saw." Esther murmured.
"The door was open. The room was empty."
Esther rose to her feet and narrowed her gaze on Kol, "So, how did Aria tear apart a pack of vicious wolves? She can't possibly be that powerful on her own. She must have had this weapon with her. What was it? A dark object? A book of spells?"
Kol stared up at his mother, jaw set as he thought back to the fight in Rousseau's, "Well, I wish I knew." He pointed to his head, "I was knocked out during the attack. I never saw a thing."
He knew that he had told Davina to resurrect Mikael, but he hadn't actually paid much thought to what they'd do after bringing his father back to life. In hindsight, it wasn't a particularly good idea. The plan was half baked at best and he should have thought it through better before letting Davina, a teenager, resurrect an Original Vampire with little to no experience in resurrection spells,
I just hope you know what you're doing with Mikael, witches. He begged silently.
~*•°•*~
Elijah took a seat next to Aria on a small bench in the Quarter and, for a time, the duo both sat in silence.
"I believe I should offer you my gratitude, Miss Gerard." Elijah said after a moment.
Aria scoffed but she didn't open her eyes, "I can see why Klaus turned out the way he did." She opened one of her eyes, "None of you had good role models."
A small, amused smile graced Elijah's mouth, "You aren't wrong."
Aria's eyes slowly opened and she turned to look at Elijah, a confused expression on her face, "Why aren't you trying to kill me right now?"
He turned his head to look at her, his expression clearly saying that he thought the answer was obvious, "You stopped Mikael from killing me. -And you have suffered enough at my family's hands already." He added in afterthought.
"Welcome to New Orleans, Elijah." Aria offered back sarcastically, "If I wanna be a witch, then suffering is just part of the job description."
After a moment, the Original spoke again, "What did my aunt do to you?"
Aria sighed and thought over her words carefully, "As I've already told you, she wanted me to cross over to this place and… create a foothold so that she could draw from my power after resurrecting me. No clue why. I didn't want to do what she said. But I had to. She'd punish me if I didn't do what she wanted. Torment me. Hurt me. Threaten the people that I loved."
"Does she know anything about us?"
"No. Not much. Only the smallest, most irrelevant things really. Anything big has already come to pass. After all, she was training me most of the time. Sadly for her, she also taught me most of her tricks, too."
"You played her at her own game." Elijah murmured in realisation as Aria grinned, eyes closing again.
"Yep." She said, "She made a deal with me so that my family would stay safe but I knew that if I beat her and then resurrected myself, she wouldn't have any access to my power until she herself is awake, thus, my family is safe." Aria smirked, "I'm pretty sure Dahlia wants you guys dead though. Something about Vikings and a thousand-year grudge. But if I'm being truthful, I don't want that. Well maybe Klaus." She said as Elijah's lip twitched slightly, "And I am still pretty pissed with you. But I'll just find a way to live through it." She sighed and closed her eyes again, "I'm just thankful Dahlia's gone. And… I do get why you did what you did. I don't agree with it, but I get it. And you do know you can just call me Aria, don't you?"
Elijah turned to her, confliction clear on his face, "Aria.." He hesitated only slightly, "You showed my family loyalty. So I suppose for once, I should show you the same."
Aria's eyes opened, dark eyelashes brushing against the top of her cheeks as she turned to look at him, "What is it?"
"You and Davina have brought my father back. How?"
"I mostly collected the objects needed. I don't know about the rest. Davina did do most of it, in all honesty, I'm not too sure how she knew to do what she did. After I was brought back from the Harvest, my emotions have been all over the place. A tiny nuisance will make me want to strangle the person closest to me. Davina was heartbroken so I let her channel me whilst I worked on slowing down Monique, Abigail and Genevieve."
If Elijah was surprised that she had stopped Genevieve, he did a good job of not showing it.
"Why?" She asked.
His answer made her blood run cold.
"My mother is back. Esther has returned. And if Esther is back, then Dahlia might soon follow."
~*•°•*~
As Always, SecretMidnightRose