My Soul to Keep
Chapter 5: Red Door
Beta: PrincessOfSilence
Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Originals. I only own my characters and story.
A ghostly figure in white ran down an endlessly long hallway, her dark waves racing to catch up with the rest of her. Bare feet pounded against the carpet, her breath heavy as it passed from her lungs. She felt as if she'd been running her whole life, keeping a good distance from the thing that tried to catch her, but now its claws were too close for comfort. She pushed herself even harder, the fabric of a white nightgown nearly getting tangled up in her strides. As she came to the end of the hall, a red door blocked her path, but perhaps it was the only way out.
"Help! Someone please help me!" Giuliana's fists banged on the door, but no one was there to answer her tortured screams. She tried the doorknob, but it stuck stubbornly in its place. She peered over her shoulder and shrieked in terror, seeing the monster she was running from draw closer. Her pounding on the door became furious now, but her efforts fell short as he was now behind her, his breath practically breathing down her neck. She whipped around, her cheeks red and throat sore from screaming. Her gaze fell on her captor and she wished she would awaken from this horrid nightmare.
"No! Elijah, please don't!" She cried, practically dropping to her knees before him. Perhaps if she begged for mercy, he would let her go. She clasped her hands together, pleading with him, but it was his harsh grip on her upper arms that made her whine in pain. He lifted her up, smashing her back against the red door and he watched as complete horror washed over her face. Some of her soft dark waves were crunched beneath his strong hands when he grabbed her and her emerald eyes were shining with tears. His mouth and body were stained with fresh rivers of blood that entangled in one another. He'd had his fill, slaughtering those that stood in his way, but there was room for one more morsel.
Purplish veins pulsed along his cheekbones and his eyes glazed over with hues of dark red and black. Behind his lips, his sharp fangs grew long and she shied impossibly farther away from him. The man that had once swore to be her protector was now a predator and she was his waiting prey. She shook in his hold, tremors of fear wracking her soul so much so that Elijah tightened his grip. A pained whimper turned into a desperate sob, making the vampire hiss at her. She shrunk even further into herself, flinching at the thought of his fangs entering her skin. He was taunting her and she knew it. If he was kind, he would have made her death quick, but he was dragging it out as long as possible. The chase, the hunt, the searing gaze of his eyes. It was all meant to scare her and she would be haunted for an eternity.
His hand tunneled in her hair, yanking her locks roughly and she cried out, making him smirk evilly at her discomfort. He exposed her neck and his mouth watered at her olive flesh and blue veins. Enough games, his conscious ordered and with one swoop, his fangs penetrated her skin. An ungodly scream was torn from her throat, but her vocal chords had been so previously abused that it came out more like a wail. Elijah could swear that he heard her beseeching him to let her live, but the taste of her blood had deafened his ears.
The Original vampire was suddenly awoken from his nightmare with a start. Surely it was the echo of Giuliana's cries that startled him. His arms ached dully and he pulled on them to learn he was bound in chains. His wrists were held above his head, spread out and he followed the links to two rafters. He tested them, pulling and tugging, but his strength was weakened. He let his arms fall slack and stood on his two feet. His shirt was bloodied and his body throbbed.
"Have you forgotten where you are, son?" Esther entered holding a cup of tea. Elijah looked around him once more. It was a distant memory, but it was coming back to him where he was. In the parking garage last night, he remembered being impaled on a stake and falling into darkness. When he awoke, he could faintly hear his mother speaking, but he quickly slipped into unconsciousness again. The Lafayette cemetery was a good place for Esther to bring her darling son to persuade him to see clearly. Elijah had always been such a good boy and she was hopeful that he would be the next of her children to take her deal.
"Save your strength. My chains don't break so easily." She added and pointed to a small doll that hung from the ceiling near the chains. It had been spelled to weaken her son, so that he could listen to her plight.
"Having sweet dreams?" Her question made Elijah lunge for her, but his restraints held him back once more.
"Get out of my head," he growled.
"I'm not in your head, dear." She smirked wickedly. "You were screaming."
Elijah glared at her, testing the chains by wrapping them around his wrists, grasping the links in his hands and pulling. Esther took a long sip of her tea and placed the cup neatly down on the saucer. She set the cup down on a small table in the crypt and walked over to the door. She stopped in the entryway and shadows cast from the sun outside framed her.
"Go ahead, get your bearings. We have much to discuss." Those were her last words to him before she set foot into the cemetery.
"There had better be a damn good reason for interrupting my sleep," Audrey grumbled as she moseyed inside the cabin. Two sets of eyes peered up at her, both with different expressions. Kol, or Kaleb, or whatever name he decided to take up while in his host body, showed a slight sliver of fear in his gaze. He'd remembered how Audrey had sent him for a loop and would have liked it very much for the two to stay away from one another.
The other gaze was Cami's and Audrey felt her stare as she walked up to the cabin before seeing her. Audrey guessed she was still angry about Klaus swiping her phone from her, but Cami's rage was fueled from the events of last night. She sat crouched beside a still unconscious Davina while Kol paced about nervously. Audrey crossed her arms over her chest just as Klaus entered the cabin and stood next to her.
"She's not waking up." The blonde gestured to Davina.
"Well, I knocked her out pretty hard last night." Audrey grinned. "Perhaps she'll think twice before challenging me again."
"You did this. You need to fix it." Cami stood, her stance strong and her fists clenched.
"Careful dear. Wouldn't want the same thing that happened to Davina happen to you now, would you?"
It was Klaus' turn to grin. "Not to worry, Camille; I'm sure Davina is having a restful sleep."
"We need to get her to a hospital," she protested.
"Then do it yourself if you're so concerned." Audrey narrowed her eyes.
Cami's fists clenched at her sides. "I never thought I would meet another person as selfish as Klaus, but I think you might have him beat."
Audrey gave a melodious laugh, the trills of her voice sending the most delectable of shivers up Klaus' spine. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"Ladies, come now." Kol decided he needed to interject before this escalated. "No need to huff and puff and blow the house down."
"You know, it's funny how often a person's sharp tongue can end up cutting their own throat." Klaus narrowed his eyes at his brother, unamused with his idle prattle.
Cami's shoulders dropped. "Come on, Klaus. He's just a kid."
"Yeah, she's right." Kol puffed out his chest. "You know, you may want to try a bit of lavender under your pillow. Does wonders for stuck-up pillocks with anger issues."
Klaus took a few steps to meet his brother face to face, being sure to stare him down. "I promised not to kill Davina. I said nothing of this insolent sod."
"Give him a break." Cami spoke and was then met with Klaus' gruff reply.
"Could you ladies give us a few moments?" The hybrid kept his stare on Kol while Audrey and Cami slipped out of the cabin.
The latter of the pair paced back and forth, muttering on and on about how Davina needed to be taken to a hospital while Audrey rolled her blue eyes. She leaned herself against a column of the house, her arms crossed over her chest and she was just about to fall into a daydream when she felt a sudden change in the air. At first she thought it was nothing, but it was practically dragging her from the porch. She followed it blindly, ignoring Cami who had become outraged that no one was listening to her and the witch was now in the woods by the pickup truck they'd kept Mikael's body in.
Audrey's breath caught in her throat seeing a fresh bloody handprint smeared on the paint of the trunk door and she bit her bottom lip nervously. That mark wasn't there before. Cami continued to ramble and Audrey was now aware that Mikael had escaped not too long ago and was now on the hunt. While she didn't have the hearing of a vampire, she listened closely for any sounds that would alert her of his presence, but all she heard was Cami yammering on.
"And all of the sudden, you two came waltzing in like-"
"Be quiet." She told her firmly, but Cami would not be silenced.
"What did you just-"
"I said, be quiet!" She hissed, a hint of urgency in her voice now. Cami shrunk, noticing that something was not right and her eyes followed Audrey's until they landed on the hand print. She brought a hand to her mouth, muffling a horrified gasp. Audrey wanted to strangle Cami for talking Klaus into having a conscious and not daggering Mikael, but the past was in the past and right now they were dealing with the reality that the vampire who hunted vampires was out for blood.
Audrey then pressed her hand to the trunk, her fingers skimming the bloodied paint and her eyes rolled back inside their sockets before becoming black. In the vision she was seeing, all she could make out was a shape moving swiftly through the shadows. She squinted her eyes and the blurred pictures began to take form. Anguished groans fell heavily on her ears followed by the sickening sound of a body being torn. Bloodied hands gripped a sharp wooden object as they crunched through the brush. It seemed as if Mikael was on the move, but where had he gone and who had he planned to torment?
"He's...he's..." She stammered.
"Look out!" Cami shouted and tackled Audrey's body to the forest floor. She'd seen a shape in the distance and acted rather than thought about it. The two were ambushed by the very man they were looking for. Cami was thrown against the side of the truck and she felt a gust of wind hit her cheeks before realizing that Audrey had vanished along with Mikael. She staggered to stand upright and whirled around cautiously, as if expecting Mikael to swoop in out of nowhere. She felt a lump forming on the back of her head and winced when she pressed it. Gathering herself, she rushed back to the cabin and she prepared herself for Klaus' wrath once he'd learn of Audrey's disappearance.
"My poor boy," Esther tsked as she watched Elijah slip in and out of consciousness. "Such a sweet boy and to now see what you have become...I have failed you as a mother."
"Spare me your pity," he hushed, mustering enough strength to lift his head and look her in the eyes. "Why do you insist on changing us?"
Esther gently stroked her son's cheek, making Elijah recoil. "I have seen the error of my ways. After Henrick's death, your father and I wanted to keep our family safe and for us to always stay together. But, instead, we cursed you all."
"Let me go." He tested his chains.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. Not until you see yourself for what you truly are."
"Let me go!" He stressed and Esther heaved a heavy sigh.
"Elijah, you have always been the most reasonable of my children, but I can see how time has changed that," she said sadly. "It all started with Tatia."
Elijah blanched, taken aback by the name of the very woman who was responsible for all of the trouble that had befallen the Mikaelson family. He hadn't heard her name in so long. She was Elijah's first love, the first woman he'd given his heart to. There were others over the years, but Tatia still often haunted him. The very image of her would sometimes slip into his dreams and she'd wander there until he'd fall into another dream.
"You killed her," he said quietly.
"I used her blood to bind the spell that suppressed Niklaus' werewolf aspect. But, by the time you brought her to me, she was already dead."
"What are you talking about?" Confusion painted his face. "You killed Tatia. I remember it clearly. I had found her in the woods and I couldn't control myself. I compelled her to forget what she'd seen in me and to run."
"You'd only been a vampire for a few days. You hadn't yet learned compulsion." Esther corrected him. "You knew how special she was! I always thought you would protect her. That she would be your wife, that one day I might call her daughter! Instead—"
"I didn't hurt her!" Elijah shouted over her.
"You've taught yourself to hide from who and what you are for a thousand years!"
Elijah yanked angrily at his chains. "I did not hurt Tatia! I could not!"
"But you did!" She took his face in her hands, pressing her thumbs against his temples and Elijah felt the vibrations inside his brain. "Oh, my beautiful boy. No more hiding. It is time, now, for you to remember it all."
Elijah was plunged headfirst into his memories and was suddenly drowning in them. He saw Tatia's fear stricken face before she whirled around on her heel and ran from him. He chased her, his speed ultimately catching up to hers and he stopped her. She tried to pry his grip off of her, but his strength had surpassed her own. She was so afraid; he could hear the hammering of her heart against her ribcage and the slightest scent of her blood was in the air. A bit of it soaked through the fabric of her dress, she must have cut herself when she ran, but the cause of the laceration did not concern Elijah. He was more entranced by the decadent smell of her blood and imagined how it would taste on his tongue.
"You didn't want to hurt her. You loved her. But you couldn't fight what you had become. What I had turned you into."
He could still remember his first taste of human blood. It was a memory he'd locked away, but now it was replaying over and over in his mind like a broken record. The puncturing of his teeth into her soft skin, the warm blood on his tongue, the lethargic beating of her heart. All of the sensations at once carried him away once he bit Tatia. He was a young vampire then and had not one bit of control, contrary to the vampire he had become.
"You're distorting my memories! It was you who killed Tatia! You can't rewrite history!"
"No, I cannot. And I did not. Not until I had your consent."
With a pulse of Esther's magic, Elijah was sent back into his past. He then saw himself carrying Tatia's body to the slaughterhouse where Esther was sharpening a knife to use for one of the fat pigs in the pen. When she looked up and noticed her son, she stood and backed away, frightened by the sight of him. Blood smeared his lips and chin and Tatia's body was cradled to his chest. Elijah looked as if he was ready to cry, so Esther approached him and gestured for him to hand over Tatia's corpse.
"When you became yourself again, you brought her to me. But, too late. I told you you were a good son, to let me take care of it. That I could help make it all go away."
Esther had taken Tatia's body inside the slaughterhouse and closed the blood stained door behind them, leaving Elijah to deal with his inner turmoil. He'd killed the woman who confessed her love for him just a few short nights ago. Never again would she kiss his lips or stroke his hair. Never again would he look into her eyes and call her his wife when they were wed. The young vampire sunk to his knees in the mud with his hands running frantically through his hair. What would the village say about her disappearance? The town was already on edge with the growing body count from Niklaus' outbursts. It wouldn't be long before they would suspect his family.
His mother had emerged from the slaughterhouse and knelt beside her broken boy. He was mumbling words Esther could not understand, but she could feel his pain and guilt radiating from his soul. She gently took his face in her hands, letting her thumbs erase the tracks his tears had made and she kissed his forehead gingerly.
"You will not suffer from this memory, or be tormented from the guilt of your misdeed. What goes behind that door shall stay there and be forgotten."
A clean slate, she'd thought to herself as she watched her son sway back and forth in his chains. That was a chance for Elijah to rebuild his understanding of vampires and controlling the beast inside him. Elijah hung lifelessly, tears burning his eyes as his true memories were played before him like a movie he couldn't take his eyes off of.
"I told you to clean yourself up. That if you were clean, no one would know what you are or what you'd done. And you did exactly that and more. You created a place in your mind to put your victims. You began to believe that as long as your suit was immaculate and your hands clean, you could look in the mirror and tell yourself it's all okay. No one need know what's behind that red door."
The red door, Elijah's nightmare from earlier. He could see the fear in Giuliana's eyes as she begged for mercy. He could feel her delicious blood sliding down his throat. She'd asked Elijah to come to New Orleans because she needed protection from Silas and he was all too happy to escort her. He made a promise to keep her safe and out of harm's way, but that was broken when she was turned by his blood. This time, he swore he would not slip.
"But, a thousand years is a long time, Elijah. And a place meant to hold one unforgivable sin is now full to bursting with your most monstrous deeds."
Elijah snapped, his anger and hatred towards his mother overwhelming him. He shook his chains, yanking them so hard the mausoleum trembled. "STOP!"
"How long before it's your beloved Giuliana's corpse behind that door?" She asked and like a snuffed out flame, Elijah's temper was stifled. In his nightmare he'd sucked her blood dry until her screams had muffled and her heart went silent. He was a creature of nature and he knew it.
"Stop." It came out as a desperate whimper as tears welled in his dark eyes.
"I see how much you love her. She is different from the women in your life. Giuliana shows a devotion to our family whereas the others wanted nothing but to stand apart from us." She said. "You must be afraid that her love for you will only destroy her. In fact, it already has. She is a vampire now, turned by your blood."
"I never intended for her to turn." He growled lowly.
"And you would have rather she died on that church altar?" She wondered, tilting her head to the side just slightly. "I implore you, my son. Take my offer. Both of you. In new bodies, you will be alive again; you could give her a child, to replace the one she lost."
"You will not break me," he sneered at her and Esther shook her head sadly.
"Oh, you are already broken, my dear boy, but not beyond repair. I am here to fix you. I am here to fix you all." She said.
Audrey strained at the tight ropes that bound her hands behind her back and she wriggled in the chair she was tied to, but Mikael's knots were strong. He watched her struggle, almost fighting the urge to chuckle in her face as he stood over her with the white oak stake in his hands. He'd taken her to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the Quarter in hopes of laying low for some time until Klaus would come looking for her.
Once she'd become tired, she fell slack against the chair and Mikael stepped closer. He hooked a finger in the collar of her shirt and pulled the fabric away from her skin. With an evil grin, he spied the scars along her chest that had roped across her skin like roots from a tree. It served as a reminder that he had been the one to send her to an early grave. She scowled up at him, her blue eye ablaze.
"Forever marked," he marveled.
The witch spat in his eye and Mikael recoiled from her. He wiped her saliva from his face and used the same hand to backhand her across the cheek. Her head jerked to the extreme left and she could taste blood in her mouth. It dribbled down the side of her lips, the very scent tempted Mikael to rip into her throat, but he promised himself he'd save her for last.
"Well, you and I both know it isn't a party until you're smacking someone around," she growled up at him. "At least that's what I've heard from the stories that your son would tell me about you."
"I didn't always hate him. When Klaus was born, I was overjoyed. I thought, "This one, this one has the eyes of a warrior. He will be worthy.""
Mikael then circled her chair like a shark who had found blood in the water. "But, my hope was short-lived. And, when I found out that he wasn't really my son, my relief was glorious. But that passed with the knowledge that he was begat of a beast."
"You blamed Klaus for everything that ever went wrong in your life when you should have blamed his mother. It's not his fault his mother slept around." Audrey spat.
Mikael lunged at her, his hand curling rigidly around her neck and he squeezed until he could feel her gasping for breath. "Everything that followed was because of Niklaus' obsession with the wolves! He ventured out to watch them turn under the full moon and he took my youngest son, Henrik. He was but a child, and he was torn apart."
Just when Audrey was certain Mikael's hold would cause her to asphyxiate, he released her roughly and she gulped in oxygen. "It was an accident." She panted.
"An accident?" Mikael suddenly flashed before her, his rage exploding from every cell in his body. "An accident?! He murdered my wife! His own mother! Who sought to cleanse him of his beast-like nature! He betrayed me. He turned my entire family against me! And yet, you defend him?!"
"You know I will!" Audrey hissed.
"A stupid choice that will end in your death." He leaned down and placed his hands on opposite sides of the chair, his face just inches from hers. "And I will be more than happy to let history repeat itself once more."
Audrey stuck out her chin and narrowed her blue eyes at him. Deep down, she was scared, but she wouldn't dare let it show on her face. Mikael smirked, amused that this little witch, a woman who had been killed by him once before was bravely staring death in the face.
"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" She wondered. "How are you so sure that he will come for me?"
"Because you are nothing but a distraction to him. If he was smart, he'd have killed you a long time ago," Mikael spat.
"Then let Klaus come; I can't wait for him to finally put you to rest." She gritted her teeth, making Mikael's chest rumble with laughter.
"Such confidence. I'm afraid you might not be alive long enough to see it." His voice trailed off spying a thin droplet of blood that pooled at her bottom lip. Veins sprouted beneath his eyes and Audrey gulped anxiously. His fangs came forward, the sharp tips prickling his lips.
"Indulge me, my dear?" He asked.
"Do I have a choice?" She clenched her teeth tightly together.
Mikael gave a short chuckle and thrust his hand in her hair. He angled her head to the side, exposing her neck before plunging his teeth through her skin. To Audrey, there was no sense in fighting Mikael, it just wasn't a fair fight, so she allowed him to drink from her, but not without sending a message to Klaus. Her eyes turned black and she pushed her magic onto the Original hybrid before her entire world went dark.
"Ringing, ringing. Always ringing," Esther tutted and lifted Elijah's phone from the table. Her eyes smiled at the sight of the name that flashed across the screen. "Well, your little darling must be quite worried if she's called this many times."
"Don't you dare speak to her." Each word that fell from his lips was coated with threats.
"My dear boy, I only want to bring her some peace of mind." She answered the call and ignored the rattling of her son's heavy chains.
"Elijah?" Hope filled her voice.
"Not quite." She replied.
Giuliana had gone silent for a moment before finding her voice again. "Esther."
"You sound disappointed."
"Where is Elijah?"
"I can assure you that he is safe," she proclaimed.
"Why is it that I don't believe you?"
"See for yourself." Esther moved the phone by Elijah's ear and he cleared his throat before speaking.
"Giuliana."
Once again she was silenced, but he could hear how loudly her heart was beating through the ear piece. "Elijah?! Oh my gosh! You're alive! Where are you?"
Elijah could never answer her question. A powerful surge of Esther's magic racked his body with pain. He called out and rattled his restraints and through his anguish, he could hear Giuliana's frantic pleas. Esther took the phone back and stopped her magic, letting her son hang like a puppet on strings.
"Stop, stop! What are you doing to him?" Giuliana's growl made Esther smile.
"I'm fixing him."
"Let him go!" she commanded.
"I'm sorry, my dear. I can't do that just yet. He still has much more to learn." She turned on her heel and walked outside the mausoleum. The sun was beginning to set in the distance, the rays casting a warming glow over the tombstones. "When he is ready to be returned, he will come home."
"You're sick!" The vampire spat hatefully. "You know he won't take you up on your deal to become reborn."
"Are you so sure? After what's been revealed to him about his past, he's on shaky ground." Esther spoke. "I can help the both of you lead normal lives. You would be able to start a family, something you've always held close to your heart."
"Don't pretend like you know anything about what I want." Giuliana hissed. "Besides, any child that was to come into the Mikaelson family would face death at your hands. Just like Klaus and Hayley's child."
For the first time during their heated argument, Esther felt a cold hand grip her insides. If only Giuliana knew why Klaus' child had to die. She blinked back her thoughts and leaned against one of the larger tombstones. "That child...would have brought chaos among the factions."
"It was a baby!" She argued.
"Enough!" Esther cut her off. "Do not disturb us any longer. If you try to find Elijah, you both will meet a fate worse than death."
The Original witch left Giuliana with the dial tone in her ear and she pocketed Elijah's phone. She'd made her intentions clear and hoped that the young vampire would heed her warning. Esther sighed heavily and peered over at her son who was hanging limply, having slipped into unconsciousness again.
Klaus angrily brought the shaft of a shovel over his knee before barging inside the abandoned warehouse. He held the severed point at the level of his eye, ready for any attack that might come at him. Mikael had been kind enough to leave some droplets of Audrey's blood through the bayou, leading up to the warehouse. He followed it like a trail of breadcrumbs and was ready to finish this once and for all. Storming through the vacant rooms, a frantic heartbeat mixed with his heavy footfalls until he was face to face with Mikael. The two stood like statues while Mikael kept a weak Audrey held against him, her hopeful eyes finding Klaus when he entered the room.
"You're gonna pay for hurting her." Klaus pointed the sharp end of the shovel towards Mikael.
"Aw, how sweet. The cur whines for its bitch." Mikael dropped Audrey to the floor and she was barely able to brace herself because she was so weak. He brandished both Papa Tunde's blade and the white oak stake in his hands. "I'll be sure to drain the rest of her right in front of your eyes, just before you burn."
In a rage, Klaus lept through the air and tackled Mikael to the ground. The two grappled and wrestled with one another, each taking stabs with their weapons, but only scratching skin. Audrey struggled to her regain consciousness and scrapped up enough energy to at least peel her upper body off the ground just in time to see Mikael shove Klaus against the brick wall. He poised the stake at Klaus' chest, but he couldn't muster up enough strength to stab him. Mikael thrust his knee upwards, nailing Klaus in his gut and the hybrid's body bowed at the hit. With the shift in dominance, Mikael reared his arm back and prepared to end Klaus' life for good.
He was stopped mid-motion, however by a numbing sensation that took over his entire body. Klaus peered over Mikael's shoulder to see Audrey focusing her glowing red eyes on Mikael's back. Her hands were glowing as well and he could see her bite wound becoming pink with the promise of healing skin. Mikael then suddenly let out a loud howl as the numbing dissipated and it felt as if thousands of tiny knives were stabbing into his skin. She was chanting under her breath, siphoning his very blood source to her to make her heal. Klaus then took Mikael by his shoulders and tackled him through a brick wall on the opposite side of the warehouse.
They both tumbled into another room, leaving Audrey to channel her magic through the giant hole in the wall. Cement rained down upon them, the powder dusting their clothes like the first light snowfall of winter while the two grasped for the weapons that had fallen to the ground. Mikael was quicker, managing to toss the white oak stake from Klaus' reach, but he was also able to take up Papa Tunde's blade. He could still feel the remnants of Audrey's magic, so he figured he'd do Klaus one better. With incredible aim, he flung the blade in the air, over Klaus' shoulder. It passed through the hole in the brick and whizzed right towards Audrey, but she was too slow to stop it.
Her heart drummed in her chest and a gasp left her lips as she stared down the sharp blade just as it was stopped mere millimeters from her cornea. Klaus had zoomed away from Mikael and grasped the blade seconds before it would have killed Audrey on impact. Her gaze met his for a second and he flashed her a snarky smirk. She matched it, but it was quickly wiped away when Mikael had snuck up on Klaus. In one thrust, the hunter embedded the white oak stake in Klaus' chest. Klaus roared in agony and his skin began to desiccate before Audrey's horror-stricken eyes.
"NO!" The scream that left her lips echoed off the barren walls of the warehouse. She rushed to Klaus' side, but was quickly stopped by Mikael who had wound a hand in her hair. He yanked her close to him, but kept her facing Klaus and she could see his skin begin to turn a sickly grey. Veins crept along his neck and the sides of his face, a sure sign that his death was coming soon.
"You're a monster!" Audrey clawed at Mikael's fingers that were wrapped in her dark locks. She could feel her strands of hair tearing from her scalp.
"And you share a bed with one. What does that make you?" He jostled her roughly in his grip, making her slightly queasy. "Now you get to watch as he burns."
Tears streaked Audrey's reddened cheeks and she was limp in Mikael's hold. She fell to her knees, the cement scrapping her skin. Her heart ached as she watched Klaus die before her eyes. She never intended for this to happen. Maybe if she ran from the warehouse instead of stayed, Mikael wouldn't have used her as bait. Maybe Klaus would still be alive if she hadn't been there to distract him. Mikael was right; all she was, was a distraction.
"Why aren't you burning?!" Mikael's growl shook Audrey from her guilt trip. It was only until then when she realized that the stake had not burned like it should have done. She held her breath, a pang of hope filling her. "If you were dead, it would burn! Burn!"
Mikael was then suddenly aware of the magic that filled the warehouse and his heightened senses picked up the sounds of chanting from another room. He released Audrey and sped away, eager to find the witches who interfered with his plans. Audrey's gaze grew wider as she drew closer to Klaus' body and she very quickly understood that she had been given a chance to help him. Something was happening with the stake, but that wasn't her main concern. She just needed it out of his body before Mikael came back.
She leaned over his body and her hands closed around the stake. Taking a steadying breath, she yanked it upwards, but the wood hardly budged. She tried again and again, but the stake was so embedded in his chest that she gave a frustrated shout. She wiped her tears and sat up on her knees to give herself more leverage before gripping the stake again. She refused to give up on him, she'd be damned if she let him perish because of her. With all of her might, she pulled and tugged, and heaved, feeling it come loose.
Finally, the stake came free and she placed it beside her, hoping to keep it as far away from Mikael as possible. She watched in fascination as the grey coloring left his face and his chest began to move up and down with each breath that entered his lungs. The wound in chest healed very slowly, but Audrey took it as a sign of hope that he would come back from this.
"Look, I know you're enjoying a nice nap, but I need you to get up now." She nudge him, but he didn't move. "Come on. Wake up; Mikael is on a rampage."
Still nothing.
"Wake up!" She slammed her clenched fists down on his chest. Klaus' body suddenly arched and a large breath filled his lungs. Audrey jumped back and cursed him for scaring the life out of her. His eyes fluttered open and Audrey swore she was never so happy to see his haunting orbs then in that moment. He was still so weak that he could hardly keep his gaze in focus.
"What do you think you're doing?" Mikael's low rumbling growl shook the floor beneath her. She rose to her feet, taking the white oak stake in hand and pointed it at Mikael.
"Stay away from us, you son of a bitch!" She warned, her grip on the stake made her knuckles turn white. "Don't make me use this because I will!"
Mikael was amused by her bravery and took a few calculating steps towards her. "You have a warrior's heart. Perhaps I'll keep it as a souvenir."
In a blur, Mikael rushed towards Audrey, however he never made it to sink his teeth into her neck. Marcel had swung at him, nailing him in the jaw and he continued to use his fists against the Original. Mikael was temporarily stunned by the blows, but he'd hardly let a young vampire take him down. He was able to catch one of Marcel's arms and punch him so hard he tumbled to the ground. Marcel leaned up, ready to rise to his feet, but he was stopped when Mikael pressed Klaus' makeshift stake to his chest.
"Now, enough!" He hissed and stared down Marcel. "This night has been a long parade of fools. I'll enjoy killing every last one of you."
"Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it." Suddenly, a chain was wrapped around Mikael's neck from behind and it was pulled so tightly that he fell backwards. Hayley stood above him, a cinderblock attached to her chain. Klaus struggled to stand, but Audrey was quick to loop an arm under his shoulder to ease him up. Hayley gave Mikael a cheeky grin and smashed the cinderblock against his face before setting him loose.
Mikael moved to attack Hayley, but was stopped by the sound of sharp stakes whizzing through the air. One stake embedded itself in his shoulder and the other in his thigh. He whirled around to see Giuliana wielding more stakes, a wry grin painting her lips. She flipped one of the stakes in the air and caught it with grace as she stalked forward to Mikael who was yanking the stakes from his body.
"For a minute there, I thought I was too late to join the party." She smirked.
Marcel joined them along with Davina, the entire group crowded around the Original hunter and he knew that he was outdone. Granted, none of them could force him to submit individually, however they had strength in numbers. Mikael wiped the blood from his face and could feel little bits of cement stuck to his face from the cinderblock. Even though he had lost the battle today, he swore that he would not lose the war.
"It's over, Mikael," Klaus taunted. "You're outnumbered. Are you going to beg for your miserable life?"
Mikael laughed at the group of vampires surrounding him. "You think having people makes you strong? It proves how weak you are. Come find me when you don't have fools, women and children fighting your battles."
He tossed Giuliana's stakes at their feet and rushed from the warehouse to find a place to heal. The group looked around them, curious if Mikael was just playing them, but a few moments of silence lead them to believe that he had left them for now. Hayley, Marcel, and Giuliana took up their weapons and searched the warehouse before returning back to Klaus who was waiting anxiously.
"We'll check the surrounding areas," Hayley said.
"Yeah, knowing Mikael, he didn't go far," Marcel added.
"We'll be quick." Giuliana sent a cautious gaze to Audrey who was wobbling on her feet. The trio left the warehouse and Klaus gently took Audrey around the waist and led her to a set of cardboard boxes to sit up against. Her face and neck were swollen from Mikael's rough hands and Klaus felt anger well up inside him.
"He will die for hurting you," he promised, his eyes gleaming with hatred.
"That's the last time you listen to that blonde waitress," she grumbled weakly.
Klaus chuckled and gently took her face in his hands. His fingers probed the bite Mikael had given her and she sucked in a breath. He immediately removed his hands and looked apologetically at her. He cursed himself for being too late and now she'd have the scars to show for it.
"It doesn't look so bad. You've already begun to heal from siphoning Mikael's blood."
"It's fine." She pushed herself off the box and took a few steps away from him. He frowned deeply, upset by her mood.
"You pulled that stake out in the nick of time, love. A moment longer and I would have been done for."
"Don't you think I know that?" She finally turned to look at him and he could see fresh tears in her eyes. Klaus sighed and moved closer to her, but was quickly halted by a stinging sensation in his cheek. His head whipped to the side and he could feel his cheek heating up.
"You're so stupid," Audrey hissed in pain; her palm stung from slapping him.
"I'm stupid?" Klaus rubbed his reddened cheek.
"Yes, you are," she said. "You walked in here knowing that Mikael had the white oak stake; a weapon that means death for you and any vampire you've turned."
"And what would you have had me do instead? Leave you with Mikael? To fend for yourself? To die by his hands again?" He asked.
"Klaus, I watched you..." She swallowed her anger and pressed her hand to her chest. "I saw you die. I...I felt it. It was like I was dying with you. Because you tried to save me...you almost died."
There were times when he'd seen Audrey upset, but never quite like this. It was as if her anger and sadness had spiraled into a hurricane and she was powerless to control her emotions that were radiating from deep within her. She wiped away a stray tear and clenched her fists at her sides.
"Why did you come here when you know you could have died?" The question hung in the air and Klaus let it linger in the silence. "Why?"
"Because I had already lost you once and I refuse to let that happen again. Not by Mikael's hands or anyone else's," he said. "I will not let Mikael or Esther terrorize us any longer."
"I wish that were true." Giuliana's voice came forth from the shadow of the warehouse and her gaze passed between the pair. "Everything alright?"
Audrey nodded and wiped the wetness beneath her eyes. "Yes. I'll go wait in the car."
Klaus watched her walk away and he could feel Giuliana's curiosity about what they had spoken about, but he was not going to indulge her. "Find anything?"
"No," she shook her head. "Mikael's in hiding, but that's not who I'm worried about."
Wordlessly, he eyed her and she nervously rocked on the balls of her feet. She wanted to take matters into her own hands, but she knew that would mean walking into a death trap if she wasn't careful. Now she had to tell Klaus what she'd been fearing all along.
"Elijah is missing."
"No more," Elijah pleaded weakly. The hours he'd been hanging there stretched on into eternity and he couldn't stand it any longer.
"I'm afraid we've just begun. You will hang here, remembering. Every atrocity you've hid behind that door will emerge to haunt you. And, as you grow weaker, you will be ripped of your strength, your will, your hope," Esther explained to him. "And, as you rot here, alone, you will reconsider my offer. A new life. A way to be freed of your demons. A chance at peace."
In the blink of an eye, a pair of fangs were embedded in Esther's neck and she called out for help, but an olive skinned hand pressed over her mouth. The vampire fed until Esther was unconscious and dropped the body to the floor. Giuliana let out a satisfied sigh and licked some of the blood that was smeared around her mouth. She stepped over Esther's still body and smiled to a very weak, but thankful Elijah.
"I know she's your mom, but man is she annoying." She grinned cutely. "I would have killed her, but she would have body jumped and we wouldn't want that."
Giuliana's hand wrapped around Elijah's chains and she yanked them, but Esther's spell has prevented the chains from breaking by force. "How do I get these off?"
Elijah gestured above him with his head and Hayley followed his eyes to see a doll hanging from the ceiling. "The doll, up there. Break it. She's using it to bind me."
"Creepy." She shivered before jumping up and grabbing the doll. Once her feet touched the ground, she ripped the doll in half, severing the head from the body. She dropped the pieces to the floor and broke the chains that bound Elijah. He fell to his knees, barely catching himself and Giuliana knelt in front of him.
"What has she done to you?" Her question remained unanswered as Elijah tried to collect him. She had never seen him so drained and it hurt her deeply. "You need to feed."
Elijah shook his head, the memories of his lack of control clouding his brain. He turned himself away from her, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop once he started. "I can't—"
"You have to, Elijah. You're so weak." She begged and lifted her wrist to her mouth. She bit into it, creating two neat pinpricks in her skin and she offered it to Elijah who had only become more uneasy.
"I can't!" He shouted, his breath becoming labored at the very scent of her blood. "I crave you. My hunger, it could overwhelm me."
Fear, it was a very foreign emotion to a vampire as old as Elijah, but tonight it reared its head and it scared him. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to stop himself after tasting her blood. He was afraid he would kill her like he killed Tatia. He was afraid of having to hide another body behind the Red Door. His eyes darkened at the mere sight of the droplets of blood that seeped from Giuliana's wrist and he was certain he would die from the fear of losing her. Sensing his struggle, Giuliana wiped her wrist clean and gently took Elijah's face in her hands. Her thumbs brushed along his sweat soaked cheeks and she caressed him.
"Look at me." Her voice was soft and his worried gaze met her calm one. "I trust you. I am not afraid."
It boggled Elijah's mind how a vampire who was barely a year old was able to look at him in this state and not be afraid of the consequences that faced them. Had it been anyone else to come to his rescue, he was sure they would have fled. Giuliana smiled warmly at him, bringing her face closer to his and she pressed her bloodstained lips against his. At first Elijah tensed, his first thought was to pull away, but the nearly dried blood on her lips was enough of a taste for him. Her fingers weaved into the wet hair at the back of his neck and his lips moved fluidly against hers.
He was quickly captured by her lips, her tongue, her teeth, but he wanted more. He needed more. Giuliana could feel the growl in his chest and she pulled away from him, her dark eyes meeting his own. She bit her bottom lip teasingly and she moved her hair off the side of her neck, offering it to him. The pulsing of her carotid artery made his mouth water and he licked his fangs with anticipation. He could have sworn he heard her lust filled plea, but his fangs had already embedded themselves in her neck.
Finn Mikaelson looked on in awe as he snapped in front of his brother's face, but received no reaction. Elijah continued to hang by his chains, eyes and mouth agape while Esther sat idly by.
"What'd you do to him?" Finn asked curiously as he waved his hand in front of Elijah's open, glassy eyes.
"I let him dream," Esther replied while nursing her cup of tea.
"That's...considerate of you," he said and patted Elijah's shoulder before joining his mother.
"I cannot lead him out of darkness by simply exposing him to the horrors of his past. I have to let him bask in his version of a better world to come." She took a long sip from her cup.
Elijah's lips twitched and Esther let herself weave a web inside his head. It seemed as though her darling son had forgotten the horrors he kept behind the Red Door, but she would not let that stop her. Now she would make him imagine his own horrors of the present and future. She would use an illusion of Giuliana to break him from the inside out. That would be the only way to make him listen and see the error of his ways.
A breathy moan left Giuliana's lips and she clutched onto the tatters of Elijah's shirt as he fed on her. Each pull of blood from her veins made him stronger he had now tugged her body closer to his. He stopped his feast for a moment, blood smearing his lips and Giuliana smirked up at him. She roughly dragged her nails down his muscled chest, making him hiss and growl longingly. She brought her bloodied fingers to her lips, tasting him and she moved impossibly closer to him.
"You want more." She stated and brought his lips back to her bitten neck. "Take."
Ruthlessly, he chomped down on her flesh and she wound her arms around his strong back. She closed her eyes as Elijah fed from her and she purred in satisfaction that he'd soon drink her veins dry.
Esther backed away from her son's dreams, letting his own monsters take over from there and she put her hand over Finn's. "And by the time he wakes, he will know the only way to find peace is my way."
Man, Esther is a bitch! Poor Elijah :( So sorry it took so long to get this chapter out to you guys, but it's here :) Please review and let me know what you think!
grapejuice101: Thanks for reviewing! Hmm, interesting take on that. I think Marcel and Giuliana have a great friendship and in the next chapter they get to work together a little, so I'm excited to have you guys read it.
NicoleR85: Thank you for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this new chapter :)
CarlyLynn: Thanks for reviewing CarlyLynn! I really love Elijah and Giuliana's relationship and she will struggle quite a bit until he is home safe. She will also continue to have a difficult time seeing what Esther did to him. Enjoy this chapter!
BrittStar1199: Here you go, Britt! Thanks for reviewing!
anne: Here's your update!
Guest: Hello there! I'm happy that you came across my stories and that you are enjoying reading them :) I think both ladies are good fits for Elijah and Klaus and I intend on keeping them in the stories, but you never know what the seasons will bring ;) Elijah and Giuliana have some time before they get together since they have a lot of obstacles to cross. I hope you enjoyed reading this new chapter!
piper: Here's your update!
cory: Here is your update!
