"Elijah Mikaelson?" I took an educated guess.

There were perks to always having your nose in a book. I had read numerous journals all about the Original Vampires. I took most of it as hearsay. The lore sounded more myth than actual history. Not to mention our coven steered clear of all other supernatural beings. We didn't mingle with vampires or wolves. Ever. We stayed isolated in Eelry.

"So, you've heard of me." He brought his arms behind his back, his chest almost puffing out.

"Something like that," I swallowed, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you." He stated simply.

From the look he gave me, he knew about my recent affliction. Plagued by dreams. None of them painful, until now. He said it was his brother's doing. I racked my brain for any and all knowledge I had of the Originals. There were four…no five of them. Four brothers and a sister. I couldn't even remember their names.

"Why?" I could not contain my suspicions.

"Because I know my brother will not stop until he has you in his clutches." Elijah moved forward, propelled by his anger for his sibling. Instinctually, I stepped back, still wary of him.

I scrunched my nose, "I don't understand. What could he want with me?"

"Your power."

The tension that had been building throughout my body immediately left. A laugh bubbled up into my throat and sprang from my lips. Obviously, his brother was confused. It must be a case of mistaken identity. Happens all the time, right?

In a flash, Elijah towered over me. My smile faded as he glared down at me. "I grow tired of your games. This is not a laughing matter." He chastised.

I sputtered, "I'm sorry, but I don't have any powers. Maybe your brother got some bad intel."

With a firm hand, he placed his palm on my chest. My heart thundered beneath his touch. With minimal effort, he pushed me back into the wall, my head bouncing off the brick. Unperturbed by my pain, his eyes darkened, the sclera growing a deep red. The veins around his eyes began to protrude, almost painfully so, taking on a purplish tone. He bared his fangs, all but snarling at me.

To add to the growing list of things that were wrong with me, Elijah didn't scare me. Not even in this form. I didn't cry or thrash. I was mesmerized by his appearance. It was my first time seeing a vampire's true form. My mouth opened slightly, the urge to touch his face overwhelming to me.

Something flickered in his eyes before he snapped back to reality.

"Do not lie to me." He gritted out.

"I'm not. Don't you think if I had any power, I would have shown you by now? Defended myself somehow?" I poked holes in whatever theories he was concocting.

His face reverted to its human form, and he moved both of his hands to rest on my shoulders. His arms boxed me in, as we stared at one another. When he began to speak, his pupils dilated ever so slightly. His voice dropped an octave, and I felt instantly comforted by his presence.

"You are safe with me. Tell me the truth about your abilities." His voice melted over me.

"Believe me, Elijah, I wish there was something to tell," my throat tightened, the shame of having to verbalize to this powerful creature that I was nothing came tumbling down on me, "I have no magic."

A look of pity crept into his eyes, and he dropped his hands away from me. It was a look I was far too familiar with. His scrutiny brough all my inadequacies rushing forward.

"You can't be compelled." He told me.

My head snapped up, "What?"

To make his point further, Elijah lifted my chin with his fingers, forcing our eyes to meet. I watched as his pupils dilated again and then he spoke.

"You are relaxed, we're friends now. I'm going to bite you, but it won't hurt, and you won't scream." Elijah said, a hypnotic drone to his voice.

Then his face contorted again, and he dropped his mouth to my neck. Once I felt the heat of his breath on my neck, I brought my hands up immediately and pushed against his broad shoulders. "Wait! Wait, Elijah! I get it." I yelped, grinning like a fool because he was right. Not a single part of me felt his influence. He pulled back; an unexpected rich chuckle breaking free from him.

"Get away from her!" Morena came sprinting down the alley.

She raised her hand, and her lips began to move rhythmically. No audible words could be made out, but I knew she was ready to attack. Elijah fell to the ground, his eyes squeezed shut as he brought his hands to his head. He let out an animalistic roar and for the first time, I felt fear.

"Morena, stop! It's okay, he's not hurting me." I yelled.

She kept her arm extended and her attention on Elijah. I sank beside him, my hands covering his. He continued to groan until Morena stopped her spell. Instantaneous relief greeted Elijah. He raised his head towards her. If looks could kill, Morena would no longer be of this Earth.

His features softened when he realized I was beside him. I yanked my hands back and got to my feet, not sure what came over me. Perhaps I felt grateful for him. He proved there was some mystical part about me since he was unable to infiltrate my mind. With rigid movements, Elijah got to his feet. He dusted off his suit pants and cursed under his breath when he realized that some of the fabric had torn.

"Morena," the displeasure in his tone was uncompromising, "You owe me a new jacket."

I turned to our elder, her shoulders sagging. A twinkle in her eyes indicated she was pleased. Not on the offensive.

"You two know each other?" I narrowed my eyes, suddenly not trusting either of them.

Elijah readjusted his tie, "Morena invited me here."

OoOoOo

A little bit of a short chapter, but there's a lot of information coming about Ceres in the next chapter.

Thank you for reading :)