Finally a new chapter, enjoy! I hope you like it.

It isn't betaed because Senema is kind of busy at the moment. I will replace the chapter as soon as I get it back.

Chapter 29

Rebekah walked slowly to Sofya and as she stood in front of her, she positioned herself so that she could see Marcel's reactions out of the corner of her eye. She was grateful to Elijah for leaving Sofya to her.

"I never thought I'd see you again", Rebekah said thoughtfully.

"I expected it but I just thought it would be under vastly different circumstances", Sofya replied, glaring defiantly.

Rebekah gave a brittle laugh. "You mean you imagined Marcel finally leaving me and presenting you to me as his new girlfriend."

"Exactly, he promised me that I would get to see your face when the time came and you learned about me." Sofya's scorn and malicious joy were clearly visible.

"Oh, only too bad that Marcel isn't exactly known for being trustworthy in the supernatural world", Rebekah sneered, "a fact his lackeys always learn far too late. Elijah had by far the better reputation, everyone knew he keeps his word or promises, as long as you don't mess with his family, lie to him or break your deal first.

I just never thought Marcel's reputation would apply to his private life too." She saw Marcel flinch out of the corner of her eye. "At our wedding he promised me eternal love and loyalty. I should have known how little his word is worth."

"He would have kept his word to me." Sofia sneered contemptuous.

"Then let's find out if he really would have." Rebekah smiled meanly and this time it was Sofya, who flinched. She stared Sofya in the eye and compelled her. "Answer all my questions openly and completely. Tell us your feelings for Marcel!"

"I love him", Sofya answered, a little reluctantly but she had no chance to resist against the compulsion without vervain in her blood.

"And he loves you too?" Rebekah asked calmly. She saw Marcel getting visibly nervous. Apparently, her calmness worried him, so he seemed to know her at least a little. "Tell me how much you mean to him."

"He loves me more than anything and would do everything for me", Sofya replied, clearly less reluctantly this time. Her intention to hurt Rebekah was evident. "He doesn't care about you."

Rebekah just laughed. "Would he die for you?"

"Of course he would", said Sofya with a tone of conviction.

"And he would never let you down just to save his own life?" Rebekah probed.

"No of course not." Sofia was now visibly confused. She seemed to sense that Rebekah was getting at something but she didn't know what.

Rebekah grinned triumphantly as she now turned to Marcel and compelled him like Sofya. Only now, she kept an eye on Sofya so she could see her reactions to Marcel's answers. "Answer me openly and fully. How do you feel about Sofya?"

"She is useful", Marcel replied more than reluctantly. "She does everything I command her to do; she doesn't ask me inconvenient questions or gives me her own opinions. She is very easy to manipulate."

"Useful and easy to manipulate, what a heartfelt declaration of undying love", Rebekah drawled mockingly and turned to Sofya, who looked utterly stunned. "Do you love her?"

"No", Marcel choked out.

"Would you have left me for her?" Rebekah asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, I would have just kept putting her off and giving her excuses as to why I hadn't broken up with you yet." Marcel glared at Rebekah and she smiled sweetly at him.

"Why will you never leave me? You can leave out your personal feelings for me; I'm only interested in your other reasons." Rebekah smirked at Marcel. She remembered the many times Marcel had complained to her that no one took him seriously despite his status as the Beast or about Elijah and his influence in the supernatural world.

"As a member of the Mikaelson family, I have a lot of influence. People listen to me. The Originals also have a lot of money and property. I always thought that being the Beast would give me more power or influence but it is more of a hindrance than a help."

Kol laughed mockingly. "Oh poor baby, being an abomination doesn't agree with you? You have my full sympathy or should I say not."

"Let Rebekah say her piece, Kol", said Elijah softly.

Kol nodded and didn't speak another word.

Rebekah nodded in thanks at both her brothers. "Continue, Marcel."

"I want respect but everyone thinks I'm just a freak. How many times lost I've out to Elijah when we've been on opposite sides of a negotiation? He starts talking and nobody listens to me anymore." If jealousy were visible, Marcel would be green with envy.

Elijah laughed involuntarily before making an apologetic gesture to Rebekah, who smiled in understanding. She had wanted Elijah to hear this.

"Enough about your inferiority complexes, let's get back to your feelings for Sofya. Would you really die for her? Answer spontaneously, honest and without hesitation."

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous. Useful idiots like her are a dime a dozen, she's nothing special," Marcel replied immediately. "I can find someone like her on every street corner."

Rebekah was pleased to see that Sofya didn't look shocked anymore, just very angry. She had reached her goal; now all that was missing was the deathblow. "Lucifer, please tell Sofya what happened in the warehouse between you and Marcel."

"With pleasure", said Lucifer smiling and started recounting how Marcel had attempted to flee without any thoughts to her.

"Now tell me, Sofya, is this man really worth taking on my family and risking your life for?" Rebekah looked seriously. There was no scorn in her voice, no glee. Everyone could hear and see that she did not intend to humiliate or mock Sofya with her words.

Sofia shook her head. "No, he's worth nothing, certainly not dying for him."

Without Rebekah having to say anything, Elijah approached Sofya. "You can go but if you ever cross us again, we'll kill you. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, I understand", Sofya replied, looking relieved.

"And don't conspire anymore; you really have no talent for it. We'll keep an eye on you in the future", Klaus added warningly.

Sofya nodded silently and left without giving Marcel one last look. Rebekah was pretty sure she would never challenge her family again.

"Won't you ask me if I still love you?" Marcel asked fawningly.

Rebekah scoffed. She had no doubt that Marcel loved her; he just loved himself more. He only wanted to manipulate her with his question, so she would side with him one last time. Luckily, she had finally gotten smarter and saw right through him now, she would never fall for his beautiful words and empty promises again. "I don't care because my love for you is gone." She looked at Elijah. "I give you the same permission that Davina gave you. Do with him what you want, you have my full support."

With one last disdainful look at Marcel, Rebekah retreated to the door; she was finished with Marcel now and forever.

xxxxx

Lucifer felt disappointed that neither Marcel nor Vincent would ever enter into his kingdom. He would have really enjoyed punishing them for all eternity. But there was something he could do to shock and scare them.

"Now that we've gotten rid of the baggage, wouldn't it be time I show them who I am", Lucifer suggested smiling.

"A great idea." Klaus smirked in anticipation of the reaction this would no doubt evoke from Marcel and Vincent.

Lucifer saw Elijah's lips twitch slightly too and strolled leisurely over to Marcel, who glared at him. "Tell me what you desire more than anything else in this moment."

It was the first time using his ability on a vampire, so he didn't know what would happen or if Marcel was perhaps even immune to it.

Marcel blinked in confusion as Lucifer's ability began to affect him. He wasn't a particular complicated or difficult case noted Lucifer with amusement. "To get away with my life."

Klaus growled. "Why do you wanted Elijah dead? Just because he found out about your affair and you didn't want him to tell Rebekah? Tell the complete truth."

"That was one of my reasons", Marcel admitted. "But my main reason is that I wanted you out of New Orleans. And Vincent told me that for that he needed the life of an Original. Rebekah was out of the question and because of Davina I couldn't take Kol. It was important to me to see your face when you got banned from New Orleans and lost your favourite brother to boot." Marcel shrugged. "That left only Elijah, which was the one I wanted anyway. To see him finally dead would have made my heart glad, I have not forgotten how he killed me."

"What a shame you didn't stay dead the first time", Freya murmured under her breath but loud enough that everyone could still hear her.

Kol chuckled. "Well, this time we will finish the job and there will be no magical elixir to bring him back to life."

"Which is the best news of all", Elijah added calmly. He eyed Marcel thoughtfully and then took out his smartphone. Lucifer saw him set it to record. "Describe your plans and the fate you had planned for me. Then tell me all the names in New Orleans who were aware about your plans and helped you with this conspiracy."

Marcel began to talk about his plans and giving the names of his accomplices. Lucifer could see how much he hated it to answer Elijah's questions.

"It looks like we have to make an example", said Klaus with a grin. "It seems we've been too nice and too restrained for too long."

Elijah sighed. "It really sounds like it. And we need to give them proof that Marcel is actually dead, otherwise the lesson wouldn't have an effect."

"We could keep his head, Elijah", Kol suggested bloodthirsty. "You drive a wooden stake into his heart and I'll rip his head off before his body withers. Marcel may be even long enough aware to see his own body."

Maze snickered. "He is adorable. Can't I keep him, Lucifer?"

"I think Davina would object", Elijah said dryly. "But your idea has its merits. We call a meeting and bring in the head on a silver platter with a lid over it, so no one can see the content. We play the recording and everyone will hear that we weren't the aggressors. Then we will lift the lid and everyone gets to see what happens to those who play games with us. Those who betrayed us will know they are going to die and nobody of the others will lift a finger to help them. I think it has a certain style."

Marcel pressed his lips together.

"We will need ice and a bag to keep the head cold and conserved", said Freya, practical as ever.

"I still have the cooler from when I got the blood bags for Elijah", Lucifer suggested. "I'll get it." He stared at Elijah. "Don't kill anyone until I get back."

"No worries. I still have to see Marcel's face when you show him who you and Maze really are." Elijah smiled sunnily.

Within minutes, Lucifer was back and handed Freya the cooler, big enough for a head. She opened it and saw that he had even already filled it with ice.

"Thanks very much." Freya closed the cooler again.

Lucifer approached Marcel again and Maze stood now next to him. "Look at us."

He noticed how Elijah and Klaus positioned themselves so that Vincent couldn't see his face transform. They probably wanted nothing to spoil the surprise so they could enjoy Vincent's reaction in peace.

Lucifer showed his other face and Maze followed his example. The horror in Marcel's eyes was very satisfying. "And now guess whose realm you will soon come into."

That was a lie, but Marcel couldn't know this and more important, his last moments would be filled with terror.

Lucifer and Maze stepped back. Lucifer heard the Originals chuckle as Marcel still showed his distress.

Kol pulled a stake out of his jacket and held it out to Elijah, who stared at it for a long moment before taking it.

Klaus put a hand on Elijah's arm. "Give the stake to me, brother. It was my fault, I brought him into our house."

"You wanted to do something good. You couldn't have known what would happen." Elijah shrugged.

Klaus took the stake out of Elijah's hand and he let go of it. "This time I'm cleaning up my own mess alone, you've been doing it for far too long for me. Kol."

He stepped up to Marcel, who looked at him dumbfounded. Klaus smiled bitterly. "What, you expected Elijah to kill you and that I'll hate him for it? You wanted to drive a wedge between us, you will never succeed."

Without hesitating any longer, Klaus rammed the stake into Marcel's heart and Kol ripped off his head. "I should have done that a long time ago."

Lucifer heard Rebekah make a noise but when he turned to face her, her eyes were dry and her face still.

Kol gave the head to Freya, who took it without batting an eyelid and placed it in the cooler.

"This is one down, now is only one to go", Elijah said grimly.

Vincent looked down at the headless body and swallowed visibly before looking at Klaus in shock. Lucifer could see that Vincent was completely surprised by Marcel's death, he had clearly not expected it. However, most of all, he seemed surprised at who had committed the feat.

Klaus seemed to notice that. "What? This is the third time Marcel has betrayed me. That's twice more than anyone else has ever had the chance to do other than my family. And honestly, I betrayed them more often and more severely. Marcel showed with his conspiracy that he doesn't want to be part of our family." He smiled coldly. "Which for me, in reverse, only means that he no longer has a right to claim the privileges that go with it."

"What do you think this means for you, Vincent?" Freya asked softly. "Your crime is even bigger than Marcel's, because you wanted to wipe out an entire species."

"Yes, it's a pity he can only die once", Kol said regretfully.

"We could turn him into a vampire", Rebekah suggested. "He would lose his magic, we could torture him for decades and he would be completely at our mercy."

"Did I mention that Rebekah shares my temperament and personality in many ways", Klaus said amused.

Lucifer smiled. "I noticed." He looked at Elijah. "What do you want?" He didn't think that was a question, which had often been asked of Elijah in a thousand years.

Elijah watched Vincent with unreadable eyes. "Rebekah's suggestion has definitely its merits, it's an option. But we should wait and see if the charges against me are dropped. We might still need Vincent as a dead scapegoat. But there's nothing wrong with having a little fun with him. There are still a few things that Vincent needs to learn."

Maze laughed and Lucifer knew she was having a great time. She too seldom met beings who were just as ruthless as she was and who shared her humour. He had to admit that he, too, took pleasure in the way the Mikaelsons terrorized their enemies, they really had elevated it to an art form.