Bloodlines
Chapter 24: Après Moi, Le Déluge
Beta: PrincessOfSilence
Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD or TO. I only my characters and my story.
The Abattoir shook violently as Davina's loud screams could be heard from upstairs. Tables trembled, paintings rattled, and bottles of liquor clanked together as her fit continued without a means of stopping itself. Ever since Tim had died, Davina was absolutely beside herself; her magic was now out of control and it was too much power for her small body to handle. Klaus stood leaning against a column while Elijah sat at one of the tables, neither of them saying a word. The shaking then stopped and things settled from being rattled around. The Original hybrid sipped at his drink while Elijah fixed the sleeve of his suit.
"Well, that's going well," Klaus muttered sarcastically.
"If you were trying to win the girl's trust, perhaps poisoning her one true love was not the most splendid idea." His brother chided.
Klaus gave Elijah a stern look. "Oh. Are there any more inopportune deaths you'd like to wave in my face?"
"Give me a month. I'll get you list." Elijah told him.
"Young, old, dead, or alive, witches are a pain in the ass." Klaus rolled his eyed exaggeratedly.
Giuliana then stumbled into the room, holding onto the wall for support. "What the hell is going on? Was that an earthquake?"
"Of sorts," Klaus murmured. "Davina is having a little fit ever since her beloved Timothy vanished."
"Gee, I wonder why." She crossed her arms over her chest and stared pointedly at him.
"Don't look at me like that, love." He tutted. "I did what I had to do."
"But you killed a human. An innocent human." She growled and then the Abattoir began to shake again, but it was stronger this time. Giuliana found it hard to stand straight and her knees wobbled as she tried to grab onto something to steady herself. As she placed her hands on the table, it gave way from underneath her weight and as she was falling to the floor, Elijah swooped in and caught her around the waist. She held onto his shoulders, her nails digging into the fabric of his suit and she felt his hand holding her tighter as the Abattoir continued to tremble. Klaus zipped out of the room to check up on Davina and Marcel before the entire building collapsed. A few moments later, the shaking calmed until it completely stopped and Giuliana stepped back from Elijah, but he still held onto her.
She cleared her throat and he seemed to get the hint, so he removed his hands from her waist. She peered up at him and worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Ever since she and Hayley told Sophie where Celeste's remains were, she'd been very uneasy, especially around Elijah. She'd be up for hours, unable to find sleep and whenever she had a quiet moment to herself, her head was filled with thoughts of Elijah's former lover. She knew deep in her heart that she had to tell Elijah what she did, but she was honestly scared to death about his reaction.
"Elijah, I...I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
Giuliana swallowed the rising lump in her throat and shifted uneasily on her feet. "Sophie called Hayley and asked for a favor. She promised her that she would help break the curse that Marcel put on her people in exchange for some information. I naturally wanted to help Hayley, so I did. And I didn't think anything of it, but then Davina started doing those pictures of Celeste..."
Elijah leaned in closer to her and took a gentle hold of her shoulder. "Whatever this is, you have to tell me."
Yeah, but you won't like it, she thought to herself. This was it, it was now or never.
"Sophie wanted to find Celeste's remains, so Hayley and I went through your journals, and I found out where you buried her, and then I told her." Just as she feared, Elijah's face dropped dramatically and his normally warm brown eyes grew hard and unforgiving. His hands fell from her shoulders and his jaw tensed. "I know that it was stupid to do and I should have asked you. I had no right to snoop around in your things." He was completely silent and that killed her the most. She had no idea of the thoughts that were going through that head of his, but she knew that none of them were good.
"Please say something." She sounded as if she was silently begging for him to utter even a sound. His silence was killing her, rotting her very being from the inside out. "Please."
"She wanted to be left in peace. When a witch's remains are consecrated, that power fuels the rest of their community. Celeste did not want her remains to be found. She made me promise to bury her where she would not be found." He said to her, his voice low and tinged with anger and pain. He felt as if someone had yanked the floor out from under him or as if he had been punched very hard in his gut. He couldn't process that someone who he considered a good friend, maybe more than a friend, would go behind his back instead of asking him. He closed the space between them and Giuliana sucked in a nervous breath. "You not only violated my privacy, You have broken my promise to her."
"I know I did and I am so, so sorry, Elijah." She rushed her words, making sure that she admitted that what she had done was wrong. "I did it because I wanted to help my friend. I thought that they were just bones."
Elijah's brown eyes pierced her watering green ones and he took a steadying breath, knowing that he had to keep his composure with Giuliana. He was angry; so, so angry with her and it hurt him that she would betray him. He had expected this behavior from someone else, bur not her. He examined her from head to toe and he knew that she was on the verge of tears.
"If you truly believed that, why didn't you ask me where to find her?" He posed the question to her. She was speechless and could only think of two words that she could say to ease his pain.
"I'm sorry. I know that I shouldn't have-"
"But you did it anyway," he interrupted sharply and she swallowed the rest of her argument. His unforgiving eyes raked over her form for a few long moments as if he was waiting for her to try and redeem herself. When she gave no answer, he side stepped her and walked away, his shoulder brushing against hers. She closed her eyes in an effort to hide her tears, but they fell anyway. She knew that Elijah would never trust her again and she didn't blame him for it.
"I want what you promised me," Giuliana demanded as she stood in the back room of Rousseau's with Sophie and Sabine. After her falling out with Elijah, she immediately rushed to Rousseau's, hoping that Sophie had the answers she needed about herself and her family.
"We have bigger things to worry about. You know, like Davina going nuclear?" Sophie grumbled.
"You and I had a deal. I held up my end, so now it's your turn, Sophie." Her fists were clenched at her sides. "I betrayed my friend, so I want my answers."
"I can only guess that you're so on edge is because Elijah found out." Sabine finally spoke up, receiving a glare from Giuliana.
"And I'm not happy about it. Elijah's my friend and I went behind his back for answers that you witches may or may not have." At her comment, Sophie's eyes narrowed.
"Are you doubting our knowledge?"
"Prove me wrong then." The brunette crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot against the floor impatiently. A few more moments of silence went by while Sophie and Sabine exchanged unsure glances.
"Fine. I guess I came here for nothing." She shrugged and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Sophie called, stopping a smirking Giuliana in her tracks. If there was one thing she knew about witches, it was that they hated being questioned. Giuliana spun in the doorway and re-entered the room seeing that Sophie was ready to talk.
The young witch was rifling through a hidden drawer under one of the tables in the back room, her eyes searching for something important. Once she found it, she clutched the object in her hand and faced Giuliana.
"Here." She tossed an object through the air and Giuliana caught it skillfully with one hand. Upon closer examination of the object, she saw that it was a necklace. A swirled golden pendent was suspended by an old brown cord. Green eyes slowly expanded upon careful scrutinization of the necklace.
"How did you get this?"
"Do you know what this is?"
"Of course I know what it is. It was a pendent given to me when I was little. It was supposed to ward off evil spirits."
"Well, that's half true. This pendent is also very important in witch culture. Did you know that you have a little bit of witch in you?"
Giuliana shook her head. "I can't be a witch. I don't have any powers."
"But you do. Your blood is your power." She said.
"I'm not following."
"Your blood has the power to subdue a supernatural creature if they ingest your blood, right?"
"Yes, but it doesn't happen all of the time."
"Exactly. You can control it. That's your power. The control over who your blood affects and to what extent." Sophie explained. "You can extend your power to work on humans too."
"So, my blood is this way because I am a witch?" She wondered and Sophie nodded. Green eyes looked down at the pendent again and she felt a strange sense of déjà vu wash over her. Yes, she remembered having the necklace when she was young, but it went missing shortly after the Originals had come to Italy. She squinted her eyes in concentration and realized that she had seen this necklace before.
There was a drawing of it in Elijah's journals. She remembered coming across it when she and Hayley were looking for where he hid Celeste's remains, but she blew right past it because it wasn't of any importance to her. Maybe Elijah was the reason why her necklace had suddenly gone missing? She knew that she'd be sneaking around again by looking in his journals one more time, but this was a matter concerning herself, so she felt that she had every right to check the journals again.
"Well, this has been fun." Giuliana looked back up at the witches. "Maybe the next time you'll see me, I'll be riding a broomstick."
"This isn't a joking matter, Giuliana. Your powers can grow if they aren't harnessed correctly."
"I'll be fine. Thanks for the chat and the necklace." She pocketed the pendent and turned to leave, but bumped into a hard body in the doorway.
Elijah.
He looked down at Giuliana with disregard before tossing a glance to the two witches in the room. He adjusted the hem of his sleeve, straightening it out a bit, and then he spoke softly, yet firmly.
"You're coming with me. All of you."
Elijah and Giuliana didn't speak to one another on the way back to the Abattoir and Sophie and Sabine just felt awkward being in the middle. They knew that Elijah was the more noble of the Originals, but they knew he took quite an investment in those who were important to him. All four of them were seated in the lower level of the Abattoir along with Klaus and Rebekah who had joined them. They helped with Davina's outbursts that were becoming more and more violent by the second.
"So, you have stolen the remains of the very person that Davina's been drawing for months. Would you care to explain this startling coincidence?" Elijah's dark brown eyes passed between the two witches.
"I can't. I didn't even know who Celeste Dubois was until I-" Sophie's explanation was cut off as the entire building shook like it had done before. It even made the unshakable Originals wobble a bit on their feet. The shaking stopped soon after it started, leaving Sophie and Sabine with open mouths.
"Was that Davina?" Sabine asked.
"Charming little habit she's developed." Klaus tutted.
"And the earthquake I felt today?" Sophie wondered.
"Also Davina." Rebekah replied. "And she's taken to vomiting dirt."
Sophie's normally calm expression went grave and so did Sabine's. "Oh. We have a huge problem. I thought that we had more time, but we need to complete the Harvest now."
Klaus rolled his baby blue eyes. "Said the desperate witch conveniently."
"I'm serious." The witch stated. "That earthquake you just felt a preview of the disaster movie that is about to hit us."
"Why should we believe you?" Elijah asked both women.
"You've met Davina, you know her story. For months now, she's been holding all the power of the three girls sacrificed in the Harvest ritual. A force that was meant to flow through her and back into the earth. One person was never meant to hold that much power; it's tearing her apart, and it will take us down with it." Sophie explained.
"What do you mean?" Giuliana questioned.
"That magic will destroy Davina. As she self-destructs, she'll cycle through four stages that represent the four elements that bound together the Harvest," Sabine answered. "The first is Earth which we are experiencing right now."
"Then comes wind, and since each stage is more intense than the last, let's just say she'll blow the roof off this place," the other witch said.
"And next?" Klaus raised an eyebrow.
"Water."
"Rain? Flood? How bad?" Rebekah chimed in.
"Worse than the wind, but even that won't be the worst of it." Sabine sighed.
"Let me guess. Fire?" Giuliana's forehead creased with worry. Both witches nodded gravely.
"I didn't take over this town to watch it burn to the ground." The Original hybrid grumbled.
"Well, what the hell do you expect we do?" The green eyed brunette looked to him.
"There's only one way this will stop." Sabine started. "We have to complete the Harvest now."
"You've convinced my siblings." Elijah noted. "You have yet to convince us."
Sophie shook her head. "We don't have time to waste. The first sign's already come and gone."
"So fix her." Marcel had entered the Abattoir, having heard the entire conversation from up in Davina's room. Rebekah went upstairs to look after the young witch in hopes of keeping her calm.
"She can't be fixed." Sabine told the vampire. "She can't be saved. This will not stop at the earth sign, and if you wait it out, you immortals will be the only ones left to argue about it."
A sudden gust of wind blew through the Abattoir and every witch, vampire, Original, and human in the room were looking for something or someone to grab onto. Like Sophie had said, the wind was a lot stronger than the earthquake and objects flew all over the room to then crash into the wall. Giuliana wrapped her arms around a column in the room and held on for dear life as the wind whipped around her. She heard a 'plink' on the floor and realized that her necklace had come free from her pocket. Not thinking, she let go of the column and ran for it. She tried to grasp at it before it blew away and the cord just slipped through her fingers when she reached for it. The wind blew it up in the air and it was almost lost for good, but Elijah's hand managed to catch it. The wind slowly died down, a sign that Rebekah had sedated Davina for the time being and Elijah was caught looking at the necklace in his hand in awe. Getting her bearings, Giuliana met the Original and took the necklace back from him.
"Where did you get that?" He asked her.
"It's none of your business." She huffed and secured the necklace around her neck. "It's mine."
Everyone else in the Abattoir recollected themselves from the wind storm that had just blown through and some had even begun to put the place back together. Giuliana distanced herself from Elijah quite a bit and noticed that Sophie and Sabine had left.
With a bit of a perturbed expression, Elijah adjusted his tie before casting a glance to where Davina's room was. "We sedated her too heavily."
"Well, if this is her sedated, I'd hate to see her otherwise." Klaus quipped. "We all agreed that Davina must be sacrificed. There's no need to let her blow the roof off our heads in the meantime."
"No way!" Marcel exploded. "You're not touching her!"
Klaus looked to his older brother. "Ok. I'll let you have that one."
"Marcel, no one wishes to see Davina come to harm less than I, but there is no scenario here in which we simply wait this out. She's going to die." Elijah tried to reason with the irate vampire.
"According to Sophie, the witch who screwed over everybody here," he replied.
"The Harvest was working before it was stopped. If a non-believer like Sophie Deveraux can come to have faith that these girls will be resurrected, then I, also, am a believer." The Original vampire spoke.
"I saved Davina from the Harvest, and now you want me to just hand her over?"
"Do you think that I'm happy about this?" Klaus implored. "If the witches complete the Harvest, not only do they regain their power, we lose our weapon against them. The earthquake I was willing to chalk up to hideous coincidence, but these winds? If Davina is not sacrificed, then every inch of earth that shook, everything blowing about now will soon be drenched in water and consumed by fire."
"Oh! Now you care about the city." Marcel jabbed at his sire.
"We ought to." Elijah said. "We built it."
"And we all saw it burnt to the ground twice. I will not let that happen again. Do I make myself clear?" Klaus growled at the younger vampire.
With a deep scowl and a few mutterings under his breath, Marcel took his leave. "Yeah, yeah."
"Not a people person, are you, Niklaus?" Elijah asked his brother.
"Nonsense." Klaus scoffed. "I love people. Just on my way to warn a couple of prominent ones in case the weather gets out of hand. If you fancy yourself as plus diplomat, perhaps you'd like to come along."
Elijah shook his head. "No. Soon Sophie Deveraux shall be consecrating Celeste's remains, and though her actions are reprehensible, still I should pay my respects."
Giuliana rolled her eyes at the bickering brother's and moved to leave the Abattoir, but Elijah gripped her by her upper arm. He nodded his head toward the pendent around her neck.
"I will ask you again. Where did you get that?" He peered down at her.
"I told you. It's mine." She glared at him. "Why are you so concerned with my things?"
"The moment you became so concerned with things of mine." He countered and her blood boiled. She held his stare and wrestled her arm free from his grip. She then stomped out of the Abattoir without another word. The Original brothers exchanged a sideways glance with one another and Elijah sighed under his breath when he watched her leave.
"Which one of us is the people person again?" Klaus smirked.
"Thank you so much for helping us, Giuliana." Father Kieran said as she carried in a large box of non perishable food into the main room of St. Anne's church. The citizens of New Orleans were rocked by Davina's earthquake and windstorm, all of them thinking that the world was coming to an end. They were packed into the church and Klaus brought food, water and blankets to try and help.
"Anything I can do to help." She smiled and set the box down. Grabbing some cans of food, she handed them to some families who took them gratefully. "I just worry that this will get worse."
"I worry too, but I think we have enough food. Klaus has outdone himself." He said.
"He continues to surprise me." She said with a sigh. "Maybe it's because I see the bad in him a little too much. Does that make me a bad person, Father?"
He gave a little smile and shook his head. "It doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you a better person because you know that there is good in him."
"I suppose." She shrugged and felt someone tugging on her hand. She looked down to see a little boy at her feet and she bent down to his level. "What is it, sweetie?"
"I'm cold." He frowned and Giuliana tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm, well I think I can fix that." She smiled at him and walked over to a box that was filled with blankets. She pulled out a blue fleece blanket and brought it back to the little boy, draping it over his shoulders. "Better?" The little boy nodded with a bright smile and rushed off to his parents just as Klaus entered the church and he did not look happy.
"Marcel and Davina have disappeared." Both the priest and the ex-hunter were dumbfounded. If Davina was without sedatives for even a few moments, she would continue the cycle of elements. "I assume from the stupefied look on your face they haven't sought refuge in your attic."
"No. Those days are gone." Kieran told him.
"Then energize your resources. I don't need to remind you how important it is they be found." He said, making Father Kieran no and take his leave.
"These people, they're werewolves, and the priest, he said that you donated the food. You're helping them?" Giuliana wondered.
Klaus looked upon the array of people in the church. Husbands, wives and significant others were cuddled close with each other while the children were sitting in the laps of their parents. "They're my clan. From very far back. They've fallen upon hard times and their plight has brought out the philanthropist in me. What can I say? Must be Elijah's influence."
"Yeah..." She trailed off and he immediately picked up on it. Elijah had told him what she did and while Klaus did understand his brother's anger, he knew that Elijah did feel something strong for her.
"Listen, Giuliana, a word of advice when dealing with Elijah: don't do as I do. Just apologize. He's accomplished in many things, but he is a master of forgiveness." He spoke and her gaze met his. She smiled softly and hoped that Klaus was right.
Heavy rain was pounding on the windows of the plantation house and Giuliana was completely soaked by the time she walked from the car to the front porch. Her wet clothes weighed her down and her hair clung to the sides of her face and neck. She shivered from the cold and pushed open the front door with a huff. She had called Elijah's phone to try and meet with him to apologize, but he was clearly dodging her calls. She tried the church and the Abattoir twice, but she couldn't find him anywhere. She figured that she'd try the plantation house to look, but she also had an ulterior motive if Elijah wasn't there. If the house was empty, she could look through Elijah's journals for any mention of the pendent that she wore around her neck.
"Elijah?" She called out into the house. "Hello? Elijah?" When she didn't receive an answer, she made her way into the room where the chests were located that held the journals and she grabbed the one she remembered reading about the necklace in. Frantically, she flipped the pages and saw a drawing of her pendent. Underneath it were Elijah's elegant scribbles and she propped up the journal in her lap so she could read.
These pendants are a symbol for those who can perform special feats of magic with blood. I have learned this from Giuliana's mother who is quite afraid that her daughter has been blessed with that gift. She fears that the magic within her daughter's blood will grow to be uncontrollable. I didn't believe at first, but her worries intrigued me so. Giuliana was a simple girl who I could not imagine would become interested in dark magic, but her mother thought otherwise.
I decided to leave to look for more evidence of the people who are said to perform 'Magia di Sangue', or Blood Magic as Giuliana's mother called it. I had not told anyone that I was leaving, not even my siblings or Giuliana. I had taken her necklace with me to use as proof that I am looking for answers. I was lucky enough to meet a young man who pointed me in the right direction and he joined me in my travels as a guide since I did not know the land. Our travels took us to the jungles where an ancient tribe practiced Blood Magic. My guide, Christof, brought me to the tribe of people and we informed them that we did not mean any harm. Christof knew how to speak with them and explained that I was looking for answers.
They were primitive people. Men and women dressed in the skins of animals, however some did not mind running around naked. Young mothers nursed their babies while the young men prepared to hunt with the elders of the tribe. I was then introduced to Zafrina, one of the tribe's leaders. She was a beautiful woman with tanned skin from the sun and eyes as dark as night. Her long hair was braided and rested on her shoulders. Colored paints decorated her face and arms, like many of the clan members, but she had significantly more markings. She had a certain presence about her that suggested that she was very powerful. She greeted me with a nod and took up the pendent that I had outstretched to her. Her dark eyes became intrigued at the design and her long, thin fingers traced the swirls.
"Come." Even her voice matched her personality and Christof and myself followed her into a hut that was secluded from the rest. Inside, a man was tied up, his back against the trunk of a tree and his head hung low. He was not dressed like the other villagers which suggested that he was not a part of the tribe. Perhaps a trespasser or a prisoner? Zafrina kneeled before him and took up his chin in her hands. Her eyes locked with his and a few moments of silence went by before the man began to scream. He thrashed about in his bounds and begged for mercy.
I asked Christof what was happening and he told me that Zafrina was burning the man's blood. It was practically boiling under his skin and therefore his body was feeling as if it had been set on fire. Dark burn marks appeared on the man's skin and he was slicked with sweat. Zafrina stopped herself from setting him on fire, but she still held his gaze with hers. The man then groaned in pain, his chest bowing and rearing back before he vomited blood onto the floor.
Christof had called it a blood purge where the victim will vomit blood until they die. These powers were horrific and terrifying that one person can do so much damage without so much as glancing upon someone. I looked upon Zafrina and my worry only grew that the simple human girl that I had left in Italy would come to this. Christof kindly asked for Zafrina to stop and she did so. She gestured for us to leave the hut with her and she asked to see the pendent again. She took it in her hands with great respect and pride. She closed her eyes and muttered a few words over the necklace before looking to Christof. She spoke to him in her language and he looked back to me.
"Zafrina says the pendent is spelled with magic to make the power of the wearer stronger." Christof said and Zafrina continued to speak, using him as her translator. "The girl who wears this necklace has strong power, but it has not been awakened yet. She will wield the magic like a mighty sword. But if she cannot control it, it will consume her."
Giuliana's eyes read over the final sentence over and over and over again until it was practically burned into her mind. If she couldn't control her own power, it would consume and kill her. And Elijah knew that all along. Anger boiled within her blood that he had kept her magic a secret and that he lied to her. In a fit of rage, she threw the journal against the wall and stood to leave, but a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.
"Well, well. Just couldn't keep your nose out of my things again, I see." Elijah growled lowly.
Giuliana shoved him with the hand that he wasn't grasping. "You knew! You knew about my magic this entire time!"
"Brother, what's going on in here?" Klaus and Rebekah had come into the room and stopped short seeing the two exchange such hateful glances.
"My mother told you about my blood and that it was different. So, you took it upon yourself to learn more and when you did, you didn't even think to share it with me?!" Her voice was getting louder now.
"Enough of this; you're already in enough trouble because of what you did with Celeste's remains." He leaned in closer.
"At least I fessed up! I told you the truth about what I did, but you...you lied!" She snapped and managed to wrestle her wrist from his hold. "You pretended that you didn't know about my blood! It was all an act!"
"Elijah? What is she talking about?" Rebekah asked and the Original let out a long sigh, his shoulders and chest deflating. He knew that he had to tell Giuliana the whole truth and nothing but the truth. He took a few steps closer to her and her green eyes didn't let up from their harsh expression.
"I did lie to you, Giuliana." Elijah stated.
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to protect you. Your mother asked me to investigate for myself and I did. At first I was asking myself why I was going out of my way for an innocent girl, but when I saw that magic being used, it terrified me." He told her truthfully. "I didn't want you to become consumed by your power because..." His voice suddenly trailed off and his breath was caught in his throat.
Because...
Everyone else in the room remained silent, waiting for him to continue. Klaus and Rebekah knew the reason why Elijah wanted to protect Giuliana. It was as clear as day. Brother and sister both looked to one another before disappearing from the room, wanting to give the pair some space.
Giuliana's arms hugged her shivering body, her wet clothes were drying and it was making her cold. "Tell me why, Elijah."
By some chance, they were now standing so close to one another that Giuliana could feel the warmth from his body and she craved that heat especially now. She was still angry that he lied, but she knew why he did it.
"I care about you." He finally said it and he felt like the very noble foundations that which he stood upon were beginning to crumble. "I wanted to keep you safe from harm. I couldn't bear to see someone so innocent and caring and full of light turn into something unrecognizable."
Giuliana's hand came to rest upon the necklace, her fingers brushing the familiar curves and she looked up at Elijah through her dark eyelashes. "But this power, this magic, it's a part of me. I know that you wanted to keep me safe, but you can't take the magic away."
"I thought that I could," he sighed deeply.
"It looks like we've both lied to each other today." She said with a frown.
"Yes, I'm afraid we have." He agreed with her and took her hands in his. "You know that I would not do anything to hurt you, but by lying to you...I did hurt you. And for that, I am sorry."
"I'm sorry too." Giuliana knew that Elijah did care for her and want to keep her safe. Even though he did lie, at least he was noble enough to apologize for it. "Can we make a promise that we won't lie to each other again? I know that we both messed up, but I don't want to lose you because of that."
Elijah was smiling now and Giuliana was thankful for that. She liked it best when he smiled. He held out his hand, outstretching it towards her and silently asking for her hand. "I don't want to lose you either, Giuliana. So, do we have a deal?"
Her green eyes looked down at his hand and she gave him a big smile before wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly to her. His body was stiff, but he eventually hugged her back with a little chuckle. Giuliana had such a caring heart and like him, she valued her friendships with those she cared about. His arms wrapped around her form and some of the water soaked into his suit. He pulled back and tucked a lock of wet hair behind her ears.
"And why, pray tell, are you soaking wet?" He asked her.
"Well, if you had answered my calls, you would have known that I was looking for you to apologize." She giggled at him. "I came here and Davina's rain was wicked." His smile fell at the mention of the young witch's name and Giuliana caught onto it. "She's dead, isn't she?"
"We tried all we could, but she did not come back from being killed to complete the Harvest." He told her.
"I'm sorry." She said softly and hugged her cold body. Elijah immediately picked up on it and took off his jacket to drape it around her shoulders. "Thanks." She curled into his jacket, enjoying the warmth and his scent.
"Come, let's get you dried off." He ushered her out of the room and when they pushed open the door, they saw Klaus and Rebekah standing outside and looking guiltily as if they had been listening to the whole conversation. Giuliana took Rebekah by the shoulder and cleared her throat.
"Try to be a little more inconspicuous next time."
The yellow full moon hung low over the Lafayette Cemetery and not a sound could be heard aside from the crowing of a raven that sat perched on a headstone. It cawed loudly a few times and ruffled its feathers. There was an energy in the air that was lightly humming and buzzing, growing and expanding. It was the work of a witch that was making a spell to bring forth those who had passed and the power was swelling exponentially.
The door of a mausoleum suddenly flew open and a woman covered in dark cloths hobbled outside. Her burned hands clutched the tops of tombstones as she walked and made her way through the cemetery. She stood at the gates and held her hand out, beckoning the iron gate to unlock and open towards her to let her out of the cemetery. The woman shuffled slowly down the empty streets, her dull eyes searching for someone to prey on.
A young man stumbled out of a bar and onto the street, making the woman smile from under her coverings. She outstretched her hand and curled her fingertips toward the man, murmuring something low. He suddenly doubled over and held his throat as he gasped for breath. The woman continued to chant and the man's body doubled over. He fell to his knees and his skin turned pale, his body shaking and trembling wildly until he collapsed on the street. He gave one last gasp of air until the light left his eyes.
Dead.
"Well, that's better." The woman stood up straight and admired her skin in the light. It was no longer marred with crusted, charring burns. It was smooth and soft to the touch. Her crystalline eyes sparked in the dim lamp light and she adjusted the curved pendent that sat around her neck. Her feet then took her to a deserted back alley along the dark streets of the Quarter where she was standing with three other people who had risen from the dead.
"Why are we here?" A tall red-headed woman wondered and looked between everyone.
"Hello, Genevieve. You look...well." The other woman said with disdain.
"Not all of us can steal blood from our victims, Audrey." Genevieve grumbled.
"Well, this certainly is a glittering assembly." Audrey scoffed.
A dark-skinned man stepped forward. "Someone brought us forth. Who?"
"I did." Sabine appeared from the base of the alley.
"Sabine! What's the meaning of this?" An older red-headed woman questioned.
"Bastiana, I've had to endure people calling me "Sabine" for almost a year now." The witch spoke. "I'd appreciate it if you'd call me by my real name. Celeste."
So, guys! I've officially graduated! WOO HOO! PARTY! HALLELUJAH! I hope all of you enjoyed this update! Things are getting interesting with both TVD and TO chapters and I am enjoying that I actually have time to focus on my writing. Thanks for reading and please leave a review :)
PS - My amazing, incredible, awesome, rockin' beta, PrincessOfSilence, has updated her Klaus/OC story. It is called 'Smoke in the Air.' Please check out her stories because they are absolutely wonderful! I promise that you will not be disappointed!
grapejuice101: Yeah, I did it :/ Don't worry though, Cassandra won't be totally gone. Thank you for reviewing!
Guest: I know, I know, I know! I'm so sorry for that ending. It is all essential to the plot, not to worry!
VampirePrincess11: Thank you so much for reviewing!
Daisy96: Yeah, but the Travelers have totally messed everything up! It will all be explained why in later chapters, but thanks so much for reviewing! PS: I am still grieving over the season finale.
harshita: Thank you so much for reviewing! I did enjoy Elijah talking with Cassandra and that Damon and Cassandra got to make up before they went their separate ways. I'm glad that you liked the little scene with Tom Avery!
Shining Ruby: I live for plot twists ;) I hope you enjoyed my little twist and thanks for reviewing!
smkbaby123: HAHA! This review was awesome! I enjoyed adding in all of the little cameos and I am happy to hear that you liked it too! Thank you for reviewing, girly!
binks13: Thank you babe! Very happy that you enjoyed this chapter and all the little bits in it - even the Katherine and Cassandra moment :)
Guest: Thanks so much for reviewing! I will try to add a chapter where Cassandra will have a baby shower, but the end of the season does get a little hectic and crazy LOL! I will try my best :)
WickedlyMinx: Well, yes and no. I can't really give it away, LOL! It will all be explained in the next few chapters, so don't worry about that! Thank you for reviewing :)
xJenzaFreakx: Cassandra cannot catch a break at all! She needs a vacation away from Mystic Falls, LOL! Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope that you enjoyed this next update!
SomebodyWhoCares: I knooooowwww. I'm sorry :( I hope you liked this update and thanks for reviewing!
The Cynical Nerd: I wish that I updated more too, but life likes to get in the way sometimes. Even though I am off for the summer, I have a pretty full schedule, but I will try my hardest to update quicker and finish up this story before season 6 of TVD starts.
The Winter Queen: Gah! Please pick up the pieces! I hated doing that to Cassandra, but it will be an essential element to my story later on. Thank you so, so much! I try my best to make my chapters the best that they can be and I am glad that you are enjoying them :) Thanks for reviewing!
PrincessOfSilence: Hello my darling! Thank you so, so much for reviewing/beta-ing. You're freakin' amazing and I cannot thank you enough for everything that you do for me! Let's hope that I can catch up before the Fall comes around :)
klandgraf2007: Thanks for reviewing! Uhm, a hybrid play-date sounds ADORABLE! You know, I think Hope and Cassandra and Damon's little baby would get along nicely!
Nicole: Woah, you've got a ton of questions, girl! Some of them might not be answered until the later chapters, but please be patient :) Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope that you enjoyed this update!
Guest: That's an excellent question! Cassandra's family does know that she is a hybrid and that she is pregnant. She has kept an eye on her family throughout the years and she kept in close contact with them.
Guest: Yes, that's right. Cassandra is about a year or two younger than Damon. I feel like whenever a character on TVD says their age that it always changes. Oh, well LOL! Thanks for reviewing!
Guest: I hope Damon saves his wife and baby too! Thank you for reviewing!
Guest: Thanks so much for reviewing! Hmm, that's a great question! I do know that babies can hear music and can grow accustomed to people's voices while in the womb, so it could be possible that Cassandra's baby can hear what is going on around her.
Guest: I want Cassandra back to life ASAP too, so that she and Damon can properly make up! I have some options for the baby's name, but I am settling on one definite one. I will give it more thought and if people have suggestions, I will be happy to take them :)