Bloodlines
Chapter 30: Long Way Back from Hell
Beta: PrincessOfSilence
Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD and TO. I only own my characters and my story.
"There, there...unidentified sick man." Rebekah was trying her hardest to comfort a man who was writhing and moaning on a creaking hospital cot, but none of her soothing seemed to work. All around her people were sick and dying of an outbreak of influenza which had plagued the city of New Orleans. Nurses were rushing frantically to take care of patients while trying to keep themselves healthy as to not get sick and become another casualty of the illness. The man that Rebekah was helping coughed violently, spattering bright red blood onto the apron of her nurse's uniform and she drew back, picking at the fabric.
"Oh, that can't be good." She looked around the room and spied a redheaded nurse who wasn't attending to any patients. "You! Red!"
The girl immediately turned around and stepped in once Rebekah nodded her over to the man in the bed. The blonde watched on as the redhead gave the man a glass to drink and within a few moments, his coughing quieted significantly.
"I can take that from you." A voice from behind Rebekah made her look over her shoulder to see a dark haired woman with striking blue eyes. In her hands were bloodied bunched up sheets that were going to be burned in the crematorium to prevent the spread of infection. Rebekah reached behind her to undo the tie of her apron and she placed it on the pile of sheets.
"We can get you a new apron straight away." She said and Rebekah nodded.
"You're new here. I don't recall seeing you around."
"Oh, well, I'm new to the area." The girl noted. "Recently moved from the Midwest a few months ago."
"I'm Rebekah."
"Audrey." The two girls looked out at the battlefield before them. This epidemic was getting worse by the day and the crematorium was quickly becoming overcrowded. "This sure is quite a mess."
The Original vampire sighed heavily. "It is." Her attention was drawn to the redheaded girl again who was checking on more patients.
"She's good, isn't she?" Audrey noted.
"Yes, she is." She nodded absently. "A natural healer."
Audrey then tapped Rebekah on the shoulder and handed her the sheets. "You can put these on some of the beds."
Rebekah looked quizzically down at the pile in her hands. They were the same sheets from before, but they were clean and blood free. Even her apron looked as if it was brand new. "What the devil?"
"Come on, Miss Original vampire. You didn't think that you'd go unnoticed by a witch, did you?" The dark haired girl smirked.
The Original immediately grasped Audrey's upper arm and could feel magic surging through her soul. "Hmm, a witch. A different kind of witch."
"I can explain that later. Hey, Gen!" She called and the redheaded nurse rushed over.
"Yes, you called?"
"This is a friend of mine. Rebekah, Genevieve. Genevieve, Rebekah." The girls explained pleasantries and the blonde was now sizing up the redhead. "Rebekah was impressed with your little cocktail that you've been giving some of the patients."
Genevieve's cheeks grew a bit pink. "Oh, I..."
"It's just like magic. But then again what would you expect from a practicing witch?" Rebekah did the same to Genevieve and gently touched her hand. Her suspicions were correct and she was now looking at two witches.
"It's a simple herbal remedy. It won't stop the inevitable, but it should ease his pain and quiet his lungs. For a while, at least." Genevieve explained.
"You are quite good at this. Perhaps you could give me some pointers."
"Certainly, though it is a bit odd. A vampire serving as a nurse." The smart reply only made Rebekah chuckle to herself.
"Please, darling, I'm an Original Vampire. If my city is under attack from this nasty influenza, it is my duty to lend a hand. Besides, if this entire lot dies, who'd be left to eat?" She grinned and Genevieve's green eyes were wide.
"You're wicked!"
"You know, I think you and I are going to be fast friends." She smiled.
"Well, I think we should toast to our new friendship and to the health of New Orleans." Audrey added and Rebekah's eyes twinkled at the thought.
"Oh, yes. That sounds wonderful."
"Perfect. I know a jazz joint just off of Basin Street. My uncle runs the place." Genevieve shifted awkwardly on her feet when she caught the eyes of her friend Clara who was looking on quite concernedly while she was attending to a patient. The witch then shook her head.
"Oh, I don't know." She mumbled under her breath. Rebekah caught the exchange between the two nurses and turned to gain Clara's attention.
"You should come, too. After playing angels of mercy all day, I'd say we all deserve some fun." The Original smirked.
Rebekah's blurry eyes blinked open as the distant memory faded away into nothingness and reality seeped in quickly. She was looking up at the very woman from her memories and it didn't take her too long to realize that she was in the same sanitarium from all those years ago. She tried to lean up from the foul smelling cot that she was lying on, but a thick stake in her chest was paralyzing her movements. She remembered being in the woods last night with Oliver and they were having a make out session when he broke away and told her that he was sorry. Dazed and confused, she heard the low growling of a pack of wolves and she ran for the hills, but was not quick enough; they pounced on her and clamped their jaws into her skin, infecting her with werewolf venom. The bites were now aching, open sores that were crusted with blood and oozing with green puss. Her fever was rising higher and higher; her clothes sticking to her pale skin.
"Poor Rebekah, you should rest," Genevieve spoke from above her before pulling the stake out of her chest.
"What...what are you d-doing?" The Original asked as she watched Genevieve take the stake and let the blood from the tip drip into a bowl that she was holding.
"You're looking a little peaked. Of course, that's to be expected, given the impressive amount of werewolf venom in your system."
"If I weren't so bloody sick I'd rip you're head off!" Rebekah hissed.
"But you are sick and comforting the sick always was a talent of mine. I take care of my friends. We were friends, weren't we? Of course we were." Genevieve placed the bowl aside for now and picked up a cold cloth to apply it to Rebekah's forehead.
"They...don't look that bad..." Giuliana muttered under her breath as her green eyes skimmed over the dark bruises that decorated her neck. If she looked close enough, she could see the outline of Celeste's fingers where they pressed against her skin. Her muscles gave a low groan of pain and it hurt to breathe and swallow. Who was she kidding? If anyone was to see these marks when she was out walking on the street, they'd immediately suspect something and call the police right away.
She tried to cover the marks up with makeup, but the foundation only made the purple bruises appear grey and the more makeup she added only made the bruises stand out more, so she decided to take it off which made her skin red from scrubbing it off. She even tried to drape her long hair over her shoulders, but that wouldn't work if a strong wind were to blow her way. She sighed loudly and rose from her seat at the vanity table, practically stomping to her closet and tearing through the clothes that were once neatly hanging on hangers. Flutters of fabric flew through the air as she threw clothes everywhere in her wake and it wasn't until almost the whole wardrobe was emptied when she found what she was looking for.
A blue and white patterned scarf was threaded between her fingers and she inhaled deeply, her green eyes scrutinizing it. She sat back at her vanity, still analyzing the fabric and worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.
"I guess this will have to do." She said. Just as she lifted the scarf to her neck, she was greeted by Elijah's anxious form standing in the doorway. He looked quite unsure of himself and he had a hard time holding her gaze. A soft smile painted her lips and the Original took that as a sign to come in.
"My apologies." He took notice of the clothes on the floor, but he didn't say a word about them. "Am I interrupting?"
Giuliana shook her head and met him in the center of the room, extending the scarf to him. "No, you are just in time to help me."
Elijah caught the trepidation in her voice when she held out the scarf to him and his eyes then saw the marks on her neck. They made his stomach drop and his heart clench violently. He knew that she'd been cooped up in her room all last night and early morning, but he had no idea that they were so shockingly noticeable. Even on her tanned skin, he could see where Celeste had squeezed harder on some areas of her neck and where her fingernails embedded themselves in her skin. His fingers grasped the scarf, letting it lay in his hands for a moment before moving closer to her. He reached his empty hand up to cup the side of her neck and she flinched, her body tensing up from his touch. She caught that he saw her clamming up and didn't want to, but even his gentle touch hurt. He would never hurt her intentionally, she knew that, but his hand made her skin burn uncomfortably and she gave a slight shiver which made the Original draw back.
He wanted to scold himself for bringing her pain and discomfort, but he suddenly remembered the scarf in his hands and was reminded that she had asked a favor of him. He took up the scarf and began to wind it around her fragile neck. The first two loops he'd done that were closer to her neck were drawn a bit tighter as to hide the marks there, but the rest of the scarf remained billowed and free, hanging loosely around her neck. Giuliana's sad green eyes raked over her tired reflection and she could see none of the bruises mocking her anymore, but she knew that they were still there no matter how much she had covered them up.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"You are most welcome." He ran his knuckles against her cheek. "I only wish that I could have done more."
"Elijah, please...I was telling Rebekah that I...I didn't want you to ever choose me over your own family. They have been by your side for almost a thousand years. They mean more to you than I do."
"That is not true." His words were sharp. "Yes, my family does mean everything to me and I have made a promise to be by their side over the years, but that does not mean that I cannot make my own choices."
"But-"
"You were going to die. You almost did." He reminded her and he watched her already shining eyes fill up with tears. Her bottom lip quivered as she tried to fight her fear that was bubbling up inside her. Elijah took a hanging lock of hair and curled it behind her ear. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Giuliana."
A stray tear fell, but he was quick to catch it. His thumb brushed it away and he kissed her forehead gently, holding his lips there for a few moments longer than he should have. He pulled back to catch her gaze and smiled warmly at her. "Celeste will pay for her treachery. I will make sure of it."
"Just please, be careful." She practically begged. Elijah gave a curt nod before turning on his heel and leaving her breathless and speechless once again.
Celeste snickered to herself as she walked along the desolate hallways of the abandoned hospital. Rebekah's frantic screams echoed off the walls and that only made her smirk even wider. Her plan to teach Elijah a lesson about being loyal to his family was working wonderfully, however, her games weren't anywhere far from finished. Rebekah was currently having hallucinations of rotting zombies and bloodied corpses reaching their arms out to her for help while Klaus was feeling the third degree of Papa Tunde's blade that was nesting inside his chest cavity. To her complete and total dismay, both Hayley and Giuliana survived the evening with Elijah swooping in to be the noble hero. She was certain that her strangling grip on Giuliana's neck was enough to kill her, but the little witch bitch fought back. She literally crawled back from death's door and found herself in the warmth and comfort of Elijah's embrace.
Her jealousy reared its head, wishing that she could unleash all her powers on Giuliana, but she knew that Elijah would always be there to protect her from danger. The witch wanted to kill her and take Elijah back all to herself, but she had a sinking feeling that her Original would not be so willing as to take her back after she tried to kill two innocent people. She rolled her eyes and continued her leisurely stroll through the hospital, peeking her head into every open door. Not much had been left of the place except for exam tables, old cots and the ever present smell of death that had soaked into every crevice. She remembered this hospital when she had taken up residence in another body and the rooms would be stuffed wall to wall with the sick and dying. Patients would moan and writhe in pain, some of them bleeding out from their illnesses. Celeste shook that from her mind and she decided to go toy with Rebekah's brain again, but her body was suddenly incapacitated. Her limbs locked up and a loud scream left her lips as pain coursed through every fiber of her being.
"That was some little stunt you pulled last night." Audrey hissed wildly from behind her with her hands raised toward the witch. "The next time you try to kill a Blood Witch, there won't be a next time."
"H-How did you find me here?" Celeste rasped.
"Oh, please, it doesn't take a genius to figure out where you'd take two Originals for your sick little plan." The witch spat and stalked Celeste's quivering form until the two were facing each other. "Now, I warned you not to lay a finger on that witch and what did you do? You did it anyway."
Celeste's fingers gripped a rock from the floor and hurled it at Audrey's head to distract her. With the witch's powers disabled for a few moments, Celeste used her own powers to toss Audrey across the room and into a wall. She held her there and Audrey struggled furiously.
"I did it because that little bitch is stealing Elijah from me." Celeste growled, standing dangerously close to Audrey. "If you had to watch while someone took something so important away from you, you'd kill them too."
"Well, I've never had a problem with holding onto my man. I make sure to keep that leash nice and tight." Audrey smirked and her leg flew out, nailing Celeste's shin with a hard thunk. She tumbled to the ground and Audrey took the opportunity to press the heel of her boot hard against her neck. Celeste didn't move this time, she just stared up at the woman who could easily puncture her windpipe.
"Now that I have your attention." She jabbed the heel down just slightly to make Celeste cry out and she could spy that she had broken the skin. A thin trail of blood escaped from under the point of the heel and trickled over her skin. "You knew that if anyone else killed Giuliana, that her powers would disappear. If I kill her, her powers are automatically transferred to me. So, I'll say it again, that witch bitch is mine. Do I make myself clear?"
"Careful, Audrey. Push any harder and you'll sever my head from my shoulders. That just means that I'd have to pick another host. You might do just fine." Celeste grinned, but her smart ass of an answer only earned her a bigger hole in her neck.
"Do I make myself clear?" She repeated slowly and Celeste nodded quickly.
"Yes. Crystal." Audrey removed the boot and backed away from Celeste who was shakily getting to her feet.
"And for the record, I would never let something as disgusting as your spirit enter my body." She scoffed and smoothed down her clothes. Celeste held her neck and glared at Audrey, but both women were drawn to the sounds of Rebekah's screams once again. They were louder and more frantic than the last time; her hallucinations were most likely getting worse.
"I'll leave you to that." Audrey told her before stalking towards the exit of the room.
Celeste raised her eyebrows. "Where are you going?"
Audrey stopped in the doorway and turned back to face the witch with a small smirk painted on her lips. "To visit an old friend."
"Anything?" Elijah asked the pacing vampire. Marcel had just sent out more day walkers to be on patrol for both Klaus and Rebekah's whereabouts. He hadn't gotten any feedback yet and that only made his anxiety level rise.
"They're putting eyes and ears out everywhere; day walkers are working every contact we've got. Cops, dock workers, guys in the Treme. Word is out; anyone trying to earn favor with me gets a lifetime of it if they find them." Marcel reported just as Elijah reached him.
"Good. I need a pen and paper." He patted Marcel on the shoulder and rushed passed him into the Abattoir. He entered the study and Marcel was quick to follow him.
"Hey! Am I taking orders from you now, or are we in this together?" He asked him.
Elijah removed his suit jacket and placed it over the back of the chair that was pushed neatly underneath the desk. He quickly unbuttoned the buttons on his sleeves and down the center of his shirt. "Pen and paper, Marcellus." When Marcel seemed to move in slow-motion, Elijah snapped to get him moving. "Now."
"I want her back just as much as you do, you know. The both of them." Marcel grumbled before turning to the desk drawers to search for a pen and paper.
"Giuliana!" Elijah called, placing his shirt on top of his jacket and looking down at the tattoos that had marked his skin. "Hayley!"
Hearing their names being called, the girls dashed downstairs, hoping that Elijah might have found out where Klaus and Rebekah were. After spending some time together, Giuliana was in much higher spirits from when Elijah had left her and she had Hayley to thank for that. Hayley, being a bit slower since she was pregnant, gave Giuliana the chance to come into the room first. She still wore the scarf around her neck and greeted both men as she entered the room.
"Marcel. Elijah, did you..." Her eyes suddenly caught sight of Elijah's naked chest and she swallowed her words where she stood. She could feel her cheeks heat up and it didn't help that Marcel was smirking in the corner and Elijah was staring at her. She cleared her throat feeling Hayley lightly elbow her side and she was now aware that ink was on Elijah's skin. She drew a bit closer and could make out names etched along his muscular chest, strong arms, sculpted shoulders, and drool-worthy back.
"What is happening?" She asked warily, never seeing anything like that before in her life.
"I need you to make a list of these names." He ignored her question and was going to ask another when Marcel handed her a pen and paper.
"They're all women's names." Hayley pointed out and Giuliana poked the end of the pen over the name that was most familiar to her.
"Sabine? What's this supposed to mean?"
Elijah looked down at Sabine's name, frowning a bit seeing it scrawled on him. "I believe they represent the names of the women Celeste inhabited for the past two centuries."
"It's called a devinette. It's old school; kind of a riddle." Marcel intervened. "Witches use them to teach their kids. Solve it and it disappears."
"Well, that's one way to teach your kids," Hayley retorted.
"I sure as hell hope you don't plan on using this method when the baby comes." Giuliana countered and began writing the names down in a column on the paper. "Why did Celeste do this? What's she getting at?"
"Celeste forced me to make a choice between yourself and my siblings and now she means to mock that choice, taunting me with a childish game. The longer the game, the more they suffer." Elijah explained as Giuliana continued to write down the names on the pad of paper. "To find Klaus and Rebekah, we need to solve this riddle. The solution lies somewhere in these names."
Marcel's eyes caught a name that rang a bell to him and he made Elijah turn slightly, so that he could read the name correctly. "The name next to Sabine. Annie La Fleur. She's the witch that was shunned from her coven just over a year ago. Never knew why, but I can find out."
"You poor thing," a soft voice made Klaus open up his tired, bloodshot eyes and he stared up into the gentle face of Genevieve. He remembered being stabbed with Papa Tunde's blade last night and the entire dagger had become buried in his chest. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. It was agonizing and it only made time tick even slower than it already was. Dark circles lined underneath his eyes and a red scar stretched from his chest to his stomach where he had been stabbed. Sweat poured from his naked chest onto the bed he was lying on and his ankles and wrists were restrained. He had no idea where he was. All he could see was the dark room around him which was lightened only by the cracks in the boarded up windows. The air smelled like death and decay; it made his stomach turn. The witch stroked his cheek for a few moments and then turned to pluck up a shiny scalpel from the hospital cart at her side. The blade gleamed, making Klaus swallow thickly and shy away from her, but she cupped his cheek again.
"Don't worry, I'm here to help." With careful precision, she cut along the red line of his scar, opening the skin. She pushed up her long sleeve and drove her hand into Klaus' stomach while he screamed and thrashed against his restraints. He could feel her fingers searching for the foreign object that was buried inside him and he nearly begged for her to stop, but his anguish was only partly relieved when she grasped the hilt of the blade and yanked it out. Blood coated the knife and Genevieve's arm, a rather gruesome sight, but the witch seemed unfazed by it all. Klaus growled angrily and tugged at his bindings once more, but they remained tightly secured.
"Ouch, Gen." Audrey taunted from the doorway. "Show some compassion."
"Like you could have removed that blade any gentler." The witch scowled and placed the blade on the hospital cart beside her.
"And how is our favorite patient?" She pranced over just in time to see the skin on stomach stitch itself back together.
"Weak, but I'm expecting a full recovery." She noted and Klaus' eyes cracked open just so. He immediately recognized the new woman in the room and cleared his achingly dry throat.
"Audrey," he breathed weakly.
"Hello, dear." She patted his cheek affectionately. "I told Marcel to let you know that I was back and that I wanted to see you, but this is hardly the right circumstance."
Klaus' eyebrows furrowed and even that hurt him more than it should. He stared back at Audrey, unsure of how to answer her. Marcel never said anything about Audrey.
"Oh, I see our favorite little foot soldier disobeyed orders?" Audrey tsked. "That is so unlike Marcel."
"If only he knew about Marcel's treachery." Genevieve peered down at Klaus who was still too weak to speak.
"He'll learn soon." Her friend added darkly. "And I have a feeling that he won't be too happy to find out exactly what his dear little sister and loyal best friend have been hiding behind his back."
"Hello? Hey!" Hayley's nagging made Giuliana jump up unexpectedly. Her shoulders tensed, but her body relaxed seeing that it was only her friend who had disturbed her.
"Hmm?" She tilted her head to the side.
"I've been talking to you for over ten minutes." The wolf said and her friend frowned.
"I'm sorry. Just have a lot on my mind. It's nothing." She looked down to her hands which were settled in her lap. Hayley could see that Giuliana was lying through her teeth when she said that nothing was wrong, so she got up from her chair that was poised at the vanity table and moved herself to lie on the bed where Giuliana was sitting.
"Now, I know that it isn't nothing." Hayley said and nudged her friend. "Come on, tell me what's wrong."
Giuliana sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and shook her head, making Hayley frown deeply. She'd never seen her this down. The pregnant wolf moved closer and just as her hand got within a few centimeters of the scarf around her neck, Giuliana shied away and pressed her own hands to the material.
"Please, don't touch them." Her voice was soft yet commanding and Hayley held her hands up in surrender.
"Alright. I'm sorry." She apologized sincerely, not knowing that would have caused such a strong reaction in her friend. Hayley scooted closer to Giuliana slowly, testing to see if she was alright and when she was, the wolf was now sitting right beside her. The two remained quiet for a few long moments and Hayley was the first to break the silence.
"Just please talk to me." That made Giuliana look up at her friend and the corner of her lip quirked up slightly.
"I'm scared, Hayl. I was almost killed by Elijah's ex-girlfriend and I couldn't do anything about it." She explained and Hayley nodded for her to keep talking. "She called me pathetic and totally trumped my magic. What good am I here if I can't even hold my own? And now because of me, Klaus and Rebekah are in danger."
Hayley's eyebrows furrowed and her nose scrunched up tightly. "Elijah went back to save the both of us. I can understand why me because I'm carrying Klaus' child, but he came for you for a different reason." Her voice trailed off seeing tears well up in Giuliana's eyes. "He cares about you a lot."
"And that put him in this situation. His feelings for me are the reason that Rebekah and Klaus are missing." She spat.
"Gee, most girls would be thrilled if the guy they love totally ditched his family for them."
"I'm trying to be serious here."
"And so am I." Hayley countered. "Elijah knew what he was doing when he came back for us. Klaus and Rebekah are Originals, so they can hold up against witches better than us."
Giuliana pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. "Don't you feel so guilty?"
Hayley gently took a hold of Giuliana's wrists and pulled her hands away from her face. "Of course I do, but Elijah is a grown man and can make his own choices. Trust me; Elijah knows what he has to do."
"I know." She nodded and her eyes clouded with worry. "I just worry about him."
The pregnant wolf paused a bit before letting the next words come out of her mouth. "You love him, don't you?"
The air left her lungs like someone had punched her hard in the stomach. Her mouth opened and closed at least a dozen times in an effort to try and say something, anything, but she remained speechless. She nervously ran her shaking hands through her hair before looking back to Hayley who was now slowly nodding her head in realization.
"You do love him." She affirmed and Giuliana sucked in a breath of air.
"Hayley, please..."
"Giuliana..."
"No." She moved off the bed and stood at the opposite side of the room near the large window. "I can't."
"Can't what? Can't love him?" Hayley shuffled herself to stand near her friend. "Once you love someone, you can't unlove them."
Giuliana's piercing green eyes remained focused on the busy street below them. People hustled and bustled passed one another and she even caught sight of some of Marcel's men prowling around and asking questions. Elijah coming back to save her the night before made his intentions clear to her and to his family. She knew that his heroic act to come back for her, to carry her from burning house and to breathe air into her lungs would not sit well with Rebekah and Klaus. She always remembered admiring Elijah's noble actions and his loyalty to his family in the eleven hundreds. Similarly, Elijah would always shower her with compliments about her warmth and protectiveness for her own family, but nothing ever became of their fondness for one another. They were just friends and nothing more, but now things were so different. Feelings and emotions were projected onto each other and the people around them were even becoming aware of their likeness for each other. Hayley wasn't wrong at all, she did love Elijah and a deep part of her wanted to admit to the fact that she always loved him.
"I do love him." Once she said those four words, she felt her entire being become unburdened by her secret. The weight lifted from her soul and she turned to face her friend. "But, do you think he...?"
"If you're going to ask me if he loves you back, I might have to hit you." The pregnant wolf lightly scolded. "I see it when he looks at you. It's like no one or nothing else exists. Just you. If that's not love, I don't know what is."
When Giuliana finally faced Hayley, her eyes had welled up with tears that were just about ready to spill over. "Just please don't tell him."
"It isn't for me to tell." Hayley replied calmly in an effort to keep her friend strong. "Why are you so upset about this?"
"Why? The Quarter is under attack by witches, Klaus and Rebekah are missing and you're going to have a baby soon. When is there time in this godforsaken place for something like love?" Her voice was shaking now. She was angry at herself for picking the most inopportune time to fall in love.
Hayley didn't reply. She was unsure of what she could say to put her friend at ease, so she just wrapped her arms around her, hugging her closely to her. She felt Giuliana's body shaking in her hold, so she comfortingly rubbed her hands along her back and down her arms. Hesitantly, Giuliana hugged Hayley back and let her tears fall down her cheeks.
"I know it feels hard now, but we're all going to be okay." She told her, allowing them to separate and she wiped her friend's tears. "I promise."
Giuliana gave her a small smile and helped to wipe her tears away with the backs of her hands. She was very lucky to have a friend like Hayley and even though New Orleans was a place where few people could be trusted, she knew that she could trust Hayley. Her friend smiled back at her and both girls looked to the dresser where Giuliana's phone was ringing loudly. She grasped it and joined Hayley back on the bed before answering it on speaker phone.
"Elijah." She greeted sweetly. "What did you find out?"
"It seems that Annie La Fleur met her own end." He replied and four green eyes widened.
"She killed herself?"
"Yes, drowned herself in the Mississippi, to be precise. Celeste was clearly tired of the body and ready to take Sabine's." He explained.
"How do you know that?" Giuliana asked him curiously.
"Because she leapt to her death from the very location Celeste and I had our first kiss."
The witch rolled her eyes and gave a loud scoff. "Boy, this woman knows how to beat symbolism to death."
"That is seriously creepy," Hayley agreed.
"All these names, these lives, stolen that Celeste might take her revenge. I suppose we have no choice but to see where they take us. I have to go. I'll call you back." He said, but Hayley grabbed the phone from Giuliana's hand.
"Elijah, wait!" She hoped that he hadn't hung up and was relieved to hear him speak again.
"What is it?"
"Ask Marcel if he knows anything about a name on that list Brynne Deveraux; Sophie said that it was her family's bloodline that put the curse on the Crescent Wolves, but Celeste said that she was the only one that could break it. If Brynne Deveraux was actually Celeste when she cast the spell, then maybe Celeste can still break it." She rattled off. This was the only lead she had to breaking the curse that was put on her family and after getting to know them all last night, she felt like she owed it to them to break the spell."
Elijah weighed her request before replying. "I'll see what he knows."
Giuliana took the phone back from Hayley. "Where are you headed next?"
"I'm not quite sure. I am growing quite weary of Celeste's games." She could hear the frustration in his voice and she decided to give him some advice she had received from her good friend.
"Look, Elijah, I know that it feels hard now, but we're all going to be okay." She spoke into the receiver and was met with silence for a short while. "I promise."
Giuliana couldn't see it, but her words were making the Original smile warmly to himself. She always had a way of doing that to him. Marcel was chuckling at his side, having heard the conversation and picking up on the longing glances they made at each other. When they had reached their next spot, the vampire looked to Elijah and nodded.
"I know. Thank you." Elijah said to her and signaled to Marcel that he would be with him in a moment.
"I'll let you go, but please be careful." She repeated from their conversation earlier.
"I will call you back with more news once we acquire it." He bid her goodbye and Giuliana ended the call.
"I don't get it. How can we not figure out what Celeste's riddle means?" She looked to Hayley who shrugged.
"I don't know, but the answer is probably right in front of us."
"There," Audrey murmured as she lightly pulled down Klaus' long sleeved black shirt over his body. He was sitting up now, still restrained and still very weak. She took a bowl of water and washcloth, dabbing the cool fabric over his head and the sides of his face. It temporarily helped to bring his temperature down, but even the gentleness of her patting his face made him ache and wriggle in pain.
"You're back." It was the first words he'd spoken to her since Genevieve left the room. He let her dress him and sit with him, but the two hadn't spoken.
"Ninety some-odd years and that's all you have to say to me?" She quipped and dipped the washcloth below the fabric of his shirt, dabbing his shoulders and collarbone.
"Has it been that long?" He wondered, his body was too wracked with pain to even think straight.
"But, I see you've moved on since you knocked up that poor wolf girl." She added.
"She is nothing. That child is the result of a one night stand." Klaus breathed. "I am merely trying to protect the girl and my child."
"How noble of you." She noted and continued caring for him.
"How are you back?" He asked her. "You and I both know that your kind of magic is not ancestral, so you could not have possibly come back because of the Harvest."
Audrey hummed in the back of her throat. "Like I told Marcel, I don't know why I was brought back to life, but I don't hear you complaining."
"That depends, love." His eyes grew narrow and hardened. "Were you a part of the lot who incapacitated me?"
"No, I was not a part of this. You can thank Genevieve, Celeste, and Bastiana for their hospitality."
Klaus ground his teeth together. "My wound isn't healing."
"There was a lot of dark magic in that blade, Klaus. Your body will take some time to heal." She informed.
"Where is that other witch? I have quite the bone to pick with her."
"I thought you were enjoying spending time with me?" Her grin only made Klaus angrier.
The Original strained against the thick straps that held him down, anger flashing in his eyes. "Don't toy with me, Audrey. You and I both know that if I wasn't in this condition that I would-"
Audrey then jammed her fingernails into Klaus's hands and he roared loudly. Her magic had already begun to torment him and within seconds, he could feel his body withering away. His face and body were visibly thinning out and his was getting older by the minute. His shirt was now hanging baggily off his shoulders and his face was gaining little wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. He was gasping for air feeling his heart and his other organs slow their pace dramatically. He peered down at his hands and saw that they had become so skinny that the flesh was hanging off of the bone and he had no doubt that the rest of him mirrored what his hands looked like.
"You would what?" She asked him, her face dangerously close to his. Klaus couldn't give her a reply; instead he opened and closed his mouth multiple times as if he was a fish out of water. "I hardly think that you are in the position to making orders, Klaus. I know that you are normally used to being in control, but I'm in control now." She let go of him and he sucked in a giant breath of air. He reverted to his original state and he looked upon the witch with wide eyes.
"Your powers...they're stronger." He panted.
"It's a beautiful thing, isn't it?" She flicked the dried blood out from under her fingernails and sat herself on the edge of his chair. Her palm caressed his cheek and she smiled warmly at him. "Still as handsome as the day I met you."
"Flattery will get you nowhere." He grumbled and she giggled musically. The hand that was on his cheek trailed down the side of his neck, over his chest and stopped to rest at his upper thigh. Four blue eyes locked and the witch leaned closer while Klaus glanced down where her hand was.
"Nonsense, you love having your ego stroked." She squeezed his thigh and noticed his breath catch in the back of his throat. "As I recall, you like having other things stroked."
"And you enjoy having those perfect feathers ruffled." He countered, meeting her smoldering stare.
"Mm, you know me so well." She grinned suggestively at him. "We would have so much fun together."
"I remember." Klaus nodded and was now aware of how close she was to him. Her lips were mere inches away from brushing against his.
"I see someone has some questionable bedside manners." Genevieve tutted and Audrey rolled her eyes before moving back from the Original.
"My bedside manners may be questionable, but I'm sure that our patient wouldn't mind it." She winked at Klaus and hopped off the chair. "He wanted to have a word with you."
Genevieve pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. "Oh, that's interesting because I actually wanted to have a word with him about his little sister."
In seconds, Klaus' expression shifted and he was growling like a rabid animal. "Rebekah is of no concern to you. If you mean to harm her–"
"Ah, the protective brother." The redhead interrupted him. "A shame that loyalty isn't reciprocated. But then, I'm no stranger to Rebekah's treachery. Something you and I have in common." She held out a bowl in front of Klaus and his nostrils were burning from the intense stench.
"Drink." She instructed, but Klaus was still apprehensive about drinking the contents of the bowl. "I'm just trying to help you. Heal you. Get you to see the truth that's been right in front of you for almost a century."
Both Audrey and Genevieve were standing beside one another and Klaus was met with the rim of the bowl at his lips. The redhead tilted the bowl as he drank, but the Original tasted the liquid and felt the urge to spit it back up. Audrey placed a hand over his mouth and held his head back, so the liquid could easily slide down his throat. He choked it down and once he swallowed, Audrey let him go.
"Your sister had an unfortunate run-in with some wolves last night. I imagine you're tasting the venom in her blood. It's the only way I can show you what you need to see. In her weakened state, I'll be able to guide her down memory lane." Genevieve was right above him with her hands outstretched and hovering over his forehead. "That's how I'm going to have my revenge. By showing you her betrayal."
Her hands were placed on either side of his face and he was brought into a memory of Marcel and Rebekah kissing one another inside the crematorium. It was during the influenza epidemic of 1919 and it had hit New Orleans hard. People were dying left and right and Rebekah had seen it as a duty of hers to volunteer and help her home. The pair were now talking about asking Genevieve to perform a spell to make them finally be together. They had kept their relationship a secret from Klaus, but they were growing tired of hiding in the shadows and sneaking off in secret. Genevieve pulled her hands back, ending the flashback and Klaus opened up his eyes, looking rather bored and impatient with the witch.
"So this is your great betrayal?" He scoffed at her. "Rebekah and Marcel have been sneaking around behind my back for the better half of two centuries."
Genevieve rubbed her hands together. "Yes, against all your warnings you've disciplined them for it before, had you now? Harshly, from what I understand."
"Well, I had my reasons," he said.
"Oh, you don't have to convince me. As far as I'm concerned you only needed one. That it suited you. Have you ever read the Old Testament, Nik? You see, God wasn't powerful because he was right; he was right because he was powerful."
"I don't know what you're playing at, but if the sum total of your plan was to turn me against my sister was this revelation, this will have been a wholly ineffective endeavor." He mumbled weakly.
"Well, that's not all that we're playing at. You see, Marcel and Rebekah's romp will lead to something much bigger. Something that you weren't prepared for. Something no one was prepared for." Audrey's voice seemed so far away, but she was merely standing out of his line of sight, but he picked up by the tone of her voice that what Marcel and Rebekah were hiding was much worse than he thought.
The Ice Box was a typical hangout along the back alleys of New Orleans, but like any other speakeasy in the city, it was hidden amongst the shadows from the public eye and the police that were cracking down on joints that would sell alcohol. Audrey's Uncle Charlie worked in an appliance store during the day, but by nighttime he was the owner of one of the most prestigious speakeasies in New Orleans. In the alley behind his store was a door built into the wall that could only be entered by speaking the password and patrons would be lead down a narrow set of stairs before entering the bar. Couples twirled on the dance floor to the sensational jazz music that the band was playing. It was an incredible sight to see the biggest stars in pictures, the mayor, mobsters, and dirty cops all in one place; drinking and dancing as if they were birds of a feather.
Seated at a table were Rebekah, Clara, and Genevieve were in their best dresses and happy to have a night on the town. Working in that hospital had a tendency suck the life out of the girls, so it was nice to be in a place where people were celebrating life. They had indulged in a couple of drinks, Clara had knocked back more than Rebekah and Genevieve combined and was already stumbling about on her feet.
"Okay, next round's on me!" Clara announced excitedly.
"Clara Summerlin, no! I'll be soused." Genevieve shook her head, giggling at her friend.
"Get it while you can. It's the last real gin in the city!" Rebekah told the girls.
"Where is Audrey?" The redhead asked curiously.
"Over there talking with Vince." She giggled drunkenly and pointed to a corner of the bar where their friend was talking with a man dressed in a pinstriped suit. The two hardly looked as if they were having a pleasant conversation being that gestures and frowns were exchanged between them.
Rebekah's eyebrows furrowed. "Who is Vince? Her boyfriend?"
"He wishes." Clara giggled drunkenly and beckoned for Rebekah and Genevieve to come closer. "Remember how Audrey said that her Uncle Charlie owns this bar? Well, he does, but he was gunned down a little while back; been in the hospital ever since. So, he picked Audrey to take care of running the place."
Genevieve's eyes were wide with shock now. "Gunned down?"
"Yeah, a deal he was making with some rum runners went sour. Vincent Moretti is one of Charlie's business partners and he follows Audrey around like a little puppy dog. I don't get why she doesn't just shack up with him."
"Clara!" Her friend scolded. "He's a bootlegger."
"So what?" She shrugged uncaringly. "He's handsome and has money. What more could she want?"
"Maybe she doesn't love him." Rebekah mentioned and Clara scoffed.
"What's love got to do with it anyway?" She pushed her empty glass to the edge of the table and pushed herself off the stool she was seated on. "I'll be back with the next round."
Genevieve's eyes were now trained on Vince who had taken Audrey's hand in his, but she was quick to draw her hand back to her side. "I wonder what they're talking about..."
"Whatever it is, they don't look happy." Rebekah sipped idly from her drink.
"Come on, Audrey."
"Vince, I already said no."
"They won't even notice it." He pressed the issue further. "You would be saving this place so much money if you would buy the cheap stuff for the customers."
She narrowed her bright blue eyes. "People come here to have a good time and pay for quality liquor. I refuse to charge them a ridiculous price for watered down alcohol."
"Audrey-"
"Look, Vince, my Uncle Charlie chose me to take care of the Ice Box while he's in the hospital and I'm gonna continue to do it his way."
"And what if those guys come after you? They shot Charlie down and they won't hesitate to do the same to you, dame or not."
"I won't let that happen. I've got eyes and ears all over this place." Vince pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled in an effort to calm his slowly rising temper with Audrey, but she sure was stubborn when she wanted to be. "I know you worry, but I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."
"I know, I know." He grumbled under his breath and adjusted his tie. "You're really stubborn, ya know that, doll?"
Audrey threw him a grin and placed her black gloved hands on her hips. "I'm not stubborn. I call it getting what I want when I want it. I won't have anyone think that I can't keep this place afloat by myself. I want to prove to Charlie that I can. I want him to be proud of me, ya know?"
Vince peered down at her with his mahogany gaze and passed a hand through his dark brown hair. "He is proud of you. And don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't run this place. If I so much as hear talk like that, I swear, I'll teach 'em a lesson they won't forget."
"Easy, hothead." She wagged a finger at him just when two gentlemen came up behind him. One tapped him on the shoulder, whispered something in his ear and nodded towards the door. Vince murmured something back and the two men went to the exit of the speakeasy without him.
"I've gotta run. Meeting some folks to pick up product. Wanna come with?" He picked up his hat that was resting on the bar.
"Nah, I'm here with friends tonight and I have to keep an eye on some things." She replied and met eyes with a young man nursing his drink at the bar. "Take Donavan with you."
"That damn dirty cop." He seethed.
"Just take him with you." Audrey fought. "That way if something goes down, you can't get arrested."
The muscles in his jaw visibly tensed with the thought of bringing a cop with him to a job, but he knew that Audrey was only looking out for him. "Fine..."
"Good. Now watch yourself, you brute." She nodded curtly and Vince gave her a wry smirked before sauntering from the bar. Her slim fingers grasped a cigarette and lighter from her purse and she lit up, taking a long drag before letting a puff of smoke blow out from between her lips. She anxiously tapped the end of the cigarette into the ashtray to get rid of the ashes and she said a little pray to herself for Vince to come back safely. While she had no romantic feelings for him, he was still a good friend of hers and Charlie's business partner. Without him, the Ice Box would be nothing.
Audrey found herself coming to the end of her cigarette, but her nerves were still making her jumpy. So, she crushed the old cigarette into the tray and lit up another one with a satisfying puff.
"Smoking is a very bad habit, you know." A smooth accent made her turn and she was met with a pair of blue eyes that rivaled her own. The voice belonged to a man with slicked back blonde hair who wore an expensive suit. In his hands was a glass of gin and he leaned coolly against the bar, peering at her through the cloud of smoke that surrounded her.
"Well, if you had my problems, you'd smoke too." Audrey countered, taking another drag of her cigarette.
The man gave her a lopsided grin and he stepped closer to her, still keeping one hand on the bar. "So, you are Audrey Montgomery, the famous Ice Box Flapper."
"I see that my reputation precedes me." She chuckled, but narrowed her eyes at him. "And apparently, so does yours, Mr. Mikaelson."
"Am I that obvious?" He raised a curious eyebrow at her.
"Your sister speaks very highly of you."
"She does the same of you. Rebekah does not like people very easily, so consider yourself very lucky." He said. "This is a wonderful establishment that you're running here."
"Thank you. Although I can't take all of the credit" She beamed and put out her cigarette. "Is there anything I can get you, Niklaus?"
"Niklaus is the name my father gave me. Please," he took up her hand and lifted it to his lips. The soft caress of a kiss he gave the back of her hand was enough to make Audrey's heart skip a beat and the feel of him smirking against her skin was proof that he heard it. "Call me Klaus."
"You're nothing like I thought you'd be when I first met you." Genevieve told Rebekah. "I was brought up to think your kind were, well...
"An abomination of nature?" The blonde finished for her.
"You're anything but! Not just you, your whole family is so elegant." She beamed.
Rebekah smiled widely. "Yes, I agree, Elijah is quite peerless."
Genevieve tilted her head to the side, thinking a bit. "I don't know. I mean, he's nice and all, but if I had to go for one Mikaelson boy..."
The Original sister's mouth hung wide open and the redhead's blush became more prominent. "Klaus? Genevieve, who'd have thought a saintly little witch like you would go for the bad boys? I knew we were destined to be friends!"
"Well, I have to admit, he is very handsome." Genevieve's smile faltered a bit seeing Rebekah watching carefully over her shoulder and she turned to see Klaus openly flirting with Audrey.
"Looks like you're not the only one who thinks so." She muttered, noticing that Genevieve was quite upset that Audrey and Klaus were conversing. "Well, I wouldn't be too hung up on Klaus, dear. He's got a horrible temper. There's a load of us Mikaelsons. If you like bad boys, you'd love my brother, Kol."
Genevieve seemed happy at the thought of there being another brother to latch onto and she scanned the bar hoping to catch a glimpse of him. "And where is this mystery brother of yours?"
"It's complicated. Like all siblings, we've had our ups and downs. Family feuds." Rebekah frowned, but beckoned for Genevieve to lean in closer to her, which she did. "In fact, I was thinking of reaching out to someone we haven't seen in a very long while. I was hoping that maybe you could help me contact them, but it would have to be a surprise. No one could know."
"Of course. Do you want me to find your brother Kol?" The witch wondered.
"Actually, I'd like you to find Mikael. Our father."
"ENOUGH OF YOUR LIES!" Klaus roared as Genevieve removed her hands from his head.
"Don't dismember the messenger. Part of you must have known; suspected at least." The redheaded witch took some steps back from him.
"Especially since your father came to New Orleans in 1919 to kill you, did he not? And as the city burned, he nearly succeeded." Audrey explained.
"My family and I have done some terrible things to each other over the years, but Rebekah would not call my father! No matter how angry she was." He seethed at the witch.
"It's sweet of you to believe that, to believe in her, but by the time we're done you'll know just how wrong you are." Genevieve then looked to Audrey who gently placed her hands on his chest. "Give him back some of his strength. I'll be back."
As soon as Genevieve left the room, Klaus could slowly feel the dark magic dissolving from inside him. Audrey's powers were helping to dispel some of the magic from Papa Tunde's blade and Klaus sensed his strength coming back to him. His blood was literally being cleansed without touching it and the scar where the knife was plunged into his chest was getting better.
"I'm sorry that you had to find out like this." Her small voice made him open up his eyes and stare down at her.
"Nonsense, love. You enjoy this." He growled at her.
"Your sister called the one person that you had been running from your entire life all because she couldn't take control of her own life. I know you didn't want her and Marcel together, but she's a big girl, Klaus. Some things you just have to let go."
"I didn't want him hurting her." He said softly. "She's my little sister and has protected me. Now it was my turn to return the favor."
Audrey's hands slithered from his pecks down to where the scar was and applied some slight pressure, making the hybrid hiss in pain. "I understand that, but what she and Marcel did to you back then was unforgivable."
"I won't believe anymore of her lies until I see more proof."
"Understandable." She added and focused more of her power onto Klaus' wound. "Looks like we've both been betrayed by our families. Sometimes we don't expect the ones that are closest to us to hurt us, but they end up hurting us the most." Klaus didn't reply, but he knew how family could betray him and he was now on the cusp of finding out if his sister really did summon their father.
"So, how do we find this chick?" Giuliana wondered and clicked away on the laptop that rested in her lap. Hayley sat beside her with the list of names that Elijah had tattooed on his back. Certain names were crossed out, but there was a large circle and asterisks around Clara Summerlin's name.
"Let's type it in and see what we find." The wolf handed her the list and Giuliana stroked each key on the keyboard to correctly spell out Clara's name. When she hit the 'search' button, all different results popped up, but none of them were helpful.
"Hmm, nothing. Unless I want to be her friend on Facebook." She hovered her cursor over the first link which was a total bust.
"Wait, Elijah mentioned something about her dying during the Influenza Epidemic of 1919. Put that in." Her friend typed away and the search that came back was smaller, but more specific. "Try images."
Giuliana clicked on the tab that Hayley had indicated was drawn to the first picture she saw. "Here! Take a look at this!"
The photograph showed three rows of nurses all standing proudly with their hands clasped together in front of them. Rebekah was in the photo, along with Audrey which made Hayley and Giuliana curious as to why they both worked in the sanitarium, but they focused on finding Clara. Reading the description on the side, they were able to pinpoint the nurse where she stood amongst her colleagues just as Elijah returned.
"Hey, look, I found–" Elijah stopped her with a hand gesture to signal her to be quiet and she clammed up quickly.
"You were right about the Deveraux witch." He spoke softly to her, but before she could thank him, Marcel entered the room.
"Find anything about Clara, the mystery witch?" He asked the girls.
"Not much, but what we do know is that she was a nurse at the Fleur De Lis Sanatorium." Giuliana picked up the laptop from the couch and placed it on the table. All four of them crowded around the screen and she clicked on a photo to enlarge the image.
"Recognize her?" Hayley pointed to Clara. "Top row, second from the right.
Elijah shook his head definitively. "No, I don't. Marcel?" When the vampire didn't reply, that made everyone turn to face him. It was clear that Marcel knew who Clara was; he just wasn't offering any information on how or why.
"Marcel, do I need to remind you that Niklaus and Rebekah are somewhere suffering horribly? If you know something, talk." Elijah was now standing toe to toe with Marcel while both Hayley and Giuliana were exchanging glances with one another.
"The Sanatorium. That's where you'll find them." He finally answered.
"Are you sure? How do you know?" Hayley asked him.
Marcel clenched his teeth. "I just know."
"How do you know?" Elijah questioned and the vampire's eyes darted around nervously.
"If I'm right, you need to know exactly what we're walking into. We did something, Rebekah and I. I think the witches are trying to use it against her. It was something that you're not gonna like." Those very words that left his mouth made everyone else in the room hold their breath, but Elijah was the only one who had managed to keep himself in check. His hardened expression didn't falter and he motioned for Marcel to continue.
Audrey stood leaning against the wall while Genevieve was showing Klaus more proof that he requested to prove his sister's crimes. He was now watching her perform a spell while Rebekah and Marcel looked on from behind her. Genevieve chanted the spell repeatedly and held up a newspaper clipping of Klaus and Marcel in the Ice Box before crumpling it up. She then used a wooden blade to put into the burning flame of a candle. He gasped quietly, and Genevieve knew that she had him right where she wanted him.
"What do you see?" She asked.
"My father's blade." Klaus replied. "It went missing when I was a boy. He beat me half to death, so sure I had stolen it. Rebekah was so kind to me in the weeks after the beating. I should have known she was the culprit. She never could stand weapons were things not meant for girls." He was back in the memory again just in time to see Genevieve mutter the final words before the piece of newspaper catch fire and disintegrate into the wind.
Klaus' watery eyes were staring off into the distance and his rage was bubbling just underneath his skin. He was so enraged that all he could see was red before his eyes. "My sister. Rebekah. Rebekah!"
"For the better part of a century, I have wondered how father found us, what foolish mistake that we had made to destroy our time in the one place that we could finally call home." Elijah now had Marcel against the wall in a vice grip around his throat. The vampire had come clean about what he and Rebekah did in 1919 to summon Mikael to New Orleans and Elijah was ready to rip his head from his shoulders. Marcel's body was flung across the room and into a bookcase, the force of impact made some books fall from the shelves. "Did you know, I even blamed myself for a time, Marcellus?"
"Elijah..." Giuliana warned, but she knew her pleaded would do nothing to ease his wrath.
"Niklaus treated you like a son." Elijah added.
"Rebekah. I loved her. I still love her. All we ever wanted was to be together, but as long as Klaus was around, that was never gonna happen." He told him. "But hey, I guess you wouldn't know anything about that, huh?"
"When Klaus learns the truth, there will be no end to his rage. I will not let my sister suffer that wrath." Elijah knew that Klaus would never forgive Rebekah for what she had done and he knew that it would be his job to protect his little sister.
"Then we need to get to them before he learns the truth." Marcel pointed out and as much as Elijah wanted to make him suffer, he was aware of more important matters at hand. He charged towards Marcel and grabbed him by the back of his shirt as he hauled him off the ground. He pointed to Hayley and Giuliana who were seated on the couch.
"The two of you, do not leave this house. Am I making myself clear?" They nodded wordlessly and Elijah and Marcel were gone from the house. They heard the car door slam and Giuliana rushed to the window, sliding the curtain aside to see the car speeding out of the driveway. She then turned to look back at Hayley who had a mischievous smirk on her face.
"Ready to go witch hunting?" She smirked.
"Hell, I thought you'd never ask." Hayley grinned.
"I'm sorry. I know how much this hurts. To see what she did; to see who she really is. But you needed to know. You needed to see it. And now that you have, you can take your revenge." Genevieve's words did anything to soothe the angered hybrid, but she didn't want to comfort him. This is exactly what she wanted to happen and she was ready for Rebekah to meet her end for betraying Klaus and for killing her.
Audrey stood up and rolled her long sleeve up, exposing her soft skin and she held her arm out to Klaus. "Drink." She instructed and he did. His fangs dug harshly into her, making her squirm a bit, but she let him have his fill. While he fed, Genevieve undid the bounds that held him down, letting them hang off the chair. He grasped her arm and yanked her closer to him, sucking down large quantities of her blood to get his strength up to par. His amber gaze burned through her soul and her breath caught in the back of her throat.
Before she knew what had hit her, she was thrown into the cement wall with Klaus' hand wrapped firmly around her neck. Some trails of blood dribbled from his mouth and his hybrid features were now gone. Audrey was about to speak, but the added pressure of Papa's Tunde's blade against her throat made her think twice. Klaus had snagged it from the table to use it against the women who held him captive, but he could only choose one to inflict his wrath upon. Genevieve shifted unsurely from behind Klaus, not knowing if he was going to stab her friend or his little sister who was running through the halls of the sanatorium, but Audrey's face remained stone still, so she stood her ground.
Klaus moved the blade downwards, slowly trailing the sharp point over her soft skin, as if deciding where to make his mark. He could hear her heartbeat ringing loudly and even though her face didn't show it, fear was evidently running through her veins. The blade was now pressed firmly against the top of her breast, where her heart was thudding wildly and he leaned in dangerously close to her. Their eyes met, locked in an intense stare and she let the smallest moan pass her lips when he dug the blade into her. He didn't break the skin, but it was just to signal to her that he was now in control.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished from their sights, leaving nothing but a gust of air that felt cool against Audrey's cheek. She placed a hand where he held the blade and was relieved to feel no blood or no mark. Genevieve was relieved too, but now her plan was set back in motion as she heard Klaus screaming for his sister as he charged down the hallways.
"Elijah's gonna kill us." Hayley muttered and pulled her coat tighter around her body.
"Don't you dare chicken out on me now. You said it yourself; Celeste was the one who put the curse on your family. Granted, she was living inside someone else, which is totally creepy, but she is the key to helping your family." Her friend replied in a hushed whisper. Shortly after Elijah and Marcel left, the girls gathered some supplies before heading out to the sanitarium. Now, they were waiting in the shadows with shovels and ropes in hand for Celeste to make herself known.
"But admit it, when Elijah finds out about this..."
"You mean, if he finds out." Giuliana corrected her and Hayley was going to reply, but they heard someone exiting the building and walking along the grass. Giving each other the signal, they each took their positions in the shadows and waited with bated breath. The footsteps got closer and closer and Giuliana's palms were getting clammy, but she gripped the shaft of the shovel harder. She kept her eyes on the figure that came toward them and it was undoubtedly a woman. Upon closer inspection, it was confirmed that the woman was indeed Celeste. Giuliana waited just a little moment longer until Celeste was in reach before taking her swing.
Thunk!
Celeste hit the floor like a sack of potatoes and didn't move a muscle, but Giuliana hit her in the back of the head once more to make sure she was really unconscious. Hayley then stepped in and the girls tied her wrists and ankles tightly before connecting them together. They knew that Celeste was a tricky one and they wanted to make sure that she wouldn't get away. Once she was all tied up, they carried her to the car and tossed her in the trunk. The girls started the car and Giuliana looked to her friend who was in the passenger seat.
"Where to?"
Hayley's gaze flicked up to look in the rearview mirror to make sure that no one had exited the building yet and she finally replied.
"The bayou."
Hello my lovelies! Did you watch the premiere of The Vampire Diaries?! I DID and I am so ready to finish up this story and start on season 6. I already have some plans for the first episode and I am hoping to wrap up this story quickly :) How'd you like this chapter? Please review :)
VampirePrincess11: Shit is totally going down soon! Stay tuned and thanks for reviewing!
Kayla:Thank you, girl! Happy Belated Birthday :) Thank you again for reviewing!
grapejuice101: I know, right?! Everyone finally figured out about Katherine's tricks and Damon now has to come to terms with his actions. Thanks for reviewing :)
SomebodyWhoCares: I agree with you 100%, honey ;) They should mess with Katherine's head since she messed with all of theirs. Thank you for reviewing!
mc hamma fly: Thank you, my dear xoxo :) Hope you're doing well!
marlene: Thanks for reviewing! Glad to hear that you loved the chapter :)
Guest: Thank you so much! Yeah, I wanted my readers to understand that Damon will protect his family no matter what. Damon was also struggling with the idea of fatherhood and this chapter showed that he is ready to be a father.
Guest: I wouldn't call it the power to transfer her memories, but it was a way her telling Damon exactly what happened that night. I know which chapter the baby is going to be born and everything leading up to that episode (chapter) can't really be skipped. Don't worry, it'll all happen according to plan :)
21angle: Thank you, love! Glad you liked it :)
Guest: Thanks for reviewing! I think that Damon and Cassandra will be wonderful parents to their baby. I can imagine that they would be protective over her because she is a miracle baby and it is their first child.
elisesellas: Hello there! Thank you so much for the positive vibes! I'm loving them and sending tons to you as well! Yes, Damon and Cassandra are trying to talk things out which is something that I have always liked about their relationship. They are very strong and have a great connection even through everything that they have been through. Thank you again for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)
Guest: For a second, I read Don and was like...who the heck is that?! LOL! No worries though ;) Damon will definitely show a different side of him when the baby is born and I think readers will really eat it up :) Thanks for reviewing!
21 angle: Here is some Giulijah for ya ;) Hope you liked it! There will be some Dassandra in the next chapter too! Thanks for reviewing!
DritneyForever: The fact that you said that you liked this story better than the show is so amazing and I am absolutely over the moon :) Thank you so, so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reviewing :D