Bring Me To Life
Dance Back From The Grave:
The distant sound of chattering could be heard coming from the courtyard of the Abattoir as a group of vampires gathered together awaiting the arrival of their newfound King. The atmosphere was dampened, muted from the normal boisterous commotion that filled the compound and everyone could feel the sadness in the air from the loss of Davina.
The pain radiating from their former king, their friend was evident as he slowly ambled down the stairs to the ground floor, a bottle of bourbon dangling from his hand and a blank expression on his face. There was an aura surrounding Marcel that couldn't be denied. There was a weight on his shoulders, a burden of grief that hadn't been there before Davina's death.
Diego looked up from the conversation he was having when he heard footsteps descending the stairs and immediately stood up at the sight of Marcel, a small amount of relief fuelling him as he approached the other vampire. "Hey, Marcel, maybe you know what's going on. Klaus ordered us to meet here, and now he's a no-show."
"What do you want from me? It's a new regime. Get used to it." Marcel replied shortly, his voice hoarse with anguish as he slumped down into one of the vacant seats at an empty table and Diego shook his head slightly in dissatisfaction as he looked away from the distraught former king. It was unnerving to see Marcel, the man that every vampire in the French Quarter looked to for guidance and hope for a brighter future, looking so dejected.
"Dearest brethren, your attention, please." Klaus' accented voice reverberated throughout the courtyard, causing everyone to look over at the large entrance in slight annoyance. The hybrid stood with a pompous smirk on his lips, his hands clasped behind his back and next to him stood a familiar face that made the vampires pause. "No doubt, you're all surprised to see Thierry Vanchure, who's supposed to be rotting in the Garden for the crime of killing one of our own, and I personally decided to issue him with a pardon. I hope you'll all welcome home Thierry."
A joyous cheer erupted from the crowd of gathered vampires, all of them shock but pleased by the turn of events and Thierry grinned widely as Diego strolled forward to embrace him in a brotherly hug. "Welcome home, man."
Marcel ignored the guilty churn of his stomach as he turned his gaze away from the uniting pair, feeling responsible for leaving Thierry in the garden for so long after learning the truth from Klaus. It infuriated him how easily he fell for the hybrids manipulation, how he was manoeuvred like a chess piece by the sociopath who raised him. It irritated him how Klaus was smiling like an idiot next to him while he was sinking further into the darkness. "You're in a good mood. You should visit Mystic Falls more often."
"Well, as much as I might like to, I have pressing responsibilities here." Klaus replied with a wide grin on his lips, his mind going back to a forest in West Virginia and a beautiful blonde that made his pulse race with just one smile. It was a precious moment, one that he would hold on to, but it was only a moment and he had important things that needed his attention in the French Quarter.
A blank mask fell over his expression as he straightened his shoulders, creating a façade of emotionless and turned around to address the assembled crowd of vampires as he held his chin up high. "Now, as you all know, the witch Davina is no longer with us. Without Davina, we can no longer monitor the activity of our witch neighbours. However, since their Harvest failed, their magic will soon be gone forever. Until then, I say we keep them on their toes. Diego, I wonder if you might lead a rousting in the cauldron."
Diego grinned widely at the veiled order as he immediately set off to the side of the courtyard with a group of other vampires who wanted in on the rousting and began planning the attack for later that day when the witches would be less prepared for them.
At the moment of the words 'witch' and 'Davina' were uttered Marcel's already dark mood became completely obscured in depression and he roughly grabbed the half drunken bottle bourbon that was on the table top as he stood up from his seat. Just hearing her name sent a sharp pain straight through his chest, reminding him that she was gone forever and that he would never again see her smiling face greeting him as he walked into the room. Agony, guilt, hurt, anger. Every emotions in existence swirled violently inside of him like a whirlpool, each one struggling to be the one that came out on top.
Klaus silently watched the minuscule flash of emotion on Marcel's face, worried over the other vampire's mentality and knowing firsthand how hard it was to lose the person you thought of as your own child. "Marcel, I'd hoped you would join Diego."
"Nah. I'm gonna take a personal day." The former king informed him curtly, sparing him only a glance as he knocked his shoulder against Klaus' while pushing pass on his way out of the room. A scowl spread across the hybrids lips, visibly annoyed with Marcel's attitude and he clenched his hands into fists as he watched the younger vampire leave.
Marcel took a swig of his bourbon, letting the alcohol burn its way down his throat as he enjoyed the numbing warmth in the pit of his stomach and he strolled aimlessly through the labyrinth that was the Abattoir.
On a usual day, he would be more concerned over a rousting of the witches, especially when it was an order given by Klaus, but he just couldn't bring himself to care. There was now only one witch alive that he gave a damn about and every supernatural in the French Quarter knew that if anything were to happen to Imogen Claire, hell would rain down upon them from all angles.
For the first time since the fateful night Davina had died Marcel's lips upturned into something resembling a smile when he caught sight of Imogen strolling in the compound as though she owned the world. "Hey, pretty girl. What are you doing here?"
"I'm bored. Is that bourbon? Hand it over!" she demanded quickly as she approached him with her hand outstretched, her blue eyes narrowing in on the bottle in his hand and she snatched it out of his hand without waiting for an answer. He watched with a raised eyebrow as she lifted the glass to her lips and took a few greedy sips of the amber liquid.
While she was distracted he took the time to sweep his gaze over her features, studying the dark circles underneath her eyes, the pale pallor of her skin and the dullness of her normally bright blue eyes. It was obvious to anyone that she wasn't sleeping properly, the tired shadows gracing her face were proof enough and the haunted look in her eyes told the truth even though Imogen never would.
Imogen sighed happily with her eyes closed as she lowered the bottle down to her side, smiling slightly as she enjoyed the familiar burning sensation and she opened her eyes as she offered the vampire in front of her a grateful look. "Thank for that. Elijah sent someone over to scour my apartment and confiscate all of my alcohol this morning. And how am I meant to drink all day if I don't start in the morning?"
"Why'd he do that?" Marcel asked in confusion with a frown on his lips as he accepted the bottle back from her and she scowled briefly as she glanced away to the side before meeting his gaze evenly.
"He's afraid I'm going to drink myself to death."
"Are you?" he asked her in a hesitant voice, worry and dread failing to mask itself as they battled inside of him. It bothered him that he had neglected to notice how hard Imogen had taken her sister's death. He had been so focused on his own pain, his own loss that he hadn't really thought about how Imogen was handling herself. It bothered him that Elijah was the one who had taken notice, that it was Elijah who was taking care of her when she needed someone to care.
"Please." she replied easily with a scoff as she rolled her blue eyes dismissively and he raised an eyebrow at her questioningly as she reached up to pat his cheek patronisingly with a pout on her lips. "You know I'd do something a bit more original, more unique."
"That doesn't make me feel better." He told her incredulously with a shake of his head as she offered him a tight sarcastic smile and she pressed a kiss to his cheek as she started walking around him with an amused glint in her eyes.
Imogen took a deep breath as she continued down the corridor towards the staircase to the second storey, she had been nervous about her first run in with Marcel after losing Davina but talking to him had felt almost normal. It was only for a moment, a few brief sentences but normality was a foreign concept for her lately and it was nice not to be troubled with preoccupying memories of Davina for a minute.
A familiar sounding burst of laughter echoed from the courtyard underneath the balcony Imogen was standing on and the witch's forehead furrowed in confusion as she strolled over to the overlooking railing, her gaze sweeping over the crowd until it landed on a familiar blonde vampire being revered by a group of other vampires. "Thierry?"
"That's right." An accented voice confirmed from behind her as the sound of heels approaching alerted Imogen to Rebekah's presence and she looked over her shoulder with a small smile as the blonde stopped next to her at the railing. "Funny how you're going through the most difficult time of your life and yet, Niklaus looks as though he's swallowed a pocket full of sunshine."
Imogen's gaze drifted towards where the Original hybrid was standing to the side of the room with a large grin on his lips, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched over his subjects and she frowned slightly as she narrowed her eyes at him in consideration. There was something different about him, something had changed within him and he seemed lighter somehow, less bothered or angry at the world. The tight lines that were once presence on his face were relaxed and his light blue eyes had lost the enraged silhouettes that had been hidden deep within him no matter how hard he tried to hide it from the world.
The witch didn't know if his improved mood would last if something out of his control were to happen, having observed his need to control every situation and aware that he reacted to the unknown with suspicion and violence. If there was anyone who knew that better than anyone, it was the blonde Original standing beside her and Imogen looked over at her with a sympathetic smile on her lips as she tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "I suppose it's better than having him slaughtering the entire French Quarter. If you want something it'd be a good time to ask for it."
"Who do you think convinced Klaus to let Thierry out?"
"Why the hell would you do that?"
"Because, despite Klaus' reprieve, Thierry despises him. I like that about Thierry." Rebekah told the brunette with a slightly upturn of her lips, her cerulean blue eyes giving away the sadness and anger inside of her. "I also like that he used to date a witch, so he knows about French Quarter covens. Maybe he can lead me to whoever stole off with the Harvest magic. There was no outcome. We both know that power like that doesn't just vanish. I say someone stole it. I'd like to know who, and then I'd like to make an ally out of them."
"An ally? You building an army, Bekah?" Imogen asked her quietly as she turned her body to face her friend, glancing around to make sure no one was nearby to overhear the treachery they were discussing.
"I'm tired of being threatened and controlled by my tyrant brother. He's in a brilliant mood now, but for how long? It's his trick, Imogen. He lulls you into a false sense of camaraderie and kinship, and then he turns on you like a snake. I fall for it every time and wind up with a dagger in my chest for my trouble. No more. If you want to stop a bully, you need the power to stand up to them."
"I understand that, Rebekah, I do, but if this is your build up to a recruitment speech, you can count me out. I'm not choosing sides. This civil war is only going to end in disaster. I just want to get myself together, wait for the acceptance letters of graduate school and then I'm going to do what Davina wanted us to do and get the hell out of New Orleans while I still can."
"You're leaving?" the Original asked in shock as she spun around rapidly to face the witch, her lips parted into a small 'o' and her blue eyes wide with surprise but there was a hidden insecurity behind the wall of indifference. Her chest constricted with unease as she looked over at one of the only people she could honestly call her friend and she forced herself to look composed because she completely understood Imogen's desire to leave.
"There's nothing here for me anymore." Imogen murmured sadly as she reached out to squeeze Rebekah's hand gently with a small smile on her lips and the blonde's frown deepened in confusion as her fingers tightened around the brunette's hand.
"What of your magic?"
"I don't care about my magic, Rebekah. The only benefit of having magic was that it made it easier to protect Davina. Now, Davina's gone and I can protect myself just fine without it." she replied with a faltering sense of confidence as she offered Rebekah a fleeting smile, trying to look more assured than she felt inside. "I'll make my own magic."
"That's a positive outlook. I'm surprised by how well you're coping." Rebekah said quickly, hoping to divert the subject away from her friend's departure but then she grimaced to herself for stepping onto a conservational landmine.
Imogen stiffened instantly at the passing comment of Davina's death as she let her hand drop from Rebekah's and she cleared her throat delicately as she looked away from the blonde's guilty expression. "I'm doing better than I was."
"Imogen, I'm sor – "
"Listen, I gotta go." The witch interrupted the Original hurriedly as she tucked a strand of brunette hair behind her ear without looking at the blonde, feeling a pang of guilt in her chest when she saw the downcast expression on Rebekah's face. "I'll see you later. Maybe we can grab dinner?"
"Yes, absolutely! Dinner sounds fabulous." Rebekah agreed quickly with a grin spreading across her lips as her cerulean blue eyes lit up in delight and Imogen nodded once in return with a small smile as she squeezed the blonde's arm when she passed.
It had never been more evident how starved for affection the youngest Original really was, how she craved even the slightest hint of acceptance. The story of the Original family was renown throughout the supernatural world and Imogen knew that the family dynamics had left each of them with a number of psychological issues no therapist could hope to diagnose. Each of them uniquely scarred by the trauma of all they'd been through in the last thousand years. It was fascinating for Imogen to observe the three of them, both individually and when they interacted with one another.
Imogen paused at the closed double doors to what used to be Davina bedroom, the one place besides the St Anne's church attic that still had some of Davina's presence. Since Imogen was in the process of renovating the house they had grown up in, trying to destroy any semblance of their childhood and Davina had never been to her apartment in the French Quarter, the Abattoir was the only place Davina had called home before her death.
Their was an unmistakable tension in the atmosphere, like an almost cold chill making her shiver as she slowly pushed open the door and she stopped in the doorway as she looked around the room with wide eyes. It looked the same as it always did, clean and tidy with the only personal touches being the canvases leaning up against the wall. Nothing in the room screamed Davina but there was still an undeniable presence of the young witch.
"Come on, Imogen. You can do this." the brunette whispered to herself as she exhaled sharply with a determined expression, her hands curling into fists as she forced herself to walk further into the room.
The erratic beating of her heart mad her chest vibrate as she carefully made her way towards the stacked canvases by the wall and she crouched down in front of them as she bit down on the corner of the her lower lip. Art had always been Davina's preferred method of expressing herself and even as a child she had excelled at every form of artwork, forcing Imogen to help her create sculptures, sketches, collages, drawings and paintings. It was one of the things that bonded the two of them together, one of the things that Imogen had passionately encouraged. The artist's world was limitless, full of endless possibilities and allowed someone to find themselves and lose themselves at the same time.
Imogen sniffled slightly as she cleared her throat delicately, her nimble finger quickly flicking through the canvases as she glanced at the pictures absently until her gaze landed on the numerous charcoal sketches of Celeste. With the portraits firmly in her grip she strolled over to the large bed in the middle of the room and climbed into the centre of the bed on her knees before sitting with her back resting against the pillows. She laid each scrap of paper down on the comforter, placing them side by side in order like she was completing a jigsaw puzzle and she smiled subtly as she sat back to study the talented illustration of the once powerful witch.
Premonition was a common power among witches, the act of divining future, past, and present events based off extrasensory perception, the practice of divination through the observation and study of dreams and if Davina had the ability to channel the power into her artwork, there was a high probability of Celeste's picture having a greater meaning.
The witch folded her legs underneath her body as she leaned forward to get a better look at the sketches and tilted her head to the side thoughtfully as she softly hummed the tone to Like A Prayer by Madonna.
"There you are." A familiar melodic voice greeted her from the doorway to the bedroom and her head snapped up from the pictures, blinking in surprise at the eldest Mikaelson's sudden appearance.
Elijah leaned his shoulder on the doorframe to Davina's old bedroom in a neatly pressed suit, his arms crossed over his chest and a subtle smile playing on his lips as he silently observed the minor changes in her expression. Every movement had him memorised. The way she absently nibbled gently on her lower lip, the way she tapped some nonsense tune on her thigh, the way her eyes drifted over the parchment to analyse every little detail. Even when sitting still humming to herself she radiated potential energy.
"Here I am." Imogen greeted him back in amusement with a slight smirk pulling at her lips as she tucked a strand of brunette hair behind her ear and his own smile grew at the familiar sound of her teasing, having missed it the last time to he had seen her.
A slightly awkward silence fell over the pair as the witch turned her attention back to her previous task and Elijah tilted his head to the side thoughtfully as he gestured with one hand towards the numerous artworks. "Davina's drawings."
"Yeah. Morbid, I know. I was just thinking... we never figured out why she drew those pictures of Celeste." She explained to him with a tired sigh escaping her lips as she gently ghosted her fingers over the sketched lines, a wistful tone in her voice as she drifted into a melancholy state.
Reality crashed back into her eyes snapped up to meet his, widening as though surprised he was still there and she diverted her gaze from his understanding oak brown eyes as she cleared her throat. She didn't want understanding, pity or sympathy because she knew that having someone treat her as though she was a fragile glass waiting to break would lead to one of two things. Either she would crack into a million pieces, unconceivable and unable to be put back together. Or she would hit back twice as hard to prove she was fine, shatter any doubt anybody had about her and most likely destroy any relationship she had with those people. For some reason she didn't want Elijah to be one of the people steamrolled in her mission to prove something that wasn't true.
A forced chuckle passed her lips as she looked up at him with dull blue eyes, their depths missing their normal fierce glow but it was obvious that she was trying and she plastered on a teasing smile as she tilted her head to the side. "Anyway, I'm just killing time, now that you've lectured me about day-drinking."
"I would just hate to see you make any decisions that you cannot come back from." He told her softly as he straightened himself up from his slouched position in the doorway and she nodded slightly in understanding as she offered him a small quirk of her lips.
"In alcohol's defence, I've done some pretty dumb stuff while completely sober too."
"Yes, I recall you mentioning something about unspeakable acts taking place in Cabo."
"Oh, yeah." she murmured under her breath, a distant look in her eyes as though she wasn't in the room with him anymore and was remembering something from the past. "I definitely wasn't sober for that."
Elijah breathed out a genuine laugh as he ducked his head, slightly embarrassed over how easily Imogen seemed to enchant him as he watched her shake off any lingering recollections. The smile she sent his way was breathtaking, lighting up her whole face for the first time since Davina's death and he found himself grinning back at her with the same level of enthusiasm. It was nice to be at ease in his own home because more often than not he found himself worrying about the other vampires in residence and how they would perceive him, how he would hold up to his reputation. Conversing with Imogen felt like freedom to him, like he was able to be himself without worrying about how she would judge him.
"I'm sorry. Was there something you needed, or are you just taking a walking tour of bedrooms in the compound?" Imogen asked him jokingly as she shifted on the bed to get more comfortable, a small smirk on her lips as she gestured around the room with both arms raised out to her sides.
"Yes, and I was told I could collect my headphones for the audio tour here." He replied easily as he straightened the sleeve of his suit jacket, a smirk spread across his lips and her laughter washed over him like a tidal wave as he soaked in the glorious sound. "Truthfully, I ran into Rebekah on her way out and she informed me of your arrival. I was hoping to exploit your expertise."
"Hmm. That sounds promising." She retorted cheerfully with a coy grin spread across her lips as she climbed up onto her knees and he raised an eyebrow at her words as he pulled his cell phone out of his inside jacket pocket.
"Two nightwalkers were killed." he told her carefully as he approached the edge of the bed, aware that she was on friendly terms with more than a few of Marcel's vampire underlings and her playful aura dropped instantly as she frowned at him, her shoulders slumping in dejection. "We believe witchcraft was involved."
"Why do you suspect the witches?" Imogen asked him curiously with her head cocked to the side in question and he silently held his cell phone out towards her in answer to her query, making her reach out to accept the device.
A photograph of two dead male vampires, both grey from desiccation were on the screen but what drew the witch's focus were the matching red lines in the shape of a pentagram craved into their foreheads. A magic circle created with salt surrounded their bodies, trapping them inside with runes drawn in blood and their milky white eyes staring blankly up at nothing.
"It's a complex spell. Old-school stuff, rooted in sacrificial magic. Whoever did this to these guys, my guess is they were an offering to gain more power. More guys they kill, more power they have." She explained in a confused tone of voice as she slid her finger across the screen to change the photograph. "Sacrificial magic is an immoral form of witchcraft used to draw power from the death of the witch's victim. Depending on who or what is sacrificed, it has the potential to make the witch not only mystically enhanced, but also physically stronger. When a witch practicing sacrificial magic sacrifices a vampire, a werewolf, or a fellow witch they gain the supernatural abilities of those creatures."
Elijah hummed to himself as he listened to her soothing voice educate him on the purpose of sacrificial magic, even though he had absorbed more knowledge on the subject than she could ever hope to have. The way her blue eyes lit up when she spoke about magic, the passion in her voice, it allowed him to see the scholarly side of Imogen that she kept mostly hidden from the world. The pure wisdom that emanated from her when she was speaking about magic made her seem well beyond her mere twenty two years.
"This is some seriously powerful magic. No one in the French Quarter practices this kind of sacrificial, dark magic. The ancestors wouldn't allow it." she finished firmly with both her eyes raised as she handed his cell phone back to him and he nodded in understanding as he slipped it back into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
"Whoever did this, we will deal with them. It won't be long." Elijah told her gently with a reassuring smile on his lips, not wanting to alarm her when she was on the verge of starting to heal from Davina's death.
A scoff escaped her lips as she looked up at him in disbelief as though he had just told her that the sky was green instead of blue and she pressed her lips together in a tight line to stop from grinning at his protective nature. "I'm not worried."
The truth of the matter was that nothing out there scared her anymore because she wasn't afraid of dying, of moving on to join the ancestors on the Other Side. Her whole life she had fought to survive for one major reason and now that Davina was gone, Imogen would be more than happy to join her in the land of un-living. That wasn't to say she was going to go out looking for a man in a black robe, walking around carrying a scythe but she wasn't going to let some faceless monster dictate her life either and she would not let them have control her emotions. That wasn't the way to live and it wasn't how she wanted to live, constantly looking over her shoulder in fear.
"But, uh, if you're so concerned over my wellbeing…" Imogen started jokingly with a smile spread across her lips as she slowly rose up onto her knees, ignoring the nervous fluttering of self-doubt in her stomach. Elijah raised an eyebrow at her as he offered her his hand to help her climb down from the bed and she held back a shudder at the strange tingling sensation his touch caused as she stood in front of him. "Why don't you and I go get some coffee or something? I haven't been sleeping properly and I could use the caffeine pick me up."
The fear of rejection burned through her as she held his oak brown gaze unwaveringly, her fingers nervously twitching at her sides and she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from taking the words back as soon as they left her mouth. She had never been shy about going after what she wanted, normally walking with her head held high and confidence exuding from her expressions, her voice, her walk but something about the eldest Original turned her into an introverted teenager. She had always been a firm believer that if you didn't go after what you wanted, then you'd never get what you it and she definitely wanted to spend more time with Elijah.
"Right this way." Elijah replied after an agonising moment, his eyes shining with undisclosed happiness as a barely there smile touched his lips and he gestured towards the door with his hand as she beamed back at him.
"Come on. If you're really good I'll let you buy me some chocolate cake." She told him brightly with a wink in his direction as she flounced passed him, reaching back to grab his hand and threading her fingers through his as she forced him to follow after her.
Elijah let out a startled laugh at her exuberance as he allowed himself to be dragged out of the room and he grinned at the back of her brunette head, marvelling at how easily she could make him laugh when he couldn't even remember the last time he had found something genuinely humorous. The feel of her hand in his caused sparks to glide over his skin, a sensation that had him confused beyond measure but the unknown didn't frighten him, especially when it involved Imogen.
"I just have to be back in time for dinner." Imogen murmured to herself thoughtfully as she looked over at her shoulder at him and he raised an eyebrow at her statement as they headed towards the staircase.
"Do you have a curfew I don't know about, darling?"
The endearment caught them both by surprise. Imogen inhaled sharply as her chest tightened with warmth, her eyes instantly seeking out his and Elijah's forehead wrinkled in confusion at the slip of the tongue but on the surface it felt right. It felt normal to address the witch so intimately, it was just a natural response that he didn't even notice. He had always been so careful of his articulation, it was a necessity when making deals constantly but when he with Imogen he didn't have to scrutinise every word out of his mouth and it was a nice reprieve to be around someone he didn't have to please continually.
"Uh, no. No, I'm meant to be having dinner with Rebekah tonight." Imogen explained hesitantly as she blinked in surprised, turning away from him because she didn't want to see the regret flash across his expression. She liked the way his voice wrapped around the word 'darling', she liked the way his voice filled with affection when addressing her. "I suggested it. I think I could use a dose of normal at the moment. And some supervised drinking."
"You can do what you wish, Imogen. I'm concerned for you, but you are in control of your own choices." He reminded her gently as he slightly tightened his hand around hers, not liking the harshness behind her words even though she tried to cover it up with humour.
A smile spread across the witch's lips as she came to an abrupt stop, causing him to run into her back before he caught himself and she spun around to face him with her head tilted to the side thoughtfully. "You might just be the only man in existence not trying to get the girl liquored up so you can take advantage of her."
"Oh, Imogen." Elijah murmured softly with a smirk pulling on his lips as he stepped closer to her, the heat from her body making him suppress a shiver and he could hear heartbeat accelerate within her chest as she bit down on her lower lip. Her blue eyes darkened with lust as she craned her neck to look up at him and her lips parted slightly in anticipation as he twirled a strand of her brunette hair around his finger. "I highly doubt I would need to lower your inhibitions in order to take advantage of you."
The witch hummed in the back of her throat as she arched into him slightly, causing their chests to bump into each other and his warm breath brushed over her lips as she pushed herself up onto her toes. She raised her hands to play with the his tie, one hand fiddling with the knot as the other ran down the length of the material and his oak brown eyes followed the movement of her tongue with rapt attention as she seductively swept it over her upper lip. "Now, really, Elijah? What kind of girl do you take me for?"
"I'm hoping one with already low inhibitions."
"It's like you can see into my soul." Imogen whispered jokingly as she pretended to look awed by his discovery and he grinned at her slightly as he cupped the back of her neck with one hand. "Do you know what I really, really want?"
"Tell me. I'll do what I can to deliver it to you." He told her quietly as he tangled his finger in her brunette hair with a serious expression on his face and she ducked her head slightly to hide her smile as a blush spread across her cheeks, surprised by the intensity in his eyes.
"I want…" she started to say with one eyebrow quirked as her fingers crept up his chest teasingly and he rose both eyebrows in question as he watched her leaned closer like she was going to reveal a secret. "…that chocolate cake."
The atmosphere surrounding them was shattered as Imogen giggled at his dumbfounded expression, dancing backwards out of his reach and practically skipping down the hallway towards the staircase. Her brunette hair floated behind her like a cape as she spun around at the top of the steps and looked back with a confused expression to where he was still standing unmoving in the middle of the corridor. "Are you coming or not?"
There was the whooshing sound of air moving rapidly as the Original sped over to where she was standing and she gasped in shock as he grabbed her around the waist from behind, lifting her up so that her legs were wrapped around his waist before running them both down the stairs. Her hands blindly reached out to grab at his lapels as she buried her face the crook of his neck, her eyes tightly closed and she felt instantly dizzy when he came to a stop on the bottom step. Imogen felt his laugh vibrate through her as she let out a shuddering breath and she slowly loosened her hold on his jacket as she lifted her head while opening her eyes hesitantly.
"That's what you get for taunting someone." Elijah whispered smugly into her ear, his warm breath ghosting across her skin as loosened his hold on her waist slightly and she rolled her eyes at him as she let her legs drop to the ground from around his hips.
"Lesson learned." She told him in annoyance as she slapped his chest in reprimand with the back of her hand and he chuckled at her indignant expression as she huffed at his amusement, causing her chest to brush against his side.
A playful smile made its way to Imogen's lips as she threaded her arm through his, both of them strolling through the compound and she couldn't remember the last time she had a purely fun relationship. Every relationship she had were tainted in some form, whether by abuse or lies or responsibility. Even the sisterhood between her and Davina had been marred with a sense of duty. There were no expectations in her relationship with Elijah and even though she had never freely admitted it out loud, she wanted someone that didn't necessary want anything from her. She wanted someone who could make her laugh so hard that her stomach hurt, someone who she could talk to without carefully weighing every word.
There were few vampires linger in the main courtyard of the Abattoir as the pair walked casually into the room, most them not even hesitating at the presence of a witch because they were all so used to Imogen visiting. She had found that right in the middle of the vampire territory was one of the safest place of her to hide from the witches without actually having to go into hiding.
Imogen pursed her lips in thought as she searched through her purse with her free hand and Elijah looked over at her with a questioning glance as she huffed in annoyance. "I forgot my phone. Can you call Rebekah for me?"
The Original raised an eyebrow at her in amusement but nonetheless reached into his jacket pocket for his cell phone as she smiled up at him and he returned the gesture as he speed dialled his younger sister at the witch's request. They slowed to a stop to the side of the courtyard as he listened to the ringing until it went on to Rebekah's voicemail message and he frowned to himself, his forehead furrowing as he hung up his phone in confusion. "Rebekah is not answering her calls."
"You worried about whoever killed those daywalkers still being out there?"
"Frankly, I'm worried that she had something to do with this. She's very displeased with Niklaus, perhaps even conspiring with others." Elijah informed her quietly as his oak brown gaze drifted over towards the table to the side of the room where Thierry was drinking alone and his expression hardened frighteningly as he detangled his arm from Imogen's. The witch sighed to herself as she watched him stalk in the direction of the newly freed vampire and she ran a hand through her brunette hair in frustration because she knew that she wasn't going to be getting her coffee any time soon.
Concern for his younger siblings burned through the older Mikaelson as he came to a stop in front of the dirty blonde haired vampire, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he felt Imogen's presence behind him and the younger vampire lifted his head when a shadow fell over him. "Thierry, is it?"
"That's right." Thierry replied warily as his gaze flickered between the imposing Original looming over him to the bored seeming witch standing behind the pair with her arms crossed over her chest.
"My sister is rather fond of you. Strange, she's not typically drawn to unremarkable men. Would you care to explain your sudden magnetism?"
"I don't know what you're—"
A frustration growl escaped Elijah's lips as he interrupted the younger vampire by grabbing him by the throat effectively cutting for the denial and pushing him against the wall directly behind them, knocking over the table as he stormed forward. "You can either tell me what you know, or I can distribute tiny pieces of you throughout the Quarter."
The breath caught in Imogen's throat as she stared wide eyed at the man in front of her, something inside of her making her freeze where she stood. There was something wild in Elijah's oak brown eyes, something primal and alluring that made her stomach tightened. The heat running through her veins was heightened by the passion, although negative, that was plastered all over his face and she bit her lower lip to stop herself from moaning out loud. It was the mixture of the almost blind rage that he was unleashing, the obvious need to protect his loved ones and the contrasting vision of him wearing that delicious suit while expressing violence that made her fear no one would ever measure up to the picture now ingrained in her mind. Her knees felt slightly weak as she internally berated herself for imagining that low rumbling growl escaping his lips while pressed up against the column of her throat, the sound vibrating through her body.
Reality struck her painfully as she snapped out of her entranced state, blinking her eyes owlishly and she shook her head to herself as she stretched out fingers from where she had them curled tightly at her side. Frustration flooded through her body as she focused on the situation at hand and she narrowed her eyes at the scene in front of her as she stalked forward in determination.
"Thierry, Rebekah is my friend, and you know how protective I am of my friends. If you know something, speak!" Imogen snapped in annoyance with a hardened expression on her face as she stepped up next to Elijah and the blonde vampire's gaze flickered down in shame before meeting her gaze for a mere second.
"She asked me to keep an eye out on witch stuff. I found something, and when I showed her, we were jumped by some guy. He desiccated her with his touch." Thierry told them in a defeated voice with a sigh as he looked between the two of them and he tried not to appear afraid even though the fury rolling off the pair in front of him was so intimidating it made him shiver.
"Like a coward, you left her." The Original stated more than asked with anger clouding his tone as he tightened his grip on the blonde's throat, the thought of his younger sister out there alone and in danger causing him to lash out in fury.
"What was I supposed to do, fight some warlock that took out an Original?"
Imogen stepped forward so that she was next Elijah as she placed a hand on his shoulder, barely noticing that he immediately relaxed slightly under her touch but still didn't release his hold on the younger vampire. The glare that she directed towards Thierry made him flinch as she narrowed her blue eyes at him and she tilted her head to the side with a tight smile on her lips. "Where was this, exactly?"
"The docks, warehouse 57." He admitted quickly as he closed his eyes in frustration and then they snapped open with panic written all over his expression as he turned his attention towards the Original brother in front of him. "I was just doing what she asked. You cannot tell Klaus about this."
Elijah's glare increased as he stole a quick glance towards Imogen in time to see her rolling her eyes at the younger vampire's plea and he straightened his shoulders as his hand tightened around Thierry's throat. After a silent moment of contemplation he twisted his hand to the left abruptly, effectively snapping Thierry's neck and ignored Imogen's startled gasp as he loosened his hand so that the momentarily deceased vampire dropped to the ground. "I shall take that into consideration."
"Dramatic, but effective." The witch murmured in approval with a deep nod of her head as she leaned forward to look at Thierry's body and she glanced at Elijah as he looked at the corpse with distain etched on his features. "Leave the body. Let's go."
"Excuse me?" Elijah asked her in confusion as he watched her start strolling purposefully towards the exit and she spun around to face him with an expression that said the answer should have been obvious.
"I'm coming with you."
"No. Stay here. The compound is safe." He replied shortly as he shook his head in answer, his mind refusing to allow the possibility of Rebekah and Imogen both being in danger at the hands of some unknown threat.
Before the words were even out of his mouth, anger had propelled the witch forward until she was only a foot away from him and her blue eyes were aflame with rage as she glowered at him fiercely. She couldn't believe that he had the nerve to command her, to try and control her like she was some fragile human that needed to be protected. She wasn't some pathetic damsel in distress that needed to be saved, she was more than capable of saving herself and she was more than capable of making her own decisions. She had defied her abusive parents when she was a teenager and she wasn't going to let someone she barely knew take away her right to choice her own path. "It wasn't a question. Rebekah is in trouble. I'm going."
Elijah stared at her for a moment in consideration as his gaze swept over her determined features and he couldn't help but notice that she looked alive for the first time since Davina's death, her cheeks her flushed, her eyes were shining with passion. Lately, it had seemed as though she was merely going through the motions, conducting herself how she assumed she should be behaving and it was a relief to see her even a fraction of the person she used to be. "Do not leave my sight. Understand?"
A small smile broke out across her lips as she nodded in understanding, her worry still buried beneath the surface but she was pleased that he was treating her more like an equal and she linked her arm with his as she began pulling him towards the doors.
A chill ran through Imogen's veins as she entered the large warehouse down by the docks, the wind blowing off of the water just outside giving the air a frigid touch and she pulled the sleeve of her jacket down to cover her hands. The large door was open as Elijah guided her inside at a hurried pace, his face emotionless but she could sense his anxiety and knew that he was concerned for his little sisters safety. It was definitely something she could identify with.
Their footsteps echoed on the cold concrete floor as they hurried further into the room, eyes sweeping around for any sign of the blonde Original. Imogen's forehead furrowed in confusion as she caught sight of a large ring of salt with a symbol inside and she grabbed Elijah arm to gain his attention, waiting for him to look at her before she started in that direction. She lifted her gaze upwards until it landed on another even larger circle of salt with the same symbols and a familiar looking vampire with desiccated grey skin lying in the centre of the ring.
"Rebekah!" Elijah shouted in horror when he caught sight of his sister lying unmoving on the ground and he rushed forward intent on getting her the hell out of there but he was propelled to a stop by the invisible barrier the salt created. A confused frown crossed his lips as he glanced down at the ground and he threw an arm out to stop Imogen from coming into contact with the barrier in case it had a different effect on humans.
"It's some kind of boundary spell. Someone is channelling her. Typically, it's a lethal process, but because she's an Original, she can't die. Instead, she's an endless source of power." The witch explained carefully as she crouched down besides the salt line with a scrutinising expression, studying the strange markings and she reached out her hand in an attempt to touch the barrier but the invisible force caused a sharp pain to run through her. She hissed in pain as she cradled her hand to her chest with a scowl and she pulled at loose thread of her magic so that she could get a read of the spell that was taking effect.
"So what are we supposed to do? We have to get her out of there and we cannot enter the circle. There's some kind of confinement spell... If I can't remove her, we can't break the link."
"It's a convoluted spell." She concluded knowingly with a straight face as she stood up from the ground and turned to the side slightly to face Elijah as she enlightened him on what she knew. "It's like a witch's recipe. You can spoil the balance by adding a more potent ingredient. A mystical binding agent. I don't know, volcanic ash, rock salt... anything up to and including eye of newt."
The Original sighed thoughtfully as he looked down at the salt line, his mind running through the possibilities until an idea came to him almost like a bolt of lightning coming from the sky and he turned to look at Imogen so quickly that she jumped back in surprise. "What about the blood of a witch?"
He watched as Imogen raised her eyebrows at him in understanding with a smirk pulling at the edge of her lips and he tilted his head to the side in question as he gently touched her elbow, his warm body barely brushing against her side. "I need a favour."
"You don't even have to ask." She told him softly as she offered him her left wrist without another word, her eyes flickering to Rebekah's unconscious face before looking back at him with a fierce heat in their depths. Elijah's fingers curled around her thin wrist, the heat of his touch making her pulse skyrocket as his oak brown irises connected with her blue ones. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to thank her for and she could read that in his eyes as he lifted her arm to his lips. She watched the dark veins under his oak brown eyes come into view, his fangs elongating as he bit down with a sickening crunch and she flinched in pain with a slight grimace as the scarlet red blood seeped out of the puncture wound.
Imogen offered him a small smile as she stepped closer to the ring of salt with him still hold her wrist tightly, the slight pressure he had her wrist keeping the blood flowing freely. Elijah held her arm out over the magically boundary as large droplets of blood fell onto the salt and it began to fizzle loudly as the line slowly deteriorated in an anticlockwise direction.
After a moment of nothing happening, Elijah gently lowered the witch's hand to her side without taking his eyes off of his sister's body and he carefully attempted to step over the line. He sighed in relief that he was able to get through as he hurried into the dispelled circle and quickly lifted Rebekah into his arms as he tried not to look at her desiccated face so that he didn't have to see her looking so helpless.
The blood around the wound on Imogen's wrist was slowly drying as she applied pressure, ignoring the stinging pain and started walking backwards as Elijah headed towards her with Rebekah cradled in his arms as though she were a precious treasure. Her eyes trained on Rebekah's face with concern burning in her blue eyes as she felt Elijah take her hand and she snapped her head around to look at him as the whooshing sounds of air displacing invaded her ears.
The fresh breeze whipped through the trees overheard as Thierry strolled down an alley with his hands stuffed in his pants pockets, his head down while his mind raced with thoughts he'd rather he didn't have. He knew that leaving Rebekah to fend for herself against that unknown warlock was wrong, but she was an Original vampire and by definition she was stronger, more durable than he was. In his opinion there was nothing wrong with a little self-preservation.
The sound of jazz music could be heard somewhere in the distance, playing in an upbeat tempo that didn't match the unnerving ambiance that was night time in New Orleans. One lone streetlight hung overhead as he turned down an abandoned alley on his way home for the night and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as the feeling of being watched washed over him. He glanced back over his shoulder cautiously with a small frown on his lips but couldn't see anyone and turned back around only to find himself pushed to the side.
A painful groan escaped his lips as his head slammed into the brick wall behind him and he blinked his eyes open to reveal two blue eyes full of anger staring at him as though they could light him on fire just by their intensity.
"Ugh! I should rip out your coward heart." Rebekah spat at him as she wrapped her hand around his throat just enough to make him uncomfortable and narrowed her eyes at him.
"What, Rebekah? We made a deal to take out your brother, but at the end of the day, it's every man for himself." Thierry defended himself as he held his hands up in surrender and her face transformed into a mask of confusion for a fleeting second before a scowl passed over her lips.
A fierce growl came from her as she roughly let go of hold on him and shoved him into the middle of the alleyway as she turned to face him with unshed tears in her eyes. "I am so sick of self-serving narcissists. Are men simply incapable of committing to an alliance?"
Rebekah was used to being let down by her brothers, by her parents, by her lovers and yet she couldn't help but feel betrayed. The one time she planned her own coup against her egomaniac brother and she was abandoned by her co-conspirator before the first act. It made her think that there was no one in the world she could trust, no one would not leave her in her time of need. Family was supposed to stand by you, to love you and protect you no matter what may come but that wasn't what she had experienced in the last thousand years of living. All she desired was for someone, anyone to give her an ounce of understanding and not look through her as though she was someone to be underestimated. She wanted to be counted on, to be relied on, to be a leader.
The sound of air displacing interrupted the silent night as Elijah appeared behind Thierry at supernatural speed and bent the younger vampire's neck backwards until it broke with a sickening crack.
Rebekah sucked in a shocked breath as she looked up at her older brother with wide blue eyes and steeled herself for the reprimand she was would be coming her way, knowing the look on his face from past instances.
"Oh, I asked you to cease these petty moves against our family, and yet you conspire with this fool." Elijah scolded his younger sister sternly as he pointed a finger at her before gesturing to the unconscious body with his hand and shook his head slightly as he looked at her in disappointment. "Is this what it's come to, making moves against your own blood?"
"Don't you try and shame me. Nik grows more powerful by the day, and you do nothing but encourage him." She counted heatedly with a slight sneer on her lips, not quite believing that he was actually trying to make her seem like the villain in the story.
"I offer him my counsel because it's clear to me that he needs to make the city our home. Now, perhaps leading these derelicts will curb some of these impulses, grant him some degree of happiness."
Tears were building gradually in Rebekah's cerulean blue eyes as she pursed her lips together in a tight line to stop herself from sobbing outright in front of him. She was hurt, angry and disappointment because she expected more from her oldest brother, the self-proclaimed noble brother. Maybe she expected too much from him, from all of them. Maybe she was living in a fantasy world instead of accepting the reality in front of her. She was tired of being disappointed and let down, she was tired of being treated as though she wasn't a priority. She was so very tired of trying.
"You always talk of Nik's happiness. Over a thousand years, he has robbed me of any chance at my own. What about me, Elijah? Am I not a concern for you?" Rebekah asked her brother heartbrokenly as a single tear fell down her cheek and she shook her head slightly at herself as she
"We all make sacrifices in the name of this family, Rebekah, but know this. I will never stand against you or Niklaus." He told her firmly as he took a step closer to where she was standing in front of him, ignoring the strong urge he had to reach out and wipe away that one stray tear with his thumb. He knew that everything she was saying was the truth, a heartbreaking truth but the truth nonetheless.
For centuries, Elijah had been attempting to balance his siblings and their happiness out accordingly. He helped Niklaus overthrow countries he just had to have under his control because the sunset hit the ocean just right and gave him the perfect light to paint in from his new study. He spent nights accompanying Rebekah to dancehalls and soiree's he had no desire to attend because she just had to see if anyone dared measure up to her new gown she'd had handmade by a seamstress he had specifically sent for from Italy for that event. He cleaned up after their messes so that their father could not track their whereabouts, he disregarded his own feelings so that he was always at their beck and call. And the one time he allowed himself the freedom to fall in love, the freedom to be himself with someone, Niklaus ended his time with Celeste in the cruellest way he knew how.
Elijah's words sent a lightning strike of disbelief and anger through her body, her nerves stood on edge as she thought of something that would make him even begin to feel the way that she felt. Call her vindictive, but she didn't want to be alone in her devastation. "What about Imogen? Nothing I conspire to do, none of my treachery will harm this family as much as your feelings for her. Or even your friendship with Hayley! You're a hypocrite, Elijah. You would choose love over family and then condemn me for doing the same."
A shocked silence fell over the siblings as they stared at each other for a moment before Rebekah spun on heel and stalked away from him without a backwards glance. He was left alone in the alley with his thoughts spinning a wicked web inside his minds. Images of Imogen flashed before his eyes: the way her eyes crinkled slight in the corner when she laughed, the amused upturn of her lips when she tried to suppress her smile, the reddening blush of her cheeks when someone paid her a compliment.
Elijah didn't want to think about what he would do if he needed to choose between Imogen and his family, because he was terrified of finding out the answer.