Chapter Thirty-One
Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or the Originals, but I do own my OCs.
Summary: Blair has been on the run for 400 years, trying to escape her past. She never stays in once place long enough, but she finds herself drawn to New Orleans and it is there that she meets the Originals. She soon finds herself drawn into their drama and ends up connecting with the Noble Original, Elijah Mikaelson. Slowburn.
ORIGINALS
The next day
Klaus was in his room, painting at a steady pace. He had been hit by inspiration the moment he woke up and he had spent all morning trying to convey the image he'd had in his head for a while. It was a painting that when complete, would be transferred to Hope's room so it had to be perfect. He stopped for a moment to examine his work, content with what he had done so far. Just as he was going to continue, there was a knock on his door.
"If it isn't urgent, go away," Klaus called out, irritated that someone would disturb him. It wouldn't be any of his family members as they knew better. It also wouldn't be Blair, Raphael or Davina as they had never stepped foot near his room.
"It's me," Hayley's voice came from behind the door.
Mentally sighing, Klaus put down his paint pallet on a nearby table. As much he would like to send her away, he knew it would be best to hear her out. "Enter,"
Opening the door, Hayley stepped through with a sombre expression on her face.
"If it's not good news then I am not interested," Klaus said dismissively, ready to turn her away. She had one job, to convince the Wolves to follow her instead of Jackson and he didn't want to hear anything negative at this point, not when he was painting.
Hayley shook her head, "The pack is split. Half of them will follow me but the other half is loyal to Jackson." After Elijah and Blair had left, there had been a massive uproar and a huge debate that lasted well into the night. The argument between her and Jackson had only stopped when he stormed off, needing a run to calm himself down. It was only that morning that some sort of decision had been reached but it left Hayley feeling shaky and unsure. She could see the logic behind the decision but her heart wasn't fully on board with the idea.
Klaus arched a brow, "And?"
Pinching her lips together, Hayley rolled her eyes at his childish behaviour, "And nothing,"
With a frown, Klaus turned to fully face the mother of his child. "Do not lie to me, Hayley. You're hiding something, so tell me what it is or get out,"
Hayley glared at him, but Klaus ignored this in favour of picking up his paint pallet once more. "There is something that can be done. If I marry Jackson, it will unite the pack and we can lead together," Before she'd even been born, Jackson had been chosen as her fiancé to create an alliance between their packs. This was something she had put in the back of her mind, far too occupied with other endeavours, but when it was brought up again, it reminded her that she hadn't actually addressed this issue with Jackson.
For a moment, Klaus paused, but then started to paint once more. "You don't sound very happy about it,"
"I don't want to marry Jackson," Hayley said as she shook her head.
"But you do care for him?" Klaus inquired.
Hayley nodded her head, "I do… but marrying him is such a big step," She did care for Jackson and she did feel a connection to him, but he wasn't who her heart longed for. Also, his behaviour the past few weeks had been unsettling so this made the whole situation harder.
Klaus continued to paint, dipping his brush into a new colour, "This is about protecting our daughter. Uniting the pack will make it more secure and ensure Hope's safety. Besides, you could do much worse than Jackson," It was unfortunate, but Klaus did admire Jackson. His loyalty to his pack was admirable and he had the trust of his packmates. It was only his recent downfall that had caused some seeds of doubt in some of the Wolves.
Falling silent, Hayley mentally weighed up her options. After a few seconds, she mentally cursed Klaus. He was right, she was doing this for her daughter and she could do much worse than Jackson – Oliver could have been Alpha. "Just… please don't tell Elijah. I will tell him when the time is right,"
Klaus inwardly sighed and shook his head. He had almost forgotten that Hayley had feelings for Elijah – glaringly obvious affections. At first, Klaus was bothered by the potential relationship as his brother had shown interest, but this was borne from jealousy. He was paranoid that Elijah would make a better father figure for his child – almost how Elijah had been a better father figure for Marcel when he was younger and before Klaus told him to back off. However, now that his brother had shown no interest in Hayley, he had calmed down, no longer worried about Elijah stealing his place. Instead, he was more bemused that Hayley hadn't realised she was no longer a contender for the noble Original's heart.
"So, your pointless feelings for my brother haven't diminished," Klaus said. Even with his back turned to her, he could feel her burning glare.
"That is not your concern," Hayley snarled angrily at him.
"Elijah does not return your feelings. He would not care if you married Jackson," Klaus continued, ignoring her growling, but everything he said was true. Elijah would not be bothered by the news because he was far too focused on someone else.
"You don't know that!" Hayley argued back, her eyes flashed between yellow and their normal brown colour.
Annoyance filled Klaus. Why he had slept with this woman was a mystery and one that he slightly regretted – Hope was the only good thing about that night. Turning to face Hayley, Klaus met her eyes unflinchingly, "You should be focusing on gaining more protection for our daughter, not batting your eyelashes at a man that has shown no interest in you since you betrayed him and made him break a promise."
Hayley flinched at his words, visibly shaken by them.
"Besides, Blair is a much better match for him. At least she hasn't slept with me," Klaus snorted, purposely striking that cord. Elijah had made it perfectly clear that he would not touch any women that had laid with Klaus as it always ended in disaster. Tatia and Katherine were the best examples.
Visibly shaking in rage and hurt, Hayley glared at him as though she wanted to kill him – which she did want to do. She didn't even care that Klaus was much stronger than her, she would give mauling him a good go. The situation was only made worse as this was the second time, she had heard those words in twenty-four hours. Jackson had made this argument when they were fighting but it had been said from a place of anger so she could dismiss those words. But Klaus' statement was like a punch to the gut.
"If you have no other news then leave me. I want to finish this painting for Hope," Klaus said, continuing his task. He wanted this finished before the end of the day and he couldn't do that if he was being distracted.
Hayley rolled her eyes at his attitude, "Just let Elijah know that we need more time to decide,"
When Klaus never replied, she huffed, turned around and walked off, fury and murder still in her eyes. However, the moment she left the compound, Rebekah walked through with a curious expression on her face.
"What was that?" Rebekah asked, confused.
Klaus groaned, unhappy with yet another intrusion. But it wasn't the worst, it was only his little sister. "What was what?"
Rebekah rolled her eyes, "You know what I mean, saying how Blair is better for Elijah," She had been walking past with no intentions of disturbing her brother while he painted. She knew better. But then she had seen Hayley heading in Klaus' direction and her curiosity won over. She had been eavesdropping the entire time and now she had some questions.
"I meant what I said," Klaus said as he continued to paint. He was finished with one section of the canvas and now he moved over the next portion of his vision.
"But why?" Rebekah questioned, "You don't even like Blair,"
For a moment, Klaus was silent as he considered his words. He was tempted to ignore his sister in favour of painting but he knew she would just persist on the matter and he would get no peace. "She is a powerful Fae. It is better to have her on our side than against us,"
Rebekah's eyes widened for a moment, shocked by what she just heard. Her brother – her crazy, paranoid and sometimes psychotic brother – was praising someone. To make matters even more shocking, he approved of Elijah and Blair as a couple, even if they weren't one currently. Klaus despised whenever someone in the family found happiness, especially when he hadn't found happiness first. It was his jealousy and his paranoia that they were no longer loyal to the family that drove him to often murder their lovers.
Sensing her shock, Klaus continued. "She has no loyalty to this family yet she has stayed. Yes, she made a promise to a friend but promises can easily be broken. Her powers are proving to be invaluable, especially her future sight. I would prefer to have her firmly under my control but she would never allow that to happen. However, she has shown an interest in Elijah."
"She'd sooner stab you in the eyes," Rebekah snorted in agreement. This was something she liked about the Fae, she wasn't enamoured by Klaus, as most women were. Rebekah had people trying to befriend her just so they could get close to Klaus and she hated it. In fact, she found Blair's dislike towards her brother to be extremely amusing and refreshing.
Klaus smirked at her comment before he sent a pointed stare at his sister, "And don't think I am not aware of you and Raphael,"
Rebekah stilled for a moment, her blood turning to ice. This was the one secret she had hoped Klaus would never find out because it never ended well for her. All her lovers always ended up dead one way or another and at times, she felt cursed. Knowing that Raphael could share their same fate made her heart clench in her chest.
However, Klaus waved dismissively. "Don't look so horrified, I will not touch him,"
"What?" Rebekah's voice was barely above a whisper.
Turning to face her fully, Klaus answered her. "I made a promise that I would not harm him and I won't unless he does something that endangers this family or betrays us." As it was, Raphael was also under the protection of Blair, who Klaus wanted to keep on his side. He knew that if he harmed Raphael for any other reason, Blair would attack and leave, leaving them without magic on their side as no doubt, Davina would leave also.
For a moment, Rebekah dared to hope that he was telling the truth and he wasn't leading her on. "Do you really mean it?"
"You've chosen well, sister dear," Klaus smirked.
Within the blink of the eye, Rebekah was gone from his room, no doubt needing to process what she had just heard. Chuckling to himself, Klaus went back to painting, his mood lifted. He loved his family and loved when they were happy – but only when he had a hand in that happiness too.
ORIGINALS
A couple of days later
Davina was sat in Rousseau's with Kol, continuing her act. She and Kol had exchanged numbers and he had asked her to come to Rousseau's and she had accepted. Davina hadn't wanted to come off too strong so didn't always answer his texts quickly – under the advice of Rebekah who said Kol found women acting too keenly was kind of off-putting. Apparently, Kol liked the chase and so far, he hadn't lost interest yet. They had been sitting in Rousseau's for the past couple of hours, talking and laughing. Surprisingly, Davina found Kol to be quite funny. He had a quick sense of humour about him and he would say things she wouldn't expect. It was weird, he would sometimes act like the rest of his family but seemed so different at the same time.
Her phone went off, receiving yet another text. Mentally, Davina groaned. She didn't even need to look at her phone to know who it was. It was Timothy. For the past two weeks, he had been messaging her none stop, wanting to talk and get back together. Davina had broken up with him on purpose and she was mostly over him but he hadn't fully received that message yet, believing they had broken up because she had been grieving at the time – which she had been.
Hearing the phone vibrate, Kol looked down. "Let me guess, parents?"
Davina shook her head, "Definitely not my parents," Mentally she snorted. She didn't have parents, they had basically abandoned her, but she had found people who cared for her. The parental figures in her life were Blair and Elijah – both making sure she had everything she needed and treated her with compassion and warmth. However, she wasn't going to spill her soul to Kol of all people.
"Ah, you don't have a good relationship with them," Kol guessed.
"My guardians are much better than my biological family," Davina admitted with a tight smile.
Kol nodded his head in understanding, "I haven't got a good relationship with my family either. My mother's a control freak. She is the reason why I stopped practising magic,"
For a moment, Davina paused. "You're a Witch?" She had been able to sense that he had magic – a decent level of power too. But for him to just reveal such a thing out in public was shocking and it shook her.
Kol grinned and leaned forward in his seat, "I didn't just ask you out because you're gorgeous," His words made Davina's face flush red, "We're kindred souls, you and I,"
"How so?" Davina asked with a smirk, silently asking him to continue.
Taking the bait, Kol continued, "I know your story, Davina. You're practically famous. You're the Harvest girl who told them all to shove it and then got taken under the protection of a Fae – a right rebel you are,"
Pride filled Davina. She had been through a lot and done a lot in that time too, but she was also thankful to Blair. If she hadn't been under the Fae's protection, she had no idea what would have happened to her. Maybe she would still be with the Coven that tried to kill her or maybe on a vengeful path for what happened to her. But she would rather not know as she was happy with this path.
"You and I are a lot alike," Kol continued with a small grin, "I don't really believe in rules and authority. Your courage should be celebrated."
"Thank you," Davina said, her smile more genuine than she planned. She held Kol's gaze, not able to look away from him. If she didn't know any better, she would have assumed that Kol was being sincere with his words and she had to remind herself that this was not the case. However, Kol was actually quite charming and she was having to constantly remind herself that this was all pretended, that he was just using her to get the white oak stake, which Blair owned. Blair told no one where the weapon was, not even her or Raphael, which was better for everyone.
Just then, Davina felt a flicker of magic enter the bar. Looking around, Davina spotted some Witches – familiar faces from her old Coven. There was at least ten of them that entered the bar, and all their eyes immediately focused on her. This raised the hairs on the back of her neck – she needed to get out and now. Quickly looking over to the bar, Davina saw that Camille was not working that night, a small relief. However, Raphael was not with her tonight, she had said she wouldn't need him and now she regretted that decision. It seemed as though there was no one in the bar anymore, as they all seemed to leave, even the staff just left with glazed-over eyes. Turning her gaze to Kol, she glared at him, assuming that this was his plan, but she saw that he was just as baffled as she was. In that instant, she knew that he had no idea what was happening either. This made her feel relieved but even more confused than before.
'Raphael, I need you here, now!' Davina called in her mind. Silently, she was thankful for the connection.
'On it,' Raphael replied instantly.
Relieved that she would have backup shortly, she turned to Kol. "We need to leave, now," Davina said as she stood up from her seat.
"Agreed," Kol stood up with no hesitation. He had no idea what was going on, but even he could sense that these Witches weren't here for a quiet drink.
However, before they could leave, they were blocked by the Witches. The hoard of Witches had circled around Davina and Kol, effectively trapping them. Davina glared at the one in front of her, "Move, now,"
The male Witch smile was sickly sweet, "What's the rush? Why don't you stay awhile longer?" Reaching out, he touched Davina, as though this would make her change her answer.
Scowling, Davina's glare turned harsher, "Don't touch me," Using her other hand, Davina used her magic to give the Witch an aneurysm. She watched in satisfaction as the male Witch groaned and fell to the ground, clutching his head in pain.
However, this seemed to incite the other Witches. They started to close in them, hatred burning in their eyes. Kol looked down at Davina, "Can you do that to the rest of them?"
"Maybe a few at a time, but not all of them," Davina answered nervously. While her magic had grown under Blair's tutelage, she couldn't take down all ten of them in one go.
Just then, another male Witch reached out and grabbed Davina. This male was large and bulky, and one that Davina didn't recognise at all. However, before he could do anything, Kol grabbed his hand and snarled, "Keep your hands off her,"
The man glared at Kol and tried to push him away. However, Kol swung back his arm and punched the male Witch with such force that he broke the man's nose. "Bastard!" A Witch cried and used her magic in anger. The magic picked up Kol and sent him flying into the bar, where he crashed into a pile of glasses which easily shattered under the force. Kol groaned at the landing, mentally cursing his weakness as a Witch and human.
"K-Kaleb!" Davina cried out his fake name. She had almost shouted out his real name but managed to correct herself.
The Witches continued to advance on her but she refused to give in. Using her magic, Davina brought down a few of the Witches but had to stop when she saw that a few of them were resisting her magic. Davina mentally cursed, Esther had probably planned this and gave them the tools necessary to combat her powers.
Just then, the door to the bar burst open and a powerful wave of magic filled the room. "Touch her again and everyone in this room dies," Blair stepped through the door with Raphael by her side, her eyes blazing a purple colour.
Davina sighed in relief whereas Kol watched from behind the bar in awe.
Like a blur, Raphael sped towards the Witches, knocking three unconscious in a matter of seconds. Blair walked forward, magic rippling around her in waves. Blair summoned two water whips and grabbed three Witches before throwing them away like ragdolls, much to Davina's delight. It didn't take long before all the Witches were unconscious or heavily injured. None of them was extremely powerful and so it made easy work. Blair was almost disappointed. The only slightly interesting thing was that each Witch had an amulet that gave them slight protection against Witch magic, but not Fae magic – a fatal error. Blair was pretty sure she had snapped the neck of at least four Witches – not that she cared much. They had attacked Davina and it was her right to get retribution.
"Are you okay?" Blair asked as she approached Davina. Her eyes had turned back to their normal colour, but they were examining the young Witch for any visible injuries.
Davina nodded her head, "I am alright now,"
Blair nodded her head, relieved that nothing had happened. She was about to say something when movement caught her eye. For a moment, she thought they had missed a Witch but then Blair spotted Kol, partially hiding behind the bar, watching them. "Raphael, take Davina back. I will clean up,"
"Come on, we'll grab some ice cream on the way back," Raphael offered with a smile.
With a smile, Davina left with Raphael, needing that hit of ice cream. For her, ice cream could cure anything, including a bad night and an attack by Esther. It was only when she and Raphael were already out the door that she realised she had forgotten something.
'But what about Kol?' Davina asked in her mind.
'Blair will take care of him,' Raphael answered with ease.
Davina nodded her head and continued on her way to the ice cream parlour. Luckily, it was still open so she could indulge her sweet tooth.
Once they were gone, Blair turned her head to face Kol. "Either come out now or I will make you,"
Slowly, Kol crept out from behind the bar, his gaze trained directly on her. He was watching for the slightest movement in case she would attack him. As a Vampire, he had consumed many Fae – their blood being the most delicious thing he had ever tasted – and he was used to being the predator when coming across a Fae. But now, he wasn't a Vampire and didn't have the strength or speed to help him. For once, he was at the mercy of a Fae, something he thought would never happen.
Blair examined Kol with a critical eye. He looked exactly as she drew him; the only difference was the large laceration on his forehead and bent wrist. "Come here,"
"I'm good here, love," Kol answered with an easy grin.
"So, you don't want your wounds healed?" Blair arched a brow.
This caused Kol to be silent. He rolled his wrist, testing it, and winced at the sharp pain. When he had been launched into the bar by the Witch, he had landed on his wrist. He was pretty sure he had heard something snap and it enraged him. If he had been a Vampire, this wouldn't have happened and if it had, he would have already been healed. His mother had cautioned him about the Fae, but at that moment, he didn't care about his mother's warnings. He was hurt and she was willing to heal him.
"It's not going to cost me anything?" Kol asked with a glare.
Blair smirked slightly, "No, not this time. You tried to protect Davina, that is payment enough,"
Finding this acceptable, Kol walked forward, limping slightly. It appeared as though he had hurt his ankle during the landing as well. Kol stopped once he was in reaching distance and took Blair's outstretched hand. Once he took her hand, Blair's eyes glowed a purple colour and instantly, he could feel her magic. It was warm and soothing. Kol couldn't help but close his eyes and relax as she healed him. He could feel the ache in his ankle and wrist disappear within seconds and the stinging pain on his head vanished.
Once he was fully healed, Blair pulled her hand away and Kol opened his eyes. "Mention nothing of what you saw here," Blair said, staring at Kol in the eyes as she did.
Kol nodded his head, "No one will hear anything from me," If his mother heard he had contact with the Fae, she would not be impressed and would be likely to punish him. Finn would be insufferable – even more than usual – if he heard he'd been near the Fae their mother hated so much.
"Good," Blair nodded her head, satisfied with his answer. Turning away from him, Blair's eyes glowed purple once more as she waved her hand. In an instant, the bar started to repair itself. All the broken glass looked brand new and any broken furniture was fully repaired. The next step was to vanish the bodies, sending them to a nearby alley way. It looked as though a fight had never happened at all – just as Blair wanted it to look.
Kol watched in fascination as he missed nothing.
When everything was fixed, Blair turned away to walk off. However, before she could make it a few steps, Kol stopped her. "Why is Davina under your protection?"
Turning her head, Blair looked at the Original, "Why do you ask?"
"Fae and Witches are meant to hate one another," Kol explained with a frown on his face, "Yet you've given protection to a Witch,"
"Davina is special, as I am sure you've noticed," Blair responded, finding his question fair.
Kol nodded his head in agreement. Davina was special and she fascinated him. She defied all expectations and didn't care who she offended. To boot, she was gorgeous and smart. A person would have to be blind not to notice how special Davina was.
"I give protection to those who deserve it," Blair said.
Kol was silent, taking in her words.
Blair was about to walk off but she stopped in her tracks. For a moment, she considered her next words carefully and a plan hatched in her mind. "If you find you're in need to help, come and find me,"
Eyes widening, Kol couldn't hide his surprise at her words. "Why would I need your help?"
"You're obviously interested in Davina." Blair rolled as eyes, as if she found his affections for her ward to be annoying, "So I want you to be useful for her," Davina's first boyfriend, Tim, wasn't useful in the slightest and eventually had to go. He could bring nothing to the relationship nor could he protect her. Blair hadn't been a fan of Tim but Davina cared for him so she said nothing.
Falling silent, Kol stared at Blair, as if he was trying to decipher her. He watched as Blair walked off and he had to stop himself from calling out to her. Her words rattled him, as much as he hated to admit it. Shaking his head, Kol left the bar, knowing that he had to speak with his mother and brother – who had so obviously orchestrated this entire debacle.