"That's not possible."
Elijah ignored his brother's denial. He'd known coming into this that it was just one more thing he would need to get Niklaus to believe. But it could wait, there were more important matters at hand.
"Does Maya know?" Elijah queried, the urgency clear in his voice as he brought the phone closer, seeking clarity amidst the havoc.
"Yes," came Damon's strained reply, the audible grit of his teeth betraying his frustration.
"How bad?"
"My living room no longer has any windows, I'm fairly certain that there isn't a single book left in the room that's not damaged in some way. All the seating will need to be reupholstered as for the rest of the furniture I'm not sure we'll be able to find any piece of it that's bigger than a splinter."
Elijah's grip on the phone tightened, he sent a glare at Niklaus for what his single-minded, devious machinations had wrought, before returning his attention to the conversation.
"Was anyone hurt?"
He knew Maya would likely never forgive herself if she had unconsciously caused harm to somebody when her temper had spiked enough to loosen her control of her power.
"No." Damon admitted sighing heavily. "We got very lucky. Aradia managed to shield everyone whilst Himiko worked on containing Maya's power, she wasn't completely successful or I would still have a living room right now, but she did enough to prevent any damage that can't be fixed or replaced."
"And where is Maya now?"
"Himiko has taken her to the Academy, Maggie and Enzo went with them. Himiko's gonna call Takeshi in, if Maya can't regain enough control on her own, Takeshi will be able to last long enough against her to wear her down into exhaustion. Which will get us through today, at least."
Elijah's resolve hardened.
"I'll fix this. I promise," he vowed, a pledge that carried the weight of his determination to rectify the chaos.
"They all need to be returned alive and unharmed. Maya's temper might be the most explosive, but she's not the only one angry and I've seen what an angry Bennett can do." Damon warned him, before pausing for a moment and taking a deep breath. "If Caroline or Tyler have suffered any permanent harm, he will not be welcome in this house."
"I'll be sure to explain that to him." Elijah promised, "I'll call you once I've dealt with my brother."
Elijah's only response was a click to indicate Damon had ended the call. He understood the gravity of the situation. The path to resolution was fraught with peril, but his promise was unwavering. He would navigate the treacherous waters of family, power, and loyalty to mend what had been broken. The assurance of safety, the restoration of peace—it was a tall order, but Elijah was committed. After all, in a world where the impossible often became possible, what was one more miracle to perform?
"You will call whoever you had abducting everyone and you will instruct them to release every single one of them alive and unharmed. Or so help me Niklaus I will make our parents look like saints compared to what I will do to you."
Klaus blinked.
Elijah had threatened him on more occasions than he cared to count over the past thousand or so years. He had never once blinked, until today.
Part of him wanted to rage at Elijah. Demand answers. About his daughter, about his curse, about why Elijah would so casually accept the command he had been given by Damon Salvatore. And it had definitely been a command, he'd been able to tell that much. Another part of him wanted to march to the Salvatore house and demand who the hell Damon thought he was threatening to keep Klaus away from his own daughter.
The biggest part of him however was scrambling for his phone, and dialling the people he'd had gathering up the little collection of supernatural's the Salvatores had managed to gather into their circle. He had never before feared what Elijah might do to him. He wasn't at all eager to find out what that would look like in reality. All in all, it took less than five minutes for him to call Caius and instruct him to return all of the hostages to the Salvatore house unharmed.
"Good." Elijah's voice cut through, cold as the grave. "Now while we wait for that to be done and your other witches to return with your true body. Let us discuss our family."
"I didn't bury them at sea!"
The confession came spilling out before he could truly comprehend it, and by the time he had it was too late. Elijah didn't seem to be surprised by his words, and he could only assume that at some point over the past eighty years Elijah had concluded as much for himself.
"You will release them from the confinements you have forced them into."
"Not until my curse is broken and Mikael is dead." Klaus responded quickly, a desperate attempt to regain his footing within the conversation. "The reason I daggered the three of them remains a threat. Once Mikael has been dealt with, I will release the three of them from their daggered sleep."
Elijah frowned, but seemed to be considering his words. Klaus could only assume that the reminder of father's hunt for them had served to sober Elijah, and gave him some hope that he might be able to gain control over the conversation.
"Father poses a threat to Maya's safety," Elijah pondered aloud. "Together, we stand a better chance against him. You will remove the daggers from our siblings."
"After my curse is broken," Klaus countered, desperately clinging to his other condition.
Elijah's frown deepened.
"Awaken one now. The rest, once your curse is lifted."
"They won't be happy." Klaus warned, a mix of defiance and resignation in his voice.
"Whose fault is that!" Elijah's retort was sharp, a reminder of the consequences of Klaus's past actions.
Klaus wanted to fight, to unleash his fury and demand compliance, but the fear Elijah had instilled in him was a barrier he couldn't breach. Not today. Elijah held the upper hand, yet Klaus sensed an opportunity amidst the defeat.
"I choose which sibling to awaken," he declared, a small victory in a battle of wills that was far from over.
Elijah peered at him suspiciously as if suspecting his quick capitulation was some kind of trap, but evidently unable to find one, he nodded.
"Fine. You will awaken one of our siblings today, the choice of which will be up to you. Once your curse is broken, we will awaken the others."
"Speaking of breaking my curse. I would like to know the how, the why, and the when."
With Himiko's help she'd been able to reign back in most of her magic. Which whilst preventing any more destruction, had done nothing for the rage that still coursed through her. And as that rage built so too did her power, lashing out at the tight grip she held on to it, burning like a fire within her until she felt like she would burn with it. All she wanted to do was scream and scream and scream and let go of every single bit of power that was inside her until she was too tired to do anything else.
Amidst the wildfire of her anger, a thread of fear wove itself, a venomous dread at the thought that Caroline and Tyler might not come back. If her rage was a blaze, this fear was a malevolent poison, insidiously coursing through her veins. The burden was unbearable, a tempestuous maelstrom she feared she could not contain much longer. The spectre of her magic breaking free again loomed large, its consequences unknown and terrifying.
Her awareness was frayed at the edges, only dimly registering the cacophony of arguments and shouts that surrounded her. She registered Himiko's grasp on her arm, the dizzying whirl of a portkey's activation, and the abrupt disorientation of their arrival, all through a haze of concentration solely focused on containing the volatile magic that threatened to burst forth with each laboured breath.
It was only when she was enveloped in a cocoon of gentle arms, treating her as though she were a delicate artifact, that she realized some of the frantic words had been meant for her ears.
"Let go, sweetie. Just let it all out. You're safe here; you won't harm anyone. You need to release it, sweetie. Screaming can be a relief. Just open your mouth and let it out. When you scream, release everything. It will be okay. I promise," the soothing voice of Maggie implored.
Heeding Maggie's counsel, Maya surrendered to the impulse. Her scream tore through the silence, a cathartic release of pain, fear, rage, and every smouldering emotion that had consumed her from within. The sound was raw, a visceral cry that echoed the depths of her turmoil.
It was like she'd taken a wrecking ball to a dam. As the scream tore from her throat, she relinquished her hold on the power, allowing it to cascade outwards unrestrained. It was not a spell. There was no attempt to channel it, to direct it in anyway. She just let go.
Let it all out.
Her power ripped through the room as she screamed until she had nothing left. Until all her energy was gone, exhaustion settling into her bones, and her emotions were muted to the point of being numb, compared to the roiling tempest they had been before. Maggie stayed with her the whole time, seemingly untouched by the torrent of energy she had released. Holding Maya in her arms, rocking her gently and humming softly as one would a little child in need of calming.
Maya felt for sure that she would open her eyes to see similar levels of the destruction she had wreaked on the living room at home. But when she finally blinked her eyes open it was as if nothing had happened. The room she was in was the one that she trained with Takeshi in. There, in a serene counterpoint to the recent upheaval, sat Takeshi, his posture the embodiment of calm, cradling a rock that radiated an intense glow, compelling Maya to shield her eyes from its brilliance.
"What's that?" she rasped, her voice hoarse from her vocal tempest, fatigue layering each word.
"This is a piece of Black Tourmaline." Takeshi explained, his voice steady and reassuring.
"Why is it glowing?"
"Because I just directed all that energy you released inside of it. As the energy fades out of it, the glow will weaken."
"What are you going to do with it?"
"I'll direct the energy it contains into the ward stones that protect the school."
"I lost control." Maya admitted, a confession tinged with vulnerability.
"You did. Unfortunate, but also understandable. You're still very young, Maya. None of us expect flawless control from you, especially not in the face of such stress," Takeshi consoled, his words a balm to her frayed spirits. "There are some people here to see you," he added, heralding the arrival of unexpected visitors.
Maya was ready to object, thinking he meant Niklaus, but before she could, the door opened and Caroline and Tyler rushed in, followed by Himiko and Enzo. With a rush of motion driven by relief and urgency, Caroline and Tyler enveloped Maya in a warm, protective embrace, a tangible manifestation of their shared bond.
Tears, unbidden, cascaded down Maya's cheeks, a mixture of residual exhaustion and overwhelming relief at the sight of her emotionally-adopted siblings safe and sound. Encased in their embrace, nestled within Maggie's comforting hold, Maya surrendered to her emotions, her sobs a testament to the profound relief and love that enveloped her in that moment.
In the hushed twilight of a tumultuous day, Damon's voice carried over the line.
"Everyone's back safe and sound."
His words, simple yet heavy with relief, prompted an involuntary nod from Elijah, a silent gesture lost in the void between phone lines but deeply felt in the rhythm of his own heartbeat.
Elijah nodded, even though Damon couldn't see him over the phone, an unconscious response to the information.
"And Maya? How is she?"
"Exhausted." Damon exhaled, his sigh a soft echo of weariness mixed with relief. "Relieved that everyone's okay. Angry that it happened in the first place. Anxious and upset about losing control the way she did. But mostly exhausted. She's just finished eating the food Aradia insisted she have, and now she's going to bed. According to the experts she's likely to sleep between twelve and eighteen hours, but she should be back to normal by tomorrow afternoon."
"That's reassuring to hear." Elijah's thoughts briefly wandered to the sanctity of rest, the healing it promised. "Your living room?"
"Aradia fixed as much of the damage as she could, which was a lot, so it's not looking too bad right now. How are things on your end?"
"Niklaus' witches are currently reversing his possession of the teacher. He should be back in his body any minute now."
"Will Ric be, okay?"
"Yes. He will suffer no permanent harm from Niklaus' actions." Elijah assured him, "I will have someone drop him off with the lovely Jenna. Whilst Niklaus and I go and awaken one of my siblings, as per the deal we made."
"So, I was right then?" Damon's voice held a note of vindication.
"Yes. You were correct Damon. Niklaus was lying when he said he cast their bodies into the sea. We will awaken one today, the other two once the curse has been lifted."
"Which one?"
"I agreed to leave that choice up to Niklaus himself." He replied.
Elijah's concession to his brother's whims was a calculated dance of power and persuasion. He was suspicious of Niklaus' intentions on that front, but whether he chose, or Elijah chose, one of their siblings would be awakened today and the other two soon enough that the who and the when did not truly matter.
"Did he have Katherine like you suspected?" Damon asked, completely changing the subject.
"Yes." Elijah cast a glance at the sultry vampire, who was sitting sullenly on the sofa, arms crossed, a pout on her face.
"What does he intend to do with her?"
"Do you care?"
"Maya… I don't know, she's never outright said that she's fond of Katherine or cares about her or anything, but it's… It's like there's a bond between them, a… I don't really know how to explain it."
"Some things cannot be explained." Elijah replied with a heavy sigh, understanding what was behind Damon's new line of questioning. "I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises not on that particular topic."
"Thanks. I'll call you tomorrow, let you know if it's safe enough for him to visit."
"I will await your call. Goodbye Damon."
Elijah hung up the call and turned to his brother, now back in his body and smiling widely.
And why wouldn't it be safe for me to visit Elijah?" Niklaus teased, the question hanging like a sword of Damocles.
"Because Maya has a temper and may still be very upset with you, even in spite of the return of those you so unwisely took. I'm sure you remember what Potter's can be like when it comes to those they deem as theirs. Understand this Niklaus. The young Miss Forbes and Mr Lockwood, are Maya's, she considers them family."
Elijah felt a curl of satisfaction at the disconcerted look that crossed Niklaus' face. At least his brother understood what he had wrought with his ill-conceived actions. Understanding was, after all, the first step towards setting everything back to rights.
"Now. Come brother, we have a sibling to awaken."
Maya glared at Niklaus Mikaelson. He might be her biological father. He might be someone she had been wanting to meet for the past twenty-one months. He might be one of the scariest people on the planet, allegedly anyway, and therefore someone most people would not dare to glare at. She didn't care.
She was furious.
It didn't matter that he hadn't known she was his daughter. It didn't matter that everyone was back safe and sound. It didn't matter that everyone else was edging around him like any minute he might turn into a T-Rex and eat them all. What mattered was he'd taken her people.
And she was incensed. Not as much as she had been yesterday. That had been tempered somewhat by everyone's safe return. She was once more in complete control of her magic. That didn't mean she was just going to accept that he'd had everybody safely returned a few hours after he'd had them all taken. She wasn't just going to let those actions be swept under the rug and forgotten about.
Vengeance was heading his way. Even if he didn't know it yet.
He was smirking at her. As if he found her anger amusing. It wasn't amusing, he would discover that for himself soon enough. Still, Maggie had expressed that she should try and pave the way for reconciliation. He was her dad after all. Lexi and Enzo had quickly followed that up with a promise to help her with any revenge plots, after making sure Damon and Maggie were both out of earshot.
"You should start with an apology." She declared her tone as cold as the North Pole. "To everyone you had kidnapped for that stupid rock."
"I don't really do apologies," he retorted, a smug edge to his voice, as if the very notion of regret was beneath him.
Her response was swift and cutting.
"Well, in that case, I don't really do forgiveness."
Her defiance was palpable, her chin jutting out with unyielding determination as she met his gaze with a glare meant to sear. Yet, her fierce stare failed to deliver its intended blow, only serving to transform his smirk into a wide, unabashed grin. Amusement danced in his eyes, igniting the air between them with a volatile spark.
At this juncture, their standoff transcended mere revenge—it was about meting out justice, a punishment thoroughly earned.
"Neither do I."
Delighted laughter came from behind him, and Maya turned her gaze onto the person standing behind him. Another vampire, who looked remarkably similar to Elijah, except he seemed to be absolutely ecstatic about the stand-off between her and her father. Elijah on the other hand looked rather pained, shaking his head, and rubbing his brow in almost identical fashion to Damon when he was at his most despairing.
"She's definitely your daughter Nik." The man laughed, "If the looks hadn't clued me in, the attitude would. She's like a miniature you."