XXV - 𝔴𝔥𝔦𝔰𝔨𝔢𝔶 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞 𝔰𝔢𝔠𝔯𝔢𝔱

(edited)

"KLAUS, I'M HERE! LET'S DO THIS."

"And so the cowardly killer shows his face," Lilura said, stretching her arms and getting up from the comfortable chair in the Mikaelson Manor study.

"What a pig," Klaus supplied without hesitance. "I suppose it's a good thing we're the wolves."

Rebekah joined them inside the living/tortue room with malicious frown. She cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms, staring at Stefan Salvatore . "Oh good, a hero. What do you want?"

Stefan dropped a black dufflebag, clanking whatever was within into a metallic cacophony. The siren and Klaus winced, exchanging irritated looks when Stefan didn't bother to apologize.

"I'm here to make a deal," He declared.

"Stefan, what are you doing?" Damon groaned, easing his head the slightest bit to look at his brother, eyebrows pulled together at the other's cheerless smile. He was still strapped to the ceiling, blood running down his face, chest, and arms due to Rebekah's unique torture methods. He arched his eyebrow lazily as if the gory sight was something that happened to him daily.

Stefan shrugged and said shortly.  "Eight stakes made of white oak. The part of Wickery Bridge that you forgot to burn."

The Hybrid held back a laugh. Lilura smiled.

"That's impossible," Klaus said.

"Actually it's not. Finn is dead," Stefan replied vacantly, glassy eyes retracing the designs on the Mikaelson Manor wall.

Rebekah's eyes blazed ice fire. "You killed my brother?"

The blond Salvatore didn't even spare his old lover a glance. "Damon in exchanged for the last eight weapons that can kill you," He gestured to the duffel bag.

"But how do we know there aren't any more left?" Lilura voiced suddenly, staring mistrustfully at the blond Salvatore.

One moment of silence, which transpired uneasily between the two parties, left Lilura even more certain of the fib.

"Because there aren't," Stefan finally muttered.

Lilura raised her eyebrows. "And we're supposed to believe that blatant lie?"

Klaus grinned, "Let's be certain, shall we?" He walked over to Damon. "Leave."

"No," The raven haired vampire said through clenched teeth.

"Go on. Leave."

Rebekah exhaled loudly and crossed her arms, "Nik, he's my plaything not yours."

Klaus flashed her an insolent smirk and then grabbed Damon's neck, pupils dilating in preparation for the compulsion.

"I said," He repeated, "go home."

Lilura watched in silent fascination as Damon Salvatore pulled himself away from the chains.

"20 bucks says he screams immediately," Lilura whispered to Rebekah.

The blonde, in all her beatific glory, nodded and smirked, "25 says he cries before he screams."

A strangled sort of yell escaped the victim's lips. Damon groaned as he painstakingly pulled himself free. "Ta-ta, sister!" The siren giggled. "It seems you owe me a drink."

Rebekah handed the siren twenty five dollars.

"Alright, stop, stop, stop, before you hurt yourself. Well, seeing that he can finally be compelled. Now," Klaus clasped his hands together and rubbed them deviously.

"Minus the stake that's in my brother, how many more stakes are out there that can kill me?"

Damon's reply was almost immediate. "Eleven."

"Good riddance," Rebekah muttered.

"Eleven! Really? So, not eight then," Klaus remarked with a leering sneer.

"You really shouldn't lie," The enchantress frowned, but managed to make the action seem fetching instead of depressing. She grinned at Stefan's blankly cold stare and sent him an air kiss to which he recoiled from.

Stefan bit the inside of his cheek, "I'll get you the other three."

The Original Hybrid crossed his arms, "Yeah, that'll be nice. Or since you lied, maybe I'll just compel your brother to chew out his own tongue."

"What is wrong with you?" inquired the chagrined vampire, face red.

Klaus turned around to Rebekah and Lilura as if to say look at this boy!

"No, the question is what is wrong with you?! Do you really have no appreciation for me? I have given you someone to hate, to loathe, a target for all of your anger; so you don't have to turn it on yourself. I have given your life purpose, as your friend." The Hybrid chuckled darkly, low in his throat. "I really think you should be thanking me."

Suddenly, atrociously, and incredibly rudely, Stefan Salvatore sped to Lilura's side and pinned her against the wall with a white oak stake in hand.

The siren glanced coyly at the young man. "If you wanted me in this position," She hissed, "all you had to do was beg."

He pressed the stake closer to her heart. Behind the flop of blond hair, Lilura could see Klaus and Rebekah both protectively step forward.

However it was her love who spoke up. Now his voice wavered in anger, and even Lilura shivered at his frigid tone.

"Step down, or you and your brother die," Klaus stated impassively.

Stefan hesitated for a second and then the siren quickly took her chance and kneed him where the sun don't shine.

"That's for thinking I was the weakest link here," She spat, watching in delighted glory as the young man squeaked in pain on the floor.

"There. Now you only have to return two more," She giggled, swirling the stake in one hand and resting the other on her hip. "Capishe?"

"This is ridiculous," Rebekah grumbled, sidling over to Damon Salvatore and taking the chains off his wrists. She muttered something else under her breath and freed the Salvatore.

"What are you doing?" Klaus questioned, appalled and offended. "We're just gettin started, Bekah."

"I brought him here. I get to release him. My rules now. Bring us the stakes and you both live. Take your brother as a sign of good faith."

Lilura handed Klaus the stake and watched as he pointed to the brothers with an air of utter deviance. "Bring us the stakes. All of them. Or I will wage a war against everyone you love. I hope I'm being clear."

The siren could not resist a little jeer at the Salvatores' expense, "Absolutely crystal, right boys?"

Damon gave her the most exasperated look one could muster after being hung on the ceiling for 20 hours straight.

———— Δ ————

Bonnie's phone buzzed on the table next to her bowl of Captain Crunch cereal.

The caller ID was one she had been receiving the most often after her mother's transition into vamphood. The first time he had given her his number, he had done it in a fashion so nonchalant.

It wouldn't have been weird if it wasn't the first time they met.

She casted her eyes briefly to the ceiling and then grabbed it, sliding across the screen and waiting for the perfect baritone to greet her.

"Hey," He coughed. "I—uh....I didn't think you'd pick up."

"Well, that makes two of us."

"Oh," Judas mumbled. "How are you?"

"As good as anyone could be after losing their mother for the second time," She placed a hand on her forehead. Bonnie hadn't meant to be so harsh, but the bitterness would not stop pouring out from her heart and manifesting itself in words.

He laughed. "I know exactly what you mean. Would you care to talk over some coffee?"

"No," Bonnie declared, but immediately backtracked when she realized how rude she sounded. "Sorry, now is not a good time. I'm checking out Alaric's alter ego problem and it's eating up my brain cells."

"Perfect," Judas said, "I'll help."

As soon as he said that, her doorbell rang.

She narrowed her eyes, "Have you been waiting for me to say yes?"

"Come open the door," Judas replied. "I've got chocolate and Esther's grimore to aid us."

———— Δ ————

"I can't believe Finn is dead."

Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, as if he were dealing with an undesirable child instead of his sister.

"Good riddance. He was an embarrassment, Rebekah," Klaus mumbled.

"He was still your brother. Mind your tongue," She hissed in return.

Lilura sipped her chamomile tea and exhaled at how hot it was.

"Pour me a cuppa, love," Klaus grinned once he smelled the homely scent, sneakily holding her free hand. When Rebekah crossed her arms, he quickly said, "Fine. Let's all say a prayer for Finn, who slept in a box longer than he lived as a man. He was a lovesick fool. He's better off in death."

Evidently, the female Original was not amused.

"Is that how you would speak of me if I died?" She asked incredulously.

"Well, you let the Salvatores loose with two stakes that can kill us, so I guess we'll find out soon enough. And since when did you have a soft spot for them?"

"The Salvatores may fight like dogs, but in the end they would die for each other. At least they know what family means. You destroyed ours," Rebekah spat.

Klaus squeezed Lilura's hand until it was white. His icy blue eyes narrowed.

"I wanted a family. They just didn't want me, and now that I've found a new one, everyone seems to want to kill me," He retorted.

Lilura herself was too caught up in the fact that Klaus finally acknowledged that her, Judas, and him were somewhat a family — if not the most dysfunctional one on the planet, to notice her hand slowly numb from the lack of circulation.

"And now that we're unlinked we're no longer responsible for each other," Klaus continued.

Rebekah frowned, "So are you leaving?"

Klaus shrugged but then nodded. "As soon as I get my stakes, I'm gone. I will take Judas and Lilura and we're going to forget this shïtshow of a town and start over." He rubbed his hands together slowly. "I'll take Elena and use her blood to create an army of hybrids, for protection," Klaus turned to face Lilura and tapped the top of her head.  "I don't want any hair on this pretty head harmed."

The siren snapped at his fingers when they got close to her face, giggling when Klaus clutched his hand in mock pain.

"And if I choose to stay?" Rebekah inquired.

He stared at her, "Then you're just as pathetic as Finn."

———— Δ ————

"So let me get this straight, you've been giving Alaric herbs to cure his psychopathic tendencies?" asked Judas Mikaelson as he threw himself on the attic floor without any discrimination against the dust bunnies.

Bonnie bit her lip. "It's the best I could do."

"Girl, and when you have to pull a miracle for Elena, it always works?"

"Are you accusing me of something?" Bonnie asked sharply. "I'm already in a bad mood as it is. Now you've come to piss all over my peace. Don't test me, Mikaelson."

Judas chuckled without a care in the world. "What, like you're going to hurt me?"

The young witch clamped her mouth shut. She found it easier to concentrate on her spells when ignoring the young hunter.

"What's this?" He asked after getting up and looking at the text Bonnie had been studying.

Bonnie's eyes traveled to the words at the bottom of the page in blue ink.

Draconi qui est cantus cessare faciam.

"A mistake," She said, eyes downcast. She flipped the page and sighed.

Consequently, the gears in Judas' brain cranked to life.

"That's the spell that Esther gave you to kill Lilura."

Bonnie closed her eyes and smiled, but it was anything but happy.

"Yeah," She finally said, "I wish I could take it back. When I saw her just lying there on the ground, convulsing and...green I just—"

"—Well, it's not that bad, right? She turned back" Judas supplied, eyebrows furrowing together in concern. "She didn't die, did she?"

"Thank god for that," said Bonnie, shutting the book, "but I have a feeling — knowing Esther — that weakening Lilura during the full moon isn't enough."

"You don't mean..."

"That there might be worse side effects?" Bonnie stared into Judas' soul. "I'm almost certain there is."

———— Δ ————

Alaric Saltzman had been staring at the ceiling for a total of 75 minutes until he heard a knock on the rusted doors.

Without looking up, the history teacher grumbled almost incoherently, "Do you know how hard it is to fall asleep when that is what you're supposed to do?"

He expected a sheepish Stefan to speak, but the reply Alaric received was far from male.

"Well, look, I know it's not easy being cooped up in here, so I brought this," Lilura said, leaning against the doorway.

Alaric slowly sat up. "Whiskey," He nodded, "Good choice."

"This bad boy will definitely knock you out," The siren chuckled, tossing the bottle to Alaric, who almost lost his grip at the sudden throw.

The older man stared at the drink, mentally debating whether or not he should actually accept it. Finally, Alaric shrugged. "What the hell."

Alaric uncapped the bottle unceremoniously, "You know, I'll feel decidedly less pathetic if I don't drink alone."

"How adorable of you to think I'd pass up," Lilura whipped out another cup.

"Good old Lily, always one step ahead of me." Alaric poured her a generous glass before chugging at least half of it down.

"So how's Klaus?" Alaric asked.

"He's good," Lilura replied. "A little mad that your alter ego has managed to outsmart him with the whole white oak stake thing but... good."

Alaric took another swig. "So...where's Stefan?"

"I told him to go blow off some steam after Elena admitted to loving Damon romantically," Lilura grinned. "Their love triangle is absolutely bonkers, mate."

Alaric grunted, "Apparently it's a love square now."

The enchantress almost choked. "You're joking."

"I wish," Alaric smiled. "Judas knows. That's why he's been avoiding the Boarding House at all costs. "Nothing personal, old man." He told me."

Lilura whistled lowly.

Alaric caught Lilura's wandering gaze. "You have better things to do, Lily."

"What?"

"You know, it doesn't take much to babysit me while I sit here waiting for a psychotic break," He said.

The siren laughed awkwardly,"Well, unfortunately, we only have a limited amount of time."

This halted the hunter's consumption, "Before what?"

"Before we have to resort to other methods."

"So, you're worried that you're gonna have to torture me," Alaric concluded sullenly.

"No, not necessarily," Lilura smiled weakly, an unreadable expression on her face. "I have a reason to be here, too."

Alaric furrowed his eyebrows, "What?"

"Call it a hunch," She whispered. "But I think you're not the only one with an alter ego."

🌟 so Esther is still very much up the bunch's butts...

tq for 200k! It means the world to me to know that people enjoy my story!