Ardent | Elijah Mikaelson

Chapter 23

Klaus wasn't happy.

He seemed to want to gain Elijah's favor again, perhaps annoyed with the attention he was giving Evangeliya. He'd gone out that morning to fetch him a girl to feed on. Rebekah and the younger vampire found them reading across from each other in the parlor while the dead girl lay on the coffee table, eyes wide open.

"So, this is what you do the first time we're back together as a family?" said Rebekah. "Vampire book club?"

"Reading edifies the mind, sister," said Klaus calmly, acting as if Evangeliya wasn't even in the room. "Isn't that right, Elijah?"

Elijah's eyes flickered toward him. "Yes, that's quite right, Niklaus."

"And what's this business?"

"This is a," Elijah gestured as he searched for the right word, "peace offering."

Klaus sighed. "I presumed, after so much time desiccating in a coffin, that my big brother might be a bit peckish."

"And I explained to my little brother that forgiveness cannot be bought. I'd simply prefer to see a change in behavior that indicates contrition and personal growth. Not this nonsense."

Klaus grinned. "Well, I couldn't very well let her go to waste, could I?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" asked Evangeliya.

He ignored her in favor of acknowledging Rebekah's scowl. "Something on your mind, sister?"

"I suppose I'll go fetch the rubbish bin," said Rebekah, "because she's staining a two hundred-year-old carpet."

"Ah, yes," said Elijah, not at all bothered by the stains. This caused the blonde to hesitate, unsure why her brother was still acting so casual. Usually he'd be bothered.

She noticed the book Klaus was reading when trying to determine what Elijah's deal was. "Poetry about poisoned apples from dead trees. Looks like someone's worried about impending daddy-hood."

The hybrid shook his head. "Nonsense. Elijah's back. In his presence, all problems turn to pixie-dust and float away!"

"Strange," said Elijah, "I don't recall any pixie-dust from the darkness of the coffin I was recently forced to endure."

"You didn't believe enough, apparently," teased Evangeliya. Both Elijah and Rebekah smiled, but Klaus stared at her as though she was the least funny person on the entire planet.

"Niklaus," said Elijah, getting to his feet, "I have decided on the spells. I need you to come with me. I need five minutes alone with Davina. You need to make certain that I am not interrupted. Rebekah and Evangeliya, please stay here and watch Hayley."

Rebekah whined as he left the house, "How did I get elected super-nanny?"

"More importantly," said Klaus, "who put him in charge?"

"Someone needs to be," said Evangeliya under her breath.

Immediately, he turned to her. "Perhaps you ought to make it less bloody obvious how much you pine for Elijah."

She made a face. "Why are you obsessed with mentioning my relationship with Elijah? First you're insisting my plan in life is to fuck him like I fucked Finn and now this?"

"It appears you are intent on worming your way into this family and fucking everyone in sight."

"You know, you're starting to sound like a jealous little shit, Klaus. Feel bad that I like them all more than I like you? You know, if you hadn't been such a dick to I don't know, literally everyone, maybe you'd have more friends, but now you don't and you seem to be quite pissed about it. I'll make one thing clear to you, Klaus, I'm not worming my way into the family, I'm here to help you and Hayley at Elijah's request, and I can very easily leave and let you fend for yourself, see where you wind up without me because it seems you're only occupied with fighting with your siblings and whining about Marcel's control of the city. Someone here has got to be detached from that situation and thinking rationally to ensure Hayley is safe."