A Rose's Thorns (An Eternity Sequel)

Family

          "Your blood family? But that's not possible. The Blackwater bloodline ended with you," Niklaus says, his hand tightly clutching the bottle of bourbon.

          "No...it didn't." The Original furrows his brow in confusion. I sigh. "I...I had a sister."

          His icy blue eyes widen. "A sister?"

          "Yes, a younger sister...Rosalie. We were never very close. She...She took after our mother. She hated magic and she full-heartedly believed that magic was the very thing that destroyed our family- in her mind, it made our mother go insane, and it was the reason she killed our father." I lift my glass to my lips and take a pull on my drink. The vervain stings my lips and throat, but I have grown used to the feeling. "It was quite ironic, since she, herself, was a witch, as well."

          "There was another Blackwater witch? You mean to tell me that you were not the only Blackwater I could have used to help me break the curse?" Klaus spits, leaning forward in his seat.

          I smile and point at him. "People like you are the exact reason I kept her in hiding." He glares at me, and I shrug. "Besides, she sworn off magic. She would never have been able to help you anyway."

          "Well, what do you mean you 'kept her in hiding'?" he asks curiously, raising a brow.

          I sit back in my chair, my gaze focused on my half-empty glass sitting on the table. The silence grows between us, and I do not reply for a long time. I can feel Niklaus's gaze on me, burning into me. Finally, shifting in my seat, I offer a reply, "When the plague broke out and I began to heal people, I was swarmed by desperate invalids, family members, even friends, who begged me to heal their loved ones and even themselves. The more I cured people, the more known I became. Eventually, people with nefarious intentions- not unlike yourself, Niklaus- sought me out and tried to coerce me into helping them. I turned them away every time. However, a man came to my door one day and asked me to use my abilities to kill a Duke who had, according to him, stolen his home, his money, and his wife. I told him that I do not kill people, I heal people, and that I could not help him. He was enraged, threatening me. I wasn't fazed by this. I had gotten plenty of threats, and none of which I could not handle. However, he then threatened Rosalie. I never found out how he discovered who she was or our relation. After I finally got him to leave, I went to my sister's and warned her and her husband, offering my help, even suggesting taking their son, Oliver, and their unborn child and finding a place to lie low until the threat had passed." I pause, my fingers tapping lightly on the glass. I think about taking another drink, but I stop myself.

          With a sigh, I continue my story, "She refused my help, telling me that magic was always a bad thing and that she knew something like this would happen to me someday. Her and her husband, Merek, did not take me seriously. They ignored my warnings...That was a mistake..."

          There was a loud knocking at my door that woke me from my slumber. With a yawn, I shuffle my way over to the front door, undoing the latch. Pausing for a moment, I prepare myself for any kind of danger that might be on the other side, my mind going over every spell and curse I know. With a deep breath, I swing the door open. Blinding lightning briefly lights up the nighttime sky, quickly followed by a deafening clap of thunder. I peer at the dark figure in front of me, trying to make out who it is.

           "State your name," I call into the darkness.

          "Elizabeth, it is me," a familiar voice replies.

          "Merek? What are you doing here? Do you know how late it is?"

          "I know. I am quite aware of the time, but please, we need your help."