Valor | Marcel Gerard

Chapter 15

Landon was displeased.

"It's only for a few days, my tiniest love!" said Andra, wincing as Landon screamed in Ryan's arms, wanting to go with her. "I'll be back before you know it!"

"Yeah, he's not really happy with that answer," said Ryan. "Come on, Lan, I thought you liked me!"

The look on Landon's face suggested pure unbridled hatred for anyone who wasn't Andra at the moment. "Sweetheart," said Andra, cupping the little boy's face, "you will be just fine. You adore Ryan, I know you do. And guess who else will be visiting you? Davina, Marcel, Josh, and all those vampires that adore you!"

"I think he'd be calmer if he knew Cami would still be around," said Ryan. "Still not sure why Klaus came just to take her away. You'd think he'd be more hellbent on finding out where Rebekah went after Esther got turned."

Andra couldn't tell him her suspicions. She simply shrugged. "Maybe he saw Cami got hurt once and didn't want it to happen again. Finn may still be a captive but when he finds out what happens to Esther, he'll be out for blood. There's enough tension with Kol receiving that diamond he wanted and Rebekah being gone. Klaus isn't taking any chances. He's paranoid, particularly now that he knows Esther only wanted to put them in different bodies so she could kill all vampires. He likes Cami a lot. That much is obvious."

"He should stay away from her. She deserves better than him. He literally manipulated her for a solid couple of months and somehow she's still attracted to that guy?"

"I can't claim to understand what goes on in Cami's mind when it comes to Klaus. I'm sure she understands what she risks and something... became appealing along the way. I don't know. I need to get going. Davina already found where Mikael is, and I have to get going before he moves too far."

"Be safe, Malia," he said, ruffling her hair and ruining her ponytail. "Or Landon and I will come after you."

"Aw," said Andra, sighing when Landon's lip continued to quiver. "I will be back soon, darling boy. It's okay." She kissed the top of his head, then Ryan's cheek, shouldering her bag and making her way to the car she'd been allowed to borrow. Marcel compelled her a license (even though she hadn't formally passed the test) to allow her to move around as needed.

"Just don't crash into anything or anyone," said Marcel, leaning on the window as she let the engine warm up. "You can't bail yourself out of jail and I don't think Mikael is going to help you much if you get detained."

"I'll be fine!" said Andra. "You and Ryan have been good teachers. It's like a video game, easy."

"That doesn't give me any confidence."

"Marcel, you really don't have to worry. I'll come back in one piece and so will the car. Just take care of my boys, please?"

He smiled. "Always. Let me know when you find him, okay?"

"I will. See you in a few days."

Davina's active Locator Spell map got her to Eunice, where Mikael was apparently holed up. He'd been in a house when she was still an hour away, but had transitioned to a bar and grill once she was entering the city. She parked the car, hiding her bag under the seat before she went in, and found him having a drink.

"Fancy meeting you here," she said, sliding into the seat across from him.

"None of this amounts to chance," he said with a light sneer. "I sensed you approaching ten minutes ago. You came looking."

"Okay, so I did. Is that bad? Doesn't seem to be, since you're still here."

"I've nothing to say to you. The little witch gave you the white oak stake and ensured I could not re-enter New Orleans unless called upon. I await here only to be near enough when she inevitably dies or realizes she has no intention of letting Klaus live."