The Great War || Elijah Mikaelson - Book 1

xxxviiii. Forever Couldn't Break

August 2014 – New Orleans, Louisiana

In the darkness of the night, the water below her was black. Astra focused on the choppy water, praying for some kind of miracle. That her eyes had deceived her and Marcel was alive and well.

"We have to leave." Elijah reached his hand out to grab Astra's arm, but as he did she stumbled back a few steps.

"Don't touch me," a growl ripped through her chest as her eyes met his. "What have you done?"

"I did what needed to be done, Astra," his voice was calm which only served to anger her more.

"No, none of this needed to be done," she argued, shaking her head as if she needed a physical way to clear her jumbled thoughts. "I showed you that vision to prevent it from happening. You said you would never do something like that.""Circumstances changed," Elijah reached for her once again, this time moving quick enough to grab her. "But I don't have time to argue. We have to go before Aurora catches up to me."

With that, Elijah wrapped his arms around her waist and sped off the bridge faster than Astra could think.

****

"Get off of me," Astra struggled to break out of Elijah's ironclad grip as soon as she felt him stop moving. When his hands on her loosened, Astra stepped back, swinging her hand out until her fist made contact with his face.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Klaus moved to step forward, not sure if he should intervene. "Where is Hayley?"

"Hayley's safe," Elijah responded to his brother without taking his gaze off Astra. His hand resting lightly on the spot she had struck as his eyes implored her to understand. "She's making her way to Davina and Freya."

"And why is Astra trying to harm you?" Klaus eyes slid back and froth between the two, his lips twisted in a satisfied smirk. The tension was enough to fill the courtyard of the compound and Klaus couldn't help but take satisfaction in the two best friends fighting.

"Elijah killed Marcel." The words were forced out, taking great pain for Astra to say them. The smirk slid from Klaus' face as the words sunk in. His eyes once again searching between the two, hoping for some kind of explanation.

"We don't have time for this." Elijah's lack of explanation did little to reassure Klaus. His inability to look his brother in the eyes did even less. "Aurora will come here, she is out for blood. Whether it's mine or yours, she doesn't seem to care. We have to be prepared."

"Elijah, where is Marcel?" Klaus snarled, his fist tight by his side. "What have you done?"

"I did what I had to do," Elijah replied, the cold, indifferent mask that he often wore was securely in place. "What I've always done. Anything to protect this family."

"Marcel is family," Klaus yelled in response, gripping the front of Elijah's suit. "He was my son."

"And he was threatening our family." Elijah pried Klaus' hands from his suit, smoothing out the material. "Would you have watched our families extinction at the hands of Marcel Gerard?"

"He was one of us!" Klaus screamed in anger, shoving Elijah back several paces. The pain in his voice breaking through the anger.

"He despised us," Elijah said, allowing his own anger to take over. "Yes, he was our friend. Yes, he was our family, but he was a danger to all of us. Over the last century he became our enemy and a formidable one at that. He still leads what remains of the Strix. We entrusted him with all of our secrets. And Niklaus, we betrayed him over and over. I don't even blame him for plotting our downfall."