Kimberly Pierce

Chapter 64

Kimberly's pov____________________

The next day, Elijah was still asleep. I spent all morning cleaning the blood off him. I even took his dirty shirt off. 

"Sure you want to do that?" Nik smirked at me.

"Nothing I haven't seen before" I said and changed him into a fresh shirt. After I finished, Nik tried to get into his head.

"What are you doing?" Hayley asked as she entered the room.

"I'm trying to enter Elijah's thoughts to wake him. Esther had locked me out" Nik said and Hayley moved the shirt a bit. 

"Is this rash a side effect of the witchy acid trip he's on?" Hayley asked.

"I've never seen that before" I said.

"I have... I just haven't seen this since I was a child. Mikael would return home from battle, more blindly temperamental than usual, and our mother would use the petals of a rare marelok orchid to put him to sleep. She would mend his mind with a spell and then wake him up the roots of the same plant... If she has access to it now, then maybe it also grows in the Bayou. You stay here with your wolves and mind the fort. Kimberly, with me"

"I'd rather rip your mother's head off" Hayley said.

"Stay clear of her. I mean it, Hayley. She already got to you once. What would happen if Elijah were to wake and find you a victim of her madness?" Nik asked her. 

"I won't go after her. I promise" Hayley said in disappointment. 

Nik and I walked out. On the way out I saw Richelle laughing with that werewolf girl. I'd have to ask Hayley who she is later. 

Not long after we arrived at the Bayou.

"It wouldn't be growing this close by for anyone could take it" I said.

"No, it has to be grown deeper so no one would think to look for it" Nik said as we continued walking. 

Nik suddenly stopped walking and looked angry. "What?" I asked confused. He ignored me and vamped off. I followed after him and saw him pinning Ansel to the tree.

"Stop following us. I have no intention of taking Esther's bargain and no desire to be remade a mortal being. Now kindly piss off. We're in a hurry to help my real family" Nik and I walk away from him.

"You seek the marelock orchid" Ansel said and we stopped in our tracks.

"How did you know about that?" I asked confused.

"I saw you both carry Elijah home last night. Who do you think used to find the orchid for your mother to put Mikael to sleep? Without my help, you could search forever"

Nik and I look at each other for a moment. I knew he was never going to let him help us. "My mother brought you back from the dead. My sense of strategy tells me it wasn't to play a father-son game of hide-and-seek"

"You can storm off in a fit of stubbornness if you like, but I suggest you do so toward the west" 

"Nik, maybe he can help" I whispered to him. 

Nik silently agreed and we walked west. It was awkward and quiet. 

"A thousand years estranged, and you choose to walk in silence" Ansel spoke. "Surely, you have questions for me"

Nik signed. "Just one. Is there a way to cure Elijah without having to listen to the pointless rambling of an old man?"

"I'm afraid the price of my expertise is conversation"