Nothing Dark Can Stay, Either

Chapter 48

Beatrix went to find Kol afterward.

He was drinking a glass of bourbon in the library balcony, his hands shaking. "What happened?" asked Beatrix immediately. "Kol—"

"I heard your conversation with Finn," he said scathingly. "You see, how he tries to smarm up to people? He thinks he can butt in— you know perfectly well that you're free and you've known it for ages. I'd like to—"

"Whatever it is you're planning," came a stern voice behind them. "Don't."

Kol didn't turn to face Elijah. "He cursed me to die, Elijah. Slowly. In front of Davina. And now he thinks he can turn Beatrix against her. I owe him for that..."

"Perhaps," said Elijah, coming to stand beside Beatrix. "And perhaps the best revenge is to simply expel him from our lives altogether?"

"No!" snarled Kol, whirling to look at his brother angrily. "He doesn't get to live happily ever after!"

Elijah held up his hand. "I haven't made my final decision— I only ask that you stay your hand."

"That isn't your decision to make!" Kol spat, smashing the glass in his hand.

"Kol," said Beatrix, stepping between them quickly. "Breathe—"

"Don't bloody tell me to breathe!" he roared, picking up a chair and throwing it across the room.

"Control yourself!" Elijah said sharply. But Kol simply fumed and made to flip the table, and Beatrix had to intervene. "Unless you can't..." finished the older Original.

"It's worse than I remember," Kol said, shaking as he sank down. "The rage... the hunger..."

He was crying, and both Beatrix and Elijah felt themselves tense as he continued to speak, "I'd like to blame my anger on Finn, but it's been growing worse since I came back. I never did learn how to keep it in check. I never really cared to..."

"But now you do," Elijah whispered.

He nodded and covered his face. "I couldn't live with myself if I hurt Davina. But, hurting the ones we love, whether we mean to or not... That's just what we do, isn't it?"

Elijah hesitated to answer. "It's who we are..."

"It shouldn't be who we are!" he said. "Did you not hear what Finn has been telling Beatrix? We've made life unbearable and dangerous for anyone who associates with us! Davina is in danger every moment I'm with her because I might lose control and kill her. All these years, every woman has been ruined by their association with us. Beatrix is the only one who has survived, but she's been tormented more than the rest. You, Elijah, you forced her to put away her magic and left her with a mental breakdown and now Klaus," he looked up at the Heretic, "he wants you again even though he's done nothing but be rude to you. He takes advantage of how forgiving you are. But he will never treat you with respect, not the way you deserve. Finn is right— you should leave."

"Don't say that," she told him, kneeling in front of him. "I will help you learn to control that hunger, Kol, I'm sure there is a spell to make it easier—"

Kol ignored her and got up, walking out of the room.

The Heretic got back to her feet. "Something is wrong," she murmured. "I hadn't thought his behavior was different but something is off."

"He hasn't had a girlfriend who is mortal in a very long time," Elijah muttered. "That last... mostly serious one... was... before we even met you. She was a vampire, and she was a Ripper. Not a good influence."

Beatrix pursed her lips. "We have to do our best to help him. As for Finn, I'm not even going to give input, I already know that anything I say will be disliked by at least one party, so I shouldn't get involved."