Nothing Dark Can Stay, Either

Chapter 67

Things were tense in the Compound the next morning.

Elijah had been resurrected, but Hayley hadn't yet gone to seen him, and she hadn't spoken a single word to him. Beatrix and Klaus were ignoring each other. It was like a terrible, dark cloud had settled over the building, making the air feel cold.

Beatrix wasn't sure what to do or say. Would she comfort Elijah? Hayley? Speak to Klaus? Everything felt wrong and uncertain. She could see the irritated and pained look on Elijah's face. She could sense the bitterness radiating off of Klaus. There was a profound look of sadness in Hayley's eyes.

Thus, the Heretic decided to speak to her first.

"Hey," she said gently, coming into her room. "Have you eaten?"

"Yes, I did," said Hayley. "How do you feel? Freya told us you were a bit shaky yesterday."

"I'm alright. Is there anything I can get you?"

Hayley didn't wish to discuss her feelings about Elijah, therefore she shook her head. "Just advice, I guess. I um, I was thinking about what Alaric Saltzman said when he was here. The Salvatore School. I want to send Hope there."

Beatrix smiled. "I think that's a really good idea. Hope would benefit a lot from being around kids her own age."

"I don't know if I want to move closer to Mystic Falls or trust her, and stay here."

"You can always move after the first few weeks if you think she's too far. But it's a very safe place, from what I hear, and I think you don't need to worry. It would be very easy for us to visit."

Hayley pursed her lip. "I don't know if Klaus would agree with this... and I'm sorry to bring him up right now... but I think, if I were to enroll her, I'd want her to be enrolled as 'Hope Marshall,' not Mikaelson."

Beatrix clasped her hands together. "It would be a lot safer for her to have the Marshall surname. Anything else would yield danger. Klaus... will respect any choice you make. He knows that the Mikaelson surname can bring her power, but also hatred. She doesn't need that when she's trying to learn."

She'd spoken to Elijah next.

"How are you?" she asked, handing him a mug of tea. "This should help calm you. Coming back to life can't be the nicest thing to experience, mentally."

He took the mug and took a small sip. "She won't speak to me," he murmured. "She thinks I am a monster. That deep down, I will always be that man she saw behind the red door. She won't want me anymore."

"Elijah, don't say that. She needs time. You two need to talk, eventually. Whenever she's ready. Tell her all the things you told me. Apologize. Communicate honestly. It will take time. She's not over you, I know that."

"And you are not over Niklaus."

She was silent for a moment. "How could I be? But... I know it's done. I'll recover. I'll be fine, I always am. I... I don't know how soon I'll be comfortable enough to be friends with him again, but... we'll see."

She had elected not to speak with Klaus.

It wasn't her biggest problem, either way. She had been fixing herself a sandwich to snack on when Hayley, pulled her into the upstairs study just as Freya arrived.

"What's wrong?" asked Freya.

Hayley wrung her hands together. "I've been thinking all morning about what happened last night. The Hollow had me. She could've killed me, but she didn't. She just took my blood and left. Why?"

Freya pursed her lips. "Well, blood can be used for a number of reasons. Locator spells, healing spells, linking s..."

"Linking spell," said Hayley. "She didn't link herself to me. I took this from Hope's room. Do a reading on this. Tell me what kind of energy you feel."