Forever Original | Alaric Saltzman

Chapter 19

In the morning, after she'd had a nicely filling breakfast of sausages and toast with a glass of blood, she went up to the study and found Elijah sitting calmly on the desk while Klaus furiously tore through several bookshelves, as if looking for something.

"Can I help you locate your desired book?" asked Hilda with a cheeky grin, sitting beside Elijah. She nudged him. "By the way, excellent choice of servants, that short girl with the frizzy curls is absolutely delicious."

Elijah smirked as Klaus turned to face them. "Yes, in fact, I believe you can help me, Hilda," he said sharply. "I'm look for a book about yea big—" he gestured with his hands, "filled with our mother's most powerful spells. It appears to have been misplaced."

Hilda shrugged. "I don't see it here. Mind you, I was only in the Compound for a very short time yesterday so I haven't the faintest idea where it might be. I was under the impression you arrived late because you were protecting said book. This is a little strange, isn't it, Elijah?"

Elijah was amused. "Yes, how very mysterious."

"Indeed," Klaus agreed, glaring suspiciously at the two of them. "At first, I feared the witches had succeeded in their efforts to obtain it, but considering their last attempt ended with me relieving a rather large, tattooed gentleman of his hands, I began to wonder if the thief wasn't a bit closer to home."

He stopped to watch as Elijah began to nonchalantly scribble in a blank notebook. Klaus growled. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be, brother."

"Well, admittedly, I did have a theory that your sudden interest in mother's grimoire was in some way related to whatever foolishness you've been conducting with the Crescent wolves," said Elijah, setting down the notebook. "Therefore, I took it upon myself to carefully place it where naughty little fingers could not pry."

Klaus's eyes flashed with malice and he looked at Hilda, gesturing toward Elijah as if saying, 'do you see what I have to deal with?' "And here, I thought you, of all people, would understand! I am simply trying to help those wolves! Play Samaritan to the abused. Champion to the underdog, so to speak."

"How splendidly noble of you," said Hilda solemnly, looking quite serious. "Well, I'd be happy to help you locate it if you tell me what this is all about."

"I am trying to keep Hayley safe," Klaus replied without missing a beat. "I am using our mother's magic to empower her people so that they are capable of protecting her."

"Oooh, I see where this is going," said Hilda, clapping her hands together. "You want to make them those special rings so that they don't have to turn on the full moons."

Elijah glared at his brother. "And what if they decide to seek retribution for decades held in exile, Niklaus? Hayley will find herself in the middle of an uprising. One that will only provoke further violence. You see, you risk turning New Orleans into a war zone, brother. I won't let that happen."

Hilda held her hand up. "Now, now, brother, I think he's got a point. The wolves deserve a proper chance. You're the one preaching about peace. They deserve a proper advantage. There are many spells we could add to the rings— we could make it so they have to swear that they won't attack the witches without cause. If they even try to do it while wearing the rings, it will burn them."

Klaus gestured toward his sister to show that Elijah was just being ignorant. He went over to her and put his arm around her. "Now this is a prime example of why I have always respected my sisters more," said Klaus with a wicked grin. "The drums of war were beating long before we returned. I suggest, Elijah, that you use a little less of this—" he mimed a talking gesture, "and a little more of these." He pointed at his ears before going to sit on the couch with a bottle of bourbon.