Crossed [2] ➳ K. MIKAELSON

Chapter 37

Astrid's POV

Opening up the front door, I attempt to sneakily enter the apartment. Closing the entrance behind me, I tiptoe in the direction of my old room. Right before I reach it, I hear a light turn flick on. Shit.

"And where have you been?" my brother asks me, leaning back in his chair. Slowly turning around, I force a smile onto my face.

"Like I said. I just had to grab a grimoire from the tomb." I lie, slowly inching back to my room. "It took a little longer to find it than I thought."

Jeremy nods along with my answer, allowing me to finally reach the bedroom door. Placing my hand on the door knob, I move to enter my safe space. However, just as I slightly rotate the handle, my brother's voice pops up once again.

"So... where's the grimoire?" he wonders, continuing his interrogation. Damn it! I knew I was forgetting something. Plastering a fake smile across my face, I turn back around and improvise an alibi.

"I just needed a specific spell." I justify, shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly. "With how long it took me to find the damn book, I decided to take a picture of the spell and come back here."

"Hmm. And was that before or after you knocked down part of a forest?" Jeremy questions, grabbing the remote control and turning on the television.

On the screen is a live broadcast about the damage I created. Freezing in place, I feel my body tense up.

"That was an accident." I justify, trying to remain calm. "My magic overloaded, so I needed to release it."

"And what about the alley incident Elijah told us about?" my brother questions, as I clench my fists at my sides. "Why didn't you tell me? Davina and I could have helped you control it."

"I could've hurt you." I respond, making eye contact with him. "And besides, you two shouldn't have to keep putting yourselves in danger to help me."

"Like hell we shouldn't!" he exclaims, angrily standing up from his seat. "We are family. Family means nobody is left behind or forgotten."

"You stole that from a Disney movie." I mutter, trying to lighten the mood. Feeling the room begin to shake, I back toward one of the windows.

"It doesn't matter!" Jeremy screams, inching closer to get his point across. "When we came to New Orleans, we promised to look out for each other. So why did you break that promise? Hmm?"

Letting out a shaky breath, I stumble backward. My head begins spinning, as I feel the ground quake under my feet. Before I can stop myself, a large gust of wind blows through the apartment, shattering all of the windows. Jeremy and I are thrown across the room, as shards of glass pierce our skin.

Once the wind subsides, I slowly push myself off the ground. Quickly glancing around the area, I spot my brother lying under a bookshelf. Rushing over to Jeremy, I push the shelf off of him. As I move to heal him, I feel another shockwave starting. Not wanting to hurt anyone else, I flee from the apartment.

Racing down to a nearby alley, I brace myself against a brick wall. Sliding to the floor, I wrap my arms around myself, bursting into tears. I've been nothing but a nuisance since coming back. Maybe it would be better for everyone if I just left.

Taking a few moments to compose myself, I glance around the area to spot any unwanted visitors. Realizing that everyone is focused on the mini earthquake/wind storm, I speed off, hoping to get out of town ASAP.

Rushing through New Orleans, I quickly make it to the outskirts of the city. Stopping right before the town line, I hesitantly glance back, thinking about Kol. He might never forgive me for this, but it's the only way I can protect him. Brushing aside any intrusive thoughts, I take a step across the town line.

Feeling a sharp pain in my heart, I clutch my chest, trying to figure out what happened. My knees give out, causing me to harshly fall to the ground. Glancing down at my hands, I see my skin turn grey, and dark veins appear at a fast rate.

"Oh, fu-" I mumble, before I collapse from the pain. My vision quickly blackens, and I cannot see anything.