Marshall Twins [2 - Twins Series]

15 - An Old Friend Calls

Book: Marshall Twins
Chapter 15
Word Count: 1470

Avery was in her bedroom, sitting on the ottoman at the end of her bed, where she was looking at a handwritten list she'd made with the following names: Aurora de Martel, Aya Al-Rashed, Takahashi Fukuda, Arthur Bailey, Cadence Flynn, Isaac Pack, and more. Aya and Aurora's names had been scratched off.

Just then, Elijah walks into the room, and she quickly crumpled up the list in her hands.

"Thought you were in the Bayou?" Elijah spoke. Avery put a finger to her mouth and shushed him.

"Shh. I just came home to feed Hope and Miracle, put them down for a nap. I'm heading back out soon."

She stood and surreptitiously put the list in her back jeans pocket, but when she headed toward the door, Elijah noticed a smudge of blood on her forehead and frowned in concern.

"Stop. What is this?" He wiped away some of the blood with his thumb, and Avery jerked away from him, looking evasive.

"Nothing. I just got caught on a thorn."

She walked away from him, purposely not looking him in the eyes, and Elijah seemed skeptical of her claims.

"You've been spending a lot of time with the Crescents lately."

"Well, they need me. Ever since Jackson..." Avery looked away, and Elijah realized how still deep in grief Avery was in. She then grabbed her coat and put it on before looking back at him. "Do you need something, Elijah?"

Elijah was clearly not buying her act and seemed concerned when he replied, though he attempted to hide his worry.

"I came to check on Hope and Miracle. Niklaus is a little overwhelmed with everything."

"Well, maybe he's right in being paranoid. Seems like every time we pause to catch our breath, someone ends up dead." Avery sighed. She hesitates before she continued on. "They'll be asleep for another hour. Do you mind?"

"Of course not." Elijah replied.

"Thank you." Avery then grabbed her bag and headed out with it, while Elijah watched her worriedly.

---

Night had fallen, and Elijah had just met up with Marcel in a dark alley in the French Quarter. Elijah did not look at all pleased to be summoned there.

"Went to the wrong dumpster. Of course, I have nothing better to do." He spoke.

Marcel gave him an exasperated look before opening the dumpster and revealing the mutilated bodies of several vampires inside.

"Davina found our missing Strix. Wolf bites. They were tortured and then torn apart." Marcel informed. Elijah looked horrified at the sight of these bodies. "Elijah, Jackson was killed just around the corner from here." Elijah realized that Avery was behind this, and Marcel gave him a knowing look. "The Strix are still gonna want the head of whoever did this."

Elijah, still stunned, walked away, gesturing toward the dumpster as he did so.

"Burn the bodies."

---

Meanwhile, in the nearby Warehouse District, a female vampire had been bound to a chair, a hybrid bite visible on her neck as she whimpered in pain.

Avery walked around her in circles with a menacing expression. When the vampire gave her a vicious look, Avery, annoyed, grabbed an axe and got ready to swing it at her, just as Elijah arrived and looked at her, visibly appalled by the sight in front of him.