Shielding The Innocent - Niklaus Mikaelson

Chapter 7

Hayley told me, when we got Elijah home last night, that Oliver had died at midnight after she had got him to Jackson. Apparently, a spell was place on him and saving him didn't make a difference. Just another reason to despise Esther, I guess.

Elijah is still unconscious. It's like he's stuck in a nightmare that he can't wake up from. He is in a constant sweat. He pants and mumbles, but we can't decipher what he's saying. Nik took off his bloody blue button up and replaced it with a clean white t-shirt, that he has already soaked through.

I'm headed to his room to peek in and check on him. He may not be my favorite, but he is still family and Hayley and Nik care about him. He, also, has attempted to help me, even if I don't always agree with how he does it.

I walk into his room to see Nik standing over him. Nik's eyes are shut and he has one hand on Elijah's chest and the other on his forehand. Blood streams down his nose and he grunts in what seems like pain.

"Nik." I try to make him stop. "Niklaus." It like he can't hear me.

So, I grab his shoulder and pull him off. Without opening his eyes he quickly turns toward me, unexpectedly and grabs my shoulders. I, clearly, had startled him a bit. His eye go wide as he gasps, finally looking at me. I eye him with worry.

"What are you doing?" I ask him as he realizes his surroundings. He pants a bit as I reach up and wipe the blood from his nose. He releases my shoulders and rubs his face.

"I'm trying to enter Elijah's thoughts to wake him." Nik explains regaining his breath. "Esther has locked me out." He turns so our attention is now on Elijah.

I scrunch my eyebrows, noticing something that wasn't there before. I walk closer and pull the neck of his shirt down. "This rash. Is it a side effect of the witchy torture nightmare he's experiencing?" Blackish veins are visible on the side of his neck. I move out of the way so Nik can see them for himself.

"I haven't seen this since I was a child." Nik mutters. "Mikael would return home from battle more blindly temperamental than usual, and our mother would use the petals of a rare Marelok orchid to put him to sleep. She would mend his mind with a spell and wake him with the roots of the same plant." He explains and he turns to me. "If she has access to it now, then maybe it also grows in the Bayou. You stay here with Hayley and the wolves and mind the fort." I roll my eyes at him telling me to stay put. He goes to leave.

"I'd rather remove your mother's head from her shoulders." I tell him, halting him in his tracks.

"Steer clear of her." I sigh in frustration. Nik gets a stern look mixed with concern and walks closer to me. "I mean it, Kelsey. She already got to you once. I can't let you become a victim to her madness."

"I won't go after her." I assure him raising my hands in surrender. "I promise."

Satisfied, Nik nods and exits the room. I turn and look at Elijah.

"Your mother's torment has taught me a thing of two." I tell Elijah's unconscious form. "Why go after her? Especially when I can go after everything she loves. Just like she did to me."

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I call Hayley and we come up with a half plan to get Marcel in on a ploy to go after Finn. Hayley and a werewolf named Aiden meet me at Marcel's place. Aiden is the werewolf who helped Marcel, Oliver, and Hayley save the children with the werewolf gene from being forced into triggering their curse. His brother being one of them.

Marcel sits in his chair, while we stand facing him. "Where's your Alpha?" Marcel inquires.

"Unavailable." Hayley tells him.