Everlasting- N.M {2}

39: city beneath the sea

Astrid had been laid in her coffin, her dagger sticking out of her chest as Elijah stared down at her desiccated body which was completely still. He stood in silence as he thought over what he had done, and what would happen once they awoke.

Klaus lied in his art studio, daggered, in the same state as Astrid, desiccated and motionless. Dahlia needed to get her point across-so she made the decision to pull him into her own mind space.

Elijah had spent most of the day with the remaining members of his family, planning how to get rid of Dahlia without the strongest Mikaelsons at hand to help them. He would never admit to anyone his fear of losing without the couple beside him.

It was necessary. The both of them didn't think through their actions, they acted impulsively, and that would only end badly while under the threat of Dahlia.

Astrid lied in that coffin, unable to move, forced to hear the words of everyone around her. She longed to push herself out of that coffin and wring Erik's neck for daggering her but she couldn't move an inch.

The day was nearing to an end and Elijah stood over Astrid's coffin, staring down at her hopelessly, secretly wishing that she hadn't been daggered. That she was here to give him some helpful advice on how to handle the situation. Marcel joined him in the room and let out a sigh before speaking up. "I wish I could ask her for help too."

Elijah didn't look up as he said just four words. "Astrid didn't kill Aiden."

Marcel looked bewildered and looked up as Elijah faced him. "Was it Klaus?"

"It wasn't Niklaus either." Elijah answered truthfully, exhaling deeply.

Marcel racked his brain, trying to think of who it was that killed the werewolf. "So, who actually killed him? And, why did Astrid lie about murdering him? She doesn't lie about her kills. She prides herself in being brutally honest about her violence."

"My guess would be Freya or Dahlia. Any of the number of witches with the desire to turn me against my family." Elijah responded quietly, wanting their conversation to be private. "Niklaus has been accused of something that he did not do...so Astrid jumped to his defense. She lied for him-to protect him. Her brutal honesty about murder made it easy for everyone to immediately believe her when she told us that she killed Aiden."

Marcel pondered over Elijah's words and tried to come up with some sort of logical conclusion-like Astrid would. "So...given that taking out enemies is basically Klaus and Astrid's thing-you thinking about pulling her dagger out?" Astrid had been innocent, she was daggering for practically no reason at all.

Elijah longed for Astrid by his side-her assistance-but he knew it wouldn't end well for anyone. He glanced over at Marcel and shook his head. "Until Hope is safe, I would rather not release her brand of rage. Especially at the capacity it undoubtedly will be. We don't need that at this particular moment."

"Well, whoever framed them for Aiden's death got us to take our greatest weapons off the table, which means that you're gonna have to think like one of them." Marcel reminded him, cautious of the threat they faced. "Problem is, which one?"

Elijah frowned at Astrid's grey figure, longing for her advice on what to do now, but he couldn't take the dagger out. He had to figure things out himself.

They all now decided the best plan going forward was to use Hope as a bait, to trap Dahlia. Elijah was suddenly glad Klaus and Astrid were unable to move, as they would never even allow the suggestion in the first place.

Freya stood in the courtyard, holding a sage stick, surrounded by Klaus' paintings which contained Viking ash and Norwegian soil to create a subtle weapon to weaken Dahlia.