Shielding The Innocent - Niklaus Mikaelson

Chapter 7

Nik and I left the Courtyard. Staring at Elijah just fills my rage. The two of us have been standing on the balcony in the study watching the storm slowly get worse.

"This is not good." I whisper the obvious. He grabs my hand and pulls me to him.

"Every last exit is sealed." Elijah's voice informs from behind us and I groan in annoyance.

"Kill me, now." I mutter.

"If you're thinking of jumping, don't." He advices and Nik and I turn to face him, walking back into the house. "I've already tried it. I landed in the world's most pretentious wine cellar."

"You sorted it by vintage." Nik states. "You don't remember, do you? I thought Marcel was intent on retrieving your memories."

"He was. He failed." Elijah says. "I still remember absolutely nothing, and Antoinette is dying."

"Is she? Right." Nik muses. "Yes. I'd forgotten."

"You bit her." I state in realization about the woman that holds Elijah's affections.

"Yes, he did." Elijah confirms. "Your husband in a homicidal manic."

"No." I grit. "That'd be you, or did you forget that I just got done laying my sister to rest with my daughters."

"What the hell are we doing here? What is this place?" Elijah questions, ignoring my jab. "This is dangerous, you and I here together."

"We're not actually here together, are we?" Nik says. "Not physically, at least. It's called a Chambre de Chasse. It's a magical mental prison designed to resemble our home. But don't worry. There's always a way out: a game or a riddle."

"How do we solve this riddle?" Elijah asks.

"We don't do anything." Nik shakes his head. "We're square, you and I." Nik steps closer to him and I cross my arms. "You got Hayley killed, and Antoinette will die because of me. I would hate to upset that delicate balance. So, Kelsey and I are gonna find our way out, and you're on your own." I salute Elijah with a smug look and follow Nik out of the study.

We go down the steps into the ballroom. Nik's eyes go to Elijah's painting that had a slash cut through it and blood staining the top. A door creaks and we both swing our bodies around, at the source of the noise.

"Who's there?" Nik demands. "Show yourself!"

"Oh, Nik." Rebekah enters the room, and a grin takes over my face. "Always the dramatic."

"Rebekah." Nik states, glad to see her. She chuckles and walks over to him, throwing her arms around his neck. Nik sighs in contentment as he hugs his sister, that he hasn't seen in years. Suddenly, something, or well someone, falls on the ground next to us. Nik and Rebekah pull apart and I bark out a laugh.

"Bloody hell." Kol sighs, clearly annoyed and fully nude. Nik's hand goes over my eyes, making my laugh even more. "My least favorite recurring nightmare."

"Why in the hell are you..." I go to ask from behind Nik's hand, but then realization hits me and my laughter immediately stops. "Ew... Gross." I exclaim, appalled by what he could have been up to with my sister.

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After Kol left to find clothes, Nik let me see again. I quickly hugged Rebekah and told her I've missed her. Then, she went and got a wine bottle. She came back pretty quickly and is now uncorking the bottle.

"I was in Corsica, drowning my sorrows about Hayley, when I suddenly dropped." Rebekah tells me and Nik. She goes to pour some wine in a glass, but nothing comes out. She chuckles, not amused. "What I wouldn't give to spend just a decade without being dragged into a godforsaken Chambre de Chasse."