The Lost Daughter

Chapter Seven

Matilda sits next to Klaus, trying to do a locator spell on Niah using hers, Klaus', Elijah's and Rebekah's blood. Elijah sits opposite them reading one of Esther's grimoire as Klaus reads 'A Poison Tree' by William Blake. A dead girl lays on the coffee table, puncture wounds in her neck as she bleeds onto the floor. Rebekah walks in and stops "So, this is what you do the first time we're back together as a family? Vampire book club?" she asks. "Reading edifies the mind, sister. Isn't that right, Elijah?" Klaus tells her, not looking up from his book. "Yes, that's quite right, Niklaus." Elijah agrees. "And what's this business?" Rebekah asks, motioning to the dead girl. "This is a... peace offering." Elijah tells her. "I presumed, after so much time desiccating in a coffin, that my big brother might be a bit peckish." Klaus sighs. "And I explained to my little brother that forgiveness cannot be bought. I'd simply prefer to see a change in behavior that indicates contrition and personal growth. Not this nonsense." Elijah explains, motioning to the dead girl. "Well, I couldn't very well let her go to waste, could I?" Klaus smiles. "Well, I suppose I'll go fetch the rubbish bin, because she's staining a two hundred-year-old carpet." Rebekah tells them. Elijah looks up from his book to see the girl bleeding onto the table, the blood dripping onto the carpet "Ah, yes." he realises. Rebekah walks to the kitchen, Hayley soon walking into the kitchen too with Elijah following. Matilda opens her eyes as the map sets on fire, making her scream in anger and throw it across the room "Nothing?" Klaus asks her. "What gives you that idea?" she asks sarcastically.

Rebekah soon comes back in and starts scrubbing at the blood as Klaus continues to read, this time Matilda leaning into him and reading over his shoulder "Poetry about poisoned apples from dead trees. Looks like someone's worried about impending daddy-hood." Rebekah remarks. Klaus shakes his head "Nonsense. Elijah's back. In his presence, all problems turn to pixie-dust and float away!" he tells her. Rebekah side-eyes him and grins, Klaus grinning back. Elijah hears them talking about him and rejoins them in the living room "Strange, I don't recall any pixie-dust from the darkness of the coffin I was recently forced to endure." he tells his brother, opening Esther's grimoire and flipping through it. "What are you doing with Mother's spellbook?" Rebekah asks. "Well, in exchange for my freedom, I promised the witch Davina that I would share a few pages from Mother's grimoire. To help her learn to control her magic. I thought we'd begin with a little unlinking spell." Elijah explains. Rebekah and Klaus look at each other in confusion "Wait, you want to use her to unlink Hayley from Sophie Deveraux?" Rebekah asks. "Sophie brought us here under false pretenses. She doesn't just want us to take down Marcel and his minions, she wants to take Davina back. So, she yolked her own cause to ours with magic, threats, and half-truths. Well, no more. As of now, our deal with Sophie Deveraux is null and void." Elijah responds.

"Why not use Matilda?" Rebekah frowns. Matilda looks down slightly "I could easily siphon it from Hayley but... I don't want to accidentally hurt the baby." she explains, Rebekah nodding. "Besides, she's wearing herself thin with trying to find a way to get Kol back, and finding where Niah is." Klaus adds, reassuringly rubbing Matilda's arm. "Niklaus, I need you to come with me. I need five minutes alone with Davina. You need to make certain that I am not interrupted. You stay here and watch Hayley." Elijah tells his siblings, turning and leaving the house. "How did I get elected super-nanny?" Rebekah asks. "More importantly, who put him in charge?" Klaus asks, getting up and following Elijah. Matilda gets up and follows them "Where are you going?" Rebekah asks. "I don't babysit unless an actual baby is there." Matilda grins, speeding out the way as Rebekah throws a vase at her. Klaus chuckles as Matilda catches up to him and Elijah "Does that mean you're going to babysit?" he asks. "Obviously, I can't have my baby cousin being left in your hands constantly." Matilda grins cheekily, Klaus ruffling her hair as Elijah chuckles.