The Great War || Elijah Mikaelson

xxxiii. Nothing Ever Lasts Forever

She had fallen to her knees just as he did, his eyes lifeless. She had seen him like this countless times, but she knew this one was different. This one was permanent. She couldn't cut her arm and feed him her blood to fix it like she had in the past. Nothing was going to bring him back to her.

Raphael had sat with her as long as he could, stroking her hair gently as she cried. It wasn't long before the sire line claimed him. Astra couldn't bare to look as she felt him still next to her. He had gone quietly. Almost as if he had fallen to sleep next to her. Yet, she knew better. She knew she was alone. Lying on the ground with her two oldest friends dead next to her. The panic had already begun to set in.

Instinctively, her magic reached out for Elijah, seeking his calming presence, but the emptiness she was met with was enough to send her into another wave of sobs.

A soft buzzing joined her whimpers and she had enough wherewithal to realize it was coming from Elijah's pocket. Someone was calling him.

They were safe, she thought. She didn't have to check it to know who was calling him. But she couldn't even feel relief. They were alive but Elijah was not.

New Orleans, Louisiana

"He's not answering," Klaus growled as he paced the courtyard, haphazardly kicking the dead Strix members out of the way.

"I'm trying Astra," Rebekah was already calling but she received the same results. Not that they needed any confirmation. There was only one explanation as to how the entirety of the Strix had fallen within moments.

Elijah's entire sire line was gone. It could only mean he was gone with it.

But Klaus was not willing to accept it. There had to be another explanation and he was going to find it.

Rebekah and Kol knew better. Their family had been in danger and Elijah was too far away to protect them so he acted in the only way he could.

Davina moved in closer to Kol who was merely watching Klaus pacing, while Rebekah's eyes made their way across the courtyard to Hayley. She hadn't said anything since the Strix had fallen. She just stood there, her hand locked around her wrist where the gold chain sat. Her face was blank, her eyes unseeing.

Everyone's heads snapped to Klaus when the call stopped ringing but the voicemail didn't pick up nor did anyone say anything on the other line.

"Elijah," Klaus whispered, praying to hear his brother's voice on the other line.

"He's gone." Astra's voice was broke on the last word but everyone heard it loud and clear. The words were emphasized by the loud sob that followed.

"What do you mean gone?" Klaus growled but Astra was too far into her cries and did not, or could not answer. "What has he done."

"Don't yell at her," Davina stepped forward, reaching to grab the phone from Klaus but he swatted her outreached hand away. "She's clearly upset, you're making it worse."

"She's going to be even more upset when I rip her heart out if she doesn't bring my brother back this moment." While Klaus' words were not directed at Davina, they were said with such venom that Kol moved between the two before it got even more heated.

But Davina didn't get a chance to respond before Astra did, "I can't. I can't."

The words seemed to echo in his head. Elijah was gone and Astra couldn't save him. It took him a moment to realize it wasn't just in his head. Astra was stuck in a cycle. Repeating the words over and over with no end in sight.

Davina was about to reach for the phone again when she saw a shift in Klaus. He took a deep breath to calm himself and adjusted the phone at his ear.

"Astra," his tone was more gentle than she had ever heard him. She didn't know he was capable of it. "You need to take a deep breath. You can't afford to slip into a panic. Elijah needs you."