Bitter Embrace: Shadows of Retribution [Elijah]

Chapter 7

Elijah, too, remained silent, grappling with the whirlwind of memories crashing upon him. He yearned for her, missed her deeply, yet felt the weight of his own mistakes. Hayley occupied a significant place in his heart, and he convinced himself that he didn't need Maria. Or, at least, he wished he didn't.

As Maria assisted Lucien, she could still feel Elijah's presence haunting her. The pain and the turmoil from their shared past were like scars that refused to fade. Slamming the door shut behind her, she left Elijah standing alone, his gaze fixed on the nondescript door. Minutes passed in silence until Elijah finally realized that the man beside him remained unconscious—an oversight he had only just noticed.

"What in the bloody hell just happened?" the man grumbled, his eyes squinting as he slowly regained consciousness. Elijah, on the other hand, stayed rooted to his spot, lost in a whirlwind of conflicted thoughts.

Elijah's expression hardened as he seized the man by the collar. "Jackson, if even a whisper about her presence here escapes your lips to anyone, I swear on my name that I will not only end you but erase every trace of your existence." It was a rare moment for Elijah to issue such a threat, surprising even himself. He despised adopting tactics reminiscent of his brother, but the need to shield her from harm compelled him. Elijah released his grip on Jackson. "Let us return home; you're on the brink of transitioning back," he remarked. Jackson, baffled by Elijah's sudden violence, opted not to delve deeper into the matter.

Maria stood in the shadows behind the door, audibly exhaling her frustration. "Where did you stash the suitcase?" she mumbled, her tone a blend of irritation and concern.

Lucien, still recovering, replied, "Under the closet." Maria swiftly walked to the closet, retrieving the suitcase. As she took out the needle and prepared the solution, a sense of déjà vu washed over her. This scenario had played out too many times, a testament to the perpetual trouble they found themselves in. Without a word, Maria skillfully inserted the needle into Lucien's vein, canceling out the venom. She leaned back, pondering the potential repercussions. Was the meticulously crafted plan now in jeopardy?

Lucien noticed the worry etched on Maria's face, a consequence of his own recklessness. He berated himself for not being more cautious, for not ensuring her safety before summoning her here. Taking a deep breath, he began, "Love... would you like to stay here?" The words felt clumsy, unfamiliar on his tongue, but Maria was an exception to his usual reticence.

Maria hesitated, grappling with her conflicting emotions. Did she want to stay here, where the memories and tumultuous feelings threatened to overwhelm her? She longed to release everything, to surrender to the weight of it all. However, she knew the cost of such vulnerability. "That... would be nice," she finally admitted. Staying at home seemed perilous, a place where she feared breaking down or succumbing to the temptation of turning it all off. With Lucien by her side, she hoped he could provide the support needed to keep her resilient.

Lucien sighed, his gaze filled with empathy as he regarded Maria. "I'll make some coffee and pancakes then," he offered with a slight smile, hoping to bring some comfort to her troubled state. Maria returned the smile, grateful for Lucien's presence and the small gesture of kindness.

As Lucien retreated to the kitchen, Maria sank into a chair at the table, her mind still swirling with uncertainty. She needed a distraction, something to divert her thoughts from the tangled mess of emotions. "So what's the plan now?" she asked abruptly, the weight of her dilemma evident in the way she let her head fall against the table.

Lucien glanced over at her, sensing the turmoil beneath her composed exterior. He knew they needed to recalibrate their strategy, especially given the unexpected presence of Elijah. However, he also knew that Elijah wouldn't risk exposing Maria's whereabouts, especially after their encounter with Jackson. The only real threat was the possibility of Niklaus exploiting Elijah's vulnerability in a moment of conflict, a prospect that left Lucien cursing inwardly.

Despite his concerns, Lucien wanted to reassure Maria, to ease her worries and fears. But he knew she was too perceptive to be placated easily. She understood the risks as well as he did, and there was no point in pretending otherwise.

Maria's fear wasn't of death; she had faced that once already and found it lacking in terror. No, her fear stemmed from the looming specter of Elijah, a presence she despised yet couldn't seem to evade. Why, she couldn't quite say. Hatred coursed through her veins, mingling with a perverse desire for revenge. Yet, confronting him filled her with an inexplicable dread.

Her mind raced with thoughts of the plan, the intricate web they had woven over the years. It was their lifeline, their beacon of hope in a world teetering on the brink of chaos. She couldn't bear the thought of jeopardizing it, not for herself, but for the sake of those she cared about. Lucien, Tristian, Aurora—she owed them everything. Even Aya, though her loyalty to the Strix leader was tenuous at best, was entangled in their shared fate.

Lucien sensed her inner turmoil and approached with pancakes, his touch a soothing balm against her frayed nerves. "Love, everything is going to be alright," he murmured, settling beside her and offering his steadfast support. Maria leaned into his embrace, finding solace in his unwavering presence.

Taking a deep breath, Maria attempted to quell the storm of emotions raging within her. "Okay, I'll retrieve the dark object from Camille this week. What else do we need?" she inquired, hoping to focus on practical matters to distract herself.

Lucien shook his head. "None. We have everything we need for now," he assured her. "What we require next is an unsired heart, either from Jackson or the wolf girl."

Maria pondered for a moment, weighing the options in her mind. The unsired heart, a crucial component of their plan, lay within reach, yet she hesitated, torn between vengeance and compassion. She couldn't bear the thought of condemning a child to the same fate she had endured—a life without a mother.

"Jackson, then," she decided, her voice firm but tinged with regret as she rose from her seat.

But before Maria could make a move, Lucien's hand gently restrained her, pulling her back down. "Maria, you're in no shape to go out now," he insisted, his concern evident in his voice. He feared her fragile state might crumble further if she ventured outside.

"I need to do something," Maria protested, pushing against Lucien's grip. The weight of her emotions threatened to overwhelm her, and she struggled to articulate the turmoil within. "I-I need a distraction. I need—" Her voice faltered, betraying the raw ache of her inner turmoil. She hated herself for breaking down, for still being ensnared by Elijah's memory when she had sworn to move on.

Sensing her anguish, Lucien enveloped her in a rare display of tenderness, holding her close as she wept. "Shhhh... Love, it's alright," he murmured soothingly, his touch a comforting anchor amidst the storm of her emotions. He shared her resentment towards Elijah, harboring his own desire for retribution. But above all, he longed to see Maria liberated from the chains of her past.

"Lucien, please," Maria implored, her tears mingling with a simmering fury. "Let me kill that wolf." Her request was laced with righteous indignation, fueled by a thirst for justice. She was done playing the victim; it was time to claim her agency and mete out her own form of retribution.