Enigmatic Finales: A Klaus Mikaelson Story {8}

Chapter 33: How Much I Love You

"Elliott..." Anastasia words were feeble and wrought with suffering. Elliott faltered at the sight of her pained quakes on the ground, but he pulled his eyes from her and onto his family.

"I have to help, please," he pleaded.

I was not so convinced and clearly my daughter knew that, as rather than wait for my answer, she took her brother's hand and began to chant her own pain infliction spell. Elliott followed her lead and cast his spell, their powers amplifying one another.

Anastasia let out a horrific cry as the intensity of the combined spells wreaked havoc on her body. I looked at the sight, all the Mikaelsons working in tandem to take down our enemy and in spite of the gruesome image, I found hope. I had never been powerful enough to take my sister down on my own, but all of us here together would.

Anastasia would fail and she would fail today.

Freya and Keelin returned with the manacles in tow, Keelin clamping them onto the witch's hands and checking they were secure. I released a manic laugh and shared a smile with Klaus. Finally it was over. The nightmare that had started two years ago finally reached its conclusion.

But then Anastasia began to laugh. Each bout of laughter more fervent than the one that preceded it until she was cackling with glee.

"You thought you were going to kill me?" She turned to me with her bloody smile. "I possess more power than you could ever begin to imagine."

And with her broken hands still in the manacles, she pressed her palms flat to the ground, sending a shockwave of brutal force throughout the compound. My head felt like it was compounding on itself and judging by the agonised looks of the family surrounding me, they felt the same. I cast my eyes to Grace who was screaming and crying as the spell ran through her body, her pain hurting me more than my own. I stretched my hand out to reach hers, but she shook her head and before my eyes, my daughter got to her feet.

The only one more shocked than I was Anastasia, who watched Grace take an impossible step towards her. Then another. And another. And another.

"You never succeeded at killing me before...and you wont today either," Grace choked out. She raised her hands to cast her spell, but Anastasia's shock had worn off. She got to her feet and smirked.

"I always underestimate you Grace," Anastasia told her. "No more."

A ball of energy formed in Anastasia's hand, growing larger by the second. I knew not what she held in her hands, but I did not want Grace to find out. I tried to get onto my feet, but it was too late. The ball left Anastasia's palms and headed straight for my daughter. I didn't even have the voice to shout my fear.

But I never heard Grace's shriek of pain, as I heard Elliott's instead. The pain ceased as Anastasia rushed to his side, dropping her spell in the process. But the pain of her spell was replaced with the pain from the shadow cast by Elliott's unmoving body.

"Elliott? Elliott? Are you alright?" Anastasia asked.

"NO!" Grace bellowed. She swung her hand and Anastasia was thrown out of the compound. Freya was quick on the draw, casting a boundary spell with immediate effect, her stony stare boring into Anastasia's soulless form.

Hayley crawled to her son's side, and I prayed she would not be meeting his corpse. "Elliott, wake up. Please."

Her pleas were weak and croaky, but her need was crystal clear. She needed her son to be alright. She needed her baby. Anastasia stood outside the boundary, still looking in and hoping to find the same conclusion.

"Elliott?" Grace asked, lightly shaking him. "I know you're okay. I know you are so just...so just say that. Say that you're okay."

The silence lasted for eternities. All eyes were on Elliott now, no one dared to so much as breathe too loudly. The only voice anyone wanted to hear was his.

"I'm okay."

The shared gasp of relief was more powerful than any magic that had come before it. Anastasia fell to her knees, her whole body shaking with her sobs.

Elliott met her at the boundary, heaving from the effort each movement was taking, "Hey Stasia."

"Ellie, I am so glad you are okay," she told him. "I never meant to hurt you. You know that, don't you? I did not mean to hurt you."

"...You came here for me?" he said.

"Of course!" She insisted. "I want you by my side! I love you! These people only want to use you. They will hurt you—they will leave you—it is only a matter of time. But I...I want you and only you."

Elliott seemed to consider her words, turning back to look at us. We were a pitiful sight, all of us beaten and battered at her hands. If Elliott chose her, I took solace in knowing at least he would be safe. At least there would be one survivor.

He turned back to her and held his hand against the boundary, Anastasia doing the same. In spite of my differences with her, it was clear just how much she loved him, even with that one touch. Unfortunately, it was clear their love was dangerous. A force that could never be. Yet only Elliott could make that decision for himself.

"You have to know how much I love you," Elliott began.

"I love you too," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"But I can never be with you, ever again," he said, his words cutting deeper than any spell we had cast. "You hurt me, you hurt my family, you want to hurt everyone I love—you want to hurt the world. That hurts me. I thought I wanted what you wanted, but I don't. I want...I want them. I have one person's love in you, but I have a whole family's love in them."

She straightened up. "Hm."

"I'm sorry."

"You should be," she got to her feet, turning her cruel gaze on us. "Know this: the next time I come, it will be for the last time."

Then she turned and walked away, leaving us with the damning reality. But before it could sink in, Elliott burst into tears, an ocean's worth pouring from his eyes. With no words to speak, the instinct to protect our family came over us all as we all engulfed our boy.

A reminder that he was loved—always and forever.

A/N: Short but sweet and packed full of blood and magic!

Until next time when some steps are made towards reconciliation and some are made towards chaos and death!

Love you as always! X