An Eternity (TVD- Elijah Mikaelson story)

Aftermath

                Elizabeth raises her head and peers up at me with a trusting blue-green gaze. I swallow the lump in my throat and say, “They will seek you out and find you if you leave more blood behind. The trail must end here.”

                “I am too weak to heal my wounds properly, Elijah,” she whispers frantically to me.

               There’s a loud clanking from behind us and I glance back. Torches are being lit as the drawbridge to the castle is being lowered. I can hear the frustrated voices of the servants and knights. A loud, enraged cry reverberates off the trunks of the trees. Elizabeth stares at a point beyond me. “Klaus has discovered I have fled. You must go back before he finds that you are gone as well,” she tells me, looking up into my eyes. I stare down at her, studying her flawless face. Her soft, supple lips curve into a small smile as she adds, “I will be alright.” Elizabeth unravels herself from me, briefly gripping my hand before she turns to leave.

               Without thinking, I reach out and bring her close to me again, wrapping my arms tightly around her small frame. She gasps as she is pressed against me. I bring my hand up to my mouth and bite hard onto my palm, my fangs piercing my flesh. A flash of blood spurts onto my tongue and I hold out my hand to her. “Please, let me heal you,” I say to her. She looks hesitantly at my hand and I can see that she is about to object. I become desperate as I listen to the thundering footsteps that race around the courtyard. “Please, Elizabeth.” Her chest rises and falls with a sigh and she nods slowly.

               “Alright.” I hold my hand closer to her mouth as she tentatively wraps her lips around the heel of my hand. The blood dribbles into her mouth and her nose turns up in disgust, but she doesn’t pull away. Elizabeth drinks my blood until I can see her wounds start to heal. Her skin is slowly pulled back together and the blood starts to clot as the blood flow slows. She pulls away and breathes out, “Thank you, Elijah, for all that you have done.”

               I reach up and brush a curled strand of her golden hair out of her face and behind her ear. I cradle her head in my palm, leaning in close to her. My lips are so close to hers that I can feel her warm breath on my chin. Elizabeth waits patiently for me to do something, anything. Pulling back slowly, I raise my chin up and press my lips to her forehead instead. Her eyes briefly close. I whisper to her, “Elizabeth, I wish that I could remain with you forever, but everything must come to an end.”

               She smiles up at me. Elizabeth pulls away from me, kneels down to pick a small, green bud from the forest floor, and stands to take my hand. She places the bud into my open palm and waves her hand over it. The small green speck slowly begins to open, blooming into a full, red rose. The petals are soft against my fingertips and tickle my palm. “This rose’s beauty shall remain for as long as I live. Keep it with you always.” Elizabeth smiles at me and then she is gone, dashing away into the night.

               

              The rose had wilted in the days after she had gone and ever since, I have believed her to be dead. A rustling in the leaves below alerts me to Klaus awaking. I carefully slip the rose back into my pocket and shift my weight, leaning heavily against the rough bark. Above me, the sun beats down, shimmering through the leaves, like moonlight. 

Elizabeth’s POV-

                It’s been almost two days since the ritual and I haven’t been able to track down Klaus. I caught wind of a few kills in the past forty-eight hours that were oddly suspicious animal attacks, but they were quickly covered up and washed away. I sigh as I make my way up the steps to Alaric’s apartment. I had heard before that Katherine was being kept here and I want to find out if she still remains behind the green door, labeled number 9, or not. Perhaps she will know where Klaus is. I pause at the top of the steps when I hear an agonized cry from inside the apartment. It sends a chill down my spine and sets my feet in motion. I hurry to the door, but before I can even open it, I hear the familiar voice of Stefan from inside, “The witches said you have a cure. Make me a deal. Just give me the cure and I’ll do whatever you want.” I stand still, scared to even move. I listen quietly, hoping no one will notice I am out here. I hear the sound of flesh ripping and someone falls to the floor with a groan, thumping against wooden floorboards.