Gods & Monsters ✧ Elijah Mikaelson

XII ✧ Mark of the Mad

HEHEHEHEHEHEH I HAVE COME UP WITH A PLOT TWIST FOR LATER IN THE STORY THAT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING

I'm so evil and I love it

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Chapter Twelve

A week had passed, and Avarice had not left her room.

She had not eaten anything, drank anything, or even allowed Vanessa, Aspin, or Levi to come into her room.

Elijah hadn't even attempted at asking for entrance, and neither had his siblings. They all simply assumed that if Avarice would not allow her head servant to enter, nor her friends, then she would not let them in either.

Elijah rubbed at his temple ever so slightly while he read in the library, which had become his sanctuary as of late. However, it was becoming less and less so, for even his favourite books could not bring his mind from the woman hiding away in her chambers.

His fingers dug in a little harder while his jaw clenched.

If he read horror, he would think of the demons that she saved him from. If he read comedy, he would think of how much he loved to see her smile at a joke that Rebekah or Kol made, and how it always seemed to make him smile too. If he read mystery, he would think of what could possibly be wrong with her and why she felt the need to hide it from them. Needless to say, he avoided romance altogether.

He almost growled, snapping the book shut.

After a week of not seeing or hearing from her, he came to the conclusion that he did at least care for her well-being, and that he obviously was fond of her.

He wasn't going to deny that he felt an immediate feeling of anger when he thought of what had hurt her. Surely something had. Creatures like her, as Vanessa had told him, don't just get sick. Something or someone makes them sick.

He was about to throw the book down onto the table out of frustration, but thought against it. It belonged to her. He wouldn't want to damage it.

He set it down, then exited the library and headed upstairs.

Enough was enough.

He went down the hallway with determination forming in his heart, only to see Aspin and Vanessa exit from Avarice's quarters. His jaw went slack for a moment, then he went up to them both. They were startled to see him, but recovered quickly and awaited a question that they knew he was dying to ask.

"She let you inside?" he asked.

Aspin nodded, but when he saw that she looked abnormally pale, he immediately had a horrid feeling in his stomach. When he looked to Vanessa and found that she would not meet his eyes, he knew something was very, very wrong.

"What is wrong with her?"

Aspin sighed and shook her head. "Nothing is wrong; not anymore, at least... Elijah, that is for her to answer."

She gestured to the still open door, then looked to both guards and nodded to them. They glanced down at her, then at him, then straight ahead. They went back to their dormant state, making no attempts to stop him when Elijah crossed over the threshold and into Avarice's room.

It took him a mere moment to find her. It was strange to see the drapes that had covered the windows and doors to the balcony now wide open, considering how they had been shut and blocking any sight of her for over a week. The light glistened on her skin, and it startled him to see that she had a thin sheet of water covering it. Then he realized that it wasn't water; she hadn't just taken a shower, she was sweating as if she had the worst fever to ever exist. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her fingers clutching at the torn duvet under her. He looked around to see that almost everything in the room was either torn or broken to pieces, and wondered how on earth they hadn't heard it. A shattered glass table, a broken mirror, a torn painting, clothing that had been ripped to shreds. Her bathroom door had been pulled off the hinges and broken into splintered pieces, while her closet doors had holes punched through him. The only things that seemed untouched were the doors to her bedroom, which Elijah had just walked through, as well as her windows and drapes. Had she caused such damage? If so, why?

She wouldn't meet his eyes for a second, and he heard the sound of the guards shutting the door behind him. She sat up straight and took a long and shaky breath, then opened her eyes and looked at him.

When he took a closer look at her, he saw that the long sleeves of her shirt were pushed up. She seemed to notice too, and pulled down her left sleeve, but not before he saw a distinct mark that he had seen with his own eyes more times than he cared to remember.

He darted over to her, taking her arm in his and pushing the sleeve back up. He was not rough, but was fast enough to catch her off guard and be able to see the mark for himself.

They were both in complete silence, her slightly laboured breathing being the only sound.

The mark was a red and white skull, one with long vampire fangs. It was the mark that had driven his sister insane, and had prompted him to dagger her at her own request. That mark was only one falling piece in the domino effect that came crashing down and caused this mess.

"What is this?" he growled.

She didn't try to take her wrist away, but instead looked up at him silently. When she didn't answer him, his eyes darted up to hers.

"Avarice, what have you done?"

This time she did yank her arm back, and cradled it to her chest.

"Stop that," she croaked, her voice weak. He didn't know if it was from her screaming or her silence. "I'm fine."

"This," he gestured to the room around them. "Is fine?"

"I'm not like Rebekah. The curse works differently for me. It gets worse over a period of days and then better, which is why I could not let you in."

"You locked yourself in here because you were afraid you would hurt us?" he asked.

"Of course I did. Do you think I could not hurt you? I could, Elijah. I definitely could. What would you do, if you were in my position? In a castle full of people more vulnerable than you, when you have twice the power you usually do? And are more insane than even the most psychotic of people?"

He blinked, not seeming convinced. Then he crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at her with his jaw clenched. He was angry, but could not argue with her. How could he, when she believed she was doing what was right?

"Elijah, I will be perfectly fine in a matter of days. It was just difficult in the beginning."

He reached up and rubbed at his temple again, which had begun to throb once he realized what she had done.

"It will fade, then?" he asked, his eyes closed.

"Yes."

He was quiet for a short time, but then he took a seat on the edge of the bed. He almost felt defeated, and he knew he looked it too.

"I wonder, sometimes, why you are so insistent on saving us. I have not reached an answer yet."

"It is my job," she informed him, though she had said it before to each of the Mikaelson's.

"Are you sure that is all?"

She stared at him, not seeming sure of what to say.

"Because I, for one, am not," he told her.

"And why else do you think I saved you?"

"Because, the Dream Reapers - at least the ones I have encountered - are much kinder than they seem to believe they are. Aspin, Levi... You."

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but didn't quite want to speak his thoughts just yet.

She smiled at him. "I am glad you think so, Elijah."

It was interesting to watch her, because he knew that the smile didn't entirely reach her eyes. She didn't really mean it. She did not believe that she was kind.

"I will not tell my siblings if you do not want me to," he told her.

She nodded. "I would appreciate that, Mr. Mikaelson. You have my gratitude."

He stood up, rubbing his hands together before putting them into his pockets. "Please, do not hesitate to come and find me if you need anything. Until then, I will see you later, I suppose?"

She grinned. "Definitely."

He found himself smiling as he exited her room.