Nothing Dark Can Stay, Either

Chapter 13

In the morning, Beatrix felt sore.

She had talked for hours about what'd happened, and it didn't help that everyone kept asking a million questions. She didn't blame them for being curious, but sometimes it felt they were asking different variations of the same query.

Her mattress was quite different than what she was used to. She forgot how stiff she used to keep it. She'd allowed herself much more comfort in the prison world, but now, she had to get a solid diet down again. Just because she couldn't age or be harmed, didn't mean she should keep unhealthy habits.

At breakfast, she was rubbing her lower back as she came down to join the four Mikaelson brothers. She felt a bit out of place, because Marcel was at his residence and Hayley had left early for the bayou. Klaus was at the head of the table, and the other brothers sat near each other. With an awkward wave, she went to sit across from Kol. It was a bit strange to see him with a new face and specifically blue eyes. But through and through, he was her best friend.

"Hey," she said gently, frowning a bit when she saw he and Finn were still having to wear their manacles.

"Morning, darling," said Kol halfheartedly as Klaus leaned forward to address him and Finn.

"Today, a new future awaits," he said. "Forget your animosity toward Elijah and myself. Instead, join us against she who truly deserves your ire— our mother."

Kol rolled his eyes, and Finn simply stared at his plate. Neither was amused.

"Do this," Klaus continued, "and we will welcome you with open arms!"

"Well," began Kol, reaching for a plate of pastries. But Klaus pulled it out of his way, and the youngest Mikaelson brother rolled his eyes yet again and did not speak.

Klaus had a wicked smile on his face. "But, if you continue to oppose us, a denial of pastries will be the least of your concerns."

"Klaus," said Beatrix a bit sharply as she pushed the plate back to Kol. "Must you really deny them the minimal pleasures of life?"

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "I do not recall asking for your input, Beatrix. You have biases as Kol's Witchy Friend. That simply won't do."

Kol raised his hands. "Nik, if all you wanted was my allegiance against Mother Dearest, you should have said so! Save me a night shackled to the wall."

"Yes, this was Niklaus," said Elijah, gesturing to the manacles. "My recommendation was to remove your limbs, one by one, until you comply. Beatrix recommended isolation rooms for a few days."

"Well, she's the only one with her head screwed on straight, then," huffed Kol. "You two are just torturous."

Klaus let out a laugh and stood, walking over to his brothers and squeezing their shoulders. "We've no desire to torture you. Provided you vow to stand beside us as brothers."

Finn shook himself out of Klaus's grip immediately. "Brothers... Does that word even apply to us? After all these centuries of betrayal? And, has loyalty to you ever rewarded? If so, tell me, Niklaus— where is our sister, Rebekah? She was blindly loyal to you for a thousand years, and now? Nowhere to be found. Where did our sister go? And, how did she escape your vile machinations?"

Klaus seemed nervous, in Beatrix's eyes. Clearly, Rebekah was somewhere, doing something, that needed to be kept secret. But he masked the anxiety with a laugh. "You think me vile?" he chuckled. "What, then, do you make of the one who cursed us?"

Finn let out a frustrated growl. "She was trying to make you mortal again!"

Beatrix's eyes flickered to Elijah, who grabbed a knife off the table as Finn continued. "And you both refused her..." the eldest Mikaelson brother laughed darkly. "It only proves how far you've fallen. But, I expect Rebekah will have a different response to her proposal. See, unlike the two of you, she always did cling to her humanity.