The next day we were still in the bayou. From what I understood we would be staying here for over a month until the next full moon. I was helping Hayley and Eve gather the werewolves, but to be honest I couldn't wait until my duty was over. I wanted to be free. All morning I had this strange feeling that something just wasn't right.
"What's going on?" Hayley asked in the end fed up with my troubled expression.
"I don't know." I replied honestly. She remained still staring at me.
"Do you mind if I go to check on the Originals?"
"Of course not. I'm fed up you shadowing me."
"You will be ok, right? Please don't get into trouble." She rolled her eyes.
"Don't worry Cassandra. I have a whole pack to protect me if something goes wrong."
"I'm counting on that." I replied. With that I left Hayley and Eve and headed to the French Quarter.
Now where could they be? I wondered once I reached my destination. I had to cross the whole bayou to get there. I hated mud. And mosquitoes. And flies. But, anyways this was not the point. I closed my eyes and focused on the three Originals siblings. I did hope that they would all be alive and that Klaus wouldn't have killed Rebekah. But, I don't think he would ever be able to kill his baby sister. Deep down, Klaus had a very kind soul. As I said, deep down.
An image came into my mind. I recognized the place immediately. The cemetery. The irony was tremendous. I quickly made my way there, hoping I would arrive before Klaus did something stupid. I walked under the metal arch that signified the entrance of the cemetery. I didn't understand how the witches allowed the Original family to even step a foot on their sacred place. I walked among the thousands of tombs, relying on my hearing to spot them. And I finally did. Walking over to where they were I found Elijah and Klaus having a conversation. A rather unconventional conversation, I must add. Elijah was holding a blade which was covered in blood and Klaus was holding the white-oak stake. That was ugly.
"Niklaus, I know you and I grew up fighting you. I can't be beaten nor can I be persuaded. You cannot get past me."
"I could get past you, although it might have to be over your dead body." Klaus argued. "You did stab me with that blade forcing me to endure hours of unspeakable pain! Perhaps I should direct my rage toward you..." He continued. He was angry. And that made him think of nothing but revenge.
"You should see yourself..." Elijah replied calmly, unfazed by his brother's threat. "A murderous expression, a self-righteous posturing... You look like father..." I closed my eyes. That was the biggest insult you could say to Klaus.
"I'm not him." Klaus denied it firmly. "Rebekah's betrayal justifies my anger. She was out for a madman. You were never the recipient of his cruelty! None of you were! Not Kol! Not Finn! None of you!"
It was one of those rare times that I could hear the pain in Klaus's voice. How much he had suffered during his childhood. I couldn't help but wonder, if Mikael didn't treat him like this, would he be a different person? Would he show his true self? A note for campaigns against family violence. Klaus is the strongest example of what can family abusing can do to a kid.
"I think you've forgotten what he was truly like." Klaus continued calmer now.
"No, I have not forgotten."
And Elijah started telling how Mikael beat Klaus when he was a little boy, without mercy, insulted him, always underestimated him. A tear escaped my eye. No one should experience something like this. No one deserved to. Klaus and Elijah remained for a moment staring at each other, but then suddenly Klaus disappeared. Elijah followed him and I did so too.
"Niklaus, I understand you anger, but I'm begging you, be better than him. Do what he could not. Demonstrate the grace of mercy, rather than this petty cruelty."
"You ask me to show mercy to one who has wronged me. You really don't know me at all, do you brother?" I rolled my eyes. Typical Klaus. Always doubting he had a soul.
"Enough." Rebekah said appearing. She must have been hiding this whole time. "Whatever I have done wrong, my guilt is nothing compared to yours. You want revenge? Fine, but before you have it, I will look you in the eye and tell you why it was your cruelty and your spite that led us to this." She continued.
"Well, go on then. Speak your piece. And when you are finished, I will grant you the punishment you deserve. Even if I have to go through Elijah to do so." That moment I took a step forward, so I could have a better view, but I accidentally hit a clay vase which fell on the ground, breaking, giving me away.
"Crap!" I hissed, mad at myself for my clumsiness.
"Who is there?" Klaus asked alerted. I walked slowly with my hands up.
"Cassandra?" Elijah said surprised.
"Yeah, just me. Please don't cut my head off. I really need it."
"What are you doing here?"
"I figured that I may be able to prevent you from killing each other." I replied leaving my hands to fall.
"How long have you been here?" Klaus continued. He was really shocked.
"Does it really matter?"
"Forgive me, but your presence is not needed. You may go." Klaus ordered me.
"Really? Because you are holding a white-oak stake and I assume you will use it to kill your sister. I think my presence is more than needed here."
"Cassandra..." Klaus warned me.
"You are making a big mistake!" I shouted stepping forward. "You think killing your sister will make the anger and the pain, go away? On the contrary, it will make it worse! Your siblings are the only family you have left! They have stood by your side no matter how many times you have daggered them, no matter how many times you have caused them pain! Yes, what Rebekah did is unforgivable! Does she deserve to die? What would your daughter think of you?" My last phrase must have hit a nerve, because he rushed to me and stopped only a few inches away.
"And what do you know about family?" He hissed in my face. Ok, that hurt.
"Niklaus..." Elijah warned him.
"Nothing." I said looking him straight in the eye. I could feel the tears gathering, but I was determined not to cry in front of him. "Take this as an advice from a person that has no family left." I replied and turned around, walking away the second I had finished my sentence.
Rebekah's P.O.V.
I was watching Cassandra walking away with her head down and her hands in her jacket's pockets. What Niklaus said... He was too harsh on her. A person that has forgave him more than once.
"Well done, brother." I said abruptly and followed Cassandra. I saw Elijah from the corner of my eye shaking his head disapprovingly. She hadn't gone very far and it was easy for me to catch up with her. "Hey." I said touching her elbow, making her stop. She turned to look at me, without saying anything. I could see the fight she was giving to hold back her tears. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. I think the last thing you should worry about is my well-being."
"Don't say that. What Nik said is unforgivable. He shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."
"You are apologizing for Klaus's mistakes?"
"I have to. You didn't deserve such a treatment. You have forgiven more mistakes to Niklaus than anyone else." She smiled.
"Don't worry. I've learnt not to be affected by Klaus insults."
I took her palms into mine and looked her in the eye. "I want you to know that I truly think of you as a sister."
"Thank you, Rebekah. And for the record, I don't think Klaus intends to kill you. He is just acting like Klaus. Making a song and dance about something and then all is forgiven."
"How do you know that?"
"Call it a hunch." I smiled as she smiled. "I'm fine. Really. I'll just get out of here. Which makes me wonder, why haven't you done the same?"
"Don't you know?"
"Know what?"
"Celeste put a boundary spell. We can't leave until the next moon rises."
"That bitch did it again. And where is she right now?" I hesitated.
"She is dead. Don't you know that either?" Her eyes grew in shock.
"No... Who killed her?"
"Elijah." That probably shocked her even more.
"Well, I wasn't even half as a crazy ex as she was." I smiled. "You need to go. You have some family business to attend." She continued.
"Are you ok?"
"I always am, Rebekah. Take care of yourself."
"I will. You too." With these words we parted and I returned to my siblings, while she walked the other way.
Cassie's P.O.V.
This place was massive! I hadn't realized how far I had got, until I had to get out. My conversation with Rebekah kept playing in my mind. I really hoped I was right about Klaus's intentions. I loved Rebekah. She didn't deserve to die. Plus, her actions could be justified at one point, due to Klaus's behaviour towards her. I wasn't watching where I was going, I just kept walking with my head down, relying on my instinct to get me out of here.
Suddenly, a pain went through my chest and it was so severe that made me scream. The pain was becoming worse and worse by the second, which made me fall on the ground not able to hold my screams anymore. It hurt so much. It felt like my insides were burning. It was the worst kind of pain I had ever experienced. My eyesight started becoming blurry, as the pain consumed me and drove me away from reality.
Rebekah's P.O.V.
I heard my brother Elijah screaming with pain. And a few seconds after I heard a feminine screaming. Cassandra! I realized horrified. Klaus must have stabbed Elijah with Papa Tunde's blade. That blade caused unspeakable pain to whoever you stabbed with it. I started running in the cemetery looking for Cassandra, finally finding her lying on the ground, trembling and crying, having no perception of reality. "Cassandra..." I whispered, kneeling besides her. She didn't respond. That's when I noticed the white-oak stake being on the ground a few feet away. Elijah must have thrown it, after he had taken it from Niklaus. I took it and then lifted Cassandra carefully in my arms. I headed to the direction when Niklaus was.
"What are you doing Nik?" I asked when I got there. He turned around to face me, but when he noticed I was holding Cassandra, a puzzled expression replaced the previous one which was full of rage. "Take the blade out!" I ordered him.
"And why would I do that?"
"Because you are killing her!" I yelled, angry with my brother staying so calm when an innocent person suffered so much.
"Well, I think she can handle it. She is wearing her talismans, she will be ok."
"She is human! No matter how fast she heals she is still human! She won't last much longer! Do you want her to die from heart attack?" His expression revealed nothing. "Come on, Nik! You always said you wanted to protect her and now all your promises are gone because of your obsession with revenge? Be rational for once, Nik! Take the blade out!"
"No." He replied shaking his head negatively. "Give her to me." He added soon after. I shook my head. "Put them together! They will draw power from each other! Unless, you prefer her to die of course, because I do not intend on taking out that blade any time soon!"
"You are a monster!" I shouted, but I decided to give him Cassandra. It was the safer choice to make. At least for now.
3rd person's P.O.V.
Klaus put Cassandra carefully on the floor next to Elijah. The poor girl, despite not having much communication with the real world, she immediately sensed her soulmate's presence. And so did he. Despite all the pain he was enduring he sensed a familiar warm feeling spreading through his heart. Eventually, their hands found each other and that made the torture a little easier to endure, until Klaus decided to remove the blade. It was already dark and they were still lying on the ground, not able to move an inch or act in any way. Cassandra was as close to Elijah as possible. His presence helped her get through all this pain. But, subconsciously, she didn't know how much she could take it.
It had been hours, since the moment Klaus decided to end their torture. Removing the blade from his brother's chest, he declared that they were even, as he had been the one stabbing him with that blade, last night. Cassandra felt the source of the pain leaving her body. She was able to breathe normally now, but she still needed rest to heal, before she could come around. Elijah, on the contrary, was able to stand up after a few moments, facing to his surprise, Cassandra lying unconscious next to him and their hands still linked. He immediately realized what had happened and cursed himself for being taken aback by Klaus. If he was on his guard, like he always had been, that innocent girl wouldn't have to go through that pain. Yet, he couldn't understand how his brother could do something like that, knowing it would hurt Cassandra. Sometimes, Niklaus couldn't see beyond his rage.
He waited a few moments, until he had fully recovered, waiting for Cassandra to do the same. But, she didn't. She remained unconscious on the ground. Elijah would have been worried, if he didn't know that the prophetess was asleep. He slowly lifted her in his arms, making his way out of the cemetery. They were no longer trapped in there by Celeste's spell, which had gone down a few minutes ago. His siblings had already fled and he knew that he had to take Cassandra to the bayou. She would be so pissed off, if she woke up anywhere else.
Making his way out, his eyes never left her. He was so confused on how to treat her. Their relationship was so complicated. He cared for her, he loved her... But, he had done so much to her that he didn't even know if he was worthy of a second chance. And then, there was Hayley... That woman was so intriguing, he had not met anyone else like her before. But, the same went for Cassandra. She was unique. They both were. For the first time, Elijah was trapped between two women, not knowing what to do. He always had a plan, he always knew what to do, but this time... everything was different.
Eventually, he exited the cemetery, debating to take Cassandra to the bayou himself or not. He decided that things would get even more complicated, as Hayley was the only person there, along with Eve. He had to find Rebekah. He took a wild guess of where she could be and headed to that place. It turned out he was right. When he reached the plantation mansion, which was now burned to the ground, he recognized his sister's car parked outside. He carefully placed Cassandra on the back seat and went into the house to meet his sister.
Elijah's P.O.V.
I found my sister wandering around the burned living room, where the piano used to be. "I thought I might find you here." I said catching her attention.
"I just came to collect the last of my things that did not burn to ash. I'll be leaving shortly. I don't suppose you have any desire to join me." She said forcing a smile.
"I hope you find everything you are looking for." I said with every word coming from my heart. She remained silent for a little.
"Elijah when I brought Mikael... I never, for a second, meant to hurt you." She said quickly.
"I know." I replied with a smile.
"I was certain that Klaus meant to kill me. Whether he never did at all or he changed his mind... Maybe somewhere deep down, he still is the brother we once knew."
"Very deep, but... He is still in there..." I agreed.
"Cassandra was right once more." I was taken aback, by her mentioning Cassandra. She saw my startled expression and smiled. "When I went after her, after Klaus talked to her the way he did... She told me that she didn't think that Klaus meant to kill me. I thought she was telling me that, just to make me feel better, but it turned out she was right. As she always is..." I smiled.
"Speaking of..." She raised an eyebrow. "Would you mind taking her to the bayou? She is still knocked out and I thought that if I went there it might get... complicated."
"I see." She paused for a second. "Very well. I'll give you time to... figure this whole thing out... Although she will be pissed off when she wakes up, when she finds out that I left without saying goodbye to her." I nodded. She walked to me, until she was standing by my side and place a small kiss on my cheek. "Help our brother find his way."
"And then find your own."
Author's Note: Hello everyone!!!! I'll be visiting my parents for the next four days, so I won't be able to update, until I get back. I hope you are all doing well and that you liked this chapter. Don't forget to comment! Love you all!!!