•|•
Elijah was in the middle of his own workout at the new gym in St. Anne's church, where he was vigorously punching and kicking a punching bag. After a moment, he got so heated in his exercise that he punched the bag clear across the room, where it knocked over a bench press and hand-weights. When he turned around, he saw that Isabel had entered the room with a small card in her hands.
"Something the matter, Elijah?" She asked mockingly. "There's nothing you want to talk about? Like... The Strix?" Elijah pulled out a towel and used it to blot the sweat from his face. When he didn't respond, Isabel read the black invitation in her hands aloud to him. "'I do hope that you can come, old chum. Signed, Tristan.'" She waved the invitation in the air and gave Elijah a look as he walked over to pluck the invite out of her hands to read it for himself. "I was picking up Hope when some vampire dropped it off."
Elijah continued to skim the invitation, which read in full: "You are cordially invited to an evening of exquisite excess. The Davilla Estate, 7041 St. Charles Avenue. Midnight,' along with Tristan's personal note at the end that Isabel had already read aloud.
"You care to fill me in?"
"This isn't your concern." He told her quietly as he started to walk past her, but she grabbed him by the arm and stopped him.
"Oh, but it is. But you people seem to like to think that nothing does anymore." Isabel said as she vamp-sped them both over to the cage, where she pinned him to the chain-link wall by the throat. "So, why don't you cut the protective macho crap and tell me what's going on. I'm part of this family too, Elijah. I thought you of all people would act like it."
Elijah, who looked surprised by her tenacity, spun them so he was now pinning Isabel against the wall by her wrists.
"So, what do you want to know?" He finally caved.
Isabel ripped her wrist from him and gave him a fierce glare.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
"I simply want to know who is here at any given moment! I hardly think that's too much to ask." Isabel heard just as she and Elijah walk into the room where Klaus stood with Freya and Hayley who were both doing calming yoga.
The annoyed look on Isabels face didn't go away as she said, "well, as long as we're talking attendance..."
"Oh, good!" Klaus cheered mockingly. "It's my not-so-loving older brother and my not-so-happy parabatai/former one-night-stand! What a nice, normal family gathering."
Isabel rolled her eyes and smiled fakely at Klaus. "Charming. Elijah was just catching me up on how you have no clue which one of your long-lost buddies you can trust and which one is trying to kill you."
"Well, clearly what the situation needs is more opinions." Klaus looked at Elijah. "I assume you told her about the bloody prophecy?" Isabel shot Elijah a glare knowing he was keeping one thing from her in his explanation and he smiled in amusement.
"I was just getting to that..."
"Wait what the hell? A prophecy?" Hayley asked as she stood from her mat and looked between the two brothers.
Klaus rolled his eyes. "Well, it appears my old mate Lucien has acquired a genuine seer, and in an effort to prove his good intentions, he got her to show us some rather dire visions of future doom. It's grim stuff, really- not for the faint of heart."
"Who's doom are we talking about, here? Because if it's yours, I think we're all... mostly okay with that." Isabel smiled sarcastically at her parabatai.
Klaus chuckled, clearly amused by the conversation. "Well, sadly, we're all on the chopping block." Her smile dropped and she pursed her lips. "But, chin up! This witch claims her visions are constantly evolving. So, you may just get your wish!"
"Well, I want to meet this psychic witch." She turned and looked back at Elijah. "Tonight."
"Oh no you aren't." Elijah disagreed.
"Oh yes I am." She shot back at him. "I'm going whether you like it or not." She then turned to her sister. "Would you like to come with?" She asked knowing her sister might enjoy going to a party with Elijah.
Klaus clasped a hand on Hayleys shoulder and smiled at Isabel. "I've got something for Hayley to do. So sadly she can not join."
Hayley immediately protested. "What if I don-"
Klaus gave her a look and she shut her mouth with a highly annoyed look. "Very well then." He looked towards his parabatai. "Good luck, Bel."
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Isabel was in Rebekah's old room at the compound, where she'd been searching through a stack of clothes she laid out on her bed for an outfit for The Strix's party and muttering to herself under her breath. "Come on, Bekah. You've gotta have something I like..."
Just then, Elijah entered the room from behind her and smiled. He was already dressed in his tuxedo, though his bow-tie was still hanging loose and untied around his neck.
"May I?"
Elijah searched through the pile of dresses until he found a red and black gown with open shoulders sleeves. He handed it to Isabel, who smiled gratefully as she ducked into the attached bathroom to change into it.
"Thanks. I'd wear my own clothes, but I don't exactly have time to go dress shopping for an event like this."
Elijah averted his eyes elsewhere while she got dressed until she finally came out in the dress, which was a little snug causing things to be stuck up and in but not to much to be uncomfortable.
"I take it your husband is fine with tonight's little adventure?"
Isabel bit her lip as she smoothed out her dress. "Yeah, Jackson's cool. He knows that I can handle myself."
Elijah gave her a significant look. "That's not what I meant."
Isabel sighed. "Elijah..." She sat down and had him sit next to her. "I need you to hear this. I love you." She smiled at him gently. She knew Elijah was conflicted with his feelings and he very much felt a sense of duty to her with his promise but she wanted him to finally see that there was a better option for him. "You have done so many things to help and protect me and I'm so very grateful for that. But I'm not, nor will I ever, be in love with you. My heart belongs elsewhere and Jackson knows that." She cupped his cheek with one hand as she saw the sadness in his eyes. "But there's a girl waiting for you to see that it's not me you want. And it's not me you were meant to be with." She withdrew her hand and pat his leg. "So please stop holding onto me just because of a promise or because of the bond. I'm a big girl now. I can handle myself. And I want you to be happy and you are clearly miserable and I don't like that."
"Isabella I-"
"Don't say anything, Elijah. Please. Just think over my words." She reached around him and gave him a side hug. She laid her head on his shoulder and for a moment it was quite. "So..." she lifted her head and looked at him with a look that said 'i'm ready to walk into the den.' "What exactly am I walking into tonight?"
"Only the most dangerous and influential congregation of vampires the world has ever known." He told her with a quirk of his lips noticing her change in posture and voice.
"Great." She smiled sarcastically, hoping to lighten the mood. "Sounds fun."
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Isabel with her hair curled in half up half down that was twisted as it connected in the back and Elijah with his black and white suit and black bow tie arrive to the party and stop in the doorway as they take in the environment. Their arrival seemed to have generated a lot of attention, as many of the guests started to stare at Elijah curiously, which unnerved Isabel.
"Why are they all staring at you?"
"I'm kind of a big deal around here."
Isabel pursed her lips as she realized what he meant. "They're all part of your sireline."
Elijah nodded. "Most of them, tragically, yes. You see, Isabella, I wanted to assemble minds curious about the world and eager to improve it, along with the time and circumstance to do so. My desire was to create an elite brotherhood devoted to a new, better civilization. It was naive. Eventually, I was forced to abandon them once I realized I'd cultivated a legion of ego-maniacal sociopaths."
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Isabel and Elijah danced together in the middle of the ballroom while they talk, Isabel occasionally scanning her surroundings.
"So, where is this Tristan guy? I want to meet him for myself."
Elijah didn't answer as he got distracted by the sight of Marcel with Aya across the ballroom. Isabel, saw a concerned look fall on his face and frowned.
"Elijah, what's wrong?"
Marcel turned his head and realized that not only are Elijah and Isabel there, but Elijah was staring at him. Marcel looked over at Aya with a tense expression.
"What are they doing here?"
Isabe finally looked to see what Elijah was staring at and a shocked expression plastered on her face -which half was hidden by her mask- when she saw Marcel. "What the hell is Marcel doing here?"
"I should have known." Elijah muttered quietly.
"What? What is it?" She asked.
"This isn't a party." He told her ominously. "It's an initiation."
Just then, a row of caterers with trays of champagne flutes walk into the room and tap their glasses with butter knives to get the attention of the party as Tristan, dressed in a fine suit, made his arrival to the gathering known.
"Distinguished friends, welcome. It's so rare that we're able to come together like this to revel for one night in the company of true equals. Now, I'd like to take a moment to welcome a very special guest- Marcel Gerard."
Marcel took a step forward and nodded in acknowledgement as the crowd clapped their hands in applause. "Thank you. I'm honored. Thank you."
Tristan smiled. "Of course, before we tell Marcel all of our secrets, there's one small piece of business to which we must first attend. We must determine his worth."
Marcel frowned in confusion. "That's funny... I seem to recall you being the one knocking on my door."
Tristan, who was clearly amused, said, "you'll notice, Mr. Gerard, that over the course of the evening, someone has managed to take something quite dear to you... Your daylight ring."
Marcel quickly look d down at his hand and realized that his daylight ring had vanished from his right middle finger. He frowned worriedly, not knowing what to expect while Isabel turned to Elijah.
"What the hell is going on?" She asked Elijah quietly in his ear.
Isabel was quite shocked and worried by what was happening in front of them but Elijah held her back by the arm as he kept his eyes on Tristan, as if telling her to wait and see what happened next.
"The test is quite simple. First, you need to deduce the identity of the thief. Then, you are simply to take back what is yours... Although, I doubt the prize will be easily relinquished. After all, despite our refinement, we're still a rather violent bunch." Marcel gulped nervously, but maintained his composure as Tristan finished outlining his test. "In victory, you become one of us. In failure, you meet your death. You have a few hours until dawn. I wish you the best of luck."
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Elijah and Isabel stood at the bar and discussed the newest developments. "These vampires are ancient. How is Marcel supposed to beat one of them?"
Not long after she asked, Tristan appeared behind them to join their conversation. "With guile, courage, perhaps a bit of trickery... Admittedly, it's a long-shot, but then, sometimes the new candidates surprise us." He then turned to address Isabel personally. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tristan de Martel, and you must be the famous Isabella Kenner, Queen to the Crescent wolves and parabatai to the Originals." Tristan took her had and kissed it gently, but Isabel just clenched her jaw and took her hand back. She had a bad feeling about him and did not wish to play nice. And she especially hated the reminder that she technically gave up her status of the wolves when Dahlia was trailing them. Though her dislike didn't faze Tristan and if anything he expected it. "The pleasure's all mine, I see." Tristan turned to address Elijah seeing Isabel was clearly not impressed with him "Elijah! When I sent your invitation, I didn't dare think you'd come. Tell me- as our founder and patriarch, what do you make of our latest candidate?"
"Well, let me see." He started sarcastically. "Marcel... He's arrogant. He's stubborn. Prone to self-aggrandizement. He should fit in perfectly!"
"If he survives." Tristan noted which caused Isabel to glare at him. Tristan noticed the glare and smiled. "I take it Mr. Gerard is a friend of yours?"
"Mmhmm." She analyzed him behind her mask. "We're friends... And, even if we weren't, I don't much like bullies."
Tristan smiled in shock. "A bully? My dear, you barely know me! Allow me to remedy that, and, in doing so, I can explain our methods."
Tristan held out his hand in an invitation to dance, and both Isabel and Elijah look wary about it, which Tristan noticed. "Please. Just one dance..." Tristan looked at Elijah pointedly. "If it's not an intrusion."
"I'll be making my own decisions." She told the two and without looking at Elijah she shot down the rest of her champagne before setting her glass on the bar then turning to Tristan and taking his offered hand, allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor, where they begin to dance together.
"I'm glad you came, Isabella. Like it or not, when one refers to the Mikaelsons, they're referring to you, as well." She pursed her lips at his words and that seemed to be what Tristan wanted to see. "And tonight will allow you to make up your own mind about our organization."
"And you think by killing my friend, you're gonna make the best impression?"
"I think tonight, you'll bear witness to the truth. At the very least, you cannot call us liars."
"If he dies you all will face an angry she-wolf," Isabel told him matter-of-factly. She didn't want Davina to lose Marcel tonight because of his idiocy and if she had to she'd try to avenge them. Whether it was right away or not was up for debate.
"Is that a threat?" He asked amused and impressed with the hybrid.
"It's a promise."
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
"There are few novelties left in the world, especially to us. A creature such as you is certainly among them."
Isabel narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeah? And what kind of a creature might that be?"
"A hybrid and Queen, of course. The only one among us whose life doesn't depend on the survival of the Original family and powers only your bloodline can carry. You, Isabella Kenner, are one of a kind. And, a true beauty, at that."
Isabel grew uncomfortable at his comment considering that she could very well be wanted by people because of what she was.
Tristan spun her around before pulling her close, and she gave him a fake smile. At the bar, Elijah watched them with a scowl on his face.
Suddenly, Klaus entered the room with Lucien and a large group of Halloween-costumed women, the bunny corseted one being Freya and leather cat one being Hayley, both of which hidden behind masks as to not be identified.
Klaus howled drunkenly like a wolf as Lucien and the women all laugh happily, attracting the attention of everyone in the room to the point where everyone stopped what they're doing and stare at the gate-crashers.
"I'm ready for my medication."
"My God, it's a room full of Elijahs." Lucien pointed out amusedly.
Klaus had his arms thrown around Hayley and another random girls shoulders and drunkenly leaned against them. "I had that exact same nightmare once!"
The group all laughed hysterically as Lucien turned to the hidden Freya and Hayley.
"Go and grab us a drink, girls! Feel free to fetch one for yourselves."
"One for me, please!" Klaus told the two in a slur. "And one for her, and her, and her, and her..."
The two turned to fetch drinks and once they were out of sight they pulled the masks away to finally breath and show their faces. They snuck up a nearby staircase while Klaus caused a distraction for them.
"Tristan?" Both Klaus and Lucien shout. "Tristan! Come out, come out, wherever you are! Unless, of course, you're afraid!"
Tristan, looking mildly unhappy, turned to Isabel and whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry. Please excuse me." He started walking straight for Klaus and Lucien and gave them a patronizing smile. "You should, uh, move along. You're not welcome here."
"Oh. Oh, okay. We're- we're not welcome here..." Klaus plucked a champagne flute from the nearest serving platter before walking up to Tristan and slurring drunkenly. "Or maybe you should move along before I make you cry in front of all your little friends!" He laughed.
"My concern is for your companions," Tristan said in amusement. "They appear out of sorts without a shiny pole to writhe upon."
Lucien look over at the woman dressed as a skeleton bride. "Ohhhhhh, he's suggesting that you're exotic dancers! Which, to him, is an insult-" he gestured toward the burlesque dancers who have stopped working in favor of watching the drama unfold. "-If not hypocritical. But, don't take it personally, love. He finds all work demeaning. The only dignified way to accumulate wealth is by birth." He smiled at Tristan tauntingly and leaned forward, extending his index finger and tapping Tristan on the end of the nose. "Boop!" Klaus couldn't resist laughing hysterically at the look on Tristans face. "Isn't that right, Tristan? Hmm?" He asked as he clapped Tristan on the shoulders with his hands.
Elijah -having seen enough of the scene- called out to his brother from afar. "Niklaus."
Klaus turned in an ungraceful manner to try to find the source of the voice until finally realizing that Elijah was coming from the opposite direction. Elijah eventually walked toward him until they're standing side-by-side. "What is it?" He asked.
Elijah rolled his eyes as he said, "oh, you're hammered. Which should come as very little surprise to anyone here, but it does hamper the festivities somewhat. So, could I recommend that you find the nearest exit?"
"Just..." he whispered.
"Yes, and could you take your playthings with you, too?" Elijah asked keeping his cool at the sight of his brother.
Klaus shoved his champagne glass into Elijah's hands before staggering farther into the ballroom.
From the other side of the room, Mohinder watched silently, seemingly unimpressed by Klaus' antics.
"You know, I used to find it insulting that I was barred from your special little club." He looked highly amused with himself as he looked at everybody in the room and going back to Isabel as she made her way on the sidelines through the crowd to Elijah's side. "But now, I realize that I lack the flexibility to become a member- I could never get my head far enough up my own ass." He then bowed dramatically and laughed, while Tristan and Elijah exchange annoyed glances.
Lucien and their companions are delighted by Klaus' behavior and laughed along with him.
Klaus walked back over to Elijah and took the glass from his hand before downing the rest of the champagne in one gulp and handing it back to him. Klaus quickly made a disgusted face at Tristan, hating the taste of the champagne.
He sighed and said, "cheap."
"Niklaus." Elijah glared.
"Nik. Please." Klaus looked at her and she bit her lip to hide the amused look. He looked adorable when drunk. "Don't you think you've caused enough ruckus?"
Klaus sighed and turned to address Lucien and the others knowing his sister and Hayley should have finished by then anyway. "Come on. Let's go. This party's boring anyway."
They all listen to him and turn to leave, howling and laughing loudly as they did so.
"Thank you, Isabella." Tristan thanked her when she turned back to Elijah.
"Yeah yeah." She didn't look at all like she cared for his manners. "I didn't do it for you." She responded before walking by the two.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Marcel and Isabel stood very close to one another at the bar with their backs turned to the rest of the party.
"So do you have any idea?" She asked quietly.
His eyes shifted around before he said, "there were only about three vampires that got really close to me tonight. So I have an idea."
"Well hurry up with your conclusion." She said just as Aya, Mohinder, and some other members of the Strix approached them. Marcel and Isabel turn to face them, the former looking nervous while the latter kept her face straight under her mask.
"If you'd please come with us, Mr. Gerard..." Aya said in a polite tone.
Marcel took a deep breath as Mohinder stared at him. Aya turned and led Marcel and the rest of the leading members of The Strix to a room upstairs.
The rest of the party, intrigued by what was to come, followed them up, including Isabel. Once in the room, they find Tristan and some other members standing in wait for them.
"Mr. Gerard!" Tristan said cheerfully. "It's time."
"You're pushing up the clock?" Marcel asked confused. "I have another hour."
"And I'm afraid that an inability to improvise is the most common of failings. Either you have an answer, or you don't."
Marcel paused a moment to look at everyone in the room before finally giving his answer. "Aya. Aya took my ring," he said as he remembered when Aya introduced him to Mohinder but they didn't shake hand and Aya instead took his and lead him away.
Aya looked at Marcel in amusement and shrugged. "I'm sorry, but I don't have your ri-"
Marcel cut her off before she could finish and smiled triumphantly. "Hold up! I said you took it. I didn't say you still have it. See, after you lifted it off me, you gave it to my man Mohinder over there."
Mohinder silently held up Marcel's daylight ring, and when Tristan saw it, he looked pleased by Marcel's deductions.
"Well done! Of course, as you know, that was only half the challenge." He walked past Marcel and clapped him on the shoulder affectionately as Aya followed behind him. When Aya joined Tristan on the other side of the room, making space for Mohinder and Marcel to fight, Tristan leaned over to whispered in her ear. "Let's see how he does."
Mohinder and Marcel started unbuttoning their suit jackets in preparation for Marcel to fight to get his ring back.
"There's no shame in dying at the hands of one's superior," Mohinder told the younger vampire.
Marcel smirked. "There's not much glory in it, either."
Mohinder stripped off his jacket, and Marcel bounced on his heels for a moment to psych himself up before throwing two consecutive punches, each of which hits Mohinder in the face. However, when Marcel kicked him in the stomach, Mohinder grabbed him by the leg and threw him across the room, where he landed on a table and smashed it into pieces.
"Agh!" Marce yelped in pain.
Isabel, who had taken her mask off a while ago, looked alarmed. She quickly pushed her way to the front of the crowd as though she wanted to intervene, but she stopped at the last moment knowing she had to wait a little longer because Marcel could very well handle himself.
Elijah followed her, and the two stood next to Tristan and Aya.
Marcel threw off all of the broken table that landed on him, and turned to find Mohinder standing above him, looking mildly pleased by his quick victory.
Marcel vamp-sped to his feet, grabbed one of the broken table legs, and backhanded Mohinder in the face with it, grunting from the exertion.
Mohinder grabbed Marcel in a choke-hold, and Marcel, alarmed, desperately punched at Mohinder's chest in an attempt to get free. Mohinder then gripped Marcel by the shoulders and head-butt him before throwing him through the brick wall behind them, causing him to land on the floor of the next room.
"Ughhhh..." Marcel groaned.
Mohinder climbed threw the hole in the wall and lunged for Marcel, who continued to punch him, only to be shoved face-first into a large shelf full of dishes. When Mohinder grabbed Marcel to spin him around so they're facing each other, Marcel grabbed a martini shaker and smashed it against Mohinder's head several times. Mohinder once again grabbed Marcel in a choke-hold and pinned him against the shelf.
Marcel started to desperately grab at an ice scoop and smashed it against Mohinder as well. While he's distracted, Marcel grabbed a frying pan with his free hand and used both to hit Mohinder multiple times across the face.
Unfortunately, Mohinder grabbed him by the wrists and snapped his arms, causing Marcel to roar in pain before he was thrown against the shelf so hard that he smashed it into a pile of broken wood. Mohinder saw a broken piece of wood that would make a good stake and grabbed it before pulling the groaning Marcel to his feet in a choke-hold.
However, before he could stake him, Marcel mustered up all the strength he had and tackled Mohinder so hard that they once again break through the wall and back into the room, where they land at an entertained Tristan and Aya's feet. Marcel saw that Mohinder dropped the stake and crawled across the broken bricks and wood to grab it, but Mohinder saw what he was trying to go and kicked him so hard he rolled sideways away from the stake. Marcel kicked Mohinder to get him the time necessary to stand on his feet and began punching Mohinder hard in the face over and over again until Mohinder threw Marcel into a nearby table and smashed it as well.
Finally, Mohinder pulled the weakened Marcel up to his feet, vamped-out, and sunk his fangs into Marcel's neck, feeding deeply.
Elijah looked extremely concerned and was about to intervene when Isabel stopped him. Elijah looked at his parabatai in confusion, but she just subtly shook her head as though she knew something he didn't.
Mohinder continued to feed on Marcel for a long moment before he pulled away and vamp-sped Marcel against the wall, pinning him by the throat and holding up the stake in preparation to kill him.
"You fought with honor." Mohinder grunted out. "Embrace the nobility of this end."
"I will if you will. Or do you still not know?" Tristan and Aya looked at them curiously, intrigued by where Marcel was going with his words. He chuckled chuckles weakly and said, "you must have tasted it in my blood." Just then, Mohinder began to look uncomfortable and groaned slightly as he wobbled on his feet. "Oh, now you're starting to feel it, aren't you? That burning sensation in your gut? Wolf's venom. A going-away gift from me. I may not have beaten you, but you lost all the same." Mohinder continued to squirm uncomfortably, gagging slightly from the venom. "I suggest you make your peace. We're both dead men walking."
Mohinder became furious at the news. "A desperate ploy! A lie!"
Marcel lifted up the sleeve of his left arm and held it up so he could see the weeping bite wound on his arm, which stunned Mohinder as Marcel laughed weakly in amusement.
"Isabel came to my aid." Some eyes fell onto the hybrid but she continued to look at Marcel. "Lucky me."
Flashback
While everyone started to talk about Klaus' entrance, Marcel and Isabel had moved to the bar and kept their backs to the guest who were to busy talking about Klaus and bombarding Tristan and Elijah.
Isabel looked at him for confirmation before she did anything and he gave her a short nod. "God don't you die." She muttered before vamping-out for a brief moment and leaning down to deliver the bite.
End
Marcel quickly spun them around so Mohinder was the one pinned against the wall. Marcel aimed the stake at Mohinder's own heart before addressing him and the rest of the room. "I don't know why they want you dead, but clearly they do." Marcel finally let go of Mohinder and turned to Aya and Tristan. "Why else tell me all about his little feeding habits, or give me a taste of his technique when you came into my gym the other day? All I had to do was be observant." Tristan and Aya look at Marcel with interest, but Marcel just looked annoyed. "But, I'm done picking up your bread crumbs. You want him dead? You're gonna have to do it yourself. As far as I can see, the only thing he's done to deserve it is picking his friends poorly." He started getting even weaker from his injuries, which aren't healing as a result of his hybrid bite. He stumbled and fell right into Isabels arms, who placed his arm around her shoulder to help keep him upright. Marcel coughed as Tristan and Aya share a significant smile.
The male vampire started to walk over to Mohinder, who was also getting weak from the werewolf venom and looked horrified by the revelation.
Mohinder started to spit up blood as Tristan cupped his face with his right hand and looked at him sympathetically before patting him on the shoulder and walking past him. Mohinder looked hopeful thinking he might be spared when suddenly, Tristan ripped out his heart from behind, causing him to fall dead to the floor.
Tristan dropped the heart onto the floor with a splat, and Marcel and Isabel look alarmed while he appeared to be unhappy at first until he finally smiled.
"You chose well! Now, I assure you, he did deserve it. He's been plotting unspeakable crimes against his sworn brothers and sisters. Of course, you couldn't have known. Beating such a worthy opponent is proof of your strength and courage, but your restraint, your refusal to kill without cause, demonstrates a rare integrity. You see, Marcel Gerard... This was the test." Tristan bent over to pluck Marcel's daylight ring out of Mohinder's pocket before handing it to him. "Welcome to The Strix." Tristan took notice of Marcel's increasingly weakened state as he hung on Isabel's shoulders, and Aya smiled at him proudly. "Provided, of course, you survive your own gambit."
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Lucien was sitting next to Alexis on the couch, while Klaus, Hayley, Elijah, Isabel and Freya stood around them. A bruise was developing under Alexis' eye from where Hayley punched her to knock her out, and she looked near tears.
"I'm sorry. I hoped I was wrong, Lucien. I really did. But I saw it. I saw him die."
Klaus sighed and closed his eyes, not at all happy with the news. Despite feeling great resentment for Klaus, Isabel grew a worried look as she looked at him.
"Did you see the weapon?" Lucien asked with a nervous look on his face. Alexis nodded in response. "What is it?"
"To understand, it must be seen," she said quietly before smiling weakly at Lucien, who frowned in confusion for a moment as Klaus stared at them both suspiciously.
Alexis held her wrist out to Isabel, who sat down next to her on the couch.
Lucien stood to his feet and allowed Elijah to take his seat next to Alexis so he could see the vision as well, and she held out her other wrist to him.
Hayley stood next to Elijah and he held out his hand to her so that he could transfer what he saw to her. Elijah looked back at Isabel warily before they both bit into Alexis' offered wrists.
Alexis threw her head backward while her eyes rolled back into her head as the visions began.
The first flash of her vision was of a page from a grimoire with a spell where several pentacles were written on the parchment.
Then, the vision cut to the dining room of the Mikaelson compound, which was in disarray- it looked like a fight broke out during dinner, because the chairs were overturned, broken glassed litter the table and floor, and the plates of food had been scattered over the bunched up tablecloth.
Another flash was of Freya dipping her fingers in the bowl of Klaus'/Alexis' blood then the scene of Elijah's painted portrait in the living room dripping blood.
It then flashed back to Freya casting the spell to see the visions from Alexis' blood as the pieces of paper with Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah's names written in Elder Futhark Runic script caught on fire.
Next was a flash of Lucien's face, which looked serious at first before he smirked smugly.
The last flash was of the "beast" with extremely long and sharp fangs before the vision burst into flames.
Alexis' nose begun to bleed once the vision stopped causing Isabel to look at the blood on her hands in fright. Suddenly, Elijah threw up all the blood he had just drunk onto the floor, and Isabel looked sick as well as she tried to keep herself from throwing up.
She placed one hand on her stomach and the other over her mouth as she groaned in discomfort. "Something's wrong."
Elijah looked up at the others with terror in his eyes when he realized what it was. "Poison!"
Alexis gagged before she, too, began to vomit up a large amount of blood, and Lucien, alarmed, rushed over to Alexis, whose nose and mouth continued to bleed profusely.
"No! No!" Alexis weakly fell into Lucien's arms as he desperately tried to wake her. "No! No, no, no, no, no!" He looked sad and desperate as the witch in his arms finally let out her last breath.
Klaus -ever the paranoid- looked both suspicious and concerned regarding what had just happened. Lucien, however wore a devastated and furious look as he tried to figure out who poisoned his witch.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Isabel was still in her gown from the party when she walked onto her balcony to see Klaus walk out onto a balcony in the compound as well.
"I finally got the kids to sleep." She sighed feeling very exhausted from the party only to come home and make dinner as well as put all three kids to sleep. "You know, I'll have to explain this family to my kids someday. And I think about that a lot."
"And what would you say?" He asked, his lips forming a smirk as he raised his eyebrows at her.
"Well, I know I wouldn't lie to them," she said softly. "I'll never lie to them. But, I also know I can't scar them." She laughed slightly as Klaus let out a chuckle. "So you know what I'll start with?... 'Always and forever.'"
Klaus smiled at her words. "Bel..." he called to her when she went to turn away. "You won't hear me say this very often but I'm sorry. I know you'd do a lot for this family but I also know you'd do that and more for your kids. I just don't do well with the thought of losing Hope."
Swallowing any pride she had she said, "I should apologize to." He gave her a shocked look which she ignored. "Things could have turned out differently if I believed in your ability to trick Dahlia." She sighed. "Despite the Mikaelson name, Hope and Jacob deserve all their family loving and protecting them with all their might."
Klaus smiled feeling better that he's made somewhat of an amends with his daughters mother. He went to turn around when her voice stopped him.
"Elijah made Tristan right?"
"He did," Klaus said. "And what did you think of Tristan de Martel?"
"He seemed off. Almost... incomplete."
Klaus crossed his arms and a look crossed his face as if remembering another time. "He has a sister... Aurora. And to be perfectly frank with you, I'm surprised that he's without her." Isabel looked at him curiously knowing Aurora must have stirred something in him. "His devotion to her is certainly pathological."
In the French Quarter, Aurora threw her mask into the dumpster as she walked.
"It's dangerous."
"I guess sometimes loyalty is so powerful that it can be so." Isabel gave him a small weak smile. "Goodnight, Nik," she said as she turned and walked back into her apartment.
"Goodnight, Bel."