present time
Eris woke up with Lucien shaking her. Her body was covered in a thin layer of sweat. Her head ached and she felt as if she was in transition again.
"You alright?" Lucien asked cautiously.
Eris looked to her surroundings, the sun was rising casting a pink sky and the clock read 6:49 am. She saw Lucien sitting quaintly next to her, grasping her arm in his hand.
"I'm fine Lu," she managed to say, attempting to catch her breath.
Lucien nodded his head, not believing a word she said. His eyes held concern for his friend who was just heard screaming. He could tell she was not just saddened but almost traumatized. He held her hand now, calming her down.
"Go back to bed Lu, I'll be okay." She told him. Reluctantly, Lucien nodded his head before placing a kiss on her forehead and whispering kind words to ease her anxiety.
Eris watched as her oldest friend walked out of her bedroom. She knew she wouldn't be sleeping for a long time now, the demons who had haunted her a millennium ago had just come back and she wasn't ready to face them now.
Eris did the one thing that remained her therapy after 1000 years of trauma, dance. She quickly left Lucien's penthouse and made her way to a dance studio off of Bourbon Street. The woman who owned allowed her to spend an hour there and so she did. Eris danced and danced, lost in her own world.
Over the one thousand years she had lived, she had learned all styles of dance. From dancing in the Ballet des Polonaise in the 1570s to mastering the art of jazz in 2008, she was skilled beyond measure. Even the choreographers who had come into the studio were mesmerized at her clean lines and pointed toes.
Lost in her own mind, Hayley Marshall walked to her favorite coffee shop which neighbored the small dance studio. She saw the girl who she met the previous night exit the dance studio and into the coffee shop she was headed to.
Hayley was interested in the brunette, she seemed to have a connection to Elijah that she herself was never able to construct. With no intentions of following her, she slid into the coffee shop she adored.
Hayley noticed how Eris presented herself. Strong and confident, but also kind and alluring. She also observed the amount of food she had, ordering four croissants and beignets along with multiple bottles of water and a hot chocolate.
After getting her food, Eris saw the hybrid everyone and their mother talked about. She gave the woman a smile and left the café with many goods. She crossed the street where a group of homeless people lived. She gave all the food she bought to people along with some money she had to them. She gave the hot chocolate to a little boy who sat with his mother.
Haley watched from behind the café walls, watching how Eris caressed the side of the young boys face. Seeing this made Hayley smile, an act of kindness she was never used to as an adult or a child.
Feeling Hayley's gaze, Eris sent another smile, this one being fake. She didn't appreciate Elijah sending people to watch over her, it wasn't any one's concern what she did in her free time. Even if that wasn't case, the gawking made her uncomfortable. So she left those less fortunate than her with the majority of her belongings and sped back to Lucien's penthouse, it was Fete de Cadeaux after all.
Arriving upon the modern home, she smelled the feast for a king. Walking inside, she saw the magnificent array of food displayed. She smiled to Marisol, one of the cooks who worked for Lucien.
"Ah you look sweaty," Lucien said furrowing his eyebrow at his best friend.
"Yes Lucien and you look," Eris scanned his outfit from head to toe, seeing the dress pants and dress shirt he wore, "like your attending a funeral. Oh please tell me, did Tristen finally fall into the depths of despair of his death," She half joked, but wishing he was dead.
This made Lucien laugh loudly. Although Lucien and Tristen shared a common foe, there was much history between the two, and that amount of hatred wasn't easy to forgive. As the laughing died down the two began to eat and chit chat. Although they were best friends, it had been almost two years since she had seen her raven haired bff.
"Lucien, why am I here?" Eris asked more serious than the light hearted topics they had begun talking about.
Lucien looked at the woman and then at the plate of food he had. With a deep sigh he began to explain, "I need a witch, a powerful one at that." he let out a breath before talking again, as if he was at a lost for words, "There is a war, one between the last remaining sire lines. I need a witch to activate a certain device that will allow me to trap the Mikaelsons into safety from any of those who they've opposed. And as much as I love my partners, I will never trust them as much as I trust you. " Lucien ended his claim, finally making eye contact with Eris who held a monotone face.
"Why is there a war in the first place Lucien? And who exactly are you working with?" Eris stated simply, gazing at her friend.
"As you know, after the death of Finn an entire sire line was said to be erased. This was solidified with Kol's death, as many of my friend's had died when he did. The war began as a way to erase an entire sire line full of enemies, thus leaving the more superior line of vampires to exist. And as to who I'm working with, they are people who I don't trust, people who are my last choice, but those of an equal confidant."
"Why are you all at war, we are one race Lucien, the vampire race." Eris deadpanned. "And if you're so worried about all your enemies, just kill them."
Lucien didn't know how to respond to his friend. She was right, the war was entirely stupid and his motivations as to trapping the Mikalesons were for revenge opposed to the best interest of his sire line.
"Lucien, I love you. You are my family and you always will be. I will help you with anything you wish to do, but you need to check your ego; your head is entirely up your ass. Niklaus along with Elijah will be very hard to contain, but it is not impossible. And if it's death you and your "partners" are so worried about, get over yourself. You have lived a full life, a long one at that, death is inevitable. It's time you learn that Lu."
Eris spoke her mind. Lucien loved that about her, her honesty and transparency. She had been like that since she was a child, blunt. She didn't care about people's opinions of her, she was at peace with who she was and what she did with her life.
Nodding his head with a smile, Lucien was content with his decision to tell her the truth, well the half truth.
Eris decided to give a gift to the Regent of New Orleans after she finished her breakfast. She was certainly not a New Orleans witch, but she was friends with those who first came from France. She introduced herself to the girl, seeing as she was no more than 18 years old. Davina Claire, that was her name.
When Kol was reincarnated into a witch body, he contacted Eris through magic. She had been in the depths of New Orleans talking and plotting with her favorite Mikaelson. Once she heard he was in love, she couldn't believe it. She was joyous beyond compare.
"The infamous Davina Claire I presume," Eris states as she came upon Hayley, a man, and the woman of the hour. The three stared at the brunette as she held an old torn up book.
"Yes and you are?" Davina questioned.
"Stand up straighter, you're the Regent of New Orleans." She stated strongly and immediately Davina fixed her posture.
Walking around the tomb she noticed many spells taking course and felt the disparity of the place. Too morbid she thought.
"Why a grave yard? Out of all of the places in the city witches choose a grave yard as their home front."
"Its ancestral magic," Hayley said earning a scowl from Davina.
"So who are you exactly?" The man with a beard asked.
"You know, when I get Kol back, I'm going to beat his ass for not mentioning me. What fucking shit head." Eris let out a breathy laugh, still not facing any of them.
"You knew Kol?" Davina asked.
"I didn't just know Kol, he was my person. And you, he was in love with you," Eris was now facing Davina with a big grin on her face.
"As a gift from me sweetheart," Eris put the book out in front of her hands. "This is every spell I've found for resurrection over the long course of my life. I would do the spell myself, but I'd much rather not talk to the new dead older sister about her little brother's ashes. She wouldn't understand the complexity to our relationship. ," Eris' faced scrunched in confusion.
Davina looked at the grimoire in awe before turning into a monotone. "How do I know this is even real, or if you even knew Kol?" Davina said defensively.
"You met a dinky record shop, you were buying some old Irish shit for the demon spawn himself. Then he stood you up, like a piece of shit." Eris said making Davina smile again.
"He was a trouble maker, but he was my family. My person, at that. When you resurrect him, tell him "Orge sur ble." If he doesn't have some sort of stupid reaction, then you can try to kick my ass for lying to you." Eris said with a smile.
"He was good you know, despite all of the shit his siblings gave him. Finn too as surprising as it may be. I'm happy you were able too see how great he was too. You made him want to be better Davina and for that I will forever be grateful, " she began walking out of the tomb, "Oh and happy Fete de Cadeaux!" she smiled wide leaving the two werewolves dumbfounded and the witch excited.
As the day turned into night, she decided to go out for a drink, catching up with an old friend. Marcel walked into Rousseau's with a smile, excited to see Eris. He wished he would've said something to her at Lucien's party but he was quite busy being "initiated" into The Strix.
"Guess who?" Marcel said cheekily applying his large hands over Eris' eyes.
Laughing a bit she played along with his game, "Hmm I don't know a dwarf?"
"Hahaha very funny Eris. Your sense of humor is still as impeccable as it was thirty years ago." He joked sarcastically.
Turning around and engulfing herself into Marcel's open embrace, she muttered words of sorrow. "I'm sorry about Thierry."
"Yeah me too," Marcel replied holding her a little tighter.
The history behind Marcel and Eris wasn't very complicated. In the late 20th century, Eris had come to New Orleans for another fresh start. She had met Thierry along with Diego at bar and they became friends swiftly. One thing led to another and she met Marcel. She knew many things about the man, starting off with his relationship to the Mikaelsons. Soon there after, they became good friends, sharing their own war stories with one another.
"So what brings you to town?" Marcel asked sipping his glass of whiskey.
"Moral support for my brother, he's not confident to proceed in his goals without me being here." She answered honestly.
"Brother, you never mentioned a brother?"
"Well he and I are not related by blood, he fights for me as I would him. You don't have to be blood in order to be family Marcel, you should know that more than anyone."
Eris was a skilled orator. She knew how to convey the truth without revealing much. She could grasp a conversation heading south and turn it around towards the north. Marcel on the other hand wasn't as good as she was.
"Have you seen them?" Marcel asked curiously.
In all honesty, Marcel knew so much and so little at the same time in regards to Eris' past with the Mikaelsons. He knew that she had a relationship with Klaus and that she adored Kol and Finn. Other than that, he knew nothing of how things ended.
"I saw Elijah last night at a party last night, along with the new older sister. Klaus and I had a brief interaction, I spilled overpriced champagne on him," Eris said carelessly, as if they had no effect on her.
"What happened between you two? You and Klaus, I mean," Marcel questioned reluctantly.
"He professed his undying love for me and then cheated me with the girl he said I'd never have to worry about. He left me to die. He's a liar, and he never cared for me, at least not the way he said he did." Eris said bluntly. No hidden tone or anything, just as if it was a life she once lived.
"I'm sorry," Marcel said honestly holding her hand giving it a tight squeeze.
Eris looked at him with a frown played upon her lips. "Marcel, it is not your fault that Klaus was an arrogant and ignorant piece of shit when he and I were in a relationship. Do not be sorry for deeds you have not done. I no longer have a hatred towards him, I have moved on with my life as has he." Giving a curt nod, he downed the last of his drink before ordering a new one.
The night came to end and Eris began to walk back to Lucien's penthouse. Marcel offered to walk her, but she didn't mind the alone time. She had been surrounded by loads of people this day, and she felt like she was suffocating.
Before she could turn the corner an arm quickly spun her around holding her tightly. She began siphoning from man's grasp as he knocked her head into a brick wall. Seeing who it was she let out a huff of air.
"Klaus," She said breathlessly getting lost in those ocean eyes once again.
Klaus stared at her. He couldn't believe she was real, after all of this time she was alive. He felt a sudden flood of emotions overtake him. He remembered how her lifeless body was found at the end of hallway where his bedroom was. He remembered how Finn shed tears and Kol muttered to himself how it was his fault. He remembered it all. And seeing her was like he was reliving it all over again.
"You're alive," was all he could say.
"No Klaus, I'm dead." she retorted throwing him guard just enough slip out of his grasp and leave him standing there alone. Niklaus decided to to chase her down. He knew her well enough to know that she didn't want to talk to him, at least not yet.
END OF CHAPTER YALL. I UPLOAD ONCE A MONTH IM SORRY.