When Elijah returned to his apartment, he found Gia waiting for him near the door to the apartment as sounds of banging pots echoed from the kitchen area. It caused him pause as Freya’s words returned to him about angering the yet unknown woman, hesitating about proceeding further.
“You are in the doghouse,” Gia murmured as she passed him on her way out. “Nice place by the way.”
“Lord help me,” he whispered to himself once he was left alone and walked inside further, following the sounds to where he found her, cleaning the room almost impulsively while she was still dressed from the day.
“So you got your witch? Your psychotic brother finally done and gone for good?” Bella questioned as she she continued on, not looking at him.
Elijah pulled his jacket off and set it aside, his eyes never leaving her moving form. “Yes. Vincent Griffith remains alive and free from Finn’s influence. Once I’ve questioned him to my satisfaction, I shall release him to the witches.”
Bella turned around and looked at him, her lips pursed. “So it all worked out in the end for you. And yet, I don’t recall hearing, ‘Nice job Gia, Bella! Really appreciate the help!'”
He nodded slowly, seeing now where her anger was rooted and thinking of how to settle her concerns. Moving around to the refrigerator, he pulled out a couple bottles of beer before taking her arm and guiding her to the couch, sitting her down. Handing her one after opening the bottles, he smiled. “Yes, forgive me. I was a little tied up, trying to prevent Niklaus from being… well Niklaus. Yes- nice job, Bella. Really appreciate the help.”
She stared at him incredulous as she held the bottle as she watched him return her gaze, sipping his beer. Blinking back her shock, the only response she was able to come back with was, “You like beer?”
“I’m adapting to my audience,” he jested, before taking another sip and studied the label.
Bella drew in a deep breath, watching him as she thought about Josephine and everything she learned. What she felt. “You knew she would like us. That she would respond to one of us, or that one of us would snap under that pressure.”
He smiled as he looked up at her. “Once upon a time, Josephine was rather rebellious. That is a trait that you both seem to exhibit in spades. However, circumstances all but extinguished that quality in her, and had she known that you were coming, she never would have welcomed us in her home. Nor would she have been swayed by your colorful personality.”
They sat there for a long moment, just looking at one another before she spoke. “It’s hard always being ten steps ahead of the game, isn’t it?”
“Well, often victory is allowing your opponent to believe that they are triumphant… until they are not.”
Bella smiled as she held her hands up in overconfidence. “Okay, but just remember who sealed the deal!”
Elijah chuckled as he holds his beer out in cheers, “Credit where credit is due.”
She met it before taking a sip of her beer, as he began nervously tugging at his tie. His thoughts and the vision of her lips wrapped around the bottle had grown to be too much for him, forcing him to clear his throat. Reaching over, she brazenly helped to loosen it for him and smiled as he looked at her surprised.
His eyes met hers as she appeared just as shocked by her actions. When she started to pull her hand away, the apology he knew was ready to fall from her lips, he was quick to grasp her wrist gently to hold her in place. As he did so, her heart slowly began to rise deliciously. Not so much in fear, but in anticipation.
Raising her hand, he press a kiss into her palm as he maintain his gaze. Her breath caught in her throat. “Elijah…”
In a blink, she found herself on his lap, her legs straddling his. His large, warm hands cupping her face as his fingers slowly weaving into her dark hair. “If this is not something you want, please tell me now and we never will speak of this again,” he pleaded.
Her hands were braced on his chest but she could certainly feel his arousal pressed against her. “If you’re looking for a one time deal, then I’m not playing this game,” she answered breathlessly. “Because I am sure if the witches have reason enough to be afraid of me, then you should be too if I am being played with.”
“I assure you, Isabella, you are not a game to me,” he whispered to her. “And I would like much more than just one night with you. Otherwise I would not have insisted on you staying with me where we could continue to get to know one another.”
Bella looked into his eyes, almost as if she were attempting to compel him for the truth as he often did in his enemies. He grew more wary for her response the longer she remained silent, eventually fearing that he only driven her away by his actions. “My apologies-” Elijah started before being cut off, her mouth pressing against his.
Her hands slid up his chest, along his neck until they were buried in his hair, tugging on the soft strands. A growl erupted in his throat and his hold on her tightened, pulling her closer. His hands began to explore over her back. His touch grazed the edge of her breast through the dress, causing her to gasp out, breaking their kiss.
“I think it’s safe to suggest moving this to another room,” she suggested, her face flushed as she shifted over him.
“If you insist,” he whispered back, he pressed open mouthed kisses down her neck until he met resistance by the gold metal collar of dress. His hands slid down her body, over her waist and under her thighs, giving thing a gentle squeeze before lifting her and bring her to his bedroom in a blink.
A decisive sound of the door closing behind them, Bella found herself pressed against it with her dress riding up as he was positioned firmly between her legs. As his teeth grazed her neck, drawing small gasps from her, his hand crept up her thigh until he reached her panties. He could feel, smell, taste her arousal in the air surrounding them.
She thrust her hips into his as she felt his touch moving closer to where she needed him more. Her hands gripped at his dress shirt, roughly pulling at it until decided a more successive method. Bringing her hands from over his shoulders, down the center of his chest, Bella managed to get a solid hold on the fabric and ripped it down the middle. Buttons went flying around the room and she could feel his lips pull back to a grin.
“Eager, are we now?” Elijah whispered into her ear. His hand that was free made its way to the back of her neck to release the buttons. He brushed his lips across her cheek, until he was able to claim her own again.
Dragging his hand up her torso, ever slowly until she was out of breath and requiring oxygen, he pulled back from to take in her flushed appearance. As he was still deliciously pressed against her lower half. His eyes lowered to her neck as he reached for her collar, swallowing against his desire as he gently pulled it away.
His eyes met hers as she let out an unsteady breath. Something akin to fear or shame swimming within the dark pools of lust that was clearly present. “Are you certain…” he whispered to her, giving her one last chance before he would allow even himself beyond the past the point of no return. If he proceeded to gain any more of her, Elijah simply knew, he’d want to consume her entirely. To claim her for himself; in more ways than one. Only he knew she might not yet be ready for such strong emotions coming from him, even if he was not prepared to speak them allowed himself.
Bella’s small hand slipped behind his neck and pulled his face closer, her lips ghosting over the corner of his mouth as she hesitated in her answer. “Elijah, I have never wanted anyone more,” she replied just as softly to him.
The reassurance was all he needed as he drew in a breath, his fingers tightening around the collar again as he lowered it from her body. The fabric of the dress followed with it, revealing more of her intimate features but his eyes had been focused entirely on her own until he let go of the accessory and it fell to the floor loudly at their feet; the dress following into a pool with it.
Her cheeks filled with a gorgeous rose blush that he could make out under the faint moonlight, the only subtle hint of her discomfort beyond her racing heart as she stared back at him bravely. If he was in a rush to get her into his bed before, he no longer was now.
Bringing his hand up to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers, relishing in the gentle warmth she offered as her head turned into his touch. Elijah slowly drew the back of his hand down over the front of her body, feeling it warm under his fingers as his lips pulled back, watching her eyes darken as he moved lower.
“You appear dreadfully overdressed for the given situation,” Bella murmured, lips turning into a pout that had him wanting to nip at, her fingers toying at the collar of his ruined shirt.
He smirked, turning and bringing her to his bed and laying her back under the moonlight in a breath. Shrugging out of the shirt and throwing it carelessly to the side, he eyed her as she watched him. “Your manner of speech has improved. Most impressive.”
“Someone once told me that I should adapt to my audience,” she shrugged a shoulder, an impish smile flashing back at him. “You are still overdressed, Sir.”
“My apologies,” Elijah said sincerely, even though he was entirely amused by the sudden bravado in her. It was one of her qualities that had endeared their family to her and so far from his mind as the sound of his undoing his belt buckle filled the room. The weight of her gaze was heavy on him, and he could understand the discomfort she must have felt moments before.
While he did not suffer the same lack of self esteem as Bella, his growing emotions for her and their physical age difference did find him cautious in her acceptance. She was still a young girl, by human standards, her inner strength often made him forget that she was only twenty in age.
Standing before her, in only his boxer shorts, he held his hands out to his sides. “Have I sufficiently undressed to match your current state?” Elijah teased, both of them knowing full well that it wasn’t the first time that she had seen him for lack of clothing. Only this time, he wasn’t covered in blood and the remains of an exploded house.
Pushing herself up on her elbows, Bella’s eyes drifted down his body slowly, smirking at the tent poking out at her before moving back up. “I think,” she breathed out slowly, heaving a sigh. “That you’ve tried stalling me for long enough. I won’t change my mind about this, Elijah. About you. Unless you are the one that is unsure?”
He didn’t waste a moment as he lowered himself over, his larger body completely encasing her beneath him. His mouth fell to her neck, gently kissing and suckling at her pulse point, drawing a startled gasp from her as she wrapped her hands around his shoulders. Making his way up to the cusp of her ear, he whispered, “I have received all the reassurance I need from you, my dear Isabella.”
Elijah proceeded to kiss along her jaw, intentionally avoiding her mouth when she sought his out before continuing down the center of her neck, leaving a trail of open mouthed kisses. Bella’s hands flew into his hair, grasping tightly at the strands when he took one pert nipple in his mouth. His hands explored her body, heating it further as he felt her wither underneath him.
Continuing lower, he looked up through his lashes to find her watching him through hooded eyes, curiosity peeking through her gaze. He could only give her almost an lascivious smile as he slowly traced the hem of her panties before pulling them down her legs. As soon as the thin fabric was past her knees, she helped to kick them off the rest of the way as his hands stroked her thighs, pushing them open for him to settle himself between.
Bella raised her knees to hug his sides, her feet coming up to hook a toe over his shorts to push down his own legs. She felt him press his body against her, his very human like body heating around her like a blanket that she welcomed as she wrapped her arms around him. He kissed his way back up her body, blinking as he shifted, rubbing against her warm, wet heat.
“Elijah…” she sighed, her fingers splaying over his shoulders and up his neck to pull his face to hers. The unbridled desire in her voice, in her touch, had him reeling from all the surprises that she gave him. It was only one more that broke what little restraint he had left in trying to make the experience be as lasting and meaningful for his Isabella.
He invaded her mouth, claiming her with a possessive kiss, using one of his hands to keep him up and the other to cup her breast, squeezing it with a gentle roughness that had her gasping into his mouth. That hand traveled back down, along the curves over her body and over the swell of her hip to her outer thigh.
His lower half lifted from her just enough for him to slip his hand between. His fingers seeking to give her pleasure of touch all on their own as his kisses begun to slow. Her scent filled the air around them, intoxicating him, only to want more. To drink her in, the essence of her very being. He could drown in it for days and never desire to come back up for air. As he slid in one finger, he opened his mouth to swallow the surprised gasp as he gave her a gentle kiss, pulling back to take in her dark, wide eyes as they stared back at him. Her tender lips fell open with each pass of he made, assured that she was not in pain before he added another.
As Elijah watched the expressions on Bella’s face shift, the sensations she was welcoming herself to for the first time. The pleasure and wonder that lit up her face urged him forward, but it was something else that he found in her gaze that had him blinking. A smile lit his face under the moonlight, removing his hand from her and positioned himself so that he could enter easily. His hand caressed her thigh as it rested against his, moving to cage her with his body.
His eyes flickered over her, taking in every detail in that moment. “You are the most exquisite and valiant woman I’ve possibly met in my thousand years on this earth,” he breathed out. His ears detected the flutter of her heart as he felt it match with the emotions that rose within him. Leaning into her, he pressed himself into her, entering carefully as not to hurt her too much but it being a necessary evil of their shared act.
Bella blinked, the emotion of his words not quite absorbed by her immediately. All she knew though was that she felt nothing before like she felt for this man. The love she had thought she had for Edward, paled in comparison to what she was sure was the first seeds of something truly encompassing and it made her heart skip.
The next thing she knew, she felt herself being stretched by his intrusion. Initially it was a cumbersome feeling, then the pain began to come through. She opened her mouth, not to object his presence, if she even knew what she wanted to say, but was immediately silenced by his.
An all consuming kiss like the one he had treated her to when he finally given in past his personal restraints and her arms, legs wrapping around him to pull him impossibly closer. As he was fully buried himself to the hilt inside her, he had given her time to acclimate to his presence within. His mouth distracting hers, moving to her ear, kissing behind it. Her head turned to grant him unrestricted access to her neck as he, too, buried his face there, breathing in her scent.
The desire to sink his teeth into her flesh was present, not to feed, but to further a claim on the woman. For her to bear his mark in some way resonated within him. Feeling her gentle hand on his cheek, he wanted to look up, but he knew his visage was exposed.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Bella assured him as she adjusted herself under him. “I don’t believe you could ever truly frighten me Elijah.”
Slowly, hesitation marking his movement, he looked up to face her and all he found was the same fervent smile. Her fingers moved to delicately trace around his eyes as he closed them to her touch. In a breath he released, it was his turn to be captured by surprise by Isabella. Her risk of kissing him in his current state, he wanted to object. As he opened his mouth, she took that as invitation, or simply decided to surge forward with her own designs, causing his elongated canines to cut her lip. Traces of her blood spilled onto his tongue, eliciting a growl from him as he pinned her back onto the bed, bracing her arms up beside her head.
No fear was detected from her person. Only unadulterated desire as she grinned back at him. He wanted to warn her that what she was trying was dangerous but she was far from naive and he had learned that early on in getting to know her. Driving forward, he launched himself at her again, his mouth over her neck, a possessive hand on her waist holding her as he begun to move within.
Slow at first, using Bella’s low whimpers and moans to guide him. Her nails scratched at his scalp as he pushed himself back into her. “Elijah…” she sighed, her fingers tugging at his hair.
He captured her mouth, savoring her lips, the lingering flavor of her blood she’d gifted him with as he drove himself deeply inside, pausing when he could go no further. Grinning against her lips, Elijah moved back to sit on his heel as he took in the glorious state his lover was in.
Pulling her body to his, he gave her a playful wink. “Hold on tight,” he warned before driving back in, setting a new pace that would bring them both to new shared heights. Bella’s hands shot out in a futile attempt to grasp onto anything to keep her grounded.
Only he had other plans. Plans that would have her flying throughout the night. As her hands gripped and pulled at the bed linen, Elijah reached out to pull her arms to him and turned their positions around in a blink.
With him sitting up and her firmly squared on his lap, he cupped her face tenderly. No words were said as she rode his length, staring into his eyes. She was immune to compulsion, but somehow, in that moment, he knew he would fight to keep her his, and he didn’t care who he had to battle.
~o.O.o~
Elijah and Bella walked into dining room at Klaus’ compound together for the family brunch that he had explained the tradition to her about. What neither of them had anticipated was his brother’s exuberant welcome.
“There you are! Finally!” Klaus exclaimed.
Removing Bella and his own coats and hanging them up, Elijah eyed him, curious over his unusual good mood. “We were delayed.”
Smiling, the avoidance did little to disway the hybrid. “Our guest of honor will be here momentarily.”
“Strange, our house is conspicuously absent of our lupine guests. I do hope it wasn’t on our accounts,” Elijah smirked, guiding Bella to the seat beside the one he usually occupied.
Laughing, Klaus shrugged his concerns off. “I’ve sent Hayley and her poorly groomed husband off to spend the day with their werewolf brethren to test the limits of their new abilities. Leaving me to deal with the family business as I see fit.” His eyes moved to Bella as they twinkled in amusement. “Which I am pleased to see that you have become further a member of, since I have last seen you, Bella.”
“Yes, well, as much as I’m sure that you can smell Elijah’s scent all over myself,” Bella started as she licked her lips at the memory, her smile twisted into a dark, playful temptress as she looked up at him. “He was just as memorable in the moment. Can you say the same?”
“If you would to take a gander, my bed just happens to be right upstairs, Love,” he smirked.
Elijah let out a sigh, attempting to get his brother back on track, rather than allowing their exchange to continue. While he had all the confidences that his Isabella had no interest in his brother, her reassurances coming after lengthy discussing during their night together, he looked at Klaus suspiciously. “Rebekah’s situation has taken a turn and we may need Freya’s assistance. So, whatever you are planning here? Don’t.”
Rolling his eyes, Klaus let out a huff. “All I’m planning is a simple chat with a long-lost relative. You yourself said to hear her out.”
“And you yourself said that would be idiocy.”
Amused, he smiled back. “Did I?” He pretended as if he was trying to remember when had said such a thing. “Well, it does sound like me. Regardless, on the off-chance Freya has some information that could protect my daughter, I’d prefer she share it on my terms… Ah! I think I hear her now!”
Bella was a mixture of nervous and irritated by the woman when she walked in, her eyes narrowing on her as she smiled at her brothers.
“Sister! Well, come in! Make yourself comfortable,” Klaus greeted as he stood cordially while she appeared slightly nervous before smiling warmly again at them.
She was cautious as she made her way closer, taking a seat at the table. “I presume you want to know about Dahlia.”
“Well… I did ask you here in the hopes that you would share some of her secrets. Since we don’t have to beat around that particular bush, without further ado, let’s get to it!”
Freya sighed as she thought about how to begin, her eyes glancing between each of them, flinching slightly under Bella’s piercing stare. “The first thing you should know is that Dahlia is the most powerful witch I’ve ever seen. She craves more power still. Right now she is like me- limited to one year of life in a century. But, she wants to be free of that restriction. To gain true immortality. And that is why she will come here- drawn by your daughter to take the child’s power for herself. And she would kill anyone who would defy her.”
Elijah’s tone was curious as he observed her. “And yet you would defy her?”
“I don’t have a choice. She will never let me be free. My one chance is to align with you and kill her.”
“Forgive us if we have our doubts about your story,” Klaus commented, his hand resting around his teacup.
Afraid and frustrated, Freya glanced to the others, her eyes meeting Bella’s. “I can help confirm your abilities and if you are what I suspect you to be, you can validate my word. I would just need some of your blood to explore your magic and open your gift, though I suspect it’s already begun to show itself to you.”
Bella huffed. “I’d rather go back to that crazy nut in the tea shop than trust you with my blood. At least she could tell without any bloodshed that there was something going on.”
“Besides, Isabella’s blood is slightly tainted with our own, wouldn’t that change the outcome?” Elijah asked his sister.
“I don’t believe so. Who has been giving her blood more?” Freya asked, looking between the brothers. “If Elijah, then it would be ideal if what you said about the Norse theory as he was born in the Old World where the stories and legends are based.”
Sighing, Elijah looked over to Bella. “It is your choice.”
She turned to face him, not happy about it but she did owe something to the woman for getting her out of the cottage. “How much blood do you need?” she questioned, not looking at her.
“A pint, perhaps,” the witch answered and Bella paled at the amount. “Is something wrong?”
“Isabella does not care for the thought of blood,” Elijah said as he brushed his young girlfriend’s hair from her face. “You know you do not have to go this route. We can find another way, give yourself time for your gifts to come to fruition on their own.”
“No,” Bella said, shaking her head. “I can possibly help you and Klaus with Hope if we know more. As much as I hate the idea of it, I’ll just have to have more blood later to heal up from the loss. I’m sure that you or Klaus will find a way of killing her if she did try something underhanded regardless.”
Klaus smiled over at her. “Of course, Sweetheart. You’re an absolute delight and joy. I wouldn’t dream of you not being in the family.”
“Would you like some more sugar with that?” Freya scrunched her nose. “To make it even more sickly sweet?”
“Jealous, Love? While you’ve been working in secret with our psychotic brother and diabolical father, I’m afraid that I can only offer so much trust. Bella here has not given us any indication to question her loyalty. Until she does so, I consider her more of a sister than what you have shown yourself this far,” Klaus admitted evenly. “Now, do explain in vivid detail what you intend to do with Isabella’s blood so that there may be no surprises found later.”
His confession surprised both Bella and Elijah. They each looked to him in, one overwhelmed in the moment, the other overly suspicious by his motives. “Niklaus…” Elijah started to warn.
“Not to worry brother,” he responded. “I’m only trying to look out for your beautiful mate and my new sister. That is all. I promised no harm to come to her after all. Not even from our so called family and we have already failed in that with Finn. I won’t do that again.”
Elijah stared at his brother for a long moment before nodding and turned to Freya. Letting out a breath, he regarded her cautiously. “First, while I do not entirely agree with his methods, Niklaus does make a valid point. Even before the change in our relationship, we had made a promise to Isabella and it is one we fully intend to keep. Even if her safety is from ourselves-”
“Now wait a damn minute,” Bella interrupted, his comment flaring up familiar feelings of anger and inadequacy. “That right there is where I’m going to draw a line. I am getting myself involved in this, knowing full well what the dangers are with what you are. Don’t try treating me like some errant child and sticking me in a corner because that is exactly what the Cullens fucking did to me all the time and then when shit hit the fan, they shoved me in that witches’ nuthouse,” she hissed as she looked at the two vampires. “So if either of you ever have another thought of abandoning me like second hand trash, then you certainly aren’t the respectable men that you claimed to be.”
Freya shifted in her seat as she smiled at the vexed girled, trying to settle her ruffled emotions. “I am sure that Elijah did not mean what you are thinking,” she attempted but when her dark glare was set upon her, she could not help but to snap her mouth shut and be pinned to her chair. “Or not.”
“He meant every word,” she assured the witch, turning back to the man. “However, I do believe that he is reconsidering his position in that as he should. Now, Freya. Please tell me how you intend on finding out what I am. Is there any chance that this may go wrong in any way?”
“I would need you to drain some blood into a bowl,” the witch explained. “I would need a few items to cast a circle for the spell, but they should be easy enough to find. Elijah had implied that the regent offered enough information that you may be something of Norse legends?”
Bella gave the vampire a side glare before she answered. “He did? Yes…”
“Then I can use some of the family’s artifacts from the Old World to link back to lands for the circle. It should be enough,” Freya finished, releasing a nervous breath.
Klaus stood and made his way over to her side, pouring a glass of juice for his sister, setting it in front of her. “Why so anxious, sister? Is there something wrong about the spell that could go wrong?”
She looked up at him, shaking her head without hesitation. “The spell in itself is simple. I am confident that I can perform it,” she said, before turning her head to the side. “There is a danger to my performing it, however.”
A triumphant smirk graced his face as he looked down on her. “Is that so? My, my. And what dark secret might you have been holding back from sweet Bella here that might have caused her harm should she decide to go forward with your method of discovery?”
“I can promise I will find out what she is, Klaus, but it is not without cost to all of us,” Freya announced, her blue eyes looking up at him. Her voice, although firm in her belief, clearly shook with fear. “It will require me to use a great deal of magic to do so. Magic that Dahlia will be able to trace. To do this, we need to go somewhere far from this compound or somewhere where in case she might discover. Although, if Bella has any control over her shield, I suspect she might be able to mask anyone she chooses to, even herself.”
That sparked an interest in Klaus, causing him to turn to her with a raised eyebrow. Elijah, however immediately shook his head, holding his finger up at him to keep him at bay. “No. You are not using Isabella for your own gain,” he warned.
“He won’t,” Bella murmured. Taking an unsteady breath to center herself, she stared across the table at Freya. “But if I am able to help, I will. Where and when should we do this?”
“Bella!” Elijah exclaimed in shock, but realized that any protest that he might say would fall unto deaf ears as she had the look of determination on her face.
“Take them into woods, along the lake. If you are lucky, there might be a wolf or two that you might be able to toss at our aunt should she decide to make an appearance that might buy you time for an escape,” Klaus smiled.
Her brown eyes turned to his blue. “I don’t think so. You aren’t going to use Hope as an excuse. She has her mother to look after her. Leave your friends here. This was your bright idea so you are coming with. At least then, if it fails, you have a pretty witch to sink your teeth into to. Family or not.”
He looked taken aback at her words, but impressed by her ferocity as she had her say. Smiling as he slapped his hand on Freya’s shoulder, her head turning toward it, he could not be more proud of the girl that Rebekah had dragged into their family. “Well, if you insist,” he feigned coyness. “Shall we be on our way?”
“Let me collect the items that Freya will need for the spell. If you would not mind coming with? You might be able to choose which would work for the best results,” Elijah sighed as he stood, kissing the back of Bella’s hand as he left her side while he spoke to his sister, leaving the other two alone.
Klaus and Bella looked across the table at one another before she reached for a croissant and tore a small piece off to nibble at. “I suspect you have a larger game to play in this Klaus. Whatever I may be, you better tell me so that I can help because I can’t help but think that it could only backfire on you in the end.”
“Oh, Love. I suspected when Rebekah brought you to us, that you would be fascinating. That you are, and more. You make sure you keep challenging Elijah like you do myself and we will get on just fine,” he smiled as his siblings returned with their bag of artifacts from their family’s homeland. “Ready?”
~o.O.o~
The section of woods that the four had situated themselves in was a quiet one. Secluded and far off from the trails that they had little worry that any human would stumble across them during Freya’s ritual. As she set up her circle, setting the family relics between lit candles, her eyes continuously scanning the treeline around them.
“We are alone, Freya,” Klaus told her irritably.
“You never know with Dahlia. She can appear at any time. The power she holds…” she said nervously, shaking the match out after she lit the last candle. “Come Bella,” she waved her over as she pulled out a small carving knife. Once the girl made her way into the circle, the two vampires hovering outside protectively, keen eyes watching closely, Freya carefully cut across her palm, helping to squeeze the blood into the offering bowl between where they knelt.
Bella grimaced against the pain and scent of the blood, but said nothing, knowing it was necessary. As soon as enough blood was collected in the bowl, the witch took hold of her hands and closed her eyes before chanting. “Følg dette blodet til kilden av magi. Vis makt forankret i dette blodet. Slipp fødselsrett av denne linjen i blodet. Følg dette blodet til kilden av magi. Vis makt forankret i dette blodet. Slipp fødselsrett av denne linjen i blodet.”
Elijah recognized the language spoken, his eyes narrowing as Freya continued to repeat the lines. A breeze came through from the lake, rustling up the fallen leaves and increasing the already cold air around them. Meeting his brother’s eye across the circle, he knew Klaus’ defenses were already on high.
Despite the increased winds trying to push them back, the space inside the circle was unnaturally still. With a strained ear, Klaus was able to hear Freya still repeating the same lines faintly. The wind had created a wall of soil and water from the lake around the circle, and they hand to raise their arms to try to keep the debris from entering their eyes to try to watch on. If they hadn’t had such sharp eyesight as vampires, they might not have seen the sapphire hue that seemed to radiate out from Bella. While their sister began to struggle to keep her hold, Elijah’s young mate appeared completely composed in the moment.
Amidst the winds, black vines were slowly creeping along the ground, catching Elijah’s eye. “Freya!” He called out, watching as dark buds of dahlia blossoms sprout the closer they grew. “We haven’t much time left!”
Bella’s eyes snapped open, her hands releasing Freya’s but remaining open, palm upward to the sky. The witch blinked as she crawled back from her, wiping the blood that trickled from her nose.
“Stay back,” Freya warned as she moved to leave the safety of the circle, Klaus grabbing her arm to drag her over to their brother as they watched through the wind circling around the girl. “She is a Valkyrie witch. Rare and very powerful,” she choked back, weak from her spell. “Dahlia is drawing close…”
At her words, Bella’s head tilted in her direction, as if able to hear her over the howling winds. Turning her hands over and pushing them out to her sides, the glow that surrounded her grew brighter and expanded out in a flash, nearly blinding the vampires.
When they uncovered their eyes to check on Bella, they found her lying unconscious in the prepared circle. The black vines from Dahlia were seemingly dead were they were growing. “Well that was certainly something,” Klaus muttered as he stared at the damage while Elijah lifted his lover up in his arms. “Now that we know what we have on our hands, let’s get her home. She will be relieved to have some answers.”
Freya looked around, eyes wide in fear and wonder. “Yes. Even though Bella was able to cut her off, Dahlia will know something powerful was in the area and she will want to come and investigate soon. We must hurry.”