Dark Moon | Klaus Mikaelson

Chapter 4

After several days of laying low, Esmeray was awoken early for yet another day of faking.

"So I have to pretend to be a graduate intern again," she said, just to confirm what Elijah had told her as they drove to meet Jenna Sommers, who was apparently Elena Gilbert's aunt and the one in charge of giving them a sort of historical tour.

"Yes," Elijah replied. "This time, I want you to listen more than speak. Read between the lines and think outside the box. I have to be focused on conversation, but if you concentrate solely on the minor details, you may be able to figure out where the witches were massacred without us needing to ask too many questions."

She fiddled with her fingers, slumped back in the seat. "Alright. So... where did you go yesterday? And... the day before. And the day before. You've gone out every night for the past four days and you don't come back until breakfast."

Elijah looked at her as if debating whether to be honest or sarcastic, in a sense. "What do adults normally do in the twenty-first century, Esmeray?"

"So you went to a strip club," she mused, mostly as a joke. He laughed, and she raised her eyebrows. "Well, you shouldgo to a strip club. Those performers deserve some better tips, and you're loaded."

"I see you're starting to talk more like a teenager from this time period," he observed. "No, I did not go to a gentlemen's club. I had a series of meetings with someone who will help me lure Niklaus back here for the sake of the ritual. And no, I did not mention you."

"Good," she said simply, though she had a feeling he was lying. "You know, you can tell me the truth."

"You know," he mimicked slightly, looking at her with less amusement than before. "You might learn not to ask so many questions. Someone might think you're prying to satisfy a need for gossip rather than just curiosity."

She quickly became embarrassed, and she looked away. There was a small clunking noise, and the car sputtered to a stop, making the driver curse loudly. "First the wheel, and now the engine?" he hissed, getting out and slamming the door.

Elijah gave Esmeray a reproachful look, and she felt her ears go red. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I don't mean for it to happen. Things just go wrong when I feel upset."

"It upset you before when you felt dizzy in the car. It upset you now that I didn't divulge all my secrets to you. And when we met, it upset you to hear my name, because you thought I was going to hurt you."

"Yes," she muttered, turning away from him. "The point is, it's stupid. I get angry or annoyed at anything and everything. As you can see, I was not the prime example of the kid that parents want their child to be friends with. The littlest things irritate me."

"You do understand that although you may be nearly the same age as me, I feel it is inappropriate to be speaking to you about my personal life, yes? There are certain things I wouldn't even tell my siblings. Why do I care for you or them to know about who I spend my time with? We have a deal for knowledge but that does not mean I'm going to tell you about all of my... late night endeavors. Obviously, you can understand why I leave the apartment instead of bringing my source with me. You wouldn't have enjoyed being a bystander."

Esmeray turned very red. "Oh. Oh... you know what, I really shouldn't have asked at all. I'm sorry..."

"A lesson learned," he said, calmly exiting the vehicle once he saw that the driver wasn't going to be able to fix the engine anytime soon.

Silently, they made their way to the meeting location where Jenna awaited them, a backpack of scrolls strapped to her back- possibly maps as a guide for the tour.