Bring Me To Life | The Originals (1)

Après Moi Le Déluge

"The Italians call them strega. The Yoruba of West Africa call them aje, meaning mother. Where my mother was from, they called them häxa, and here we call them witch." Elijah explained in a tone that reminded Imogen of the days when she used to sit at the back of class with Sophie, passing notes back and forth when the teacher couldn't see.

The young witch bit her lower lip as she leaned back against the side of the armchair Hayley was sitting in from her position on the floor and looked up to where Elijah was standing by the table that pictured the sketched portrait of Celeste. Most the morning had been spent staring at the drawing, trying to find out what hidden mean Davina had unintentional delivered to them and if it was a forewarning to something worse coming their way.

Elijah crossed his arms over his chest with a confused frown on his lips as he studied the portrait as though it's drawn on lips would suddenly part and tell him everything he wanted to know. "Over the centuries, vampires have fought them and fought beside them, bedded them and burned them. Whether adversary or ally, they have been a force to be reckoned with. Their ancestral magic anchors this city. There's never been one all-powerful witch until Davina."

"Who is now tucked in safe and sound down the hall under my protection." Klaus informed them as he entered the room with a jovial bounce in his step and Imogen glowered at the sound of his voice as she pointedly looked at the fireplace instead of him.

All morning she had refused to even glance in Klaus' direction from the moment she walked into the same room as him and thankfully Rebekah had been there every time to be run interference so she didn't have to worry about him cornering her.

Unfortunately, the blonde wasn't there to play defence and the comment sparked anger inside Imogen as she turned her head to glare at him heatedly. "'Protection?' You literally killed her! How is that protecting her?"

Klaus turned his head around to look at Imogen at the sound of her voice, happy that she was no longer ignoring his presence, even if it was to display her anger at him over his actions and a smirk spread across his lips as he took a step forward. "Well, she's alive now, isn't she? Isn't that the glowing conclusion you all hoped for?"

Imogen glowered at him as she shook her head in disgust before turning her attention back to Elijah and Klaus followed her gaze as he sauntered forward, his focus going to the array of sketches on the table. "Your Celeste was quite beautiful and a portent of evil, according to our volatile artist in residence."

"Yes. Perhaps Davina's mistaken what she calls evil for power. Celeste was certainly very powerful in her day, but she's been dead for over two hundred years. I don't understand. Why all these sketches now?" Elijah asked himself quietly, his expression thoughtful as he crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his oak brown eyes at the portrait of his lost love.

"Why does any witch do anything?"

"There are only six reasons anyone does anything. Love. Faith. Greed. Boredom. Fear. Revenge." Imogen informed them idly as she listed them off her fingers one by one until she was finished and she dropped her hands onto her lap as she lift both eyebrows at the mystified expressions directed her way. "Tell me I'm wrong."

"She's not wrong." The elder Mikaelson agreed softly as he studied her with an almost dazed look in his oak brown eyes and young witch glanced up at him with a small smile on her lips, a blush appearing on her cheeks when she noticed him staring.

Klaus looked between the pair with his light blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully, taking in the hasty way Imogen diverted her gaze and the way Elijah's eyes lingered momentarily. It was truly something else entirely to witness the beginning of a relationship, the awkward and tense atmosphere.