Shielding The Innocent - Niklaus Mikaelson

Chapter 3

   Hayley and I walked down stairs this morning to find fruit and breakfast foods spread across a table in the Courtyard. Hayley reaches for a grape, while I pour a glass of water. Niklaus comes out of a study on the bottom floor and joins us.

   "So... Which restaurant is missing a compelled chef?" Hayley questions him as he walks up.

   "It was certainly a card I played in the past, but I had no hand in this." Nik says, making my eyebrows scrunch in confusion. Skeptical I put my water down and take a step back. 

   "Oh." Hayley says. "Well, then I guess we have Elijah to thank."

   "I doubt it." I mutter knowing Elijah has been hanging around Marcel, since he is a vampire surrounded by werewolves. So, he's been keeping busy.

   "This wasn't my doing." Elijah comments coming down the stairs.

   "Then where did this all come from?" Hayley asks.

   "No where good, is my guess." I state with wide eyes as a plate that has a cover over it moves.

   It shakes as we all look at it, until Nik finally grabs the handle and removes the cover. Two small black birds immediately fly away making the four of us jump back in surprise. Left in their wake lies a folded piece on parchment on the silver plate.

   "What the hell was that?" Hayley says.

   Niklaus grabs the note and opens it. Being right next to him I read it with him. 'Dinner. Your home. 8pm.' I roll my eyes in annoyance.

   "This is gonna suck." I scoff folding my arms over my chest.

   "And invitation from our mother." Nik informs Elijah and Hayley with a hard look on his face. Clearly not thrilled by the demand she's given.

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   Niklaus looks out at the street from his balcony, as Hayley and I sit on his bed. Elijah was compelling someone to clean up the breakfast lay out. Nik enters his room still holding the note his mother sent.

   "It is times like this I'm really glad I never knew my mother." Hayley comments.

   "Amen." I nod in agreement.

   "We have enough enemies here, and now the war for our home is to be fought against my own family." Niklaus says, frustrated, putting the note on his desk.

   "Your bitch of a mother and her psycho followers tried to shove a knife into our twin's hearts. I will be more than glad to add them to my new body count." I tell him making a smirk spread across his face.

   "You will do no such thing." Elijah denies, joining us by walking through the study, which is attached to Nik's room. "Esther is a master in the art of possession. We know whose body she currently inhabits. We must decipher her intentions before she finds a new host."

   "I don't know if you've noticed but I don't play nice very well." I scoff.

   "No kidding." Hayley mutters. I nudge her teasingly, causing her to let out a chuckle.

   "Well, her last visitation was an assassination attempt on all her children. I think we can assume her intentions are decidedly foul." Nik says ignoring Hayley and me.

   "Well, then we have..." Elijah looks down at his watch on his wrist. "This afternoon to prepare for the worst." Then, he exits leaving the three of us.

   "Bloom is off the rose, I see." Nik teases Hayley as he walks out of the room.

   "Shut up." Hayley counters annoyed shaking her head.