Shielding The Innocent - Niklaus Mikaelson

Chapter 20

    After the unexplained earthquake, I didn't get much sleep. Instead, I spent the night watching the twins sleep in their nursery. When, the sun rises, and morning comes I stand and quietly leave the twins to go check on Nik. 

   "It doesn't matter what she wanted. She's gone." I hear him say sternly as I walk to Cami's room. Hayley is standing with her back to me as she talks to Nik. "There's no time to sing dirges. We're at war."

   "Yeah." Hayley nods understandingly. "Okay." She turns and walks pass me, squeezing my shoulder as she goes. Nik turns away and starts reading a journal. I decide it's best to leave him be for right now and back track my steps and head downstairs.

________________

   "That's the wrong answer!" I hear Kol yell. I stand form my spot in the study and quickly walk to see what's going on. 

   "No, no, no." Marcel says as him, Kol, and Elijah come into my view when I make it to the ballroom. "I know this is a war, but I've lost a lot of friends, too." Marcel says to Elijah with his hand on Kol's chest holding him back. "Today, I need your help." As I get closer, I notice blood all over Kol and him in clear distress. 

   "With what?" I inquire. Elijah, Kol, and Marcel all look at me and their faces fall. "What's happened?"

   "And you shall have it." Nik tells Marcel as he walks down the stairs. 

   "Someone answer me." I state, getting nervous. Marcel looks away and so does Elijah. I turn my eyes to Kol, and he looks like a fish out of water. "Kol? I thought you couldn't leave St. James. Where's Davina?" I question as my heartbeat thumps in my chest.

   "The... Ancestors cursed me." He starts to explain something. "I had this over whelming sense of hunger. So, I tried to leave New Orleans to keep her safe. But I started to desiccate as soon as I crossed the border. I had to go back to St. James and when Davina got back after you and her went to confront Lucien...." 

   "You confronted Lucien?" Nik turns to me in frustration, but I don't look at him. I keep my eyes on Kol and walk over to him wanting him to continue.

   Kol swallows the lump in his throat and tears leave his eyes. "I made her dagger me. I knew she wasn't safe around me. The Ancestors used me to get at her. I tried to fight it."

   "W-why are you talking in past tense?" I stutter as a few tears escape my eyes. 

   "The earthquake last night. It was the Ancestors; they overpowered the dagger and woke me up." He struggles to explain. "I didn't know where I was or what I was doing until it was too late." 

   "What did you do, Kol?" I demand. I scan my eyes down his shirt and over all the blood dried on it. "No!" I shake my head in denial. "Did you-- Did you ki-ll my sister?" I choke out with squinted eyes and my vision blurry with tears. Kol looks down at me with an enormous amount of regret and heartbreak. 

   "Kelsey?" Nik says softly behind me and puts his hand on my shoulder, but I shrug it off.

   "NO!" I snap. "Is my little sister dead?" I ask Kol again. He opens his mouth to answer but can't find the words. I shove him back a bit. "Is she?" No answer, so I ball up my fists and hit his chest. "Where is she? Where's Davina?" I sob as I pound on his chest. He makes no move to stop me and I know deep down this isn't his fault, but right now I don't care. 

   I just continue to lose it and hit him over and over. Nik, finally, wraps his arms around me and pulls me away. I try to push him off, but I can't. So, I give up and collapse into his arms and allow my body to once again be overcome with crying. Nik holds me close, until my loud sobs grow softer, and no one says anything.