Shielding The Innocent - Niklaus Mikaelson

Chapter 22

   I stand outside the ballroom as Nik holds the twins in each arm with his back facing me. When, I woke up he and the girls were gone. So, I quickly got dressed and went looking for them, which wasn't hard. I go to announce my presence, but his next sentence stops me and makes me frown.

   "What better life might have awaited you were another man your father?" He questions, looking between Bexley and Hope. "All those who have loved me have lived to regret it. But I do know this, my littlest wolves, I will do right by you both."

   I walk forward and get face to face with him. "I have not regretted it and neither will they." I reassure him and he smile slightly. Then, I kiss the side of both of the girls heads.

   "What do you want, Elijah?" Nik asks, making me look over his shoulder and see Elijah standing there. My walls go up and I immediately look away from him.

   "I'm not foolish enough to ask your forgiveness, so I'll say it again." Elijah states taking a couple of steps forward. "I had no choice. We protect this family at any cost."

    "You think I'm not aware of how heavy that burden is?" Nik questions, as he turns to face him.

   "No." Elijah shakes him head and then, quickly wets his lips. "I think that this time that burden is simply too much to bear." Elijah stares at him for a moment, before turning and walking out.

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   Freya had a bad feeling, so she did a location spells on the map we used to track Nik's sire line and she found that many of them were headed our way. So, Kol gathered weapons in the ballroom. I follow Nik, entering the room at the same time Elijah is coming down the stairs. Kol holds up a cross bow, checking it's readiness.

   "Freya's tracking your former sirelings now, so it won't be long." Kol informs us. "Which works for me. I could use a good fight."

   "I sent Hayley to take the twins somewhere safe." I told them and they nod in acknowledgment.

   "Well, we do have an advantage." Elijah says. "No vampire may enter this stronghold so long as the deed remains in Freya's name."

   "So what?" Kol scoffs. In his hand, Tunde's blade. "We hide here while our enemies' mass at the front gate?"

    "Well, if they're so determined to die at our hands, let them come." Nik replies, kind of arrogantly.

   A thud, sounds upstairs and we all immediately start heading that way, going through the Courtyard. But that's as far as we make it. A flood of vampires enters the Courtyard, surrounding us downstairs and upstairs. Nik waves me closer to him and I comply. I look around at all the unknown faces, my heart racing.

   "I never thought it would come to this." Marcel's voice says, making us all turn around and see him entering with many more vampires following him. My heart jumps, happy that he's alive. However, dread ruins my happiness, knowing this isn't going to end well and Elijah is responsible. "But, as always, the Mikaelsons made my choice for me."

   "Marcel." Nik speaks in shock. "How?"

   "How are we in your home?" Marcel inquires, circling around us. "I have friends who can nullify a deed, foreclose on a property, like that." He snaps his fingers. "Or did you mean, how am I not a rotting corpse?"

   "I thought my friend was dead, and yet here you are." Nik replies. "So, send those fools away, and let's talk." He walks closer to Marcel. "You and me."

   "Is that relief I hear?" Marcel muses, sarcastically. "Really? If I hadn't been one step ahead of you, I would be at the bottom of the river."

   "Marcel, your anger is with me." Elijah interjects, stepping up next to Nik. "I am the one that's responsible for this crime against you."