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CHAPTER SIXTEEN | THE DEVIL COMES HERE AND SIGHS
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
RILEY HADN'T GOTTEN A MOMENT OF SLEEP SINCE SHE WATCHED FINN MIKAELSON DIE. Of course, watching anyone die was horrific, but now she worried about the fate of everyone she loved. Lucien was able to kill an Original vampire— nothing can kill an Original, or at least, that's what they thought. Riley knew more than ever that nothing is promised, least of all for people like them.
She sat upright in the bed, her head rested in her hands as she exhaled. Elijah's eyes fluttered open to notice Riley's current position. He lifted his hand up to trace the skin against her bare back while he sighed. "You have not slept."
"What's more concerning is that you have." Riley muttered back. She finally dropped back against the pillow and rolled onto her side, looking him in his eyes. "How'd you do that?"
"Do what?" Elijah hummed.
"Act like you aren't afraid. Like you're not completely terrified about what's around the corner. I mean, Lucien can kill an Original, Elijah."
The vampire exhaled again and lifted his hand up against her cheek, to cup it gently. "I prefer to live in the moment. And right now, laying here with you, I feel alive. So, tell me, Riley, how could I possibly worry about death?"
Riley took a deep breath, tucking her hair behind her ear as she listened to Freya's stressful grunts from the study. "We should get up. Freya sounds like she could use a hand."
Obeying the suggestion of the woman he loved, Elijah nodded in agreement. The couple quickly dressed themselves for the day ahead and then headed into the study where Freya had tasked herself to find a way to take down Lucien.
"Freya, we're out of time." Elijah reminded his older sister once they arrived in the study.
"A sigil is a complicated magical symbol, weaponised and condensed to its most potent form." Her eyes flickered up from the sketch. "If I combine the right elements, we'll have a chance at stopping Lucien. And, if I don't—"
A loud knocking interrupted Freya. Riley, Elijah and Freya all shared panicked looks until they heard Cami helplessly yelling from just outside the courtyard. She was unable too freely enter, given the deed was now in Freya's name and she needed an invitation to enter.
"What's wrong?" Hayley arrived at the doorway, furrowed brows.
"It's Klaus. Lucien has him."
"Freya, invite her in!" The Marshall-Kenner woman yelled in Freya's direction as the three hurried down to the courtyard.
"Yeah, come in. You're invited." Cami took a breath and stepped past the threshold. Hayley glanced outside once more before she slammed the courtyard door closed. "Lucien ambushed him. He knocked him around like it was nothing."
