The Red Queen | Lucien Castle & Tristan de Martel

Chapter 23

Antonella was about to blow a fuse.

"What the hell do you mean Mikael is alive?" she snapped. "How did that happen?"

"You tell me!" said Vivalda. "Clearly I made Davina a lot angrier than I thought."

"I don't want to say this is your fault, but..."

"Just go ahead, it's what everyone seems to be thinking already. Lucien and Tristan would never say it but they're definitely thinking it behind their worried line of questions."

"You make sure you survive this, Vivi, and when you do, I want us to sit down and discuss the possibility of unlinking the Originals from the vampires in this world. This sort of anxiety? I don't like feeling it. Call me selfish but I do not want to die because you inevitably try to protect your brothers and get yourself killed."

Vivalda forced a sigh, not wanting to discuss this right now. "Fine. Fine, we'll talk about it eventually. Elijah is going to handle my training today and see what he can find out about Esther. Klaus and I are going on a hunt. Davina is hidden but Madison will find her soon. And when she does, we are sending Mikael back into his grave."

"That makes me feel so much better. Don't get us killed, Vivi. I mean it."

"Come on, Toni, you really think that Mikael will manage to kill me? Besides, Klaus will be with me. I'm safe."

Within a matter of hours, Madison had confirmed Klaus's suspicions that Davina was holed up in her family's cabin at Terrebonne Parish. Armed with the swords and Papa Tunde's blade, the two of them marched up, seeing nothing through the windows.

"Enough games, Davina!" yelled Klaus, pounding on the door. "Send out my father! Let's finish this!" He reached for a staff propped against the porch, recognizing the symbol of Mikael's clan carved at one end. He hurled it through the window, but no one came out. "Davina! Is this not what you brought him for?"

"Come out, Mikael!" snapped Vivalda. "Unless you're afraid."

They waited at the end of the porch, wondering if someone had warned her that they were coming. Then, the door creaked open. Mikael walked out, smiling darkly. "Hello, boy," he said coldly to Klaus, gripping the white oak stake tight in his palm. "You both seem rather impatient. Are you so eager to meet your end?"

"I'm only eager to stand over your burning corpse again," said Klaus. "Only this time, I intend to enjoy it more."

Mikael advanced. "I've traveled all the way back from hell for this moment."

"And we're about to send you back there," said Vivalda, unsheathing her swords.

They realized in hindsight that it was probably a bad idea for them to both try and hurt Mikael at the same time. Vivalda and Klaus were each used to fighting solo, which meant they kept getting in each other's way. They were insanely uncoordinated; if there was anyone Vivalda was somewhat used to fighting with, it was Antonella and Kol. Never Klaus. They both wanted to make very move, they wanted to control the outcome. It didn't bode well and Mikael knew it.

Klaus had tried to stab Mikael with Papa Tunde's blade at the same time that Vivalda was trying to cut the man's arm off to get him to release the stake. She ended up hurting Klaus, who loosened his grip enough for Mikael to rip Tunde's blade away and stab it into his chest instead. Klaus fell, leaving Vivalda standing alone.

"And now you've added another to your collection," said Mikael, eyeing Vivalda closely as she circled him, swirling both swords. "I will give you the honor of burying you with them."

"Gee, thanks," she said cheekily. "What a nice gesture."

"That is, of course, assuming your swords aren't claimed by the end of this. After all, your fear to fight me bare-handed is what leaves them in your hands. But when I defeat you, they will be mine."