New Beginning

Chapter forty-seven

* This chapter is rated M for Mature. Let me know what ya think.*

The hall was dimly lit and smelled of fresh paint. I followed the sound of a paintbrush rushing along a canvas. The clock chimed the late hour from the hall below but I focused on my anger, using it to fuel me. After everything he had done — waking Esther and the blow-up over his siblings — he had no right to avoid me. If anything, I should be the one pissed off.

The double doors to the primary bedroom were propped open and I could just make out his solid form. He sat in front of an easel with a wooden table beside him that was filled to the brim with different varieties of paints. His head was lowered as he ran his paintbrush over the palette at his side. I took a moment just to stand there and capture the image, storing it away for the future. Fear coiled in my stomach, a feeling that had only slowly stoked by the way he had been acting the last few days. What had happened between us? Niklaus had never been one to leave me fearful of where we stood; that had always been more of a Damon thing, but now after Esther's awakening, things had changed. He had changed.

Gently, with my steps quiet and filled with caution, I pushed open the door. "Nik, can we talk?"

His hand froze, his paintbrush an inch from the wet canvas. He stiffened at my approach and I felt my confidence shake and nearly snap.

"What do you want, Elandra?"

I wavered, staring at the abstract painting in front of him. Why was he being so cold? "Are you so angry that I woke your siblings that you won't even look at me?" His attention remained on the canvas, and I huffed with vexation. "It was necessary after Esther; I won't apologize for it." He chuckled darkly at my words, shaking his head. My hands trembled and I placed them against my stomach. "I thought our relationship was strong enough to survive your anger. Was I wrong?"

The brush in his hand snapped, broken in two by his tight grip. My eyes widened in startled surprise. Slowly he lowered his hand, dropping the brush onto the table. "Of course I am angry that you went behind my back and removed the dagger from my siblings. If you thought I would simply let that betrayal go, then we have bigger problems."

Taking hold of his shoulder, I pulled him off the stool with a scowl. "Are you kidding me? I was terrified, Nik! You woke up the woman who once tore me away from my family, cursing me to an eternity of reincarnation. What did you expect me to do? Stand around and wait for her to murder me or the people I love? That isn't who I am."

Niklaus ripped his shoulder from my prying fingers and turned away. "I expected you to trust me, just once!"

I laughed; it was a low hollow sound that sent shivers down my spine. "When have I not placed my trust in you or yours? You have had a place in my life, in one way or another, for the last thousand fucking years."

Niklaus turned, his cold blue eyes surveying my face. "Was that before or after you shared your bed with Damon Salvatore?"

My hand clenched into a fist at my side, and I truly considered bringing it up to meet his face. My voice was frigid and I stared into his eyes with incredulity. "How dare you. Would you like for us to go over the many women who have shared your bed, Niklaus? Wasn't there once one named Aurora?" I cruelly asked, my voice as close to a snarl as humanly possible.

Niklaus winced, his expression twisting with regret. Sorrow filled my chest, a scorching burn that felt like it would engulf me if I didn't release it in some way. "I don't want to fight. That was never what I wanted."

His eyes closed with weariness and he pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. "What do you want, El?"

I took a tentative step forward, lifting my hands beseechingly. "The truth, please! Just tell me what's wrong. We can fix whatever it is; together."