Gods & Monsters ✧ Elijah Mikaelson

XIX ✧ Horrors

All shall be revealed soon... >:)

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Chapter Nineteen

When Avarice told the Mikaelson's that they would be attending a ball two days from that one, Elijah couldn't help but notice just how angry she really seemed.

Ajal stood behind her, and while he wasn't as angry as she was, he certainly acted a little tense.

"Why exactly does he want us there?" Kol asked. "He hasn't come to visit yet. Why the bloody hell does he wants us there now?"

"He wants to get to know you," Ajal interjected, coming to stand near Avarice. "We have not determined whether or not he has any malicious intent, but it is not just him that wants to see you for the first time. Your family is legendary in your world. You should not expect any different in ours."

The Mikaelson's each agreed to go, though they weren't exactly eager about it after having seen Avarice's reaction. If anything, they were very concerned.

He wasn't entirely sure what to do when he approached the library. Elijah hadn't meant to listen in on their conversation, but after he heard what they were speaking about, he simply could not help himself.

"Are you really not going to tell them?" Ajal asked, sounding rather uncertain. "They are the Mikaelson's. They've seen their fair share of horrors, they can handle this."

"Exactly," she said. "They've seen too much already. No person should ever have to deal with what they have, and the fates dealt them a bad hand. I refuse to expose them to the real monster that Kaige truly is."

Ajal was quiet for a long time.

"You know," he muttered. "At one point, you told me that everyone has a bit of a monster in them."

She nodded. "Of course."

"Don't you think you should forgive him?" he asked. "Everyone has demons."

"Exactly. Everyone has demons. And while we fight against them, he chooses to feed his."

He heard her footsteps, and she came out of the library. She almost ran right into him, but saw him standing there and stopped at the last second.

She stared up at him, her expression betraying her for a moment. She was surprised, then horrified, and then completely calm. If anything, she was more annoyed now.

She brushed by him, and walked a little faster down the hallway. He wanted to go after her, but knew by the way that she curled her hands into fists that she needed some time alone.

He went into the library to see Ajal sitting on the arm of one of the chairs, his arms crossed over his chest while he stared down at the ground. His brow was furrowed and his jaw was tense, showing just how concerned and restless he really was. He heard Elijah, and looked up, then smiled a little.

"Ah, Mr. Mikaelson," he said.

"Please, call me Elijah," he replied, a fake smile plastered on his face.

"Elijah..." Ajal hummed. "You are the Noble One, aren't you?"

His smile faded, and Ajal looked surprised again.

"Forgive me," he said. "Have I offended you?"

"No, most certainly not," Elijah shook his head. "It's quite all right. I just have not had anyone call me that in... A long time, really."

Specifically, not since Avarice had called him that one of the first nights he had been in the reaper world.

When Elijah glanced up at him again, he saw that Ajal was focused on the ring that adorned his left hand. He hadn't noticed it before.

Ajal sighed, then closed his eyes. "This decision would have been a lot easier if I had my husband with me. He always helps to clear my head. I will probably regret this, but nonetheless, it must be done."

Ajal waved his left hand, and the doors of the library swung closed. Elijah heard the click of a lock, and spun to face them. Black dust, much like the kind he had seen Avarice use, covered the door and then faded.

"No one will hear us now. T'is for the best if Avarice is so very much against sharing anything about Kaige."

Elijah turned back to Ajal, his eyes narrowed and his hands curled into fists, much like Avarice's had been only a few moments before.

"Oh, you think I would attack you?" Ajal asked, and a smirk formed on his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest once again. "Come now, Mr. Mikaelson. Surely you don't think I would harm one of the most powerful beings of the mortal world."

"Forgive me for not knowing what to expect from you, the so-called King of Death," Elijah said rather harshly.

Ajal only became more amused. "Hah. You're funny, Elijah. Really. I would never try to hurt you. I simply did that so that Avarice or the other Reapers did not hear what I am about to tell you."

"Get on with it." Elijah's tone hadn't become any more kind.

"What has Avarice told you about Kaige?" Ajal asked.

Elijah blinked. He hadn't expected that. "He is the reaper that keeps control of the human souls."

"And? Anything else?"

"She hates him."

Ajal nodded, cocking a brow. "Huh. I would have thought that, of all people, she would have told you by now. No matter, I'll be doing that myself."

"You will tell me why she hates Kaige?"

He nodded again. "Indeed I will."

Ajal was silent for a few seconds, and shut his eyes for a moment. It looked as if he were trying to find the right place to start.

"Has Avarice told you anything about the Seven? Or, rather, the four that are no longer part of them?"

"Yes. She has told me that they died a long time ago."

"Did you know that Kaige had a connection to them?"

"Of course I did," Elijah nodded. "He is one of the Seven."

Ajal's smirk had faded before that, but now it was more of a frown.

"Well, it was more than that. As I'm sure she has told you, there is only one thing that can kill a reaper."

He paused, and took Elijah's silence as a 'yes'.

"And that one thing..." Ajal sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head at the ground. "Is another reaper."

Elijah blinked, the gears turning faster in his mind.

"Then..." he whispered, thinking back to how Avarice had acted whenever Kaige was mentioned.

"Yes. The four reapers that died?" Ajal said, seeming to look off in the distance. "Kaige is the one who killed them."