Gods & Monsters ✧ Elijah Mikaelson

XXXV ✧ Blood Stones

Badass Avarice will be making an appearance in the next chapter >:D

Also I had surgery on my foot last Thursday and it hurts like a bitch T3 MAKES ME REALLY TIRED AND I HATE IT BUt hey at least I'm not on morphine

Okay I'm done

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Chapter Thirty-Five

The next morning, Avarice told Elijah she was going to the human world. He questioned why, but when she informed him that she needed to move Hayley's location, he did not argue. He was concerned, of course. But he trusted her enough to not question her more than he already had.

She brought Levi and Aspin with her. They had decided they would leave the reaper to the young ones for a day. Sure, they most definitely needed a break, but the main reason why was that Levi had wanted to meet Hayley. He wanted to see the woman that Avarice, Aspin, and the Mikaelson's spoke so highly of. At least, that was what he said. It was fairly obvious to Aspin and Avarice that he really wanted to meet Hope.

Though he acted cold and unemotional much of the time, Levi had a remarkably strong heart. He just didn't show it to people, because he felt that showing the more vulnerable emotions was a weakness. He hated showing any form of sadness or sharing any of his grievances. He would rather hide them than expose to the world how damaged his mind really was.

He was like Avarice in that way.

Levi loved children. He had always gotten along very well with the youngest of the little reapers, and they all thought of him as the big brother they never had. Avarice was rather excited to introduce him to Klaus' child.

Avarice, being the one who created it, moved the shield aside rather easily so that they would be able to see where they were going. They went through the doorway she had made, and the large house that had once been hidden was then clear in their sight. She didn't miss the way that Levi took a slightly deeper breath than before.

Avarice had chosen a nice home for Hayley. It was large, but it was homey. It was the kind of house that she imagined a woman like Hayley, who preferred things to be more calm and plain than eye-catching, would like to have. At least, she hoped that Hayley was content with it. She had never really asked.

Avarice knocked, and Hayley knew it was her, so she quickly opened the door and smiled ever so slightly. Avarice had said she would be back the next day.

"Hayley, you've already met Aspin," she said, gesturing over to the girl on her right. "This is her brother and my dear friend Levi," she gestured to the man by her.

Levi gave her a slight nod and a kind smile. He didn't particularly like handshakes, and Hayley seemed to immediately pick up on that, so she didn't offer.

"Come in," Hayley said, stepping aside and holding the door open. She closed it once they were all inside. "Hope is in the living room if you'd like to say hello."

They each went over to the living room, and Levi tried to hide how eager he was to meet the child. Of course, he completely failed, and knelt down in front of her with a wide grin.

"Hi," he said, smiling. "I'm a friend of Avarice and your dad."

Though he knew full well that babies did not understand him, Levi had always spoken about how it was great to speak in full sentences to them because it encouraged them to talk even more later on. Avarice wasn't entirely sure if it worked with children from the mortal world, but it certainly did work with the youngest reaper's.

Levi smirked a little. "Niklaus is right. She does have a hint of the devil in her eyes," he snickered, then looked up at Hayley with a smile.

Aspin nudged Avarice when she noticed them look at each other a little too long.

Pin, Levi, and Hayley continued to play with Hope, while Avarice went outside. She stood on the porch with her arms crossed over her chest, leaning against one of the wooden pillars connecting the balustrade that wrapped all around the porch.

She stared out at the road, being able to clearly see where the shield ended. The shield was made of her magic, and while she was sick, it had weakened.

She had weakened.

She had allowed Marcel Gerard to find Hayley and Hope. And she could still see a few darkened stones littering the dirt road. Hayley had covered the dried blood as well as she could with the dirt and gravel, but there were a few bloody stones poking out of their camouflage. Avarice didn't quite know how she felt about that. Perhaps it was a sign that her vulnerabilities were showing through her mask, just like the stones were no longer hiding.

Her hands clenched into tight fists. She couldn't decide whether she was angry with Marcel, or angry with herself. Maybe she was just frustrated at her own actions the night before.

"Riss?" she heard Aspin say.

Avarice blinked a few times, taking her eyes off of the few blood-covered stones she had spotted to look at Pin. She was standing in the doorway, a concerned expression on her face. Pin walked to stand on the porch by Avarice.

"Yes?" Avarice replied.

"What do you want to do with Hayley? Should we find another house?"

Avarice shook her head, turning back to the stones in the driveway. "No..."

"Then what do we do? Whoever was after her knows who she is and where she is. She and Hope are all right as long as they in the shield but we can't keep them quarantined forever. It's unrealistic."

"I know."

Aspin just stayed silent, and Avarice knew that she was very uncertain. Who wouldn't be, given how cryptic Avarice was being? But then again, it was for her own good that Aspin did not know.

"You're planning something, aren't you?" she asked.

Avarice didn't look back at her, but she nodded. "I'll meet you back at the castle."

She took her leather jacket from where it had been resting on the railing and slipped it on, then stepped off of the porch.

"What do you want us to do with Hayley and Hope?" Pin called after her.

"Leave them be when you wish. I'll take care of it," she stated, then vanished before Pin's eyes.

*

His home was rather nice. It was in a tall and modern building, and he had the penthouse. She could see the entire city from its windows. The night had stretched out like a blanket, and it seemed as if every light in the city was turned on. Perhaps they were.

She poured herself a drink, and sat upon the couch. She was patient in awaiting him, knowing that he was most likely busy. She briefly wondered what he could be doing, but then again, the party rarely ever ended in that city.

She imagined him running throughout the streets, drinking and being generally content. She hated the way that he was likely happy now.

In fact, Avarice hated it so much that she would be putting a stop to it.

The elevator dinged, and she heard him pause when he saw the two doors open.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, coming around the couch. Then his brown eyes widened ever so slightly when he suddenly realized that he recognized her.

She was happy that she was that memorable for him. And after that night, she would ensure that he would never forget her.

"Marcellus," she said with a wicked and devilish grin. "I've been looking forward to this."