Grace - Elijah Mikaelson -

Chapter 77

They found Dahlia in an old warehouse at the docks. 

The walk there was quiet and awkward, but for this last battle the family would stand together, for Hope. It was the beauty of the Mikaelson family, whatever spite they carried for each other, in the end, they stood together against their enemy. 

Rebekah, Nik and Grace stepped in first, while Elijah stayed back with Esther to create a moment of surprise. Dahlia stood in the middle of a salt circle, Freya knelt in front of her, tears streamed her eyes and shock stood obvious in her eyes when she saw that her siblings came to rescue her.

"Bringing vampires to a witch fight...someone hasn't learnt their lesson." 

The witches' eyes flickered in between the three vampires in front of her, an amused expression played around her lips.

"Stubbornness runs in the family." 

Grace mumbled. Then they heard the rattling of chains and Dahlia immediately looked who was joining this fight. Her eyes widened when she recognized her sister, but the emotion quickly faded as she kept herself together. Esther on the other hand seemed to be completely taken aback when she saw her sister. 

They all walked to the edge of the salt circle with grim expressions, watching the silent exchange between Dahlia and Esther. 

"My sister. In chains. Have you come to see your children die or is she to be a gift to buy your freedom?" 

Dahlia laughed bitterly and pulled out the white oak stake, pointing at them with it. This woman was complete and utter madness and she wasn't hiding it anymore. 

"One stake, three of us. Even if you manage to kill one, the other will come at you." 

Nik stated with a pokerface on. Even right here he managed to look arrogant.

"Sound thinking...but small thinking." 

She held the stake up and suddenly an ear piercing thunder sounded and lighting hit the stake directly, shattering into a million pieces that floated the air around them. Confused, the Originals and Grace looked at each other, waiting for the witches' next move. And it was something none of them could've expected. Dahlia lifted her hands and a wave of energy hit the Mikaelson siblings, forcing them to inhale the particles of white oak. 

Coughing, they all fell to their knees, only Esther and Grace not effected by it. Grace immediately rushed crouched down beside her family and helplessly searched her mind for any way to help them, but it was senseless. She desperately held Elijah by his shoulder to keep him upright, but she could see dark veins creeping up his neck.

She had to watch them die right in front of her. Grace was incapable to do anything. Elijah pulled at his collar, before he fell to the ground, the white oak destroying his body from the inside out. 

Then, a burning pain suddenly flooded through Grace's body and she shrieked in shock and ripped her sleeve away from her forearm to see the Dahlia's mark red and pulsating. It was done. Dahlia activated the curse she put upon Grace. Within an hour she would be dead. 

Elijah, event though he was suffering horribly seemed to notice what was happening and reach out for her, but he could barely concentrate on moving a muscle. Grace squeezed his hand tightly and looked around to see Rebekah and Nik in the same state. Then her gaze fell on Esther. 

"For god's sake, do something!" 

She yelled at the witch and the mother's eyes flickered to Grace. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes conflicted. And in that exact moment Grace knew that she didn't care about them one bit. This whole fight with her when she wanted to convince her children to become human again was nothing but a facade to undo the 'evil' she created. It was all for herself, so the ancestors or whatever may linger after dead wouldn't haunt her forever.