Blue ▹ The Originals [2]

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
DEEP BREATH BEFORE THE PLUNGE

"Darling, my demons are in love with yours."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

     Lafayette Cemetery was empty, save for a few tourists, when Henrik arrived the next morning. He had spent the night with Francis, needing a bit of time away from the overly-depressed feeling of the compound. It was the first good bit of rest he'd had in what seemed like weeks, and it helped him come to terms with what had happened in regards to Davina. He hadn't known the witch girl long enough to warrant tears, but he did feel sadness, a deep-rooted grief knowing that yet another witch's life had been cut short because she had gotten involved with vampire business. It made him feel worse knowing that it wasn't just normal vampire business, but also Mikaelson business.

Which was precisely why Henrik avoided going to Davina's funeral, as well as the reception afterward. He hadn't even gone to the celebration of her life as they carried her body, covered in flowers, through the streets of New Orleans. Vincent had told him the times to all of them, but he had left him without a response. Henrik only left Francis's apartment when he knew that everyone important to Davina would be at the reception, and he was glad he had once he arrived at the cemetery. He didn't want to deal with any tense silences or awful glares at his presence.

He found Davina's crypt easily, the stone newly engraved. Flowers were overflowing the stone vase attached to the crypt and littered on the ground. Henrik stopped in front of it, tilting his head to the side and twirling the rose between his fingers, ignoring when one of the thorns pricked his skin. He found it hard to believe that Davina's body was inside cold hard stone. He thought being cremated and spread somewhere was far more desirable, but then, he supposed New Orleans witches didn't have the luxury of that. They had to be consecrated. Teeth sinking into the inside of his cheek, he sighed and knelt down to gently place the red rose on top of the pile, staying in the crouched position afterward and bowing his head. A tired sigh left his mouth.

"God, Davina, I'm sorry," he whispered, the words more for himself than for her. He knew she wasn't there with him. He would have felt her. He didn't know if she was somewhere else, or if she was simply gone, locked away somewhere on the Ancestral Plane and waiting out her punishment for whatever it was she was being punished for. Wiping a hand down his face, Henrik rubbed the back of his neck and added, "I wish I could have helped you." There wasn't much else he could say, nothing that wasn't completely cliché and stereotypical, so he slowly rose from his crouch and turned to leave. He hadn't planned on staying long anyway.

He stopped when he noticed a man behind him. He had been turning to leave, looking completely panicked as he did, but he stopped when he saw that Henrik had seen him.

"Oh," Josh stuttered, letting out a nervous laugh as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "Uh, hi, Henrik." He was still in a suit, probably fresh from the reception. Henrik arched an eyebrow. He had met Josh before, had even been a little interested when he realized the vampire was cute, but that interest had faded quickly once Josh made it clear he was absolutely terrified of him. Henrik wasn't sure why, as Josh tended to show Klaus and Elijah attitude constantly. He had a feeling Marcel had a hand in it. It wouldn't have been the first time Marcel had stepped in without Henrik's knowledge to warn a potential boyfriend or girlfriend away. Whether that was to protect Henrik or to protect his friends from Henrik, he would never know.

It didn't really matter anymore. Henrik's initial interest had been surface-level anyway, and he found that Josh's personality grated on his nerves. He preferred if the vampire was afraid. It was better than if he were friendly. Josh wasn't a bad person. Far from it, actually, and that was the problem. He simply couldn't click with someone so bubbly and friendly. He had barely gotten along with Caroline Forbes. He couldn't imagine ever sitting down for a drink with someone like Josh Rosza.