the original heretic book 2 -ON HOLD as of 22/4/21-

xi.

despite the amount of wolves that hayley brought into our home last night in order to protect them, the courtyard was fairly empty as i walked down.

"good morning. who brought this?" i asked hayley, who was munching on some fresh fruit. the table was spread with multiple arrays of them, and some pastries.

"no clue, ask klaus which restaurant is missing a compelled chef." she shrugged, and i grabbed an apple, turning to see him walking down the stairs.

"this is something i would do, but i didn't have anything to do with it today. maybe elijah?" klaus was just as confused as us.

"speak of the devil." i grinned as the older mikaelson walked through the entrance. "morning eli, who'd you compel?"

"nobody..." he trailed off, looking at the spread of fruit.

"then who did?" i ask, and out of nowhere, the lid of the silver platter began rattling, causing me, hayley, and elijah to flinch. klaus reached over and hesitantly lifted the lid, causing two birds to come shooting out. i immediately ducked out of reflex, as did the other three.

"wait... those are starlings. i drew them all the time." i watched the birds disappear into the distance.

"dinner. your home. 8pm." klaus reads out loud from the letter.

"who's it from?" elijah asked.

"our mother." came klaus' grave reply.
-
"should we have salad?" i ask somewhat sarcastically to klaus as compelled caterers walked around us, preparing a meal.

"skip it, we don't want to make this dreadful evening any longer." he replied, choosing a wine from the two that a chef was holding up.

"so, it's good we kept oliver alive, despite your promise of vengeance." hayley walked in, aiming the last part at me. "he informed me that esther has a sidekick. another witch."

"not surprising." i shrug.

"she's probably building alliances in her quest to destroy us." klaus added on bitterly.

"why does she hate you so much? she had six kids, it's not like she lacks the maternal gene." she queried.

"seven, actually." klaus sighed. "one died before i was born."

"and another died years later, pushing esther over the edge. she did love them all very much at one time, and cared for me as if i was her own." i continued.

"like brit said, losing henrik pushed her over the edge, and she used her magic to make us immortal. that's when she loved us the most, i think. but it soon came to be her undoing."

"her greatest secret became revealed when nik first killed and turned into a wolf. his father was not mikael, but a werewolf from the very pack that killed henrik." i told hayley, and her eyes grew in horror.

"so, mikael being mikael, he killed my father, and my mother lost her lover."

"wow." hayley whispered. "i almost lost my mind at the thought of giving up hope, if she actually died..." she looked away, quickly composing herself.

"you know, all of us mikaelsons used to reassure each other that mother didn't hate us. even after she tried to kill us all, i think some of us still believed it." klaus said somberly.

"what did you think?" i stared at him evenly, and he answered.

"i don't know. i just knew that i wanted her dead."

"well, i guess every good story needs a wicked witch." hayley joked to try and lighten the mood, and i let out a small laugh. "it'll be all the more satisfying when we melt her."
-
"do i really have to be dressed this fancily?" i look at the nice black dress i'm wearing in annoyance. "technically, i don't even need to be here because i've never killed a living being, sooo, can i go?" i asked hopefully.

"mother sees you as one of her own, i'm sure you'll be a good factor in calming her down." klaus shot back. i sat down with a huff.

"well i'm glad you're staying, because if she tries anything, niklaus will probably rip her head off. expert at diplomacy, he is." elijah teased, and nik rolled his eyes at my laughter.

"you three haven't changed a bit." an unfamiliar voice said, and i quickly stopped laughing and sat up. "linen and silk to hide your pathetic self-loathing."  the stranger walked into the room, looking at elijah.

"and you, despite your arrogant façade, you're still a paranoid little boy, full of hate and fear." he turned to klaus, who has a calculating glare on his face.

"and brit, the perfect, sweet, brit. i would be nicer to you but you didn't care that i died, so i have no problem in telling you that i know how you've constantly been on the edge since kol died, this close to breaking your streak and doing what your monster friends have done mercilessly. you will fail one day." the man seethed angrily. 

"who the bloody hell do you think you are?" i growled.

"you mean to say you don't recognize me? none of you?" elijah was confused as well, but nik seemed to realise.

"it's been a long time, finn." he angrily stated.

"now that the introductions are over, let's eat!"

"yay, let's." i deadpanned as we sat down at the table.

"don't be so angry you three, this is meant to be a celebration!" finn said joviantly while pouring wine.

"of what, exactly?" elijah raised his eyebrows.

"my return! i spent what, 900 years daggered in a box, and killed almost immediately after my freedom? i'm rather enjoying this new body." a server started setting out two more sets of plates and cutlery.

"are we expecting another guest?" elijah wondered.

"mother will sit at the head of the table, and the seat next to brit is reserved for another of our clan. care to take a guess?" finn smirked.

"kol doesn't listen to anyone other than brit or his own ego, i doubt he'll be showing his face tonight." klaus snarked, and i frowned.

"i'm not sure i would want to see him anyways, especially if he's in a different body." i added on. "i'm healing, getting over him, which is why i find your angry rant towards me quite amusing." i smiled fakely at finn. "it's been nearly two years."

"yes,, but despite that, kol has accepted mother's bargain and is also enjoying his new body!" finn carried on.

"he can tell me that himself when he decides to visit me." i clipped angrily. i picked up a knife, twirling it slowly in my hands.

"and if he doesn't want to-" i threw the knife in anger, but finn quickly deflected it. "ah yes, i do presume cutting the meat goes to the eldest. let's talk now, shall we? i'm rather enjoying my night."

"i'd enjoy you getting to the point." klaus began to get impatient.

"i had nine hundred years to be patient, you can be too." finn replied calmly.

"ah yes, did mother bring you back to wash her knickers?" i let out a loud laugh at that, immediately covering my mouth afterwards. elijah looked at me with an evident smirk on his face.

"she brought me back because i was treated unfairly, even in the small amount of time i was alive!" finn yelled. "elijah, i understand this type of cruelty from klaus, but you? why did you side with him? and brit? we were close, and you were always checking up on them. why didn't you seek me?" the two of us remained silent for a moment.

elijah began speaking, probably defending himself, but i got distracted by footsteps walking into the compound, towards the room we were all in.

"... so i'll ask you one more time. where is our mother?" i used magic to push the door open to reveal cassie, the harvest witch.

"hello my dear son." she said. "i've missed you too."