persephone's orchard : k.m.

his most important eternal tie - chapter 7

'You go left, I go right, You go for the middle?'

Marcel didn't read the room. He stood back to back with Elijah and Astrid and the two originals were suspicious. Marcellus had turned up in a vision of their demise and they weren't about to take chances.

'Why don't you stay where I can see you?'

Elijah scowled at him and he looked confused when he saw Astrid's stony face too. Tristan smiled at his sire, 'It's been ages since I've enjoyed a good scrap, but, uh... It's not why I'm here.' He turned around to his people, 'Elijah and I require the room. Please leave us.' He looked back to Elijah, 'Elijah, your sireline-- your life-- is at stake. You want to hear what I have to say.' All the Strix members left and Elijah was left with Astrid and Marcel.

'Marcellus, please.' Elijah dismissed him and he scowled as he carried on, 'And you would do well to be selective about the company you keep in the future.'

'Maybe you should remember who your friends are. It looks like you're going to need 'em.' Marcel threw a comment before he went to leave and Astrid scolded him with a brash, 'Marcellus!' Tristan eyed Astrid as if to tell her to leave too and she simply stared at him. 'Tristan, darling you may have been able to excuse the baby of the group but I'll warn you now, you have a whole new fight on your hands.'

'I'm not surprised, mon cherrie.' He walked up to her, 'You do sound like your husband these days.'

'Yeah I know. Me and Nik are quite alike.. where do you think he got his temper from?' She smiled patronisingly and he took her hand, kissing it lightly, 'I do see why you've had my brother's heart for so long. 10 centuries of anguish hasn't seemed to tarnished that bold heart of yours.'

'Speaking of my brother.. where is he, Astrid? We had quite a tiff the last time we spoke and I think he's been ignoring my calls.' Tristan asked and Astrid didn't have an answer so Elijah helped her.

'You waltz into my city unannounced with your flock of sycophants flaunting news of a threat. All the while, your little lapdog Aya is conspiring with none other than Marcel Gerard and you're flirting with my sister in law.' Elijah rose an eyebrow and Tristan paid his attention to his sire. As the brunette man turned away, Astrid mouthed a "thank you" to Elijah and he smiled as Tristan replied, '"Conspiring." How grandiose. I thought I was the one with a flair for the dramatic.'

'Watch your tongue.' Elijah said coldly and began to adjust Tristans tie as Astrid watched in interest. She hadn't fought by Elijah's side in a while, it was always fascinating to see the difference between the brothers. 'I am not the patient, fun-loving social butterfly you might recall.' Elijah carried on and Tristan sighed before looking at Astrid, 'Your Marcel is a potential recruit. He has nothing to do with the larger issue we face.'

'The larger issue?' She questioned.

'You've no doubt heard about the war between the sirelines? Well, as it happens, your line,' he looked back at Elijah, 'Thanks to my Strix, has wreaked all manner of havoc on Lucien and his assorted interests. As a result, he's desperate to exterminate the lot of us-- me, Aya, everyone you've sired. Of course, the economical way to complete this task would be for him to kill you.'

It was obvious that Elijah didn't believe him.

'You don't believe me. Perhaps you underestimate Lucien's ambition? While I doubt he'd have the gall to attack you directly, I believe he might try and find someone else to do it-- namely, Niklaus.' Astrid's jaw dropped and she vamped Tristan against the wall by his neck, 'Was that an accusation? Against an original? That's a bold claim.'

'Astrid, leave him.' Elijah called out from the other side of the room as Tristan smirked, 'From what I hear, he tortured his friend Marcel and only stopped because you told him too, cursed the mother of his child, and you had to stop him from burning Elijah's paramour in front of him, all because he thought it the logical way to defeat his enemy. From what I hear, he even turned on you momentarily. With Lucien in his ear, how long before the logical thing is to get rid of Elijah? You?'