persephone's orchard : k.m.

a charlatons thorough ambush - chapter 21 part 2

'Aya always was thorough.'

Astrid growled as she sat down and inspected the mark herself, grabbing Rebekah's wrist gently. The skull engraved into her wrist was hot to the touch, it felt like a blister and the hybrid turned her nose up. 'The Strix always employ a safeguard. In the event that we were successful at retrieving your body, you were cursed. You see, if one is on a rampage, one is not difficult to hunt.' Elijah concluded and Astrid asked, 'Can you fix this?'

'The spell is carved here. I can... I can reverse it.' Freya seemed hesitant, 'I just... need some time... and a hell of a lot of magic.'

The witch began to slur her words as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell backward, Elijah grabbed her before she could hit the ground and Jackson frowned, 'She was fine. Astrid healed her.'

'This scratch is not healed.' Elijah replied, looking over his sisters body as Astrid went to inspect the cut too, 'This is poison. This is an assassination attempt.'

...

'She's waking up!' Astrid kept Freya's body on her lap as the blonde stirred and opened her eyes drowsily.

'Are you okay?'

'I feel weak.'

'Those vampires must have stabbed her with something.' Jackson rose an eyebrow and Elijah looked deep in thought, 'So, the Strix are fond of this slow-acting poison. There is an antidote... If I can get my hands on it.'

Astrid's eyes drifted off across the Compound and Elijah noticed. He never agreed with commanding the girl, although he had indeed taken on a sibling role he was fully aware of the freedom that Astrid desired and was willing to give it.

The two made eye contact and he already knew what she was thinking, giving her a nod of approval as the hybrid stood up and walked away. Being immortal, they still kept a landline and she rung his number once more.

This time he actually picked up.

'Hello?' Klaus had left Cami's side now and was walking back to the Compound. The hybrid stayed silent and Nik spoke again, 'Listen love if this is you then Camille was just acting foolish. I'm on my way back to the Compound now.'

'One of your sisters are poisoned and the other one just came out of the sea with a magical mark on her arm that's slowly going to turn her mad.'

Nik stopped in the street and pursed his lips in annoyance, 'That's why you called earlier?'

'Yes.'

'Listen. Are you mad at me?'

'Why would I be?'

'Astrid, love I'm not stupid.' He was genuinely concerned although slightly irritated. Lucien had indeed managed to find the Serratura with the help of a particular Officer Kinney but in typical Mr. Castle fashion, it didn't end there and Nik had been cleaning up his mess.

'And I'm not stupid either, love. I love you okay? Get home.'

Klaus smiled, 'I love you.'

...

'Astrid?!' Klaus called out as he entered the Compound once more and she appeared on the balcony, only to smile sheepishly when she saw that he was standing over her broken phone.

'What's that about?' He pointed to the shards and Astrid made her way down the stairs, 'Well love.. you see..'

'Hm?' The noise that escaped his lips was accompanied with a smile to equal his wife's when he realised, 'Did you have to throw your phone?'

'I heard her voice on the other end of it, so to be honest love it was either my phone or her.'

Klaus's face dropped, 'Do you not trust me?'

'I trust you, love. It's her and her petty little human tendencies.'

Nik looked away from his wife, the smile coming back before looking back at her, 'Jealousy always did suit you.' Astrid smirked before sauntering over to him properly, 'I know love. A thousand years with you just pulled me in. I just can't help it!' Her sarcasm provoked him to wrap his arms around her waist as hers loosely linked around his neck.

'You love me that much, huh?'

'Niklaus Mikaelson, you are the love of all my lives.'

'You're damn right I am.' He chuckled as he kissed her. Even after a thousand years, each kiss felt different from the last, this one almost said "I'm here, love. You have all of me."

"You always did."

St James Infirmary.
2 hours earlier.

Tristan paced upstairs quite quickly after his run in with the hybrids to see that Lucius did indeed have a snapped neck. He sighed, fed up with dealing with the Mikaelsons as he looked up to his sister who was stirring on the bed. Her brow was creased as she clutched the sheets and her brother paced over.

'Rory, wake up.' He shook her lightly and she was so sensitive that she woke up instantly with a scream. 'Hey! Rory it's just me. Relax.' He took her shoulders and friends when he saw how stricken she was.

'It was Astrid!'

'What happened?'

'We're getting Sebastian back, Tristan. She's taken the deal.'