Hellfire | Hayley Marshall

Chapter 3

Eisa ignored Hayley for the next several hours.

She'd gone out to swim in the large pool on the mansion's property, doing a few laps to dial down her frustration. She normally didn't care who she hurt, but she wouldn't allow herself to grow overwhelmed and slaughter the mother of Klaus's child, along with the fetus itself.

She wasn't even entirely sure why she was feeling this way. Was it because she was overthinking, and had just assumed that it was all that Hayley cared to know about her? Was it because she was scared that Hayley would be one of those people who automatically assumed every gay person was attracted to them? Was it because she didn't want to leave her an opening to start a relationship that would surely get her in trouble?

She didn't know, and she preferred not to dwell on it.

Klaus had returned in the afternoon with two vampires, one of which was apparently compelled to do his bidding. The compelled vampire was tasked with draining the other of blood in order to remove any vervain from his system.

"Well played, Nik," said Eisa, watching as the young Joshua Rosza stabbed a knife gently into the older nightwalker, Max. "Teach them young."

"Yes, well, he'll save us some time," mentioned Klaus. "I'm off, then, I ought to go speak with Marcel. I'd like to know how willing he'll be to give Elijah back."

Eisa fixed her posture, demonstrating her interest. "I want to go with you."

Klaus didn't seem to want her to go, but his sister glared at him, causing him to roll his eyes. "Fine. But you will not walk up to him until I give you the signal."

Eisa, in some circumstances, could be surprisingly obedient. Though she hated having to follow her little brother's instructions, she cared more about getting Elijah back than arguing with Klaus about who should be in charge (which would just be a step in the wrong direction, anyway).

At this point, Klaus was very used to his sister overdressing for the smallest of errands. He still didn't know why she felt it was necessary to put on a low-cut, lace bralette with high-waisted formal pants and high heels just to go speak with a vampire. But alas, who was he to tell Eisa not to dress her best when she felt like it?

Almost every single vampire in the Compound turned to look at them as they arrived. Klaus gritted his teeth, seeing the looks all of them were directing toward his sister. She was indifferent. Head held high, she trailed behind Klaus without acknowledging anyone around her. She knew she looked good, and she didn't need to glance at anyone for validation.

"One thing," she heard an unfamiliar male voice saying in one of the rooms at the end of the hall, on the second floor. "I sent four nightwalkers to look into a werewolf sighting in the Quarter. Haven't heard from them since."

Eisa recalled these four vampires had tried to kill Hayley, though Rebekah had rescued her. She tapped her ear, making sure her brother was listening, too.

"That makes twenty-four dead nightwalkers in the last week," came Marcel's voice. "You think the werewolves are back in town trying to start some trouble?"

Klaus motioned for Eisa to wait around the corner while he went inside, just as the other man was saying, "Look, I know you and Klaus are friends, but the fact is, since the Originals showed up—"

"Oh, come now, Thierry!" said Klaus, announcing his presence. "You're not still upset about that little, toxic werewolf bite I gave you, are you? I thought we were at bygones."

"I see you've given him free rein of your Compound, now, too," said Thierry bitterly.

"Yes, well," replied Klaus, "seeing as my family and I lived here— built the place, in fact—"