persephone's orchard : k.m.

in the red - chapter 63

Marcel's words rung through Astrid's head as she left the Cemetery, the words made her question the prophecy, the beast foretold was presumably dead yet her part wasn't over.

It is him who will show her where her darkest demons lie.

She contemplated as she walked to Nik's car, getting in with a hazy mind.

'You alright love?' He questioned and she replied, 'Marcel just tried to apologise to me.'

'You didn't forgive him did you?' He sat up in the drivers seat and she shook her head, 'The prophecy isn't over, Nik. I can feel it.. the year isn't up.'

Klaus grew concerned at her demeanour, 'I'll drop you home before I go to meet him then.'

'No no. I want to be there.' Astrid refused and Nik knew better than to defy her.

...

Marcel eyed Astrid as the two got out of the car in the clearing. Klaus looked between the two feeling the tension build as they walked toward the bridge overlooking the Mississippi river.

'Surely you remember this place.' Klaus questioned Marcel's confusion, 'Yeah. Sure. Two, three bridges ago, this is where you had me scatter my father's ashes.' He confirmed and Astrid spoke up, 'You were still newly turned, and I feared the brilliant, kind-hearted boy I raised would be lost in a cloud of rage.. something I had seen before.' She looked at Nik, 'I didn't want the same for you.'

'You may hate me, but your hatred only marks you as my kin. From the moment I met you, I saw myself in you. And when we brought you here, to scatter your father's remains, you did something I never could: You released your hate to the wind. And it was that day I saw your full potential and I knew you to be my son.'

'Did you remind me of all that, hoping I'd feel like I owe you something? Huh? Let me tell you, being a part of your life hasn't exactly been a gift. And whatever debts I owe, I paid them back, all right? A long, long time ago. If one of us is standing in the red, I'm going to say it's you.' Marcel's words proved something to Astrid.

Why was he so silent with her yet so violent with him?

...

Night had come as the Royal family spoke more and more but the Prince had enough, 'Why ruin it with more talk? At this point, it's just noise.' Astrid's phone rang which made the men face her, pulling it out of her pocket she saw it was Elijah and huffed, 'One second.'

She overheard Klaus telling Marcel that he would forever be his family as she picked up, 'What the hell do you want?'

'Where are you?'

'With Marcel, why?'

'Astrid, where?'

'Elijah, why?'

'He has the serum.' Elijah stated and Astrid's heart froze over, 'How do you know?'

'There's no trace of it in Aurora.'

The Lycée.

'You done what?' Willow growled as her brother admitted what he done. Vincent had taken the extracted serum, Elysium had been out of her mind for hours about it's location but he had given it to Marcel. 'You vindictive-'

'The Mikaelsons need to pay Willow!' He yelled back and she bit back twice as hard, 'Not like this, Vince!' She stormed round her table full of herbs and marched right up to her brother's face with Elysium panicking in the corner.

'You speak of them being selfish murderers.. you're now no better than them.'

The Bridge.

Astrid hung up on Elijah after giving him her location reluctantly. She turned back to hear Marcel had begun to get argumentative, 'You know my vendetta is with her too?!' He yelled before pointing at Astrid and turning his attention to her, 'We were supposed to rule this city together, you know?'

She still walked back to the bridge as he carried on his rant, 'You promised me. All those decades ago you promised me that you weren't a Mikaelson anymore and that you were with me. You LIED!'

Klaus gritted his teeth at the sight and stepped back, expecting her to fight but she had only one question.

'Where is it, Marcellus?'