Warrior | Stefan Salvatore

Chapter 26

Thanksgiving was around the corner.

Whatever the weapon was, Lucien had still not located it. Graciela hadn't spoken to him since the night of the party, but she knew it because Klaus was still speaking to him. Apparently, the hybrid had been so pleased with her progress that he'd bought her an entire tub of ice cream just for herself.

She was eager to get a break from school. Unfortunately, she wouldn't have the entire week off, but she would be off for three days, on Thanksgiving and the days that came directly before and after it. She was already planning activities for when Stefan came to visit, planning to get her homework done that Tuesday before she went on break so she could take full advantage of the free time.

She went to school early, with the intention of doing some homework before her lectures. Before getting into the hall, Elijah messaged her, telling her to go to the Bayou after she was done with class. Apparently, Aurora had finally made an appearance, and it was unsafe for her to be in the city until the redhead was found.

She spent the afternoon in the library, and after lunch, went to the Bayou, where she spent time with Lauren and Henry while she waited for the 'all clear' from Elijah.

"Oh, come on," she said once the sun was going down, and after several texts, he insisted it wasn't safe to go into the city. "I need to get back home!"

The only one who was updating her at all was Hayley, who wanted her to tell the wolves that Davina had broken the Crescent Curse completely. Sure, that was great to hear, but Graciela wanted to know when she could return to her comfortable bed. She couldn't call Stefan here, with so many curious ears who wouldn't give her any privacy.

"This is getting absurd," she said when she saw the moon overhead. Impatiently, she dialed Freya's number. "Hey, are you at the Compound?"

"No," she replied. "I am at the St. Louis Cathedral, I'm going to speak with Rebekah."

"Okay, great, I'll start driving back from the Bayou, and I'll wait for you outside the church. We can go to the Compound together, and then, I won't technically be alone. I can spend the night at the Compound."

"Perfect, let me know when you're here."

Graciela started to drive, humming to herself and patting the steering wheel. She tried to call Stefan, but he didn't answer. She figured he might even be on a plane right now, headed to New Orleans. He seemed the type to pop into the Compound and surprise her.

Freya was waiting for her when she pulled up to the curb. Together, the two drove to the Compound. Upon entrance, they determined something was very wrong.

"What the—?" said Graciela when she saw the foyer was completely destroyed. The bar was shattered completely. The chandelier, which didn't even go in the courtyard, was somehow beside the fountain. Ceiling tiles and pieces of plaster from the pillars were in the water and sprinkled around the broken furniture. There was blood everywhere, as if multiple people had been killed.

They heard the door of the dining room creaking open. The two turned, and saw Klaus and Elijah sitting at the table, their clothes ripped and covered in blood. As they approached, they saw Klaus was draining his blood into a glass. Elijah's suit sleeve was ripped to reveal a hybrid bite.

"May I ask what happened?" demanded Freya.

Klaus smirked. "We had a little chat about the past."

"This is what you call a chat?" said Graciela. "It looks like the third World War happened in the courtyard!"

Elijah smiled slightly. "I informed Niklaus I am not his enemy. And, though they entered the city under the guise of peace, Tristan and Lucien, in truth, are allied against us. A fact that required a little bit of... gentle persuasion..."