The Other Mikaelson- Book 3 (On hold)

Chapter XIII

The next morning, Keira, Klaus, Kol, Finn, and Elijah were eating breakfast in the compound rather awkwardly, as Kol and Finn were still shackled, now to the table. Compelled servants were delivering pastries and alcoholic drinks.

"Isn't it rather early for that?" Keira asked.

"Not really, seeing as we don't get drunk easily," Klaus replied.

"Nik, three of us are now mortals. I'm not sure about our brothers, but my tolerance is a joke now."

"Today, a new future awaits. Forget your animosity toward Elijah and myself. Instead, join us against she who truly deserves your ire- our mother!" Klaus exclaimed happily. Kol rolled his eyes, and Finn looked bored. "Do this, and we will welcome you with open arms!"

Kol scoffed. "Well-" He reached for a plate of pastries, his hands still bound, and Klaus gleefully pulled it away from him. Kol sighed and rolled his eyes again.

"But, if you continue to oppose us, a denial of pastries will be the least of your concerns," Klaus replied. Keira waved her hand and telekinetically made Klaus spill his drink and accidentally throw a pastry at his face, and then pushed the plates towards Kol, who, like her, was struggling to contain giggles.

"If all you wanted was my allegiance against Mother Dearest, you should have said so! Save me a night shackled to the wall," Kol said, smiling and finally gaining his composure.

"Yes, this was Niklaus. My recommendation was to remove your limbs, one by one, until you comply," Elijah interrupted. Keira scoffed.

"Mine was to inflict fatal pain infliction on Finn until he died after sealing his soul to this body, and then get Kol to agree to comply with the entertainment of the family bore dying once again," she said. Finn gave her a pointed look, and she looked down, giggling.

Klaus laughed and stood up. "We've-we've no desire to torture you. Provided you vow to stand beside us as brothers."

"Brothers..." Finn said, annoyed. "Does that word even apply to us? After all these centuries of betrayal? And, has loyalty to you ever rewarded? If so, tell me, Niklaus-- where is our sister, Rebekah? She was blindly loyal to you for a thousand years, and now? Nowhere to be found. Where did our sister go? And, how did she escape your vile machinations?"

Klaus turned his back to his brothers, looking nervous, but shook it off with fake laughter. "You think me vile? What, then, do you make of the one who cursed us?"

"She was trying to make you mortal again!"

Elijah grabbed a knife off the table, suspicious. Weirdly enough, Klaus and Elijah had swapped roles- Elijah was normally the benevolent one, and Klaus was normally the one to jump to violence.

"And, you both refused her," Finn laughed darkly. "It only proves how far you've fallen. But, I expect Rebekah will have a different response to her proposal. Although, our youngest didn't exactly have a choice, now did she?"

Keira raised a hand, and Finn began to scream in pain.

"See, unlike the two of you, she always did cling to her humanity," Finn groaned, still screaming.

"Rebekah is off-limits to you. You pursue her, and you will suffer," Elijah said. All of his siblings looked concerned at his uncharacteristic outburst, and Keira lowered her hand.

"Do not let him goad you, Elijah. Neither he, nor Esther, will find Rebekah unless she wants to be found," Keira said. "And she does not."

"Esther is quite determined," Finn assured them. "She's been searching for Rebekah since the day she returned. I imagine it's only a matter of time."

Elijah suddenly lost his temper completely and vamped out, brutally feeding from Finn and shocking his siblings until Keira was able to telekinetically rip him off, throwing him to Klaus, who pinned him against the wall as she got up.

"I enjoy a good bloodletting as much as anyone, but our brothers have power, as well as knowledge of Esther's plans," he said. Elijah wiped blood off his chin. "We need them alive."

"Imagine what they would do to Rebekah. To Hope," Elijah whispered, far enough from the brothers that they couldn't hear.

"Rebekah has been cloaked by powerful magic. Focus on the task at hand," Keira said through gritted teeth.

"We need to persuade our brothers," Klaus said.

"I'm through with persuasion."

Elijah was about to leave, but Keira raised her hand again and pulled him back, forcing him to face her. "Has the earth shifted on its axis? You needing restraint from me?" she asked. Elijah looked taken aback, and his siblings looked confused, but they snapped out of it when Keira's phone rang.

"Be right back," she said, seeing it was Rebekah, whom she had barely talked to in the past four months.

"Sister, it's me. I have the baby, and we're on the run. Esther found us. We're safe, for now- I've lost her bloody starlings, but I have no idea where to go!" Rebekah said frantically as Keira stepped into the different room.

"Tell her to head west, I'll call Hayley," Klaus said, leaning on the wall between him and his sister.

"Do not tell Hayley!" Rebekah yelled over the phone. "Esther's too smart for that. The only advantage that we have is that she thinks the baby died. Text me the plans."

Keira hung up with a sigh, turning to her brothers.

"Both of you, go. I'll take care of Kol and Finn," Elijah said.

"You're saying that like I trust you with out brothers," Keira replied. "In your hands alone, I assume they'll be dead by nightfall."

"I will show restraint. Hope needs her father," Elijah told Klaus.

"What she needs-- what we need-- are allies to help us defeat our mother. Finn and Kol must be turned to our side. Without their help, there will be nowhere left for Hope to run," Klaus replied. 

"Niklaus, your child-"

"I have waited months to see my daughter," Klaus sighed. "I can wait one more day."

Elijah looked at him sympathetically, before turning to leave.

"Elijah," Klaus said when he was at the doorframe. "Do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

When he was a step out the door, Klaus turned to Keira, who sighed.

"I'll go with him... just make sure you don't hurt Kol. That much, anyways."