Ardent | Elijah Mikaelson

Chapter 33

The cabin was slightly better than the attic.

Davina had had Evangeliya drive them (way above the speed limit) out of New Orleans into Terrebonne Parish, where her family had a cabin. This cabin was far more spacious, with multiple bedrooms to ensure Evangeliya and Mikael had their own space.

Unfortunately, despite how vast the forest was around them, Davina had set up a very clear perimeter, only allowing them to leave the house when she would be supervising them.

Evangeliya tried to occupy herself by training out in the open; the lack of books hurt her, as did the fact she'd gotten but a glimpse of Elijah. He'd nearly lost his life because he cared for her so much. It was more likely that he'd been playing a trick on Mikael, planning to catch him off guard by pretending to surrender. Still, she hated that he didn't want to preserve his life, that he would have taken that risk.

She hated to think she could be used to bring his downfall, not only by Mikael, but by any person who could ever wish to inflict harm on him. She didn't want it to be so, she didn't want him to be willing to die for her.

After the first day, Mikael joined her outside. She tried to ignore him as he swung around a staff, wearing only his undershirt with pants and allowing her to see all the bites the wolves left on him. She wasn't sure how he wasn't struggling to breathe, shivering in his own bed. Did it really not pain him?

She wondered if it was a skill she could learn. Of course, she'd still need to be cured; she couldn't help that her system was hard-wired to self-destruct upon contact with the venom. Still, it would be nice to know how to hold on, keeping her head right until she could get access to a cure. She'd adapted to vervain, growing more resistant over time. Perhaps if she did the same with wolf venom, it could benefit her.

She wouldn't have gotten kidnapped if she were as strong as Mikael.

Exposure therapy wouldn't be easy. She had neither wolf venom to use nor a cure to take once she was reaching her threshold. But there was someone there who might be able to teach her without need for it.

"I want to train with you," said Evangeliya, stopping in front of him while he carved at the end of his staff.

He snorted. "Why?"

"You're acting perfectly fine even though I can see wolf bites festering on you. The whole reason I'm in this mess is because I was bitten and too weak to escape once I gave the cure to Josh. Had I been able to get away, Davina wouldn't have been able to trap me. I wouldn't be here. Additionally, I'm bored out of my mind and you trained me once in the past. I didn't pass your evaluation then. I want to get better of it. Might as well do something while we're in this miserable little cabin."

He got to his feet, examining her. "Find a staff."

She located a branch that could be fashioned into a staff like his, dragging it over and using his knife to cut it like his. She carved while he watched, scrutinizing but saying nothing. Before she finished, he snatched it away, etching the same pattern on hers that existed on his.

He tossed it to her, perhaps expecting her not to seize it. She planted her feet firmly, not swaying as she grabbed hold. The two stepped back into the clearing, where Davina was sitting up against a tree, a grimoire propped open for her studying.

Mikael tried to catch her off-guard again, attacking with a hard jab near her face. She lifted the staff, blocking him, and twirled it to try and slam the edge against his knee, which he shielded himself from. The next swipe was much closer to hitting her, but she managed to push him back, nearly slamming him against the chin, were it not for him kicking her legs out from under her and knocking her to the floor. He stabbed the staff beside her throat, the dirt puffing up and threatening to make her sneeze.