𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 ━━ KLAUS MIKAELSON

59

EMERY HAD HER fingers interlocked with Klaus as they walked towards the old witch house with Kol and Elijah on either of their sides.

Finn was standing in the middle of a pentagram while Esther stood behind him.

"My sons," Esther began, "come forward."

Finn placed a hand in front of the original witch as she entered the pentagram, "stay beside me, mother."

"It's okay," Esther assured, her eyes fixed on her children, "they can't enter."

Kol approached the pentagram and the torches around it flared up bright making him retreat. He scoffed, "that's lovely. We're stuck out here, while the favorite son plays sacrificial lamb. How pathetic you are, Finn."

"Be quiet, Kol," Esther shot him a glare, "your brother knows virtue you cannot even imagine."

"Whatever you think of us, killing your own children will be an atrocity."

"My only regret is that I did not let you die a thousand years ago."

"Enough," Klaus spoke making Esther drag her stare to him and the witch by his side. "All this talk is boring me. End this now, Mother, or I'll send you back to Hell."

"For a thousand years, I've been forced to watch you," the older witch began, "felt the pain of every victim, suffered while you shed blood. Even you, Elijah, with your claim to nobility, you're no better. All of you. You're a curse on this Earth. Stretched out over generations. If you've come to plead for your life, I'm sorry, you've wasted your time."

Emery felt a sharp pain in her head, her grip on Klaus's hand tightening, drawing his attention. He furrowed his brows at her in concern, "what? What is it it?"

"I don't know," she felt her knees give in. If not for him holding her, she would've hit the ground. It wasn't until blood started dripping down her nose that Esther let out a chuckle. "So it still works."

"What?" Elijah clenched his jaw at his mother, "what is that supposed to mean?"

"What have you done?" Kol glanced at Emery who was leaning her entire weight on Klaus who was practically carrying her at that point. He looked at the original witch with fury in his eyes, "stop this madness. She's done nothing!"

"I'm channeling the whole Bennett witch line and Emery." Esther informed with a small smile, "she's a grant witch. Her power is beyond anything you could ever imagine."

"She can't use her magic—" Klaus's voice was shaking with both fear for Emery's life and anger towards his mother, "stop it!"

They looked at her, her face was becoming paler and paler, the blood wouldn't stop coming out of her nose. She turned her head to the side and let out a cough only for blood to come out of her mouth as well. Her knees buckled completely which made Klaus lower her to the ground with his arms around her. Her hands were gripping Klaus's shirt so tight that her knuckles were turning white.

"Don't you get it, Niklaus?" Finn's voice made Klaus, Elijah and Kol advert their attention from Emery to him. "That's what mother wants."

"Stop speaking in riddles," Kol snapped, feeling somewhat protective of the witch. "Just say it already!"

"I wanted to see if she's broken the curse," Esther said, keeping her eyes fixed on her, "apparently not."

"Curse?" Klaus repeated, looking up from Emery, "what curse?"

"Don't you know that Grant witches are cursed?" Finn asked, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips, "ever wondered why they've never lived long? Well, there's your answer. They're cursed," he nodded towards Emery, "She is cursed. What? She didn't tell you?"

"I'm sorry," Emery whispered, her voice hoarse and low, "I should've told you." Klaus sighed, tightening his grip around her and pulling her even closer, "it's okay. You have nothing to apologize for. You're going to be just fine."

"She's only eighteen," Elijah spoke, his hard exterior wavering just a little bit while speaking to Esther, "she did nothing wrong, she doesn't deserve this."

"No, she doesn't," Esther mused, "but her ancestors do. They don't deserve to have their bloodline continued. They were evil, they didn't want to help me when I begged them to. They tossed me to the side as if I was trash."

"Emery doesn't even know who you are!" Kol exclaimed, glaring hardly at Esther, "how heartless can you be? You made her suffer her entire life because of something her ancestors did?"

"I gave her a way to break the curse," Esther shrugged, staring at Klaus who brushed strands of Emery's hair away from her face, his eyes locked onto hers. She had never seen his son this scared before. "All she had to do is take the life of someone she holds dear."

"Yes because that's an easy thing to do," Kol muttered sarcastically. Finn glared at his younger brother, "there's been enough delay. Let us get this over with."

"Emery," Klaus ignored them, focusing on the witch in his arms. Her breathing had gotten slow and it was only getting slower. That was setting him on edge. "Come on, love," he whispered, using the sleeve of his shirt to wipe away the blood from her face. "Hold on a little longer. We have plans, remember?"

"I'll be fine," Emery closed her eyes, "I can't feel her draining me anymore. I think her plan just got fucked."

As if on cue, Esther shouted suddenly. Elijah, Klaus and Kol gave her their attention again as she continued shouting, "no! Sisters! Do not abandon me!" Just then the pentagram torches flared up and Finn was quick to grab Esther before running away while the others were busy cowering from the fire.

Not bothering to go look for them, Elijah and Kol rushed towards Klaus who kept staring at Emery. She looked dead but they knew she wasn't for they could hear the faintest heartbeat.

"Is she going to be alright?" Kol asked, staring at her with a mixture of sadness and pity.

"She usually does," the hybrid answered, placing a hand under her knees as he stood up, lifting her along. "I'm taking her home."