The Good Daughter

Nineteen

Nik lounged on the wingback chair. "Interesting that the small town the two of you are passing through houses the doppelgänger I've been searching for."

"It's not like that, Nik."

His head tilted, eyes narrowed accusingly. It felt as though he was looking right through me. "And what is it like, little one."

"We were ensuring the ritual would go smoothly before telling you." Elijah interjected calmly, seeming as though he wasn't at all bothered. "Unlike Katarina, this doppelgänger has surrounded herself with those who would risk everything to protect her."

"I'll simply tear her from her loved ones." He stood, folding his arms behind his back. "When I received your call, I knew something was wrong."

Fucking hell.

"It was an accident-" He held up his hand, and I shut my mouth with an audible click. I wish they'd stop interrupting me.

"I want to know why I was lied to."

Elijah and I shared a glance but remained silent. Any defense would just infuriate Nik further. Then he'd get dagger happy, which would be unfortunate if he chose Elijah to dagger, because we were actually making some progress in my meditations.

Oh shit.

Nik couldn't see me drink blood. Elijah never lets me miss a session. If he saw my vampire expression, he'd know that we'd been separated for a time. That Elijah had been lying about me being with him.

That I had run away.

A warm hand settled on my shoulder. "Breathe, Morgan." I vaguely figured that must be Elijah's voice, but he seemed so far away.

It didn't take a genius to deduce why I would possibly leave, when Elijah was the very foundation of my control. Nik would make it look laughably easy. It was like he could read my mind. He could always tell when I was hiding something, even if I hadn't tipped them off by trying to lie.

I was as good as dead. So were my brothers.

Distantly, I realized I was now sitting. When had I sat down?

I felt exhausted, deep in my bones, and ironically, I wanted Elijah to make it better. He was the only father I'd ever really known, and had always been there when I needed him.

Even now, when I've well and truly fucked up, he made sure I drank enough blood and dried my tears.

"There she is." Nik was crouched down in front of me, bringing me crashing back to reality . "I take it you're aware the other Salvatores are alive."

Elijah said something but it sounded muffled. "You knew too?!"

His gaze briefly flickered over to Elijah before focusing on me.

"You're giving us shit about lying to you, but you guys have been lying to me since I've known you!" I used the back of the couch to leverage my escape, putting some much needed distance between myself and them. "And don't give me that bullshit about it being in my best interest. Elijah already tried that."

Nik stood. "We were unsure they wouldn't target you. They had killed the rest of the founding members."

"They're my brothers! Of course they wouldn't."

"Could you say, without a shadow of a doubt that they have not changed. That they are exactly as you left them, almost two centuries ago." Elijah simply turned in his seat.

I crossed my arms sullenly.

"It was for your protection." Nik answered gently.

Though I was angry, I couldn't help but be grateful that he was well and truly distracted now, and while that was not my intention, it was a good side effect.

"They seem fine now."

Elijah leveled me a look that said we would be having a much different conversation if Nik wasn't there. "None the less, we cannot have you meddling and potentially put in the line of fire because you want to see them."

"Yeah well, they'll probably never talk to me again after the tea party fiasco."

"It's for the best, Morgan." Elijah soothed. It was  fucking convincing. Like he wasn't angry at all.   How did he do that? "Now, there has been far too much excitement this evening. Anything else can be tabled for the morning, yes?"

Unbelievable. He was sending us to bed.

I shifted my bag on my shoulder, making a beeline to my room. It might have been childish, but I slammed the door behind me.

It did make me feel a little better.