The Good Daughter

Eighteen

Elijah sipped at a glass of blood.

He'd gotten daggered because of me. I sat on a couch near him.

Nik had taken Rebekah to go consult with another witch, just in case the squad figured out a way past the restrictions Nik had placed on them.

Tyler texted, said he'd made it home safe, but I had a sneaking suspicion he was helping his friends.

The gray on Elijah's skin started to recede.

It was actually kind of a relief that he was awake, if anyone could check Nik, it'd be him.

I gripped the edges of the book I was reading. Well reading in the sense that I had it open in my lap.

"Have you had any blood today?"

"Yes." I flipped the page.

"You have been doing your meditations?"

Fuck. I hadn't. I licked my lips. "No, but Nik has been keeping a close eye on my intake so I'm not drinking too much or too little." Outside of the  incident where I drank a retail worker.

Elijah tutted. "Morgan."

"I know, I know." Nik said I'd have to shadow him but for the most part it seems like I haven't been required to. I wasn't about to bring it up. "Been a little busy bonding with Stefan."

"That is no excuse. You have allowed your meditations to slip for far too long and I am taking matters into my own hands."

"Not this again." I finally looked up and found myself shrinking away under his scrutiny. "Elijah it's-"

"No. I'll not have another word about it."

"So I have no choice in my life?" It was bold, I knew. "You were so good at making me feel like I had some freedom. Now I just feel like you get to make all the decisions."

"When you have shown that you will take care of yourself without my supervision, then I'll allow you more freedom."

"I'm going into recovery?" Oh god. I hoped not.

"A modified version of it. I don't think you need something quite so extreme."

"What if I never meet your expectations?"

Elijah put his glass down on a side table. "I have every faith in you. It took me centuries to master the level of control you need. You have something I never did. A guide."

"Stefan didn't have you and he- he has control." Even as I said it, I knew it was a lie. Not with how he was acting all summer. He said he was only pretending to trick Nik, but I could see how he enjoyed it.

"Stefan Salvatore is not someone I want you taking example from."

"He's my brother!"

"One you haven't seen since you were ten. Did you not just say you were so busy bonding with him that you forgot your meditations."

I let out a huff. "I want to be able to see my brothers while we're in Mystic Falls. Without a chaperone." Where was Damon in all of this? Wasn't he supposed to be one of Elena's bodyguards?

The door burst open. "I need to go check on Mikael's tomb." Nik barged over to where the keys had been set.

"What? Why?" He had a tomb?!

"I got a group of witches to desiccate him decades ago. Somehow Damon Salvatore found out about it."

"What'd you do?" Shit. Why did Damon have to do something so monumentally stupid?! "Please tell me you didn't hurt him."

"There's no guarantee he actually found him and it's not exactly a secret that Mikael hunts vampires." He grabbed the keys. "Stay here. Until I have news the safest place is for the three of you to be together."

"You're certain he was after Mikael?" Elijah turned in his seat.

"He was taunting me with it."

"Why don't I go talk to him?" I stood. "If I can convince him to stop, maybe we won't have to worry about Mikael."

"Absolutely not. You will not go near him." Nik moved forward. "If he's willing to release Mikael, I'm not interested in discovering how he might use you against us."

"You can't stop me."

His brows rose.

Damn my big mouth. I took a breath. "Please, let me try."

"He may not realize that he's putting Morgan in danger as well." Elijah watched me for a moment before turning his attention back to Nik. "I don't see the harm in allowing her an attempt."

Nik rolled his eyes. "Fine. You manage that and I'll check on Mikael."