Fates Intertwined

15. | Victoria

"Has anyone found her location?" Dr. Van Helsing asked in a booming, authoritative voice as he walked into the room containing multiple monitors and large TV's with tracking information on it.

"No, sir. The last place she was spotted was a bus station in Cloquet." A woman answered.

"Find her. Now. Before she causes anymore damage." He said, leaning against the desk as he stared at the TV screens. They had been tracking Aurora ever since she had escaped, and each passing minute, Van Helsing grew antsy. He needed her found.

The clickings of a keyboard echoed in his head, but he was focused on the picture of Aurora on one of the screens.

He glared at the picture, as if she could feel the anger and hatred rolling off of him in waves. But then his phone began to ring.

"Hello." He answered. He listened to the person on the other line before the call ended. He tucked his phone away, snapping his fingers. "She's in South Dakota, making her way to find Evelyn Mikaelson. Find her before she finds her."

"What about Evelyn, sir?" A man asked.

Van Helsing slammed his hand on the desk. "I don't care about Evelyn. I want her! Bring her to me. Alive."

Nobody understood why he was so insistent on Aurora. He had never cared this much about finding Evelyn when she was eighteen, but he was going to such lengths just to bring Aurora back. No one questioned it, but it didn't mean the question didn't burn at the forefront of their minds.

"Markus." A voice called. He turned around, ready to scold them for not calling him Van Helsing, but he stopped at the sight of the brunette woman in a blood red dress, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed.

"Victoria." Van Helsing grunted. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I heard you lost one of your experiments and decided to come down." She shrugged innocently, stepping toward him.

"Last I checked, my experiments didn't matter to you." He stated.

"They don't." She walked around him, her hand trailing his shoulder to his neck. "Until I found out you lost her." She sneered, her sharp, blood red nails digging into his neck. She pushed him away and he stumbled to stay upright.

"What I do with her is none of your concern." He glared.

"It is entirely my concern!" She snapped. "You had one job. Keep her. And yet here she is, gallivanting off to who knows where!"

"I will find her!" He burst.

"You will. Because if you fail and I have to find her, you will never see her again." His nostrils flared in anger at her words. He knew of the power she held. Others hated him for indulging in the presence of a witch, a powerful one at that, but he didn't care. He needed her.

"Why are you here, Victoria? I thought you were off in Bulgaria." He glared.

"Because you seem to have failed to do the one job your father set up for you, I've come to help." She answered, turning away and looking up at the TV screen.

"Help." Van Helsing snorted. "When have you ever helped?"

"Now." She answered. "I'm fixing the mistake you've made." She turned to the man beside her. "Where was she last seen?"

"Cloquet, ma'am."

"Still in Minnesota, I see." She whispered to herself.

"They're in Brookings." Van Helsing announced.

"South Dakota." Victoria stated.

He nodded. "She's trying to find Evelyn."

Victoria snorted. "She's a fool. She'll never be able to find her. And once she realizes that, she'll be trapped and we'll be able to bring her back where she belongs."

"There is no we, in this plan." Van Helsing said, walking up beside her. "It is only me and my men."

She turned to him, one hand propped on her hip, the other leaning against the table, and narrowed her eyes. "I will bring Aurora back here, whether you are on my side or not."

"We will never be on the same side." He glared down at her.

"Mm," She hummed, her lips quirking up at the corners. "Don't tell me you've forgotten our little...exertions."

"Believe me, that is a mistake I am still, to this day, trying to fix."

She huffed a laugh through her nose. Then she turned to the picture on the TV once more. "Send the Wyvern." She demanded, her voice matching the same authority Van Helsing had.

"Yes, ma'am." There was an alert that appeared on one of the TV's.

Victoria smirked at him, leaning close. "See you around, Markus." She spoke in his ear before she sauntered away, her hips swaying. He watched her leave, then sighed, dropping his head.

***

Van Helsing pushed open the door to his bedroom, shutting it and peeling off his shirt. "I should've expected you'd be here."

Victoria hummed from her spot on his bed, dressed in a black, silky nightgown. She closed the book she held in her hands. "Now why wouldn't I be?"

"It's dangerous." He stated as he walked to the bed.

"Anyone with a conscience would know not to wander into your chambers." She remarked.

"True." He said, peeling back the covers and climbing inside.

Victoria laid the book on the end table and climbed under the covers alongside him. "I do hope I didn't say anything to hurt you. Or your pretentious ego."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Nothing I couldn't handle." He sighed as he kissed her shoulder.

She hummed. "Though, I will admit I was quite angry when I found you had lost Aurora."

"I haven't lost her, Vi. She is simply...enjoying what limited freedom she has at the moment." He reassured her.

"Mm. I'm sure she is."

There was a knock on the door. More like a frantic pounding.

"Alright, alright!" He stormed to the door, opening it to see it out but closed enough to keep Victoria hidden. "What?"

"It's about the Wyvern Victoria ordered be sent out." The woman at the door said, inclining her head.

"What's happened?"

"She's dead."

Van Helsing ran a hand over his face.

"We managed to steal the security footage before anyone else was able to see it, if you'd like to see."

"Yeah, okay. Give me a few." She nodded, and he watched as she walked down the hall before shutting the door. He turned to Victoria, saying, "She's gone." Victoria climbed out of the bed and made her way to the door. "What are you doing?"

"Seeing that damned footage." She glared, ripping open the door and storming out. Van Helsing sighed, grabbing his shirt before following after her.

Walking into the tech room, Van Helsing found Victoria snapping her fingers at one of his workers. "Play the stupid footage."

The footage popped up on one of the TVs, showing a bus. Everyone watched intently as the bus suddenly glowed with a bright white light. There was another angle of the camera, showing Aurora jumping out of the window. They watched her run, then the bus exploded.

Victoria's anger grew. She glared at the screen, her breathing turning heavy as her anger became suffocating. Suffocating until she burst, "AURORA!"