𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 ⚜️ ELIJAH MIKAELSON

[ The Boundary ]

CHAPTER 25
[ New Orleans, 2013 ]

Marcel's loft was dimly lit, the glow from Josh's laptop screen casting faint shadows across the room. Marcel stood behind him, his arms crossed casually. Josh's fingers clattered against the keyboard, oblivious to the conversation as Marcel raised a phone to his ear.

"Looks like we got a good news, bad news situation on our hands," Marcel began, his voice steady, measured.

On the other end of the line, at the Mikaelson compound, Elijah stood on the balcony overlooking the courtyard, his gaze cold as he watched the Strix below. They were restless, agitated. He barely suppressed a sigh before responding, his voice clipped and impatient.

"Marcel, I simply don't have the time for this."

Marcel pressed on, ignoring Elijah's irritation. "I got a beat on the bullet. Whoever found it is offering it up to the highest bidder... of which there are more than a few."

Elijah frowned, his sharp features hardening as his grip on the railing tightened. "This is your idea of good news?"

Marcel didn't bother answering. "The bad news is... word's spread. The Strix are, uh... spooked."

As Marcel spoke, Elijah's sharp eyes followed the growing commotion in the courtyard. Guards were beginning to argue amongst themselves, their movements agitated and chaotic.

"And they're usually such a laid-back bunch," Elijah remarked dryly, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Marcel shrugged on his end of the line, his casual demeanor unshaken. "Well, with that bullet out there, half of them want to bury you alive. I can't blame them— you die, they die, too."

Elijah closed his eyes briefly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Tell them that the Mikaelson compound is quite secure, and with the addition of their own forces, absolutely impenetrable. No one will leave here, no one will enter. Do you understand? Perhaps this will stop their infernal bitching."

Marcel smirked faintly. "Giving me enough time to win that auction... or kill the guy who does."

Elijah's voice softened slightly, a rare note of trust slipping through. "Godspeed, Marcellus."

He hung up and slipped the phone back into the pocket of his tailored jacket.

The quiet was fleeting. A yell broke through from an adjacent room, sharp and irate. Elijah stiffened, instantly alert. He moved with purpose, his polished shoes clicking against the marble floors as he entered the next room.

Inside, chaos had already begun to brew. Freya stood between Kol and Finn, her arms raised as she struggled to keep the brothers apart. Kol, his expression a mixture of anger and mockery, leaned past her to hurl his taunts.

"Take a swing at me, huh? All these side-steps and parries... Even the way you fight is boring."

Finn, his posture rigid and unyielding, shot back with a sneer. "It's an odd critique, considering all your flair and flourish couldn't keep you from being bested the last time we faced each other."

Kol reached around Freya, shoving Finn in the chest, his movements quick and antagonistic. Freya growled in frustration, but Kol was unrelenting. He pushed her aside, sending her stumbling onto the couch. Freed from her interference, Kol lunged at Finn, pinning him against the wall with a hard shove.

Before the situation could escalate further, Lucien appeared in a blur, vamp-speeding into the room. He grabbed Kol from behind, yanking him off Finn and slamming him against a nearby bookshelf. Kol struggled in the choke-hold, his hands clawing at Lucien's unyielding grip.