Verendus

Chapter 25

Elijah Mikealson was very confused. The last thing he remembered was meeting the High Priestess, who was also a Bennett witch. Now, he was waking up to see his brother painting the woman and a blonde while smiling wildly. "Niklaus," he whispered, his voice hoarse from not being used for the past months. The two women glanced in his direction before the blonde stood and walked over to him.

She smiled as she offered him a mug. He could smell the blood inside, but he had no idea why he should trust these people. Yet his hunger drove him to accept. His eyes were glued to his brother's frame as he slowly drank the blood. Something about him seemed to have changed. Niklaus no longer seemed so tense; something was different.

His question was answered when his brother's face changed. The gold eyes, black veins and sharper fangs told Elijah all he needed to know. "You broke the curse," he declared. His surprise and awe slipped out. The Hybrid wrapped his arm around the little blonde's waist and gently bit her before drinking.

Elijah stood staring at the scene, unsure how to proceed. Had his brother killed an innocent girl for the sake of breaking his curse? Suddenly, the High Priestess was in front of him. Her gaze made him uncomfortable. Had she somehow been aware of what he was thinking? Instead, the woman smirked. "Hello again, Mr. Mikealson. Did you enjoy your nap?"

He stiffened at her mocking tone but tensely nodded at her. Braelyn smirked and sat opposite the vampire. "The little doppelgänger still lives if that is your concern" The man eyed her but nodded and watched as a young girl entered the room. Her eyes were glued to him as she stood beside Braelyn.

"Shaye, you may ask him your questions," was all Braelyn stated as she stood and made her way over to her mates.

Shaye stared at Elijah and then sat in front of him. Braelyn allowed them privacy to speak as she walked over to Klaus, who was teaching Caroline how to paint. A smile appeared on her face when Lucy approached "My lady," Braelyn's smile fell and she acknowledged her cousin "Yes, Lucy" The two witches walked into Braelyn's office as this was coven business.

"Liz is making inquiries to our family," Lucy stated as she sat down opposite her coven leader. Braelyn felt a small shift in her magic and then glanced at the magical tapestry hanging in the office. "What else?" she asked as she now prepared to make a few calls. Lucy shifted and looked at the photo of her coven leader and her bonded. More specifically, she gazed at the photo of Caroline, who Lucy had come to love as a little sister. "Bill Forbes is returning to town".

The glass in the room all shattered, yet not one piece touched Lucy, a show of her coven head's control. Braelyn's eyes glowed gold as she walked over to the family tapestry, her magic aura surfacing in a show of shadows. Covering the office, it was silent as Lucy stared into the darkness, unsure how to respond.

Finally, Braelyn spoke. Her tone was low and something about it was almost compulsive. "Deal with it before I do" Lucy lowered her head as she understood the order. "Yes, High Priestess" Hearing her title, Braelyn quickly reigned in her magic "Apologies Lucy".

The witch just laughed. "I just told you your mate's parents are trying to intervene in her happiness. Trust me it's fine". Braelyn nodded and watched as her cousin walked out of the room. She needed her entire coven back home. However, she would not call all of them as the Sage was currently not ready to leave her safe place. And the whole coven being gathered could trigger a paranoid person's fears. 

And Elizabeth Forbes was a paranoid woman any new Bennett would get investigated, not that she would find anything. Other than a string of successful women in different career fields who were known to be fierce. However, knowing that did not calm the Bennett witch down, Bill Forbes was a monster who abandoned both his families for his need to kill those he found different.

Bonnie knocked on her sister's door with a nervous expression and a guilty-looking Seren. Braelyn frowned but gestured for the girls to sit "What is it?" Bonnie shifts and bites her lip a bit more before glancing at Seren who nods and then firmly speaks "I snapped at Sadira".

Braelyn raised an eyebrow before glancing at Bonnie whose eyes were glued to the floor "I found out Shaye had a crush on Jeremy a couple of days ago and found it weird, so I checked they have a soulmate bond, and she is blocking it to"

Braelyn interrupted, "Make Sadira happy" The two younger witches nodded while Braelyn leaned into her chair and gazed at their most recent family portrait. "What exactly does Sadira know" The two Bennett witches looked down ashamed. "We know Jeremy and Shaye are mated, and that she intentionally ignored it." Seren declared before Bonnie quickly defended.

"Empaths sense soulmates and the pain of soulmates in their presence we know she knew". Braelyn lowered her gaze and stared at a poem on her computer screen. She hoped she looked bored because she was a bit annoyed. Being a coven leader meant fixing issues between coven members, but this made her feel like she was back in high school. While at the same time, she was everyone's parent.

It was finally over when Bonnie stopped looking down and gazed at her older sister "I started feeling Shaye's pain, Lyn she is suffering" The tears that appeared in Bonnie's eyes forced Braelyn to make the call "Please bring Zahra and Shaye up here"

Bonnie nodded and left the room. It took twenty-five minutes for Bonnie to find the two witches. Shaye was the first to enter. Her hair was damp and wrapped in a bun. She had been meditating over the pond when Bonnie found her. The effects of that were clear in her aura.

Zahra, however, was still dressed in her work attire, a frown on her face as she entered the office. Braelyn took note of the frown and decided to talk to Zahra privately. "Zahra, I need you to use your gift on Shaye". The room was silent for a few seconds before Shaye leapt up from her chair and moved toward the door, only to be blocked by Bonnie.

"Move cousin"

Shaye's voice was low and almost threatening, but Bonnie stood firm. "No" Shaye moved to deal with Bonnie when Zahra declared "A blocked soulmate bond to Jeremy Gilbert". Shaye's posture tensed while the other women in the room glanced at Braelyn, who sat still like a statue.

"I see, all of you but Zahra leave" Her tone left no room for argument, so the three witches left the room quietly. Knowing that something was happening, something that did not concern them at all.

"I'm not one to judge, but your aura has changed.@ There was a pause as Braelyn observed her cousin. "In addition, a permanent frown has replaced your smile. What happened?"

Zahra looked down and then mumbled "I think I found my most compatible person" Braelyn smiled widely "That's great news Z, but why do you look upset" That was when Zahra sat down her hazel brown eyes glued to the portrait of Shelia Bennett "Damon Salvatore"

Braelyn suddenly felt her heart drop. "What".