Lovely • Mikaelsons mate (Currently editing)

Chapter 81

"Ah, the child in command graces me with a visit! How wonderful." Katherine gasps dramatically when Luna walks down the steps into the basement, followed by the Originals and the Salvatores. She was seated by the bars, clinging on to keep herself upright. It was ridiculous how weak one could get after being deprived of normal doses of blood.

Katherine sniffs the air, and Luna's scent fills her nostrils, emphasizing the rasping dryness that now constantly resides in her throat. She carefully calculates her chances of grabbing the human and draining her of at least a gallon or two. Surely Luna wouldn't miss it. Despite her weakened state, Katherine was certain she could persuade Luna to approach her. "I don't understand why you need a whole army to join you whenever you speak with me. I won't bite."

Elijah gently takes hold Luna's arm and pulls her closer to him, shielding her from the bars and the imminent danger behind them. He could practically feel Katherine's thirst and knew she would not listen to reason once she got Luna in her grasp.

Luna ignores the taunt, not really in the mood to have a verbal quarrel with the woman. "Lucky for you, the spell worked, so we have a little assignment for you, in return for your freedom and your daughter."

Katherine's eyes shift warily from face to face, trying to deduce any sense of cruel humor to see if this was a falsehood. Of course, this was a lie, seeing as there was no way the Originals, no matter how domesticated, would willingly offer her both freedom and her daughter. She had spent centuries looking for her daughter, hoping to reunite and finally have someone in her life who would stay by her side. Someone to trust fully.

She shouldn't be surprised that the Originals, with their vast network, had intel on this, but it didn't mean Katherine would be greedy to make a deal with her enemies. She regains her composure, thirst long forgotten. "What do you know about my daughter that you can offer her to me?"

"We know plenty." Damon replies smugly, eyebrows wagging up and down in a pestering manner.

"I wasn't asking you, Damon." Katherine snaps. The last thing she needed was to be taunted by her pathetic ex.

"We know her name, supernatural status, and the people she likes to associate with. All that is relevant, really." Kol shrugs, eyes not leaving the doppelgänger. Despite having Katherine behind bars, he did not trust the woman in the slightest after everything he had heard about her from his siblings and his mate.

"Fine. You know of her somehow. You must have something terrible planned for me if you dangle the opportunity of happiness in front of my face." Katherine sneers. It was humiliating that they had something over her, a way to actually hurt her.

Niklaus scoffs at this statement, if he had his way, there would indeed be something terrible waiting for her, but apparently his need to please his kindhearted mate overrode his need for torture and violence.

Elijah gives his brother a disapproving look before speaking up. "It is not that terrible if you take into account what we offer you. To be fair, if it were up to us, we would have given you the assignment and killed you anyway. Still, seeing as my mate is in a festive mood, we are feeling unjustly charitable." He grins upon seeing Katherine's sneer.

It had taken considerable discussion for all to agree on this direction. Both Kol and Niklaus had been most eager to kill the traitorous woman. Kol, of course, had no previous acquaintance with the woman, but was riled up enough by the idea of Katherine's deceit. In the end, Elijah and Luna had supplied a sufficient bribe for the two Mikaelsons to agree.

"What is the assignment?" Katherine asks in a tone much more meek than usual.

Niklaus grins. He lowers himself to crouch and firmly grabs Katherine's wrists, pulling her flush against the bars. With little effort, her shocked gaze meets his.
"Once we release you, you will seek the Travelers and kill them all except for your daughter, Nadia. You will not stray from your mission. You will not rest until you've completed your task. You will be thorough; leave no stone unturned until you have found them all. After killing them, you will return here with your daughter." Niklaus's tone was biting, despite there being no need for it. He was tired of playing into Katherine's games.