Elijah Mikaelson & The Dragon's Legacy

Chapter 30

Rebekah and The Seven were already in the Dining Room when Elijah entered and sat down. Mason was not far behind and he took his seat as well at the table, only Angelica was missing. "She will be here shortly," Elijah told them, and the table chatter resumed. A few minutes later Angelica entered the room and Elijah and The Seven stood for her, with Elijah pulling out her chair next to him so she could be seated. Before lunch was served, Angelica looked at Rebekah and apologized for her behavior that morning in the gym. Rebekah smiled widely and told her, "Think nothing of it, sweet girl, no harm done. You wouldn't be a Mikaelson if you didn't get into a row every once in a while with a sibling. I was quite impressed with your skills by the way; and I don't mind taking credit for them since I was your first teacher."

Lunch commenced and as Elijah looked around the table he thought it time to confront Mason about a couple of things. He had considered doing it in private but thought it would be better in front of everyone. "Mason," asked Elijah, "I have a question about this morning." Mason replied, "What is it, my boy?" Elijah paused at the condescending tone in Mason's voice, smiled politely, then continued, "What have you done to my wife?" The question was so blunt it caught everyone at the table by surprise, the room was now silent and all eyes were on them. "What do you mean?" Mason asked. "I saw the markings under her skin when you spoke to her, when she pulled back the dragon fire. They were runes but I was not quite familiar with the language but more importantly, why are they there in the first place?"

Mason did not realize that Elijah had been able to see them and his mind raced quickly for a plausible answer. "Elijah, I would have preferred you ask me that in private but since you have asked, I will tell you but the reason will be difficult to hear. Angelica, I am sorry for what I am about to say, I never told you this but I only wanted to protect you. In those first few years after Angelica saved me, I could see she suffered from great loss and was in deep emotional pain. Your brother's betrayal, her nearly 80 years of torture, your abandonment of her was terrible, both for her to experience and for anyone who loved her to watch. She was in agony. She would have night terrors and waking terrors, those coupled with her dragon fire were a very dangerous combination and I did not want her to inadvertently hurt or kill an innocent, as that would have destroyed her. So I decided to perform the ritual that severed her from your sire line. To do so, I had to engrave the runes into her bones so that I could complete the ritual. The runes also help me to calm her when she gets into a state where she is losing control, like this morning."

Angelica was stunned, she did not know about the runes, but she remained silent, allowing Elijah to get answers to his questions. "And the language," Elijah inquired. Mason answered, "An ancient one, writings that preceded the advent of both Nordic and Celtic runes." "Intriguing," said Elijah, as he set his hand on top of Angelica's hand on the table, squeezing it gently to prepare her for his follow up question, "When was the last time that Angelica had an episode like this morning?" Mason and Elijah's eyes were locked together, and Mason responded, "Well, I cannot say for certain." But the answer came from Mick, "Oh, I remember the last time, it was about five years ago, you remember it Mason, you had just returned after your Icelandic dig." "That's twice now," thought Elijah, noting his theory that her nightmares are worse when Mason is around. "That's very interesting," noted Elijah, "did you bring an artifact back from that dig as well?" Mason knew he could not lie about this answer, not with The Seven around the table, so he answered truthfully that he had recovered some ancient mortars. "Do you remember the mortars, my darling?" Elijah asked Angelica. She responded that she did, they were in the vault and she looked at Charlie for confirmation, who nodded in agreement. "Did you touch the bowls at all?" Elijah asked Angelica, noticing that Mason was shifting in his seat as Elijah was obviously getting too close to the truth. Angelica said that she had. Elijah closed the circle by confirming that she had one of her nightmares that evening. Angelica nodded that she had as did The Seven who were now making the same connection.

"Elijah, if you are looking to accuse me of something, then just come out with it," said Mason, trying to put the focus back on Elijah. "My apologies, Mason, but I am not looking to accuse you of anything, only trying to understand if there is something triggering these nightmares." But it was Rafe who provided the clarification, "I think you are onto something Elijah, but it has more to do with artifacts than Mason's presence. I seem to recall it first happening back in 1932, when a crate was shipped to the house from one of the dig sites. Mason was still in Europe at the time, Albee, do you remember that?" Albee thought for a moment and then agreed with his brother, "Quite right, Rafe, that was when we decided to spar with her after we'd found her ripping apart the basement, alone, and she had been down there for hours."

Rebekah asked the next question, "I don't understand, how it is that a bunch of antiques are impacting Angelica like that." Mason answered, looking at Angelica, "I've had two and a half centuries to study you, my girl, and you are a definite empath. I think that when you come in proximity to certain objects, like that sword last night, you pick up on its violent history and it triggers your nightmares, amplifying them. You internalize that negative energy then are compelled to expel it through the physical exertion."

Mason was pleased with himself for the answers he provided but he was through playing Elijah's truth game. He changed the subject in hopes that he would be able to excuse himself early from the table. "While I am certainly enjoying my time back in New York City, I have a flight out this evening. I haven't seen my son in some time and want to stop in at his school for a visit. I also have a lead on an item I've been searching for to fulfill a special request for a ... friend." Mason was signaling to Angelica that he needed to retrieve an item for the special favor she had asked of him. He had thought she would stay silent on the matter but was surprised when she spoke.

"Elijah, everyone," she cleared her throat a bit before continuing, I asked Mason for a favor, really a request, and he needs to leave related to my request." Mason wanted to shake his head to stop her from continuing but she stunned the table when she said, "I have asked Mason to restore the sire link between myself and Elijah, to give him my sire line."

Elijah leaned back in the dining chair, speechless. Rebekah, never at a loss for words but still waiting for the explanation from Elijah regarding Angelica's fire abilities, spoke first, "What the hell, how?" Angelica told them that Mason was not even sure he could do it as it required a massive amount of energy. Mason said, "Quite right, my dear, but I may have found an item that will make it work, well part of it anyway." Elijah leaned forward, and said, "Explain, in detail, please." Mason explained that he did not think he could restore the lifeline link, and even if he could, he would not do it since Elijah's death would mean Angelica's death and if it had not been for him severing the link so long ago, she, The Seven, and the Dragonetti vampires would all be dead. But he believed he could restore the psychic portion of the sire link if he had the right object and the cooperation of Elijah and The Seven.

Elijah turned to Angelica and told her they should discuss this further in private. Mason smiled to himself as he had succeeded in getting the focus off of him. Angelica had not told Elijah of what she wanted and now they would discuss the psychic linking. Angelica agreed and the conversation at the table changed. When lunch was finished, Mason packed his overnight bag and left the penthouse, but not before saying his goodbyes to Angelica.

Mason told her he very nearly had the spells worked out, it would be a combination of rituals to restore the psychic link, and he needed one more object. He would spend the next few months testing out portions of the spell and the ritual would need to be done at the Autumnal Equinox due to the alignment of certain celestial bodies and other mystical elements associated with the season's change. She thanked him and he embraced her, telling her to let him know if Elijah and The Seven agree to it and if they do, he will make the arrangements. He told her he would call her from Jeremy's school before he headed overseas. He then left for the airport knowing that Angelica was now an unwitting accomplice in the fulfillment of his master plan.