Devil's Backbone

Chapter Seven

Y/N sat on her kitchen floor, leaning against the cabinets, hugging her knees to her chest tightly. There was a soft knock on the door, and she didn't need to get up to know who it was. She smoothed her hair back and ran her hands under her eyes, but couldn't muster the energy to stand. "Come in, Elijah," her voice cracked. She was quiet, but she knew his heightened hearing would pick it up.

He entered slowly, taking in her apartment, hesitating in the door frame of the kitchen when he saw her red rimmed eyes. His heart caught in his throat.

She rubbed her eyes once again. She had spent the night scrubbing the blood out of the carpet after burning the body. She was exhausted. Cami had finally left sometime after the sun had come up, leaving her to sleep, but sleep didn't come.

"Are you here to kill me?" She asked indifferently, as if she had already resigned to her fate.

Elijah pulled his eyebrows together, approaching slowly and sliding down so he sat next to her. He hesitated for just a moment before he put his hand softly on her knee, pulling gently until she leaned into him. He brushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead.

"I know everything," she whispered.

He cleared his throat and nodded.

She sniffled. "A thousand years of secrets, Elijah, you can't let me live."

He shook his head. "I'm not going to kill you," his voice was strained, his eyes tearing up at the thought of it. If it had been anyone else, he would have ended their life. He would do what was necessary to keep his family safe. It was different with Y/N. He felt the same need to fiercely protect her that he felt for his siblings, and despite everything, he trusted her.

She looked up at him sadly. "I remember everything...from before."

He leaned his head back onto the cabinet behind him. "You and Niklaus..." he trailed off.

Y/N laid her chin on her knees, hugging them tighter. "Klaus saved me," she began. "I was just a teenager and I was in a really bad spot in my life...he found me, and I don't know, I guess he saw something in me. He took me in when no one else would," she explained. "He was like a brother to me."

Elijah lifted his head at that, realizing he had been fearing the worst - that Y/N may have had feelings toward his younger brother. "And now?"

She wiped a tear from her face. "I'm a hunter, Elijah. I know everything about you now, and the closer you get, the more dangerous it will be for you."

The corner of his mouth turned up slightly at that. "While I don't underestimate your abilities, I'm a little more durable than the average vampire."

Y/N sighed, standing and walking into the other room. Elijah watched, and when she disappeared from his view he stood, listening carefully. He could hear her shuffling around in a closet. She came back out and stood in front of him, holding a large box.

She held it out to him, and he took it in his hands, his face studying her. "What's this?" He asked.

She nodded her head, indicating he should open the box.

He lifted the lid and slammed his eyes shut, clenching his jaw. A silver dagger with a jar of ash sat inside. When had she procured it?

She looked at him sadly. "I care about you." Her eyes burned and she turned her face, tired of crying. "I care about you...probably more than I should. So please, Elijah, take it and go, because I will fall deeper into this..." she choked on her words, holding back a sob. "Deeper into you, and I can't. I've been down this road before, I will lose control again. It's only a matter of time, and I'll end you."