Severed Heaven (Niklaus and Elijah Mikaelson)

Chapter Seventeen: Grave For The Solitude

   I still found myself angered by Aurora's taunting personality. I gave myself every sign of finally accepting my aching jaw. I attempted to conceal it. I checked for any remaining rests of blood under my nose. It was my way of letting myself off the hook and pretending I wasn't in the least bit aware of any nuance in my reaction. Knowing, as I now came to learn, how thoroughly trenchant her ability was to taunt me this easily. Perhaps, in this, as with everything else, because I didn't know how to speak to myself in code, I didn't know how to speak at all. I refused to admit that she'd brought out my worst temper, and I refused to tell either Freya or Elijah.

After Aurora stormed out of the compound, surprisingly leaving her brother in our hands, I'd pulled myself back into one of the quieter rooms in this mansion. If I did fall apart, I didn't want anyone knowing, and I certainly didn't want anyone seeing.

I felt like a deaf and dumb person who had failed to learn sign language. I stammend all manner of things so as not to speak my mind. That was the extent of my code. So long as I had breath to put words in my mouth, I could more or less carry it off. Otherwise, the silence I'd allowed myself to crawl into would probably give me away— which was why anything, even the most spluttered non-sense, was preferable to silence. Silence would expose me. But what was certain to expose me even more was my struggle to overcome it in front of others.

The despair aimed at myself must have given my features something bordering on impatience and unspoken rage, because Elijah gave me a look when he entered the room, finding me pacing around.

I quickly noticed his fatigue, as well as something like endless emotional pain and evident suffering. He barely even looked at me when he made his way to the window. As he stood there, hand sunken deep into the pocket of his fancy pants, I realised his mind was clearly somewhere else, but nonetheless... he'd chosen to be here, to share the same space as I, which was more than I needed to know at the very moment. He wanted to be here with me, either in silence, chaos or both. "Looks like you could use a drink." I poured him one.

He exhaled rather deeply. "Indeed, I do."

He coldly took the glass filled liquor without even looking at me. I dared to wonder. Had he really come looking for my company on purpose, or was it nothing but an impulsive call when he saw me standing here? I never recalled him and I being distinctly close.

Without knowing what played his nerves, I allowed myself to enjoy his company. Maybe it was for similar reasons that I hesitated to speak. Did he even want me to, or was he enjoying the silence?

"I heard you let Aurora flee. You shouldn't have." I said, giving him my truthful opinion whether it was against his will or not.

To my surprise, Elijah cleared his throat abruptly, preparing himself to speak. He then turned around to face me, his back to the window this time. "Aurora should be easy enough to control." He stated, and brought the glass to his lips to ease his silent struggling. As I watched him curiously, I pulled myself onto the luxurious desk, crossing my legs. "Besides, we have Tristan now." He said, then eyed me up and down swiftly, disapproving of my position. "And that's mahogany."

I jumped back off the table at his remark, throwing my hands up to prove my innocence, and I let myself scavenge that same crowded desk, searching for possible ways to entertain myself.

Yes, Tristan, who was tied up downstairs.

Freya had been attempting to scavenge his mind ever since we'd caught him in our hold.

I sighed deeply, placing my attention back on the eldest Original. "What about Lucien?" I asked with a genuine interest, and I yet again, ignored Elijah's faded focus. He seemed to be miles away.