The Red Herring Revives: A Mikaelson Love Story

Chapter 20: No One Keeps Baby In A Corner

~Elijah POV~

Elijah and Klaus trudged through the bayou still on a hunt for the inexplicably missing Iliana. Sabine had directed them to the deep depths of the bayou, but neither of them could find a reason for her to be there. Elijah walked briskly, visibly in a hurry to find Iliana, which sought to irritate his brother greatly.

"You seem quite determined to find her." Klaus remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"If I'm moving too fast for you, Niklaus, then wait in the car." Elijah shot back in irritation.

"So, I struck a nerve?" Klaus replied with a wry laugh. "One would think you'd have given up on her affections by now, but you seem so determined to have what is rightfully mine."

"Make no mistake, Iliana does not belong to anyone." Elijah told his brother, stopping him in his tracks. "And the sooner you realise that, the better."

Klaus was about to retort but instead stopped as he caught a scent in the air, looking around for the source of it.

"This vehicle reeks of Tyler Lockwood." Klaus replied with a growl as he came upon an SUV.

"Why would your sidekick from Mystic Falls have any interest in Iliana?" Elijah asked in confusion.

"They were friends." Klaus replied with a shrug.

"And of course, what is a friendship without a light kidnapping here and there?" Elijah replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Okay, okay, okay." Klaus sighed in resignation. "When I could sire hybrids, he was the first, not that he had a choice. He was loyal at the start but then he turned my other hybrids against me, the insubordinate runt. I couldn't have that, so I massacred the lot of them. But Tyler ran away like the coward he is."

"Why do I suspect this is the least of your offences?" Elijah huffed in frustration.

"There was this business with his mum..."

"You killed his mother!" Elijah exclaimed incredulously. "Brilliant!"

"No need for the sarc, Elijah, he had to be taught a lesson!" Klaus shot back.

"And what lesson will you be taught if he retaliates by harming Iliana?" He asked exasperatedly. "Was it worth it? Worth Iliana's life?"

"Oh, sod off Elijah, I'll kill Tyler myself."

~Iliana POV~

I had been left in the shack alone, zip tied to a fire stove as I awaited to hear whatever grand plan Tyler had prepared for me. He walked in with a grim smile and I gladly flipped him off.

"You know, whatever it is you're doing, had better be worth it." I warned him. "I am Caroline's best friend, Elena's twin—which by proxy means the Salvatore brothers will come to my aid, my brother's a vampire hunter. Not to mention, I'm pretty entangled with the whole Original family, so if you hurt me, they'll straight up kill you. And I don't think it'll be pretty."

"What makes you think I'm afraid to die?"

He turned away from me and watched the fire crackle with a horrifying intensity. I thought about how he was all alone and I knew there was only one person to blame.

"I should've called." I said quietly. "When your mum died. I should've called. I was dealing with my own crap, but that still isn't really an excuse. I'm sorry."

"That your boyfriend killed her?"

"I can't control Klaus." I reminded him. "No one can. And if you think that I'm the type of person to ever condone that, then you don't know me. And you never did."