On My Own | Hale - TVD/TO/TW [4]

25 | Queen's Sacrifice

A magazine lies in Lexi's hands. She flips through the pages with her eyes set on the door to her loft; the empty space around her creates a safe haven for her to relax—clear her mind of the awful things she's done.

When the door opens, Lexi's eyes narrow. The mercenary sets her jacket on the clear table before she pauses in front of the Original with her arms crossed. "What did you do?" Braeden asks.

"Whatever do you mean?" Lexi replies, arching an eyebrow.

Braeden snatches the magazine away from her; the blonde purses her lips. "The Hales were very upset," she says as she plops on the couch beside her. Braeden glances through the magazine. "This is way too human for you."

Lexi clicks her tongue. "The Hales are always upset. You'll have to be more specific." She lays her head back and stretches her legs out. "You do what I told you to?"

"You mean lie?" Braeden rolls her eyes. "Yes. They have no idea you asked me to save them. They think it was Deucalion."

"And when they asked about the scar?"

Braeden chuckles. "A girl's gotta eat." Lexi lets her lips tug upwards. "Is that all I'm gonna get out of you? A measly smile? God, what happened to you?"

Taking a deep breath, Lexi folds her hands over her lap. "You heard what happened," she replies. "I went insane with guilt. I abandoned my family for nothing. It was a never-ending nightmare. I regret every second of it."

"I've met vampires without their emotions." Braeden glances at the woman. "They usually feel one of two things." Lexi frowns and meets her gaze. "Hungry or horny."

"Well, that about covers it," Lexi says as she closes her eyes.

"So, you do anyone?"

Lexi smacks Braeden's arm. "This is a purely professional friendship. I simply needed someone I could trust to free Derek and Peter from the Calaveras. They would not have come with me if I arrived alone."

"They didn't know you were there at all." Braeden adjusts so she faces the blonde. "What'd you take?"

With a sigh, Lexi shrugs. "I wanted to try something. It failed miserably. I returned it to them."

"But what was it?"

"It was a carved box," Lexi says as she stares ahead of her. "A lifetime ago, I watched Alan Deaton carve a triskele on the top with my best friend. All that's left of her is in that box."

Braeden frowns. "So, what'd you try to do?"

"Bring her back." Lexi's shoulders cave in. "As misguided as it was, I just wanted to see her face—hear her voice."

Nudging his nephew, Peter asks, "Did you know about this?" Derek shakes his head as Peter watches Lexi. "She never tries to bring anyone back. Turning it off...it must have broken her more than I thought."

"I remember the anger," Derek says. "I remember hating her because of what she almost did to Cora. But I still can't...Even then, I couldn't really hate her. Not completely, anyway."

"What did she say?" Braeden asks.

Lexi closes her eyes and lets her head drop. "She ran away and told me to get over it. She chose the Other Side over a new life. I can't blame her for that; it is the same thing I would have done." Taking a deep breath, Lexi presses her lips together. "So, I packed up her claws and left them on Derek's doorstep. They have the box now, not to worry. Our work was not for naught."

She glances over her shoulder to look out of the window overlooking the California beach. Standing and walking over towards the drapes, Lexi sighs. "Something bad is coming, Braeden. I can feel it. I have no idea what to do."