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

42 | Denied Me the Freedom to Love

The whole pack watches the Mikaelson standoff in the center of the New Orleans cemetery—only Lexi missing. The moon climbs higher into the sky as Klaus shouts Rebekah's name, his eyes glowing yellow in the night.

"Walk away," Elijah says, stepping forward with Papa Tunde's knife in his hand, mirroring the white oak stake in Klaus'.

"Don't move!"

"Leave us now," Elijah glances at Rebekah.

She shakes her head. "I can't. We're stuck here."

Klaus smirks as he raises the white oak, pointing it at Rebekah's heart.

"Elijah, he has the white oak." Rebekah takes a step back in fear.

"I brought it for you." Klaus leans forward. "Sister."

Before he can take another step forward, a body flies into his own, causing him to drop the stake. He shouts as Lexi jumps away from him, standing between him and the others. When he grabs the stake once more, Lexi says. "Get out of his sight, Rebekah. Your presence here only serves to anger him. Leave him to us now."

Rebekah hesitates but does as she is told—she races further into the cemetery. Elijah comes up to Lexi, looking down at her bloody clothes before he turns back to Klaus. "I'm asking you, brother to brother—we end this nonsense now."

Klaus sneers, "You would side with that traitor—"

"He is not choosing a side," Lexi says, her voice carefully containing her fear and anger. "Neither of us will allow you to hurt Rebekah."

Clicking his tongue, Klaus stretches out his hands. "We cannot leave this cemetery, Lexi. How long do you think you can defend her?"

Lexi grabs Klaus by the arm and swings him into the nearest grave; Elijah holds up Papa Tunde's blade as Lexi backs away from Klaus, locking him between them. "As long as it takes," Lexi replies.

Elijah nods. "By whatever means necessary."

Klaus points the stake at Lexi. "Where the hell have you been, sister? You disappear for two days and show up just in the nick of time. Convenient, wouldn't you say?"

"Shut it," Lexi says as she crosses her arms. "Celeste had me in that asylum where I used to work. She had a silence spell around the door—I could hear you, but you could not hear me." His expression falters. "When I refused her bloody deal, she handed me over to hunters. Excuse me for being absent."

Elijah licks his lips. "You couldn't possibly have been there."

"You walked right by me." After a moment, she scoffs. "What, did you think I left?" By their silence, Lexi has her answer. "Elijah gets the first shift."

Lexi speeds away to the other side of the cemetery, finding Rebekah right at the edge. She pauses behind a large tombstone, but Rebekah had already seen her. "We should get you cleaned up," Rebekah says, her voice stiff. "You look like a mess."

"That's what happens when you massacre thirty hunters," Lexi replies as she steps out from her hiding spot. "Besides, the lobelia flower will take another day to detox. Unless you have extra clothes..."

Rebekah shakes her head. "I did not think of it while running from Nik."

Lexi purses her lips. "Let's get through the night. Elijah can quell his rage first. I'll help at first light." She runs a hand down her face. "I've never seen him this angry."

"He knows about your role in it," Rebekah says. "I'd be careful if I were you."

"I'm always careful."