𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐲, 𝐞. 𝐦𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧¹

43. stupid fairleaves

Brynley opened her eyes to see that she was in the old witch house, tied up with ropes that were obvious soaked in fairleaves because of how bad they burned.

"Stupid fairleaves." Brynley groaned and looked down to see her bracelet on her wrist, rolling her eyes. She tried to move, but every time she did she would just hiss in pain because of the ropes. "Hello? Anybody? Let me out!"

"Hello Brynley." Esther Mikaelson walked into the room and Brynley's eyes widened.

"Esther, wh-what are you doing?" Brynley asked as she realized Elijah might have been right.

"I apologize for taking you hostage, but it's the only way I knew you get here for sure," Esther answered. "You are my son's soulmate, which is an incredibly complicated bond, but one thing is for sure: when he dies tonight, so will you."

"But Elijah's not gonna die, you can't kill them." Brynley shook her head.

"I bonded my children together, and I have Finn here with us, who's volunteered to sacrifice himself." Esther explained. "But I simply want to undo the evil I've created by killing my children, and I don't need you to be collateral damage by dying when they do. So, I must break the bond between you and Elijah."

"No, no, no, please, you can't do that!" Brynley shook her head as Esther walked out of the room. "Stop, please!"

-

Damon and Stefan walked into their living room after looking for Elena.

"Hello, Stefan." Elijah stood there.

"He has Elena." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Actually, she's with Rebekah. As you can imagine, my sister is just dying to tear her throat out. So...if you want to save Elena's life, I need you to help me stop my mother and save Brynley from her." Elijah corrected.

"I'm a little embarrassed to admit, but when it comes to killing thousand year old resurrected witches, I'm a little rusty." Damon shrugged.

"Yes, unfortunately, even when killed my mother doesn't seem to want to stay dead. Not with the spirits of nature at her side." Elijah sighed.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Stefan asked.

"The witches that released my mother, she's drawing her power from their bloodline, that line needs to be broken." Elijah replied.

"Broken?" Stefan questioned. "You want us to kill them."

"You know I'd do it myself, but I have absolutely no idea where they are. Besides, seeing me, they'd immediately know my intent. They won't expect to be harm by the likes of you, but when you do find their location, I do expect you to tell me so that way I can go get Brynley," Elijah explained. "In any case, you have until six minutes after nine to find them."

"Oh, how super specific of you." Damon smirked.

"By 9:07, the moon will be full, my mother will have the power she needs to kill me and my family. And as you've seen by the dagger, whatever happens to me affects Brynley, so if I die, so does she, and I know you two are fans of her." Elijah said and Damon rolled his eyes, knowing she was right. "If you do not stop her before then, Rebekah will kill Elena. So we all have our timeline? I suggest you get started."

-

Finn dragged Brynley, who was still tied up, outside and sat her on a tree-stump. Bonnie and Abby Bennett stood there and Brynley looked at them.

"Bonnie?" Brynley questioned.

"I'm sorry." Bonnie apologized.

"You can't kill the originals, if Elijah dies, so do I!" Brynley yelled.

"I know, that's why I asked Esther to break the bond so you could live." Bonnie sighed and Brynley's eyes widened.

"The pentagram represents our connection to magic. The salt is a symbol of the Earth." Esther began to explain the whole ritual set up she had and Brynley looked around, not listening to any of them. She tried to think of a way she could get out but her train of thought stopped when she felt a sharp pain her chest and let out a yell.

"Oh my god." She groaned and noticed how Finn fell on the ground, like he was daggered.

"Something's wrong." Esther looked at Finn and Brynley.

"Yeah, someone daggered your children." Brynley rolled her eyes and she began to rub her chest.

-

"Alright, we should begin to break the bond." Esther said and Finn grabbed Brynley and dragged her into the middle of the pentagram.

"Please don't do this." Brynley begged, tears brimming her eyes slightly.

"She's saving your life." Finn reminded and Brynley shook her head. Esther walked over and cut the palm of the fairy's hand opened. Brynley winced as her blood poured into a wooden bowl.

Elijah, Kol, and Klaus were running to the house but they stopped when they smelt something.

"Do you two smell that?" Kol asked and worry rushed over Elijah.

"Fairy blood." Klaus nodded and looked at Elijah, who one could evidently see on his face that he was scared. "Elijah..."

Elijah just ran faster.

"They're coming, Mother!" Finn warned and Brynley let out a sigh of relief.

"No, it's too soon, the moon is not high enough and the bond is not broken. Go! Quickly!" Esther rambled and Bonnie and Abby ran into the house.

"My sons, come forward." Esther said as Elijah, Kol, and Klaus walked up to them. Elijah looked at Brynley, who stood behind Finn. Her hand was clutched to try to stop the bleeding of the large cut on her palm.

Elijah gave Brynley a look and Brynley nodded, trying to tell him that she was fine.

"Stay beside me, mother." Finn looked at his mother.

"It's okay. They can't enter." Esther walked into the pentagram before Kol tried to enter the ritual, but he couldn't.

"That's lovely. We're stuck out here, while the favorite son plays sacrificial lamb. How pathetic you are, Finn." Kol shook his head.

"Be quiet, Kol. Your brother knows virtue you cannot even imagine." Esther disagreed.

"Whatever you think of us, killing your own children will be an atrocity, as would killing Brynley be, she's innocent." Elijah defended.

"My only regret is that I did not let you die a thousand years ago," Esther sighed and looked at the brunette fairy. "And I was planning on breaking the bond between you and the fairy so that way she would be affected when all of you die."

"No." Elijah tried to step up to pentagram, but the torches flared up, sending him back.

"Enough. All this talk is boring me. End this now, Mother, or I'll send you back to Hell." Klaus threatened.

"For a thousand years, I've been forced to watch you. Felt the pain of every victim, suffered while you shed blood. Even you, Elijah, with your claim to nobility, you're no better," Esther looked at her children. "All of you. You're a curse on this Earth. Stretched out over generations. If you've come to plead for your life, I'm sorry, you've wasted your time."

Esther was about to continue doing the spell but she sensed something.

"No! Sisters! Do not abandon me!" Esther yelled.

"Mother!" Finn shouted and the fire on the torched flared, Brynley quickly ducking.

When the torches went out, Finn and Esther were and Brynley just stood in the middle of the pentagram. Brynley began to cough from inhaling all the smoke from the torches.

"Brynley." Elijah sped over and grabbed her from the pentagram. He untied her wrists from the fairleave-soaked ropes, his anger for Finn and Esther softened when he saw the burnt marks on Brynley's arms. He placed his hands on her face and kissed her forehead. "I'm so glad you're okay."