"You daggered Rebekah? And you're just telling me now?"

   "She sacrificed herself in order to protect us." Elijah turned to look at his sister and Audrey, who were both in disbelief at this news. "And, to protect her, I've told Niklaus, and I'm telling you both. No one would have known Rebekah's whereabouts if Aurora had taken my life."

   Audrey rubbed her face with her hands as she took this in. "She fulfilled that piece of the prophecy so you and Klaus wouldn't have to worry about one another."

   "Precisely." Elijah nodded in confirmation.

   "The prophecy says you three will be felled by friend, family, and foe." Freya reminded as she crossed her arms. "Rebekah was fallen by family. That leaves friend and foe. You and Klaus have a lot of foes."

   "Just one or two." Elijah admitted, leaning on the wall beside the fireplace.

   Freya's lips twitched upward into a smirk as she continued. "Thankfully, not many friends."

   Before anymore more could be said, Klaus's vice interrupted them as he walked into the study. "Freya, this is Stefan Salvatore, an old friend." He announced, as Stefan followed in closely behind him. 

   Audrey began to shake her head, as Elijah just rolled his eyes at the sight. "You've got to be kidding me." She scoffed.

   "Now, now, Rey." Klaus gave her a look, though his amusement was clear. "Be nice." He cleared his throat, placing his attention back on his sister. "One of my trickle down sirelings, long story." He then turned to Stefan. "Stefan, this is Freya, my brand new older sister. Also a long story." He patted the Salvatore on the shoulder, as Stefan sent a weak smile to the three in front of him. "Stefan needs a favor."

   Freya looked at him with narrowed eyes. "You're an old 'friend', are you?"

   "Yeah, Stefan." Audrey mused and gave him a look, crossing her own arms. "Are you an old 'friend'?" 

   Stefan locked eyes with Audrey, who simply scowled at him. To say she wasn't impressed to see him would be an understatement. She'd heard from Caroline what had been going on, that while she was giving birth, he had left to stop Damon from getting himself killed. While she could understand him wanting to save his brother, she knew that was the one moment that Caroline would have needed him the most, and now it was unknown when he'd be able to be at her side again.

   Stefan offered a nervous and awkward smile to the Mikaelson sister, avoiding Audrey's look. "Well...that kind of depends on your definition."

   Elijah calmly placed a hand on Audrey's shoulder, gently guiding her out of the room with him as Klaus left, leaving Freya to handle Stefan. Immediately, the Gilbert opened her mouth to say something, but Klaus stopped.

   He knew exactly what the couple was thinking. "Stefan Salvatore is not the problem." He said firmly, as they made their way downstairs. "But, if you are so determined to find foe amongst friends, then look no further than Marcel. After all, did he not steal Jackson's heart and deliver it to the very people bent on harming us?"

   "Marcel is the least of our troubles." Elijah shook his head. "The Strix would still be clamoring over Hayley's heart if it weren't for Marcel."

   "And now Aya and her mob are free to break the sireline." Klaus reminded them. "You know, we've had many glorious enemies over the years, brother, but if they sever their link to us, then they will all come for our heads."

   "Not without the white oak." Audrey mused with a frustrated sigh, looking at Klaus. "Which your delightful ex seems to have disappeared with."

   "Then she dies first." Elijah spoke up seriously.

   Klaus looked at his older brother. "You once told me you wanted to use her head as a footstool. Why wait?"

   Before they could go any further, Elijah pauses as his phone begins to wait. "Hayley." He informed the pair as he looked at it, before answering it. He's quiet for a moment, a look appearing in his eyes. "Yes. I see." He nodded before he hung up, looking at his brother and love with a smile. "The Crescent wolves. They found Aurora."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   Their trip to go get Aurora from where the wolves found her didn't go to plan. As Hayley and Audrey checked inside an abandoned train cart for Aurora, the Mikaelsons brothers looked around outside, only to find Aya and the Strix already had her. As one of the Strix witches took them both down and left with their bodies, the two mothers found a desiccated Lucien tied up inside one of the cupboards, warning them to go help Klaus and Elijah too late. Dragging the Castle man back to the compound, he sat and hungrily gulped down blood bags in the courtyard, as the two women got Marcel over for help.

   Though, given Marcel's status with the Strix, the conversation had turned into an argument over his knowledge of what was going on.

   "I had no idea Aya was gonna take Klaus and Elijah down!" Marcel defended himself. " And regardless, why the hell are we trusting this guy all of a sudden, huh?" He pointed toward Lucien. "He's the one who ran off with Aurora the first chance he got."

   "You can hardly fault a man for following his heart." Lucien glared at him weakly. "Yet, the moment she started raving about firing white oak into Klaus, well...words were said, hearts broken, veins drained."

   The Marshall-Kenner shot Marcel a look as she turned to him. "You're one to talk about trust-- who was it that handed my dead husband's heart to the people that helped murder him?"

   "Hayley." Audrey shook her head. "No, not now."

   But Marcel quickly grew frustrated. "I bought your life with that heart. But hey, you know what? You called me here, so if you have another plan? Please, let's hear it."

   "It's simple." Hayley crossed her arms with a shrug. "We storm the coven house, stop the Strix completing the de-siring spell. Period."

   "Okay. Well, that's easy for you to say." He reminded her. "You're not sired by anybody, are you?"

   "It's not just about de-siring. We've got to stop an execution."

   All their eyes fell on Lucien at his words, Marcel looking more skeptical than anything as he walked toward him. "What are you talking about?"

   "A lovesick teenage witch with a runner-up heart is somehow going to break the sire link?" The Castle vampire asked with a scoff, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but your darling Davina is in over her head, and Aya knows this. She will let Davina de-sire both brothers, then test the spell's success by firing a white oak bullet into Klaus' heart. I mean, it's win-win for her-- if you live, Marcel, we'll, she's won. If not, at least she's eliminated the rival sireline, including me."

   Hayley's eyes widened in realization. "His prophecy witch said she saw Klaus die and his entire sireline burn."

   "She watched us fall, she watched us burn, every soul Klaus ever turned." Lucien recited the prophecy. "When Aya tests this spell, Klaus will fall either way. And, if Davina fails, as she likely will, the three of us will die as well." He looked at Marcel and Audrey knowingly. "And if she succeeds and kills either one of them, well..." He looked at Audrey, who's face fell. 

   She knew exactly what he was hinting towards.

   "I'll die no matter how the spell turns out." She swallowed hard.

   "Actually, make that the four of us." Stefan's voice interrupted as he walked into the courtyard. Hayley looked at him in surprise, and glanced toward Audrey, who just shook her head in response. Hayley nodded and went to find Freya and fill her in, as Stefan looked at the blueprint of the Davilla estate that Marcel had brought over, his eyes scanning over it carefully. "Could use one of these access tunnels to slip into a back room."

   "Hmm." Lucien hummed with a frown.

   "What?" Stefan mused, giving him a look. "Worried about getting a little dirt on your thousand dollar shoes?"

   The Castle vampire gave him a glare, not trying to hide how unimpressed he was. "Actually, I'll be doing most of the heavy lifting, since the vampires we're facing are, what? Seven times your age?" He turned to Marcel and Audrey, the former sat on the stairs with his phone in his hand. "Is this really the best help we can get?" 

   "I wouldn't underestimate him, Lucien." Audrey piped up, Stefan glancing at her warily. "Salvatore's are annoyingly good at self preservation."

   "Doesn't matter." Marcel stopped the bickering before it could go further. "We're not getting their bodies back. Strix from all over the world are flying in to make sure this spell goes off. They're guarding every entrance and exit."

   Lucien made a face. "Well, you're their leader. Call a meeting. Schedule a retreat. Order them to stop."

   "Nah, nah, nah, nah." Marcel shook his head. "I do that, Aya has no problem staging a coup."

   Audrey rubbed her face with her hands, the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach only growing. The idea Mira might have to grow up without one or both of parents was becoming all too real, and it scared the hell out of her. "Marvelous." Lucien grimaced. "I guess it's on me to come up with our grand plan, then."

   "No need, Lucien." Hayley interrupted, as she and Freya walked toward them. "Freya figured out a way to get the boys out of the chamber. She just needs a strong enough power source."

   "I'd channel Finn, but he's all for letting our brother perish." Freya admitted honestly. "So, I'll channel Lucien. The older the vampire, the better the battery."

   Hayley looked at Marcel, Audrey, and Stefan. "We're going to buy her some time, keep the Strix occupied."

   Lucien scoffed and turned to Marcel. "Wait, so you want me here holding hands with the leftover sister while you take the toddlers and tackle the Strix? You must be jok--"

   Before he could finish, Freya smirked slightly and flicked her wrist, snapping his neck to Lucien's body dropped onto the couch. "Finally." Audrey mumbled, moving to stand with Freya and Hayley.

   Stefan looked amused as he looked at Freya. "Huh, that was impressive."

   The Mikaelson witch simply smiled. "Well, I work better with quiet."

   "Wait, so the plan is that the four of us are gonna keep one hundred of the world's most ancient vampires occupied?" Marcel asked Hayley, Audrey, and Stefan skeptically.

   "Well, there could be another way." Stefan began with a thoughtful look, causing them all to look at him curiously. "All you have to do is get us to the front door."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  

   To his credit, Stefan's plan was a strong one. He decided they should use his scar to their advantage, and use it to lure Rayna to the Davilla estate. Between her and then the rest of them, it would be enough to keep the Strix busy, while Freya got Klaus and Elijah out of the chambre. Marcel got them inside the estate, sneaking the three in by hiding them in the trunk of his car, which made it a long and uncomfortable journey. As Rayna kept the majority of the Strix occupied, Hayley and Audrey made their way into the pool room, where the witches were beginning the spell. 

   As they walk inside, both of them look horrified at what they see, noticing Klaus and Elijah floating in the pool which now was red with their blood. With their eyes closed, none of the witches noticed the two women, though the guards did. Exchanging a nod, the two rushed to one each, snapping their necks and dropping their bodies to the ground. Marcel quickly rushed and took care of the final guard, snapping his neck and dropping his body down, causing Davina to open her eyes.

   She looked directly at Marcel, betrayal filling her face. "Marcel!"

   "I'm sorry, D." He looked at her apologetically, before pointing toward Hayley and Audrey. "We need to get them out of that water now."

   As they nodded in agreement, a look of anger appeared in Davina's eyes, thrusting her hands toward them. "No!"  She shouted, she and the sisters throwing the three back against the wall with their magic. 

   The three fell to the ground with a groan, and the witches wasted no time, rushing to continue the spell while they were down.  "Newo unus animabus carnem et sanguinem--"

   Suddenly, Elijah jumped up in the pool and rushed toward one of the witches, pulling her into the water as he sunk his teeth into her neck. Relief filled Audrey's eyes as she pushed to her feet, as Hayley and Marcel got up beside her, watching what was happening. Despite it all, Davina and the witches desperately tried to continue the spell, though fear was clear in their faces. The second the witch he pulled under was dead, Elijah got out of the pool and snapped the neck of another witch, Hayley and Audrey following his lead and killing a witch each with ease. 

   "Davina, stop!" Marcel pleaded desperately.

   But Davina ignored him, pointing her hand out toward Klaus as she continued, the Mikaelson hybrid still unconscious in the pool. "Nemo unus animabus carnem." At that moment, Klaus's eyes snapped open and leaped out of the water at full speed, but Davina kept him frozen in the air forcefully with her spell. "You've had your time!" She shouted furiously, the lights exploding above them as she forced him back down into the pool, the force knocking the other four off of their feet. "Nemo unus animabus carnem! Nemo unus animabus carnem!"

   As Klaus screamed and thrashed in pain in the water, both Marcel and Audrey began to feel it. Their skin began to turn red and irritated, both of them gasping in pain as it burned, the redness travelling all across their bodies. 

   "Audrey." Elijah pulled her into his arms in concern, but she was unable to get any words out as she cried in pain.

   Davina waved her arms over the pool in two circular motions, causing the water to shoot upwards like geysers. The red stopped after that, Davina dropping to the ground unconscious as the spell was finished, Klaus laying still in the pool water. Hayley helped Audrey up and gave Elijah a reassuring nod, helping keep the Gilbert girl on her feet as he jumped into the pool, moving to check on his brother. 

   Slowly, the desiccation that formed disappeared from his skin, Klaus opening his eyes weakly as the wound on his throat healed. "I felt them leave." He said quietly, looking up at his brother. "My sireline is broken."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

   Audrey walked toward where Stefan was sat in the cemetery, quietly sitting down beside him. She knew he was waiting for Klaus, who was currently inside one of the tombs, taking care of Aurora once and for all. Aya was now dead too, Hayley killing her for the role that she played in Jackson's death, which they all knew was more than deserved. The only one left was Lucien, who made it clear he was on their side and seeing this prophecy gone for good. 

   "Lizzie and Josie." Stefan broke the silence after a moment, glancing at her. "Caroline and Ric, they called the girls Lizzie and Josie."

   "Lizzie..." Audrey trailed off with a small, sad smile. "After Liz." 

   "Josie after Jo." He nodded. "She's helping get him and the girls settled in Dallas, then she's going to join me on the road." He looked at her honestly. "I heard you had daughter. Congratulations."

   Audrey nodded, though she couldn't help but raise a brow at him. "You mean that?"

   Stefan let out a sigh. "Audrey--"

   "It's a fair question, Stefan." She cut him off, shaking her head. "I've been over how I feel before, how you and Damon made me feel, especially compared to Elena. And I don't know if it ever really sunk in with you, but that's not what I care about. Not anymore."

   "Then what is?" He asked, a knowing look on his face.

   Almost like he'd expected this to happen.

   "Caroline." She said with no hesitation. "She's my best friend, Stefan. She always has been, and she always will be. And I may not like you, but I am always going to support her. So if she loves you, I'm going to be happy for her." She pointed at him in warning. "But if you do anything to break her heart, I swear...Rayna Cruz will be the least of your problems."

   For the first time in all the time that they'd known each other, Stefan looked at Audrey with a look she'd never seen before. A promising look, one she knew he was going to do everything possible to keep. "I love her, Audrey." He said wholeheartedly. "I'll always do right by her."

   "Make sure you do." She nodded as she got to her feet. "Because she deserves the very best."

   He nodded and was quiet as she turned to leave, before he spoke up. "Did you read it?" He asked, making her pause in her tracks. "Elena's letter."

   "No." She admitted quietly, glancing over her shoulder at him. "Not yet."

   Stefan nodded and gave her a look. "When you do, just know...she meant everything that she said in it."

   Audrey didn't say anything to that and walked away, thinking about the letter sat on the dresser back in the compound. 

Absolution is back!

Sorry it's been a long time without an update. I've had some things with work, and getting ready to start uni again, and some other stuff going on. It's all been a lot. But this book should have regular updates for the rest of this month, and hopefully, season 3 will be finished by the end of September. 

I hope you all enjoyed!