a/n: thank you for 1k votes. keeping commenting and votes guys <3

WARNINGS: LIGHT SMUT, ABUSE, TRAUMA, BLOOD AND VIOLENCE

┌─────── •✦• ───────┐

Monday, December 26th, 1917:

"NIK stop."

"I'm doing anything," He teased, trailing his fingers over her aching stomach, Adrienne whimpered at his touch.

"You know what you're doing," she breathed out as he pressed his palm against her, causing her to moan, much to his satisfaction and pleasure.

"You feel that don't you?" He said, applying more pressure, smirking when her eyes fluttered shut.

"I d-do," she grabbed his wrist, needing him to stop or neither of them would leave his chamber of sins.

Klaus kept teasing her, aware that the events that took place last night still lingered throughout her body. Her thighs ached, as well as her back, legs and stomach. She still felt him inside of her and the fact he kept teasing her made matters worse.

"Do you really want me to stop?" He whispered in his morning voice, ducking his head down and nipping her ear.

"If you don't then we won't leave this room."

"You say that as if it were a bad thing," His eyes raked over her body. It was covered by his dress shirt and he fought the urge to rip it off.

Klaus felt a sense of pride whenever she wore his clothing. And now his pride skyrocketed knowing that he was the one to take her virtue... over and over and over again.

"It is because I need to go home," She reluctantly slapped his hand away, making him frown.

Adrienne had this strange feeling in her gut and it wasn't because of her lover, well it was, but it was something else entirely. Something she couldn't put her finger on.

"Stay a little longer," his eyes narrowed onto the many dark marks on her skin. His tongue ran over his teeth, recalling the blissful feeling of drinking from her.

Klaus wanted to spend the rest of his days buried inside Adrienne, whilst confessing his love repeatedly...

"No."

"I don't think you should go home with bite marks on your body," Klaus spoke lowly, as his eyes darkened, "you don't want your dear old daddy seeing those," his hand travelled up and down her sides, before he grabbed her and pulled her into his lap, she winced at the abrupt movement.

"Then heal me," she pouted, "After all I've already tasted Kol's blood," she smiled innocently when he scowled and smack her behind.

"Don't say his name."

Adrienne snaked her arms around his neck, "Then make me scream yours again," she gripped the curls on the back of his neck, he let out a pleasurable grunt.

He wanted to take her there and then, but he needed to heal her, not wanting her to pass out from blood loss.

Arousal dripped between her thighs and onto his when his eyes flashed golden as his fangs retracted. He bit down into his wrist.

He held it out for her and she took it without hesitation.

As she started consuming his blood, he succumbed to his temptation and bit into her neck, they both moaned loudly.

Their bond only grew, their spirits seemed to entwine and dance amongst the other in a gentle, yet passion-fueled battle.

Adrienne quickly realised why Klaus had been so furious about blood sharing, it was intimate and she would despise it if he were to do this with anyone besides her.

She rocked back and forth on his sheet-covered shaft, making Klaus stop feeding off of her and flipped her over, she squealed when he settled between her legs.

Blood dripped from their lips, coating their mouths.

Adrienne boldly grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down, she licked up the crimson secretion, before he captured her tongue in a sloppy yet passionate kiss.

She felt his tip swipe against her core, making her moan into his mouth, "If you want to be out of here soon, I'll have to make this quick," he promised darkly then thrust into her.

Cries of pleasure immediately bounced off the walls of his room.

─────── •✦• ───────

"I need to go," Adrienne pulled away from Klaus' hold after eating her breakfast. She had already bathed and gotten changed in some of the clothes he had kept in his room for her.

She was irritated by the smirk that sat on Klaus's lips whenever she struggled to walk, she wanted to wipe it off his face but she couldn't help but laugh when she tripped on multiple occasions.

Klaus scrunched up his face, "You don't." he took a step closer to her, his chest was covered by a thin undershirt, she desperately wanted to rip off, "Rebekah is sleeping, Elijah is supposedly out on business," he and the rest of his family knew he was meeting with a certain witch, "and as of Kol, he's no doubt conspiring against me."

"Or tormenting the locals."

"As long as he is nowhere near you, I couldn't care less," he spoke promisingly, cupping her face, "Don't go."

His tone sounded vulnerable, and Adrienne couldn't help but swoon.

Three words rested on the tip of her tongue, but she was terrified to say them. Three special and powerful words that would change everything. She was scared that he wouldn't say them back, so she sadly and reluctantly kept them to herself.

Adrienne awkwardly cleared her throat, "I'll be back later I just need to go home and talk to Deon about some family things," she said quietly and her brows knitted together at the thought.

"What's wrong?" he caught the panic flashing across her face, his thumbs trailing over her cheeks, calming her erratic heartbeat, "Did I hurt you?" he asked referencing last night and this morning, guilt threatened to take over his mind.

"Yes," she admitted slowly, making him swallow harshly, "but I liked it" she grinned.

Klaus raised a brow, "Really?" he honestly thought he had been too rough with her, scared that it had potentially ripped her in half. He had to hold back or she would be in more discomfort than she already was.

But Adrienne's face glowed, it shone like a star from above reached down and kissed her, breathing out its last dying breath and letting its light take over her.

She was a new woman.

"Obviously," she stated with a smirk.

There was a prolonged pause in which they both stared at each other, his in cautiousness and her in mild concern.

"Nik?" she questioned, wrapping her arms around his waist, senselessly bringing him closer to her.

"I will never hurt you," he promised with all the sincerity in the world. Their eyes glossed over.

"That's a big promise," she whispered staring up at him.

"I will never hurt you." Klaus repeated with even more conviction, "You've captured my heart, ripped it from its cage and it's forever in your hands now," he settled her shaky hand on his chest.

His heart had been beating faster ever since he had officially seen her for the first time on her eighteenth birthday. Hadeon had introduced them, but their first union had been cut short by her late mother, as she didn't want her only daughter mixing in with the likes of him.

Ever since their second date, he had dreamt of them moving to France, residing there for the near future, without a care in the world.

Just two devils dancing amongst saints.

Adrienne huffed out a chuckle, "No pressure huh?"

He smiled widely, "Well that depends." he brought his forehead down, so it touched hers.

"On?"

"Do I have yours?" he questioned quietly, scared that he wouldn't like her response.

She let out a shaky breath, "Annoyingly, you do."

Klaus had captured her heart in many different ways, some she couldn't comprehend, but she was happy nevertheless.

"Well, that's all I could ever ask for," a single tear trickled down Klaus's face as his smile broadened and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, "I need you to know something," he nervously mumbled, they both knew what he was about to say, "I lov-" he was cut off when the loud sound of the double doors of the courtyard swung open, "bloody hell," he cursed.

But soon both of their eyes widened when they saw Hadeon run into the courtyard, with a black and swollen eye. He was panting, seemingly scared of what had been chasing him throughout the city.

"Deon, what's wrong?" Adrienne hastily stepped around her lover, and when she reached her brother she softly grabbed his face.

"It's dad," he croaked out, pain ran through his body, bruises had already formed beneath his shirt.

The faint smell of blood kissed Klaus' nostrils, he went to join the siblings but was blasted back by an invisible force, groaning as his back hit one of the pillars of the compound and his neck was instantly snapped.

Hadeon was quick to pull his sister behind him, before she could go and aid Klaus, "He knows." he whispered and suddenly the entire mansion shook.

The Lumière siblings were pulled apart the moment Erebus stalked into the room and stepped over the desiccating vampires that guarded the grounds.

His bleak black eyes loomed over the room, his hands were raised as he held his son up in the air, causing Hadeon to cry out in pain.

"Dad stop." Adrienne struggled to get up from the ground, her face full of horror as she watched her brother hover in the air, "Dad." Adrienne's screams caused Rebekah to be awoken from her slumber and speed downstairs, in nothing but her nightwear.

The blonde original glared at the Lumière patriach and was seconds away from attacking him but all it took was a snap of his fingers and she was knocked into unconsciousness alongside Klaus.

"He thinks I killed your mother." Hadeon groaned out, trying to fight against his father, but he had beaten him senseless, leaving him too frail to even try.

"Because you did, admit it!" Erebus roared, coiling his hands, causing a scream to erupt from his son's lips.

All he saw was someone who took his love away. Rage and fury coursed through his viens and blinded him, separating him from the father role he once played.

Adrienne groaned as she fought against her father's magic, "He didn't." she managed to pull herself up from the ground and her eyes flickered black.

"I overheard you talking about the broach!" he yelled, his eyes burned into his son's if he could even call him that anymore, he believed that he found the author for his pain and torment, so he was willing to go to the lengths, to avenge Keyara, "Just admit it."

As he yelled, the foundation of the abattoir cracked, feeling the impact of his misery and heartache.

"It wasn't him!"

"Stop protecting him!" He snapped, glancing at his daughter, who had begun chanting under her breath, forcing her brother down, much to Erebus' betrayal.

Hadeon gasped for breath when he landed roughly on his back, causing him to choke up some blood. Adrienne quickly ran over, crouching in front of him, needing to protect him from her father's rage.

She raised her hand, stopping the magic from colliding with them, "I promise I'm not," she said but he didn't believe her.

"He killed the love of my life." his voice boomed around the room, sounding more demonic with each step he took.

She shook her head, guilt took over her face, "No, he didn't!" she screamed.

He tilted his head to the side, "And how would you know?" images of his wife burnt corpsed flashed through his mind, inflicting terror on his psyche.

Adrienne heard her brother telling her to stop, but she ignored him, she gulped nervously and stared into her father's vengeful eyes, knowing that what she was about to say would change everything for the worse, "Because it was me..." she shakily yelled, making Erebus stagger back, "I killed her."

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Sunday, September 25th, 1917:

Adrienne shot up in her bed, having felt a dark figure looming near her bed, she jumped back when she saw her mother standing menacingly in the corner of the room.

Keyara held a candle that lit up the callous expression on her face. The door was ajar, however she didn't care, despite being aware that her husband was waiting for her presence at their favourite restaurant in the city.

"Mother?"

"The moment I birthed you, I became weak, you are the bane of my existence." bitterness dripped from her tongue.

Keyara had resented her child since the day she was born, wishing that she had killed Adrienne from the moment she heard that she was pregnant. But she couldn't, she saw the glee on her husband's face, so she had to have the first legitimate Lumière child of this generation.

Throughout her pregnancy, she believed she was getting weaker and in turn, her body was draining. Her power felt non-existent. Despite being constantly told that her energy would return after she gave birth, she didn't care, Keyara resented her daughter. Perhaps it was due to how her grandmother treated her mother, therefore the neglectful and abusive gene that was passed on. Pregnancy was a disease in her family, that Keyara caught and subsequently suffered from, leaving all the female witches to believe they were weaker as a result.

Adrienne rubbed at her eyes, believing this to be a dream, but how could she be so wrong, "Why are you-"

"I despise you with every bone of my body. My aching body." Keyara hissed, stomping over to her daughter, grabbing her face, grinning at the terror in her eyes, "the magic coursing through your dirt-riddled viens belongs to me. I want it back."

"Get off me!" Adrienne got out of her mother's hold. She fell out of her bed, after getting away. Her chest heaved up and down in fright.

Keyara glared at the younger witch and raised her hand to inflict a burn on her arm.

Adrienne screamed out in pain.

She had experienced her mother's anger before, whether it was through a slap, smack or beating. But Keyara was quick to heal her child with magic, not wanting to expose the abuse going on within the walls of their home, wanting to keep up her innocent facade in front of her husband. Especially around him, worried that they would separate if he were to discover the verbal and physical abuse she inflicted on Adrienne.

Keyara wouldn't allow a divorce to take place, she didn't want to end up a spinster and certainly not because of the wretched bitch she had for a daughter.

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"You're wrong, she would never hurt you!" Erebus yelled, having enough of his daughter's supposed lies.

"Like you wouldn't hurt Deon," she snapped, glancing down at her brother, she cast a protection spell on him, whilst her father paced back and forth, taking his anger out on the objects that surrounded him.

He hurled the nearest vase across the room, it broke and scattered over the floor, almost hitting his children, if Adrienne hadn't been actively using her magic.

She stared at him in shock.

"He killed my wife," Erebus jabbed a finger in his son's direction, not wanting to believe what she had told him.

After all, why on earth would Adrienne kill her own mother?

Keyara was the nicest and gentlest person in his life, she wouldn't raise a hand to her child.

Adrienne glared up at her father and helped her brother off the ground, "I killed her," she hissed in his direction, "She was trying to kill me so I killed her."

Erebus couldn't buy her excuse let alone what she was saying, "Don't lie!"

"With the help of Marie," she added, stunning him, "Hadeon only helped to protect me," she took a protective stance in front of her woozy feeling brother.

She hated that she dragged Hadeon into this, believing that she should've bared the guilt alone, but he wouldn't allow that.

After all, her sins are his.

Erebus laughed humourlessly once he digested the information, his children inched backwards, scared that he would attack again. To outsiders, it would seem that they were only powerless children, fearing their father's rage and truthfully that's what they felt like.

"Marie is a bitch and a treacherous whore." Erebus clenched his fist, his nails sliced his skin, so hard that his palms turned bloody, mixing in with his son's dried-up blood.

Hadeon blinked slowly, trying to overcome his vicious chest pain, "She-"

"Now do you see why I kept her from you after all these years?" Erebus blurted out angrily, cursing the room to shudder.

His words caused his children to stare up at him, their lips parted and mouths were gaping.

"What are you talking about?" Hadeon asked; pain-ridden and exhausted, after a moment's silence.

His father's infuriated gaze settled on him.

"She's your mother."

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"Keyara's planning something tonight," Hadeon breathed out, the moment Marie opened her door and allowed him to step inside.

"And how is that my business?" Marie asked, cocking her head to the side, eyeing the young witch, "I don't get involved with your family, not anymore."

He laughed bitterly, then spun on his feet, coming to stand directly in front of her, towering over her small physique.

Marie quirked up a brow, entertained by him attempting to intimidate her. She wasn't phased in the slightest.

She only grinned up at him, waiting for his response.

He narrowed his brown eyes into hers, clenching his jaw, not finding the situation amusing at all, "Then why did you want to see, my sister and me?" he asked quietly, his gaze darted over her now annoyed expression, "You've been speaking to us for weeks."

The three had met up in secret, away from curious eyes and ensuring that they were not followed.

Unfortunately, Keyara did suspect something was odd with her daughter and stepson, suspecting that they might've been conspiring against her.

Although she is the Queen of the witches, she didn't have the same type of power as the Voodoo Queen.

Marie huffed, "Can I not make friends?"

Hadeon took a step back and shook his head, "I shouldn't have come," he only wanted more protection for his sister, he didn't come to play games, "This was a waste of time," he motioned between them, causing Marie to straighten up, "my sister needs me and I don't need whatever mentor you think you are." he scoffed bitterly and went to leave but she grabbed onto his hand.

"Don't speak to me that way," she said seriously.

He roughly pulled out her grip, "Then help me."

They were both startled by the thunder that appeared in the sky, after noting that there was not one cloud in the sky.

"Adrienne," and with that, Hadeon ran out of the house without hesitation, followed by Marie her picking up her dress and running after him.

─────── •✦• ───────

Hadeon stood in shock, he felt his heart ache at the thought of being so close to a woman he believed was just an acquaintance, but was his biological mother.

His birth mother then never got to raise him.

"How could you keep this from me?" he asked, trying to hold back his tears.

"How could you plot to kill my wife?" Erebus snapped, making Adrienne jump slightly.

The young Queen wanted to say she was as shocked by the news as her brother, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She was aware that Marie had a relationship with her father, but she didn't know how deep their 'bond' ran. All she felt was pity for Hadeon.

"Keyara was hurting my sister, your daughter and you still defend her," Hadeon yelled. He didn't feel the tear that escaped his eye.

Erebus eyed his children in disgust, "Because she was my wife and you took her from me."

The compound rocked again, causing pieces of it to fall and narrowly avoid them all including the Mikealson siblings who had yet to wake up.

Hadeon pulled his sister back, mustering up the strength to walk around her, his eyes burned with fury as he stared directly at his father, "And you took away my chance to have a healthy motherly figure for twenty-one years!"

"Yet you met up with her in secret!"

"Because you have no authority over me!"

Their yelling grew louder and louder each time they spoke.

"I am your father," Erebus's eyes flickered to black, as did Hadeon's.

Hadeon laughed bitterly, "Yet you raise a hand to me because I defended your daughter," he couldn't believe that his father didn't comprehend his own actions, "who was only defending herself."

An eerie silence overtook them all, the Lumières seemed heartbroken and betrayed, pointing the finger at each other, willing to inflict more pain than they had all collectively experienced in the last couple of months.

Adrienne felt defeated, Hadeon felt abused, whilst Erebus felt nothing but pain.

"Wretched. The both of you," he said in disdain, eyes darting between them.

It was Adrienne's turn to speak up, "You don't even know the full story, your wife was much more wretched than us."

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"You lying bitch," Keyara slapped her daughter across the face.

Her anger was evident. She was out for blood and she wouldn't let anything get in her way.

"Stop!" Adrienne screamed as she fell backwards, she tried crawling away, but her mother caught her leg and dragged her towards her, "please stop."

"You took so much from me," Keyara sneered, striking her again, blood mixed in with Adrienne's tears, "you took my power and my youth, so now I'll take yours."

She craved the same power she once felt and she would feel no remorse if she had to slit her daughter's throat to obtain it again.

Adrienne kicked her mother in the chest, succeeding in knocking her to the ground. Adrienne ran out of the house, stumbling over, pulling up her nightgown so she wouldn't fall.

"Come back here you bitch!" She heard her mother shriek, but she kept on running.

Adrienne ran as fast as she could, her dress was ripped and her knees were scraped. She entered the quarter with tears that stained her cheeks and blurred her vision, so she didn't even know what she stumbled into.

No one was around, the streets on this side of the city seemed to be vacant almost like she was destined to be isolated. Thunder continued to crack in the sky, sending white rays throughout the town, striking down on anything in its way, even going so far as to trail after the young Lumière girl.

Adrienne knew it was her mothers doing.

She let out a shaky breath as she stared up at the stakes that were bound to the centre of the city. She had to escape. She couldn't let her mother get to her, she had to keep going but it felt like he feet couldn't move.

Her body froze. Thunder may have flashed in the night sky may have flashed, but she still couldn't see a thing.

Her cries grew louder as she felt magic inflict more pain. She was helpless and alone. Something she never wanted to be.

There was no one to help her, to save her from this torture. Not even her brother. Oh, she needed him.

She didn't even know where her father was.

"Please, stop," she begged as her mother continued to inflict pain on her fragile body.

"You made me weak Adrienne, you're a weak girl," Keyara spat and her hand scrunched into a fist, making a scream tear from the younger witch's throat.

"Mother please!"

Suddenly Adrienne was bound to the stakes.

"Hadeon ain't even my child and I loved him more than you," Keyara sneered as she neared her child.

"No!" Adrienne shook her head as her mother's eyes turned black.

But before Keyara could chant the spell, Hadeon appeared next to her. His anger was apparent, he broke Adrienne's bind and then held his hand out, replacing his stepmother where his sister used to be.

"No!" Keyara screamed, and thrashed around, trying to escape his magic, but she couldn't. he seemed too strong.

Stronger than she realised.

"Hadeon no!" she screamed when she realised that her plan had backfired, "Please my child help me."

"You mean nothing to me!" he screamed, "You aren't my mother." he eyed her in disgust, then checked over his mentally and physically drained sister. He felt immense guilt for not finding her sooner.

"Yes, I am!"

"No, honey you ain't," a familiar voice stepped beside him, revealing herself to the broken family.

Marie Laveau grinned as she saw the Lumière matriarch thrash around.

"You," Keyara hissed, still attempting to free herself from the binds, wanting to attack the Voodoo Queen, "stay away from my children!"

"A mother ain't suppose to harm their child," Marie tutted, then held her hands out, Hadeon joined her as vines grew around the witch Queen.

Wrapping around her throat and restricting her airflow.

Marie rarely performed 'grey' magic, due to Voodoo being her speciality as well as her religion, but when push came to shove, she'll prioritise the Lumière children.

"Adrienne you can't let them do this to me," Keyara coughed out, "I'm your mother."

"Don't," Adrienne shook her head and inched closer to the bitter Queen, "you have never acted like my mother," she raised her hand, mirroring her brother and Marie Laveau, "slapping me around, berating and chastising me for just breathing isn't exactly maternal traits."

"You're a monster!"

Adrienne stared at her, with nothing but emptiness in her eyes, before they faded black, "Well I guess I am my mother's daughter."

"No!"

Adrienne shakily uttered the spell, "Incendia!" flames slowly began to burn the Queen, her screams shook the city, stopping the clapping thunder from up above.

The screams that ripped through Keyara's throat didn't bring Adrienne joy or happiness, only more trauma that would follow her around like a gloomy cloud on a rainy day.

Like an itch, she couldn't scratch.

Adrienne might've gotten rid of one monster in her life, but only more would come.

Hadeon didn't bother to grin, he didn't know what to feel. But he was glad that his sister was no longer in the grasp of her terrible mother.

The siblings stood, hand in hand, their eyes returning to their natural colour, watching alongside Marie as Keyara's screams died down and the flesh melted from her bones.

Adrienne turned to the Voodoo Queen as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "Thank you."

Marie waved her off, staring directly into the blazing fire, watching as a red broach cascaded over the witch and rolled onto the floor.

Hadeon was quick to pick up the heated object with a handkerchief and tucked it into his pocket before it could burn him. He needed to find a way to destroy this before his father would discover it.

And that was another issue they know to think about. What would they say to their father? How would they cover this up?

"Thank you," Adrienne glanced up at her brother and squeezed his hand tighter.

"Your sins are my sins, sister."

"Your sins are my sins."

─────── •✦• ───────

Erebus took a few steps back from his children, running his hands over his face in complete distress and disbelief from what said.

He couldn't even look at them as he started to speak, "So you watched as I bawled my eyes out every day and night, screaming for your mother to return to me, be in my arms for one more day when it was the two of you who took her from me," his voice cracked and chest tightened, whilst Adrienne and Hadeon watched him in despair, "oh I'm sorry, it was Adrienne who delivered the final blow," Erebus flung his hands out in her direction, "you treacherous bitch." he spat.

Adrienne covered her mouth as the sobs ripped from her throat.

Hadeon gritted his teeth and managed to maintain his protective stance in front of her, "Don't you dare speak to her like that," he said darkly.

He couldn't understand after all they told him, that he would still side with a woman that caused his second-born nothing but trouble.

How could his love for her be stronger than the harsh truth?

And the cherry on top of the bitter cake was that Erebus could still blame his daughter just because she was defending herself.

Adrienne tried speaking through her sobs, "Dad-"

"Don't you dare," Erebus held his hand up, silencing her, "I have raised you, nurtured you-"

"Beat me." Hadeon added resentfully, but it only went ignored.

"- I had turned you both into something great, something that many people respect in this city despite what we look like," Erebus gesticulated as he paced back and forth, "Just for you to throw it back in my face by ripping out my heart," he croaked out, pointing to the chest, then stared at his daughter, who only mirrored his expression, which only hurt him more, "I cried to you, cried and told you how much I missed your mother. How much I struggled to leave my bed because I couldn't stomach the thought of her not being with me."

All those nights where he would force himself to leave his room, let alone the house was because he believed his wife gave him the strength to do that beyond the grave.

His love was murdered by the two people that not only shared his blood, his last name and legacy as well.

"And how do you keep forgetting what she has done to Adri?" Hadeon yelled, he was tired of repeating himself. As much as he appreciates what his father has done for their family, he couldn't stop defending his sister. He would never, "She was not the woman you thought she was." he said, sounding more desperate than angry.

Erebus shook his head, "No, she-"

"Was so much worse," Adrienne murmured, her arm occasionally burned due to the dark magic her mother inflicted on her.

"I didn't know, I didn't believe she could ever lay a hand on you."

"She must've passed that trait to you dad," Hadeon gritted out, spitefully.

Erebus bowed his head in shame, and stared at his bloody hands, which trembled with remorse, "We were meant to go on a date," he remembered the night he was getting ready for their date. The night she didn't meet him at the restaurant. The night he found her dead and immediately assumed that the witch hunters were the culprits. The night he realised his heart would never be whole again, "We were meant to be happy, we were happy."

"Your love for her blinded you from the truth."

Erebus slowly rose his head, staring directly into his son's eyes, "I loved her." he swallowed harshly, then turned to his daughter, "I still love her."

"And now she was rightfully dead," Hadeon muttered, causing his father's heart to break even more.

Adrienne's lip quivered, "It was either kill or be killed, I did what I had to do to survive. You can't blame me for that."

His eyes darkened again, "I can."

"She was trying to kill me," Adrienne stressed.

"Perhaps she should've," he challenged.

His words caused them all to freeze. Time hung suspended around the family as Erebus' gaze turned away from his children, coming to terms with the verbal wreckage he caused.

Adrienne felt like she couldn't breathe, she tried to convince herself that she heard wrong, trying to believe that he misspoke, but the blank expression that etched its way across her father's face told her all she needed to know.

Hadeon forced himself to not charge at Erebus, knowing his sister would need him more than ever, despite the rage that rang through his injured body.

"If she had succeeded, perhaps, you wouldn't have whored yourself out to that abomination," Erebus nodded to the unconscious hybrid as his words flew out faster than he could think them up because his mind was running overdrive.

Adrienne choked back her tears, "No," her voice trembled.

Hadeon angrily wiped away his tears, "How dare-"

Erebus didn't allow him to speak, as he was too busy hammering the final nail in his vengeful coffin, "I blame the both of you. To hell with you, you are dead to me."

And with his final proclamation, the Lumière siblings broke down, clutching onto each other, staring pleadingly at their father.

But he was silent.

Erebus begrudgingly pulled his eyes away from his now crying children, attempting to ignore their sobs as he staggered away and out of the compound.

He couldn't stay, not near them, no matter how much he loved them.

Adrienne screamed for her father whilst crying in her brother's arms. They both sunk to the wrecked floor.

Rebekah and Klaus groaned as woke from their unconsciousness, rising from the ground and rolling their shoulders back as they blinked back the darkness that they were once shrouded by.

They quickly snapped out of their haze and immediately turned to the sound of Adrienne's wails and Hadeon's distress, and appeared next to them in an instant.

The Mikelsons looked to Hadeon for an answer, but he was still in shock.

Adrienne didn't even feel them embrace her, she couldn't see them, she didn't want to, her eyes were still on the door that their father stepped out of.

But what the Lumières failed to realise was that although they had lost a father, they had gained a new family.

But was that enough?

The Mikaelsons turned to the door, hearing their siblings hastily walk through and coming face to face with the chaotic sight.

Elijah stared at the scene in sympathy for the crying witches, despite being unaware of what took place, whereas Kol's brows furrowed in confusion, therefore uttering,

"What the bloody hell happened?"

└─────── •✦• ───────┘

END OF ACT ONE

a/n:

i hope you all have enjoyed this act. i have loved writing it.

thoughts on the ending/ many reveals? anyone confused?

any predictions/theories for act two? like any future relationships that could blossom or fall apart. a small hint, the big theme of act two will revolve around betrayal (for many characters.)

also another small spoiler, there will be at least three new characters, that have ties to canon characters, one of which is a specific type of witch. as well as this you might see an infamous troublemaker interact with adri, but who could that be?

since i am starting my second year at uni, it might take me a while to start writing for this book, not too long, but i will be busy. those who know me, know that i like to write an entire act/ season before i start publishing. for this act alone, it was around 70k words and that takes a lot out of a person, especially writing a period piece. don't worry i have planned this entire book, so expect an emotional rollercoaster and many tears to fall (both happy and sad).

for my loyal readers/ followers, you know that i love putting my oc's through hell, so just think about that.

i have made trailers/ edits for this book and my others as well, so you might catch a few spoilers there. you either talk to me through tiktok or on here. follow me to get updates about when I post or when I will start writing again.

thank you for the support guys and bye for now sirens.

- liv