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CHAPTER 54: GAME OVER

❝ aurora dies today. ❞

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ENOLA AND KLAUS WERE WORLDS APART. One chaos, the other—grace. A majestic angel and her devilish counterpart. One with a volatile mind, the other with a thirst for danger. Such hypnotic beings, separate from mankind. Shrouded in devotion and love, they were the modern day Bonnie and Clyde.

It was a regular morning for Enola and Klaus. While she relaxed into the armchair with a fresh cup of coffee, he was busy interrogating the chief of police. Over the balcony railing. She sighed as she flipped open the newspaper out of boredom. She had never been a morning person. She was surprised to find out that he was. So as she stayed silent most of the morning, he would normally talk her ear off about anything and everything. It was one of the things she loved most about him.

"The taxpayers of New Orleans deserve a skilled chief of police," Klaus said. "How inept are you if not a single one of your men can locate the woman we seek?"

"We are trying," The chief of police choked out. "She is a ghost."

"Aurora De Martel is rather petite and may indeed be able to slip through the cracks like a wicked little cricket, but she is not a ghost." Klaus scoffed. His look of annoyance turned to something more mischievous. "Not yet." He then leaned closer to the chief of police so as to get his point across. "I think this city's finest could try a bit harder."

"I see we are in for another normal Mikaelson breakfast," Enola turned towards the entrance of the study just as Freya entered with Elijah following close behind.

"Niklaus, for heaven's sake—release the poor creature." Elijah sighed.

Klaus smirked mischievously. He took a slow sip out of the tea cup he balanced in the other hand that wasn't preoccupied before releasing the poor creature. On the ground of the courtyard. Everyone in the room grimaced at the sound of breaking bones below.

"Ouch," Enola cringed.

"That is not what I meant," Elijah groaned.

"He will live," Klaus rolled his eyes, stepping back into the room. "And he will remember to do better."

"Is all this torture necessary?" Freya wondered.

Klaus ignored Freya completely as Marcel entered the room. While everyone else was running around like headless chickens, he had been crowned leader of the Strix. A position he wouldn't have gotten if it weren't for Elijah. And now that he has got this position, he was too busy to answer their calls.

"I was making sure that the Strix and their witches were out trying to find your loony ex-girlfriend," Marcel answered. "Is that okay by you—"

"Gentlemen, please." Elijah sighed.

"All of our heads are on the chopping block because he lost the one thing that can kill an Original," Marcel argued.

"It is not his fault that Cami was waving the white oak around like a kite, or that Aurora made a deal with one of your witches." Freya defended.

"Oh, yeah, it is." Marcel scoffed.

"I am quite capable of defending myself—thank you, Freya." Klaus spoke condescendingly. "What I cannot do is cast a spell to find Aurora. In that respect, we are alike."

"Aurora is cloaked, most likely by the very witch she killed." Freya informed. "I have been working nonstop every day."

"You have stopped now, haven't you?" Klaus pointed out. "Well, go on."

"Do you talk to our other sister like this?" Freya inquired, rendering Klaus silent. "Didn't think so."

"Freya," Elijah tried.

But it was too late. Freya had already stormed out of the room. It was silent for a long moment. And then Enola reached out, delivering a harsh smack to the back of Klaus' head for that rude behavior. There is a difference between being a villain and being a bully.

"What was that for?" Klaus frowned, rubbing the back of his head in pain.

"For being mean," Enola scoffed, turning back to the newspaper in her lap.

"What do we know about this traitor in the Strix coven?" Elijah sighed.

"Nothing," Marcel shrugged. "No one knows how Aurora got to her, no one knows where Aurora is. Our coven hit the same cloaking spell as Freya."

"Your coven?" Klaus scoffed in disbelief. "Making yourself quite comfortable with the Strix, aren't you?"

"Yeah, yeah—to help you." Marcel reminded, moving to storm off just like Freya had moments prior. He was stalled, however, by Klaus grabbing a hold of his arm.

"Any other news from your new BFFs you would like to make us aware of?" Klaus questioned.

"Niklaus," Elijah warned. "Why don't we reserve any malevolent intentions for your ex-girlfriend."

Klaus reluctantly released Marcel who immediately left with Elijah following close behind. Enola heaved a heavy sigh before tossing the newspaper back onto the coffee table. He had been more snappy than usual since his ex stole the white oak. She understood why, but now he was just acting like a dick. Especially to the people who were trying to help him.

"Good job," Enola sarcastically applauded. "Keep it up and we will have to worry about your own shadow trying to off you."

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Freya was unable to find Aurora, but Aurora was able to find Freya. Enola had gone to the bell tower to check on Freya because no one else seemed to care enough. Her worry only grew when she found the room in shambles. She searched amongst the rubble to find a silly little poem pinned to the wall. It was then she decided it was time to call in some reinforcements.

"A forest of pine. A box made so fine. Come quickly. If not, then poor Freya shall rot, buried in dirt for all time." Klaus recited out loud. "The woman is insane."

"So you have a type," Enola noted.

"Of course," Klaus grinned. "I married you, didn't I?"

"Does she have to punish us with the world's most unfortunate limerick?" Elijah complained. "Is it not enough that we are forced to play her wretched games?"

"Freya saw a vision of herself buried alive," Enola pointed out.

"Aurora will do everything in her power to bring about this miserable prophecy," Elijah seethed.

"Then why don't we stop her?" Enola hummed.

"Or," Klaus began out loud. "We could get ourselves a new witch, track Aurora down, and collect the remainder of the white oak."

"What about Freya?" Elijah questioned with a deep frown.

"What about her?" Klaus hummed nonchalantly.

"Niklaus, we cannot just leave her to rot." Elijah scoffed.

"Why not?" Klaus inquired. "We barely know her."

"And yet she has done everything for us," Enola spoke up. "You can't tell me you don't feel anything for her."

"What is there to feel?" Klaus wondered.

"Listen—you might not care about what happens to her," Enola began. "But if anything happens to her, I will never forgive you."

And Enola meant it. Freya was as much a part of this family as Klaus. He knew that. He was just preparing himself for the worst outcome. He knew that if he had to choose between saving Freya and destroying the white oak, he would destroy the white oak every time. At least that is what he told himself. He just didn't want to admit that Freya meant more to him than that. That would be like admitting he had another weakness. And he was the almighty hybrid. He wasn't allowed to have a weakness.

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Enola was able to track Freya deep into the bayou with the help of both Klaus and Elijah. Their journey was long and silent. No one wanted to voice their worries. It would be like admitting defeat. They had to believe that Aurora didn't hurt Freya. If they did, that would make it true. Right? That hopefulness only grew when they caught sight of a cabin in the distance.

"Freya is not in there," Klaus informed, tearing any trace of hopefulness away. "She was. I can smell her blood. But the stronger scent is due west."

"The both of you track the scent. I will take the cabin." Elijah decided. Enola and Klaus turned to leave only to be stopped by Elijah. "And whatever happens, you promise me—"

"Aurora dies today," Klaus finished.

"We will meet you back here," Enola waved off.

Klaus and Enola interlock fingers before walking off into the sunset. Though the walk was anything but peaceful. He kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She had been quiet—uncharacteristically so. It left him unnerved. He felt he had to say something.

"Are you—?"

"Why are you so mean to Freya?" Enola blurted. Klaus paused. "She has done nothing but save this family time and time again. She deserves better than backhanded compliments and snarky responses."

"Look—I admit that I have been harsh." Klaus noted. "But how well do we really know her?"

"I know her well enough to know she has never given up on me," Enola shot back. "She was the one who brought Hope to me every full moon for six months."

"Yeah, because you wouldn't speak to anyone else." Klaus pointed out.

"And with good reason," Enola argued. "She is the one who tried to find me. She is the only one who tried to save me. The rest of you kidnapped me and then cursed me."

That really put things into perspective for Klaus. Freya had been there for Enola when he couldn't. This whole thing with the prophecy had made him doubt everyone at some point. But he found himself feeling somewhat guilty for how mean he had been to Freya—the one person who he had no reason to doubt anymore. He went to speak when they were suddenly halted by a freshly dug grave with a single vervain flower sticking out as some sort of grave marker.

"There is no way Aurora would make it that easy," Enola frowned.

"You would be correct," Klaus nodded.

Enola turned to Klaus in confusion. His gaze was set on a clearing full of freshly dug graves. Each and every single one of them had a vervain plant as a grave marker. She couldn't say that she was surprised. Aurora loved making everything hard for them.

"You have got to be kidding me," Enola groaned.

"Afraid not, love." Klaus sighed. "I will start over there."

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Meanwhile, Elijah and Aurora faced off in the cabin. He had spotted a blueprint for wooden bullets. He was less than surprised when she stepped out into the open with a revolver pointed at his chest. She circled him like a predator stalking its prey. It would have almost been poetic if he thought she would actually pull the trigger. But he knew he had a bit more time to taunt her until then.

"There it is—that look. I know it all too well. You think that I am somehow responsible for your little breakup. How adorably delusional of you, Aurora. You do realize that you are utterly insane?" Elijah chose each word meticulously. "Niklaus can be resilient, but there is only so much madness even he can take. I suppose, eventually, he was able to distinguish between real love and some petty desire. Once he had discarded you, the veil was lifted and all that remained was something quite pathetic."

Elijah took a step forward for each dangerous word spoken before lunging for the gun. Aurora was on the brink of a melt down at the harshness but snapped out of it just in time. When he attempted to steal the gun away, she tightened her grip and forced it deeper into his chest as if warning him not to take another step forward.

"The veil was most definitely lifted. Love is nothing but a trap. The one truth you speak, the one thing I agree with entirely, is that only the love of family is unbreakable. It is the only love worth fighting for." Aurora declared. "And my beloved brother, Tristan, suffers in a box at the bottom of the ocean. He is cursed to drown over and over again, unable to die. So I will end his suffering by ending you—his sire." She smiled manically. "And the look on Niklaus' face as a white oak bullet pierces your heart and takes away your life will be the salve for my own broken heart."

It was then that the door to the cabin nearly swung off its hinges as Enola stumbled through with Klaus and Freya. Aurora immediately tensed as Elijah took a step in front of the newcomers in an attempt to protect them from the crazy gun wielding maniac.

"Stop this," Klaus demanded.

"Why?" Aurora questioned. "One brother's life to end another brother's torment? It is almost poetic."

"The bullets," Elijah informed. "They are white oak."

"We both know you're not going to pull the trigger," Klaus scoffed.

Klaus stood beside Elijah while Enola stood in the doorway with Freya. Aurora must have felt so alone and angry. She was the only one who had no one to lean on. Her brother drowned at sea and the only way to end his pain was to end his sire. In this moment, she realized she wasn't doing this out of spite to the Mikaelsons. She was doing this out of love to her brother. She didn't give a damn about what happened to the rest of them.

"Yet again, you are wrong." Aurora smirked.

Aurora pulled the trigger. The bullet ripped through the air, ready to embed itself into Elijah. And it would have if it wasn't for Freya changing its trajectory with a little magic. She harshly coughed at the strain it left on her body before toppling over. Aurora used this distraction to escape.

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Enola and Klaus along with Freya and Elijah returned to complete and utter chaos. Hayley had spent the day teaching Camille how to fight when the Strix coven made an appearance. They knocked Camille unconscious before attempting to kill Hayley. And they probably would have if it wasn't for Marcel showing up to save the day. It was always hard to tell which side he was on, but this made it clear that his loyalties did not lie with the Strix.

"The attack was about breaking the sire link," Hayley informed. "Marcel told me that the Strix witches already have a spell to do it."

"And how does your heart fit into all of this?" Klaus questioned.

"Well, Enola is the only unsired hybrid and I am sired by her." Hayley shrugged. "Apparently that is the key to making it work."

"Then why not go after Enola?" Elijah inquired.

"She was with you," Hayley pointed out.

"Marcel neglected to mention it this morning," Klaus seethed quietly.

"Hey, ease up." Hayley warned. "He saved me."

"But the Strix might yet come for either one of you," Elijah continued.

"Let them," Hayley scoffed. "We are not easy targets. They would be better off trying to find some witchy workaround."

"Unless they already have," Enola muttered.

"They would need your heart," Hayley noted. "Or one that was identical to it."

None of this made any sense to Enola. Why would they go after Hayley when Enola was the unsired hybrid? And then she realized. The unification ceremony. Every werewolf who was in attendance, every werewolf who called her alpha, every werewolf who shared her ability, had a heart that now mirrored hers. It was a part of the ceremony—to become one with the alpha.

That explains why they went after Hayley. She was an easier target. This, however, meant that any werewolf who was a part of the crescent pack would work. But with every other crescent werewolf in the wind, that only left three people with an identical heart who could break the sire link—Enola, Klaus, and Hayley. Unless they found another heart. A heart that has already been torn from the chest of its owner. A heart that could ruin them all.

"Jackson,"

But it was far too late. The heart had already been dug up from its grave. This gave the Strix unlimited power. Because if they got their hands on any original, it was game over.

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AUTHORS NOTE.
i wrote the wedding between klaus and enola and totally forgot about the whole heart thing. i had to compromise. i hope this made sense. until next time, my loves!!!