𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 42

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Annalise walked back into the courtyard with a cup of tea and approached Francis who's taken back at the sight of werewolves.

"Earl grey." she smiled down at him. Francis glanced up at the heretic and softly smiled taking the cup of tea from her, "You remembered."

Anna let out a chuckle, "It was the only thing you ever drank other than blood."

The witch amusingly grinned before turning to glance at the herd of wolves that were currently listening to Hayley speak.

"Since when did vampires and werewolves get along? Last I remembered whenever we even saw each other it became a bloody mess." Francis questioned as he sipped his tea. Annalise took a seat next to him and pursed her lips, "Well, we're currently in a war. These wolves are the one who didn't align with the witch's and the vampires were banished into the Algiers. Only vampire allowed in the French Quarter is Elijah. The rest are witch's, wolves, and half breeds."

The witch turned to glance at her, "Half breeds?"

Anna nodded and gestured over to Hayley, "She's a hybrid, half vampire, half wolf. As is Klaus. I'm a heretic, half vampire, half witch."

Francis frowned at the mention of heretic, "It's my fault you were turned."

Anna turned her attention over to her ex lover and firmly shook her head, "No. It was not your fault, it was my coven's."

Francis harshly scoffed, "I let my guard down and because of it they used my blood to turn you. How can you say it wasn't my fault?"

Annalise moved her gaze to the ground. "If anything, it was mine. I knew the risks I was putting each of us into. I witnessed a fellow friend of mine get hanged because she held a conversation with a vampire. I knew, and yet I was daft and naive and continued to see you. You died because of me."

Francis gently placed his hand on the girl's knee. "I knew the consequences, too. I didn't care, as long as I got to be with you, I didn't give a damn about what could have happened to me."

Anna's gaze moved up and she surveyed his dark eyes, "They tortured you. Then, they made me watch. I-I had never seen such a gruesome scene."

"Then you were taken away for the experiment. I could have fought harder." Francis' face went slack with sadness.

"There was nothing we could have done. We made our choice that day in the woods where you first kissed and asked to court me." Anna sadly frowned. Francis' eyes lit up at the mention of the memory, "Still the happiest day of my life."

Anna tore her gaze away from him, "I'm sorry you're being dragged into my mess once again."

Francis shook his head, "Do not apologize."

The two past lovers gazed into each others eyes when Elijah strutted into the courtyard, his determination faltered as he glanced at his soulmate and the witch.

Anna cleared her throat and stood up from her place, she glanced up to see Elijah already watching her. The heretic's lips parted as she saw the sadness in his gaze.

The vampire shook his head and headed towards Hayley, "Where's my brother?"

The hybrid turned towards the original, "I'll check his calendar... Wait, no. Not his wife, so..." she simply shrugged. Elijah groaned as he was already irritated, "Hayley, this city is under siege by an army of beasts following my deranged mother's every command. Now, considering it was your people who just declared war on my kind, now's not the best time for your particular brand of sass."

Anna's attention turned towards the two speaking across the room.

"Klaus left a while ago. If you want to find him, I can't help you. If only there was a magical device that people used to call people? I don't know, I'm out of ideas. Good luck."

She turned to walk away but stopped for a moment to tell the Mikaelson one last thing, "Oh! One more thing, Elijah- those 'beasts' that you're referring to? They may be under Esther's control, but, like you said, they're my people. So, if you hurt them, your bitch mother will be the least of your problems."

Francis pursed his lips, "What a civilized family."

Anna turned to glance at the witch and raised a brow.

"Right, apologies."

Elijah muttered a foul curse before turning to glance to at the two who seemed to be already watching him, "Anna, if you see my brother, do let him know I am in search of him." the vampire walked past the two and didn't bother to acknowledge the other male.

Francis watched the original walk out the compound once more, "What's his problem?"

Anna sighed, "Bloody hell."

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Annalise was currently going through her grimoire with Francis reading over her shoulder when Hayley waltzed in with a wolf accompanying her, Aiden.

"Anna, I was wondering if you would join us to go meet the vampires." the hybrid politely questioned.

Annalise lifted her gaze from the book in front of her and raised a brow, "And what, may I ask, do you need from the vampires?"

"Elijah's in Marcel's loft and I need him."

Anna frowned, the original hadn't told her anything about going to Marcel's. Had he taken up the offer and sided with the vampires?

Anna shut her grimoire closed and nodded, "Yeah, Francis could use a stretch of legs as well."

The witch merely nodded not wanting to contradict her. The group of four made their way out of the French Quarter and onto the streets of the Algiers. Annalise winced as she felt a sharp pain course through her chest, her eyes widened in fear as she thought of her soulmate.

Anna pushed open the loft doors and made her way into the apartment with the three following behind. The heretic's eyes widened as she came across Elijah who was pinned to the wall with the vampire named Gia's hand in his chest.

"Elijah?" the brunette furrowed her brows. She couldn't help the pang of jealousy that ran through her, he hadn't told her he actually took up Marcel's offer to teach the newly turned vamp.

Gia ripped her hand out of the male's chest looking slightly embarrassed as Elijah rubbed his chest while he healed.

Hayley glanced between the two soulmates and cringed, the sight was a bit awkward to endure but she finally spoke up, "We need to talk."

Aiden appears in the doorway making himself known followed by Francis who merely lingered a few feet back.

Gia looks as if she's about to lunge at the werewolf but Elijah gripped her arm roughly holding her back.

The original met the hybrid's gaze, "Speak. I suggest you be succinct."

Anna glanced over at Hayley who pursed her lips, "Please. I need your help."

Josh and Marcel joined the lot as well as Oliver who received a text from the hybrid to meet them at the apartment and listened to Aiden who explained the current situation at hand, "The witch wants soldiers. So now, it's either join up, or pay the price."

Anna crossed her arms over her chest as she listened to the werewolf.

"I've known my brother Finn to be merciless, but I'll admit, this exceeds even my expectations." Elijah muttered out.

Hayley glanced over at Marcel, "They're just kids. Marcel, you know the Quarter like the back of your hand. If anyone can get them out of here, it's you."

The vampire quirked a brow up, "Oh? And take 'em where?"

Oliver glanced over the group, "There's still wolves deep in the Bayou. Ones that didn't take a ring. They can look after them."

"The ones that never sold out, you mean." Marcel corrected.

Francis furrowed his brows, "Sold out?" his sudden question caught the attention of everyone in the room.

Marcel tilted his head, "Who the hell is this?"

"He's with me. A witch ally." Anna spoke up. Marcel glanced back at Francis, "I have never seen him around."

"Bloody drop it, Marcel." Anna sighed as Oliver shrugged it off before turned to look at the vampire, "We did what we had to do."

"Your wolves have been fighting us for decades. Why trust us now?" Marcel curiously questioned making Aiden speak up, "One of the recruits is my little brother. There's no way I'm sending him to war."

Marcel glanced over at Elijah who ran a hand over his face, "Tell us what you need."

Aiden sighed in relief as he began to speak, "Alright, the kids are being held in the City of the Dead until we bring them through the Quarter to St. Anne's Church. Now, meanwhile, Vincent is holding a meeting with a few humans in-the-know. The ones who have been...reluctant to fall in line with his new leadership."

Elijah's lips slightly part, "He's going to use the children to kill any opposition."

Aiden nodded, "Activate their curse, send a message to anyone who's thinking about going against him. It's two birds, one... bloodbath."

Marcel looked deep in thought as he nodded, "Okay, so, we'll hit them while the kids are on the move."

"Aiden, make certain you and Oliver escort the children." Elijah glanced at his soulmate who nodded firmly, "We'll handle the rest."

Oliver cut into the conversation, "Wait, wait, wait, wait- Esther and her psycho son are already giving me the stink-eye. If these kids go missing on my watch, I'm as good as dead."

Annalise narrowed her eyes at the werewolf, "You wanted to help your people and make amends for the past. This is your chance."

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Anna finally arrived at the parking garage where Elijah and Oliver had been waiting for her.

"You couldn't have brought your witch friend?" Oliver grumbled out. Anna shook her head, "He's still new to magic. Bringing him with me is like certifying his death."

Elijah glanced around the garage, "Where are they?"

"They should be here any minute now." Oliver answered as he began to breath nervously.

Anna turns as she heard a sudden noise of commotion. "Here we go. About time." Oliver said just as a herd of werewolves surrounded the three.

Annalise stood with her hands in her pocket as a wolf snarled at them, "Don't bother trying to run. We've got you surrounded."

Oliver let out a laugh, "What, you don't think that we would be dumb enough to bring 'em here, do you?"

Anna fell into Elijah's side and the two stood back to back as the vampire spoke, "Yes, I so do apologize for any inconvenience. The little ones you seek are elsewhere. Which, I suppose, leaves you here with us."

The werewolf scoffed as he glanced between Anna and Elijah, "You're the ones that don't seem to understand! We're not looking for the kids. The witch wants you two."

Elijah's gaze hardened as he realized they intended to take Anna, the original shrugged his jacket off and approached the wolf, "Listen to me very carefully- I told a good friend that I'd do my very best to spare the lives of her people. You leave right now? I will honor that." He smiled patronizingly, "Stay, and the situation becomes irrefutably awkward."

The three watch the werewolves stance themselves, ready to fight. Anna sighed in disappointment as she rolled her sleeves.

Elijah glanced back at Oliver, "You should probably leave."

The wolf shook his head, "Either I'm in, or I'm out, right?"

Anna grinned feeling her hands twitch in anticipation, "Be careful." Elijah softly whispered.

The heretic spared him a short glance, "You too."

Anna turned her attention back to a wolf that lunged at her with their fangs bared. The brunette quickly moved grabbing their shoulder while her other hand went to the curve of their neck. She gripped and moved her hands in opposite directions making the wolf's arm rip off. They howled in pain as Annalise kicked their abdomen, sending them a few feet back to hit against a wall.

Annalise casted a pain infliction spell on a wolf that was attacking Oliver viciously, but she didn't notice a werewolf lunge at her, sinking their teeth into her neck, leaving a werewolf bite. The heretic twisted quickly as she plunged her hand into the male's chest and yanked her hand out with his heart in her grasp.

Elijah felt pain struck his neck and glanced over at Anna, but he couldn't see anything on her neck. The vampire shrugged it off assuming he had imagined it.

The heretic ducked quickly as a werewolf ran towards her from behind, the female placed her hands on the wolf's neck and chin before swiftly snapping their neck. The Martin heir turned to see wolves jumping Elijah, Annalise focused on the group of dogs and quietly chanted, "Espirimus Paratis"

The brunette watched as the wolves began to choke on air and grasped their necks desperately, Annalise flicked her wrist and snapped their necks, eliminating a good number of wolves.

Oliver gripped a werewolf that aimed to kill Anna and kicked his knee the other way.

Elijah finished off the last wolf as Oliver threw an arm he held towards the ground. Anna smiled as she glanced over the two males, "I say teamwork gets the job done quicker."

Elijah couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him, but the laughter was short lasted as he heard Anna gasp. The original himself winced feeling a knife struck his stomach, but he hadn't been hit, it was Anna.

The heretic dropped to her knees as a stake impaled her lower body. Finn grinned as he stepped around the girls body.

Elijah went to lunge at the witch but instead groans in pain as he feels his muscles begin to seize up, Oliver watched in fear as two creatures much stronger than him were being over powered.

"I am just getting started." Finn smugly grinned, he balls his hand into a fist and Elijah screams, falling to his knees.

Oliver decides to lunge at the witch but Finn uses telekinesis to throw him backwards against a car. The wolf falls to the floor knocked out. Elijah uses his brothers distraction to vamp speed towards him, grabbing the witch by the neck to hold him against a car, "Perhaps your next body will last longer than this one, brother." Elijah seethed in anger.

The vampire cannot continue as a wooden stake impales him from behind. Elijah gasped and sucked in a breath as Esther/Lenore telekinetically staked her son.

The witch twisted the stake until Elijah fell to the ground, neutralized. Esther glances down at Anna who is in the process of ripping her own stake from her body but the witch lifts her wrist snapping the girls neck to temporarily kill her.

Oliver peered open his eyes and watched in horror as the pair were easily taken out.

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When Annalise awoke again she realizes she's in one of the crypts. The heretic's face went slack with fear as she noticed Elijah bounded to the wall using chains as he's currently stirring awake.

Anna yanked her wrists but glanced up realizing she was also bound in chains. The girl shut her eyes to attempt to use her magic but instead she was hit with a painful migraine making the heretic yelp.

Elijah worriedly gazed at his soulmate, "Are you alright?"

Annalise muttered a curse as she realized Esther must have a used a muting herb to mute her magic.

"For now." she grumbled before mentally wincing from the pain in her neck.

Esther approaches the two and smiles making Elijah glare coldly at his mother, "Let. Her. Go."

The witch merely shook her head, "I am simply trying to fix my mistakes. If she decides to heed my help is a different topic."

"What do you want?" Elijah spat at her. Esther glanced up to look her son in the eyes, "I only want us to be a family again, Elijah. But- I'm so sorry. In order for that to happen, you must be purified."

Elijah pulled on the chains, "Fine, this is something you want with me. Let Anna go."

Esther frowned, "I'm afraid I cannot do that. I need the two of you purified, I am trying to give her back what she lost so many years ago."

"I would rather die, than get help from you." Annalise growled out making the witch turn to glance at her, "Not the answer I was hoping to hear." Esther glanced at her neck and clicked her tongue, "It seems you've been bitten."

Elijah's eyes widened in horror.

Anna's gaze hardened making the witch sigh, "If you would agree to let me purify you, I will allow you to attain blood from Niklaus to heal you. Disagree, and I guess we'll have to see how long you last before the bite kills you."

Elijah felt his heart drop as he glanced up at Annalise in terror, in fear that she wouldn't make it out of this.

Anna pursed her lips before speaking, "I would rather die."

Elijah's world came crumbling down.