𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 49

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Annalise walked into the St. Anne's Church where Francis was. The heretic watched her ex lover glance down at his hands from the seat he was resting upon.

Anna noticed the witch fumble with his hands as small breaths left his parted lips. The male looked deep in thought.

The brunette slowly approached him, "I hope I'm not intruding on any alone time."

Francis glanced up at her and smiled, "You could never."

Annalise took a seat beside the witch and sighed, "It's been a long day." Francis let out a light chuckle and turned to glance at her, "Perks of being supernatural."

"At least life won't be boring." Anna amusingly smiled, she felt as if there was an awkward atmosphere bestowed upon the two old lovers, a tension she wanted to relieve. Francis pursed his lips, "So, what was all that about a barrier?"

The Martin heir sighed, "Finn placed a barrier around the compound trapping a pack wolves and hungry vampires inside. With a bit of help from Kol and Davina we took it down."

"You're still as caring as ever." Francis smiled at her. Annalise shrugged, "I haven't completely changed."

"No, you're still you. No matter how hard you try and mask it."

Annalise glanced down at her joined hands, "That obvious?"

"I was a bit taken back when I first saw you, you're more daring now, confident. It's quite alluring I won't lie." Francis teasingly bumped her shoulder making her chuckle.

The heretic knitted her brows together, "I put up a front. A strong one to scare people."

"Well, it definitely works." Francis gazed into the brunette's sea green eyes, "You don't always have to hide what your feeling. You've begun to do it with me as well. You don't have to carry the burden of your emotions all by yourself darling."

Anna felt her lips tug downward into a small frown, "In my three hundred years of existence, I've learned sometimes you can only count on yourself, because in the end, no one else will be there. Just yourself. That is why I keep to myself. No need in burdening others with my own problems."

Francis' gaze saddened as he watched a a familiar glint flash across her eyes. It reminded him of when he was taking his last few breaths, the heretic held a pained yet angered expression as she watched him slowly slip away from her grasp and from life itself, "You're scared of being betrayed again."

Annalise's lips slightly parted in shock as she glanced up at the witch, "How-?"

"Your father. He hurt you in a way you thought he never would."

The Martin girl felt her eyes begin to sting with tears as she recalled that horrid night, "You aren't wrong. After my mother died, he became crueler towards me. Yet, even after all the hurtful words, the shouts he would throw at me, the manipulation, none of it made me hate him. I still loved him after all of it. But then, he took away the one thing I treasured, my humanity."

Francis felt his heart ache seeing such a pained expression embedded on the heretic's face. The witch shuffled his hand to lay upon her bunched up ones.

Anna took a deep breath before continuing, "He made people I trusted, my friends, kidnap me in my sleep before dragging me into that damned cabin. Do you know before my father showed himself I screamed for him? I thought my father would come save me, when in reality, he was behind it all. Your death, my transition, all of it."

Francis stayed quiet as the heretic finally spoke about what she was feeling.

The heretic clenched her fists to keep tears from straying down her cheeks, "In that moment, when I saw your blood being drained to be poured into a syringe I knew what they were going to do. I knew, and I was so scared. I had lost you and in my mind all I had left was my father, it wasn't until he appeared with a sinister smile that I realized his plan. He lost my mother, so he wanted to find a way to make witch's immortal. I had fallen in love with you, so I fell victim to his schemes."

Francis couldn't help the guilt that coursed through him. He should have saved her from such horror. He should have been paying attention to his surrounding the night a group of witch's attacked him. He could have done more.

"Even then, I still cried for my father. For the man he was when my mother was still alive. For the witch who actually cared about me."

"No matter what he went through, he had no reason to treat you the way he did, Anna. Do not blame yourself for the abuse he put you through."

Annalise swallowed a lump in her throat, "I was a constant reminder to him that my mother could have been saved. If he had fought hard enough he could have found a cure for her sickness. I reminded him of her. So, because of it, he took out all his pent up anger and frustration... on me."

Francis clenched his jaw, "He was a rutting imbecile for what he did to you. Nothing can excuse his actions. Not even you blaming yourself for it."

Anna pursed her lips, "I think this is the first time I openly tell you what he did to me."

Francis frowned, "Back then, you were in denial. You believed what your father was doing to you was right. Anna, you spilled water on the floor of my tent and I had never seen you panic as much as you did that day. You kept muttering for forgiveness whilst you cleaned the floor. You flinched when I opened my mouth to speak assuming I was going to shout at you. It was only then that I realized how bad your father was to you."

Annalise fumbled anxiously with her hands.

"No child should ever go through that."

The heretic finally glanced up at the witch's oak brown eyes, "A part of me believed the old him was still in there. My mothers death truly did drive him insane." she glanced down remembering Eleanor's words.

"When one looses your promised one it is said that you end up going crazy, because their mind can't process the loss of someone that was their other half, some even went as far as hurting their own blood."

Anna visibly cringed as the words echoed through her mind. Francis noticed her uneasiness and gave her a reassuring smile.

The heretic pursed her lips, "Thank you for still being someone I can rely on."

The witch let out a sigh, "I will always be here to help you, Anna. I meant that promise I made to you. I will always love and care for you, even if you do not feel the same way."

Anna looked at the witch with wide eyes, "I still love you, Francis."

Francis softly shook his head as a gentle smiled caressed his lips, "But you aren't in love with me. Not like you are with Elijah."

Annalise's lip's parted in shock, "I-"

"Don't bother denying it, anyone in the same room as you two can see it. I see the way you look at him, Anna. Your eyes quite literally shine in his presence. It's a look I have never seen on you, not even when we were together." Francis held a calm and caring expression.

Anna shuffled anxiously, "Francis..."

"Don't. I didn't expect you to stay in love with me for three hundred years. I'm not mad, I won't lie to you though, it does kind of sting, but I will be fine." The witch reassured her.

Anna frowned, "I'm so sorry."

Francis shook her head, "I'm happy you were able to find love once more, even if it was not with me."

"You're too good for this world."

The witch chuckled, "That is not true."

"It is. You have a good and kind soul. A rare thing to come across nowadays." Annalise smiled at him. Francis sighed, "So, what are you going to do with your love dilemma? You two are annoyingly stubborn and it's getting old, the whole playing hard to get."

Anna gaped at the witch, "I beg your pardon?"

"Just tell him how you feel. I'm sure Elijah would fall to his knees before you once you did. He's hopelessly in love with you."

The heretic raised a curious brow, "He is?"

Francis glanced at the brunette with an incredulous look, "You're kidding, right?"

"What?"

Francis' eyes widened, "You really don't see it? The vampire gives you the most desperate longing look whenever your glancing elsewhere. Not to mention the death glares he's sent my way."

Anna shuffled in her seat awkwardly, "Death glares?"

"I'm pretty sure if you would have left Elijah and I in a room alone I would have my head ripped off."

"That's a bit extreme-"

"Nope, I'm fairly certain he would."

Annalise held an amused expression as a chuckle slipped past her lips, "I've missed this."

Francis gave the heretic a kind smile, "As have I."

"It seems as if a reunion is taking place."

Annalise felt the whole world come to stop. Her hands bunched up making her knuckles go paper white. The heretic clenched her jaw as she attempted to compose herself.

Francis' expression went slack with shock as the familiar voice echoed through the air.

"Not even a 'hello'?"

Anna mustered up every ounce of will she had left in her as she stood from her seat and turned, meeting an awfully similar pair of eyes.

"Father."

A vile smirk spread across the Elder witch's lips as he watched his daughter, "It's been too long."

Francis scrunched up his features in a deathly scowl as he stood beside Annalise who never gazed away from the male.

"I come back from the dead and I can't even get a proper welcome." Harlow shook his head in disappointment.

Annalise let out a harsh scoff, "As if you even deserve it."

"Now, now. Let's not get hasty."

Francis grit his teeth, "You have a lot of nerve showing up again."

"Ah, if it isn't the vampire I killed. I see you were reborn a witch. Good." The witch coyly grinned.

The heretic inhaled sharply, "How?"

Harlow tucked his hands in his pockets, "I assume you mean how I'm alive? A witch brought me back when the other side was horribly collapsing, in hopes I would deal with you."

Anna's hand twitch as she readied herself, "You've forgotten. I'm heretic now, so out of the two of us. I win."

Harlow grinned widely, "Maybe, but I'm still a Martin witch, an Elder, and I have the ancestors on my side."

The brunette rolled her shoulders back, "You want to test that theory?"

"Not today, I only dropped by to say hello." Harlow held a blank expression as he spoke. Francis held a menacing glare and took a step forward making the Elder witch glance at him before narrowing his eyes.

Francis yelled out in pain as he was overcome with a throbbing sensation in his mind. Annalise looked at the witch worriedly and glanced back at her father, "You bastard." she seethed before extending her palm as she used her surroundings.

The heretic shot a beam of electricity towards her father but Harlow quickly deflected it with a protection spell. Anna narrowed her eyes before adding her other hand to push more strength into it.

Sparks bounced off the Elders protective barrier and he held a smug smile.

Anna set down her hands as Francis panted heavily. Harlow had to let go of the pain infliction spell he had casted on Francis to dodge Annalise's spell.

Harlow sighed, "I thought you would have gotten over your pathetic grudge by now."

"Quite the opposite, father." The heretic grit out.

The Martin Elder shook his head, "I gave you a gift, an opportunity. Yet you used it to destroy our coven."

Annalise clenched her fists, "Perhaps you should of thought about the consequences of turning a girl whilst she was having a mental breakdown."

Harlow narrowed his gaze at his daughter before flicking his wrist causing the brunette to be thrown back telekinetically.

Francis rushed after the heretic and helped her up.

Anna shakily took a deep breath as she spared a glance at where her father once stood.

He was gone.