𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 - the little thief

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𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃, 𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐏 did not come easily to the siphon. The music blared, the floors vibrated and Ophelia wanted to tear off her own ears. She probably managed to get less than forty-five minutes of sleep before she finally threw her covers off with an annoyed huff. Pillows and blankets bundled on the wooden flooring as she hopped out of bed with blurred and sleep infested vision.

With a sigh, she walked towards the mirror that sat on the regal-looking vanity; dark circles rested beneath her eyes and the hair atop her head was still very much damp. She tugged the band from her hair and brushed out the dark strands as a loud yawn escaped her. The siphon blinked at herself in the mirror before looking over her 'outfit', the oversized sweater came to her knees, covering the shorts she wore entirely.

There wasn't much she could do with all the noise the nightwalkers were making, reading with distractions would cause her to throw whichever hardback she decided on, the piano would be drowned out and so, the only viable option was to join Marcel as his nightwalkers fought one another for the chance at getting their dead little hands on a daylight ring.

And so, after tossing her wet hair over her shoulder and slipping her feet that were covered by a set of fluffy socks into the pair of trainers that gave her a few inches of height, she opened her bedroom door and trailed her way down the balcony, towards where Marcel was watching his nightwalkers.

"We keep you up?" The vampire asked without taking his eyes off the two nightwalkers that fought one another on the ground below.

Ophelia simply let out a croaky, sleep laced hum as she leaned her elbows on the railing, her eyes focusing on the nightwalkers that used their supernatural speed and strength to toss one another around. Ophelia had to admit, being a vampire didn't look all too bad; she hadn't ever planned on having a family of her own and all she could do was sap magic from another being. Being a vampire would grant continuous and constant agility as well as strength.

The two below continued to fight, blurred punches and kicks being thrown left and right, Ophelia's tired eyes struggling to even catch the movements. It seemed as if the large man had the upper hand, before the woman wrapped her legs around his neck and used them to snap his neck, that is.

"Damn, girl! Not bad!" Marcel praised, his voice echoing through the crowd as he clapped for the victor. Ophelia simply rose a brow as she stared with dead eyes.

Before anyone could even fathom what was happening, Klaus appeared behind the victor of the battle and snapped her neck without a second thought causing the crowd to fall silent with uneasy expressions. "Good evening! I'd like a word." Klaus called up towards the king of The Quarter with a smirk adorning his lips.

Ophelia could feel the annoyance rolling off Marcel, his features twisted and his lips pressed into a thin line as he straightened his back. "What do you think you're doing?"

Elijah emerged from the crowd and joined his brothers' side, a hand inside his jacket pocket as he met Marcel's eyes, "It appears that we've interrupted a collection of filthy amateurs!" His lips twitched upwards as he watched Ophelia cover the smirk on her face with her fist, trying her best not to snort at his comment, "We've come here for the girl. Give it to us, or we kill everyone here... starting with you."

"You two got a lot of nerve, coming into my home and making demands."

"Your home, is it?" Klaus questioned as he plastered on a fake smile, his eyes drifting over his family's former home.

"The girl! I will not ask again." Elijah demanded, his voice loud. The surrounding vampires took a step back.

Ophelia frowned, the only girl they could have possibly been looking for was Hayley. "Hang on, you mean to say that you lost Hayley?" She spoke incredulously. Honestly, two original vampires and neither of them could keep a pregnant wolf within their sighs for longer than a few seconds without her running off or being taken away.

Marcel turned to the siphon that landed him her powers from time to time, "Hayley? Yea high, dark hair, bitchy attitude?"

Ophelia narrowed her eyes on the man in front of her. He had an arrogant smirk adorning his lips that she really wished she could smack off. The Mikaelsons watched closely as Ophelia stepped closer to the vampire, noses almost touching before she moved to whisper in his ear. Even with their hearing, they had to strain to hear the words, "Unless you want me to embarrass you in front of your 'posse' of vampires, get them to leave."

Marcel grit his teeth in annoyance. Ophelia was the only person to ever question his decisions. Of course he valued her opinions, she was a smart girl. But even he, the king of the Quarter, had to admit that at times, knowing what she could do, she was scary.

His smirk faded and he turned his head, catching Diego's eyes in the crowd and with a single nod, Diego rose his voice and called for the vampires to follow him out.

Ophelia kept her stare on the self-proclaimed king, her dead eyes boring into his as he turned back to face her. The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating. The vampires below quickly dispersed leaving behind the two originals, the king, and the siphon.

"Ophelia-"

Marcel's sentence was almost immediately cut off as Ophelia's hands darted out to clasp around his bare wrists. A pained yell emitted from the man as he slowly sunk to his knees, the magic being stolen from the vampire slowly weakened him.

"Do you have Hayley?" Ophelia's deadpan voice spoke as she stared down at the vampire, though her head still remained high; the power she drained and the way she made the mighty king kneel in front of her made her stomach twist with a sick satisfaction.

Elijah stared up at the scene, his lips quirking whilst Klaus outwardly grinned at the display of power. Elijah couldn't tear his eyes from the scene, watching her eye's swirl with fascination at her own powers and seeing the Cheshire like grin that erupted whenever magic buzzed under her skin was certainly something.

"No, I don't have her!" Marcel spoke through gritted teeth. He tried his best to wrench his arms from the woman's grip but his entire body was on fire; it felt like his body was burning from the inside out, every vein was alight.

After another beat passed, Ophelia dropped the hold she had on the vampire and spun on her heel, proceeding to make her way towards the stairs that lowered to the level where Elijah and Klaus were waiting.

Marcel gripped onto the railing as he pulled himself to his feet, swaying once or twice as his weakened body recovered from having a large amount of energy drained. His head was fuzzy for a few moments before he returned back to normal. "Lia?"

Ophelia paused on the staircase, her eyes connecting with Marcel's as she rose a brow, "That could have been avoided if you had just told them that you didn't have her. You know, rather than insulting her. Oh, and thank you, by the way."

The king of the Quarter frowned in confusion as he watched the brunette trudge her way down the stairs with a slight boost of energy thanks to the magic swimming inside of her. "For what?"

"The magic you gave me. It was kind of you to let me have a free pass so that I can cast a locator spell, you know, to find the friend you just insulted."

Marcel opened his mouth to speak but he couldn't find the right words, he had nothing to do with Hayley being taken, yet his attitude suggested differently. She was right, he could have just told them that he had visited and went on his way, but instead, his arrogance reared its ugly head and the siphon had simply given him what he deserved. He had no idea that Ophelia had any friends, let alone having this new arrival, Hayley, being bestowed the rare title of being the siphons friend.

He simply nodded his head towards the woman who returned it with a tight smile and proceeded closer to the Mikaelson brothers. It struck him as odd that the brothers had no questions for her; for who she was or what she could do. Almost like they knew. But then again, as Thierry had said, one of the vampires had been compelled, they could have gathered the information about Ophelia from them. Davina was pretty much kept under lock and key, whereas Ophelia strolled through the city without a care. It was obvious that they would eventually hear of her.

As Ophelia reached the brothers, she cast her gaze back towards Marcel was watching through narrowed eyes, "Don't your nightwalkers need you?"

He didn't bother to respond, he simply shook his head and left them with the sound of his footsteps as he left to join his people. Ophelia however, rolled her eyes at his attitude and moved towards one of the tables. Thankfully whichever vampire decided to act like a tourist, left his map behind.

With nimble fingers that shook just slightly at the energy that rushed through them, she smoothed the map out and onto the table as Elijah sat opposite her. Klaus moved towards the pair and stood behind the siphon with a grin on his stubble covered face, "You have an attitude, don't you love?"

Ophelia snorted as she turned to look at the hybrid, "You're just now getting that?" The siphon turned back to face Elijah, a brow raising as she cocked her head just slightly, "You know, this'll be the third time you've gotten me to help out. I am going to start charging."

Elijah let out a small chuckle as he shifted forward in his chair. Beneath the table, their legs brushed against one another's and he could feel the heat radiating from her bare legs. With a light cough to clear his throat, the suited original leaned forward, "Can you find her?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

"No, I suppose I don't."

Klaus's bright blue eyes darted back and forth between his brother and the young siphon in front of him, he could see that the two got along rather well, considering that Elijah actually entertained her bantering and sarcasm, whereas his usual option would be to either threaten to rip out their hearts or to simply roll his eyes and demand silence.

His eyes fell to Ophelia as leaned back to look up at him, "I'll need some of your blood, I'll locate the baby seeing as we have nothing of Hayley's here."

The hybrid looked down with a lopsided smile before he moved around the table, "No problem, love." His mouth opened and his fangs poked out, glinting like a razor before he sunk them into his own wrist. A crunching sound emitted as his fangs split his flesh and the ever-familiar tang of his blood. The droplets of crimson liquid dribbled from his arm and landed on the floor, a small puddle gathering.

Ophelia looked from the hybrid to the small and empty glass cup that rested on the table, "There was a perfectly good glass right there, but no, you decide to repaint the abattoir."

"Well, I am an artist."

"You're a mess, that's what you are," Ophelia stated, causing Klaus to grin in response whilst Elijah resisted the urge to chuckle at their bantering. The siphon shook her head and dragged her finger along the map, "And... I'll have you here"

"If you insist." Klaus's lips curled upwards, his voice teasing as he hovered his arm above the map, watching his blood fall in small splatters before the puncture wounds healed over.

Ophelia turned to him with a deadpan stare as she looked him up and down before smirking, "Like I told Rebekah, you aren't my type."

"No?" his eyes drifted towards Elijah who gave his brother a look to try and silence him, though it was Klaus, so he didn't. "Then what is your type?"

"Currently?" Ophelia spoke as she hovered her hands above the map, "Silence."

Klaus rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut as she worked. Elijah watched the siphon carefully; this was the first time both he and Klaus were able to see her use magic, not just take it. It was brilliant, being able to steal away someone's magic and use it for one's own purposes. It was then that he remembered the siphon telling him that she had only been able to use her abilities rather recently. Yet she seemed to know the spell inside and out as she repeated an incantation beneath her breath.

Ophelia concentrated with every ounce of her being; unbeknownst to Marcel, during Ophelia and Davina's 'sleepovers', the siphon would practice small spells that she had memorized from her time inside the prison world. She had found numerous books filled with smaller spells and had repeated them over and over again until she could remember the incantations off by heart.

Davina had always been astounded with the way the siphon practiced magic and Ophelia couldn't help but teach the young witch a few spells. Davina had taken time to even learn the smaller spells, wanting to be able to recite them just as perfectly as the siphon.

As Ophelia concentrated, she could feel the stolen magic swirl inside of her. It bubbled from her stomach and lit up inside of her veins as she chanted and she could feel a tug as if the magic was telling her where to go. Her whiskey-brown eyes snapped open and concentrated on the blood as it slowly moved across the crumpled map. A vibrant red line stretched out across the paper, the puddle of blood sat at their current location and stretched across the map, stopping at the Bayou.

Ophelia rose her gaze from the map and met Elijah's enchantingly deep eyes, "She's in the backcountry. Way up past Houma, deep in the Bayou." it didn't surprise the witch, after all, most of the supernatural occupants of New Orleans knew of the wolves that once resided there, Hayley might have caught wind of said rumors and traveled to find her brethren.

"I don't suppose you could be more precise?" The suited original spoke, his tone wasn't demanding or sarcastic, simply curious as they kept eye contact. For the first time, Ophelia felt the overwhelming urge to pull her eyes away from the intense gaze the older Mikaelson was giving her; it was as if he was looking into the remnants of her damaged soul. She felt vulnerable, she didn't like it and yet, she couldn't tear her eyes away.

Thankfully for her, Klaus interrupted as he cleared his throat dramatically with a knowing smile. The pair snapped their eyes towards him and Ophelia simply acted as if nothing happened, though she couldn't quell the swirling in her stomach.

"What's the matter, Elijah? You're worried a bit of splashing about in the bog might ruin your expensive shoes?" Klaus taunted his brother, eyes alight with mischief that reminded the siphon of her brother.

"As a matter of fact, after my recent confinement, I could use a decent stroll through the countryside."

Ophelia let out a small laugh, it was something more than the usual huff, scoff, or smirk she would offer and it caught them both off guard. The siphon rested her elbow on the cool metal table and leaned her chin on her fist as her eyes drifted between the two, "You both bicker just like me and my brother used to."

"You speak of him quite often, where is he now?"

"Missing." Ophelia's short and clipped tone made the brothers frown, as did the way that the life in her eyes faded away as she told them her brother was 'missing'. It struck the pair of them as odd that she wasn't trying to seek him out or even search for him. She could use magic, alongside her blood to track him, but she wasn't.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to pry," Elijah spoke quietly, though the siphon didn't quite hear him; her mind had drifted to Kai. The only member of her family that ever gave a damn about her and he was gone. He wasn't dead, just... trapped.

Ophelia cleared her throat and blinked her dazed eyes a few times to wash away the memories, before clearing her throat and directing her eye line towards the blood on the map, "Hayley's a wolf, there are stories that I've heard that say there are encampments where exiled werewolves gather and live. Maybe she went out there?"

Ophelia didn't necessarily believe her own words; Hayley wasn't stupid and she wouldn't have gone to the Bayou, in the middle of the night without letting anybody know. It was dangerous, and though Hayley was scared of her upcoming title of being a mother, there was absolutely no way that she would put her child in danger.

"Clearly, she hopes to make the acquaintance of more like herself. I suppose our company wasn't good enough for her." Klaus mused, gaining a look of disapproval from his brother which he simply smiled at as he crossed his arms.

Ophelia rolled her eyes as she pulled her phone from the front pocket of her sweater and snapped a picture of the map before clicking on her contacts and sending the picture to both of the Mikaelson's in her presence. "Well, you are a bit annoying."

"Me? Poppycock!"

"That--" Ophelia announced as she pointed her finger towards the hybrid with a small smirk dusting her lips, "--that right there, that's why she left... anyway, you're both welcome. Now go find her."

Klaus chuckled at the radiant siphon as his eyes snapped to his brother who couldn't seem to take his eyes off yet another brunette beauty; he looked as if he were trying to solve a puzzle, decipher a code, and Klaus himself had to admit that he too was rather intrigued with the woman before them. She had to have her own ulterior motive, didn't she?

"It sounds like you're kicking us out. Not joining our rescue mission this time, little thief?"

Ophelia stared at the younger Mikaelson brother with a bemused expression adorning her soft features, "If you're going to call me 'little thief' then I'm most certainly staying here, now get out."

"You can't deny that it's true, but if you insist." Klaus rolled his shoulders, his ever-present cocky smirk once again settles on his plump lips as he brushed by his brother, his hand clapping down on his suited shoulder, "I'll leave you to the goodbyes," His voice lowered so that only Elijah could hear, "Ever the gentleman for a pretty brunette." and with that, he took his leave, an accomplished chuckle spewing from his proud lips.

Ophelia rose a brow as she watched the hybrid make his exit before moving her honey-colored eyes to Elijah, catching the remnants of a scolding shake of the head that he had directed to his mischievous brother.

"I'm sorry for my brother's behavior." Elijah sighed as he straightened his jacket so there wasn't a wrinkle in sight. He knew the game his brother was playing; it was the same one he always played. Whenever Elijah showed even the slightest bit of interest in a woman, Klaus would tease him relentlessly.

"I get it, but I have to say that I actually kind of enjoy it."

"That doesn't entirely surprise me."

"No?"

Elijah hummed as he leaned back in his chair, sophistication radiating off of him in waves, and Ophelia couldn't help but imagine what he looked like on what he considered to be 'a day off'. Though she supposed he wouldn't act or look all that different, she couldn't exactly imagine the man in sweatpants just strolling around the house.

"Niklaus tends to gravitate to those who challenge him, he often finds people with strong personalities and remarks to be in his company. I believe he's taken a liking to you."

Ophelia laughed as she slid her chair backward and rose to her feet. She lifted her arms above her head, stretching as a small yawn slipped out, "Maybe I should run for the hills, huh?"

Elijah's eyes lingered on the revealed skin of her thigh's as the sweater lifted, revealing the hem of the shorts she wore, he cleared his throat as he too, rose to his feet, "I have a feeling that won't be happening anytime soon."

Ophelia's tired eyes missed the way Elijah's skimmed up her legs before they regained contact. The magic that had fueled her body and woken her up was settled and the fatigue swiftly reproached. As much as the siphon would have loved to leave with the brothers to find their lost little lamb... uh, wolf, she was practically swaying on her feet. Her dark eyes narrowed as a smile flashed across his annoyingly handsome face as her lips parted for another yawn.

"You should rest." His voice soothed as he stepped closer to her, "I can only assume how tiring it must be to deal with myself and my family."

"Yes, you're very demanding," She teased with a lazy smile that one would often consider to be an out of place look for the young siphon, but it was... well, adorable if anything. "But you're all ridiculously pretty, how can I say no?"

"Ah, I see." Elijah mused as he placed a hand inside the pocket of his suit jacket. A small, lopsided smile graced his lips at the off-handed compliment, "So that's why you stick around."

"Obviously."

The two stared at one another, whiskey meeting oak. Ophelia couldn't think of a reasonable explanation for what seemed to constantly happen between them. She would joke and tease relentlessly, but it was kind and never rude. He'd laugh or smile at the things she'd say and she'd have to pause to recollect her thought's and when she finally did, their eyes were almost magnetized together. His dark stare that most would call intimidating, was nothing less than mesmerizing. It was as if he was looking through her.

Her cold, calm, and collected mask always seemed weaker around him, but then again, his seemed to be weaker around her too. She'd noticed it. They were similar in many ways. Before she could get sucked into her mind further, another yawn bubbled in her throat and she blinked lazily as she spoke, "Call me when you find Hayley."

"I will, sleep well Ophelia."

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08-10-2020

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter; i myself am a complete sap for the Ophelia, Elijah, and Klaus dynamic. Enjoy your day or night, and i'll see you with the next update!