Lover Be | The Originals

Chapter Forty-Four | Return

It had been months since Malia's capture. Donnie tried every day to convince her to talk to him, to understand how horrible vampires were, to even play the piano he had bought for her. She remained closed off, unwilling to budge. She went on walks tailed by witches every morning and evening. Other than that, she spent most of her time in her room, re-reading the same books because she refused to ask for new ones.

For her own part, Ellie was clearly very unhappy with their house guest. She loathed the way they were expending their resources to keep the girl around like some puppy.

She brought a plate for lunch up to Malia's room, a plan brewing in her mind. Malia didn't acknowledge her as she entered until the witch cleared her throat. Her gaze shifted from the book to the witch.

"I'm breaking you out of here," Ellie tells the girl. A complex mix of emotions was etched across the witch's face.

"What?" Malia regarded her with skepticism. "Why would you do that?"

Ellie hesitated.

"I can't stand to see Adonis like this," she finally spoke, her tone bitter. "He's been consumed by this obsession with you. He's using up the Coven's resources, our power, everything, just to keep you here. It makes him weak, and it makes us weak."

Malia's brows furrowed as she tried to process this unexpected turn of events.

"How do I know this isn't some sick trick?" Malia asked cautiously.

"You don't, but beggars can't be choosers. I have a plan."

-

That evening, Malia went on her usual walk around the property with two witches tailing her. She led them toward a part of the outskirts of the property that she knew was more difficult to see from the house. There, she paused, wrapping her arms around herself. She was nervous, unable to trust the girl who had betrayed and tortured her. For all she knew, this was some form of psychological torture: to make her believe she would be able to leave after all of this time, only to be sorely mistaken.

Then, both of the witches fell forward. Their hearts had been torn from their chest with the force of Ellie's magic.

"You said you would distract them!" Malia said in shock, staring down at the corpses.

"I said I would take care of them," Ellie rolled her eyes. "It has to look like the vampires helped you escape."

Malia didn't have time to protest. She knew that she would need to get as far away as she could before Donnie realized she had left.

"Take this," Ellie threw a backpack to Malia. "There's some food and cash. It should help you get away. I'd kill you, but I know that Adonis would never forgive me for that indiscretion."

Malia put the straps over both of her shoulders.

"Thank you," she said, realizing the witch was actually going to let her go.

"One last thing," Ellie grabbed Malia by the neck, throwing her against a nearby tree. She began a chant, holding firm as Malia struggled against her. When she was done, she let the girl go. The bracelet Nelle had given her dropped to the ground, smoking.

"What the hell was that?" Malia asked, gasping for breath.

"I took away that little compulsion-prevention that Adonis gave you and the annoying little vervain charm from sweet Nellie. If you're going back to the vampire scum, I want you to be completely and utterly at their mercy. Consider it a parting gift."

-

The door of the Mikaelson mansion swung open, and the three siblings inside were shocked to see the girl they had lost several months before.

"What in the bloody hell happened to you?" Rebekah asked from where she stood.

"Malia?" Elijah's voice trembled with astonishment. He took a step toward her as if he were scared to get too close.

Malia's eyes fell on the noble brother, relieved to see him. Her eyes shifted to Klaus.

The hybrid sped to her, holding her face in his hand and pulling her to him by the waist for only a second before pulling back as if he had been burned.

"Your skin," Klaus backed up. "It's vervain."

"What?" Malia's voice dropped with sorrow, unable to feel the comforting embrace of her . . . sort of boyfriend? They hadn't had any sort of talk by the time she had been captured. Again.

"How did you escape?" Elijah asked.

"Ellie let me go."

"She's alive?"

Malia nodded.

"She's alive, and it turns out she's not even the mastermind behind everything," her gaze shifted to Klaus. "Donnie is."

Klaus's eyes narrowed at the mention of what he had assumed was a relatively harmless ex-lover.

"Tell us everything."