Niklaus paced the length of Nathan's room. Evelyn walked into the room holding Nathaniel's hand with Neil following behind them. Evelyn sat with Nathaniel on the bed while Neil took the desk chair, Niklaus had stopped pacing and now stood in the center of the room biting his nails.
"Nathaniel, you asked about your father." Evelyn spoke kindly and looked reassuring. "Your brothers and I would like to tell you about him and answer any questions you might have."
Nathaniel nodded and sat quietly, waiting for someone to start the conversation.
Niklaus gulped and released a sigh.
"Our father was born Elijah Nathaniel MacTear, on September 17, 1971 in Washington, Virginia. Dad was the oldest of four siblings, he had three sisters: Alicia, Emilia, and Nyla. When Nyla, the youngest, had her first shift she went into the village and killed two people, someone saw her wolf and out of fear, they shot and killed her." Niklaus took a pause.
"What about Alicia and Emily?" Nathaniel watched Niklaus's eyes. "Where are they?"
"When a werewolf is killed in wolf form they revert back to human. So, when Nyla was killed the person saw her revert and soon enough the Ever Green pack was forced out of town. Alicia and Emily were used to make alliances with their mate's packs. In 1983 our pack moved here to Asheville, North Carolina where dad finished middle and high school."
"Then, in 1991, when your father was going to university at MIT, he met me. I had only been going to community college at the time but my friend had dragged me to some over the top party which is where I met Elijah." Evelyn had a glint in her eyes and a faint saddened smile. "He was tall, six foot three, soft, wavy black hair and golden brown eyes. He was smart and kind and generous, he was stoic and overprotective and he loved you boys with all of his heart." Evelyn sniffled and took a deep stuttered breathe.
Nathaniel pulled Evelyn into a tight hug as Neil stood from the chair and wrapped his arms around both of them. Niklaus hung his head, he was the one who killed their father, he had deprived his brothers of a father's love and stole that promise of growing old together from his mother, he didn't deserve to console them over the consequences of his own actions.
They released themselves from the hug and the four of them sat in silence as Niklaus chewed his thumb nail.
Niklaus watched Nathaniel's eyes scan over the group.
"How, h-how did dad die?" Nathaniel's face dropped like he was ashamed to ask.
Evelyn's eyes traced Niklaus's face, looking for confirmation to tell Nathaniel everything.
Niklaus nodded. "He has to know." Niklaus chewed his lip. "No more secrets, he's old enough to form his own opinions on what happened."
Evelyn, Neil, and Niklaus told Nathaniel everything that happened during the attack. Niklaus also decided to tell them all about his scars, and the things Blink and his men did to him. He showed them the scars on his torso and arms and explained how each one was marked on his body.
By the end of their conversation it had reached 9:36pm. Evelyn had put Nathaniel to bed and stood outside his bedroom door talking to Niklaus.
"Will he be okay?" Niklaus stared at Nathaniel. "He hates me, doesn't he?"
"He just needs time. We all did." Evelyn watched as Nathaniel slept. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Niklaus turned his gaze from Nathaniel to Evelyn.
"For not being there for you." Evelyn quietly pulled Nathaniel's door closed. "For everything you had to go through."
"No." Niklaus shook his head. "Everything I've gone through has made me who I am. Anyways, I'm the one who needs to apologize."
"Niklaus, nobody blames you." Evelyn cupped Niklaus's cheek. "You're a good man, I can see that even after all these years."
Niklaus hugged Evelyn, his head resting on her shoulder.
After a few moments Evelyn pulled herself from the hug.
"I haven't asked yet but I suppose by your reaction upon seeing me, you thought we were all dead?" Evelyn and Niklaus walked away from Nathaniel's door. "Which leads me to assume you didn't come home to see the pack, so why are you four here?"
"We came to look through the library." Niklaus stifled a yawn. "Olivia and I were hoping to find out more on our mate bond."
Evelyn took a deep breathe. "You know about your power then, don't you?"
"Power?" Niklaus's brows furrowed. "You know about the red lightning?"
Evelyn sighed. "I had hoped it'd skip a generation, as it did your father."
"You and dad knew about the lighting?" Niklaus looked quizzical. "W-why wouldn't you tell me?"
"As I said, I had hoped it would skip over you." Evelyn's eyes were soft, almost apologetic, her brows furrowed suddenly. "How do you know about the Ηλεκτροκίνηση Ηλεκτροϋδροδυναμική?"
Niklaus closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. "There has to be a shorter name for it.. anyways, I've managed to use it a couple times."
"Strange.." Evelyn folded her arms elegantly in front of her. "That power shouldn't have been activated for another four years."
"What do you mean?"
"That power, the Ηλεκτροκίνηση Ηλεκτροϋδροδυναμική, has only been documented as activating when the carrier of the Quietus turns twenty-five."
"Maybe it depends on the carrier's circumstances?" Niklaus shrugged.
"Maybe, after all, you've gone through more trauma than any of the other Quietus' have gone through." Evelyn stopped outside Niklaus and Olivia's room. "I'll help you search the library tomorrow, all of the old information should be there."
"Alright, I also promised Nathan we'd go for a run." Niklaus remembered something. "I almost forgot, Atlas and James are supposed to meet us here tomorrow."
"Right.." Evelyn looked confused. "Who are they?"
"Harper's father and an ally of the Red Vine pack.. one more thing." Niklaus stepped into the room and returned shortly holding a book. "Charlotte, James's wife, gave me this, it's an old book containing our history, she said I should return it to it's proper home."
Evelyn's eyes widened. "The grimoire! Where did she get this?"
"She said it was delivered anonymously on the Adler pack's door steps.. grimoire?"
"Yes, it's Arcadia's spells and enchantments book." Evelyn took the book and fumbled through the pages. "She fused it with an old history book so that it'd be disguised."
Niklaus spotted Evelyn's fangs growing then Evelyn stabbed her thumb on one and wiped the blood across the front cover.
The book started floating as the pages melted and burst into flames, landing on the ground. Evelyn reached into the gooey ash pile and pulled out two separate books. One a grayed leather, bound in twine and feathers, the other a plain brownish maroon.
"How'd you do that?" Niklaus found himself being confused more often than usual since escaping Blink's grasps.
"She bound the fusion with our families blood, making sure it couldn't be used against us." Evelyn handed Niklaus the books and smiled. "It's a magical thing being supernatural, as the humans call it."
Niklaus was dumbfounded, had he known, he would've bled on the stupid book a long time ago.
"I think I'm gonna go to bed." Niklaus stifled a yawn. "I wasn't prepared for how draining this day would be."
Niklaus and Evelyn laughed.
"Goodnight." Evelyn hugged Niklaus. "My darling boy of beaming light, I wish adieu to you tonight. Rest your head and go to bed.."
"Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight." Niklaus grinned. "You used to say that to us every night while putting us to bed."
"You remember?" Evelyn shared in Niklaus's grin. "You both were so little, now look at you, you overshadow even your father."
Niklaus gave Evelyn another tight squeeze before wishing her goodnight and laying in bed next to Olivia.
Niklaus stiffened then relaxed as Olivia, in a sleeping state, placed her head on his chest and draped her arm over his stomach. Niklaus rolled onto his side to face her, brushing the hair from her face. Niklaus wrapped his arms around Olivia and held her close, he kissed her forehead as he fell asleep to the sound of her breathes, which seemed to calm his mind.
'I guess I've finally found a natural drug for all of my panic, anxiety, and anger.'