Chapter 26: twenty-three

{1.11 | We're Gonna Need a Spotlight | part 1}

A ringing pierced through the air, and for once Elara wasn't the only one to hear it.

It wasn't the high-pitched sound she had become accustomed to but instead a clanging like a bell. She immediately knew what it was. Hope had placed a barrier spell around the artifact, hoping it would trap the next monster.

The sun hadn't risen yet, but Elara had already been up. After the dealings with the Oneiroi, she had struggled with falling asleep even more than she already did. The images of her dead friends, killed by her hands, had left an imprint in her mind. The nights since then, Elara found herself relieving her stress and anger in the gym, and that was where she heard the alarm.

She left her things and sprinted through the halls, meeting Alaric, Dorian, and Hope in the entrance hall. Her appearance didn't surprise Hope, but Dorian and Alaric looked at her in confusion when she walked into the hallway in workout clothes, sweat forming on her temples.

They didn't comment about it, anyways, instead choosing to focus on the monster. Once outside, she followed beside Alaric, carefully holding the axe she had chosen as a weapon while Dorian and Hope led their group.

"I know this is important, but you couldn't have put pants on first?"

"Little early for snark, Hope," Alaric scolded, adjusting the bolt in his crossbow.

Ignoring their bickering, Dorian asked a question of his own. "Any guesses on what famous monster from filmland we get to slay today?"

"Sasquatch, maybe?" Elara suggested, shrugging. "Then again, it's not that different from Dr. Saltzman in a robe, so maybe not a monster on Malivore's list."

"Elara," Alaric scolded.

"Okay, with our luck it'll be Cthulhu."

They stopped in front of the trap, tightening their grips on their weapons as they saw the beast within the barrier, but it wasn't a beast. Not to the eye, at least.

The white horse sputtered, turning to look at them.

Dorian held out his arms for the others to stop. "False alarm." Relief filled his voice. "It's just a horse."

Alaric looked at it in surprise, and the others carefully approached the thorny boundary. "Must've gotten out of the stables and wandered across the barrier spell," he suggested.

Hope shook her head. "Except we don't have a white horse."

The creature turned to the side, revealing its horn that protruded from its forehead. It wasn't just any horse.

"A unicorn," Elara said in disbelief. Next to her, Hope gasped. "Malivore sent a freaking unicorn."

The unicorn neighed softly and turned to approach the group. Everyone except Hope lifted their weapons, ready to strike at the majestic creature. It was cute, but it was still a monster.

Hope slid in front of the three. "Hey, wait, wait. Hold your fire."

"It's a monster, Hope," Dorian said. "It's here to take the artifact."

"You're not seriously suggesting we kill a unicorn?" Hope asked in frustration.

"I'm suggesting we don't give it a pass because it's cute."

"Unicorns are dangerous," Elara added, adjusting her hold on the axe's handle. "Didn't you see that movie where a unicorn impaled a guy?"

"Can't we just..." Hope turned to look at the horse over her shoulder. "...leave it alone? It's trapped, it's not going anywhere. It's harmless."

Hope had a point. It wasn't like the unicorn could cross the barrier. Elara narrowed her eyes at the beast before sighing and releasing one hand from the axe, letting it fall to the side with a thud. The headmaster and librarian looked at each other as if gauging their own answer off the other.

The situation seemed like it was handled, but Elara's head tilted to the side as the gentle, staticky ringing she had grown used to hearing appeared briefly.

Alaric gave in to Hope's suggestion. "Hope's right. As long as we keep it alive, other creatures won't be coming for the urn. So, we just stay alert and let it be."

"All right, well," Dorian sighed, "I'll be on alert back in bed." He turned away from them and began his walk back to the school.

The others shortly followed. The chirp of the morning crickets filled Elara's ears, and it made it harder for her to listen for any strange sounds. She was always on guard in the woods, especially after hearing about the Arachne that kidnapped Dana and Sasha. She walked alongside Hope, glancing back at the unicorn every now and then to make sure it remained in the barrier.

"So," Hope began, drawing out the word and breaking the silence. "Where'd you disappear to yesterday?"

"I was with Jo."

Hope's brows lifted ever so slightly. "Did you miss her that much?" There was a subtle tone shift to her voice that Elara couldn't place.

"Well, yeah." Elara shrugged, answering casually. Hope found it a bit strange, how open the answer was, but things between them had changed. They weren't just roommates anymore. "Aside from you, she's basically my only actual friend."

"We're not your only friends," Hope disagreed.

"No," Elara said, "but you're the only ones I feel comfortable telling the whole truth to."

Hope couldn't help but smile gently at that. Getting through Elara's shields was an accomplishment for all of them.

Elara continued, "plus, I gave her a debrief of everything that happened while she was gone and--" She stopped herself, glancing at Hope. "Nevermind. Then I had to explain why my father's appearance was absolutely crazy and for whatever reason Lizzie decided she needed to give me a thirty-minute speech on how and why we're-- as she put it-- frenemies." She paused. "It was, uh, time consuming."

Her answer came out as more of a ramble, and that caught Hope's attention. Elara didn't have a specific tell to expose that she was lying. It was more so an energy that Hope had learned to read. Something was bothering Elara, something that she wasn't going to tell Hope.

But it made sense Elara was keeping something from her, even if she didn't like admitting it. After she accepted to Landon's girlfriend, things between them became... tense. Elara wasn't around as much, and whenever she talked to Hope, she seemed to always be holding back something.

Hope decided not to push. She had become used to Elara's version of sharing her feelings. It wasn't like pulling teeth anymore, but, like herself, the werewolf was still hardheaded. When Elara was ready to talk, she would.

The two continued to the school, unaware of the uninvited guest on the back of Hope's shoe.

~-~-~

Elara's knee bounced up and down as she sat in the armchair, watching Emma finish checking over her clipboard. Alaric had scheduled her an appointment with Emma after the incident with the Necromancer, and she couldn't avoid it.

A musical chime sounded from the speakers as Alaric's voice reached everyone's ears.

"If I could have your attention. Last night we were able to capture a monster here on the grounds," he explained. "We have everything under control. But give this potential danger, it is with a heavy heart that I must postpone the talent show."

Elara wasn't upset about that. The factions talent show was at the bottom of her interests. She had no plans to participate in the show, anyways, and truthfully, she didn't know if she was even allowed to join the werewolves or not.

"Hopefully," Alaric continued, "we'll be able to reschedule this...unique event... at a later date. A much, much later date."

There was a click as Alaric disconnected.

She knew the twins were going to be upset about the postponement. They-- well, Lizzie-- had been planning the witches' performance for months.

Emma's voice caught her attention. "A lot has happened since I last saw you, Elara."

The blond laughed weakly, crossing her arms against her chest. "No kidding. We lost one of the keys, we found Landon and Malivore and another artifact, and my father, who was murdered years ago, was briefly resurrected by one of the monsters from Malivore."

Two months earlier, she knew nothing about the supernatural world, and suddenly, the supernatural world that she had come to know was actually filled with monsters from fiction.

"That... would be a lot. How are you handling it?"

Elara shrugged, keeping her expression neutral.

Honestly, she was stressed out of her mind. Monsters were attacking them in order to free an entity that wanted to consume the supernatural, and although the latest monster was a unicorn and seemed mostly harmless, its appearance still irked her.

She still didn't understand what she was. Her father's appearance brought more questions than answers. The Bright Wolf, or whatever the hell its actual name was, was a violent, dangerous monster that left a trail of havoc and destruction.

Then there was Hope. After their conversation where Hope told her of her new relationship, Elara wanted to support her. She did her best to show it, but a part of her-- the part that she had pushed down as far as she could-- was fighting to free itself.

She liked Hope. A lot more than she initially thought. Elara wasn't sure when the feelings first arrived, but they were there, nevertheless. She believed it was a silly crush that formed because a pretty girl was being nice to her. A few of those kinds of crushes had appeared in her life before, but this was different. Hope made her feel safe. Hope's simple presence put her at ease. There was an undeniable chemistry between them, at least Elara thought there was. In their late-night conversations, in their hushed chatter during classes,

Landon was the safe option. Even though they didn't know what he was, he didn't possess abilities that could get people hurt. He wasn't strong or fast like Elara. He wasn't fighting for control of his own emotions like Elara constantly was.

He wasn't cautious of every move he made as if it would lead to a disaster.

But Elara was.

"Fine," Elara lied, her lips thinning. "I'm handling it just fine. I'm just... taking it one step at a time."

Emma nodded, seemingly believing her. "That's good. There is a lot on your plate, Elara, and you do not have to take care of it all at once. I hear that you and Hope have become friends."

The last word felt like a jab into Elara's chest.

She brushed it off quickly as a gentle ringing appeared. She shifted her gaze to the window briefly, checking to see if a threat had appeared outside. "Good. It's-it's good. We've, uh, been getting along well." Her head turned back, and she paused, noticing Emma's joyous expression.

"Brilliant. I'm proud of how far you've come," Emma responded with an odd smile. It was wide, and her sudden glee was off-putting. "And as much as I'd like to continue, we've run out of time, and I have to leave." She stood up abruptly and made towards the door to the room.

Elara shook her head. "Wait, but we've still got" --Emma slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her--"twenty minutes."

The blond let out a sigh, rubbing her temple with the palm of her hand. She hadn't spent much time with Emma, at least enough time to notice her habits, but this behavior: leaving an appointment early without a good reason?

That was strange.

A moment passed before she stood, picking up her backpack and slinging it onto her shoulder. Elara didn't like therapy in the slightest, so maybe Emma leaving early was a blessing in disguise. She walked out of the room, heading towards her first class of the day.

The school bustled with activity as the students went about their business during the school day. Elara turned down a hallway, and it was just her luck that she bumped into the trio of the people she had the most complicated relationships with.

Hope beamed at Elara when she saw her in the hallway, and behind her, Rafael and Landon were caught in their own conversation.

"Good morning, beautiful," Hope greeted, placing herself at Elara's side-- closer than she would've expected.

Elara lifted a brow in surprise. She'd seen Hope kind of happy before but never this happy. "Er, morning. Wake up on the right side of the bed for once?"

Hope giggled-- giggled-- nudging Elara with her shoulder. "Maybe. Maybe I'm just happy to see you."

"You saw me a few hours ago," Elara pointed out, adjusting her grip on the strap of her backpack. "I know my memory is bad, but I'm pretty sure yours is a lot better. Hope Mikaelson wouldn't forget facing a dangerous unicorn."

Hope seemed to find that amusing as well, letting out another laugh. "A unicorn is hardly dangerous. Besides, we are capable of handling any monster together." Her eyes flickered towards the direction Elara had appeared from. "Where were you this morning?"

"Therapy, actually." Elara answered, and she was glad that someone's voice interrupted Hope from asking another question.

"Hey, Lara!" Landon greeted from behind them. He waved his hand slightly. Rafael noticed her arrival as well and sent her a polite nod.

Elara nodded back. "Hey, guys."

Another musical chime broke through the air, and this time, Lizzie's voice reached them.

"Good news, friends. The talent show is going on as previously scheduled." The speaker clicked as Lizzie disconnected.

Landon grinned in amusement, placing his hand on Rafael's shoulder. Rafael seemed annoyed with his head bowed, but when he shoved off Landon's hand and lifted his head, his toothy smile said otherwise.

As the alpha, it was his responsibility to decide what the pack was going to do for the talent show, and that was one of the many reasons Elara was glad she hadn't challenged Jed for it.

Hope's hand lightly reached out, brushing something off of Elara's shoulder and catching her attention. Her hair was curled. When had Hope ever curled her hair before? And she was smiling far more than Elara had seen before.

Her eyes widened at the action, but she said nothing, hoping the others hadn't noticed.

"You know what?" Hope began, stopping and turning fully towards the blond. "We should do a talent."

Elara couldn't contain her laugh, and Hope pouted at that. "I'm-I'm sorry. I thought you said that we should do a talent."

Landon and Rafael paused behind them.

"I did. We should do a talent. I haven't wanted to before because I would've had to do it by myself, but now I have you." Her grin returned as she looked up at Elara, her eyes practically sparkling. "What better than to do a talent show with my best friend?"

Elara glanced at Landon as her grip tightened on the strap of her backpack. It didn't take a genius to notice how weird Hope was acting, especially around her best friend, and not to mention, Hope's boyfriend was a few feet away from them. Even with them there, Hope wouldn't have wanted to join the talent show, anyways.

Technically, aside from beating the crap out of people and reading other languages, Elara didn't have any talents. She couldn't dance. She couldn't sing, and she definitely couldn't draw. It wasn't for a lack of trying, either. The arts just didn't come to her as naturally as other things.

Yet, despite the absence of those talents, she was tempted to say yes simply because it was Hope. Who wouldn't say yes to that face? Hope was looking at her as if she had created the sun, as if she crafted the stars with her bare hands. She looked at her like she meant the world to her, and maybe there was a part that Elara wanted to think she did. But Hope wouldn't have let that slip while she had a boyfriend nor in front of the other students.

Elara came to a conclusion. Something was definitely wrong with Hope.

"Can't. I can't," Elara said quickly.

A frown quickly appeared on Hope's lips. "What, why?"

She came up with a reason on the spot. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I have no entertainment-based skills. Plus, I've got some more research I need to do." Her eyes flickered over to Landon, who wore an expression of disbelief. "But I'm sure Landon, your boyfriend, would be ecstatic to. Wouldn't you?" She looked at Landon expectantly.

Landon sputtered in embarrassment, and Rafael awkwardly looked to the side, unsure of why he was listening to the conversation or there in the first place.

Hope let out a sigh. "Fine, but I do need your help for something else."

"As long as it doesn't involve juggling, sure."

Hope giggled softly before continuing. "I've got a project in one of my classes this afternoon, and I need a volunteer. Would you...?"

"Yeah, I'll do it. Is it the one where you do nature-y, witch-y things or the boring, geography class?"

"The witch one," the tri-brid answered.

"Great, well, I've got to get to class." She shot the boys a small wave, eager to leave. "I'll see y'all later."

They said their goodbyes, all be it a bit awkwardly seeing as Hope was acting very strangely and headed towards their individual classes.

In all of her morning classes, Elara couldn't focus. Something was happening with Hope, with Emma, but it could've been a coincidence.

Maybe Elara was just being negative. It was possible for Hope to be happy. It just didn't happen often, but the more Elara thought about it, the less sense it made. Hope was never that happy, nor did she think Hope would verbally call Elara her best friend-- even if she was. Hope wasn't open with her feelings in front of most people, especially their classmates.

She tapped her pencil on her thigh as she tuned in to the lecture, unaware of the tiny, slimy monster crawling up the back of her pants leg.

[a.n. I went back and changed it so that Landon asked Hope to be his girlfriend instead of her asking him. Honestly, it didn't really make sense that she asked him despite not wanting to in the first place. Also, the writer's block was not nice this past week.

Anyways, apologies for the confusion and thanks for your patience!

~NYM]