Dear Diary,

Even a gilded cage, situated in the most beautiful place, is still a cage…

#

Elijah called it a house. A more accurate description of the place was 'massive civil-war era plantation.' It towered above the ancient trees, three stories worth of 'Gone with the Wind' level architecture nestled in the center of more acreage than I could count. Add to that an attic, a basement, a wine cellar, two guest houses around back, and a 'carriage house' (re: detached garage), and you had the blueprint for most impressive estate I'd ever seen.

The land, if not the house, was older than the civil war, and all held in trust by one of Elijah's many dummy corporations. Whomever was set to care for the house in his absence was paid well enough to send a car to meet me at the hotel.

At two in the goddamn morning. No questions asked.

All I'd needed to say was the name 'Elijah Smith' and tell them I had the 'black card.'

An expensive Lincoln town car brought me to their-our-new home. Even in the dead of night, the house was breath-taking. The lawn well-manicured and a lush emerald green despite the summer heat, the crushed marble driveway gleaming too white by contrast in the floodlights. Softer illumination flickered in the outdoor wall sconces and chandelier, casting inviting shadows of warmth across the white-washed exterior walls.

Scents of apple blossoms drifted lazily on the still air, lending a false sense of purity and innocence to the place. I knew better. Anything that once held generations of slaves wasn't pure, and I doubted severely anything the Mikaelson Clan did counted as innocent anymore.

Especially since I was the newest 'slave' on the plantation. If not slave, at least an unwilling occupant and participant in the Mikaelson drama.

But I didn't have time to bitterly lament my fate as Elijah's little pet. Hints of the approaching dawn clawed at my soul, a warning to move faster. Somehow, I had to get this place ready for Niklaus and Elijah's arrival, and then get gone, myself, before they showed up at sunrise. It was a fear I couldn't shake.

Compulsion to hurry. It had to be. Though whether it was Elijah's or Niklaus's, I couldn't tell.

"We keep the house just as Mr. Smith wishes," Mr. Jerry Jarrette, the attorney-turned-midnight-tour-guide, swung the double front doors wide. "All original furnishings, finishes, and antiques cataloged and resting in their proper places."

I stepped with a firm clack onto true, well-cared for hardwood, the surface polished to a mirror shine. "Electrical?"

Jerry flipped a cleverly concealed wall switch next to an old-fashioned gas sconce. Soft electric light drifted down from chandeliers and other identical sconces on the walls. "All up to code," he confirmed. "As you can see in the drawings, we completed the electrical refit three years ago."

I glanced down at the iPad in my hands, pulling up the blueprints and inspection reports. All appeared in proper order, at least as far as the city was concerned.

"The roof?" I asked.

"Recently replaced after Hurricane Katrina and brought up to the latest building codes as well."

"What about the foundation?"

"Repaired with the latest injectable concrete technology. All structural columns were likewise braced and reinforced," he smiled down at me. "Might I say, it's quite nice to work with an engineer for a change. I must complement Mr. Smith on his choice of assistants."

I almost tripped over his words. Elijah's assistant? Had there been a double meaning to my own excuse of "job offer" in New Orleans? It took effort to repress the shiver down my spine.

"Temporarily," I clarified. "I'm a special hire for a time."

Jerry gave me what I'm sure he believed was a knowing and reassuring smile. "I was a temporary hire once, too. You'll find working for Mr. Smith too good to give up. The benefits far outweigh any offered in the public sector."

Thank god he'd turned away. He didn't see the fleeting terror on my face, or the way my hand rose to my throat. I could still feel Niklaus's bite-and Elijan's-throbbing on either side of my neck. I had to wonder if my benefit of "being alive" right now wasn't so much a bad thing instead of good.

Sometimes death wasn't a thing to be feared.

Jerry lead me through the house, answering my questions with clear and precise detail. He never quibbled or frowned when I asked to view basements, columns, craw spaces, and wiring. My background in structural engineering more than screamed my qualifications to ask those questions. That, and the fact I was speaking in Elijah's name.

God. GOD! I really was his assistant now, wasn't I?

I shoved down the panic, focusing hard on my inspections of all structures on the property. Green house, fountains, historical servant's quarters, slaves quarters, barns, et al. Everything was up to code, furnished, and move-in ready.

"What about heating and cooling?"

"The original furnaces supply more than enough heat. Again, all up to current code," he hesitated a moment, a worried expression on his weathered face. "Mr. Smith has never asked for any air conditioning to be installed."

I started to gape at him, but suppressed the urge. The explanation was apparent to those who could see it. These old homes were built to allow airflow in summers, the windows and doors strategically placed to capture summer breezes and distribute them throughout the house. While Louisiana could get blisteringly hot, it never got "stuffy" in the plantations. No need to recycle the air to prevent humidity-based mold with care-takers airing out the house near daily.

Not to mention that vampires didn't mind the heat at all. Didn't sweat. So no need for A/C.

"The caretakers bring in portable A/C?"

"They did during restoration work," he clarified. "Otherwise we followed instructions to maintain the original integrity of the property as much as possible."

I nodded. "I'm going to need several of the portable units. Two in one of the guest houses in the back. One to be brought upstairs. I'll install it myself when a room is chosen by… the main guest."

I couldn't even say Hayley's name aloud. Yay compulsion keeping Mikaelson secrets as secrets.

"At once," Jerry said, pulling out his phone and texting. "I had my best crew placed on standby the moment you called. It will be handled immediately."

I glanced out the window, at the rapidly lightening sky. "Good. Now, I need a ride to a grocery store. I have no idea what Mr. M-Smith-wants, but I'm certain neither does he. I'm thinking basics, though."

"I can supply you with the list I ordered the last time he was here."

I glanced at the dust covers on the furnishings. "How long ago was that?"

"Nearly a decade or so," Jerry smiled that creepy, knowing smile at me. Like I'd pledged the wrong kind of fraternity and now there was no going back.

Apt, that.

"I told you, Mr. Smith pays well. You'll never leave once you get a taste."

My hands flew to my throat again, and I didn't care if he saw. "That's what I'm afraid of."

#

With Jerry's help, I managed to get the last of the food put away, the A/C units in place, and myself out of the main house before anyone arrived. Thanks to Jerry's standby team, the linens were changed in all the bedrooms, the furniture in them dusted and polished to a mirror shine. Fresh flowers were gently and discretely arranged in vases, their scents blanketing the ever-present musty smell all homes gathered due to disuse. A cold brunch of meats, cheeses, fruits and breads were out on the sideboard (Jerry's idea, bless the man) and bourbon filled every decanter in every room.

We'd even managed to uncover some of the furniture in the main parlor before the urge to run was near unstoppable.

Had to be Niklaus's compulsion to get gone from his presence unless called for.

I borrowed the car from Jerry, dropping him at his office before returning to the hotel. It was near nine in the morning and we were both beat. He'd promised to have a rental brought around for my approval later in the day, once we both had a chance to get some real sleep.

Dani was gone when I entered our room, predictably without leaving a note. Pissed at me for staying behind, no doubt. My tears were a mix of relief and sorrow. She was out of New Orleans, safe from all this nonsense. Safe from the vampires and the threat friendship with me posed.

One down, three more to go.

Per Elijah's orders, all my things were packed and ready, all waiting on a bellboy's trolley. Lexi sat on that bed just as Elijah had left her. Asleep with her eyes open, so deep in his power that it hurt to look at her. I pushed the trolley down to the car, Lexi walking in her zombie-like state silently beside me.

Elijah's compulsion held true. My friend would follow my every order so long as they did not conflict with his.

My friend.

God, could I even call her that anymore? Was she a friend, given how she and her family were planning to serve me up on a silver platter to Niklaus? That her family would use his own unborn child against him?

I shook my head. It didn't matter. She was a person, and I had to help her. Somehow.

Though I had no idea how.

I couldn't manage to even help myself.

I sobbed entire drive back to the plantation.

#

My lips were blue when I finally turned off the arctic stream pretending to be my shower. Apparently, I'd forgotten to check the guest house in my panic to get all other aspects of the planation up and running.

Pesky little details like water heaters in the guest house were at the bottom of my OMG PANIC LIST earlier in the night. I'd felt Niklaus's presence on the horizon like the first hint of thunder in the air. He was coming, and one of the compulsions he must have placed in my mind dealt with not being in his range of vision without his permission.

Unseen and unheard like good lil servants of old, but listening and eager to jump at his whim.

But Elijah's commands were damn near the opposite. He wanted me locked to the property, within easy reach whenever he needed me. He'd be displeased at my chosen room, namely that it wasn't in the main house. Yet thankfully the guest house was far enough away to suit Niklaus's commandment and just a little walk from the main house, which suited Elijah's commands.

God in heaven, they were going to rip me apart with these conflicting orders.

But cold showers were a small price to pay for having this little bit of privacy. They weren't in this building with me, and that suited my own commands perfectly.

The falling ice water gave me time to think, which was both good and bad. Thinking meant I was safe for the moment, but reminded me that I hadn't slept in 24 hours now. I was running on gas station coffee and Elijah's blood at this point, and that only served to put the man in question front and center in my brain space.

Elijah… god. I was really and truly working for him.

I didn't know what to think of him anymore.

He was still mad at me for other past transgressions, but we did have a connection, an attraction, that tried its best to erase all the bad between us. His words in the hotel room was evidence enough of that. Not to mention the kiss at the bar-

NO. I would NOT think of that. I would not allow myself the luxury of turning him into some romantic figure in my head. He was a vampire, for god's sake. And I was, for all intents and purposes, his slave.

God, I needed sleep. I just needed to sleep, and maybe common sense would trickle back into my addled brain.

I turned off the spray, dressed in my pajamas, and stepped into the bedroom. "The water is cold, Lexi, but we can get clean and—"

Elijah stood at the foot of the bed, hands in his pockets, staring down at Lexi's sleeping form.

I swallowed a gasp, lips trembling from more than just the cold. Had he… was she…

"I have not decided her fate quite yet," he turned to me, as if reading my thoughts. "If that was your concern."

"One of many, yes," I managed, scrubbing the towel through my hair as I attempted to shove my heart back down into my chest.

I heard him settle into one of the plush chairs. Even the guest house in this place was grandiose, filled with antiques worth more than my life.

"I'm listening."

I blinked, glad for the towel to cover my shock. "What?"

"Your concerns," He said, crossing one ankle to his knee and folding his hands in his lap. "I'm ready to listen to them."

I took enough time drying my hair, composing myself and praying he interpreted my rapid heartbeat as fear.

"Okay," I said at length, turning to him and dropping the towel around my shoulders. "I—"

He was suddenly right in front of me, just close enough to kiss, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Your lips are blue," his fingertip touched my cheek. "And you're cold. Why?"

I jerked in surprise, trying to pull back from his fingers. He wasn't having that, and simply took a step forward again. That finger never moved, in fact held my face in place while his eyes tracked over my shoulder. No doubt taking in the lack of steam in the open bathroom door.

"Mr. Jarrette assured me the inspection of the property went well," he glanced back at me. "Clearly he was mistaken."

He released me, crossing to the hope chest next to the bed and removing a blanket from it.

"He wasn't mistaken, Elijah," I accepted the offered blanket, wrapping myself in it. "The main house has it's issues but it's structurally sound. It won't burn down due to a wiring snafu, and the roof and plumbing work like a charm."

"Not in the guest house, I see."

"Not in the guest house," I echoed. "No A/C, heat, or hot water. We didn't get that far in the inspection. And he did mention that your last instructions didn't contain the guest house."

He pursed his lips. "But you understood clearly that these structures are part of the main property."

"Yes, but I'm also an engineer," I answered carefully. That tone in Elijah's voice, the dismissal in his eyes. I had a feeling Jerry's continued employment, and possibly his life, depended on my defense of him. "He's a lawyer. He maintained them. He wouldn't know what to inspect, and he was ordered to maintain the original structures as close to their as-built status as he could. That wouldn't include upgrades."

He stared at me for a long moment, blinking once. Weighing my words, possibly? It was so hard to read that expression!

"Then you move into the main house," he said at length. "It's that simple. I did wonder why you'd taken residence here in the first place."

I sighed, pulling the blanket tighter around me. "That has to do with the second set of concerns. Are you even interested in why we didn't finish the inspection?"

"Very," he held out his hand to me. "Which I am happy to discuss with my personal aide, preferably over a warm beverage. Coffee was your choice if I remember correctly."

I blanched. "Jerry told you about the 'assistant' thing, didn't he?"

"He complemented me on a fine choice this time. What was it he called you-ah, yes, a 'splendid and highly knowledgeable young woman with steel in her spine and an unwillingness to accept obstacles toward her goal,'" the smile that touched his lips was darkly amused. "He told me I was insane to let you go, and he looks forward to working with you again. I, of course, informed him I had no intention of letting you escape me any time soon."

I shuddered a bit at that, holding onto the blanket as if it were the only thing holding my sanity inside me. "Being your assistant was the best explanation available to me without putting the man in danger of knowing something was odd with us."

"Do not fear me, Alynia," he took a step closer, palm still offered to me. "If I was angry with you about it, I suspect we'd have a much different conversation right now. You performed exceptionally well today, and for that you have my thanks. Why are you hesitant to take my hand?"

I didn't realize I was backing away until my back hit the wall.

"A lot of reasons," I gasped, realizing I was backing away from him. More specifically, I was backing away from the binding agreement that went along with taking his hand. "First being if I do, I'm accepting my future here. There's no going back."

His hand lowered, returned to his pocket. "You must understand by now that there was never a turning back for you. The moment Niklaus entered the picture, our fates were sealed."

"Our?"

The hint of the smile on his lips this time wasn't cold or sharp, instead it was almost bittersweet. "Alynia, I did not want this for you anymore than I wanted it for myself. In spite of our transgressions against each other in the past, I always hoped a sense of mutual respect remained between us. Enough that I fought to remove you from our family squabbles and give you the mortal life denied to your siblings."

I couldn't help but flinch at the mention of Elena and Jeremy. His fingers brushed my cheek again, coming away wet this time with my tears.

"Thank you for trying," I whispered and meant it.

"You're most welcome," He whispered back, the caressing fingers gently sliding around the back of my neck, holding me gently but firmly. "Understand, here and now, our fates are twined once again. There is no going back. Not now, and not ever."

The quiet steel in his words hammered that horrible truth home. Let me know he'd do everything-including take my life-if I tried to escape him. All because of his family, of his unborn niece or nephew. Or more to the point, how I fit in his equation to protect them.

I swallowed, nodding and brushing at my tears. "I know. I understand."

"Good," he rubbed his hands gently up and down my shoulders, stimulating warmth. "You are valuable to me, Alynia, for more than just your blood. Our allies run thin in this town, and I count you among them. You will serve as my personal assistant in mortal matters, and oversee such things when I'm not able. There is much work to be done to reestablish our holdings."

He offered his hand again and I took it. "Our?" I echoed again adumbly.

"Rebecca will join us eventually, and I'm certain there are issues you will assist Niklaus with-"

I pulled up short, and he turned, eyebrow raised. "I can't. I mean, not with Niklaus. It's why I'm not in the main house. Well, one of the reasons," I flicked a pointed glance at Lexi's sleeping form. "I don't know what Niklaus did to me, but I can't be around him or near him without his permission."

"And you can feel him approaching," he nodded. "Just as you can feel other vampires."

"I only feel them when I'm trying to sense them," I corrected. "Whatever Niklaus did to me, I'm constantly subconsciously searching for him. I can't turn it off."

He nodded as if to himself. "Which explains why you ran out of time inspecting the structures on the property."

My turn to nod. "Hence the cold shower. I completed everything to your requirements, with the added plus of Niklaus's comfort. I couldn't not do it."

"Allow me some time to discuss this issue with him. You cannot assist me fully if you aren't at my side."

I didn't answer, and he didn't need me to. We both understood the small joy Niklaus would take in forcing me to run and Elijah to run after me.

"Enough of this," Elijah broke the silence, and smiled faintly. "You are frozen to the bone. Let us go down to the kitchen."

"You mean the room with no power and no hot water?"

"The sun has risen. It will provide enough light. I'll bring us something warm to drink from the main house and we'll discuss our plans. After which, you must get some sleep. I assume you haven't slept yet?"

I shook my head and glanced towards Lexi again. He stopped me this time.

"Her fate is as bound to this course as ours. Put her out of your mind," he said firmly. "Never forget she's aligned with our enemy and your involvement here is a direct result of her actions."

He started down the stairs. My hand still in his, so it was either follow or be dragged behind him.

I followed.