Elijah remains silent as she starts to ramble a little bit, understanding that she does this when she’s nervous, but she’ll get to the point if given time. All he can think about, currently, is how much he wants to track down every last one of them and rip them apart. For now, though, he needs to be here with her, he needs to make sure she knows that she’s safe.
He forces himself not to tighten his hold on her as she goes through the list of what they did to her, because he knows that she’ll pick up on it, and he also knows that her mind would start to try and convince her that he was angry with her. As if he would ever hold anything that happened to her against her. He nods a little when she explains that she ripped out the witch’s throat, honestly proud that she had managed to get the better of a few of them. But that pride does nothing to quell the rage that continues to grow within him, and he exhales a soft breath as he glances down at her expression.
❝ Hey, darling, you don’t need to promise me. I know that you would never give anything away. I’m sorry that they tried to use you to get at us, I’m so sorry, Cordelia. ❞ He presses his lips together for a moment as she continues, explains that they pulled out her teeth, and instantly Elijah is angry again. Ready to leave this apartment and go on a rampage. It’s only her weight settled over him and his promise to her that keeps him in place. ❝ I’m going to torture every last one of them for what they did to you, Cordelia. I give you my word, every one that was involved, that even thought about getting involved, is going to suffer. ❞
❝ It's not your fault, ❞ she's quick to reassure, though Cordelia is aware enough to know that Elijah won't believe her any time soon — if he ever will. He collected blame for things out of his control as if it were going out of style, and it was a flaw the Original had that frustrated her just as much it endeared her to him. ❝ I mean that, Elijah. I don't blame you, and I never will. I never could. I swear to you. ❞
He vows to hurt and kill anyone the slightest bit involved in her abduction, and where that anger, that all-consuming and bloodthirsty fury, may have aroused and flattered her at any other point, right now...it made her feel a little uncomfortable. Not that she expected anything different. More than once Elijah had told her how readily he would slaughter whole armies for her, but Cordelia had never thought such a thing would actually come to pass. Her naivete at it’s finest. ❝ As long as you won't come to regret it later, do what you need to. I won't stop you, I promise. Just... ❞ She sat up a bit, resting a hand on Elijah's face and turning his head to better face her. ❝ Don't lose yourself. Please. ❞