450Nik, Hayley, Jackson and I were walking down the streets of the French Quarter with Nikolas and Katherine just enjoying the day. Katherine was in a stroller while Nikolas was pulling Hayley to every store he could see everything. It made me laugh at him as he seemed amazed by everything he could see.
"What is it you want to see, Nicole?" Nik asked with a smile. "This is the first time we're able to stroll about the Quarter without much worry."
"While this is true we still have a thousand-year-old witch hunting us down trying to take our daughter from us," I reminded him.
"We will find her and end her," Nik assured me as a violinist started playing an upbeat tune. We stopped and listened since Katherine seemed to be entranced by the music. The violinist continues playing the tune a little longer before smiling and dramatically ending the song. I smiled and thanked the woman before dropping some money into her case. We started walking away and the violinist started playing a much slower tune and seemed to be following us. I paused and looked back at her, unnerved. She continued to stare at us as Hayley and Jackson joined us with Nikolas on her hip. "That song... What is it?" We watched the violinist who continued to stare as creepily before I turned back to the others. "Let's go." We continued walking and I saw a waiter writing a message onto a chalkboard outside of a restaurant that chilled my blood. "A promise made is a debt to be paid."
"We should go back home," Hayley said.
"Flowers, miss," a flower vendor offered, holding a flower out to Katherine. "A gift for the child."
"Uh, no, we're alright. Thank you!" Jackson said stepping between us.
"You sure?" he asked with a creepy smile on his face. "Black dahlias are in bloom. They're quite lovely."
"We're sure," I told him trying to walk past him, but he grabbed me tightly by the arm as his eyes turned pure white. Nik shoved the man against the light post as he put him in a choke-hold.
"Show yourself, witch," Nik growled. The flower vendor's eyes returned to normal, but then Jackson seemed to be overwhelmed since his eyes turned pure white.
"Klaus! She has Jackson!" I told him. Klaus dropped the vendor and turned to Jackson.
"I am here. I am everywhere. And I intend to take what is mine," Jackson told us. Nik pulled Hayley and me behind him with the kids.
"It's her." Jackson groaned before looking at us confused as we stared at him in shock and fear.
"Hey, what just happened?" Jackson asked confused.
"Dahlia."
We had immediately gone home and had Freya and Elijah in the dining room Nik and I didn't let Nikolas and Katherine out of our sights.
"Isn't that the point of a fortress? It does a better job of protecting you when you stay within its walls," Nik complained.
"We were protected, Nik. By you and the wolves," I reminded him. "We will stay inside until Dahlia is taken care of."
"What I would like to do is take a strong leash-"
"-Children, please," Elijah cut him off. "Niklaus, your ire is justified. However, Nicole is quite right. We need to find a new strategy. Freya, if you please?"
"The spell you described... Dahlia calls it "kenning"- using proxies to watch her enemies from afar," Freya explained and we continued watching her. "But, I've never seen it done on quite this scale." I sighed and shook my head and stared down at Nikolas as he played with his blocks while Katherine gripped the knight chess piece Nik had once made for Bekah in her hand. She turned and stared up at me before swinging her head back to her brother to watch him.
"Awesome. So, basically every Hurricane-chugging, boob-flashing tourist on Bourbon Street is a potential spy," Hayley sighed.
"The good news is, I know a little about how her magic works." Freya gestured at a try she set up that had a silver tea kettle and a cup for each of us already filled. "This tonic will at least prevent her from using any of us." Both Bekah and Freya reached for a cup.
"Well, come on! This should work like a charm!" Bekah encouraged and Elijah and Hayley grabbed their cups. Hayley handed me one as Nik was now the only one not moving. "Bottoms up!" We all drank our tonics and Elijah offered the final cup to Nik, who stared at it.
"Niklaus, is there something you wish to contribute?" Elijah asked in annoyance.
"I prefer biscuits with my tea," Nik shrugged and I gave him a look as Elijah rolled his eyes and set the cup down.
"Of course."
"Besides, our minds are far too strong to be invaded by kenning spells," Nik added. "No, what we experienced was a test- Dahlia's watching to see how we respond to aggression. She's preparing for battle. My guess is sooner, rather than later."
"Well, if she was watching us, she would know that we have our own army," Hayley pointed out.
"She also knows where we are and our defenses," I added.
"And, given the immense nature of her power, we simply do not know what to expect from her. What we need is to create a new stronghold. Something that Dahlia knows nothing about. A sanctuary from any witchcraft," Elijah said.
"That's a fine strategy. I offer another- we can use Jackson to trace her magic back to its source. Find out exactly where she is," Freya offered.
"That's up to Hayley and Jackson," I told her. We all turned to Hayley, who considered it for a moment before looking at Nik. Nik smiled and raised his eyebrows at her before she sighed.
"Fine. Do it."
"Good!" Nik exclaimed while standing up. "Then it's settled. Off you pop to your respective tasks! Me? I've always been of the opinion that the best defense is a good offense. So, I'm going to find a way to murder that godforsaken witch."
Once Hayley convinced Jackson to let Freya use him to try and find Dahlia, Jackson joined us and laid on the table she wanted him on. She was drawing an infinity symbol on his bare chest using the burned end of a smudge-stick as Bekah, Hayley and I watched worriedly.
"By doing this, we should be able to trace Dahlia's signature all the way back to the source of her power. But, I'll need to dig deep," Freya explained before looking up at Bekah. "Rebekah, if I may channel you?" Bekah looked uneasy but nodded in agreement before Hayley looked down at her husband.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?"
"Piece of cake!" he laughed nervously. Hayley sighed and we watched the two witches hold hands over Jackson's body as they began chanting.
"Inveniere potencia reparon malifica. Inveniere potencia reparon malifica." As they chanted, Jackson's back arched painfully as he groaned in agony. After a moment, Bekah looked up at Freya and dropped her sister's hands quickly. I looked at the two in confusion as Freya stared at her hands in fright.
"Rebekah, we need to continue," Freya told her.
"I..." Bekah seemed too shocked to say anything.
"Bekah?" I looked between the two again. "What's wrong?"
"You," Bekah said looking up at Freya appalled. "You're the reason Dahlia is able to cast such powerful spells." Freya looked alarmed as Bekah continued to speak and shook her head in disagreement. "She's channeling you!"
"So, Nik was right," I said glaring at the witch. "You've been helping Dahlia all this time!" Freya shook her head desperately, upset by my words.
"I had no idea!" Freya began to pace anxiously and Hayley held onto my arm to stop me from doing something I'd regret.
"She must have found me." Freya quickly moved to Bekah who backed away from her. "She wants to use you against me!" I got between the two of them.
"Get away from my sister!" Bekah held my arm to attempt to hold me back.
"Stop!" Bekah moved from behind me and puts a comforting hand on Freya's shoulder. "Freya, I want to trust you, I do. But, you said it yourself- you're bonded to Dahlia. I'm sorry, but it's better that you go. Please." Freya looked hurt but didn't fight us on it before she simply turned and left the compound.
When Elijah returned home to say he wasn't happy with us would have been an understatement.
"What do you mean "she's gone?"" Elijah asked us.
"She was a risk-" Hayley started to tell him.
"She was also the only one who intimately the enemy we now face!" Elijah reminded us.
"Dahlia was using her to amplify her own powers," I told him. "If that's the case she could use Freya against us."
"All of you, just stop it-"
"I was protecting my children from someone who none of us obviously trust," I told him.
"Correct, we've done nothing but doubt Freya," Elijah pointed out frustrated.
"Nevertheless, she kept her promise, and she saved your life. We certainly haven't demonstrated the same kindness towards her," Elijah reminded us
"So, what the bloody hell do we do now?" Bekah asked.
"There is a jazz club in Algiers by the name of the St. James Infirmary. Marcel has acquired it, and Josephine is fortifying it as a sanctuary against magic," Elijah explained. "Pack your things. Marcel will escort you, Nikolas, and Katherine there tonight at nine o'clock." I nodded my head in understanding. I might not like being sidelined, but I wasn't about to leave Katherine and Nikolas alone with Dahlia so close by. "You, wait with me," Elijah ordered Bekah.
"What for?" Bekah asked him.
"If Freya shall return, we will be here. Now, whether we trust her or not, we cannot win this fight without her." Elijah left the room and the three of us shared a look.
Soon enough, Freya returned to the compound but was stopped by the werewolf guards in the courtyard.
"I need to see Elijah," I heard her say and I sighed before going downstairs to join them.
"Let her through!" Bekah ordered.
"Is she serious?" One of the guards asked under his breath.
"Yes, she is." They scattered back to their posts leaving us alone again.
"I'm actually glad you're here," Bekah told her before Elijah joined us in the courtyard.
"Freya."
"I saw her. Dahlia. She intends to make her move tonight. Klaus and our father will be her next victims," Freya warned us.
"And you have returned to warn the very people who would cast you out?" Elijah asked her anxiously before giving Bekah and I sharp looks. Bekah blushed in embarrassment, but I wasn't sorry. My top priority was my children.
"I understand Klaus' mistrust, as I do yours, but I did not come this far to see my family die at the hands of the very evil that I've tried for so long to escape," Freya told us with tears in her eyes. "I'm begging you- help me save them."
"Tell me what you need," Elijah told her.
"Dahlia will lure them into a trap. She prefers places of darkness. She'll be drawn to any site that's been steeped in death," Freya told us and Bekah rolled her eyes.
"Well, welcome to New Orleans."
"Oh, no, I'm talking about dark power created by massacre. Sacred ground that's been stained with the blood of the innocent."
"Then there's only one place I know of that she'll love."
I was packing a bag for the kids when Hayley walked into my room.
"Hey," she greeted and I looked up at her.
"Hey, come on in," I told her getting another bag ready with their necessities.
"Would you hate me if I suggest another place for us to hide?" she asked me and I gave her a curious look.
"Why bother?" I asked her. "We have a plan and Nik will be able to come to see us every night. Plus this place will provide magical protection another place won't have."
"But you'd still have the pack-"
"And we will at the place Elijah told us about," I told her. "I've told you before, I'm not fighting Nik on his plans when I agree with them. The same goes for the rest of my family."
"Ok," she sighed and seemed to be thinking deeply about something.
"Something else on your mind?"
"Yeah, Aiden is picking Jack, the kids and me up at 8:45 and Marcel is getting you at 9."
"Why the sudden change of plans?" I asked confused.
"We all agree that taking two separate cars to get there instead of one," she explained. "Maybe it'll confuse Dahlia."
"We're changing our plans based on a maybe?" I asked her.
"Hey, I don't make the plans," she told me and I nodded.
"I'll have their stuff ready by 8:45 then."
"Ok." She turned to go, but I called her back.
"Hey, Hayley," she turned back to me. "Thank you for all you and the wolves are doing for us."
"You and your kids are family," she said with a small smile and a shrug of her shoulders. "We do everything we can for family."
At the right time, I handed off the kids to Hayley and Jackson and kissed both of their cheeks.
"Thanks again for this, guys," I said to the other two. Katherine whimpered slightly and I fixed her knit hat and smiled at her. "Don't worry sweetheart. Aunt Hayley and Uncle Jackson are going to take good care of you until you see mommy and daddy again."
"Don't worry," Hayley said and I glanced up at her. "We'll protect them."
"I know." I kissed my children one last time before nodding to the pair in front of me. They walked out of my room with my children in tow.
At 9 I looked up when I heard Marcel knocking on my door frame.
"You ready?" he asked me and I nodded.
"Have you heard from Aiden about Hayley, Jackson and the kids?" I asked him worriedly.
"What are you talking about?" he asked me and I told him what Hayley told me. Marcel's look turned dark and started looking for the four of them.
"Fan out, find 'em. Now." The vampires did as they were told and I heard a familiar cry. I ran towards the noise to see the four of them and looked at them confused.
"What are you doing back here? Where's Aiden?"
"He never showed," Hayley told me quickly. "Come on, let's go to Algiers."
"Right now, that club is the safest place in town," Marcel said from behind me. Katherine cried and reached for me and I took her from Hayley. We gathered all our bags and left for the club.
