Freya finished her incantation, Hope echoing her every word. Hope's progress in witchcraft was going along swimmingly. She was an eager and talented pupil under Freya's tutelage.
"That's it for today." Freya told her niece. "I promised your mother I wouldn't hold you for too long. It's Christmas Eve after all, I still have work to do."
"Like what?" Hope asked in her soft British accent.
"More decorations to put up." Freya answered. "I have some candles I want to use, some lights I saw down in the market, oh, and not to mention hanging up the mistletoe. Hope, help me move the poinsettias."
Hope obeyed. As part of her holiday lesson, Freya had taught Hope how to grow the holiday plant. They made at least a dozen bouquets grow. Freya planned on decorating the first floor with them.
"The cookies should be ready." Freya said. Hope's face lit up. "Let's go take them out of the oven."
While they sat in the kitchen chatting and eating Hope's father, Klaus, entered with his frenemy Lucien Castle.
"Hello girls." Klaus said.
"Ooh cookies." Lucien popped one into his mouth. "I can taste the holiday spirit."
"Auntie Freya made them." Hope said proudly.
"Beautiful and can cook, a perfect woman." Lucien raised his eyebrows at Freya, who rolled her eyes.
"What are you doing here?"
"Visiting my good friend Nik!" Lucien put his arm around Klaus' shoulder. "I came to drop off a Christmas present and discuss some business."
Vampire business, Freya thought, but only nodded her head. She didn't want to say anything in front of Hope.
"I invited Lucien to Christmas dinner tomorrow." Klaus before drinking some milk out of his daughter's cup.
"Hey!" Hope playfully reached for it. "That's mine!"
"Why would you do that?" Freya asked, failing to keep the disgust out of her voice.
"Because Lucien is a friend, like our other guests." Klaus' tone warned her to be polite.
"You wound me Freya!" Lucien placed his hand over his heart.
"If only." Freya smiled. "Hope finish up, I have to drop you at your mom's." Hope hopped off the bar stool and ran back upstairs to collect her belongings. Freya turned to her brother. "Unless you're going to do so, Niklaus?"
"I have last minute gift shopping to do." Klaus said, "Errands to run, caterers to check on-"
"I have errands too." Freya argued.
"You already gave Hayley your word, and you wouldn't have half the burden you put on yourself if you left decorating up to the servants. Elijah's upstairs taking a nap, when you return have him help you."
"I want to have a hand in decorating the place I live in. We've let the servants decorate enough."
Klaus held up his hands in surrender. "I'm only saying you shouldn't complain about the work load when you take it upon yourself."
"He does have a point." Lucien said.
Freya's eyes narrowed. "Was anyone talking to you?" she lowered her voice so Hope wouldn't hear. "What's stopping me from snapping your neck right now?"
"Your growing attraction to me?" Lucien smirked confidently which made Freya want to deliver her threat. "You never got back to me on that date we're supposed to go on, love."
Klaus chuckled and Freya got up from the counter, exasperated. "I'm leaving with Hope, don't expect me back until evening."
"Call me!" Lucien yelled after her. Freya ignored him.
Ever since Lucien arrived in New Orleans, Lucien had shown a great propensity for getting on Freya's nerves. She thought he'd leave the city years ago but he chose to stick around to "watch over" his sire. Back in the room Hope was putting on her coat.
"Not ready yet?" Freya asked.
"No. I just gave you an early Christmas present Auntie Freya!"
"Oh really?" Freya helped Hope button the rest of her coat. "And what is that?"
"I helped decorate."
"You mean the poinsettias?" Freya grabbed her purse.
"Nope, I mean the mistletoe."
Freya looked at her niece. "You grew mistletoe?" Hope nodded. Freya looked around but saw no signs of mistletoe. "Where is it?"
Hope went out on the indoor balcony and pointed to the courtyard entrance. Freya squinted and in fact saw some greenery. "Wow, okay. Thanks Hope."
As they were leaving, Freya looked up at the mistletoe Hope grew. Why was she feeling such a strong aura of magic radiating from it? "Stop walking. Do not move."
Freya looked at the doorway. Freya squinted, something about it looked off. She held out a hand in front of Hope. Her eyes went up, the source of magic was the mistletoe. She held out her hand and the plant fell into it. Freya examined it. "Hope...this isn't mistletoe."
"It's not?"
"Nooo..." Freya tossed it around in her hand. Something was tugging in the back of her mind. "Hope where did you find the spell to grow this?"
"I looked it up in the grimoire."
Dammit. Freya tried to keep grimoires out of Hope's reach. Hope was always eager to prove herself. Some times she'd go through grimoires trying to practice magic she hadn't completely mastered yet. That's when Freya had to step in to do damage control, like now. But maybe this was nothing, it was just a plant, what harm could it do?
Freya's instincts told her to check before brushing this off. "We're going back upstairs."
The grimoire was still on the table where they left it. "Show me where you found the spell." Freya instructed. Hope did and Freya nearly screamed.
"Hope, this isn't mistletoe. It's mistlethyme. It's a plant not found in nature, it's only grown by magic. ." To be fair, the plants would look similar to a child. But mistlethyme's leaves were more oval shaped and the leaves were a lighter green. The berries, were a deep burgundy as a opposed to a bright red. The description of the plants powers made Freya uneasy.
It freed people of their inhibitions and caused them to rush after the person they desired the most. Side affects included impulsive, reckless behavior, and no regard for one's safety. The plant could drive humans mad and in some cases lead to their deaths. It didn't take much to be exposed to it. If someone ate the berries, or got in close contact with the plant that would do it. Freya's stomach dropped. Hope magically pinned it underneath a doorway. Freya had felt the magic three feet away, if she had walked under it...Freya froze.
Niklaus and Lucien!
"I'm sorry Auntie Freya." Hope said. "I thought it was mistletoe."
Freya tried not to shout at her niece. She had only been trying to help her out. But that was the main entrance everyone used. If Hope put the mistlethyme up before Klaus and Lucien left then they were effected when they walked under it.
Freya called her younger brother and got his voicemail. Freya tried not to panic. Maybe everything was fine. But she wouldn't be able to relax until she knew for sure. She tried again only to go back to voicemail.
Freya and Hope went to Elijah's room to find his door open. "Elijah! We may have a situation!" She found a note on his bed.
Gone out, will return in a few hours. Call if you need me.
Freya cursed. Why didn't he come see her first? Now she panicked. Freya wouldn't even have Elijah to help her. She possibly had to deal with not one, not two, but three strong vampires who were impulsive and dangerous on a good day. Add in a magical spell clouding their judgment? Two of the three were original vampires, the most feared beings on the planet, and Hope put some love spell on them.
"Okay." Freya ran her fingers through her hair. She looked at Hope.
"I'm sorry Auntie Freya." Hope repeated.
"I know you are." Freya shut her eyes so she could think. "First things first, you're going to Davina."
"What about mum?"
"Change of plans."
If Elijah walked under the mistlethyme he'd make a beeline for Hayley. Freya knew he still loved her. She was the woman he most desired. As for Niklaus...Freya needed to call Cami and give her a heads up. Hopefully Lucien's girl was halfway across the world. Freya didn't care about him going insane. The witch sighed. Somehow she would have to find a cure for the spell Hope cast. Her brothers needed to be cured before they burned New Orleans to the ground.
