A/N Thank you all for reviewing!
One Week Ago
"It's time, Tori."
Vincent stood with all of the witches of the nine covens that were gathered in front of the Lycée, waiting for Victoria. Victoria, who was dressed in a long, dark dress with her hair tied up, made her way down the path as the witches stood aside for her.
Once she reached the end of the opening, Vincent handed her a giant torch, which she carried with her to the front of the crowd.
She turned around to face them, and the witches looked up at her proudly.
"Fellow witches of New Orleans, the Ancestors call us here today to bear witness as I accept the role of Regent to our people."Victoria stated loudly, eyes trailing over the witches below her."Should any among you have cause to argue my acceptance of this role, now is your final chance to speak."
Victoria and Vincent looked over the witches, waiting for any protests. But nobody said a word; instead they all just continued to stare at her.
"Then it's settled."
Vincent smiled proudly at her as she took the torch and used it to light the oil that filled a stone basin at the front of the altar. Vincent stepped forward and took the torch from her, handing her a small blade to replace it.
"For a long time, the witches of New Orleans have been used, abused and killed at the hands of those who deem themselves more worthy than us. I aim to change that; I aim to make this city a safe place for us and, if the vampires or any other creatures do not wish to work with us, then we will become their worst nightmare."
Vincent smiled, nodding proudly.
Victoria would not set out to cause a war, she wished for peace, but if anyone else wanted different, she'd fight.
"We will not hide any longer. We will not be afraid to walk the streets or let ourselves be abused."Victoria pulled out the blade."And if anyone tries to take our power for themselves, we, together, will strike them down."
Victoria, without hesitation, sliced her palm with the blade and let the blood drip.
The fire roared as her witches smiled up at her, ready to work with their leader.
Victoria then took her place in front of her people, smiling at her brother who watched proudly.
Present
"What the-"
Startled when a hand touched her shoulder, Victoria turned around, eyes landing on a young blonde teenager standing below her. The twenty-one-year-old pulled the earphones out of her ears, turning down the music as she skipped down the steps of the altar, pocketing her phone.
"You scared me."
Victoria stared at the young teenager with a smile, confused when she didn't say anything.
"What is it?"She asked, eyes going wide."Do I have something on my face?"
The teenager shook her head."You listen to today's music?"
Victoria frowned but nodded with a laugh."Yeah, some of it, but nothing with Bieber or wrong-direction but some of it. Why?"
"I'm sorry, but we're just not used to having a, what do you call it, modern Regent?"
"Really?"
Lily, sixteen-year-old witch in training, smiled up at Victoria."Josephine was stuck in her time, and Davina? Well, she wanted to be like Josephine."
The Regent smiled.
"So you never had any fun?"
"It's not about fun, it's about being keepers of the balance."Lily said as if she head rehearsed it."That's what we were led to believe."
Victoria had watched witches be abused and used for personal gain all her life, and she couldn't understand why she'd had to live in fear. She, as Regent, wanted to fix what was broken, do what she had to do in order to lead them all into greatness, but she also wanted to teach the witches that they did not have to hate their power.
"Yes, but magic isn't all about that, Lily."Victoria smiled at the younger woman and flattened her hand in the air before raising it slowly, making leaves on the ground levitate into the air."You have to love what you do, you can have fun with it, it doesn't all have to be doom and gloom, marching along with orders. I hope to change that for you all."
"What do you mean?"
"My brother walked away from magic because the darkness enveloped him as his wife tainted the name witch. I used my powers to find him, I killed to find him but now that I have my family back I realize that we can now love our gifts."Victoria looked at Lilly who was smiling up at her."I will attempt to lead you all to safety, but I won't look down on you for enjoying your powers."
Victoria snapped her fingers, leaves falling to the ground."We will do what we have to do but why live life if you can't revel in it now and then?"
Lilly leant closer, whispering."What about the Ancestors?"
"They know that I'll listen to them, do what they ask of me but they know that I'm also here to lead you all. We take care of our own; we kill if we have to, but that doesn't mean you're not allowed to use a little magic to speed up homework now and then. This is the 21st century."
Lily suddenly lunged into Victoria's arms, wrapping her arms around her neck. The hug didn't last long, but it made Victoria smile as the teenager giggled before pulling back.
"What was that for?"
Lily just shrugged before she skipped off, laughing happily.
Victoria watched her, stepping down the stairs, humming as she passed the tombs.
Then a feeling hit her, making her smile drop.
Vampire.
"Very brave of you to come wandering in here."
Victoria turned around, eyes landing on a man standing a few meters from her.
"I come in peace and to ask a favor."He said, holding up his hands in surrender."I'm Marcel; I know your brother."
She rolled her eyes, crossing crossed her arms over her chest, arching an eyebrow.
"Vincent never knew how to make friends with the right people."
"Well, we're close."
The male vampire offered her a charming smile as he spoke."I came to ask a favor and, in return, maybe your people and my people can become friends."
"Excuse me?"
"My newborn vamps are gonna need daylight rings, and since your people won't listen to Davina or me anymore, I've come to ask if you'll help me out."Marcel stated, twirling the daylight ring around his finger."We can protect you from the Mik-AH!"
Marcel let out a cry of pain, falling to his knees, clutching his head. He growled up at her, all friendliness gone from his face and blood began to drip from his nose onto the ground.
"We don't need protection from you. If anything, you need protection from us considering you and your fledglings have been feeding then killing the humans."Victoria hissed, hovering over a screaming Marcel.
"We had nothing to do with that!"
"I want peace for my witches and the humans of this city."
"I want peace as much as you do which is why I'm asking!"Marcel fought the pain, pleading."Can you just hear me out?"
"No. Witches don't do favors for vampires unless there is a promise of my witches or the humans walking the streets without threat."
"An act of good faith will help keep the peace."
Victoria moved her hand to the left, sending Marcel through the air until he hit the entry gate. He fell on the ground, the gates of the cemetery slamming shutting behind him.
Marcel watched as the Regent turned away, sauntering back to the altar, and he jumped to his feet, spitting out blood and wiping red from his face.
Why are witches so damn stubborn?
That Night—French Quarter
"Hey!"
Hayley leant out the window, staring down at the dancing and shouting teenagers down below her."It's 9 pm. This isn't a damn concert! Some of us have toddlers who need to sleep!"
Hayley slammed the window shut, grumbling underneath her breath. Hope, waking up due to her mother shouting and the noise outside, and started to cry. Hayley groaned as she return to her daughter, trying to soothe her.
"I'm sorry, baby girl."She whispered, kissing her daughter's head as she calmed down.
The front door opened, and Jackson walked into the apartment and sent her a concerned smile.
"You all right?"
"Oh, she was sleeping, dreaming, until the stupid teenagers woke her up. How are we supposed to live with all this noise?"
"You're just sensitive to it, okay? We spent six months as wolves in the Bayou. We've been back a day. I think it's okay to take a minute to adjust."
"Easy for you to say! You're not half-vampire. Everything for me is heightened. It's not just the noise. I'm claustrophobic. My skin is crawling. I'm irritable. I'm hungry."Hayley whispered/shouted at her husband, eyes flashing amber as she added."I've been going out during the night and-"
Jackson frowned, confused.
It was evident she hadn't meant to add the last part.
"Hayley, what are you saying?"
Hayley shuffled closer to her husband, hands on his forearms."I can't help it, Jack, I get this hunger and anger, and I can't control it."
"You're the killer?"
Hayley looked away, looking remorseful.
"Hayley, this isn't the Bayou, you can't do this in the Quarter, your daughter-"
"I know, Jack!"She hissed at him, careful not to upset Hope."You're not a hybrid; you don't understand."
Before her husband could say anything, she flashed out, the door slamming behind her.
Jackson sighed, pulling out his phone and tapping on the screen. He brought the phone to his ear, foot tapping impatiently as he smiled down at Hope, free hand brushing her cheek to make her smile.
He turned as the person he was calling answered.
"Hey, Freya? It's Jackson. Hayley and I have to get out for a while, it's too much, so can you come over and watch Hope for a while, please?"
"W-What are you doing?"
Mary tried to hide the fear as she backed up into the alleyway, only to realise that the woman following her had meant for that to happen.
"Look, I'm sorry for waking your kid, but-"
She cried out as the woman flashed towards her, pushing her back against the brick wall behind her. She parted her lips to scream but found herself gazing into amber eyes then human teeth extracted to a pair of double fangs.
Mary screamed as the pushed her against the wall again then something sharp pierced her neck. She screamed for her boyfriend but got no answer as he turned and ran as fast as he could down the alleyway, running away from the two, leaving his girlfriend alone.
She fought violently against the young woman, but she was far too strong, her hands were keeping her shoulders pinned to the wall as she drank hungrily from the younger girl.
"Pl-Please! You're hurting me."
This only seemed to urge the older woman on. She groaned hungrily, harshly drinking from her as her fangs tore into her neck once again.
"HELP!"
The young woman suddenly stilled against her. Her fangs tore from her neck, and she inhaled sharply against her before she stumbled backwards.
"What the hell?"
Mary turned to see another woman entering the alleyway; hand held out, something that made her attacker fall to the ground in pain. The woman stepped closer, offering Mary a small smile, glare falling as she glanced at the wound on her neck.
"Run, find help for your bite."
Mary began to back out of the alleyway, hand against her wound."Thank you."
Mary turned and ran as fast as she could, and her savior turned around, smile falling as her gaze landed on the attacker. She clenched her hand, and the woman cried out in horror as her bones began to snap, eyes flashing amber again as she growled at the other woman.
"So you're the killer then. Same alleyway, same tactic, I'm lucky I got here in time before the tearing of limbs started."She glared down at the woman who was now on her knees, back arched."I'm Victoria."
The Regent swiped right, making the other woman slam against the wall, hitting her head, her broken bones making it unable for her to get back up.
"Let her go!"
Victoria turned around to see a tall man standing there, amber eyes.
The woman on the ground groaned in pain, shouting."Jack, get outta here!"
"I'm not leaving you, Hayley."
Jackson went running at Victoria, but she stopped him by holding her other hand out, sending him flying back against the wall.
"She killed people; she has to pay."
Jackson shook his head, eyes wide as he looked down at his wife who was writhing in pain."It wasn't her, okay? It was me!"
"Jack, stop!"
"No, Hayley, it was all me. I did this!"Jackson shouted, looking at the Regent."If you want to kill someone for this, kill me. She has a kid, a little girl who needs her mother."
Victoria swallowed at the mention of a child, and she looked down at Hayley, who had tears in her eyes.
"I won't kill you even though I know you killed those innocent people."
She released the hybrid from her spell, who collapsed on the ground, exhausted.
"Thank-NO!"
Hayley howled in horror as Victoria clenched her fist, making Jackson arch forward, and a second later he fell to the ground. She screamed as Victoria stood there, Jackson's heart in her hand, looking down at the husband of the hybrid.
"That pain? That's what your victims family's felt when they were told what you took from them."
Tears ran down Hayley's cheeks as she got to her feet, stumbling.
The hybrid began to lunge for Victoria, hissing."You little-"
Only to fall to the ground when Victoria flicked her wrist, snapping the hybrid's neck.
Victoria let the heart fall next to Hayley and turned, leaving the alleyway.
St. Anne's Church
"Let's do this."
Vincent and Marcel both jogged into the middle of the ring. They sparred for a few moments, throwing punches here and there, starting off slow. Vincent, thinking that he'd gotten the best of Marcel, threw a hit, but Marcel easily punched him so hard that Vincent was thrown backwards, hitting the floor.
He coughed hard several times as he got back onto his feet.
"I thought you said no vamp-speed, Marcel?"
"Come on, Vincent!"Marcel chuckled, raising his fists."If I move any slower, I'll be going in reverse!"
Vincent lunged toward Marcel to hit him, but, while Marcel dodged the first attempt, Vincent was able to punch him in the face before he grabbed Marcel by the arm and spun him around until he was flung toward the side of the cage.
"Oooh, you're learning, Vince!"
Chuckling, Vincent jogged backwards, raising his fists.
"How is the non-magical life going, huh?"
"Pretty good. Camille and I have been working to try and figure out who's been killing the locals."
Marcel shook his head."It wasn't my guys, man, you know that."
Marcel playfully tapped Vincent in the back with his fist, and Vincent finally turned to face him, quickly throwing a punch that Marcel dodged without effort before tripping Vincent and causing him to fall to the ground.
Vincent groaned in pain as he pulled himself back on his feet
"Doesn't matter what I think, Marcel. If news breaks that there's a killer loose in the Quarter, tourism is gonna drop. And who are your vampires gonna feed on then?"
He poked Marcel in the shoulder.
"Nope. Not unless they want a war with the covens!"
Vincent punched Marcel in the face, catching the vampire off guard, but Marcel recovered quickly and pushed the ex-witch back into the side of the ring.
Marcel smirked as he dodged the hit Vincent swung at him."Speaking of covens, your sister is quite the firebrand."
"Yeah, she is."Vincent responded somewhat proudly."She's a born leader. Firm but fair, willing to both die and kill for those she cares about. Though she isn't a fan of vampires."
"I got that when she almost made my head explode."
"I told you not to go round there."
"You said she wanted peace."
"She does but if you want a favor, Marcel, you're gonna have to earn it."Vincent said, jumping from foot to foot as he and Marcel circled each other."She doesn't want people to live in fear of you lot."
"She wants to know who's killing innocent people, and she is trailing the Quarter every day to catch the son of a bitch. The bodies are torn apart; it's clear that the killer is something supernatural."
Vincent dodged Marcel's punch, kicking the vampire backwards."If she finds out it's one of your guys, she'll kill him, and you'll never see a daylight ring for as long as she lives."
Marcel and Vincent stared at each other, daring the other to make a move.
"She wants peace, but that doesn't mean she won't kill vampires, wolves or anything in-between to make sure that her people are safe."
Later—Mikaelson Compound
"I'm so sorry, Hayley."
Freya rubbed Hayley's shoulder in comfort as the hybrid, daughter in her embrace, quietly sobbed while fighting the anger. Hayley had returned to her apartment with Jackson's body and heart in her arms, grabbed Hope then left, unable to stand the pain any longer. The three had returned to the Mikaelson home.
"It's my fault."Hayley whispered, kissing her daughter's cheek."It's all my fault."
The two looked up at the sound of feet.
Klaus and Elijah sauntered in, surprised to see Hayley sitting there.
Freya stood when Elijah frowned in concern, walking over to the two while Klaus hung back, watching from a distance.
"Freya?"Elijah asked quietly, looking over at Hayley who was hugging Hope."What's happening?"
"Jackson's dead."
"What?"
Freya crossed her arms over her chest, looking upset.
"Victoria."
Klaus stormed forward, joining his siblings."Who the bloody hell is Victoria?"
"The new Regent."Elijah answered, sighing."I've heard she doesn't kill unless she feels she needs to make a statement. Why did-"
"Because Hayley has been killing locals and the Regent won't stand for that."Klaus finished, looking over at the mother of his child."I'm right, aren't I, little wolf?"
Hayley, face covered in tears, turned from them, confirming the question.
Elijah's jaw clenched as he backed off, turning toward the exit.
Freya and Klaus watched, confused.
"Where are you going, brother?"
Elijah walked off, shaking his head.
"To visit the new Regent."
Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!
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