After simply enjoying each other's company for what felt like far too short of a time, Hayley rolled out of bed and began collecting the clothes that had been thrown around the room. Elijah sat up against the headboard and gazed at her. Not that he didn't enjoy the beauty of her nakedness, that's not why he watched her. She moved gracefully as she picked up each article of clothing and folded it. It was so domestic. He could see the way she had matured into a different woman over the past five years.
She brought Elijah's clothes over to him and kissed him quickly before retreating to the bathroom. When the two finished getting ready, Elijah took Hayley's hand. He kissed the soft skin on back of it and offered her a small smile.
"I will apologize to Tobias. In retrospect, I was rather rude," Elijah said. Hayley chuckled and threaded her fingers through his again.
"Just chalk it up to being locked in a box for five years and you'll be just fine," she said. "Come on, I think we've been gone long enough." Hayley began to pull him along, but he pulled her arm back spinning her hard into his solid chest.
"I don't think any amount of time spent with you would ever be long enough for me," he murmured. His eyes held hers in a way that made time cease to exist. She memorized every hue in his dark brown eyes that seemed to express emotions she couldn't formulate words for. Hayley just about melted in his arms before she pressed her lips to his. The two stood wrapped up in each other for several moments more before Hayley reluctantly broke away.
"Mmm… as much as I'd love to stay longer, I don't want to have to clean this room again," Hayley hummed. Elijah's eyes twinkled as his mouth curved upwards in response. He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear which made Hayley sigh in content. She had missed that. The little things he did made her heart swell up. It was just one of the many things that had been missing in her life the past five years.
"Then we'll just have to be careful this time," he said. Hayley grinned and kissed him again, but this time it was short.
"Later, I promise," she said. "Come on."
The two walked to Rebekah's room and knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a bemused Rebekah who simply raised an eyebrow at them.
"Well, it's about bloody time," she said before stepping aside. Snickers filled the silence of the room causing Hayley to blush slightly considering her daughter was amongst the group, but she brushed it off and went to sit with Hope.
"Look, Mom! Adira made me this pretty necklace," Hope exclaimed. Sure enough, a thin silver necklace hung around Hope's neck. A small wolf pendant hung at the bottom of the chain and Hayley smiled.
"As luck would have it, there was a gift shop downstairs," Adira said. "It should work the same as the bracelet and cloak Hope's magic, but I don't know for how long."
"What do you mean?" Hayley asked. "The other one worked just fine. Did you use the same spell?"
"Yes, but Hope's magic is stronger now. She used her first real spell when we woke up Elijah and Kol. By truly tapping into her power for the first time she has activated all of the potential magic inside of her," Freya explained.
"So what does this mean?" Hayley asked.
"It means we need to make a plan and move. Hope was still uncloaked when we arrived here so it's not safe anymore," Rebekah said.
"Where do you have in mind, dear sister?" Kol asked. "Vegas isn't too far. Lots of people, lots of distractions." Hayley threw him a nasty glare, but he merely shrugged it off like he didn't know what possibly could have angered her.
"First we need a plan. We cannot move from place to place not knowing when the necklace's magic will wear off," Elijah said.
"I know some witches who may be able to help us," Tobias said timidly. He glanced anxiously from Hayley to Elijah, obviously waiting for him to snap at him again.
"Yes, they're part of my mother's bloodline. Many of them are syphoners as well," Adira added.
"Right, because last time we tried to ask for your family's help it went wonderfully," Rebekah said with a roll of her eyes.
"Tobias has already apologized for that, Rebekah. I do believe he has honorable intentions for our niece since he has come out of his way to help us," Elijah replied before looking back at Tobias. "Now these witches… how do you suppose they can help us?"
"Marcel has the power of an Original and all seven werewolf bloodlines because of magic. All magic has loopholes. There must be a balance in nature for magic to exist, so there has to be a way to stop him," Adira explained. "The elders in my mother's bloodline have been around for, well, a long time. I can't be sure they can help us, but I figured it's at least a possibility."
"I can't do this on my own even with Mother's grimoires," Freya said. "I think this is our only shot right now."
"I agree," Hayley said reluctantly. She knew Tobias hadn't known about his psychotic grandfather, but the thought of bringing Hope into another situation with people she had no knowledge of made her stomach churn. She pulled Hope on to her lap to try and calm herself. Her daughter wrapped her little arms around Hayley and she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding in.
"Then it's settled. Now where are we headed?" Kol asked.
Several long hours later the group found themselves passing through Reno and driving towards the Nevada desert.
"You're telling me we're in Nevada and we can't even make a small pit stop in Las Vegas?" Kol whined. Rebekah responded by smacking the backside of his head. He scowled at her and rubbed his neck. "Jeez, just trying to lighten the mood."
"Perhaps you should keep your comments in your head where people actually want to hear them," Elijah replied. Hayley grinned at him, but he kept his eyes on the road. However, he turned his palm upward on the center console beckoning for Hayley's hand. She slid her smaller hand into his larger one and couldn't help but sigh in content.
They drove in a peaceful silence for another twenty minutes before Tobias's car pulled off the main road to an obscure path that lead out to the middle of the desert.
"Where the bloody hell are they taking us?" Rebekah asked aloud.
"I'm not certain, but we are going to find out soon enough," Elijah said. It looked as though they were driving into nothingness for a while, but soon a structure appeared on the horizon. It looked like it was the ruins of a settlement from the Pueblo Indians that Hayley somehow remembered learning about in school. It took another few minutes to arrive at the settlement, but soon they saw the brake lights on the car ahead of them signaling that they were here.
Elijah stopped the car beside Tobias and was the first to get out. Hayley and the others followed in suit all whilst gazing at the old housing structures. Rectangular clay structures stood tall, but in shambles. Some roofs were collapsed, wooden pillars peeked out from crumbling walls, and the most confusing part was there wasn't a damn person in sight. Hayley couldn't sense a single person.
"May I asked why you've taken us to an ancient settlement in the middle of the desert?" Elijah asked Tobias.
"This is where the witches live," he stated. Everyone eyed him quizzically, but stayed silent. Adira stepped out of the car and gazed at the structures in front of them.
"Yes, they are most certainly here," she said. "Come."
Adira walked quickly in the direction of the buildings while everyone followed behind her. Hayley grabbed Hope's hand as they walked needing reassurance that she could get her out quickly if something was to go wrong. She noticed Elijah subtly move to walk in front of them as well. Whatever happened, Hayley knew Hope would be alright.
As the group got closer to the decrepit fencing in front of the settlement, Adira stopped. She closed her eyes and began murmuring enchantments. Faster than Hayley could blink, the sight in front of her changed dramatically. The abandoned site was a booming community. Gone were the fallen structures and failing architecture. Clay buildings with colorful designs stood tall, people bustled in the streets, and the fence in front of them stood strong. Adira, Tobias, and Freya entered easily, but the rest of the group stood stuck at the gate.
"Right, I forgot. Come in," Adira said. Elijah was the first to step over the boundary followed by Hayley and Hope. Adira and Tobias walked towards the main street quickly and the group hurried to catch up with them.
"What is this place?" Freya asked Adira.
"It's a witch coven that's been cloaked for hundreds of years. When explorers came over and tried to take the land, the Native American witches that lived here decided to hide the land. My mother was descended from this bloodline and brought me here as a little girl," Adira explained.
"So people have been living and thriving here for centuries without being detected?" Hayley asked. Tobias nodded at her.
"Yep. It's a well-kept secret. So well-kept in fact that when you exit the boundaries, your memory of it will be erased. Only witches part of the coven are given the knowledge of its whereabouts," he explained.
"I do wonder how they're going to take four Originals rolling into town," Rebekah wondered aloud.
"The elders know you are coming. They sensed it the minute we veered off of the main road. As long as you don't do anything to provoke anyone, it should go well," Adira said. As the group passed through the busy streets they began to get stares. It was nothing new to the Original family, but to Hope it was a bit odd.
"Mom, why is everyone looking at us?" Hope asked Hayley.
"It's because I'm so devilishly handsome. They can't help but look," Kol replied. Hope giggled and Hayley rolled her eyes at him, but smiled nonetheless.
They walked until they came to a building at the end of the street. It looked much like all of the other buildings, but had different designs. While most of the buildings had dark, jagged-lined designs carved into them, this building had white swirls intricately drawn. Bright multi-colored curtains hung in front of the door where a woman exited. She looked like she had stepped right out of a history book. She had white hair that hung down in two braids with beads woven in. Deep wrinkles plagued her caramel skin and surrounded her dark brown eyes that twinkled with a kindness that eased Hayley.
"Kewanee!" Adira exclaimed before embracing her. The woman hugged her tightly and smiled into her shoulder.
"Adira, my child, you have grown into such a beautiful woman. You look like your mother," Kewanee said. She gently touched Adira's cheeks and smiled before looking over her shoulder at the rest of the group. Her eyes fell on Tobias and she walked to him.
"Oh, Tobias. It is so good to see you again," she said. She took his hand in between both of hers and squeezed it. "You do not remember me, but I met you when you were just a child."
"Kewanee, these are the Mikaelsons," Adira said. Kewanee released Tobias's hand and looked at the group. She stared into each of their eyes until they fell on Hope. Hayley instinctively tightened her grip on Hope's hand, but Kewanee looked at her and smiled.
"I understand your precautions, but I promise you- no harm will come to your little girl, Hayley Marshall," Kewanee said. "Come, let's talk inside."
They walked through the curtains and found themselves in a cozy room with a fireplace and a large table. Everyone sat around the large table while Kewanee went to the fireplace to pull a kettle away. She poured mugs of what Hayley guessed was tea for everyone and passed them around. Hope sniffed at hers and looked up to Hayley.
"Do I have to drink this?" she whispered. Hayley glanced at Kewanee who had heard the question and was quietly chuckling.
"Try it first. If you don't like it, you don't have to," Hayley said.
"It's sweet. Made from agave nectar and herbs," Kewanee said looking at Hope. She took a small sip and thought about it for a moment before drinking more.
"It's very good. Thank you," Hope said politely. Kewanee smiled graciously and nodded.
"You're very welcome, my child," she said before taking a seat at the head of the table. "It is my pleasure to welcome you all to my home. Adira tells me you seek the help of my people. It was surprising to learn those who sought our help were the Old Ones."
"Yes, well it seems we have hit a dead end with a rather large and dangerous problem," Elijah replied.
"Which might be?"
"A vampire turned into an Original hybrid with a bite producing the venom of all seven original werewolf packs."
Hayley explained the situation to Kewanee along with the help of everyone else. The elderly woman spoke little during the story only interrupting to clarify certain things. She clenched her jaw at the mention of Aku and visibly relaxed after learning about his death which made Hayley wonder about their relationship. However, that wasn't at the top of her list at the moment.
"…which led Adira and Tobias to finding us in California and telling us about you. And now we're here," Hayley finished. Kewanee didn't immediately reply, but seemed to think it over. She nodded her head slightly before looking at Hayley.
"Well, that is a mighty tale indeed. Your dedication to your loved ones is honorable," Kewanee said. "Now, the spell used to create this beast was one of Esther's, correct? Carried out by the ancestors of New Orleans and infused with enhanced werewolf toxins?"
"Yes, I was there when the spell was carried out," Freya explained. Kewanee looked at her thoughtfully before standing and walking to her.
"Do you mind if I take a look?" she asked gesturing to Freya's head. She shook her head and closed her eyes as Kewanee gently touched both of her temples. Everyone watched in silence as Kewanee murmured quietly and looked into Freya's memories. Moments later she opened her eyes and sighed.
"This man was vanquished though. How?" Kewanee asked.
"We had to channel the power of the ancestors to undo the curse, but the Ancestral Plane was destroyed," Freya explained. Kewanee nodded again, but was silent. Her eyes drifted slowly to Hope, but then to Hayley.
"Hayley, would you mind if I looked at your daughter for a moment?" Kewanee asked. Hayley eyed her suspiciously, but could find nothing in her eyes or expression that was sinister. She looked to Elijah who nodded subtly at her. Hayley nodded at Kewanee who smiled softly before walking over to her daughter.
"Relax, my dear. I wish only to get a sense of the power you truly possess," Kewanee said softly. Hope nodded before closing her eyes. Kewanee did the same thing to Hope as she did to Freya and lightly touched Hope's temples before murmuring soft incantations. Hayley gripped the table a little too harshly as the ordeal took place, but tried to relax when Elijah's hand made its way on top of hers. Suddenly, both Kewanee and Hope opened their eyes. Kewanee looked at this little girl with wondrous eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it. She walked over to her seat and sat down before taking a small sip of her tea.
"You all have come seeking help, but I'm afraid we cannot help you," Kewanee said seriously.
"What did you see, Kewanee?" Adira asked. Kewanee clasped her hands together and looked at everyone seated around the table.
"We cannot help you because you do not need our help. The only one that can save you from this terrible beast is in this room. It is Hope."
"What… what do you mean it's Hope?" Hayley asked. She felt sick and as though all of the blood had drained from her body. Elijah's hand grasped hers tighter urging her not to get upset, but it was too late for that. Too many thoughts and scenarios were flashing through Hayley's head for her to even think straight.
"This beast is a mixture of the strongest vampire and the strongest werewolf to ever exist. Your daughter is a part Original vampire, part of two original werewolf bloodlines, and part witch. Though I cannot give you a simple answer as to how she will defeat the best, I can tell you that she is the key to his undoing," Kewanee said delicately.
"You're telling me a seven-year-old girl is going to defeat the most powerful creature in existence?" Rebekah asked.
"I do apologize if this is not the answer you were hoping to hear, but it is the answer that is the truth," Kewanee said softly. Hayley felt like she had been shot in the chest. Her hand slipped from Elijah's and fell against her side. She glanced at Hope to try and gauge her reaction, but there was none. She almost looked… calm.
"She's right. I saw it," Hope said. Every head turned and stared at her.
"What do you mean you saw it?" Hayley asked. Her voice trembled though she begged it not to.
"I saw it, Mom. I saw Marcel and I. He tried to hurt you and everyone. He tried to hurt Dad," she said. "But I stopped him."
"Your daughter possesses great power, Hayley. She is the only one who can undo what has been done," Kewanee said. A silence filled the room before Elijah abruptly stood up and buttoned his suit.
"We thank you for your incredible help and hospitality, but I believe it's time for us to leave," he said politely. "If there is anything we can do for you in the future, please let it be known."
"No, you do not owe us anything. Your debt was paid when the world was rid of Aku," Kewanee said bitterly. Elijah nodded graciously as the rest of the table rose and began to head for the exit. Shaken beyond belief, Hayley reached for Hope's hand and walked towards the door, but turned at the feeling of someone's hand on her shoulder.
"Hayley," Kewanee said. "Her power is growing. The cloaking device Adira made will only last so long. She must learn to control her power or it will overcome her." She turned towards Hope and offered a small smile. "Take care, child."
Kewanee bid them all farewell leavin Hayley and Hope to walk out the door into an entirely new world than either of them had been a part of before.