Hello, my lovely readers. We're going to globe-trotting in this chapter and there is a whole lot of drama. On with the show…
Chapter 13: All the Devils are Here
Cape Town, South Africa:
Humans surrounded them on all sides as the Mystic Falls Gang—plus one—made their way through the swarming masses. Damon had chosen their destination which left Bonnie rolling her eyes. She suppressed the urge to punch a guy who ran into her, his hand grazing her behind. There are jackasses world-wide.
"Let's move a little quicker," Damon called to her.
Bonnie narrowed her eyes and picked up the pace. She could outrun most of the people here. She could probably outrun a cheetah; if she had to. Thankfully, the likelihood of running into one—where they were—was low. She hoped.
They left the airport and Stefan slid into the passenger seat beside his brother. Both vampires seemed to be on edge. Stefan's eyes kept searching every face they encountered. His phone rested in his hand, fingers flicking the screen, checking for messages that had not, or would not come in.
Damon glanced in the rearview mirror. "Ready to take in some shopping and all things tourist-y?" he wriggled his eyebrows at them.
"We're not on vacation, Damon," Valerie snapped at him. Her eyes were closed and Bonnie sensed she was trying to control her temper. What they really needed would be for the siphoner in the group to lose all control.
Undeterred, Damon grinned at them. "No, but nothing says fitting in like being one with the crowd."
Valerie's eyes snapped open. "I do not have time for this foolishness. I came here to help protect the twins. Not to go shopping." Folding her arms over her chest, she turned her face from the rest of the group.
Elena broke in. "Damon, maybe we should find a hotel, and then call Caroline."
Damon rolled his eyes. "Hotel? You think I'm going to make you stay in a hotel?"
"Where are we going, Damon?" Stefan asked, looking wary.
Perking up, Damon turned the car and moved toward a winding driveway. "We're going to be staying at the home of a friend of mine."
"Friend?" Elena queried.
Bonnie glanced at Elena who looked back at her with wide, suspicious eyes.
Matt jumped in before Bonnie could comment. "Is it Charlize Therone? I always wanted to meet her."
For a moment Bonnie felt normal—like they were not being stalked by a psychopathic, resurrected, all-powerful Heretic. She felt like she was fifteen, and she, Elena and Matt were talking about their celeb crushes, not on the run.
"No, Busboy, it's not Charlize," Damon grumbled. "Unless she started sporting fangs." Parking the rental car, Damon got out and led the way to the front of the house. He lifted a cement pot that probably weighed a hundred pounds with his fingertips before nudging a gold colored key under his boot and onto the walkway.
"Damon," Stefan began, glancing up from his phone. "Your friend does know we're going to be staying here, right?"
"Sure," Damon replied, picking up the key with a smile. "And what she does not know won't hurt her."
"She?" Elena repeated.
"Damon," Stefan groaned.
Damon held up a hand while unlocking the door. "Hold that thought. Cass, you home?" he called. When no one answered, Damon stepped inside the house and peered around. "Looks like we're in luck."
"Damon," Stefan called, walking into the house.
Bonnie and Elena traded looks before entering the house. Valerie and Matt followed them inside. "I think we should leave," Valerie said.
"Oh, come on," Damon replied, already on the staircase. "No one's here. I don't know what you're freakin' about. Just sit back and relax. Take in the view. Cass's bedroom has one of the most amazing views in the whole town –"
"And how would you know that?" Elena snapped.
"Because –" Damon began when a sound came from behind him. Instinctively Bonnie dropped into a fighting stance. Turning around, Damon held out his arms. "Cass! Hey, I was just talking about you. How ya been?"
Cass' black eyes bore into Bonnie from the top of the staircase. "All the devils are here. And they are here to stay," she told them, a wide smile revealing her sharp fangs before she withdrew a crossbow from behind her back and shot Damon in the chest.
"Cass, what the hell?" Damon cried when his "friend" shot at Stefan who blurred out of the way.
"All the heroes die," Cass sang and then she pulled out a lighter.
"Cass?" Damon said as Stefan appeared behind Damon's friend and staked her. "No!" Damon cried out.
The lighter went flying and the stairs lit up, burning brightly. "Kerosene," Valerie cried. "That was what I smelled when we came in."
Moving past Valerie, Bonnie grabbed Elena and Matt, jerking them toward the door. Bonnie opened it to find two people she least wanted to see: Nora and Mary Louise. Why hadn't they killed them when they had the chance?
"Oh, look who's trapped with no chance of escape?" Mary Louise pouted before grinning and holding up her hand. Nora did the same and Bonnie tried to force her way past the magical barrier that the two siphoners were using to keep them in, but could not. They were going to die in here.
Mystic Falls, Virginia:
"Feelin' homesick?" Marcel inquired and Elijah narrowed his eyes at his traveling companion. If he could choose anyone in the world he would rather be stuck with he would have a million candidates in mind.
"Quite," Elijah retorted. His concentration remained on the task at hand—find Malachi Parker and dispatch him before returning home to his family. "I think this trip will be made easier if we do not speak to one another."
"Fine by me," Marcel retorted, ever the sullen child.
Pretending that Marcel was not there gave Elijah some semblance of peace. If only his anger would cease. The increasing need to stab, punch of rip parts of Marcel came unbidden to his mind over and over again. From the dark look on Marcel's face, Elijah believed he, too, held violent visions of their journey. It was only for Klaus' and Rebekah's sake—as well as his own guilt that Elijah did not act on said fantasies.
They neared the Salvatore Boarding House and Elijah's ear perked up for any familiar sounds. Surely Miss Gilbert would be within. Or one if not both Salvatores, always near to protect the girl.
The lack of noise made Elijah pause. "What's wrong? Tie on crooked?" Marcel taunted him, stopping, hands on his hips.
Gritting his teeth, Elijah held up a hand. "Quiet, Marcellus."
"My name is –" Marcel began when Elijah sent him a piercing look, his forefinger grazing his own lips with a slight shake of his head. Marcel frowned but closed his mouth.
Elijah's relief was short-lived when a figure went shooting across the road and into the Salvatore's home. Surely not. Pivoting on one foot, Elijah attempted to reconcile what he knew to be true with the vision he had just had.
"What is it, Elijah?" Marcel hissed, moving closer to him.
"I…" Elijah did not finish his thought. Instead he strode toward the house. Some part of him felt as if this were a trap. He should tell Marcel to go. Turning, he placed a hand on Marcel's shoulder.
Marcel glanced at Elijah's hand and then glared at him. "Yeah?"
"You should go," Elijah said quietly.
Shaking his head, Marcel scoffed. "Go where and do what?"
"Go home. Go back to Rebekah. She will keep Niklaus' rage at bay, for now," Elijah said, his eyes moving back to the home of the Salvatores. A flash of dark curls flew by an upper window.
"Yeah. Sure. And like I'm going to rely on you to keep Davina safe. After you and Freya let her be tortured. I don't think so." Marcel moved to walk past Elijah.
Whirling around, Elijah grasped Marcel by the shoulders and twisted him around to face him. "You took years from me, Marcellus. And, still, when I had the opportunity to strike you a blow, I staid my hand. Now, I ask you to do me this one thing: Leave." Staring into Marcel's eyes, Elijah hoped that the pig-headed young vampire would do as he asked.
Nodding, Marcel stepped back. "Fine. You want me out of the way. I'll go. You had better hope that Davina comes home, alive, or so help me –"
"Yes. I know." Elijah stepped around Marcel and waited to hear his nemesis' receding footsteps before he walked up the pathway and to the house. Placing his hand on the doorknob; he found that it opened without effort. Yes. If there had been a large, glowing sign above the door reading: Trap, it would not be more obvious.
Twisting the knob, Elijah entered the house. "I must warn you, I am not in a particularly forgiving mood of late, please, do not try what little patience I have left," Elijah called, stepping over the threshold and looking around. His eyes peering into every dark corner of the house.
"That's okay. I kind of like it when you're angry; it's a turn-on," a voice from his not-so-distant past came from upstairs and Elijah darted up them.
"In here, Elijah," she called and Elijah stepped into Damon's bedroom.
Katherine stood, one hand on her hip, a long gown showing off every part of the woman he had once worshipped like a goddess. "Did you miss me?" she inquired with a smirk.
"Katerina?" Elijah replied, feeling his throat closing. He had heard of her passing through Niklaus. At the time Elijah's primary concern was the safety of his niece. Had he known of Katherine's adventures, he would have intervened, attempted to talk some sense into her. Surely she had to know that her plot to gain control of Elena's body would end in tragedy.
"In the flesh," Katherine said, her eyes sparkling with humor.
Stepping closer, Elijah started to reach out to touch her when a sharp pain in his neck made him drop to his knees. His vision swam and he looked to his left to find the man he pursued standing above him. "Wow. You're right, that was easy," Kai told Katherine who shrugged.
"Elijah always did have a weakness for dopplegangers," Katherine said, coming to stand over Elijah, tilting her head to the side and peering down at Elijah who clutched his neck.
"Katherine?" Elijah whispered, feeling the power of werewolf's venom coursing through his body. "What have you done?"
"Not what I've done. What I'm going to do," Katherine said with a smile. "You couldn't even be bothered to come and see me when I was dying. And then I find out it's because you're too busy with your little wolf slut, Hayley Marshall; could you be more cliché? Chasing the girl pregnant with your brother's child, Elijah. Tsk tsk. I thought you were better than that. So much for the noble brother."
Shaking her head, Katherine stepped around him. "No wonder I chose Stefan in the end."
"Where are you going?" Elijah called after her.
"Where else? I'm going down to New Orleans to pay your new girlfriend a visit. Don't wait up," Katherine walked out of the doorway while Elijah laid on the floor, watching her leave.
"All alone," Kai said with a chuckle. "Hell, I thought she'd never leave. Now, you and I are going to play a little game called 'Kai kills an Original.' I know, I know, doesn't sound very, well, original, but I just got back from hell, so color me rusty." Picking up an axe, Kai hefted it in his hands. "See, I hear that this won't kill ya but I bet it's going to hurt, a lot."
Elijah watched Kai lift the axe to behead him when the Heretic went flying across the room. Marcel grabbed Elijah, hauling him off the floor. "That's for dumping me on the side of the road, you maniac."
"I thought I told you to go," Elijah grunted.
"And you think I was going to listen?" Marcel shook his head, speeding them out the front door. "Just saw a doppleganger on the way out of here, any idea where she's off to?"
"New Orleans," Elijah ground out, feeling the world becoming a very fuzzy place.
"Great," Marcel grunted, pushing Elijah into a car and getting behind the wheel. He peeled rubber out of the driveway. On their way onto the road, they found the Heretic who refused to die.
"Tag, you're it!" Kai said, tossing the axe at the driver's side of the car. Marcel slid down in the seat, slamming his foot down on the accelerator and Elijah saw a blur of something fly over the hood of the car and then they were going down the road. He hoped they got home before it was too late.
New Orleans, Louisiana:
Tossing and turning on her bed, Hope Mikaelson slept fitfully. Something worse was coming than she had seen in her short life, something that might spell the end for her entire family. She sat bolt upright. Her breath came out in great gusts, creating steam in the warm room.
"Mom!" Hope cried out.
Seconds later her mother sat beside her, her arms wrapping Hope in an embrace. "I'm here, baby. What's wrong?"
"Where's Dad?" Hope cried, pulling back to look her mother in the eye.
A dark look came over her mother's face but disappeared almost as quickly. "He's gone out to the bayou. He needed to talk to some people." The emphasis she placed on the word talk made Hope feel wary. She knew that her father only did what he needed to protect them but it worried her.
"He should come back," Hope said, crossing her legs and giving her mother a long look. "It's not safe."
"It's not safe in the bayou?" Hayley let out a gentle laugh. "Honey, your dad can take care of himself."
"It's not safe," Hope repeated. "Anywhere."
Hayley's mouth opened but she could not seem to be able to formulate a reply. "She's probably right, you know," Aunt Rebekah's voice sounded from the doorway and Hope glanced over at her aunt who pushed off the doorframe.
"Rebekah –" Hayley began when Rebekah held up a hand.
"I'm not trying to scare the girl," Rebekah said, smiling at Hope. "Although she is a Mikaelson and is made of much tougher stuff than many people in this world." Her eyes moved back to Hayley. "I've tried calling Kol and Elijah. Nothing in reply. Nor has Marcel rung back. Does that not give you pause?"
Hayley frowned, rubbing Hope's back. "I don't think that we should be talking about this—here." Her head tilted toward Hope for a fraction of a second.
"Mom, I'm fine," Hope said quietly. "But Josie and Lizzie aren't."
"What?" Hayley looked at Hope. "What do you mean?" Aunt Rebekah moved closer to the bed, her hand moving to rest near Hope's right hand.
Hope sucked in a big breath. "I… I feel them. They're alone. And they're scared. I think… I…"
"You can tell us, sweetheart," Aunt Rebekah said, sounding so much like her father.
Hope looked from her mother to her aunt. "I think that Dahlia took them."
"Dahlia?" Hayley's eyes widened and her head turned to Rebekah. Her mother stood up, her hands on her hips. "How do you know about Dahlia, Hope?"
Hope looked at her bedspread. "I peeked at Uncle Elijah's journals. He wrote about his aunt—the one who tried to take me away—when I was a baby. And I think she took Caroline's kids." Her eyes moved up to her mother's. "They're scared, Mom. We have to help them. We have to find them."
"This is too much," Hayley said, shaking her head.
"Hope, your mother and I are going to go have a quick chat," Aunt Rebekah said and Hayley leaned down to kiss Hope on the forehead.
Hope stopped herself from asking her mother to not go. She felt like the darkness of her room stirred with ghosts and magic. Magic she had no control over. It scared her more than anything else in the world. But she had to be brave. Her dad was brave. And her brother. And her whole family. She could be, too.
The sound of Aunt Rebekah's voice saying that she had to go find Marcel came from downstairs. "God knows what he's done this time. He might be part of this. Or he can help us stop Dahlia and whatever is out there, coming for us."
"Rebekah, I think you should be looking for Elijah, not your ex who wasted no time moving onto someone else. A someone else who might be part of this thing!" Hayley snapped.
"Right. Well. Give the little one my love. I will be back," Rebekah swore and Hope heard her mother's muttered curses.
For a short time there was silence. Then Hope heard her mother let out a gasp. "What is happening to me?"
"Mom?" Hope cried out.
The air in her room sounded like it shifted and Hope pulled the covers around her closer. "Uhhhh," her mother groaned downstairs. "Help me," her mother moaned and Hope pushed the covers away from her.
Moving quickly to the staircase, Hope ran, barefoot down the stairs and around the corner. Her mother lay on her back, her eyes tightly closed, breathing slowly. "Mommy?" Hope cried out, giving her a shake.
Hope felt tears forming behind her eyelids as she gave Hayley another, rougher, shake. "Mommy!" she cried out.
Hayley's eyelids snapped open and she stared at Hope with a confused, uncomprehending expression before she rolled onto her side, her hair falling over her side. She glanced around the room like she'd never seen it before.
"Mom?" Hope called, feeling her stomach pitch. "Mom?"
Hayley's eyes finally settled on Hope and a smile appeared on her face. Hope involuntarily scooted away an inch when Hayley's hand moved to touch her. "Hey," Hayley's voice said, arms moving forward to embrace Hope who shivered. "Hey, baby," her mother's lips grazed her temple.
"Mom?" Hope muttered.
"Uh-huh," Hayley pulled back, cupping Hope's cheek. "It's okay, honey. Mom just felt kind of sick for a moment."
"And you are better now?" Hope said, watching her mother closely.
"Yes. I feel much better." Hayley stood up and stretched. "You know what?" she asked, helping Hope to her feet. "I think we should go out. Just the two of us and get some ice cream? Does that sound good?"
Hope shook her head. "I want to wait for Dad."
Hayley bent down. "I'm sure he won't mind. We can leave a note."
Shaking her head, again, Hope took a step back. "I'm going to wait, here."
Sighing, Hayley rolled her eyes. "You're going to make this hard on me, aren't you, kid?"
"You're not my mom," Hope said.
"No. I am not your mom," the woman wearing her mother's face said and then she grinned, showing her mother's hybrid face.
Hope let out a scream and ran for the stairs. The woman chased her, grabbing her by the waist and her hand clamped over Hope's nose and mouth. "And if you weren't such a spoiled little brat, this would have been much easier," the woman whispered as Hope felt darkness enfolding her.
Bayou, New Orleans:
Klaus glanced from right to left. He was not entirely sure what he thought he would find out here. Perhaps he would pick a fight with what was left of the Crescent Clan. Hayley would not be happy but he could care less what she thought at the moment. All that mattered was that Caroline had been here, that she left and he could not get in touch with her. None of his minions had been in contact and he was seething with frustration.
Kol had not been in contact which was not shocking to Klaus. It was Freya and Elijah's lapses in responding to his messages—of which there were many—that left him irate. They should have contacted him with news of where they were and how they were by now.
If that blasted Heretic harmed Elijah, Klaus would scorch the earth in search of him before he would scatter his bits about the world.
A tree branch snapped close by and Klaus' head snapped up. Whirling on his heel, he turned to find no one there. Gritting his teeth, he moved onward. When a rock went sailing by his head, Klaus lost his temper. "Whoever you are, reveal yourselves and I might show you mercy." A smile on his face, he turned in a slow circle. He would delight in a fresh kill.
"If your enemy came from behind you, boy, you'd already be dead," the voice he least wanted to ever hear again sounded from mere feet away.
Klaus turned to find Mikael just as Mikael shot an arrow at his head. "Father," he said, deftly grabbing the arrow right before it would have lodged itself in his right eyeball. "To whom do I owe the displeasure?"
"The devil, boy. Hell has opened and all the devils are out to play," Mikael replied with a wide smile. "Are you ready?"
"Oh, yes," Klaus said, feeling all of his rage zeroing in on a worthy target. "Shall we?" he added before launching himself at his father. Today, only one of them would leave alive.
Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.
Answer to guest reviews:
Shay: Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Peace,
Jessica