Astrid remembered when Kol and told them that Kemiya was "the intersection between science and spirit, darlings. With the right chemistry, you can realize your wildest dreams." It wasn't quite working out like that. Kol had put both her and Mary Alice in great danger. Yes, the dark objects were powerful. They were getting better, but the girls knew they were dangerous. The last object they had made, she wore now. It was a ring to free one from any compulsion or mind control. As soon as she put it on, she felt freer, lighter. She wondered if Mrs. Claire had crafted something similar, which is why she was immune to the bracelet of obedience.
"Mary Alice, we need to make you a ring also. I'm sure your mother is using the bracelet on you," Astrid mentioned.
"Oh, I suppose she is..." Mary Alice muttered, "we best do that now. I don't want to end up like my sister."
"I know, dear, you won't," Astrid promised, never guessing that they would soon end up somewhere much worse.
Astrid couldn't help but remember Diana, Mary Alice's older sister.
Diana had been lovely, no, was lovely. She had blond ringlets and cornflower blue eyes that shown with kindness. Astrid knew that Diana was out there somewhere. She remembered the day that Diana had whispered to her and Mary Alice about the handsome vampire she had met. She said that he treated her like a princess. She was planning to run off with him. But before she could, she was gone, imprisoned somewhere by her own mother's hand most likely. Astrid always wondered how Mrs. Claire had found out. Surely, Mary Alice had not betrayed her own sister?
As the young witches worked on the next ring, they heard a tapping at the door of Astrid's flat. They glanced at each other in alarm, Kol was meeting with a contact to get more objects to enchant. Mary Alice hid in the closet in case her mother came looking for her.
Astrid let out a deep breathe when she saw Marcel Gerard at the door. Without any hesitation, she opened the door.
"Miss Astrid Malchance, I hope you don't mind me popping in," Marcel said flashing her his most charming smile.
"Of course not, Mr. Gerald. Mary Alice, come out," she called a bit flustered. Her chocolate colored eyes brighten as he gazed at her.
"I just wanted to thank you for trying to help me the other day. And apologize if I got you in any trouble," Marcel said to Astrid kindly.
"Truth be told, it could have been a lot worse," Astrid said glancing at Mary Alice.
Mary Alice nodded and said, "Sometimes my mother is quite overbearing and has some old-fashioned ideas about our coven. I apologize for her bias against your kind. I've never seen why witches and vampires are sometimes so at odds in this city. Didn't your family build this city from the swamp long ago? Now, we all thrive here."
"That's a very fresh outlook, Miss Claire. I look forward to the day you are in charge of the witches of New Orleans," Marcel said admiring her spirit. In truth, he did not know how each coven chose a leader.
"Oh, that was to be my sister. I was never meant to lead," Mary Alice blushed.
"I was meant to be a slave once. Look how that turned out," Marcel said grandly.
"But enough talk, for all the strife I caused, I would like to invite you ladies to a little party tonight. There is a new club that I have been meaning to try. How about it?" Marcel went on.
"Oh, Mother doesn't allow me to drink spirits. If she caught me, well, let's just say that I haven't quite recovered from my little visit to your beautiful home," Mary Alice laughed. "But you two, go."
"I guess we can finish this later, Mary Alice. I'll join you, Marcel," Astrid gushed. Mary Alice had Kol, why couldn't Astrid have a suitor of her own? It was just one party.
An hour later, Marcel escorted Astrid into a dim alley. They walked a ways and then came to a beat up door. Marcel tapped two long taps and three short. Abruptly, the door opened inward. Marcel gestured for Astrid to step into the dim interior. They followed a man in shirtsleeves and suspenders down a short hallway. Another door opened into a room filled with smoke and music. They heard someone playing the piano softly. The people were dressed in the latest fashions and sitting on couches and at small tables arranged before a stage.
"There will be a show later tonight. We're a bit early. I was hoping we'd have some time to get to know one another," Marcel said easily. He ordered them drinks from the waiter and lit a cigar.
"This place is so posh, Marcel. I hope you don't think it forward of me to come here with you. I was worried that you were in trouble with your father from the other night," Astrid said with concern.
"My father was worried about me. Now, it was my uncle who was vexed. I was a bit stir crazy and it was not wise to leave like that. Really, I am sorry for getting you in trouble with Mrs. Claire. She doesn't seem like a woman to cross," Marcel said regretfully.
"She made that clear to us. However, we didn't do anything that wrong. We are adults, no? Our respective supernatural communities seem to treat us like imbecile children at times," Astrid said with passion.
Marcel laughs and nodded in agreement. He liked this beautiful young witch. Maybe he could try to save her? No, he had to think of his father and of course, Rebekah first.
"They do. I didn't even want to admit what a trouncing I got from my uncle after I got home," Marcel smiled and blushed.
"Oh, if it wasn't improper, I could still show you the marks of the drubbing I got with my own hickory stick from Mrs. Claire!" Astrid shared. She flushed also as the waiter placed their drinks in front of them. They both picked up their cream gins and took a sip.
"No! If I could have taken that thrashing for you, I would have," Marcel said sincerely.
"Enough talk of Mrs. Claire, what do you like to do when you aren't fleeing from your family?" Astrid joked.
"We're quite good at plotting, scheming, and drinking, as you can," Marcel said emptying his gin. He ordered them two more.
"I'm not really used to spirts, either. My grandmere also didn't approve of me drinking. But she's gone now and I will drink to her memory," Astrid downed her drink and picked up the new one.
"Let us toast to her then," Marcel said raising his glass.
They drank and then had a third.
When Astrid was starting to sway a bit, Marcel went in for the kill.
"Astrid, did Diana ever talk about me?" Marcel asked staring into her eyes.
"You? Mon dieu! You were her handsome lover? I should have known...," Astrid said in shock.
"I loved her," he confessed with a look of pain in his eyes.
"Do you still?" Astrid asked plainly.
"No, my former lover has come back to me. She was...away, for many years. But I promised that I would never let anything happen to Diana. I need to help her," Marcel said truthfully.
"She must still be alive, Marcel, her mother would not kill her. Never that," Astrid said with conviction.
"How do you know for sure?" Marcel asked with real interest.
"Mary Alice would know. The heir to the coven gets a mark. When one dies, the mark goes to the next heir. Mary Alice knows her sister is still alive somewhere," Astrid said.
Marcel sighed in relief, "I need to find her. Can you do a locator spell on her?"
"I could, but Mrs. Claire would take off my hide," Astrid said drunkenly. She shouldn't be revealing any of this.
"Truly, I saw her spank the very devil out of Mary Alice. Please don't tell her I saw, but I thought Mrs. Claire was going to break the hairbrush over her bottom. There has to be away around her," Marcel threw out.
"I did find an old spell in my grandmere's grimoire...," Astrid revealed.
A few days later, Astrid had filled in Mary Alice about the plan. They used Kemiya to create a compass that would show them where lost people were. With Marcel accompanying them, they found themselves in the Garden District in the City of the Dead, also known as the Lafayette Cemetery. Astrid and Mary Alice looked at each other in amazement. Surely, Diana hadn't been imprisoned right under their noses. Soon, though, they realized that she was locked in the Claire family tomb.
Marcel tried to follow the witches in but was unable to step in.
"Sorry, Marcel, it must be warded to keep vampires out," Mary Alice said non-surprised due to her mother's hatred of vampirism.
"It's fine. Just get her and bring her out alive," Marcel pleaded.
The witches nodded and stepped in the door.
Immediately, the compass started spinning wildly. The girls looked everywhere and found nothing besides the bones of the dead resting in their tombs.
"Perhaps it is a trick? Mother knows more wards than any of the witches in the nine covens in the city. Let's keep looking," Mary Claire suggested.
"I brought grandmere's grimoire. She taught your mother much," Astrid said with pride.
"Indeed," Mary Alice agreed looking over Astrid's shoulder at the book.
Suddenly, it caught on fire.
Mary Alice shouted, "Deflammo!" and the fire went out.
Astrid went to brush away some of the burnt pages.
She found what she was looking for immediately: "Spells to Imprison an Enemy in Plain Site."
The girls repeated the words and suddenly saw the door. A few hours later, Diana was free.
"Sister, goddess be praised. You came for me," Diana cried out.
"Diana, it's really you," Mary Alice said clutching her sister to her in tears.
"Get me out of here quickly, before she comes back," Diana begged.
"Mother will never find you again, I promise," Mary Alice stated. They had to help Diana get out of the tomb. She looked weak and dirty.
"Marcel, my love, thank you," Diana said upon seeing her former lover.
"I'm so sorry, Diana. We need to move quickly," Marcel said.
Marcel moved Diana to a safe house where Mrs. Claire could not find her.
"Ladies, you need to let me take care of this. Kol cannot know about your sister. If he tells my father, Klaus will tell your mother due to the alliance, okay? Promise me on your oaths as New Orleans' witches," Marcel demanded. They agreed.
In truth, those were all lies. Klaus had set this whole thing up to catch Kol's betrayal. But Marcel would do what he had to do to protect his family.
Marcel got Diana settled in the recently built St. Anne's church attic quickly. Due to a technicality, the church was not yet consecrated and would remain empty for a short time. Klaus had set it all up with the Faction himself.
"Diana, we don't have a lot of time. I have to get back, but there is something you have to know," Marcel said looking into her eyes.
"Let me guess, my love, your beloved Rebekah is free and you are in love with her again?" Diana laughed.
"How did you...?" Marcel said in shock. He had to deny his love for Rebekah to Klaus, but he couldn't lie to Diana, not about that.
Diana smiled, "I am a witch, Marcel, but the way you talked about her. Plus, the guilty look in your eyes do not lie. Now what else is going on?"
"I can't be sure, but I think that your sister is the one who told your mother about us years ago," Marcel said looking down.
"Of course it was my sister. Don't let her sweet innocent face fool you, that girl wants to rule the coven. Her friend now, Astrid, is innocent. Don't look so shocked, Marcel. Look who we had for a mother, luckily, I took after my dear father. Mary Alice needs to be taught a lesson," Diana said with conviction.
"I can help with that," Marcel assured her.
Kol had finally gotten together his plan to get the diamond. He thought Astrid and Mary Alice were acting a bit odd when he told them about the Dowager Fauline's cottage. All they had to do was get him in and he would find the paragon diamond. Then, all he needed them to do was help him with the white oak dagger. He swore he would never actually need to use it on Nik. Just the threat would keep him safe. Kol promised to keep them safe.
Astrid had become more and more vocal about the dangers of the dark objects they were creating.
"Each weapon we make is more disturbing than the last. We have enough, it's time to make our move," she said to Kol and Mary Alice.
Kol was taking the dark objects and hiding them in his own little spot. Mary Alice seemed to grow in power. She was often giddy and liked to play with the dark objects before he secured them. There was something about her that didn't seem so innocent anymore. The power of learning more and more Kemiya seemed to be changing her. For a second, Kol considered just forgetting the whole thing. Maybe if he was better behaved, his family wouldn't be so hard on him. Then, in his mind, he saw Klaus's face as he embraced his "son" Marcel. No, the daggers were just a back-up. That's what he told himself.
The night of the heist, Kol was done with his guilt. He was on top of the world. He would have the diamond, the daggers, and two witches in his pocket. It was Christmas and the family party at the compound was in the works.
In the mansion, Kol found the diamond hidden in plain site. He started the spell with the young witches. It took Kol a bit longer than he thought to get the diamond.
"Darlings, I best get to the Christmas party or my siblings will get suspicious. Can you finish up the spell here and we'll meet at your flat later, dear Miss Malchance?" Kol asked flashing his cuffs.
"Of course," Astrid said smiling.
Kol kissed Mary Alice on the lips and walked out palming the perfect diamond.
No sooner was he out the gate than he ran smack into Nik and Marcel.
"Hand it over, Kol," Marcel said calmly.
Kol's face fell. He must have been betrayed. He handed over the diamond.
From behind him Kol heard Mary Alice and Astrid screaming.
"Get us out of here!"
"Oh, I wouldn't bother waiting for them," Nik said smugly.
"You see, those women are never leaving that house again," Marcel added.
"Merry Christmas, Brother," Nik said as the two walked away.
Kol didn't see Diana on the other side of the fence. She finished her spell. Now, she was going to go home and pay her dear old mother a nice holiday visit.
After trying to get the girls free for several hours with no success, Kol finally went home. He found out that the party had been postponed. Elijah seemed to be waiting for him in a chair by the fire in the parlor.
"The prodigal brother returns," Elijah said in a sad attempt at humor.
"Please, Elijah, I just want to go to bed," Kol grumped.
"Sit, I think we need to talk," Elijah said lightly.
Kol obeyed him reluctantly and sat on the leather sofa next to the chair.
"So what's it going to be? The dagger or that blasted paddle again? I honestly don't know which is worse," Kol fumed. He wanted to know when he could get the girls free.
"What do you think you deserve, hmm? I don't understand why you continue to try to betray Niklaus. I thought you two were going along better," Elijah said evenly.
"We are. We were...But Elijah, ya should have seen him and Marcel. They were having a grand old time getting the diamond off me. Thick as thieves, those two, as always," Kol whined.
"Kol, you don't need to be jealous. You are our brother. Nothing will ever change that," Elijah said, getting up and sitting by Kol.
"I know," Kol said unconvinced.
Elijah put his arm around him. Kol hung his head and tears dripped down. He wasn't sure if he was frustrated or ashamed, but he felt awful.
Elijah turned and pulled Kol to him tighter.
"I know you feel let out. It hurts me to see it, but you distance yourself from us, too. You seem more interested in your witch friends sometimes. I know you still feel lost, brother, but you are not. We are here for you," Elijah said with feeling, as Kol pulled away.
"I'm sorry. I just can't trust him. I want to, but I see him with Marcel and I know that if it comes down to it, he chooses him over me. Rebekah chooses him over me. You...," Kol sobbed.
"Kol, the one time I allowed Niklaus to dagger you" Elijah said gently, "was when Marcel was a human boy and you pulled that play stunt. You were out of control. I regretted it. We should have thrashed you every day for a week instead. I'm sorry."
"No, Elijah, you have nothing to be sorry about," Kol admitted. "So am I going to get it tonight or what?"
"Brother, I think you have punished yourself enough over this. Go to bed. If you can manage to behave yourself at the Christmas party, we'll consider this matter over and done with," Elijah said softly.
"What about my friends? Are they trapped?" Kol asked with fear.
"That is a matter for the witches. It turns out that your friend Mary Alice isn't as innocent as she seemed," Elijah admitted.
Kol nodded, no longer surprised by betrayal and family secrets.
"Thank you, Elijah," Kol said meaning it. "I will show you all that I can change. Love you, always and forever."
"Always and forever, Brother."