Klaus wasn't there when I woke up in the morning, but he'd left a note for me on the side table wishing me good morning and saying that he had to get up early in order to deal with some business. With a satisfied smirk, I replaced the note then sprawled out across my bed, groaning contentedly until there was a knock on my door and all thoughts about having a long lie in disappeared. Lifting my head I could sense it was Davina outside, so I quickly got up and threw on a change of clothes as I called out for her to wait a second. When I opened the door, she looked totally frazzled, making me blink as she dove in. "Marcel lied to me. They're all liars!"
"Whoa honey, slow down a sec." I blinked, my head spinning with all that energy she was carrying around with her as I pushed the door shut. "What do you mean Marcel lied?"
"I found out that Agnes, the last Elder of my coven is dead, which means no one can complete the ritual. I could be free but Marcel kept it from me! I only found out because of Josh."
"Okay…maybe don't mention his name so loudly, or he might end up in Klaus's hands." I quickly interjected, bringing her further into my room so she could sit down since she looked like she was in a total panic. "So you're telling me that since Agnes is dead, there's no one left who can complete the Harvest ritual, and no one told you?" Davina looked on the verge of tears so I started to fumble around, struggling to find a tissue or a handkerchief or just something she could use. Where's Elijah and his constant supply of handkerchiefs when you need him? In the end I could only supply a napkin that had come with my dinner last night, but it seemed to do the trick.
"I thought I could trust Marcel, he said I was like family to him, but he just wants to use me for my power just like the rest of them."
"So what brought you to me?" I asked her curiously, sitting down and rubbing my stomach slightly, letting my hand rest there and Davina looked down briefly to my stomach.
"Well…it's what you said yesterday. You don't want anything from me because you've got your own power. I figured you're probably the only person I can actually depend on right now. You don't want to sacrifice me in a blood ritual, or use my powers to control the witches in the Quarter…everyone else wants something from me, but not you." Looking at Davina as she sniffled and breathed shakily, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She really did have it rough. "I want to get out of here. If I can just leave the city then I won't have to be worried about everyone around me trying to manipulate me. Can you help me?"
"Technically…yes I can, but it's not going to be easy." I began, making a face as I rubbed my neck over the scars and tried to think. "Honestly I don't think you should leave right now. No, hear me out, I know you want to leave and I get you're upset." Holding up a hand as Davina started to argue, she allowed me a chance to explain. "Right now your condition is becoming even more unstable. You can't see magic like I can, it's like an energy or aura I can track if I focus. Yours is starting to fluctuate and destabilise, pretty soon you could even start haemorrhaging magic, which would be bad. Give me some time to teach you as much as I can, we'll see about stabilising you and then we can get you out of here, but I need to know more about the Harvest first before we do anything. Once I know the magic that was involved, I can try to work out a means to reverse it."
"Could you bring those other girls back to life?"
"I'm not going to make any promises, Davina, not without a hundred percent guarantee. From what I understand, the magic from you four girls was supposed to flow from one to the other and then into the earth, right? Luckily for you, being a druid means I have elemental type magic as well as general magic. Earth is one of those elements, so I can track magic through it. Just give me time, that's all I'm asking. Is that okay?" Davina thought long and hard about it all, weighing her options before agreeing, much to my relief.
She seemed so lost and afraid, lonely even, so I went over and gave her a hug before suggesting we could get started on those magic lessons, and that seemed to cheer her up a little. Thankfully the grimoires that belonged to Esther had already been brought over to me, courtesy of Elijah. It was easy to teach with them as a guide, explaining to Davina means and ways to properly control her magic and as I taught her various spells and incantations, I also researched methods we could possibly use to help her. So far I had come up with nothing, but it had only been a few hours. I wasn't expecting a miracle cure on the second page.
"Did you do these?" Davina asked me as she took a break and wandered around my room, looking at all the drawings on the random pages scattered around. "You're really good."
"Thank you. As you can probably tell, I only really draw in monochrome. Nik said he was going to teach me how to paint, but we haven't exactly found any time for that." I said to her as she continued to look through my creations.
"Who's Nik?"
"Niklaus? You know, affluent hybrid leader…now rules the Quarter…kind of an ass?" I listed off and Davina blinked at me in surprise.
"You guys sound…close."
"Well, I am carrying his child." Joking lightly, Davina finally gave a smile and a laugh. "Look, I know your situation right now sucks, but I want you to know I'm on your side. Okay? Girl power and all that." Offering her my fist, Davina paused before bumping her own against it lightly, looking much more relaxed than before. I gave her some spells to take away and work on in her own time for homework before watching her go, leaning against the doorframe of my room and just contemplating for a while over what was best for her. I needed to know more about the Harvest, that was definitely my first point of call, though I doubt Nik would be too thrilled about the idea of me going out into the open. It was general knowledge now that I was the one carrying his child, and it wouldn't take much for the witches to figure out the spell I had used in order to switch the baby over.
Still, I was just about done being cooped up in here, and it sounded to me like there was a party going on. "Maternal instincts kicking in are they?" Rebekah drawled sarcastically as she appeared at my shoulder, the both of us watching Davina as she rounded the corner then disappeared.
"She's just a kid, she shouldn't have had to go through all this."
"Hm, poor thing." Humming softly in agreement, the both of us just stood there for a moment before Rebekah then suddenly clapped her hand on my shoulder. "Right. You and I are going out. Today is the Casket Girl festival and I am determined to find a costume that isn't over a century old." She informed me, making me blink before suddenly I was being whisked away before I could even answer. The moment I stepped outside, however, there were no protests from me.
The streets were completely alive with people and music that it was an assault to the senses until all at once I was laughing. Giving a twirl with Rebekah I grabbed her hand in order to dive straight into the fray, eager to explore and relish every moment out here as she grinned at me. It felt good to just…I don't know, let go I guess. I'd never experienced liveliness like what existed here in New Orleans, and as I walked around I finally understood why Nik and the others loved this city so much. "So tell me about these Casket Girls." I said loudly to Rebekah over the sounds that filled every pocket of space around us. "Who were they?"
"Women brought here from French society to marry into the colonies here. The name Casket Girl comes from the little bag they were allowed to pack with their belongings, a casquette. Usually they were brought from orphanages or convents, guaranteeing them to be pure which of course, men in those days were crazy for." Rebekah explained to me as the both of us looked through the wedding dress costumes that were literally everywhere. "Though history leaves out the parts where the women were always victimised, seen as little more than trophies and more than once, they would be waylaid on the road by brutish oafs wanting to see them before they even arrived to town. More often than not, any virginity they had before was gone before they arrived, so I started to step in."
"Why does that not surprise me?" I mused, picked up a wedding dress and wondering if I'd even fit in most of these since I was starting to get a little bigger around the middle now. "Please tell me you kicked ass and rescued the damsels in distress yourself." Her smile told me everything I needed to know, making me grin further. The both of us then returned to wedding dress shopping, the silence giving me time to think and I started to worry a little over whether or not I should tell Rebekah about the fact that I kissed her brother. Repeatedly. It's not something I'd keep from a friend, but Bekah…I didn't know how she would react. "Hey Bekah, there's something I should probably tell you…"
"What is it?" She asked distantly, still flicking through dresses in order to try and find something that suited her tastes.
"It's about Nik." I continued, testing the field though she only hummed in response. Deciding I'd just go for it and get this over with, I took a breath before coming out with it. "I kissed him." She froze. "Like…full on…made out." Her eyes snapped up to meet mine, wide and shocked and bright. If she wasn't immortal, I'm pretty sure she would have died right there and then. "Are you mad?"
"Mad?" She echoed, and I began to worry that she was way beyond mad, but then she blinked and shook her head, clearing her throat quickly. "No, of course not. Just…surprised is all. I never knew you had any kind of inclination towards my brother in such a fashion…of course I knew Nik is very fond of you, you're the only one who can get away with saying and doing anything you want without reproach…but…you kissed Niklaus?" I blushed heavily.
"Actually, technically speaking he was the one who kissed me first back in Mystic Falls but he only did that so that I'd drop my guard and then he drugged me. I didn't tell you then because I knew you'd try and kill him." Bekah was furious about that, cursing Nik and using a few rather strongly worded profanities about him, storming off to pace until she was calm enough to return.
"So when did you…?"
"Last night. Nik said something to Elijah that showed progress and I was just so thrilled about it all that I kissed him." She gaped at me openly and I started to feel awkward about it. "I'd really appreciate it if you said something, you know. Anything. Really. Just please stop staring at me like I've gone crazy."
"I can't help it, I think you might have gone crazy after all. What on earth could have possibly possessed you to…I can't even finish the sentence." Breathing deeply, Rebekah gave me a look as she started to study me. "Do you like him?"
"Of course I do, I would have thought that much was clear." Rolling her eyes at me, Bekah told me not to be smart with her and answer the question seriously. "If you're asking whether I'm in love with your brother or not…I can't answer that. Not yet. If I try and figure out the truth right now, I'd probably faint from terror. I need time to process it all." Her mouth dropped open once more, staring at me with a gasp.
"Lia, are you telling me that there are real feelings involved in all this? Tell me everything, when did this all start? What happened? How did my arrogant, insufferable, evil, vile and power hungry brother win the affections of such a wonderful person such as yourself?" That was an excellent question, how did I end up falling for literally one of the most dangerous guys in the entire world when I myself was a picture of awesomeness? Guess it's just one of those many things we had no control over, no matter how powerful we are.
"I'll get back to you on that." She laughed then, shaking her head as we continued to flick through dresses on a rack. "But…are you cool with it?"
"With you kissing my brother and possibly being in love with him? Can't say I'm thrilled, but as long as you are happy and you know what you're getting yourself into, then I can hardly stop you. Just make sure to protect yourself first, Lia. My brother is not known for allowing anything to get in his way in his conquest for power, not even love." I knew that, I knew it all too well. Of course even I thought I was crazy for having feelings for Nik, but it's not exactly something I had control over. Putting that aside, I focused on finding a dress that wouldn't be tight over the stomach as Bekah continued to flick through the dresses, needing less than a second to glance them over. "Dull, dreary, hideous…"
"Talking about the clothes, or something else?" Appearing without warning behind her, Marcel smirked lightly as I quickly looked up, seeing Bekah's face change in an instant.
"Why, feeling insecure?" She retorted coldly before continuing on her way, seeking out more dresses. "This festival might as well be in my honour. I need a proper costume, so bugger off."
"Bekah…" Marcel made the fatal mistake of trying to reach out to touch her, but the moment his hand made contact Rebekah immediately threw off his touch with a sharp glare.
"Don't. You made your choice. You and Klaus are best friends again, you've relinquished your right to touch me." Guess there was trouble in paradise over here. I had wondered why Bekah had been a little touchy whenever Marcel's name came up. Ever since the failed takeover she and Marcel had instigated, there seemed to be a fractious tension between them. Looking down as Marcel's phone started to ring, Bekah looked at him dryly. "I wonder who that could be." Moving out from the dress racks, I followed after Marcel, sending Marcel my sympathies with a shrug before catching up to her.
"Bekah, maybe don't make the pregnant girl run."
"Oh right, sorry. How is our little miracle Mikaelson today?"
"Hungry. Can we get something to eat? We're starving." This at least put a faint smile back on her face, Bekah nodding her head as she linked her arm through mine in order to lead me through the streets and into the festivities, completely unaware of anything being wrong.