Chapter Twenty-One

The Chase

Mystic Falls, Virginia

September 2010

Ninety-seven hybrids. He'd made 97 werewolf-vampire hybrids. He had three super-powered siblings at his side and some of the most powerful witches alive at his disposal. How-how-howdidthisbloodyhappen.

Klaus slammed the freezer door down so hard the wheels broke, sending the entire piece of equipment crashing to the ground.

"FUCK!" he roared, punching a hole in the concrete wall.

Kol turned to study the outline where Finn's coffin had been.

"What the hell do Esther and Mikael want with Finn?"

"Sic him on us," retorted Klaus through gritted teeth.

"No, there has to be something else."

"Well, I'm all ears, Kol," Klaus snarled.

"The blood is concerning, too..." Kol continued.

"No, really?"

"Shut up, Nik. I'm thinking. Esther didn't destroy the blood just to fuck with you. Doppelgänger blood is too valuable."

"They must know about my hybrids."

Kol nodded distractedly. He pried open the freezer again to stare at the pulp of plastic and blood. "Of course they do. She destroyed these to prevent you from making more - and to piss you off. But it's also a distraction. She must have needed at least one bag to perform a spell."

"What spell?"

"She's linking us," Kol realized. "We need to call Elijah."

As they reentered the dining room, they walked in on Pacari pulling out pieces of candle wax from his chest. Kol threw the hybrid over his shoulder and carried him into the living room. The rest of their entourage was filling into the mansion. Hybrids and vampires were recouping with blood bags in the kitchen while the witches were gathering in the library to perform a locator spell on one of the hunters who'd dropped a knife at the fight.

"No touching Pacari, you'll only make a bigger mess. Let it all pop out on its own," Kol scolded.

"I don't have acne, mate." Pacari sent Klaus a gloomy look over Kol's shoulder. "Well?"

Klaus shook his head grimly, his jaw tense. "Finn's definitely gone. Elena's blood is destroyed. Kol thinks they took some to link us together."

Kol tossed Pacari onto a couch and flashed to the kitchen to grab blood.

"How?"

"Well, that's what Finn is for," Klaus said with a humorless smile. "Elijah should know what spell she'll use - he'd better, anyway. He's been studying her grimoires all bloody summer."

"So after she performs the linking spell, Finn drinks the Cure and you're all mortals," Pacari figured out.

"That's the general idea."

"What happened at the complex?"

"It was a trap. Almost none of their army was there, just some disposable vampires. As soon as we started to leave, witches surrounded the building and the Five appeared," Klaus explained, jostling through the liquor cabinet and pulling out a bottle of dry gin. He didn't bother with a glass.

"Fuck," Pacari groaned.

"My thoughts exactly. Then one of my hybrids killed one of them, so now he's useless. The voices will start within hours," Klaus finished moodily. Kol reentered with a blood bag.

"Well, aren't you just a regular Florence Nightingale," Pacari muttered as Kol opened the bag and handed it to him.

"Ah-ha-ha, so funny, Kol has no cultural awareness whatsoever," the Original vampire said drily. "Find a new joke, papi."

"I'll get right on that," Pacari retorted as he started sucking down the blood.

"Are you sure Qetsiyah was with them?" Kol asked his friend, falling into the couch beside him.

Pacari paused between sips. "Had to be her, especially since you're saying the Five are in town. That's no coincidence."

"No," Klaus agreed. "It's not."

The Inca continued. "They mentioned a deal; Qetsiyah was only helping them get Finn because she wanted something in return."

"So, what was her end of the bargain?" Kol asked. "The Cure?"

Pacari shook his head. "There's no way Esther and Mikael would give up the Cure - that's the key to their plan."

Klaus' phone rang. They all glanced at the screen as he pulled it out of his pocket.

The name Caroline flashed up at them.

"Finally," Klaus breathed. "At least there's a ray of hope. Caroline?" he asked in trepidation as he answered, putting her on speaker.

"Niklaus, my great love, there will be a time and a place for apologies and declarations of undying love and reminiscing, but-"

His expression turned to stone. "Sweetheart, I'm with you. Kol, Pacari, and I have had a hell of a bad night. What happened over there?"

"I used my...special skill on Silas."

His brow furrowed. "Well, we figured once the amnesia lifted your ability to use your full magic would return as well."

"No, Nik. I mean the power I used at the Battle of Auxor."

"Oh!" It was Kol who understand what she was implying first. With a glance at his brother's shocked face, Klaus caught on.

"You showed Silas his death?"

"Yes. Then I threw a fireball at him - which he caught."

"He's mortal?!" Pacari yelled.

"That's right; the 2000-year-old witch is at the height of his power. Hey, Kol?" she added flatly. "Care to explain how Silas got the Cure?"

Richmond, Virginia

Mikael watched as his wife chanted over the parchment. She dripped the doppelgänger's blood over it delicately before taking out a knife and nicking her ring finger, mixing her blood with the girl's. As her chanting increased, the red liquid spread out over the parchment and linked every name written in Elder Futhark, the names of the children. It burst into flames.

"Is it done?" he asked.

She stared down at the fiery parchment for a long moment before nodding affirmatively. "It is done. They are linked."

They both looked to the middle of the room, where Finn had been laid out on the couch. Mikael had only removed the dagger minutes earlier; they would have to wait some time for him to wake.

"Nine hundred years," Mikael scoffed. "Niklaus' doing, of course."

"Would you rather he turned into as much a monster as the rest of them?" his wife inquired sharply.

He grimaced, chagrinned. "No, no."

"I understand more than you the depth of Niklaus' depravity, but Finn hated being a vampire - with good reason."

"Let's hope he still hates it when he rises," the Original Vampire grumbled.

"He will," she muttered. "We are finally absolving ourselves."

She rolled the stolen capsule between her fingers and stared at the blood-red liquid.

Southern France

Rebekah, Elijah, and Verenice d'Ebanne were met at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport by a driver in a black suit. When they reached the Escalade, there were two vampire guards waiting for them.

"Your men?" Rebekah asked her brother as they slid inside.

"No. Ours," Verenice told her as she curled into the seat opposite the siblings. She was wearing denim overall shorts over a bubblegum pink top; Rebekah noted the witch's wardrobe was eclectic and inspired. She approved. "We still hold the alliance with vampires that began with our ancestors."

"Sophia and Adelaide," Rebekah murmured.

Verenice inclined her head. "The ones who helped you with Niklaus."

"Now that you mention it, the coven didn't really do much to fix Nik-"

Elijah cut off his sister by pointedly clearing his throat.

Verenice's expression was stuck between indignation and amusement.

"What would happen if we had ignored the summons?" Elijah questioned.

She shuddered. "A pact of blood-magic, performed on our sacred ancestral home...Some sort of horrific curse."

"Fascinating," he said politely.

Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"How did the Anchor come into your mother's possession?" she asked.

"It was a spoil of war. The coven wiped the Travelers out eleven years ago," Verenice said bluntly. "They were a self-righteous, pugnacious band of parasites, not even worthy of being called witches. Afraid of their own powerful magic, bullying anyone who displayed the slightest amount of interest in exploring the many different facets of witchcraft. Many covens called on us to vanquish them, though Maman already had motivation: the Travelers killed my father when I was a small child."

Elijah leant forward. "I am sorry for your loss. It must have been difficult to bear."

The young witch bit down on her lip and looked out the window with a short nod.

"It's a 45-minute drive to Auxor."

They had pulled out of the parking garage and were merging onto the freeway. A light mist hung low to the ground, making the scenery appear grey and lifeless.

Elijah settled back into his seat with sigh. "It's been centuries since I've seen that castle. When was the last time we were in d'Ebanne territory, Bekah?"

"The 1600s," his sister speculated. "I considered visiting when I last lived in France, but there were too many distractions. Paris in the age of post-impressionism, you know," she finished with a wave of her hand.

"Goodness, you're right. We haven't been here since before the Revolution," Elijah exclaimed.

Verenice's mouth had fallen open in disbelief. "The French Revolution?"

"What else, Verenice?" bristled Elijah. "If you know of our blood pact, you must know how old we are."

The young witch stammered: "Er, well - yes, I know. But it's one thing to hear it as a bedtime story. It's something else entirely to meet people who have been alive since the dawn of the Capetian dynasty."

"Ah, the Capetians. What a bloodline!" Elijah said, his voice heavy with admiration. "Did you know Alix was Eleanor d'Aquitaine's cousin?"

His sister shot him a look of condescension. "I think Verenice has studied her own family tree, Elijah. You can be such a bloody tosser."

Verenice was amused. "Yes, I'm well aware of my bloodline. It goes far beyond the likes of Eleanor d'Aquitaine, impressive as she was."

"You're direct descendants of Morgan le Fay," Rebekah interrupted, a memory from long ago stirring in the recesses of her mind.

The eternally composed Elijah was taken aback. "Pardon?"

Verenice was nodding. "Did Caroline tell you?"

Rebekah shook her head. "No. Her mother did."

"Alix told - wait - it's true?" sputtered Elijah.

"That's why our name is Morganne," Verenice explained.

His phone rang, preventing him from questioning her further. He checked the screen before answering. "Niklaus?"

"Is there a linking spell in Esther's grimoires?"

"Our flight was fine; weather's gloomy, but I predict it will clear up by midday - thank you for asking, brother."

"Elijah, I'm not in the mood."

"Very well. Yes, I believe so."

"Did you bring them with you?"

"Of course."

"Check them and send a picture of the spell to Mariko and Caroline. Esther is going to try to link us with Elena's blood."

"But even after linking us, one of us would have to drink the Cure in order for us all to become humans again."

"What about the deranged brother we've been storing in the cellar? The brother whose body was stolen by Mikael and Esther a couple hours ago?"

Rebekah gasped. Elijah ran his hand over his eyes. "What the hell happened?"

"Our parents brought in a ringer: Qetsiyah."

"They raised Qetsiyah from the dead," Elijah clarified in a deadened voice.

Over the line, the siblings could hear what sounded like a body being thrown into a grand piano. In fact, that's exactly what it was.

"What was that?" Elijah asked.

Klaus chuckled darkly. "That was Pacari expressing his displeasure with our baby brother."

"Why? What did Kol do?"

"Remember when Esther broke into the Boarding House last month? Well, Kol wasn't entirely sure where his loyalties lay, and so he let Esther visit Silas, inadvertently handing him the Cure."

Elijah sucked in a breath; Rebekah's expression was murderous. "Why aren't you dissecting him?" she hissed.

"I'm letting Pacari take care of it for now. I needed to tell you about the linking spell."

"But if Silas already took the Cure, Esther can't use it on us. The threat has been nullified."

Klaus growled. "Nullified, is it? And what if Finn wakes up and dives chest-first into Mikael's dagger? Do you want to risk that?"

"Right." Elijah was all business. "As soon as we reach Auxor, I'll find it and send it to Mariko and Caroline so they can perform a reversal."

"Text me when you do." Klaus hung up.

"Are your lives always like this?" Verenice asked in the resounding silence that filled the car after.

Elijah gave her a wry smile. "You'd be surprised."

Interstate 95

When Stefan jolted awake, the first thing he saw was the tree line speeding past. He turned in his seat. A woman with dark hair and eyes was staring at him unabashedly.

"Hello, Stefan," she greeted in an even tone.

Stefan glanced around the car. One of the men who had kidnapped him was driving, while the other was tapping into his phone in the passenger's seat.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he questioned tersely. He still had vervain in his system, but he had enough strength to jump out of the car.

"My name is Qetsiyah. These are my hunters," she introduced.

"Hunters? Vampire hunters?" Stefan questioned, while running estimates in his head about how fast the car was going. He would have to jump out with full vampire speed.

"Actually, though the Brotherhood of the Five has evolved into a league of supernatural vampire hunters, their original purpose was much more direct."

"Killing Silas?" Stefan guessed.

"Wrong - forcing the Cure down his cheating throat," she corrected with a manic gleam in her eye.

Stefan nodded and tried to look sympathetic. He shifted slightly to hide the movement of his hand sliding towards the handle.

Qetsiyah settled into her seat with an expression of boredom, pulling out a nail file. "The rest are in the car following with their newest member; a friend of yours, I believe. One of Klaus' abominations killed his predecessor, and so his powers were awoken."

Stefan had a good grip on the handle, but this last sentence made him pause. "Who?"

"You'll see soon enough. Besides, Stefan, even if you did jump out, who would save you?" she held out her hand to reveal his daylight ring. The lapis lazuli had been removed. "Oh, look - dawn."

Stefan clenched his jaw and turned to fully face the ancient witch. "What do you want with me?"

"You have a very important part to play, doppelgänger."

In the SUV closely following their car, Jeremy pulled his right hand uselessly against the handcuff attached to the grab handle. He glared at his captors in righteous fury.

"If you're trying to get to my sister through me, she has a hell of a lot of protectors!"

The man next to him smirked. "We can handle them. But we didn't take you as leverage against your sister. We've known you were a Potential, though we didn't think you'd join our ranks. Until we lost a brother last night."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"The closest Potential's powers are awakened when one of the Five dies. It is time for you to fulfill your sacred duty."

Jeremy stared at the man in bewilderment. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You're a vampire-hunter, Jeremy," the second man said, clapping him on the shoulder.

The teenager wrested his hand away. "That's impossible."

"I thought so, too, until I killed my first vampire. Don't worry, you'll understand the instinct once you're in a room with one."

Jeremy scowled. "Hey, man, I'm not the biggest fan of vampires, but that doesn't mean every time I see one, I want to stake it. Some of them are alright."

"That was before your powers were awakened. The only reason you aren't ripping that handcuff off right now is because you think you can't; you must realize you are extremely powerful," the first man instructed.

Jeremy glared at the man. "What are you talking about?" he hissed. "I feel the same as always!"

The second man leaned over the seat and grabbed a fistful of Jeremy's T- shirt. "Both your sister and your girlfriend are currently surrounded by vampires. How does that make you feel?"

Jeremy growled. "Shut up!"

"Don't hold back, Jeremy."

The handcuff ripped the grab handle out of the ceiling of the car and he gasped in shock. The first Hunter smiled triumphantly and unlocked the handcuff from his wrist. Jeremy rubbed his wrist in wonder.

"Once we fulfill our ancient duty, you are free to do as you please. Though, I doubt you'll go back to a normal life after this," the first man conceded.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked.

The second man pulled out a navy-blue booklet from his jacket and showed it to Jeremy.

"We nabbed this from your room; you can imagine our relief that you had a passport. There's only so much Qetsiyah can manipulate."

Jeremy stared at his passport, shock and bafflement racing across his face.

"We're leaving the country?"

Mystic Falls, Virginia

"I warned you about loyalty, Kol!"

Klaus observed in silence as his newly built mansion was destroyed before his eyes. Kol crashed into a bookcase, sending glass baubles and antique tomes flying. Pacari was on top of him in a millisecond, lifting him up by his rumpled shirt.

"I thought the games were finally over!" he roared in betrayal. "You have endangered Rebekah, along with her - and my - entire family! Your family!"

Kol spat out a mouthful of blood. "Mother hit a bloody nerve, alright?"

Pacari scoffed. "No, it's not alright!"

"You don't understand how hard it was for me when I first woke up."

"Yes, poor Kol - always the victim," sneered the Inca. "You chose to hide from the world!"

"Well, if the love of your life betrayed you and reduced you to a shadow of a man, you'd throw in the towel, too."

"Oh, you think I know nothing of a broken heart? Fuck off, mate."

Kol winced.

"It wasn't just pain you turned your back on," Pacari added lowly, but he let go of Kol's shirt.

"I'm curious, brother," Klaus interrupted, "who you're referring to when you say 'love of your life.'"

The two brothers stared each other down, their eyes glittering with a myriad of emotions. Seconds passed as Klaus tried to decipher his brother's expression and discern whether he was a threat to them.

"Go ahead, Nik. Toss me around a few times," Kol drawled. "I deserve it."

The Original Hybrid narrowed his eyes. "What did Esther want with Silas?"

"She wanted to gloat."

"Did you know he stole it back?"

"Certainly not."

"Why did you let her pass?"

"Don't be daft, Nik. You already know the answer to that - I felt left out, I'm a narcissist struggling with jealousy and feelings of inadequacy-"

A muscle in Klaus' jaw twitched. "Kol."

He pressed his fingers into his temple. "I wanted to hurt you."

"Thank you for your honesty."

"Gonna dagger me?"

"No. No, this time, brother, you have to live with the consequences."

"We all do," Pacari hissed.

"I am sorry," said Kol. "I regret it."

Pacari glared down at Kol once more before visibly deflating, all his anger fading. "Yeah, we know you do."

Klaus said nothing.

"Peace, Nik," Pacari said, nudging him towards his brother.

Klaus laid his hand on Kol's shoulder. At first, his grip was too tight - threatening. But he loosened it after a beat to pat his arm.

Kol was floored. He knew his family had changed in the over two centuries he'd been daggered, but this was something else. Pacari was one thing - he'd never liked holding grudges. But Niklaus...forgiving? And of all people - him? He had missed a lot.

And then his older brother really surprised him by pulling him into a hug. It was the first time since waking Kol felt one of his siblings was actually happy he was back.

When the embrace was over, he cast the two hybrids a shy look. "I didn't imagine she'd be stupid enough to bring the Cure so close to Silas, or he'd be strong enough to steal it. Or crazy enough to drink it while still under our custody."

"Mother's always had an exceptional ego," Klaus muttered.

"Gotta admit, it was a fair stroke of brilliance on his part," Pacari noted begrudgingly. "Wild. Kinda like something you'd do, Kol."

"I'm flattered."

"KLAUS!" Damon Salvatore roared as he burst into the mansion with Elena at his heels.

Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "Not now, Salvatore."

"Where are our brothers?" Elena demanded as the pair stormed into the living room. Her eyes widened as she took in the destruction. The former piano was a haphazard pile of wood, plastic, and cast iron beside the fireplace. All the draperies had been torn off the rods. Shards of glass mingled with loose leaf pages and fallen books on the scratched floor. The candelabra previously inside Pacari's chest had been tossed unceremoniously on the floor of the dining room, covered in blood and innards.

"What are you talking about?" Klaus asked tiredly.

"Jeremy and Stefan were just taken, Oh Holy Hybrid. Didn't we just go over this, I don't know, yesterday?" Damon condescended.

Klaus, Pacari, and Kol frowned at each other.

"Why would Mikael and Esther take them?" Klaus muttered.

Pacari raised his eyebrows. "This must have been Qetsiyah's end of the bargain."

"What would she want with Jeremy and Stefan? It doesn't follow," Klaus argued.

"Hey! Right here; us, in front of you," Damon interrupted.

Klaus turned to the younger vampire. "It wasn't me, Damon. We've been dealing with our own calamities tonight."

"It's not beneath you to kidnap Jeremy as leverage against me," Elena retorted.

"We just made a deal; I do not renege on my deals. Besides, if I wanted your blood that badly, I'd just take it," he said bluntly. "And now that you mention it, I have run out of your blood."

"Not now, Nik," Kol warned.

Elena hesitated, glancing from Kol to Klaus with narrowed eyes.

"But if you didn't take them, who did?"

Kol rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. "Catch up, Doppelgänger the Third. It was Qetsiyah and her hunters."

"Where would they take them? And why?" Elena crossed her arms and subconsciously leaned towards Damon, who placed a gentle hand on her lower back.

"The doppelgänger," Pacari said in a startled tone.

The group turned to him.

Elena raised her eyebrows. "I have a name, Pacari."

"I'm not referring to you, exactly. Tonight, Esther made an off-hand comment about star-crossed doppelgängers..."

"So?" Damon asked sharply.

"Doppelgängers, as in plural. I wonder if as reparations for such a terrible and arrogant act of magic, the spirits created shadow-selves of Amara and Silas," Pacari continued with a pointed look at Elena. "I wonder if she was referring to you and the younger Mr. Salvatore."

She gasped. "The Petrova bloodline goes that far back?"

"Wait. Are you telling me…?" Damon said slowly, comprehension dawning in his eyes.

"Whenever Silas was weakest, he resorted to Stefan's appearance. Mariko and I wondered why, but there was no way to have a definitive answer. Until now. Your brother must be Silas' doppelgänger," Pacari said. "And as such, he would be of much more value to Qetsiyah than Elena. No offense."

Klaus cast Damon an ironic leer. "It seems Stefan and Elena are written in the stars."

"But that doesn't explain why they took Jeremy," Elena pointed out with slightly tinged cheeks.

Klaus looked to Pacari for answers, but it was Kol who spoke.

"The Five took him. While we're speaking of fate...perhaps the spirits thought the doppelgänger should have a protector. Someone in her family who could defend her from the onslaught of supernatural creatures," he speculated.

"Jeremy is just a kid," said Damon.

"He's nearly seventeen; that's like thirty in medieval times, when the Hunters were created. We killed one of the Five tonight, and an hour later they took him. I don't believe in coincidence."

"What are you saying?" Elena asked sharply.

"Maybe your brother is a potential vampire hunter."

"Did you just reference Buffy?" Damon asked, tilting his head to the side. "I had you pegged as an Anne Rice type."

"No, I'm talking about the Travelers –" Kol shook his head in confusion.

"He's been sleeping since the end of the 18th century; he doesn't understand," Klaus cut in. "But you know what, yes - this is exactly like Buffy. The Potential Slayers all had powers within them that could only be woken if they were chosen to replace the previous Slayer. It's the same thing with the Brotherhood."

"What are you saying? My drug-addict, orphaned, medium brother has just become a member of an elite squad of vampire assassins?"

"That's exactly what we're saying," Kol nodded. "Very good, Doppelgänger."

A witch appeared in the doorway. "We found the Hunter."

"And?"

"They're at Dulles," she said. "Any idea of where they'll go?"

Klaus shook his head in dismay. "To the Anchor, of course. Qetsiyah knows Silas will come for it - her."

Kol chuckled. "Qetsiyah versus the Morganne coven...I'd pay to see that."

"Esther is going to realize she doesn't have the Cure any moment - if she hasn't already," Pacari noted.

"Which would mean she needs to get Silas' blood," said Kol.

Klaus sighed. "Caroline would never allow a fight like that to take place at Des Cendres."

"And Esther knows it," added Pacari.

A grin spread across Kol's face. "We're going to France."

Auxor Castle

Southern France

As soon as the Escalade pulled into the former carriage house, Elijah was out of the car and opening the trunk. He shoved his sister's numerous suitcases aside to grab the black trunk which held Esther's grimoires. He dragged it forward, unlocked it, and carefully sorted through the ancient tomes until he found the small leather-bound journal with the silver lettering on the cover. Rebekah stood silently behind him with bated breath as he searched for the linking spell.

He'd come across it weeks before, yet he'd not made the connection. Stupid, he'd been so stupid. They'd been cocky thinking Niklaus' hybrids were the end-all-be-all. Witches always had the upper hand.

There!

In the middle of the book was a six-page section crammed with tiny, near-illegible notes in his mother's hand. There were arrows and circles and diagrams and lists amid Elder Futhark runes. He pulled out his phone, took six close-up pictures, and sent them to Mariko. He then messaged his brother.

He wrapped an arm around his frightened sister and led her into the castle.

They could do nothing but wait.

Richmond, Virginia

Finn Mikaelson faced his parents from the couch, his eyes locked on the cloudy capsule in his mother's hands.

"After you drink it, you will no longer be a vampire. You will be free from the bloodlust and immortality," his mother was explaining.

"But if we're all linked, why did you awaken me?" he asked tiredly. He was still waking up.

His parents exchanged an uncomfortable look, and he figured it out.

"If Father drank it, Niklaus would not be affected."

Mikael's face twisted into an ugly snarl and Esther shifted in her seat.

"Nine-hundred years, I lay in that box," Finn said softly. "Did I miss anything particularly interesting?"

"No," his father grunted out.

Finn glanced around the strange room with all its foreign objects. "Unsurprising."

Esther handed the capsule to her eldest. He cradled it in his palm.

"It's that simple?" he asked in amazement.

She nodded.

With a shrug, he bit off the top and swallowed the potion down with one swift motion. It tasted like blood, and he could feel his veins rising to the surface of his skin.

A moment passed.

"Well? Do you feel any different?" Esther questioned.

"I do not. No - I feel stronger. It tasted like blood."

Mikael stared at his son in confusion. "His heart still sounds like a vampire's."

Finn held his hand steadily over the flame of a nearby candle until wincing in pain; he pulled his hand away and stared at the wound. All three watched as the burn healed rapidly.

"Did we not wait long enough?" Mikael asked.

His wife stood up shakily with eyes as black as coal. All the flames in the room flared up with a hiss.

"That wasn't the Cure," she ground out.

Mikael shook his head in denial. "Impossible."

Esther paced across the room, her hands clenching and unclenching. "Silas...Silas must have found a way to get it back."

"How could he have stolen it back?" Mikael questioned angrily.

Esther shook her head slowly. "He can manipulate minds, cast a trance over anyone. He must have tricked me when I was at the Boarding House..." A dark shadow passed over her face as she realized something. "He's already taken it."

Her husband shook his head in confusion. "Why would he take it before he found the Anchor?"

"Because he wanted his full powers," she said, her nails digging into her palms. "Qetsiyah probably knew it wasn't the Cure...that's why she agreed to help us. Bitch!"

Mikael turned red with fury. "What next?"

"The Cure only exists in Silas' bloodstream now," she muttered. "We need to get it."

"Where is this Silas?" Finn asked.

"I presume with Riko d'Ebanne and Caroline at Des Cendres... But Qetsiyah is on her way to Auxor to protect Amara, and Silas wants to destroy the Anchor... Caroline won't leave her homeland unprotected, nor will she risk us coming to the school for Silas. They'll take him with them."

"Mother?" Finn prompted when she paused.

She sighed. "We need to go to France."

"Or," Mikael started, his hand on his belt, "we could do this my way."

Esther glared at the White Oak Stake.

"You will not stab Finn until we are out of options. I must right my wrong, but I will not do it by letting you kill our children. They will be cured," she asserted with determination.

"And then we can find peace," murmured Finn.

Esther glanced at him before turning to her husband with her palm opened to him. After a moment's hesitation, Mikael reluctantly removed the stake from his belt and handed her his weapon.

Des Cendres

Southern Tibet

The atmosphere at Des Cendres was, in a word: chaos. Hybrids, vampires, witches, and werewolves ran around the spiraling hallways of the school, every one of them on a mission as a select group of students prepared to go to France and security was tightened on the school.

Gita stood on the outskirts of the mayhem in the darkened cloisters with her talwar in hand. Her charge was wrapped up in magicked ropes beside her. Bonnie Bennett was opposite them across the courtyard and pacing back and forth with her phone pressed to her ear.

It had been a long 24 hours. Elijah had sent over the images containing Esther's linking spell the previous evening, and Mariko and Caroline had immediately begun preparing to reverse it. They'd hit a wall when realizing they needed doppelgänger blood. Then Pacari had called with revelatory news - he suspected Stefan Salvatore was Silas' doppelgänger. Adjacently, he assumed the Petrova line of doppelgängers had begun not with Tatia, but Amara.

In a stroke of brilliance, the Undying Witch realized if that were true, they could probably use Amara's blood in the spell. Efforts to make a portal to Auxor had hastened inordinately. Caroline did not want to take her fight to Auxor, but her coven was already involved and she refused to give Esther and Mikael any reason to come to Des Cendres. She also hated the idea of bringing Silas to Amara, but they couldn't leave him behind. He was no longer linked to Mariko, and therefore far too powerful to be left here without them. And they needed his blood for the Cure if anyone wanted it.

"Like busy little bess," Silas drawled. "What are you going to do without me?"

Gita smirked. "I think we'll be okay."

"I meant you specifically, Gita."

She laughed. "I'll definitely be okay."

"I really feel like we've bonded during our time together."

She shot him a look of derision. "What is this, Stockholm Syndrome?"

He opened his mouth to respond before snapping it back shut, his brow furrowing in consternation. "I've violated the minds of nearly everyone I've met since waking, yet this reference escapes me."

Gita smirked. "Got you."

"What does it mean?"

"Ah, no. You lost. It's my turn. How did you manage to hide the fact that you took the Cure weeks ago?" she asked with real curiosity.

He shrugged. "People see what they want to see. And, I'm the most powerful witch of all time."

"Really? Because as soon as she got her memories back, Caroline realized you were mortal," Gita retorted.

"I let her," he said cheerfully.

"I don't bloody think so, mate. We all saw your reaction when she showed you your death scene. How does it happen, by the way?"

His demeanor had darkened, but he kept up the teasing tone. "Ah, ah, ah - my turn. Stockholm Syndrome?"

On the other side of the courtyard, Bonnie ended her call with Elena and ground her heel into the dirt. She swallowed, building up her courage before making her way to Caroline and Mariko, who were summoning the portal.

"Inter abruptam terram praecipitem dedit nobis," the hybrid was chanting in Latin. "Transgressus fuerit – Yes, Bonnie?"

"I'm coming with you to France," the young witch told her firmly.

Caroline glanced at the girl. "Vocans portal. Absolutely not. We're heading into battle, Bonnie. Not everyone is coming out of this alive. Sororibus meis, liceat mihi, ut conteram continui temporis et spatii."

"Elena and Damon are going with your husband," Bonnie argued. "Who do you think would last longer in battle - me or Elena?"

Caroline set her jaw. "Bonnie..."

"The Five took Jeremy. I can't just sit here and do nothing while my friends are in danger," the witch continued.

"Vocans portal! Sororibus meis, adjuva nos!" Caroline cried. "We will protect Jeremy."

"I came here with Mariko. If she's going to France, then so am I," Bonnie asserted stubbornly. "You're not my guardian, Caroline."

Caroline sighed and glanced at her witch friend.

"Transgressus fuerit, inter abruptam terram praecipitem dedit nobis!" Mariko chanted.

"She keeps telling me to take chances and listen to my instincts and follow my own path!" said Bonnie.

Mariko raised a thin eyebrow. "I won't deny it. Caroline, she's right; this isn't your decision to make. Now!"

They clasped hands and finished the summoning.

"Ostende nobis portal! Nobis concedas transitum! Ostende nobis in via!"

A wave of energy erupted from the two witches. In the middle of the courtyard, a mirage shimmered into existence. They smiled triumphantly.

"I hope you packed a bag, Bonnie," Caroline said in resignation. "It's time to go."

Bonnie smirked. "It's right over there; did you think I was taking no for an answer?"

Emmeline appeared beside Silas. A longbow and quiver were slung across her back and her favorite sword hung from her belt. A small dagger was strapped around her thigh and a stake to her ankle. She grabbed Silas' arm.

"Come on, little mortal. I expect you're ready to live out your 2000-year-old fantasy," she said grimly.

He winced as she siphoned some of his power to weaken him.

"Why would I try to escape? You're bringing me exactly where I want to go," he hissed.

"I'm not taking any chances."

Emmeline and Gita marched Silas to the portal, where they delivered him to Mariko. The witch nodded at Gita before striding through the portal with Silas, a band of older students at their heels. Caroline gave Gita a hug before turning and following them. Bonnie faced the two women and surprised herself by tearing up.

"I hope I can return one day," she said softly.

"It will be sooner than you think," Gita said.

Bonnie threw herself into the vampire's embrace.

"Look after yourself, little witch," Gita whispered.

Bonnie pulled away, nodded, and entered the mirage.

Without removing her eyes from Gita's, Emmeline took her mate's hand and gently stroked her wrist down to her palm and back. Gita shook her head minutely.

"Don't," she murmured.

With a small smile, Emmeline let go and disappeared through the portal.

One of the teachers whistled. "God, get a room, Gi."

Gita shrugged. "It was a poignant farewell."

Rebekah and Elijah were waiting for the portal to appear in the field surrounding Auxor Castle. Elijah was as calm as always; in fact, he was smoking a cigar and staring up at the night sky; beside him, Rebekah paced nervously while biting her fingernails. The coven had been chanting for several minutes; as their voices crescendoed in unison, the telltale iridescent mirage flickered in front of them. First Mariko marched through with Silas in tow, surrounded by a team of the school's oldest and most powerful students. Next was Caroline with the air of a supermodel strutting down a runway. In stark contrast was Bonnie, who was wiping at her eyes and shivering from the portal's bizarre sensations. A heavily armed Emmeline was last, the portal winking out of existence once she'd exited.

As soon as Rebekah saw her oldest and dearest friend, she broke. She crashed into Caroline's arms with tears in her eyes. They had only been parted for a few weeks, and yet so much had changed for both of them.

Caroline fell into her welcome embrace. A wave of déjà vu hit her as she realized she was once again on the grounds of her family's estate, being led to the next adventure by Rebekah and Elijah. She was home.

A/N: Oy vey. This chapter...is tough. A lot of discoveries are made here. I tried to make it as fun as possible, but so much of it is exposition as everything falls into the place for the final chapters. Bear with me guys, I did my best. I promise the rest of the story will not be like this. (Some lemony reunions coming up!) ~L