Hello, hello! Well, first of all, Happy New Year! Things have been a bit hectic, I even got sick for a time, so my updates had been halted, but I am finally back and well enough to start updating, especially when I finished the outline for the end of this season of the Vampire Diaries. All that's left is to check it and make adjustments before posting. Gotta say it's been a lot harder this time to write romance since I want it to be paced well and make sense for you guys. I don't want to give any romance that comes out of the blue and such.
Response to your amazing reviews:
-xenocanaan: Sorry for the late reply, but Happy Halloween, Holidays, and all that came after! And yes, Gwen needs to grow before we get to that, which won't be an easy process when taking Klaus into account, but it will happen! Thanks for the support and hope you continue to enjoy reading!
-ArtemisLuna85: Yes, while the story is mainly focused on Gwen (like you said, it's HER story), I have other characters that I need to work on and develop with the story. Something I didn't like about the original story was that I focused too much on her without moving her along with a better pace that works to move her story along. I also have another character of mine (June) that has grown from what I had been doing with Gael in the previous story and has become more prominent, which means that I also need to develop her ;D. I am using Mystic Falls as a symbol of her cage that keeps her from growing, so you know what that means when she does leave...BETTER GROWTH! ;D
-UnknownReaderHasJoined: Yeah, Hope has been a constant thought for me. I actually don't want to write about pregnancies in The Originals and wanted to focus more on, well, the Originals and their lives and conflicts. I want to focus less on a baby and more on other plotlines. Yes, this would mean that Hope is kind of not happening, especially since Gwen has filled her role already, but I am still thinking about it. Still, what I have planned so far would become a problem to write if I include Hope since her very existence would need revamping and such to fit into the world I'm building in this universe. But, you are correct in your thoughts, which are similar to mine. I would be needlessly repeating Klaus' journey and story with Gwen through Hope, like going back to step one, so I am leaning away from including Hope, especially when I have a little twist for the future. Still, thanks for your thoughts!
-brigitm28: YES, Klaus' fashion sense needs to be appreciated a bit more! (LOL). Yeah, the June and Elijah duo was kind of a surprise for me too and it just kind of happened because they are the only characters who make the most sense when it comes to dealing with this situation, so...surprise for everyone! Yes, a tiny bit of jealous Klaus just wormed its way in there. Hmm, I would love your thoughts on Klaus and June, so do share if you want. Gwen's drinking was a way to show that the walls are getting tighter, so her anxiety is increasing and might even explode at some point, especially with Kol being someone who is not afraid to be brutally honest with her, which she needs. Gwen and Klaus' love for art will be used a lot more in the future, it's another thing that ties them together.
Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Vampire Diaries and claim no ownership over anything pertaining to it. I only own my characters.
strictly witch business
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Tired.
That was how Gwen felt from where she sat on one end of a sofa, leaning against the armrest with her legs tucked beneath her with Klaus sitting on the opposite end of the couch. They had both settled there after having breakfast with everyone else except for Rebekah, who had yet to return home after disappearing following the incident between Matt, Damon, and Kol the night before.
The ball had been long and exhausting for the young halfling. It didn't help that she drank a bit too much, but Gwen was miraculously spared from a terrible hangover and only had to deal with a bit of a headache. The peppermint tea she made for herself that sat on the coffee table in front of her helped soothe the painful throbs in her head, but she still felt so tired. She debated on going back to her room to rest a bit more with the curtains closed to keep out the sun, but she didn't want to be holed up in a room for too long, not when she felt a bit anxious for some reason.
The room was quiet with the only sound being that of Klaus sketching, his pencil scratching the paper. Staring at the small amount of tea that remained in her cup, Gwen remembered Kol's words from the night before, which still echoed in her mind. She had wanted to escape his voice by going to sleep straight away without talking to anyone, disliking how they made her feel. And yet, her dreams were haunted by his remarks, making her night a fitful one. It was pure luck that her tossing and turning didn't wake up Juniper, who had been knocked out cold after changing into her pajamas.
"Hello, hello!" Kol greeted as he entered the room with a wide smirk, his voice causing Gwen to tense up and break away from her thoughts as she glanced at him for a moment.
"There's the troublemaker," Klaus said in return without looking up from his sketch, wanting to remain focused on his drawing.
"What trouble?" Kol asked, grinning. He sat down on some steps that led into the room, his eyes landing on the halfling who seemed to be avoiding his gaze. Strangely enough, he was miffed by this. "I was merely getting to know Rebekah's suitor."
Klaus snorted. "Sure."
"Where is Bekah?" Gwen asked, tilting her head to look at Klaus. Just then, a door being opened and closed was heard.
"Speaking of the devil herself…" Klaus trailed off, his eyes never straying from his art.
Kol smirked as he heard footsteps approaching the room, knowing who it was. "Well, well, well," he began as he stood to face the door to find Rebekah walking through the doorway with her heels and purse in her hands. He chuckled when he saw her hair in disarray. "There's our girl!" He blocked her way when she was about to pass by him and did it again, which earned him a heated glare.
"Get out of my way, Kol," Rebekah snapped at her older brother, eager for a shower and a fresh set of clothes.
"Out all night, what a scandal!" Kol all but announced as loudly as possible. "I trust you did better than that commoner." He blocked her way once more, amused by how she kept control of her temper. He could see in her eyes how much she wanted to probably rip his tongue out. "Matt, was it?"
While she knew that any reaction was what Kol was looking for, Rebekah hated to admit that he struck a nerve, given that he reminded her of how her date had rejected her at the Mystic Grill, which had led to questionable decisions. "If you don't shut your mouth, the next thing to come out of it will be your teeth." Her response had Klaus grinning and Gwen chuckling under her breath. "I don't want to hear it out of either of you," she said with her eyes shifting between Klaus and Gwen, having shoved Kol out of her way to approach the sofa the two hybrids were sitting on.
Klaus tried to hold back a laugh as he said, "I didn't say anything."
"Me neither," Gwen giggled.
"I'm bored. Our sister is a strumpet, but at least she's having fun," Kol sighed heavily as he dropped on a loveseat with his legs over an armrest and his arms spread out over the back of the seat. He looked at Gwen and met her gaze for a millisecond before his eyes went to Klaus. "I need entertainment." And he needed it urgently, especially when he felt off with how the half-fae was ignoring him.
"What are you waiting for?" Klaus questioned his brother as he gestured to the door with a nod of his head. "Go on, have at it."
Kol huffed out, "It's not fun to go alone." He shifted his legs to have them land on the floor to fully face Klaus. "Join me, Nik!" He was almost pouting when Klaus kept on sketching. With one option left, he said, "It's the least you can do after sticking a dagger in my heart."
It was at times like these that Klaus regretted daggering his siblings. It wasn't like he felt his actions were unjustified, but he also couldn't help but feel like he owed them whenever they asked him of anything. And it was best to be on the good side of his siblings, lest they plot and scheme to get back at him. "Okay. Why not?" he sighed as he dropped his pencil in the sketchpad before closing it and dropping it on the coffee table. "I didn't have nearly enough to drink last night," he said as he stood up to leave, walking by his sister, "what with you trying to murder Rebekah's date."
"Yes, please go," Rebekah ranted as she watched Kol follow Klaus out of the room. "This house has enough men rolling around in it."
Just as he reached the doorway to leave the room, Kol turned around to walk backward. "Just like you, Bekah."
Rebekah scowled at her brother and threw her shoes at him, barely missing as he ran away from her. "Good riddance, both of you!" She huffed as she turned to face Gwen, glaring at the halfling trying to contain her laughter. "Really?"
"You didn't help yourself with your walk of shame," Gwen pointed out. "You should've come back earlier to avoid giving them ammunition."
"I know," Rebekah replied with a roll of her eyes. "Being the only girl in the family has too many challenges."
Gwen hummed as she nodded. "I can imagine being surrounded by all that testosterone clouds the mind." She looked at the Original up and down with a lopsided smile. "So, I may be a virgin, but I can recognize when someone got lucky last night." A roll of eyes was the response she got. "So, did you manage to sweep things over with Matt?" A change in Rebekah's demeanor ignited the halfling's curiosity. "You okay?" she asked.
Clearing her throat, Rebekah locked eyes with Gwen. "Not exactly."
Frowning, Gwen said, "What do you mean?"
Rebekah sat down next to the halfling with her hands fiddling with her purse on her lap. "Well, Matt was pretty upset after what happened with Kol, so he was not in the best of moods to be around an Original," she began to explain. "So, I found someone else to help me let out some steam."
"Oh." Gwen was a bit surprised by this, having assumed that Rebekah was interested in Matt only. "Pity about Matt," she said before smiling at the blonde. "Who was the other guy?"
"Come again?" asked Rebekah, having thought she steered away from revealing the identity of her one-night stand.
"I am really curious now," Gwen said, looking to tease her friend.
Rebekah took a deep breath and exhaled, preparing herself to reveal the identity of her mystery lover of one night. "If you must know, it was…" she trailed off and murmured something under her breath, which had Gwen leaning closer to hear better.
"What was that?" Gwen inquired.
"Damon," Rebekah mumbled a bit louder before clearing her throat and looking away from the shocked halfling.
"You're kidding, right?" Gwen asked but received no response that proved her wrong as to the name she just heard. "Tell me you didn't sleep with the guy who handed me over to Mikael, Bekah. There are so many other guys to pick from and you settled for a prick."
Burying her face into her hands, Rebekah moaned. "Not my proudest or sanest moment." She glanced up at Gwen, pain featured on her face. "Next time I do something crazy like that, proceed to dagger me."
Gwen held back a laugh as she watched Rebekah beat herself up. While she was a bit put out with the blonde's choice of a sex partner, she could see that the Original didn't need to be judged further when she was already disgusted with herself. Her own self-loathing was punishment enough. "Hey, you do you," Gwen chuckled. "Was it good?"
"Weny!" exclaimed Rebekah, her eyes wide but smiling.
"What?" Gwen giggled. "I may be a virgin, but I'm not a nun."
Shaking her head as she laughed, Rebekah paused and thought things over before looking at Gwen. "Well, if you must know, he was not that bad." She recalled her night with Damon, not feeling anything when she remembered his every touch, kiss, and caress. "I wouldn't put him amongst my top ten lovers, but he was decent enough to satisfy me." She paused as her brows furrowed. "Wait, you're a virgin?" At Gwen's nod and sheepish look, the Original said, "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. People may disagree with me, but choosing the correct partner with whom you share a bond will make the experience so much better. It should be something you remember fondly."
"What was it like for you?" asked Gwen.
Rebekah hummed as she gazed at the ceiling, thinking back to her first time being intimate with someone, smiling as the memory appeared in the forefront of her mind. Memories of a brown-haired boy with striking blue eyes and tanned skin resurfaced. "I was still human, and he was a very kind boy who enjoyed sparring with my brothers," she began, carefully managing her emotions to keep herself in control. "He always gave me flowers. Obviously in secret, what with my brothers and father scaring off potential suitors."
"I can imagine," said Gwen.
"It was special. He made it special," Rebekah said, smiling. The Original patted the halfling's hands that were resting on the young hybrid's lap with a smile.
Gwen was curious about something. "What happened to him?"
"Sadly enough, he was one of the werewolves Mikael killed in his rampage," Rebekah sighed heavily, missing the boy who never failed to make her smile.
"Oh," Gwen hummed. "Sorry."
"Just make sure it's not someone like Damon. Please, do better than me," Rebekah said, which had Gwen chuckling.
For a sixteen-year-old girl, sex is a topic of interest. It wasn't that Gwen was desperate to lose her virginity, but she was curious now. "Thanks, Bekah," said Gwen.
"Although, I do pity you," Rebekah sighed.
The halfling frowned at this. "Why?"
"Nik," was Rebekah's simple answer.
Gwen groaned as she leaned back against the sofa. "Yeah, I'm going to be a virgin until my dying breath."
"Very sure that will be the case," Rebekah teased as she stood up. "Now, I'm going to wash off the filth I slept with last night and probably take a nap." And so, the Original left for her bedroom.
Now alone in the room, Gwen blew a raspberry as she looked around, debating on what to do before her eyes landed on Klaus' sketchpad. Without thinking about it, she picked it up from the coffee table and riffled through it. There were a variety of drawings that ranged from body parts and landscapes to simple household objects and abstract things. It was all standard for Klaus since he always wanted to polish his craft, even though his skills were already on another level. The young hybrid had to stop at Klaus' most recent drawings. It wasn't anything new, but one of the sketches made her curious. While it was no surprise to find different drawings of different women that even included her, it was odd to find a drawing of Juniper's left profile while gazing up. Again, nothing odd with the one drawing of Juniper, but she never saw him draw the witch before. From what she could tell, it seemed it was based on her appearance at the ball. It was good material to tease him with, but she would keep the knowledge to herself for now.
In a room that Esther used as her study, Juniper sat at the table that still had some ashes from a burnt parchment, a sage that had been burned, some unlit candles, and an empty chalice. She was inspecting each item with care. There was no doubt that strong magic was performed, and its essence was still emanating from the items. All she had to do was figure out the purpose of the spell and she would be one step closer to figuring out what Esther did the night before. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Juniper couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of deconstructing the spell and learning about it.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Elijah asked as he stood behind the witch.
Juniper hummed as she skimmed her hands over the objects, feeling some essence of the spell that was still surrounding the items and ashes. "I think I can figure out what spell she cast." She looked up at him. "Are you sure she's gone?" she asked, still cautious about the Original matriarch being in the mansion and catching them with their hands quite literally in the cookie jar.
"Yes," Elijah said while nodding. "She left the house with Finn after breakfast."
"Is that brother in any danger being with her?" asked Juniper, picking up some of the ashes to rub them over her hands.
"I am not so concerned with Finn. It wouldn't surprise me if he was aiding her in whatever she's plotting," Elijah sighed as he looked out a nearby window, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants. "He hates what we are, he always has. It's why I don't trust him. Not that I can blame him."
Juniper frowned as she glanced at Elijah. "Does he hate what you all are so much that he's willing to endanger his family?"
"As his brother, it pains me to go as far as believing he is capable of doing such a thing," Elijah answered as he turned back to Juniper, returning to her side. "I cannot take the risk of giving him the benefit of the doubt."
Nodding, Juniper focused her attention on her hands that were covered in the ashes. "Here we go." She placed her palms flat on the table's surface and closed her eyes. She felt for her own magic and its soothing warmth and forced it to mingle with the residual of Esther's spell, which was quite a feat, considering how dense it was and how it was fighting against her. Still, she managed to absorb it. "Dè th 'annad?" she muttered under her breath.
Suddenly, she gasped as varying images flashed through her mind and the taste of copper filled her mouth, but there was something else mixed with what she assumed was blood, something fruity and bubbly. It was hard for her to concentrate due to how intricate the spell was. It felt like she was trying to untie a hundred shoelaces, but she only needed to focus on one knot to make sense of everything else. The images began to focus better as they revealed where the presence of the spell was strongest, showing her the night of the ball around the time of Esther's speech. She was aware that she was inhabiting different bodies and managed to recognize each one after they drank the champagne that had been passed around. She could tell that the spell was focused on Finn, Elijah, Klaus, Kol, and Rebekah. And then, she was thrust back to reality with a harsh gasp escaping her.
"That was a trip," Juniper coughed as she hunched over the table, trying to steady her breathing after feeling like her lungs were shrunk.
Elijah quickly placed a hand on Juniper's back, listening to her heartbeat and for any odd sound within her body. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"Still alive," Juniper answered, having finally calmed down.
"What happened?" Elijah inquired, helping the witch lean back against the chair.
Juniper looked up at Elijah. "She linked you all," she answered, which confused Elijah. Her gaze returned to the table. "Your mother used a special kind of blood that was mixed in the champagne that was given to everyone during her speech. The ball was a ritual to link all of her children." She looked up at Elijah once more. "That was act one."
"Act two is tonight," Elijah muttered, straightening up. "If you were in her shoes, what need would you have to link your children?"
"In these circumstances, not many and none of them are good for you guys," Juniper replied, lifting her hand to massage her temple. "I'm not sure what she's thinking of doing, but she is the most powerful witch on the planet right now. There's not much she can't do."
"Doppelgänger blood is quite special," Elijah pointed out.
Juniper nodded. "And your mother spent a good amount of time with her last night."
"I believe it's time we pay Elena Gilbert a visit," Elijah exhaled.
"My thoughts exactly," Juniper agreed as she stood up.
Juniper checked her outfit and deemed it fine to go out. She wore a taupe sweater vest that had a ribbed trim, cap sleeves, and a V-shaped neckline. She matched the top with a pair of dark denim skinny jeans. For shoes, she wore a pair of dark brown booties. She would have to retrieve a beige coat from her suitcase to go out with Elijah.
"Hey," a voice from the doorway greeted. Elijah and Juniper looked to find Gwen standing at the doorway. "What are you guys doing?"
"Scheming," Juniper said with a grin as she bundled up her curly hair into a messy bun. "We need to go out and do a few things, so I need you to stay here for the rest of the day."
Raising an eyebrow, the halfling asked, "Why?"
"Please," Juniper began as she grabbed Gwen by her shoulders. "Trust me."
"Fine," Gwen sighed, slightly annoyed by the request and secrets.
Juniper glanced back at Elijah and gestured to the door with a nod of her head. "Let's go."
"Right," Elijah said as he followed Juniper out of the room, leaving behind a dejected Gwen.
There was no one in the mansion to spend her time with. Gwen wanted to scream about how frustrated she felt, but she kept herself in check. The stress from the ball and what Kol said was getting to her. It felt like walls were closing in on her, suffocating her slowly. She needed to step out of the mansion and breathe some fresh air that wasn't stifling her. Juniper had asked her to stay in the house, so she was only going to stroll through the garden.
Going back to her room, Gwen picked out a beige bouclé cardigan that had oversized button closures, ribbed trim, and long sleeves. She threw it over a white cami that featured a V-shaped neckline, lace trim, a straight-cut back, and lettuce-edge hem. She also wore a pair of denim skinny jeans that she matched with white tennis shoes. She checked to see that her usual necklace and bracelet were on her before gathering her hair to put it in a braid that fell over her left shoulder. Satisfied with her outfit that would keep her warm, she left her room and walked down the stairs. She reached the front door and opened it, only to gasp when she was met with someone already standing on the other side of the door.
"Oh, you scared me," Gwen chuckled nervously with a hand over her chest, smiling at Finn. "Are you just getting back?"
"Just picking up something I forgot," said Finn.
Gwen only had time to open her mouth before some type of powder was blown into her face, which resulted in her having a coughing fit and suddenly losing strength. She wanted to curse at the number of times this had happened to her recently, but darkness had already engulfed both her eyesight and mind.
.
At the Gilbert residence, Juniper was sitting on the passenger seat of Elijah's car, staring at the house alongside the owner of the vehicle. The witch had to admit that the neighborhood was quite nice, and the houses looked homely. It was the perfect setting to raise a family that one usually saw in movies. Maybe that was also why she disliked the area at the same time.
"So," Juniper began as she turned to Elijah, "who does good cop and who does bad cop?"
Elijah's brows furrowed as he looked at Juniper inquisitively. "I prefer to keep the conversation amiable."
"Fine." Juniper rolled her eyes while smiling, showing she was only teasing…a bit. "What's the plan, then?" she asked as she watched the Original text on his phone. "I mean, I doubt she's gonna fess up and make things easy. We also need to worry about what to do after we get the information."
"I have that taken care of," Elijah hummed, putting away his phone.
"Okay," Juniper said with a nod of her head. "Anyone else home with her?" she asked as she looked at the house.
"I believe not, so now is our chance," Elijah answered. "I'll convince her to accompany us on an excursion to a place that you believe is cursed or whatnot and need her help in terms of her knowledge of the town's history."
Juniper snorted. "You think she'd buy that?"
"My younger brothers aren't the only ones gifted with charm," Elijah said before stepping out of the car, smiling as he left a laughing Juniper in the car.
Just as Elijah stated, he got Elena to come with him under the pretense that he believed there was something wrong with an area in the woods and that was why Juniper was with him. It had been a tense and awkward car ride to the spot Elijah was taking them to, given that Juniper had nothing to talk about with Elena, who also felt the same way. Elijah did most of the talking, but not once did the witch and the doppelgänger exchange words. Both girls breathed a sigh of relief when Elijah finally parked the car deep into the woods, allowing all of them to step out and wander around with the Original leading the way.
"Forgot how much I missed this land," Elijah remarked as he breathed in the crisp air of the afternoon, disappointed to find how different it felt from a thousand years ago.
"I can't even imagine what it must have been like a thousand years ago," said Elena, following behind Elijah with Juniper tailing her.
"You know, your school was built over an Indian village. It was where I saw my first werewolf," Elijah supplied as he walked slower to be beside Elena, smiling at the memory that was filled with both fear and wonder at having witnessed the beasts that plagued his village. It was one of the few moments he shared with Finn, having kept it a secret from everyone else to the present day. "The town square was where the natives would gather to worship. Matter of fact, near that, there was a field where wild horses used to graze."
Juniper hummed as she smiled at the back of Elijah's head, trying to picture what he was describing in her mind's eye. "Sounds beautiful."
Elijah glanced at the witch over his shoulder for a moment to share a smile with her. "It was." He then gestured in another direction after recognizing some rock formations some feet away. "Come."
"Do you know this place, too?" Elena asked Elijah after they reached the boulders, watching him run a hand over the surface of the rock.
"I do. Below us is a cavern I used to play in as a boy," Elijah chuckled as he looked around and listened for anything out of the ordinary. "It connects to a system of tunnels that stretched across the entire area." He crouched and placed a hand on the forest floor, focusing on locating the spot where a tunnel was supposed to be. "Perhaps it's nature's way of providing us with shelter against the savagery of the full moon." He hummed after locating the tunnel and standing at full height. "My mother believes there must be a balance."
"Witches like to preach that, but do they really maintain balance?" Juniper piped up as she stood beside Elena. "They like to claim they're the servants of Nature and only wish to maintain some balance I still know nothing about, but then go about acting like a god. They stretch out their lives, kill others before their time, create curses, and perform rituals with sacrifices. Worst of all, they defile the very children of Nature." She glanced at Elena. "Faeries."
Elena frowned as she turned to Juniper. "Aren't you a witch?" she asked. "I mean, you're connected to Nature."
Juniper smirked. "Being connected to Nature is one thing but talking like Nature whispers to us about right and wrong is another. Your friend Bonnie is a witch and claims to be on Nature's side. Has she stopped to think that maybe that little voice is a dead witch seeking to interfere in the land of the living?" Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Elena. "Maybe a resurrected witch, perhaps?"
Elena gulped as she tried to remain calm, looking back at Elijah. "I should go home," she sighed after taking a deep breath. "Maybe we can do this another day. I mean, I don't see anything acting up."
"I admire you, Elena," Elijah breathed out. "You remind me of qualities I valued long before my mother turned us." He cleared his throat and pointed at the Petrova doppelgänger. "It's not in your nature to be deceitful, and yet when I asked about your meeting with my mother the other night, you lied to my face."
Elena felt how the color drained from her face, her eyes slightly widening as she dropped her gaze when Elijah turned to her. Her heart was beating erratically, so she tried to calm down and think about a way out. "That's not true," she argued, looking back up at the Original. "I told you that all your mother wanted was a new start."
"You sure about that?" Juniper asked as she circled the brunette, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her coat. She stood in front of Elena and pointed a thumb over her shoulder at Elijah. "He heard your heartbeat the other night."
"It jumps when you're being dishonest," Elijah added as he stood beside Juniper. "Don't bother lying, so answer her questions."
"Esther did a spell last night that linked all of her children as one," Juniper explained, glaring at the girl in front of her. "Why?"
"I never wanted this to happen," Elena exhaled as she shook her head, her hand tightening around her phone in the pocket of her coat. The two people in front of her were more powerful than her, which meant that there was no way for her to call for help.
Juniper made the sound of a buzz that signaled a wrong answer. "Wrong."
Elena gasped when she found a stake embedded in her chest, feeling blood pour out from her wound and lips. She looked down and raised her arms to grasp the stake, but the slightest touch sent a painful throb throughout her body. It amazed her how she was still able to stay standing. She looked up at both Elijah and Juniper standing perfectly still as they stared at her, noticing how Juniper's eyes were milky white for a moment before they turned back to blue pools with a blink. And just like that, the pain and stake were gone.
"Try again or I will turn that illusion into reality," Juniper warned.
Grasping her chest, Elena gave in and said, "We were told that whatever was going to be in that coffin was going to kill Klaus." She was talking fast as her eyes shifted from Elijah to Juniper, truly afraid of what the witch was capable of if she didn't cooperate. "When we found out that it was your mother," she paused as she looked at Elijah, "we didn't know what to think."
"That's not answering my question," Juniper huffed as her eyes turned white once more, which prompted Elena to continue with what she was saying faster.
"When she asked to see me, I thought that maybe she could help," said Elena.
"With what?" asked Juniper, her eyes returning to their natural color.
"To find a way to kill Klaus," answered Elena. "It's not just Klaus that she wants to kill."
"You are quite the thorn," Juniper sneered. "Why are you people still trying to kill him?" she questioned. "I'm honestly curious here. If it were about justice or getting revenge, I would understand, but it doesn't feel like it is by how stupid this all seems. Now, you've made a deal with a devil and it's going to drag a lot more people with it."
"By killing us all and undoing the evil she created," Elijah sighed, closing his eyes as he fought to remain calm. His hands twitched, wanting to tear everything apart, but he needed to keep that behind a closed door.
"Did she mention how she was going to kill an Original?" Juniper asked Elena. "No white oak, so that leaves magic. Did she say anything about a spell?"
"Not exactly," Elena replied before facing Elijah, feeling nothing but guilt at the pained look in his eyes. He had tried to save her once, and she repaid him by giving him his death sentence. "I am so sorry, Elijah. I wish there was something I could do to help." And she really did.
"You know," Elijah began. "One thing I've learned on my time on this Earth," he paused as he locked eyes with Elena, "be careful what you wish for."
Elena frowned but her mouth fell open as she saw Elijah lift a leg before slamming it down hard on the ground, causing it to cave in. Elijah grabbed her and jumped down into the hole. He made sure she was unharmed and left her in what was a familiar tunnel from his human days before jumping back up to the forest to rejoin a surprised Juniper.
"Color me impressed," Juniper remarked as she stretched her neck to look down into the hole to find Elena looking around. "What now?" she asked Elijah. "Are we just going to leave her down there? What if someone finds and rescues her?" She turned back to the Original. "We can't have your mother finding out what we're up to."
"As I said before," Elijah said as he began to walk back to the car with Juniper beside him. "I took care of it." He fished out his phone and showed a text to Juniper that allowed her to see that he had been talking to Rebekah, who was already on her way to their destination. "My sister will keep Miss Gilbert company until we have everything settled."
"Are you sure that your sister is the right person for the job?" asked Juniper. "She's been dying to tear Elena's throat out."
Elijah nodded. "I am aware, but she promised to keep Elena safe until further notice." He opened the door of the passenger's side after they reached his car, waiting for the witch to climb inside the vehicle before closing the door and sitting on the driver's seat in the next second. "Now, what kind of spell would allow my mother to kill an Original?" he asked, looking to Juniper for answers.
Resting back against her seat, Juniper's mind began to wander, asking herself how she would kill an Original if she were to gather enough power to do so. "All of her children are linked, so what happens to one will happen to all. In other words, she saves herself some time and energy by not needing to kill you all one by one," she said with a hum. Just then, like connecting dots, she had an idea of what Esther planned to do. "I don't think there's an item on this world that can kill an Original and she doesn't have the time to create one, so there's only one other way I would go about it."
"Which is?" Elijah inquired as he turned the car key after inserting it in the ignition point, its engine roaring to life.
"Do you remember the ingredients your mother used to turn you and your siblings into vampires?" Juniper's question was mostly rhetorical since Gwen had already told her about the spell that created the vampire race, but she needed Elijah to be on the same page with her. "A human sacrifice to represent the life you were all leaving behind."
"The ancient white oak tree to bind the essence of the spell," Elijah added, dread filling him as he realized what Juniper was getting at.
"And faerie blood for renewed life and immortality. She also probably did the spell under a full moon," Juniper said as she finished listing off the ingredients. "She would need to mix things up a bit to reverse the spell, but she doesn't need to turn you all human. You're all connected, so she would only need to turn one of you human."
"Finn," whispered Elijah.
"The human sacrifice is now the blood that will return you to your new life and bind the essence of the spell. That was why your mother asked to see Elena, to get the blood of a descendant of the first doppelgänger used for the spell."
"Finn has always hated what we are," Elijah mumbled as he stepped on the reverse to turn the car around before speeding out of the forest. "He has no problem dying and taking us all with him."
Reaching into the pocket of her pants, Juniper pulled out her phone and dialed Gwen. "She'll not only kill her children, but she'll also kill Gwen."
"No faerie died in the original spell," Elijah pointed out.
"I know, but spells are very symbolic," Juniper argued as the call rang and rang. "In the past, the human sacrifice was a symbol of killing your humanity. Now, she wants to kill your immortality and faerie blood represents your immortal lives."
"What about the white oak?" asked Elijah, pressing a bit more on the accelerator. "There is none left, and it was used to bind such a strong spell."
"She's using the next best thing, her immortal children created using the essence of white oak." Juniper groaned out of frustration when her call failed to connect. "I think we already have a problem," she said as she dialed the number again, only to be sent straight to voicemail. "Damn it!"
"How much time do you think we have?" asked Elijah, having finally reached the main road to drive back into town.
"The full moon needs to reach its apex, that's when she'll have enough power to cast the spell, but she needs something else to substitute the white oak," said Juniper. "She could probably draw power from a hot spot of magic or another witch."
"Bonnie Bennett. I think she's the only other witch in town with strong ties to her ancestors, who also happened to be strongly tied to this town," Elijah supplied.
Juniper fastened her seatbelt after seeing how fast Elijah was going. "We still have a few hours until she can do the spell."
They were now in town and Elijah was headed straight for their mansion. "Let's hope Miss Gwen is sitting quite comfortably on the couch, reading a book and enjoying some tea."
"If she's not?" Juniper hated asking that, but they needed a plan for everything.
"I can't face Esther on my own, but even with my brothers, I doubt we'd be able to do anything," Elijah told Juniper. "Not only that, I have no idea where she could be, but I believe I know where to start looking." He glanced at Juniper. "I'll drop you off at the mansion to see if Gwen is still there. On the chance that she's not, she'll most likely be with my mother."
"If Esther's involved, I doubt a locator spell will help," said Juniper.
"I will procure her location, which will leave you with the heavy task of finding my brothers and filling them in on what's going on," Elijah told her.
Juniper huffed out a laugh, not looking forward to finding Klaus. "Here's to hoping I don't lose my head and set the town on fire."
.
Whispers in the dark.
The mess of hissing voices echoing in her head was familiar, feeling nothing but hostility and malice from whatever words Gwen managed to catch. Still, she couldn't figure out what they were saying. All she knew was that they felt familiar. She was sure that she had heard such mutterings before. It didn't help that all she saw was darkness, but the halfling realized that her eyelids were still too heavy to open. It was quite the challenge to wake up, especially when she felt like something—or someone—was trying to hold her down. It felt like she was about to break the surface of the water, but something kept pushing her down.
After some struggle, Gwen managed to push back against whatever was keeping her unconscious and her eyes were finally fluttering open to reveal light splashing into her eyes, prompting her to shut them close as she moved her head. She was overwhelmed by a coughing fit, feeling like her throat was raw and tender. It was easy for her to figure out that it had to have been the iron Finn blew into her face, probably enhanced by magic.
As she moved around, Gwen found herself resting on a beaten couch that was almost falling apart in a decrepit room. Then, she suddenly realized where she was, and it had her wishing she was dreaming. The indistinct voices and heavy air made sense to her now. She sat up and rubbed a hand over her neck, trying and failing to soothe the ache in her head. She mustered up the strength to stand up and walk out of the room, only to be met with a figure blocking her way, causing her to gasp and stumble a few steps back.
"You!" Gwen glared at Finn, meeting his blank stare. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Being a dutiful son," Esther answered as she appeared from behind her son. She stepped around Finn and approached Gwen, standing around eight or nine inches taller than the halfling due to the heels she wore. "my sincerest apologies for this, but I don't have much choice."
Gwen frowned at Esther. "What are you talking about?" She looked around, hoping for some way to escape. "Why are we here?"
Esther released a heavy sigh as her eyes roamed over the facial features of the young girl. "It pains me even more so to have to do this to a descendent of a good friend. I only hope that Linah will be able to forgive me for what I need to do."
This caught Gwen's attention. "Wait, what?"
"While faeries are not particularly special if they come from a certain bloodline, their magic is passed down through their descendants," Esther explained, finding no harm in sharing some history with the halfling. "In other words, you are all connected, but your magic's essence is more similar to Linah and her family due to you being her descendant."
"Don't bother running," Finn told Gwen, gaining the girl's attention. "I am faster and stronger than you."
"And I have this house imbued with a spell with iron as its foundation, so don't bother using your magic," Esther warned, which worried Gwen even more.
"What do you want from me?" Gwen asked, figuring she could at least get some information out of Esther to try and buy some time. She imagined that Klaus, Juniper, and Rebekah had to have noticed she was missing and were looking for her.
"Regretfully, your life," Esther replied, choosing to be completely honest.
Gwen's heart froze at the words, her mind still processing what Esther had just said. Suddenly, she was brutally reminded why she disliked witches—Juniper was the exception. They were crueler than vampires. She could at least understand that vampires had little control of their craving for faeries, always being drawn to them out of an innate hunger that compelled them to feed on faerie blood. It was truly like a drug addiction. On the other hand, witches were supposed to be the servants of Nature and hold hands with faeries, but their selfishness and needs always came first, even when Nature didn't demand anything from them.
"You're going to kill me," Gwen stated, her voice steady and calm. "Why?"
"I owe Nature a debt that I cannot escape from," Esther began to explain. "I am alive right now to right my wrongs. I turned my children into immortal beings, causing chaos in the laws of nature. While my intentions came from a place of complete and utter despair to protect my children, I forgot that I am also a witch." She cleared her throat when she felt herself tearing up once more at the thought of her children's death. "With the linking spell I cast last night, I will turn Finn human with your sacrifice and make things right."
"Isn't it natural that a mother wants to protect her children?" Gwen inquired. "How is that not a law of nature?"
Esther shook her head, smiling sadly. "You wouldn't understand."
The crunching of leaves and distant chatter reached Finn's ears, which had him turning his head to the front doors of the house. "They're here, Mother."
Esther turned around to face Finn. "Good." She then left the room with her son following behind her.
Curious, Gwen followed the mother-son duo and was able to exit the house, but she moved no further than the entrance. She was able to see two approaching figures; one she recognized as Bonnie Bennett and the other one was an older woman who bore some resemblance to the young witch.
Gwen was aware that she was at a disadvantage with an Original vampire and the Original witch nearby. She quickly tried to send a text or make a call, but her phone appeared to be out of service. She imagined that she had to thank the dead spirits of the old house for disrupting her phone's signal. Oh, how convenient for those around her that she didn't have a signal. She would have to play along and wait for an opportunity to do something.
"Who's the creepy, lurky guy?" the older woman asked her daughter as they walked up to the dilapidated mansion.
"That's Esther's son, Finn," Bonnie answered as she glanced at her mother, pointing to an ear. "He's a vampire, so…"
"Ah," Abby sighed, feeling a bit embarrassed at having been caught. Her attention went to the brunette girl cowering near the entrance. "And the girl?"
Bonnie's brows furrowed at Gwen's figure. "That's Gwen. She's Klaus' ward or something and she's half-human and half-faerie."
Abby released a heavy sigh, feeling uncomfortable at having a faerie involved in all of this. If there was one thing her mother always reminded her, it was how precious the fae folk were, but she shook her head. "Wonder what your Grams thinks about the part we're playing in all of this balance of nature stuff."
Bonnie smiled at the many memories she had of her grandmother reminding her not to meddle with vampires. "She's probably on the Other Side, screaming about getting involved with vampire business." This had Abby chuckling under her breath, agreeing with her daughter as her own memories of her mother chastising her for meddling with vampires surfaced to the forefront of her mind.
"Bennett witches. Thank you for coming," Esther greeted the mother-daughter pair, approaching them some feet away from the entrance of the old house, leaving her son to keep watch over the halfling. "I can think of no better allies than the woman who sent Mikael into his long sleep," she said as she looked at Abby before shifting her gaze to Bonnie, "and the girl who fought Niklaus so bravely."
"Why exactly did you invite us here?" Abby asked the Original witch, feeling how magic radiated from the blonde woman.
"You are the descendants of the witch Ayana," Esther answered. "She was a great mentor of mine. Due to her magic having been what kept my body preserved, I think it's best that I draw from her bloodline."
"So, are you channeling our ancestors?" asked Bonnie.
"I draw from the entirety of the Bennett bloodline, living and dead. The connection affords me great power, although it is somewhat difficult to maintain, which is why I require you, mother and daughter," Esther said as she nodded at both women. "You both are the bloodline made manifest."
Bonnie glanced at Gwen and asked, "Why is Klaus' daughter here?"
Esther took a deep breath and smiled. "A faerie is needed for the spell," she explained, choosing to be vague. She had no idea how the Bennett witches felt about faeries, but she couldn't risk them backing out if they knew what she needed Gwen for. "I had used the blood of a friend who was a faerie to give my children their immortality, so I need another to take it back."
"Oh," Bonnie hummed.
Esther reached for both women, grasping Bonnie's hand with her left one and Abby's left hand with her right one. "Tonight, my sisters, we shall bring peace to the spirits of nature that we serve and for that I thank you."
"Poetic," Gwen mumbled mockingly.
Finn turned to look at the halfling and approached her. "Of course," he said. "We will be bringing peace to this world by erasing the stain that is my family."
"You sound so proud of yourself," Gwen remarked with venom. "You're fine with your siblings dying? Don't you love them?"
Still indifferent, Finn shrugged his shoulders, choosing to feel nothing. The advantage of having been daggered for so long was that his humanity switch was still as good as new. "Why should I care for people who were living quite wonderfully without a thought to my life. Besides, there's nothing for me in this world, nothing to look forward to but an eternity of never-ending pain and self-loathing."
"So, you don't care about Rebekah?" Gwen asked, choosing her words carefully. If there was one weakness all the men of the Original family had, it was its youngest member and only girl. "You don't care about any of your siblings?" she prodded. "Are you fully aware that they are going to die?"
For a moment, Finn's heart jumped at the thought of his smiling sister who loved to bring him flowers and have him accompany her on adventures in the forest near their home, but that sister died when they were all turned. Now, he knew only of a young woman who enjoyed the thrill of bathing in innocent blood, much like the men who were once his brothers. "You see," Finn began after composing himself, meeting Gwen's hardened gaze, "my siblings died a thousand years ago."
Rough translation (Scottish-Gaelic to English):
Dè th 'annad? – What are you?
End of chapter! I have a favor to ask of you guys. No judging or anything. I just wanted to get some thoughts on what you guys think about The Originals and Hope, like what you expected or think it needed more of or less of. This won't be used to make my story, just wanted to get some opinions on the series as a whole, 'cause I've met a lot of people with opposing views and it's interesting to learn about them. Just sharing opinions!
Also, there is a strong possibility Hope won't be in my story. (Your thoughts?)
Now, thank you guys for reading and remember to share your thoughts, love and such in reviews without fear.
See you guys in the next chapter!