Bonnie stood over the portable crib and watched as Mari slept peacefully. She had just spent the last ninety minutes trying to lull the cranky infant to sleep. The meeting at the diner lasted longer than she had expected. Meeting a 'dead' relative had the tendency to throw everything off track. Once they returned to the farm, Bonnie had put all of her effort into making the hex bags. She finished the work in record time with Elodie's assistance. The older woman even volunteered to help Tyler's pack place the hex bags. Elodie wisely assumed that Bonnie might need her mate after such an unsettling morning. Unfortunately, all the interruptions meant that she was late putting Mari down for a nap. The young woman would not make that mistake again.
She walked out of the bedroom and gently closed the door behind her. Bonnie held her breath for a moment as she waited for Mari to start crying. She slowly relaxed after realizing that the baby was truly asleep this time. Bonnie had already experienced a couple false starts. She had put Mari down a few times only to have her stir moments later. It had been a nerve-wracking experience for the witch but it was also heartbreaking. Mari did not need the use of speech to express how much she missed her mother. Bonnie only hoped that Elodie could truly help her rescue Lucy.
Tyler gave Bonnie a sympathetic look as she sat beside him. "How is she doing?"
She groaned. "I was tempted to cry with her. Mari is so miserable. I checked her temperature and she's not sick. I am sure she just misses her mom. Tonight being a full moon isn't helping. I can already feel it affecting my magic."
"That's right. You mentioned that witches are affected by the phases of the moon, too," he said.
She nodded. "Yeah."
"How are you feeling?"
"I feel like taking a nap, too," she joked.
He cracked a small smile and pulled Bonnie closer to him. He kissed the top of her head. "Why don't you take a nap for a couple hours? There is nothing more for you to do right now."
Bonnie snuggled into Tyler's side and allowed herself to relax for the first time in hours. She would never take for granted how being close to Tyler so often put her at ease. "I should be working on a way to rescue Lucy from Klaus."
He didn't blame Bonnie for being worried about her cousin. Lucy being in the Originals' clutches was just bad news. He asked, "Do you think Elodie's plan will fail?"
She shrugged and pulled her feet up onto the couch. "I know that she is family but I don't know her."
"And you don't trust her," he finished.
Bonnie felt guilty for doubting Elodie. The woman hadn't done anything to earn that suspicion. However, she also hadn't done anything to earn the girl's trust. Bonnie replied, "She abandoned her blood once. What's to say that she won't do it again?"
Tyler stroked Bonnie's back and hummed in agreement. "Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith with family. It is what I had to do when I found my pack. I had no way of knowing if I could trust these people. I didn't know if their affection for me was genuine or because I saved them from Gonzo."
"You trusted Ruby," she reminded him.
"I trusted Ruby because she sought me out. She had no way of knowing that I was capable of killing Gonzo. She actually begged me to stay out of it. I knew that she only wanted to reunite the broken pieces of her family. I respected that. The rest of the pack was another story. I didn't know their motives for accepting me. I just had to play it by ear. I gave them as much trust as they earned. But I was always ready to rip the head off anyone that tried to betray me. I learned my lesson after Haley," he explained.
Bonnie traced a random pattern on Tyler's thigh as she considered his words. "You're saying that I should give my aunt some leeway to prove herself."
"Yes, but you should also have plan if she proves to be untrustworthy. She took a big risk by explaining how her powers work. I don't think someone that has lived over one hundred years would be so careless. I think she was trying to offer you an olive branch."
She hummed in agreement. Bonnie hadn't considered that earlier. However, she was somewhat preoccupied at the diner. It had taken longer than expected for her to digest what was happening. She said, "You're right. But I still think I need to perform the spell that Lucy mentioned when she first arrived."
"What spell is that?" he asked curiously.
"I mentioned to Lucy that I was scared the spirits would take my magic back once we defeated the travelers. She told me about a spell that binds a witch's powers to her body. It is an old spell used by my great-grandmother. Lucy's mother is a siphoner, too. Grandma Amelia used the spell to protect my grandmother. Apparently, young siphoner witches can draw power from others without even trying. Their siphoning powers are just as raw and untrained as our magic is. It tends to be reactionary and influenced by emotions when it first develops. The spell is in Lucy's grimoire. I will have to study it first," Bonnie explained as she stifled a yawn.
Tyler said, "Let me know if there is anything that I can do to help."
"I might need Gabe's help. You said that he has connections. I will need someone to get the ingredients for me. I can't exactly ask Damon since his supplier is the person I am protecting myself against."
He nodded. "I don't think that should be a problem. I can ask him to do a background check on Elodie if it will make you feel better. Someone like her doesn't go unnoticed in the supernatural world."
Bonnie said, "No, I trust Damon. I don't think that he would lie to me about this. And she seemed sincere…"
Tyler glanced at Bonnie's worried expression. "What's wrong?"
She sighed. "I guess I am not really worried about Aunt Elodie betraying me. I believe that she wants to help us. I am just worried that she will leave again. I have had enough family members leaving when I need them most."
Tyler pulled Bonnie onto his lap and kissed her neck. "I'm sorry. But you need to know no matter who comes and goes, I will always be here. I know that isn't much, but…"
She stroked her fingers over his collarbone and replied, "It is everything, Ty. Don't sell yourself short."
"Never," he replied with an amused voice. "Dakota texted me. She wanted to know if it was okay for her to run with the pack tonight."
"What did you say?" she asked.
Tyler said, "I told Dakota that she would need to talk to you first. Then we will see if she can run with the pack."
She nodded. It was what they had agreed to last night but she still felt ill equipped for the situation. What did she know about being an alpha? However, she didn't want to let down Tyler. For some strange reason, he believed in her.
He sensed Bonnie's hesitation. He asked, "Are you having second thoughts about this?"
"No."
Tyler lifted an eyebrow at Bonnie because of course the bond held no secrets.
"I am worried about how I will react to seeing Dakota again. I am already going to be irritable because of the full moon."
He kissed her softly. "Hey. I am going to be right there with you, Bon. I am not going to let you lose control. The fact that Dakota texted me today means that she understands the situation. She will show up here with the right attitude."
Bonnie smiled after the kiss. "Okay. I kinda wish that I could shift tonight with the rest of the pack."
He slid a hand onto Bonnie's stomach and said, "I wish that you could shift, too. I was looking forward to running with you."
She sighed softly. "Maybe in nine months…"
"You'll have to stay inside tonight."
"I know," she replied quietly. "You'll be careful, right?"
He smiled and said, "I will be careful but you don't need to worry. Short of an original, there isn't much that can hurt me."
"That's what I am worried about," Bonnie said as she grasped the talisman around her neck.
He nuzzled her neck. "Damon promised to call if he learns anything useful from Russell."
Bonnie's eyes fluttered closed as she relaxed more. She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. "I hope he calls soon…"
"Did the talisman stop working?" he asked.
She nodded. "I can't understand why. I just hope that Lucy is okay for now…"
"Wake up, girl. Now is not the time for sleeping!" a stern voice whispered. "The bloodsucker is coming."
Lucy rolled onto her side as she slowly began to awaken. She could have sworn that she heard her grandmother's voice. Darkness greeted the witch when she finally opened her bloodshot eyes. At first, she thought it might be nighttime still. However, a sliver of sunlight peeking from behind the expensive silk drapes suggested otherwise. She had struggled mightily the previous night to stay awake but eventually exhaustion, blood loss, and wolfsbane won the battle. Lucy fumbled clumsily until she turned on the bedside lamp. She slowly sat up in the bed with a groan. Her entire body ached but it seemed as if the wolfsbane was out of her system. She felt mildly feverish but that wouldn't stop her from making a break for it. Before Lucy could rejoice at that development, she realized that something was wrong with her magic.
She focused on a vase across the room. Lucy's body tensed as she tried to levitate the ceramic vase. It lifted up for a few seconds before plummeting to the floor with a loud crash. She looked at her hand that was covered in dried blood. Lucy could not understand what was wrong with her. She could tell that the wolfsbane was no longer affecting her. Moreover, several hours of sleep meant that she was no longer exhausted—magically or otherwise. The extreme blood loss from yesterday might have accounted for a small reduction in her overall power. However, telekinesis was child's play for a witch of her age and experience. The only reasonable explanation was some sort of magic dampener.
"Bastard," she spat angrily.
The door opened and Elijah walked into the room. He was carrying a tray with food on it and a glass of water. He said, "Good afternoon, Miss Bennett."
Lucy rolled her eyes at the Original and snapped, "Where is Niklaus?"
Elijah placed the tray beside Lucy on the bed. Then he moved to open the drapes. Sunlight immediately flooded the spacious suite. He said, "I am afraid my brother is indisposed at the moment."
Lucy eyed the food on tray with suspicion. Unfortunately, her stomach chose that moment to growl. She had not eaten in at least eighteen hours. However, she refused to take a single bite until she had answers. "I want to see him."
He unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat across the room in a wingback chair. Elijah cleared his throat and considered how to explain the situation tactfully. He said, "I assure you, my brother is very anxious to see you as well. Unfortunately, that is rather the problem…"
"Come again?"
Elijah shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Yesterday, my brother made several inadvisable decisions in the heat of the moment. I would like to apologize on his behalf. Niklaus did not merely bite you—he marked you. We hoped that your body would reject the bite. It is the reason we kept injecting you with wolfsbane. Cary, one of Niklaus' relatives, told us of an old wives' tale. Their pack believed that wolfsbane could prevent a mark from becoming permanent if ingested by both parties before consummation."
Yesterday, Lucy had been too preoccupied with protecting Mari to understand what Klaus had done to her. She grabbed at the sodden material of her shirt and wrenched it away from her shoulder. Lucy's dark eyes zeroed in on the pronounced scarring on her shoulder. Each of Klaus' teeth marks was distinguishable. The bite mark should have disappeared after Lucy healed the wound. Her mind raced to understand how this was possible. Bonnie had only broken her curse after losing her magic due to death and resurrection. Lucy had not experienced that. Suddenly, the answer hit her like a ton of bricks. Bonnie had not merely broken her curse. She had broken the curse for the entire Bennett bloodline. Any Bennett witch that had taken a human life would shift during the next full moon.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously on Elijah. "Where is Niklaus?"
He said, "My brother has locked himself in the wine cellar for the time being. He feared that his self-control might be lacking."
Lucy rolled her eyes because Klaus generally lacked self-control. However, she didn't voice those snarky comments. Klaus was obviously giving her a choice. Unfortunately, his chivalry was useless in this situation. Lucy now understood why her body was achy and feverish. The mark would compel them to complete the bond whether or not that was what they wanted. She moved to the side of the bed and said, "I want to see him."
He stood and nodded. "And I assure you that Niklaus is eager to see you. However, I believe it would be unwise until we find a solution."
"There is not a solution to find," she snapped in frustration. "Worse yet, you are putting everyone in this house in danger by delaying the inevitable. Tonight is the full moon. Whatever you have rigged up to contain Klaus will not hold him. He will break free under the power of the full moon and woe unto anyone unfortunate enough to be in his path."
Elijah watched as the witch slowly got to her feet. She looked unsteady but determined. "Does this mean that you will consider removing the hex you have placed on my brother?"
Lucy shook her head. "Even if I wanted to remove the hex, and I don't, I wouldn't be able to do it. A Bennett witch that holds no ill will against Niklaus is the only one capable of removing the hex. There is no such witch in existence."
Elijah tried to reason with the woman. He said, "I know that you hexed Niklaus in order to protect your daughter. However, I assure you that he is not the same as he once was."
She lifted one eyebrow and scoffed. "I understand why you would want to lie for your brother but I know what he has been doing in New Orleans."
"While his methods are crude, Niklaus is making the city better for everyone. The vampire that currently rules the city has been terrorizing the magic community. He kills the witches that dare practice magic or violate his arbitrary rules. You know Niklaus' love of magic. He would never restrict the witch community in such a way."
Lucy laughed sardonically. "Are you asking me to think of your brother as a benevolent savior of the downtrodden witches of the French Quarter?"
"No, I would not begin to insult your intelligence. You know Niklaus well. He does few things in life that do not benefit him in some way. Marcel, the current ruler, is his progeny. The witches also lured him to the city by threatening his child's life. A young werewolf named Haley carries his child—another girl. The witches wanted Klaus to drive Marcel from the city."
She shook her head. "Then they are stupid for thinking that Klaus would free them. They are trading one master for another."
Elijah wished that he could rally to his brother's defense. However, the young woman before him had seen Klaus at his very worse. She knew the original hybrid's true nature better than most. Klaus' rule of the city would not be as oppressive as Marcel's was. Yet by no means would the witches be free. "Sometimes we are forced to choose between the lesser of two evils. I assure you that my brother is the lesser evil in this situation. Klaus is establishing a safe haven for our family—that includes you and your child."
"The word safe and Niklaus' name do not belong in the same sentence. Once this fight is over, he will find another. War is in his nature. He has spent so many centuries fighting that he does not know how to stop," she muttered bitterly.
Lucy's bitterness surprised the original vampire. He had long assumed that his brother's relationship with the witch had been one-sided. However, that level of disappointment was only reserved for those dear to you. "Klaus is changing for the better…"
"I can't take that risk. My job is to protect Mari from everything that might harm her. You have to know that Klaus is at the very top of that list. It is the reason that I structured the hex so that I couldn't remove it. It was the only way to ensure that I wouldn't have a change of heart," she replied.
Elijah knew when was fighting a losing battle. Lucy had created a failsafe so that she could not change course. No amount of persuasion or torture would produce the desired outcome. He would have to alert Rebekah to that fact. His younger sister had been chomping at the bit to get her hands on Lucy. Elijah had held her at bay until he had all the answers. The vampire cleared his throat. "I can take you to see Niklaus if you are ready."
Lucy nodded resolutely and followed Elijah out of the bedroom. The mark on her shoulder began to throb insistently. It was quite a long trek for them to reach the wine cellar. Two members of Cary's pack were stationed at the door as if they would be any match for Niklaus on the edge of transformation.
The vampire wisely dismissed the wolves. There was no benefit to putting them in further danger. The men would be little more than cannon fodder if Klaus somehow escaped the confines of the cellar.
A roar reverberated through the hallway as Elijah and Lucy got closer to the wine cellar. Klaus knew they were there.
Lucy studied the heavy chains that secured the wooden door. Klaus was obviously showing a great deal of restraint by not bursting through the laughable security measure. It meant that the hybrid was still in control for now but the full moon was fast approaching.
The original vampire stopped walking and grabbed Lucy's arm. "Are you sure this is wise?"
She growled at Elijah and grabbed the chains securing the door. Her eyes turned gold and black as she tried to snap the chains.
Elijah watched in shock as the witch broke the chains through brute strength alone. There could be no doubt that she was not just a werewolf but also a hybrid.
Suddenly, Klaus became silent on the other side of the door. Not even the clink of his claws against the concrete floor could be heard.
"You should go," she murmured while holding the door closed.
Elijah said, "I should stay to ensure your safety."
Lucy huffed out a wry laugh. "Klaus will use you like a rawhide bone if you interfere. You should be more concerned with getting everyone out of this house before the sun sets in a few hours."
The original wondered if Lucy was right. He had fought his brother head-to-head many times since he broke the curse. However, they had never grappled while Klaus was in his werewolf form. Elijah did not know how successful he would be in protecting the rest of the mansion from him. He decided to follow Lucy's advice. He would evacuate everyone else but he would stay. Niklaus was his younger brother and his responsibility. He nodded and said, "Good luck…"
Lucy snorted as she watched Elijah leave the cellar. She waited until she heard him close the door at the top of the stairs. Then she slowly opened the wine cellar's door. Lucy wasn't surprised to find Klaus standing near the threshold his wolf form. The massive wolf looked up at her with eyes too intelligent to belong to an animal. "You are a son of a bitch for marking me, Niklaus."
The black and gray wolf was so tall that its head came up to the middle of Lucy's midsection. He nosed at her stomach with his ears back. His fur was bristled, too. Klaus' gold and black eyes seemed to beg for sympathy from Lucy.
She rolled her eyes and sunk her shaky fingers into his thick fur. Immediately, the bite mark stopped throbbing. However, the achiness and fever remained. She said, "Playing cute isn't going to cut it with me. You have tied me to you for the rest of my life. And we both know that it will be an incredibly long life."
Witches were naturally long-lived individuals. It was believed to be a gift for being the guardians of the balance. Werewolves were equally long-lived creatures. However, their longevity was meant to be a punishment. Lucy didn't know how it all stacked up on the big calculator but barring death, she would be alive for a long time to come.
Klaus licked at Lucy's hand. At first, it was just meant to be a placating gesture. However, it changed when he got a taste of her blood. His pink tongue lathed her skin until the blood was gone. Then he moved to the other hand and repeated the process.
Lucy hated to admit that she felt better just being in the same room with Klaus. She slowly sat on the floor once he finished licking her hands clean.
Klaus lowered himself to the floor and rested his large head on her lap.
Lucy looked around the room and saw that Klaus had arranged for some measure of comfort during his self-imposed sequestration. There was a cot tucked into the back corner and some painting supplies weren't far away. A wine fridge was stocked with plenty of blood bags to satisfy his hunger.
She scratched his head against her better judgment. Lucy rolled her eyes when his tail started wagging. She said, "You are not getting out of this conversation by simply refusing to shift. I know you must think I am evil for hexing you."
He looked up at Lucy with half-slitted eyes. He was enjoying the attention despite himself. Klaus had shifted nearly fifteen hours ago and the wolf brain was running the show. He could feel the pull of the moon and the sun was still high in the sky. He snorted and dropped his head back onto her lap.
She murmured, "I am not going to apologize for doing the right thing for Mari, Niklaus. She deserves a safe life and that will never be possible with you as her father. I love her so much. I would die, literally, if anything happened to her. She is the most perfect little girl in the world. I know you think that I am only saying that because I am her mother but it is the truth. She is such a happy baby. Every morning she wakes up and gives me this big grin. It makes my whole day better. And her magic…I wish I could explain how powerful she is, Nik."
Klaus slowly drew away from Lucy. He grunted as he shifted back to his human form. He promptly collapsed afterwards.
Finally, Lucy understood why he had shifted in the first place. The hex targeted the portion of him that was dead. He was weaker as a vampire. The werewolf half was the part that contained life. She scooted closer to Klaus and put his head on her lap. "I hate seeing you this way."
"Are you having buyer's remorse, love?" he asked wryly.
She laughed sadly and carded her fingers through his curls. "What is a witch without the courage of her convictions?"
"Tell me more about our daughter…"
Lucy said, "She has your temper."
He huffed out a laugh. "I am not the only with a temper, love."
"It's in her eyes. Mari looks just like you whenever she gets angry. It is rare but when it happens…"
"What does an infant have to be angry about?" he asked curiously.
She smiled. "You would be surprised. Our last brouhaha was over a pair of shoes. Mari has started learning to walk. I bought the cutest pair of hard bottom shoes to help her. They were pink patent leather with little red roses embroidered on top. She screamed bloody murder until I took them off her feet. I checked to make sure they were the right size. They weren't pinching her feet. Our little spawn just didn't like those shoes."
Klaus laughed heartily. "Those shoes do sound dreadful, love. Pink?"
Lucy rolled her eyes and said, "They were adorable! I returned them and bought a pair of ruby red Mary Jane shoes. She loves them."
"The color of blood," he murmured appreciatively. "I didn't plan to bite you."
"I know."
"We have to complete the bond. The wolfsbane didn't work," he added.
She asked, "Did you really want it to work?"
Niklaus asked, "Do you think I want to be mated to someone that hates me?"
Lucy visibly flinched at the words. She said, "I don't hate you, Klaus. I have never hated you but we want very different things from this world. If I hadn't gotten pregnant with Mari, I would have stayed with you."
He chuckled and cupped her cheek. "I know. I just wanted to hear you say it."
Lucy gathered up every scrap of courage and asked, "Can I make a phone call? I just want to check on Mari. She has never been without me for this long."
Klaus slid his fingers through her brown hair. He said, "You are not a prisoner here."
She gave him a scathing glare.
"You're not. I gave you my room," he pointed out. He said, "My phone is over there."
Lucy looked across to the room to where his phone was plugged into a charger. She slid out from under Klaus and made her way across the room. She pulled a scrap of paper from her pants pocket. It was stained with blood but the numbers were still visible. Lucy called Bonnie's phone and waited impatiently.
"Hello?" Bonnie asked since the number was unfamiliar.
"Bonnie! It is so good to hear your voice," Lucy said with a sigh of relief.
"It is so good to hear your voice, too! Where are you? Did you get away from Klaus?" she asked.
"Not exactly and be careful of what you say. Klaus is nearby and can hear everything," she warned.
There was few seconds of silence before Bonnie asked, "Are you okay?"
"Would you believe that things are more complicated than they were yesterday?" she quipped.
"A Bennett witch finding herself in a world of trouble? Will wonders never cease?"
Klaus snorted from across the room.
"Is Mari okay?" Lucy asked.
"She's great, Lucy. I promise that I am taking such good care of her. She actually just woke up from a nap. I could send you a picture or a video if you want," she offered.
Lucy slowly sat on a tall leather bar chair. "I would love a video. I'm sorry for putting all of this on you."
"Are you really okay? Did Klaus hurt you? I saw…he gave you wolfsbane."
The older witch stiffened because she had no clue how Bonnie would know that. However, it was not the time to ask questions when Klaus was listening. She said, "It's not what you think. Klaus was not trying to be cruel. It was part of some old wives' tale. He thought wolfsbane might prevent the mating mark from taking. But I probably sped up the process when I healed myself using magic."
Bonnie was silent again. There were so many things that she wanted to say to her cousin but couldn't. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I, uh, a relative found me today. She wants to help you."
"I appreciate the thought but involving more people will just make this more complicated. I will figure my way out of this. I always do. I just wanted to be sure that Mari was okay. And I wanted to let you know that I am still alive. Tell her that I love her. Okay?"
"Okay. I will," Bonnie promised. "Stay safe, Lucy."
"Where's the fun in that?" she asked. Lucy ended the call and took a deep breath. She stood there for a moment until the phone vibrated in her hands. Lucy looked down and opened the message from Bonnie. She smiled seeing a picture of Mari.
The little girl was chewing on her favorite stuffed bear's foot while she sat on Bonnie's lap.
Lucy walked over to the Klaus. He had managed to sit up against the wall while she was on the phone with Bonnie. She sat down next to him tilted the phone in his direction. "That's our daughter…Mari."
Klaus stared at the picture for several minutes. He wanted to memorize everything about his daughter. He didn't know how long this détente with Lucy would last. The infant was a good mixture of both of her parents. Her skin was golden brown and her eyes reminded him of aquamarine. Mari had a full head of curly dark brown hair. He said, "She's beautiful."
"Yes, she is," Lucy replied wistfully.
They sat there in silence until Bonnie sent another message. This time it was a video of Mari running/crawling away from Bonnie while giggling her head off. However, it was a slow get away because of the oversized teddy she was dragging behind her.