Chapter 22: Dead or the Living?
Hayley was no longer in the bayou. Eve had eventually convinced her to come away to her camp. There were only a few werewolves there, some like Eve who had not yet activated the gene and some from slightly more distant clans. It wasn't as large as the packs Hayley had been a part of but size didn't matter. They were allies.
Every now and then Hayley caught the glimpse of a wolf rustle through the trees. They were her family, separated from her by this terrible curse. She felt anger rise up through her and a determined look flashed onto her face. She had to free them in any way she could.
A little girl ran up to her now, her strawberry blonde hair bouncing on her shoulders.
Hayley smiled.
"Hello." Hayley greeted her warmly.
The little girl didn't reply but smiled back with eyes of admiration. She lifted her little hand which was balled up into a fist and then opened her palm flat to reveal something.
Hayley peered down. It was a pretty little trinket, a bracelet made out of brass. Little bells and leaves hung from the chain and mahogany coloured leather strings wove in an out of it all around.
She took the gift from the little girls hand and smiled at her thankfully.
"Did you make this?" she asked her. The little girl nodded proudly.
"It's lovely." Hayley replied honestly.
"Hayley!" a voice then called and Hayley looked up. It was Eve.
She walked up to them now, ruffling the little girl's hair playfully.
"I see you've met Chloe." Eve smiled tapping the girl gently. She ran off into one of the cabins and Hayley eyes followed her.
"She's a sweet girl." Eve spoke slightly sombre.
"Her parents?" Hayley asked wanting to know more about her.
"Dead." Eve replied. Hayley's eyes darted to Eve on hearing this.
"She has a sister though." Eve explain pointing to an older blonde haired girl.
Hayley got off the bench she was sitting on. She tied the bracelet to her wrist and began walking ahead.
"Where are you going?" Eve asked walking up to her.
"To call Sophie." Hayley replied turning back to face her. Her expression was stern and Eve knew nothing was about to change her mind.
In the compound, Elijah at his desk. He was numb. Neither angry, nor hurt, just emotionless. It was easier that way. They had retrieved Davina at last and Klaus had not failed at shedding some blood to do this.
However Elijah was too tired to dwell on his brothers sins and so at least blocking his emotions meant that this was less of a problem. He would never have been able to sit in that room, with Marcel and Klaus discussing the situation of the French Quarter if he had allowed himself to remember his feelings for Hayley or any at that matter.
Hate would have burned through him at the thought of his brothers hands grasped around her and who knows what that would have made him done next.
Just then, the building shuddered as another wave of Davina's disrupted power pulsated through the atmosphere. Elijah did not move. He did not react at all. He continued fiddling with the drawings in front of him. Somehow he knew there was more to them. The question was what.
He fiddled with them, feeling the paper between his forefinger and thumb. Suddenly something caught his eye. Two sides of the pages seemed to fit perfectly, like jigsaw puzzles. He shifted in his seat reaching out and spreading the pages. His mind worked like clockwork and soon he had fitted each sheet in the perfect orientation.
His heart stopped when he absorbed the portrait before him.
"Celeste." He breathed.
Marcel and Klaus stood at the doorway witnessing this discovery.
They looked at each other sternly, yet even more confused about the events unfolding.
Elijah abruptly stood up from him seat, pulling his coat off the back of his chair.
"And where do you think you're going?" Klaus asked standing in his way.
Elijah snapped. His hand reached towards Klaus yanking him by the throat and slamming him into the wall behind him.
"This is witch business, I'm going to speak to a witch." He muttered sauntering out of the room with his teeth clenched and fists digging into his pocket.
In the cemetery, Sophie dragged in a sack of bones. She had immediately gone off on her search when Hayley had rung. She smiled at her success. Sabine who saw her entering was not as amused.
"Where the hell have you been?" she asked her raising her eye brows.
"Short answer - grave robbing. Stop whatever you're doing, we've got to find Davina. I think I've found a way to complete the harvest." She revealed, dumping the heavy bag to her feat and dusting her arms
"Wait what? How?" Sabine asked now interested.
"We need an elder to do it right? I figured out a way how to become one." Sophie explained.
Sabine rolled her eyes.
"Soph, you can't just become an elder. That power has to be bestowed upon you by the other elders, all of whom are dead. Following my logic?" She sighed in disappointment.
Sophie glared at her.
"How about follow your history? I did research. In 1742, there was a witch massacre that wiped out all the elders, so they decided whoever consecrated the most powerful dead witch in the community became an elder. It worked for them. Sophie challenged.
"Okay yeah but teeny flaw. What powerful witch is even left for you to bury?" Sabine turned to Sophie who was rummaging with the sack. She opened it to reveal a heap of bones.
"Meet Celeste Marie-Hélène Dubois, Elijah Mikaelson's old lover. She was drowned in 1821 for being a witch. He buried her, never told anyone where." Sophie explained, pride in her tone.
Sabine's face melted as she withdrew in thought. She then shook her head slightly and then turned to Sophie.
"So how the hell did you find her?" she asked intrigued.
"Yes how did you find her?" low and angry voice spoke from behind the two witches. They both turned their heads to see who it was.
Elijah stood in the door way, his eyes cold, furious and calm all at the same time.
"You have about two seconds to explain yourself before your own bones lies scuttling on this floor." He sneered. It was clear he was trying to hold back his anger.
Sabine watched him with surprise ,a wave of nostalgia flooding her. She found her lips curving into a smile and then her eyes quickly lowered towards the ground.
Sophie however stood up and faced him confidently.
She folded her arms and raised her eyebrows.
"Maybe you should ask Hayley?" she smirked.