Chapter Twenty Seven: Under the Witch's Curse
Hidden deep in the forests of New Orleans, the Hunters gathered in the shadows.
"The plan is simple. In order to break the King, we have to take away the thing he cares about the most." Alaric stood at the head of the table, looking down at the others.
"His throne?" Damon asked sarcastically.
"No."
There was a long stretch of silence as the Hunters exchanged looks with crinkled brows.
"The Alpha," Stefan realized.
Alaric nodded. "We tear them apart, then we take him down."
"So we kill her," Damon stated.
"Now where's the poetry in that?" Alaric smiled slowly. "I think even the thought of betrayal will be enough. We all know how... temperamental the King is."
April lifted a brow. "So we are going to do what exactly? Make them break up?"
"Something like that."
Ooo0ooO
Hayley woke up, rolling onto her side. She opened her eyes slowly, and smiled when she saw a pair of deep blue eyes watching her.
"Did you know, little wolf, that you talk in your sleep?" Klaus asked, moving closer so he could press a gentle kiss to her lips.
"I do not."
Klaus smiled at the defiant look in her eyes. "Oh, but you do. Mostly my name, obviously."
Hayley rolled her eyes, smiling.
Klaus leaned down, kissing her throat, then the mark on her shoulder. "What do you dream about, hmm?"
"I thought you established I dream about you?"
"Yes, but what wicked things does your mind conjure when you moan my name?" Klaus nipped at the mark. "Do you dream of me taking you until you forget everything but my name?"
Hayley tilted her head back, allowing him to graze his teeth up the hollow of her throat.
"Do you dream of me touching you like this? Or... perhaps, like this?"
Hayley gasped when his clever fingers plucked at her nipples, before his thumb brushed over her slit. "And if I do?" she asked breathlessly.
Klaus smirked. "Then it would only be fair to make all of your dirty dreams come true." He leaned down to take a rosy peak in his mouth. "Shall we begin?"
Ooo0ooO
As opposed to the other Hunters, Alaric believed that there was purpose behind having allies outside of their close knit group.
And these allies, these would fit perfectly into the plan he had drawn out.
The small coven of witches were waiting for them when they approached, sitting before a large crackling fire in the center of a clearing in the woods.
Their leader, a tall woman named Celeste, stood and walked over. Her dark eyes glowed oddly in the low light, flickering like the flames. Her magic crackled against the air like static, dark and powerful, rooted in ancient black magic.
"Alaric Saltzman," the witch chuckled. "It's been a while."
"Just a few decades," the Hunter remarked, smiling slowly. He took her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "That's nothing to us."
Celeste laughed. "No, indeed not. And why have you called on me? Miss me?" she asked, giving him a flirty smile.
The eldest Hunter grinned. "You, Celeste? Always. But I think you know why I'm here."
The witch sighed delicately, rolling her eyes. "You haven't changed, Ric. You always were all business, no pleasure," she pouted.
"If memory serves, the two were mutually exclusive last we met," Alaric commented.
"Oh, my God, can you stop with the flirting? We have a job to do."
Celeste and Alaric glanced at Damon, who immediately averted his gaze.
The witch sauntered over to the blue eyed Hunter, gripping his chin with a surprisingly strong grip. Damon winced when he felt the roll of her magic against his skin, which made his stomach churn and cold sweat broke over his brow.
"You're lucky you're pretty," the witch said softly. "It'd be a shame to disfigure this face." She patted his cheek condescendingly.
When she stepped back, Damon took a step back as well, eyeing her warily.
"Now, I know why you're here, but what is it you need from me?" Celeste asked, the coldness now gone from her eyes.
"How much for a curse?"
"For you, Ric?" The witch smiled slowly. "Absolutely free."
"I thought magic came with a price?"
"Oh, it does. The loophole is you don't have to be the one who pays it."
Ooo0ooO
Hayley walked through the forests, enjoying the quiet and the cool breeze running through the trees. She had told Klaus she was going to visit her pack, to ensure that they were still safe. She had insisted they don't stay in one place for long, to make sure the Hunters wouldn't track them down.
But the Hunters had been quiet, like they had been before each new attack. It made Hayley wary, not just for herself and for Klaus, but for her pack, and for all those in the Quarter, including the innocent vampires, wolves, witches… even the other Mikaelsons.
The wind picked up again, carrying a new, strange scent that Hayley did not recognize. She stilled, eyes flashing gold, her entire body alert and on edge within seconds.
The air suddenly grew cold, and a strange fog began to creep along the ground. Hayley stood rooted to the ground, a growl rumbling in her chest. She backed away from the fog warily, but it thickened and spread, engulfing her inside it.
Hayley coughed, her vision blurring. Her muscles relaxed involuntarily, and she slumped to her knees. The sound of approaching footsteps had her looking up.
A tall figure stood before her, chanting in a language Hayley didn't understand. All she could make out was a pair of dark, glowing eyes, before a hand pressed itself to her arm.
Hayley screamed as white hot pain ripped through her body, and when it suddenly stopped, she had shifted into her wolf form without realizing it.
"Good dog," the witch cooed.
The Alpha parted its jaws, baring its long teeth. Saliva pooled and dripped from its jowls, while its blank, golden eyes gleamed hungrily. It snarled when the witch brushed a hand over its reddish brown coat, but it didn't bite her.
"Come along. We have some vampires to hunt."
The wolf followed obediently at her heels, snarling, its clouded eyes rolling around in its sockets.
The witch and the wolf walked into the Quarter, emerging from the fog that seemed to cloak the witch like a veil.
"Now," the witch commanded. "Kill."
With a snarl, the wolf lunged forward.
Ooo0ooO
The strange coldness seemed to envelope the Quarter. Klaus felt it, as did the other Mikaelsons, and the others lingering in the Quarter.
Klaus walked outside. The forests were shrouded in mist, and he wondered if Hayley had noticed the odd change in the weather while out there with her pack.
Then the screams began.
The vampires that usually stayed in the Abattoir were crying out, scattering in every direction. They were clutching various wounds, which bled heavily, and looked strangely like bites.
Rebekah and Kol appeared next to Klaus, and Elijah was there only seconds later.
"What's happening?" Rebekah asked.
A soft, familiar snarl filled the air, and Klaus froze at the noise.
A wolf emerged from the fog that had now entered the Abattoir. Its gold eyes fixed on the four Original vampires, blood dripping from its jaws. Its coat was more red than brown now.
Rebekah screamed when she saw the crumpled figure of Marcel a few feet away from where the wolf stood. When she moved towards him, the wolf intercepted her, snarling even louder and bristling its fur.
"Hayley?" Klaus breathed.
The wolf snarled at the sound of his voice, its clouded eyes turning towards him. There was nothing in its gaze but hunger, and a coldness that Klaus had never seen before.
Rebekah lunged forward before he could stop her, and to his horror, the wolf met her attack head on. The Original hissed and used her speed, but the wolf was even faster. Moving at a speed that seemed to match that of an Original vampire, the wolf had its teeth in Rebekah's arm before the vampire could evade the attack.
Rebekah cried out, clenching her arm.
Kol gave a shout, moving to defend his sister, but Elijah was there to hold him back.
Klaus took a step towards Hayley, hands lifted. "Hayley. Hayley, can you hear me?"
The wolf snarled, and attacked, its teeth bared. But before it reached him, it suddenly stopped.
Its body shimmered, then it shifted back. Hayley sat crouched on the ground, then fell over, her eyes rolling back.
Suddenly, the fog cleared. The only thing left behind was the bodies, the wounded, and Hayley curled on the ground and covered in blood.
Ooo0ooO
With a sharp gasp, Hayley's eyes flew open. She rolled to the side, the smell of blood assaulting her senses. Confusion flooded her body.
How did she get here? What happened? Was that Marcel… and Rebekah…?
Hayley stood on shaky legs, eyes wide. A small droplet of blood slid down the corner of her lips, before falling from her chin. She wiped it, then lifted her gaze.
Looking around, she saw that she was soaked in blood. There were injured vampires all around her, including Marcel and Rebekah, and she looked down at the blood on her hands. Had she done this?
A vivid memory crossed her mind; the fog and the forest, the figure with glowing eyes, the hand on her shoulder, the pain, then… nothing. Now she was here, covered in blood, with the distinct instinct she had shifted without knowing it.
Cold realization washed over her as her mind quickly put the pieces together. The figure must have been a witch, and the witch must have cursed her. Her eyes flickered to the odd, hand shaped bruise on her arm.
Her gaze lifted, and when she saw Klaus, she stiffened.
"Klaus," she managed on a hoarse whisper.
With eyes as cold as ice, Klaus took one deliberate step away from her. His expression was unreadable, but it was clear something was being held beneath the surface. But instead of letting it go, letting it loose, he reined it in with a calculated amount of control.
He didn't say anything, and she felt like she wanted to beg for him to yell at her, to get in her face, like he would have done before.
"It's not-,"
And there, a small crack in his expression had Klaus' eyes glowing gold and black. "Don't. Don't you dare."
She reached for him. "Klaus." Her eyes beseeched him to just listen to her. "Please."
With a final cold look, Klaus disappeared, leaving her alone with the stench of blood filling the air.
Hayley collapsed to the ground, unable to hold herself up. Tears slid quietly down her cheeks, from eyes that remained wide and locked on where he had disappeared.
Those watery green eyes lifted when she heard approaching footsteps. In front of her now stood Mason, with a shocked look on his face. He looked around before he went to her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, offering her his hand.
Hayley took it, then threw herself into his arms, trembling, sobbing silently. Her lips parted in a silent cry.
And all she could think was how these were not the arms she wanted to be in right now.
Ooo0ooO
He didn't remember leaving the Quarter. He didn't remember going into the woods, or stopping. He didn't hear someone approaching him. He wasn't aware of anything.
All he was was numb.
Shouldn't he be angry? Hurt? Something?
But there was nothing... nothing but a hollow feeling in his chest, like his heart had been ripped out.
A sharp laugh exploded from his lips at the irony in that thought. After all, wasn't it he who ripped out the hearts of those he felt betrayed him? Yet, here he was, an empty chested man... A fool who had so willingly given the heart that he believed would never feel anything... A fool…
The gentle weight of a hand settling on his shoulder startled him. He involuntarily flinched away from it, his lips crinkling in a weak snarl.
"Klaus?"
He blinked. The voice was soft, warm, familiar, yet... yet not the one he wished to hear, even now.
And when he looked up, his eyes found a pair of soft blue eyes staring at him. They were wrong. The wrong shape, the wrong color, not almond shaped, not green and hazel and gold like the forests in autumn, but instead round and blue like the summer skies.
Eve.
The older werewolf gazed at the Hybrid with an unfamiliar amount of gentleness and patience, and expression he had never been the recipient of, until...
The hand on his shoulder tightened, bringing him out of his turbulent thoughts, grounding him. He focused on it.
Then, finally, he spoke, "Eve."
"Do you know where you are?"
Klaus shook his head.
"Do you know how you got here?"
Again, he shook his head.
"Do you want me to help you?"
This elicited more of a response from him. His gaze flew back to hers, once again startled. Did he want her to help him?
"Yes," he heard himself say.
Eve gave him a smile, and it was just as gentle as the rest of her. He found himself relaxing and a vague memory of his mother washed over him... but Esther had never been kind. Not truly.
So, he followed the woman he truly believed to be kind, basing that on the trust he knew the others had in her... but of course only one of those people mattered... only one.
Ooo0ooO
Hayley scrubbed her skin until it was raw. The water pouring from the shower head was scalding hot, but she didn't care. Any burns would heal.
The new mark on her arm wasn't fading, however. It lingered, like how a bruise takes weeks to heal for a human.
Stumbling out of the shower, she wiped the condensation off the mirror. She stared at the mark, hating it, wishing she could rip it off her flesh so it could heal fresh and new.
Her eyes then turned to her opposite shoulder, and she bit back a cry of despair.
While the new mark sat black and blue on her skin, the silvery pink mark, the one she had grown to like, was now fading away before her eyes. She watched as it slowly healed itself, the skin knitting itself together, leaving behind unblemished, golden skin.
Her hand reached out, touching where the mark had been. She then cried, hating the cruel irony of the new mark appearing just as the old one faded away. She hated why that new black mark sat on her skin, and how it wasn't healing like the other.
Then she cried because the last bit of Klaus she had to carry with her was just as gone as the rest of him.
Ooo0ooO
Eve lead Klaus back to the Abattoir. The Hybrid seemed confused to see that the wounded had been cleared out, and there was no evidence that anything had even happened.
"Mason heard her," Eve explained. "He got her back to where the pack is. I was there when it ended. You siblings are inside, a few of the wolves are watching over them so I can help your sister and your friend."
"The witches?"
Eve shook her head. "They're not showing themselves. Something must have scared them away."
Klaus' expression hardened. "Hayley."
"No," Eve said firmly. "There was something else. Come, I'll take you to the others. I can help."
The Mikaelsons were gathered in the parlor, with Rebekah and Marcel stretched out on different couches. Elijah stood in front of the fireplace, while Kol held Rebekah's hand, the latter's expression etched with worry.
The few wolves gathered nearby nodded at Eve, then nodded again when she told them to get back to the pack.
Eve knelt down in front of Rebekah first, looking at the fresh bite wound. Marcel looked worse, having more wounds.
"How can you help?" Elijah asked the older werewolf.
"Your friend is more worrisome than your sister," Eve replied honestly. "She's an Original. The few stories I know…. Well, she won't die from the bite."
"How do you know?" Kol snapped, turning his watery eyes towards her.
Eve shrugged. "You tell me. The stories come from you."
Elijah and Klaus exchanged a look.
"A few centuries ago, I was bitten by a werewolf. It caused hallucinations, and some weakness, but I healed eventually… I had almost forgotten," Elijah murmured.
Eve nodded. "So the stories say. However, healing the bite of a werewolf for a non-Original vampire, that is… not heard of."
"Then how can you help?" Kol asked, his tone still sharp, even as his voice broke.
Eve turned her gaze towards Klaus. "I believe the answer lies with you."
"Me?" Klaus repeated.
"You're the Hybrid- equal parts vampire and werewolf. The venom that runs through your veins is different than a vampires, or even your siblings. The only thing that a vampire's blood can't heal is the venom from a werewolf. But, if you were born a wolf, then changed into a vampire… your blood just might be the link that can heal a werewolf bite."
Klaus' eyes widened. "That can't be possible."
"Would you rather watch your friend die, rather than try?" Eve asked, lips pursed.
"There's no guarantees, my blood can make him worse, or even change him…"
Eve shook her head. "We won't know until you try. It's a theory, and it must be tested."
Klaus turned his gaze towards Marcel, whose skin was turning dark, almost like rot around the areas where he had been bitten.
Suddenly, Rebekah sat up with a gasp. The bite on her arm faded. Her eyes swung over towards Klaus. "What the bloody hell?"
Elijah pressed a hand to her shoulder. "Stay seated, Rebekah. You've been bitten, and your hallucinations are sure to start."
The blond Original narrowed her eyes, but then spotted Marcel. She cried out, falling to her knees to crouch beside him. "Marcel!" She saw the bites, then snarled. "I knew that bloody wolf could not be trusted!"
A growl rumbled through the air, and the others turned towards Eve. Her expression was calm, but her eyes were gold. "Klaus, if you could," she said in a controlled tone.
Klaus lifted a wrist to his teeth, and he bit into the soft flesh there. He pressed the open wound to Marcel's mouth, flexing his hand to his blood fell into past Marcel's parted lips. He pulled back, while the wound healed itself.
It took only a few moments, then Marcel sat up as well, coughing violently as the wound covering his body closed.
None of the vampires noticed as Eve slipped out of the room, save for Elijah, who mouthed his thanks. The werewolf merely nodded, her eyes now tense, and Elijah understood why.
There were too many questions to be answered, and for now, it was best that the two sides of the story remained separated. So Eve slipped away from the Abattoir, silent as a ghost.
Ooo0ooO
Miles away, Celeste and Alaric stood side by side, looking down at the now silent town.
"So it worked?"
"Did you ever doubt me?"
"Of course not. So when do we strike next?"
"Soon. Let the wounds fester, so to speak."
"Will this be enough to turn the King on the Alpha?"
Celeste laughed, and the sound was both beautiful and dark. "Wars have been started over less. The love the King has for her is his weakness. Now he'll realize that, and he'll want to eliminate that weakness. I don't know about you, but I think I'm going to enjoy the show."
Ooo0ooO
Disclaimer: I do not own the Originals.
Author's Note: "Only fools would confuse love with weakness"...
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