Bring Me To Life
Crescent City:
St. Anne's Church stood proudly in the epicentre of the French Quarter since it had been constructed two centuries prior. It was said to be a sanctuary for those in need, a place welcome to all no matter their species or religious beliefs. It was said to be the threshold of unity in an otherwise divided society, a place to feel as though were not alone in a crowded world. The esteemed leaders of the parish had been elected to have the responsibility of knowing the truth about the supernatural world and vowed to protect the humans of New Orleans that had no knowledge of the truth.
The history of the Church wasn't a pleasant fairy-tale story, but instead it was marred with blood and gore. One morning in 1914, tragedy struck the church during Sunday services when the entirety of the parish was killed in a bloody massacre. People swore that the screams were heard halfway across the county and the metallic stench of blood lingered in the air for weeks after the dead had been buried in a nearby cemetery.
Nearly a hundred years later, a similar event transpired when a seemingly normal young man just snapped one day and committed a mass murder of his fellow seminary students by slaughtering them all with a scythe. Once they had all been killed, he committed suicide by turning the weapon on himself and the church was abandoned by the community that couldn't believe such a tragedy could happen in what was known as the spiritual heart of the city.
The tragedy was especially hard for the current priest, Father Kieran to process and he took off to places unknown not a week after the incident. In the space of an hour he had lost nine of his seminary students and had to deal with the fact that his beloved nephew, Sean was the perpetrator of such a heinous crime. After a short break away from New Orleans he returned to reassemble the broken community into the strong foundation it used to be and lead the human faction against the vampires and witches that had a hold over the city.
Camille O'Connell looked up at the front of the church with a small frown on her lips, her muscles tense as she tightly gripped the edge of wooden pew until her knuckles turned white under the pressure. She hated that just been in the same place that he brother died, in the same place that her twin brother killed so many people. It didn't make sense to her in the slightest because when she thought about what kind of person Sean was, nothing alarming came to mind and there was no evidence that he was going to perform such an act of violence. That was the main reason she moved to New Orleans in the first place, to find out why he snapped without prior signs of mental deterioration. In truth, she had been a little worried that whatever plagued her brother was hereditary and one day the same fate would rest upon her shoulders. It wasn't until she met Klaus Mikaelson that she learned the truth about her brother's death: Sean had been by hexed by a witch who was angry at Kieran's interference with the New Orleans Coven's Harvest ritual and shortly afterward, the hex drove Sean to the brink of insanity.
"Thank you all for coming. It means more than I can tell you. We gather today for the first public service of our newly reopened church. St. Anne's can finally once again be the heart of our community, where we can congregate as a people united. Here, this hour, we come together to praise God and give thanks. The events that took place at our church were tragic." Father Kieran greeted the congregation solemnly as his eyes screened the crowded church, his voice tinged with sadness as he thought of his fallen nephew.
Imogen glanced down at the hand next to her thigh, the one gripping the pew so tightly that their knuckles were turning white under the pressure. She carefully plied Cami's fingers off of the pew as the blonde snapped her head around to look at her in surprise but Imogen just smiled softly and intertwined theirs fingers together on her lap. At the beginning of the sermon, the two friends had silently made the pact to be there for one another because they both knew that being at St Anne's reminded them both of their fallen siblings. Every time Imogen glanced over in the direction she knew the stairs that lead to the attic were, her chest ached with the loss of Davina as though someone had ripped her heart away.
"With every end comes a new beginning, and with new beginning comes hope. And it is that hope in our hearts, and with the help of many benefactors, that allows us to be here today. So, we gather with renewed spirit, made stronger, committed to the ideals of peace and love. Amen." Father Kieran finished the mass with a small smile on his lips as he clasped his hands in front of himself, happy that his church was once again open to the public.
"Amen." All the church attendants echoed after him as the shuffling of people standing began to drown out the whispered voice and Imogen gave her friends hand a reassuring squeeze as they both stood from their seats.
"That went better than I expected." Imogen stated softly as she stretched her arms above her head, stiff after sitting still for hours during the mass and Cami smiled slightly in response as they watched everyone slowly leave the church.
"It was hard. It feels so strange being here. I mean, last time I was here, I was knocked unconscious by a group of vindictive witches out for blood." The blonde murmured sarcastically with her voice lowered so that no one would overhear their conversation and Imogen chuckled as she dropped her arms to her sides with a small smirk on her lips. Cami looked around the empty church as she sighed heavily, her expression morphed in one of discomfort and she looked back at her friend with a slightly pleading glint in her blue eyes. "Could you give me a minute?"
"Absolutely." She replied sympathetically as she squeezed Cami's hand in understanding, knowing the pain of losing a sibling and knowing that sometimes it was best to grieve in private. It was one thing for people to know that you were about to break but it was another to let them witness your downfall.
Imogen wrapped an arm around her waist as she strolled out of the church into the warm late morning sun and she caught sight of Father Kieran standing by the sidewalk as he personally greeted some of the attendees. She'd never had much contact with the man before but she knew of his reputation from numerous sources. The witches hated him for trying to stop the Harvest ritual, Marcel respected him for his work leading the human faction and Cami loved him because he was her uncle but she was having a hard time trusting him after finding out the truth about the supernatural.
"Imogen, love, how are you this fine day?" a familiarly accented voice asked jovially from behind her as a heavy arm was draped over her shoulders and she rolled her blue eyes as she turned her head slightly to the side to glare at Klaus.
"I'm surprised you can step into a church without your face melting off." The witch quipped light-heartedly without any real fervour as she shrugged out of his grip and accidently bumped into someone on her other side, causing her to spin around in surprise. A sigh of relief escaped her when she met Marcel's laughing dark brown eyes as he wrapped an arm around her waist so that she didn't fall down onto the concreted pathway.
"Don't go fallin' for me, pretty girl." Marcel warned her jokingly as she straightened up and tucked a strand of brunette hair that had fallen into her face back behind her ear.
Imogen pursed her lips in annoyance as she shot him an unimpressed look, making him chuckle lightly and he kept his arm around her waist as the three of them continued to walk away from the church. "Don't you two have an evil, resurrected witch to deal with? You know, the one that was powerful enough to ritualistically use an Original to gain more power and exploit that power to kick Marcel's ass?"
"Watch it." The former king scolded her playfully with a frown on his lips as he held a hand to his heart like her words had actually wounded him and she mockingly patted his chest with the back of her hand.
Klaus chuckled at their exchange as he linked his hands behind his back, a small smile playing the edge of his lips in the presence of people who didn't absolutely loathe his entire existence. "What's more important than cleansing the soul with the good Lord's words?"
Both of his companions looked over at him with matching incredulous expressions, not believing his words held any truth behind them and allowing their doubt to show on their faces. Marcel had known the hybrid long enough to know that Klaus didn't do anything without a reason and as long as he could justify it to himself, it was perfectly acceptable. Imogen was cynical based on the fact that she had once heard the words 'I'm the devil in disguise' leave the man's mouth.
"Lovely sermon this morning, Father. Quite inspirational." Klaus called out when he saw Father Kieran was alone, his footsteps quickening as he approached the man and Imogen rolled her eyes as she grabbed Marcel's arm to drag him after Klaus before he could offend the priest.
"I wasn't expecting you to join us." Father Kieran greeted him drily as the trio came to a stop in front of him and he nodded at the brunette woman with the vampires as she gave him an apologetic look for their behaviour.
"We were hoping for some word from your human sources on the recent Haitian invasion."
"I don't think this is the time, or place for this con – " the priest started to protest as he cast a significantly pointed look in the woman's direction, concerned that they were speaking in front of someone not privy to the supernatural world.
"Oh, don't worry about Imogen here. She knows all about our affairs." Klaus assured him cheerfully with a grin as he laid a hand on her shoulder and she rolled her blue eyes at him as she shook her head slightly at his arrogance.
"I'm a witch, Father. I tried to stop the Harvest. I'm Imogen Claire." The brunette introduced herself respectfully as she extended a hand out towards him and his eyes widened slightly in recognition as he firmly shook her hand with a small smile.
"Ms Claire, I'm sorry for your loss." He told her honestly with grief dripping from his voice as he ascertained the similarities between the woman in front of him and the young girl with matching blue eyes that once called the church's attic home.
The casual mention of Davina sent a pain straight to her heart as she mutely nodded her acknowledgement and she wrapped one arm around her waist to stop herself from irritably playing with her hands. It was a nervous habit she picked up years ago, a subconscious desire to stretch her metaphoric muscles and let her magic flow freely out of her fingertips. Marcel draped his arm around hr shoulders in what others would assume was a casual move but Imogen knew that it was his way of offering her comfort without it being obvious.
"My guys have their ears on the ground, and no one has seen or heard any sign of whatever his name is." Father Kieran stated in irritation as he turned his attention back to the vampires in front of him, knowing that they were the ones who were steamrolling the investigation into whatever happened to the vampires. It annoyed him that they were dragging the witch into their problems, manipulating her when she was vulnerable from her recent loss and using her power for their own gain just like they had done to her sister.
"He is called Papa Tunde. And right now, he's wandering in the Quarter with the power he absorbed from every soul I had buried in the Garden, so you might wanna put your ear a little closer to the ground." Marcel insisted strongly as he raised an eyebrow at the human, nerves coursing through his veins along with the guilt he felt because he was the one who sent those vampires to the Garden.
"Or I could steer clear of whatever war is brewing between your kind and his, before I find myself–"
A flash of blonde interrupted him as Cami appeared next to the group, her face set into an emotionless mask to hide the hurt she felt for being lied to by her uncle and they all looked over at her in slight surprise as she squared her shoulders in determination. She gripped her uncle's hand tightly in her own and began shaking it as though they were complete strangers, her tone of voice void of emotion. "I wanted to congratulate you on getting the church up running. I can see this is a bad time. Nice to see you, Marcel. Imogen, I'll call you later."
Imogen lifted a hand half-heartedly in a wave as her friend began striding away from them, pointedly ignoring Klaus' presence entirely and she stifled a chuckle when she saw the hard look Father Kieran was giving the hybrid.
"Well, don't look at me. I tried to send her away." Klaus defended himself with a scoff as he held up his hands in surrender, seeing the accusing gaze the priest was sending his way. It was true that he had compelled the blonde to leave New Orleans but Davina and Imogen had removed the influencing words from her mind before she could vacate the city.
An obnoxiously loud ringing came from inside Klaus' jacket pocket, making him frown in confusion as he pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID on the screen as he stepped away from the humans so that he wasn't overheard. "Yes, Diego? What do you have for me?"
"Uh, we got a special delivery." Diego told him in an alarmed tone of voice, trying not to sound as freaked out as he was but the hybrid could hear the panic even through the phone.
"Would you care to elaborate?"
"Either our witch problems are over, or they're just get started."
A glower settled on Klaus' lips as he hung up the phone call without another word, annoyed that he now had another complication to deal with on top of his usual problems. He reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration as he closed his eyes for moment to block out the world, everything seemed to be crashing down around him and he was feeling as though control had been ripped out of his reach. After the events of the Harvest, everything was supposed to settle down, return to normal, or a reasonable facsimile of normal within the supernatural world. One good thing about keeping busy was that he didn't have time to think about the things that were really plaguing him: his upcoming fatherhood and the beautiful blonde he left back in Mystic Falls.
Releasing the deep breath that he was holding, he turned around to face the three who were pretending not to listen to the phone call and he had to stop himself from rolling his eyes as he gestured for them to follow him. "Marcel, come along. Imogen, your services are needed."
"I don't work for you." Imogen spat at him angrily as she crossed her arms over her chest in defiance, one of her eyebrows cocked as though daring him to comment. "Any deals we had are now null and void. Have been since you negated on your end and killed Davina at the Casket Girl festival."
"Listen, sweetheart, as you mentioned before, this latest threat is strong enough to harm even an Original. You once said you were the most powerful witch in the Quarter. Were you lying?"
"You're trying to manipulate me into helping by getting me to fight for my title of 'most supercharged witch in the Quarter'?" she asked him sceptically in disbelief as she raised her other eyebrow, a small smile playing on her lips and he shrugged his shoulders innocently with a smirk.
"Are you in then, love?"
"Oh, I'm in."
The compound was oddly silent as the deceased Papa Tunde lay in front of the entrance courtyard, his body encircled by spelled ring of salt and dried scarlet blood covering his white suit. Imogen bit her lower lip in fascination as she tilted her head to the side, studying the magical energy surrounding the corpse because it was a different kind of magic then she had ever experienced.
Sacrificial Magic was an immoral form of witchcraft used to draw power from death of a witch's victim, which, depending on who or what was sacrificed, has the potential to make the witch not only mystically enhanced, but also physically stronger.
Elijah crouched down just outside the circle of salt as he carefully examined the corpse, ignoring the probing stares of his brother and Marcel that was burning into his back. His fingers ghosted over the dead witch's skin for any trace of physical evidence as he squinted through narrowed eyes and he searched through his mind for anything in his past that might help explain what was going on.
"Can I get you anything, brother? A magnifying glass? A pipe, perhaps?" Klaus asked sarcastically as he crossed his arms over his chest with a cheeky grin and Imogen chuckled slightly as she lifted her head to send him a smirk over the top of the corpse.
"You have a theory you'd like to share with us, Niklaus?" the older Original asked him with a tired sigh as he stood up from his crouch, wiping his hands on his pants legs and the hybrid fell quiet under his brothers gaze as he shifted his weight unsurely.
"Back in the day, the witches wanted to send a threat, they'd just kill a chicken and leave it on your doorstep." Marcel remarked drily as he crossed his arms over his chest, his lip curled slightly in disgust as he looked down at corpse at his feet.
"Yeah, I'm not that subtle. If I'm going to threaten someone, they're going to know exactly what's in store for them if they piss me off." Imogen stated matter-of-factly as she stood up from her crouch on one side of Papa Tunde, every muscle in her body tense with agitation over not knowing who was committing such atrocities.
"It's rather a large and ominous chicken, wouldn't you say?" Elijah remarked in amusement as he glanced over at the witch with a raised eyebrow, a small smile playing on the corner of his lips and she raised her eyebrows back at him without a word as humour danced in her blue eyes.
"Papa Tunde defeated Rebekah with ease, almost got the two of you as well. If he was supposed to be the prize fighter, why leave him for dead in your front yard?"
The sound of heels clicking on the pavement was the only answer to her query, the noise drawing the attention of the occupants of the room and a familiar blonde haired woman entered the compound with a frown marring her attractive features. "Well, don't you look cheery. Listen to this- A girl literally exploded from a grave today as Sabine was giving a tour of the city of the dead. It was Monique Deveraux."
"What? What are you talking about!?" the brunette asked in a sharp voice as she narrowed her eyes at Rebekah, her hand immediately flying towards her pocket where her cell phone was situated. Her hands were shaking slightly as she held the contraption out in front of her, the expression on her face one a mixture of disbelief and hope. "My stupid phone's off. Why did I turn this off?"
Rebekah gave her friend a pitying look before turning back to the other vampires in the room, discreetly watching as Imogen strolled to the side to stimulate privacy while she checked the messages on her phone. "The tourists thought it was part of the show, but the witches are celebrating like it's some kind of bloody miracle."
"Maybe it is. They think that all hope is lost, but now suddenly a Harvest girl is resurrected." Marcel said in an awed voice as he looked over towards where Imogen was frowning down at her phone from the corner of his eye, trying to seem as though he wasn't concerned about her.
The witch's head suddenly jerked up, a thought coming to her as she shoved her phone back into her pocket and she strolled back over to the group with a smirk spreading across her lips as she stopped next to the former king. "This is how we're going to get Davina back-– kill the witch who took her place."
"Oh? That easy, is it? You're just going to kill someone?" Rebekah asked her strongly as she looked at the brunette with a blank expression on her face, she didn't want her friend to do something she would later come to regret. Killing was one of the worse things about being a vampire, the ease with which she was capable of committing such unspeakable acts and the ability to block out the guilt that came with each life she took.
Imogen shared a meaningful look with Marcel before turning her head to offer the blonde a small smile, knowing that she was only worried about her and acutely aware that none of the Originals knew that truth about her past. "Thanks for the concern, but I'm good. This is for Davina. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for her."
"Imogen, this isn't something that's supposed to be easy. It's more than just the act, it's ending someone's life!"
"I know that, Reb – "
"I don't think you do! Once blood is on your hands, it never comes off! It's something you must live with every day of your life."
"I've killed before, Rebekah." Imogen declared firmly as she meet the blonde's angry blue eyes unflinchingly, her hands curled into fists at her side and silence fell over the group as they took in the meaning of her words. "I've killed before. For myself, for Davina, for Marcel. I protect the people I love by any means necessary. If killing some witch that's already meant to be dead brings Davina back, there's no way in hell I'm going to stand by and do nothing. Now, who am I killing?"
"I have a theory about who one of them could be." Hayley's voice called out from the balcony overlooking the courtyard, drawing the interest of the group downstairs and she shifted nervously with all the attention on her as she held up the pieces of paper she had taped together. The portrait of Celeste that Davina had sketched before her death stared back at them as they looked at it in confusion but there was an underlining note of realisation in the silence surrounding them. "Celeste. I mean, it's got to be. Davina was trying to tell us, she was drawing pictures of Celeste. She was warning us that a great evil is coming."
"First, Papa Tunde returns to settle old scores, now your murdered lover is back." Klaus quipped in a hard voice as he turned his attention towards his older brother, an unamused smirk on his lips and he noticed Imogen shift uncomfortably in his peripheral vision. "This isn't witches attacking vampires. They're declaring war on us."
"Shame you no longer have an alliance with the strongest witch in the Quarter." The witch commented with a teasing note in her voice as she tilted her head in the hybrid's direction, causing him to roll his light blue eyes.
"Imogen, love, this really isn't the time to be having a temper tantrum."
"You're making it worse, man." Marcel told him in amusement with a subtle grin on his lips, knowing how Imogen's mind worked and her personal philosophy that differed from that of the average human. It was her belief that it wasn't love that made the world go around, but rather mutually beneficial alliances through which partners recognised their dependence on each other for the achievement of shared and private goals.
"Listen, I know you're a paranoid control-freak and all, but if you want my help taking down Celeste, and you do, you should know that I take alliances seriously. If I say I'm going to do something, I do it. I never make promises I don't intend to keep." Imogen informed him seriously as she walked around the deceased body, keeping her hard blue eyes locked on the hybrid so that he knew that she was being completely honest. "It's a matter of respect. I made an alliance with you because I respected you, and I thought you respected me, but you proved to me that I was wrong. If we're going to do this, let's make it clear, I'm not doing it for you."
Silence fell over the group, a heavy quiet that said more than words ever could, a stillness that dared someone to make the first move, but no one uttered a word. It was clear that the witch's remark was serious, and everyone was shocked that she actually had the courage to say it out loud when no else in history had stood up so bravely to the Original Hybrid.
Klaus gulped nervously under the weight of the young witch's gaze, a foreign sensation gnawing at his stomach and he had to look away from her blue eyes because he didn't want to see the disappointment in their depths. It was the same burning feeling he got in his chest whenever he let down one of his siblings, and he hated that someone he had only known for a short while had such a hold over his emotions.
"I'm going to go find out what's going on with the witches. I still have some contacts within the coven." Imogen said quietly to Marcel as she squeezed his arm gently, her head bent slightly towards him and he nodded in understanding as she cast a fleeting glance towards the Originals before strolling in the direction on the library.
"Good going, Nik. You've managed to piss off the most power witch in New Orleans." Rebekah remarked mockingly as she crossed her arms over her chest with a smirk on her lips, turning her body to face her brother.
"Shove off, little sister." He replied sharply as he narrowed his light blue eyes in her direction, annoyance and frustration marring his expression as he stormed out of the courtyard without a backwards glance.
Elijah raised an eyebrow in amusement at his brother's retreating back, not used to seeing his all-mighty hybrid brother brought down to his knees by a mortal girl using only her words and a disapproving glare. It was just another way to prove that Imogen Claire was a remarkable specimen.
"Right, well, I'm gonna clean this up. Don't want to start panic throughout the Quarter." Marcel grumbled under his breath as he looked down at the corpse in the middle of the entrance and he absently waved away Rebekah when she started crouching down to help him move the body.
The blonde Original straightened up as she watched Elijah head towards the study with a pensive expression on his face and curiosity got the best of her as she began following across the courtyard. It always bothered her when Elijah got into one of his 'thinking' moods because it normally ended with her having to do something she didn't want to do.
Elijah was leaning with his elbow on the mantel, a thoughtful frown on his lips as he looked into the embers of the fireplace and Rebekah had to stop herself from rolling her eyes because she could guess who owned his thoughts at that moment. It was the same person who had been on his mind since he had been returned to them months ago, the same person who had entranced him with the very first meeting. It wasn't as though the blonde didn't like Imogen, in fact the witch was one of only people she would consider a friend, and she could definitely see the connection between her and Elijah, but that didn't mean she wanted to be a part of their courtship.
A sigh escaped her as she headed towards the makeshift bar to the side of the room, her cerulean blue eyes locked on the bottle of expensive scotch. She could still feel the obvious tension between them from their argument the day before and she desperately needed to do something to keep her hands busy if she was going to be in the same room as him. Her hand curled around the half-full bottle of alcohol as she picked up a tumbler and she poured out some of the amber liquid as she avoided his oak brown gaze. "It's not too early for scotch, is it, with all the witchy shenanigans and subterfuge afoot?"
"It is entirely too early if one intends to drive, yes." Elijah replied wearily as though he was afraid of her reaction, his eyes watching her carefully as she took a sip of her drink with a small smirk on her lips.
"Funny, I don't have any plans to go anywhere."
The small hope he held onto that she would make this easy on him diminished as he diverted his gaze back to the flames and he took a deep breath to steel his determination before looking back over at his sister with a slightly pleading expression. "They're not safe here. You have to take Hayley and Imogen to the plantation house until this is over."
Realisation rolled over Rebekah as she lowered her glass down to her side with a knowing glint in her eyes, her mouth forming a straight line and she tilted her head to the side slightly as a thought occurred to her. Their conversation from the day before flooded through her mind, the angry words she threw at him and the seemingly callous response he gave her. She forced a blank expression on her face in an effort to mask hurt she felt deep inside over the fact that her own brother, the one brother that had always made her feel loved, no longer seemed to trust her. "Are you worried about Hayley and Imogen, or whether or not you can trust me?"
"It's precisely because I trust you that I'm asking you to do this." He replied instantly as his head snapped up in her direction, his voice tinged with surprise and he dropped his elbow from the mantel over the fireplace as he stepped towards her tentatively.
Trust wasn't something that came easily to the eldest Original, it was something that had gradually diminished from his personality over the years since he was turned into a vampire. It was something that he struggled with on a daily basis, but overall he did consider some people were worth having faith in. He believed that trust was the most essential ingredient in effective communication and the foundational principle that held all relationships together. Rebekah and Niklaus were the two people on Earth that he was supposed to trust without doubt or hesitation, but decades of experience had taught him that actions spoke louder than words when it came to his siblings. If he wanted them to trust him, he would have to return the favour and allow his apprehensions to be doused with hope that they could reconcile.
"Here's a novel idea- why don't you let the girls decide for themselves? Why are you dictating their fate?"
"Hayley is a member of our family. It's your job to protect her and her child." He said easily, the excuse rolling off of his tongue without any effort as he avoided the real question behind his sister's words.
"Mm-hm." Rebekah hummed in disbelief as she cocked an eyebrow at her older brother, discreetly taking note of the slight blush creeping onto his cheeks and had to fight the knowing grin that tried to pull at her lips. She didn't want to give in to his demands so easily, didn't want to be seen as weak-willed but at the same time she already knew that she would do what had to be done in order to protect both of her friends. Another part of her wanted to hear Elijah admit out loud that he had feelings for the brunette witch, the part that desperately wished for her brother to meet his match after his failed reconciliation with the doppelgänger. "And Imogen? Why am I babysitting her?"
"You know why." He pointed out in a tired voice as he rubbed his forehead in exasperation, his eyes closed for a moment so that he didn't have to see the victorious look that he knew was imprinted on the blonde's face.
"Then perhaps you should take her yourself."
"Well, then that would make me the very hypocrite you've accused me of being." He snapped at her sharply, his patience finally waning as he looked over at her with frustration clear on his features and she held her chin up slightly with a frown as she refused to apologise for her observation.
Elijah sighed softly as he made his way towards her, a small smile playing on his lips to show that he wasn't truly upset with her and when he stopped in front of her, he wrapped both of his hands around hers that still clutched the half empty glass of scotch. "Rebekah, I cannot legislate my feelings. My actions, however... So, would you kindly do this for me?"
Affection was clear in his oak brown eyes, it was almost painful for the female Original to look at him because she couldn't remember anyone gazing at her with such adoration. She absolutely hadn't seen that glint in her brother's eyes for a very long time and she didn't want to be the one who dampened that fierce fire that Imogen had sparked inside of him.
"You know the mama wolf and queen witch love to be told what to do. They're not gonna like it." She reminded him knowingly with a hint of amusement in her voice as she raised her eyes at him and he looked away in acknowledgement as the corner of his lips quirked up into a faint grin, very much aware of how stubborn they both were. "But I will do it for you, if only to end this silly quarrel between the two of us."
"Thank you." He murmured gratefully as he maneuvered the glass out of her hand and she tilted her head to the side in recognition with a small smile on her lips.
"But I am not going to be the one to tell them you're benching them in the playoffs." She told him firmly with a slight shake of her head in denial, her mind flooding with possibilities of what could occur when Hayley and Imogen were told of the plans for them that had been decided without their approval.
Elijah had to physically stop himself from cringing at the potential damage either one of them could cause when they were informed that someone had dictated their plans for the day without consulting them. They were both made of spirit and fire, scorching anything that dared stand in the way of something they wanted to reach and that flame only growing larger the longer it burned inside of them. Nothing was impossible once Imogen or Hayley set their mind to something, after all there was no force equal to that of a determined woman and he did not want to be on the receiving end of their retribution.
A small frown pulled at the corner of his mouth as he fought the urge to grimace and he looked over at his sister with a slightly pleading expression on his face, ignoring the smug smirk on her lips. "You take Hayley and I'll handle Imogen?"
"Deal." She replied reluctantly as she pursed her lips to the side in thought, clearly not happy with turn of events but she knew that it was better than the alternative because pregnancy had dulled Hayley's temper slightly.
"Wish me luck." Elijah murmured to her quietly as he took a deep breath to gather his nerves and she patted his shoulder gently in encouragement as he strolled passed her towards the doorway.
It was impossible for him to distinguish if his anxieties were instigated by the apprehension of Imogen's reaction to the information he was about to convey, or if he was simply restless to be in the same vicinity of the brunette witch.
The door to the library was halfway open, allowing the light to cascade out into the darkened hallway to he was standing in and he stopped momentarily with his back leaning against the wall when he heard her soft voice coming from inside the room.
"I know. I'm sorry, too. I'm really glad you got Monique back." Imogen said softly as she cradled her cell phone to her ear, one elbow balanced on the arm of the longue chair she was nestled in and her legs pulled up to her chest with her other arm wrapped around them.
"If there's anything I can do to help you get Davina back, I'll do it. You know I will." Sophie declared through the phone line, her voice thick with the emotion she was holding back and the Claire witch nodded to herself even though her friend couldn't see her.
"I do know that. Listen, I gotta tell you, once I get Davina back, I'm getting us both the hell out of here. We can't keep living in New Orleans if I'm always worried about Davina leaving the house alive and coming back in a body bag."
There was silence on the other end of the phone call as Imogen bit her lip nervous, worried that her friend would think the worst of her for abandoned her in the middle of a war. Sophie had been one of the only constants in her life, one of the only things that kept her afloat when she felt like she might drown in the misery of her life. The two of them had been through so much together, they had been best friends all of their lives because of their parents and the thought of not being in each other's lives wasn't even on their register. Sophie and Imogen were partners-in-crime, willing to overlook anything the other did without judgement because most of the time they were both at the centre of the commotion. Imogen needed to know that Sophie was going to be there, even in the distance, to offer her a shoulder to lean on in the future because she didn't know who else could understand the inner workings of her mind.
"I was thinking the same thing." Sophie admitted in a whisper, almost like she was trying not to be overheard and the other witch assumed that Monique was somewhere in the vicinity. "I'm all Monique has now that Jane-Anne's gone. I don't want this life for her. It's time for me to step up and be responsible. Take a page out of your book and put my niece's health and happiness first. It's time to get the hell out of New Orleans."
"Where are you thinking of going?"
"I don't know. But I was thinking, in the two seconds since we started this conversation, that once you get Davina back, you might want to join us wherever we end up. It might be good for D and Moni to be together. Help each other through returning to life or whatever."
A small smile spread across Imogen's lips at the forced nonchalance in Sophie's voice, a useless attempt to hide the nervousness of being a new foster parent for her niece but it was a lost-cause when she was speaking to someone who knew her inside and out. "Right. Of course. And another plus, I have experience with raising someone. I can give you a hand, not that you'd need it or anything."
"Shut up." Sophie exclaimed with a laugh, hoarse as though she hadn't felt the need to use it in a while and Imogen chuckled along with her as she dropped her legs into the crossed position. "Oh, god, I've missed you, Im."
"I've missed you, too. I should probably go. I love you, Soph. Tell Moni I said 'hi'."
"I will. Love you, too." The other witch told her instantly in reply, the words rolling off of her tongue as though past few months hadn't even happened and Imogen had to smile to herself while the words made her chest clench slightly as she hung up the phone. It was a screwed up world to live in when you felt happy to able to tell your best friend you loved her without the words leaving a bitter aftertaste in your mouth, but that was the world that Imogen claimed and she was more than happy to be able to speak to Sophie with the same easiness she used to.
"I take it you were able to re-establish your relationship with Miss Deveraux." A hauntingly familiar voice stated from the doorway, causing her smile to grow slightly as she twisted her head around to look towards where Elijah was leaning in the doorframe. A faint grin played at the corner of his lips as his oak brown eyes twinkled with mirth and his arms crossed over his chest causing his grey suit jacket to tighten around his biceps.
"It's rude to eavesdrop, Elijah." She scolded him playfully as he pushed himself off of the doorframe, his arms dropping to his side and he began approaching her slowly as she shifted in her seat to face him more directly.
"I apologise. I did not mean to overhear your conversation. It's one of the disadvantages and advantages of vampirism." He told her with a half-smile as he came to a stop next to the couch across from where she was sitting and she sent him a small smile, chuckling slightly as she slipped her cell phone into her jacket pocket absently.
"It seems that Sophie and I are back on the right track. She told me that Monique is completely fine, which actually surprises me since she was technically dead for months. That's not something that you just bounce back from." She informed him seriously as she bit her lower lip in between her teeth, her blue eyed gaze drifting over to the large bay window overlooking the courtyard outside and he could only guess that her mind had gone to Davina's condition upon her inevitable return.
Elijah sighed silently to himself as he slowly made his way in front of her, sitting down on the edge of the antique coffee table and leaning forward to cup both of her hands in his. His touch seemed to break her out of her dazed state as she snapped her head around to look at him, blinking her eyes furiously to clear the horrid images her mind created.
"Sorry." She muttered apologetically as she ducked her head in embarrassment, a reddening blush on her cheeks but he just shook his head at her and rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles soothingly.
"Davina will be fine." He told her firmly as he lifted one hand to brush a strand of brunette hair behind her ear and she smiled faintly, quite moved that he seemed to be able to read where her mind went in those quiet moments. "She's coming back to people that love her unconditionally, and who will help her anyway she needs. And if she's anything like her elder sister, she's strong enough to endure anything that's thrown at her."
A blush spread across her cheeks, the compliment making her blood burn hot in her veins and she ducked her head momentarily before lifting her gaze up to meet his oak brown eyes with a small smile on her lips. Receiving compliments had always unnerved her slightly because in the past they had come from people trying to manipulate her, mostly her parents trying to appear loving in front of people who saw them as devoted parents or men trying to gain her favour so that she would return the sentiment in more physical methods. Something about the way Elijah looked at her, his eyes glowing with warm affection, she didn't doubt that he genuinely meant what he said and she didn't know how to properly process the butterflies that erupted in her stomach.
Sincere compliments didn't cost anything but could accomplish so much, a few little words to the right person and you could brighten someone's entire day.
"That's sweet." She murmured softly with a faint smile as she leaned towards him slightly and he felt his lips twitching up into a grin as her face twisted into a mock grimace. "Don't do that. It creeps me out."
"I'd prepare to be 'creeped out' quite frequently." He retorted playfully as he quirked an eyebrow, causing her to chuckle in amusement and his eyes lit up with happiness at the sound as his smile grew.
"What's going on, anyway? I doubt you came in here to ask about my relationship with Sophie."
Dread spread throughout his body as he was reminded of the reason behind his visit and he fought the urge to grimace as he leaned further away from her in case she reacted violently. He noticed her frown a little at the movement, her forehead furrowing in confusion but she didn't say anything and he sighed to himself in preparation as he gave her hands a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "I need to ask you for a favour."
"What kind of favour?" she asked him suspiciously as her blue eyes narrowed at him, scrutinising every inch of his face for answers and she noticed instantly that at least he had the decency to appear sheepish.
"Would you please escort Hayley to the plantation house for night? Hayley and her child aren't safe in the Quarter, not with vengeful witches running about. I've already requested Rebekah accompany you both, but I'd feel more assured if they had magical assistance. And you're the only witch I trust with their safety."
"You think Celeste would harm Hayley's child?" she asked him gently, the tone of her voice a mixture of curiosity, compassion and anger over the fact that someone would even think of hurting a child because it brought up complications from her childhood.
Elijah's eyebrows scrunched together in concentration as he thought about kind-hearted woman he had known all those years ago, trying to reconcile her with the person currently wreaking havoc for his family. "I honestly don't know. And that terrifies me to no end."
It was like the beginning of bad joke: a vampire, a witch and a pregnant werewolf drove together in a car.
Paramore blasted through the speakers, filling the interior of the car as the three women attempted to sing along with the lyrics while simultaneous munching on the vanilla cupcakes Hayley had practically begged to purchase before they left the French Quarter. They had made idly chitchat during the trip but overall they were content to listen to the music playing from Imogen's iPhone and enjoy the comfortable silence.
"I love cupcakes. They're my favourite miniature dessert." Imogen informed them from the driver's seat with a slight moan as she sucked some vanilla frosting off of her thumb and she rhythmically tapped her fingers on the steering wheel with her opposite hand.
"Hm. Yes, I agree. Good call, Hayley." Rebekah concurred happily with a slight grin from the passenger seat as she unwrapped the paper from another cupcake and bit into it with a small moan escaping her lips as the other girls chuckled at her expression.
"They say 'you can't buy happiness' but you can buy cupcakes and that's kinda the same thing." The werewolf murmured smugly from where she was lounging in the backseat, a pink box balanced on her expanding stomach. "You can't be sad when you're holding a cupcake."
Imogen turned down the familiar lane that to the plantation house, the conversation ceasing as the large white colonial house came into view and she drove around the foundation in the centre of the driveway until she slowly came to a stop. She turned off the ignition as the other two women climbed out of the car without a word and she grabbed out purse quickly as she followed their lead before closing the door behind her.
"So, Hayley…" Rebekah started to say with a suspicious tone in her accented voice as she strolled leisurely around the car and she pursed her lips slightly as she narrowed her cerulean blue eyes at the werewolf's back. "I thought I was gonna have to drag you to the plantation kicking and screaming."
"Yeah, well, we all just wanna protect me and the baby, right?" she asked rhetorically in a rushed voice as she stole a nervous glance towards the witch walking besides her but Imogen just pulled a face without saying anything.
The Original raised both her eyebrows in disbelief as she held back the scoff that wanted to escape her, slightly hurt that her friends wouldn't trust her with whatever they were conspiring to do. "Hey, I'm on your side, remember? So, what gives?"
The werewolf slowly came to a stop, a grimace creeping onto her lips as guilt settled in the pit of her stomach and she cast a subtle glance towards the witch that had stopped next to her as she spun around to look at the blonde. The pair hadn't actively set out to leave Rebekah out of their plans for the night but it had all come together so quickly and they weren't positive she wouldn't share the opinion of her brother's. Hayley tilted her head to the side in consideration as she remembered all the times that Rebekah had come to her aid and she let out a sigh as she turned to face the blonde, placing her hands on her hips in defeat. "Tonight's a full moon, Rebekah."
"So what? You're preggers, you can't turn."
"Yes, but I wanted to invite a few people over..."
"Of course. Every red-blooded American werewolf will be a bundle of fur and sharp teeth tonight, whilst your cursed Crescent Clan will be– "
"Human." Hayley finished the blonde's sentence knowingly with a small nod of her head, clenching her jaw at the thought of her pack being cursed and she forced herself to let go of her anger as she waved a hand absently towards the sky. "But only for a few hours, and won't be again until the next full moon, so..."
"I asked Josh to get a message out to Eve in the Bayou." Imogen concluded sheepishly with a small smile on her lips as she stepped up to stand next to the werewolf and Hayley nudged her shoulder with her own in acknowledgement as she smiled slightly her.
"Josh isn't dead yet? Well good on him. I love a nice survival story." Rebekah stated in a pleasantly surprised tone of voice as her face brightened with the news and the witch rolled her blue eyes fondly in amusement as she tilted her head to the side.
The front door to the plantation creaked as it opened behind the group, causing Rebekah to snap her head up in case of a threat and her expression morphed to one of shocked confusion as a burly human man appeared in the doorway with a dolly. "Who the bloody hell is that?"
A guilty grimace crossed over Hayley's lips as she slowly turned around to face the man and scratched her head nervously as she scrunched up her nose a little. "Kegs out back, alright?"
"Yup. How you gonna pay for this?" the man asked them gruffly as he set the dolly up right on its own in the middle of the porch and let his gaze linger on the three attractive women in front of him as he pulled a clipboard out from inside his jacket.
"I got it." Imogen declared drily with a subtle roll of her eyes, having noticed the lustful stare the man directed towards them and he looked over at her as she strolled forward while casually pulling a wad of fifties out of her handbag. The delivery man's eyebrows rose as though he was impressed by the amount in her hand and he accepted the payment without another word as he nodded towards the brunette he disappeared back into the house, dragging the dolly behind him.
Hayley cleared her throat awkwardly as she shifted on her feet, her hand resting on her protruding stomach almost like a protective shield and Imogen turned back around to face the temperamental blonde as she tried to look as innocent as possible.
"Right. It appears you weren't gonna wait for me to grant you permission to throw a kegger." Rebekah stated in amusement as she placed her hands on her hips, trying to look admonishing but a small smile played on her lips and her cerulean blue eyes flickered between the brunettes.
"Listen, you all want me safe? Fine. I'll do as I'm told. I'll play damsel in the glass tower. But tonight's the one night a month that I can meet my family. Now, you could rat me out and send me to my room, or you could be cool like Imogen help me to throw one hell of a party." Hayley bargained as she bit her lower lip to stop the pleading expression that threatened to spread across her features.
"Rebekah, we need this. Underneath the supernatural, you're a seventeen year old girl, Hayley is a knocked up twenty year old and I'm a twenty two year old college student. We deserve to let loose a little, to relax. We've been under so much stress lately. This will be good for us." Imogen insisted beseechingly as she clasped both her hands together in front of her and jutted her lower lip out in a pout.
The Original stared at her with blank expression in silence but just as Hayley and Imogen's hopes began to plummet down to earth, she broke out in a large roguish grin. "I'm in."
Imogen clapped her hands enthusiastically with a grin, it had been a while since she had had any genuine fun. The last few times she had been out partying, it was in an effort to forget about Davina's passing. It was an endeavour to forget, but that night she just wanted to have a good time with her friends.
Hayley had to laugh to the elated expression on the witch's face, but internally she was on cloud nine at the prospect of meeting her family after so much time.
"Come on. I have packed some clothes. A variety of sizes!" Imogen exclaimed as she practically pranced her way over to the back of the car and lifted the boot to reveal two large duffel bags.
"You certainly came prepared." Rebekah remarked dubiously as she wandered over with Hayley close by her side and the witch just shrugged nonchalantly as she pulled out the heavy bags, slapping the werewolf's hand away when she tried to help.
"We're not running a nudist colony. Can't have bunch of naked people running around."
"It'd certainly make this more interesting." The blonde muttered under her breath as she turned on her heel, heading towards the front of the house and Imogen made a face at her retreating back as she started walking around the back. Hayley trailed after the witch, wanting to help in any way she could since it was her idea to throw a party and her family that was coming to celebrate the full night.
"You excited for tonight?" Imogen asked the werewolf casually as she dropped the duffel bags on the ground at her feet when she stopped at the clothes line in the backyard. "Or more nervous?"
"I-I don't really know. I feel weird." Hayley admitted reluctantly as the corner of her lips curled in disgust because she wasn't sure why she was suddenly divulging her feeling to a near stranger. All her life she had kept her emotions to herself, playing her cards close to her chest and it was unexpected that she actually felt comfortable enough to tell Imogen the truth about how she was feeling.
"No expects anything from you, you know? I know everyone's saying the wolves are your family, but it's okay not to instantly connect with them. It might take time to feel comfortable. They're strangers. Even if they're blood."
Hayley paused in the middle of hanging up a shirt on the clothes line with a pensive frown on her lips, the witch's comforting words floating through her mind because Imogen had correctly voiced her worries. She frowned slightly as she curled her fingers around the clothes wire and she ducked her head to look at the ground so that she wouldn't see Imogen expression as she whispered, "I don't know how to be part of a family."
Imogen smiled slightly at the vulnerable tone of her voice but didn't show any other reaction because she didn't think Hayley would appreciate it and she continued hanging various articles of clothing on the line. "It's not something you need to know how to do. My biological family was horrible. I couldn't stand my parents and they couldn't stand me. So, I made my own family in Davina and Marcel. True family are the people that accept you for who you are. Just be yourself and if they can't appreciate you, then they aren't family."
A stereotypical family was a dream Imogen had long ago disregarded, one she couldn't even remembering having. During her childhood she'd held a sort of detachment towards her parents and that had only grown into a burning hatred in her teenage years when she realised that they were sociopathic monsters. They weren't family. They didn't care or accept her. The only people she considered family were Davina and Marcel.
"Thanks." Hayley muttered quietly as she snuck a look at the other brunette from the corner of her eye and Imogen hummed in acknowledgement as she continued hanging clothes on the line.
A soft growl sounded from the forest, causing both women to tense in defence and Imogen instantly stepped in front of Hayley protectively as she narrowed her eyes at the golden-eyes wolf that was standing in between the tall trees. Potential magic swelled in her stomach as her veins filled with electricity and her fingers twitched by her sides as she tried to decide whether or not the wolf was a threat.
"It's okay. It's alright, Imogen. This is the wolf that's been protecting me." Hayley told her as she laid a hand on the witch's arm in reassurance and Imogen let the magic fade as she nodded in understanding while Hayley smiled at the wolf. "Hello again. I'm looking forward to meeting you soon."
"Come on, hon. Party time. You can actually speak to your friend later." Imogen chirped happily with a grin spreading across her lips as she started walking backwards and Hayley laughed slightly as she watched the witch practically skip back up the pathway to the house.
The smile felt like it was permanently etched onto her lips as she glanced around the backyard and she noticed that Rebekah must have hung strings of lights up as they took care of the clothes. There were lit white pillar candles placed around the yard and a stereo system set up to the side of a makeshift dancefloor. The full moon was nearly at its peak as she walked into the plantation house with bright smile and the first thing her eyes landed on was Imogen strolling towards her with a bag full of plastic cups.
"Hayley, Imogen, the party's here!" she heard Rebekah shout from the kitchen as she reached out to help the witch carry the cups and she couldn't help the nervous fluttering in her stomach at the prospect of meeting her family.
"You okay?" Imogen asked quietly as she offered the other girl an understanding look and Hayley sighed shakily as she looked at the open door nervously without answering. "Just remember, you already have a family." She continued softly as she landed a hand on Hayley's protruding stomach and the werewolf glanced down with a gentle smile on her lips as she copied her gesture. "Anyone else is just a bonus."
"That degree in psychology comes in handy." Hayley quipped with a smirk but there was no malice in the action and Imogen chuckled in amusement as she winked playfully at the other brunette.
Loud music started playing from outside as the two women stepped out onto the patio, raucous laughter and voices of people chatting filled the night air as they both smiled widely at the vast array of people celebrating the full moon. People of all ages were standing around with drinks in hand or dancing on the makeshift dancefloor and the entire atmosphere of the party screamed enjoyment to those participating.
"I know one thing for certain, your wolves sure are party animals." Imogen shouted jokingly over the music with a smirk on her lips and she jumped back with a laugh when Hayley playfully swatted at her arm. The witch grabbed both of Hayley's hands in her own, her blue eyes shining with happiness and she started walking backwards towards the dancefloor while gently tugging Hayley forward. "Come dance with me."
"No. No, no, nope. I don't dance."
"Come on, you can do better than that! Tonight is not the night for burdens. It's to celebrate. It's to enjoy life for the few hours that your people get to live it. It's to hug your friends, your family, and to dance our asses off. It's the night to enjoy life again!"
"So, this next part of town is one of the few areas where any of the original French architecture remains. The most of the buildings were destroyed in the 1700s when the city burned for the first time." Sabine lectured as she came to a stop in the middle of an empty street, the only other sound was the wind blowing gently through the air. She glanced at the Original standing next to her, his eyes downcast and a thoughtful expression on his handsome features. "Am I putting you to sleep?"
"As surprising as you might find this, it's not every day that someone asks you to betray your own brother..." Elijah explained pointedly as he lifted his head slowly and turned his whole body to face the dark skinned woman standing next to him. "…Celeste."
A slow smile spread across her lips as her eyes lit up with delight that he had figured out her true identity and she tilted her head to the side as she asked him in an impressed tone of voice, "How did you know?"
"As Davina was drawing your likeness, I dared to imagine that your presence was near. And when Sophie discovered that there was no magic in your remains, I wondered-– could you have possibly cheated death by using your power to place your essence into the body of another? And if so, then who? And then, I recalled the lovely Sabine." He said in a slightly spiteful tone as he slowly circled around her, making sure to keep his gaze locked on her own dark brown eyes.
"Your visions of my brother's child precipitated the death of the last Elder within your coven..." he remarked knowingly as he paused for a moment, taking time to collect his scrambled emotions before he continued in a hurt tone, "Ensuring that the Harvest ritual could not be completed-– unless you were to control it. You have been playing a very long game, indeed. But to what end?"
Celeste shook her head slightly, as though she was astounded by his deduction skills and she took a step closer to him until she was close enough to see his emotions battling for dominance in his oak brown eyes. A small smirk played on the edge of her lips as she cradled his face gently in between her hands, her thumbs caressing his cheeks and she could see the confliction in his expression as she began in lean in close. Her lips brushed over his almost teasingly, making him inhale sharply at the contact and she took that as permission to press their lips together in a fervent kiss.
Elijah's eyes fluttered closed but a pair of blue eyes flashed through his mind and he pulled back from Celeste, putting less an inch of distance between the two of them as guilt swirled in his stomach. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that he had nothing to be contrite about but the thought of Imogen made him regret letting Celeste get to close, emotionally or physically.
"Oh, Elijah, my lost love... After all this time, don't you understand?" Celeste whispered to him as she rested her forehead against his, unaware of his inner turmoil and she stepped back with an angered expression on her face as she narrowed her eyes at him. "I died because of Klaus. And even after all his vindictive lies about witches led to my death, you stood by him. All because of your vow—'always and forever.'"
The Original frowned deeply as his head began to feel heavy like it was suddenly full of stones and his vision became blurry as dizziness encompassed him. The muscles in his lungs struggled to expand enough to get oxygen to breath and he felt his weakened knees threatened to give out underneath him as he grasped for the strength to keep upright. "What have you done to me?"
"Oh, it's a simple enchantment. You needn't worry. I'm not here to kill you, Elijah, I'm here to teach you the error of your ways." She informed him ominously as she tilted her head to the side, nothing but vengeance and hurt in her dark brown eyes as she stared at him in determination.
Short pants escaped Elijah's lips as he stumbled slightly in an effort to stay standing, not wanting to give the witch an advantage over him but his legs were much too weak and he collapsed onto his knees in front of her.
"'Always and forever' was the greatest mistake of your life." Celeste declared seriously as she looked down at him without remorse in her eyes and she held her chin up defiantly as she tilted her head to the side.
Elijah's body fell to the side as he struggled to keep his eyes open and he tried to focus on staying awake long enough for the spell to diminish. "You poisoned me with a kiss. At least you haven't lost your sense of irony."
"We may have time for more." She stated in a suggestive tone as she strolled a first steps to the side with a smirk on her lips and a moment her features were morphed in a mask of pure fury as she looked down at him. "But first, I'm going to cure you of your greatest flaw- this absurd devotion to your lunatic family."
"Your anger is with me. Now, if you have come here seeking revenge –"
"Oh, I'll have my revenge. Starting with Klaus. He is gonna know pain and torment like he's never felt before." She snapped in a slightly raised voice as rage flared across her expression and she pivoted on her heel to face away from him for a moment before glancing back at him with an almost playful expression.
"Unless you choose to save him, of course. But then that leaves Rebekah, your tragic sister." She continued in a mocking tone of voice as she rolled her eyes at the mention of the blonde and a sickening smirk spread across her lips, almost as though she was pleased by what was going to happen. "She's about to find herself in quite the predicament. You could save her. But then that leaves Hayley in jeopardy... And your precious Imogen."
"No. No, no..." Elijah whimpered in a panicked tone as he struggled to pull himself up onto his knees, his oak brown eyes wide with terror and she clicked her tongue at him in reprimand as he collapsed onto his back.
"Poor girl. She has no idea how dangerous it is to be loved by you. And the hell that she's already been though? Oh well." Celeste muttered carelessly as she waved a hand in the air dismissively and then looked at him with a sly smile on her lips. "With your body weakened by my spell, you won't be able to save them all. You'll recover with just enough time to choose one. Who will it be? I can't wait to find out."
Hayley tapped her foot rhythmically on the ground, a nervous tick she had developed sometime during her childhood and she peeked at the man sitting casually behind the piano in the living room of the plantation house.
Muffled music and laughter could be heard coming from outside but she was far too distracted by the information she had just received to even think about enjoying the festivities. It wasn't every day that someone learned that they were engaged without their knowledge to a complete stranger and she wasn't certain what the normal response was supposed to be.
"I know it's a lot to take in." Jackson remarked in an understanding tone of voice as he played some quiet notes and offered her a sympathetic smile when he looked over to where she was standing in the doorway.
"You think? I just wanted to meet my family. I never imagined I'd meet my husband from some weird-ass arranged marriage." Hayley told him sarcastically with an uneasy expression on her face as she shifted on her feet and she crossed her arms over her chest, a subconscious barrier between her and the world.
"I guess you don't know about any of this because there was never anyone around to teach you. The Crescents aren't just any pack of wolves. The bloodline goes back to the very beginning. Two families-– yours and mine. I guess that makes us kind of a royalty." He said in a light tone, not wanting to alarm to her any more than he already had and he stood up from the piano stool as he slowly walked around to stand on the other side of the instrument.
"This is a joke, right? I mean, if you're royalty, where's the throne?" she asked sardonically as she raised an eyebrow mockingly, a defensive manoeuver and she pursed her lips to stop from spitting out even more sarcastic commentary.
Jackson looked away in frustration, aware that it couldn't easy on Hayley to accept something she had never believed in but he was completely serious in his own conviction. "New Orleans used to be our town, and we lost it all because of some in-fighting. The vampires came after us, and if our families were united, we could've taken them. So, our parents decided to bring the two lines back together, and... you and I were betrothed."
"I'm sorry. This is ridiculous."
"Look, obviously things didn't work out the way anyone thought they would. Our pack made a huge misstep with the vampires when we refused to back down, and Marcel had us cursed by a witch. You are the last one of your bloodline, Andréa. Or Hayley, whatever you call yourself. These people will follow you. You can help them- you and what you represent."
"And what is that exactly?"
"A time when things were different. When our people fought back. And after everything you went through to find us... You're the one who's gonna break our curse." Jackson declared passionately as he grinned at her slightly but Hayley immediately frowned at him in confusion as she dropped her arms to her sides.
"What are you talking about?" she asked him bewilderment as she cocked her head to the side and stepped forward with one of her arms half raised to stop him from speaking.
"Your witch friend. She told Eve she was coming here tonight to set us free." He explained to her slowly, coming to the realisation that something was wrong by the way Hayley's forehead creased and her hazel eyes widened in surprise.
"Wait, what witch friend? Imogen?" she asked herself as she spun around to face the opening to the kitchen and cupped her hands around her mouth to amplify the next words she shouted, "Imogen!"
Hayley nibbled on the corner of her lower lip as she fiddled with her fingers nervously, trying to avoid the eyes she could feel burning into the back of her head. She wanted to help the wolves, she wanted to give them their lives back but it was a lot of pressure and responsibly on her shoulders. Her entire life she'd only had to rely on herself, never had to put anyone above herself. It was one of the biggest worries she had about being a mother.
"Hayley!?" Imogen shouted in a panicked tone as she sprinted into the room with her hands half raised in the air, ready to defend the mother-to-be with her magic. When she saw the worried frown on Hayley's lips and the strange man standing across the room, she instantly rushed to place herself protectively in front of Hayley.
"Whoa! I'm okay! I'm alright." Hayley assured her in a rush as she put a hand on the witch's shoulder but couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on her lips at the thought of someone defending her with such instantaneous zeal.
Imogen narrowed her eyes at the man across the room for a moment before turning to look at Hayley with a small frown touching her lips and placed her hands on her shoulders in concern. "What's with all the yelling?"
"Did you find a way to break the curse without telling me?"
"What? No. Not yet. What's going on?"
"Call Elijah. Now." The werewolf ordered pointedly without answering and Imogen was about to ask why but she could see the desperation in her hazel eyes so she silently took out her phone. "Some witch-bitch told the wolves she was going to break the curse on my behalf and no witch, other than you, would do that out the kindness of their heart. Something's going on."
There was a moment of silence as Imogen dialled Elijah's cell phone number with a grim expression and she grabbed Hayley's hand as she gently started leading her towards the backyard, thinking that they'd have a better chance of escaping whatever horror the witches were concocting if they were already outside. The phone line rang as she held the phone up to her ear and she sighed in relief when it beeped to let her know someone had answered.
"Imogen." Elijah sighed through the phone line and she heard the relieved tone in his voice but didn't have time to question it as she heading into the kitchen with Hayley and the other werewolf following.
"Elijah, something's going on with the witches." She said in a rush, not wasting any time on pleasantries when something might be putting them all in tremendous danger.
"Listen to me. Hayley was right. Celeste is back. Niklaus, Rebekah- you're all in danger."
A large gust of wind swept through the kitchen and the three of them froze in horror as the double doors leading outside clapped shut with a loud bang. Imogen immediately pushed Hayley away from the door as she gritted her teeth on frustration and went to touch the handle but flames erupted on the other side of the doors.
"What's going on?" the male asked in confused voice as he glanced towards the flames with a worried frown and Imogen rolled her eyes in impatience as she wrapped her hand around Hayley's wrist.
"It's a trap, Jackson. I didn't make a deal with any witch." Hayley explained in a hurry as she allowed herself to be pulled into the living room without any struggle and Jackson followed after them as his frown deepened.
"Imogen, you have to protect Hayley and you have to find Rebekah. You stay with her until I get there." Elijah demanded through the phone line, drawing Imogen's attention back to the situation and she hurried towards another set of double doors that lead to the patio. The moment she placed her hand on the handle, a line of flames flared up around the perimeter of the plantation house and she pulled Hayley back a step as her eyes widened in fright.
The magical energy pulsated from the flames, she could feel the heat of the magic more than she could feel the fire and it left a prickling sensation in its wake as it licked at her skin. She scowled at the door as she backed away, pulling Hayley along with her and she looked around for another exit but knew in the back of her mind that it was a useless endeavour. "Elijah, it's a spell. They're trapping us inside. I can feel the magic. It's more than one person doing this."
"Imogen, you have to – " he started to tell her but the phone line dropped out and his voice was replaced with a series of beeps. She let out an irritated sigh as she put her phone back in her pocket and took a small step closer to the pregnant werewolf as she cast a hopeless glance at the doors.
"We have to get out of here." Hayley said in a firm voice as she looked around the room for anything that could help them escape and absently intertwined her fingers with Imogen's, not even noticing that she was drawing comfort from her friend.
Jackson couldn't help but notice the nervous glint in Hayley's eyes as he picked up the piano stool and threw it at the window in an attempt to break the glass but the stool shattered upon impact without scratching the glass.
The fire increased as it started to spread into the house, torching the fabric of the curtains and carpet as they shuffled backwards out of reach of the flames. Smoke began to contaminate the air, making them all cough as the blaze spread throughout the room and Imogen's eyes watered as she covered her mouth with her hand.
Hayley collapsed onto her knees, dragging the witch down with her as she coughed uncontrollably and Jackson grabbed the tablecloth from the end table as he poured the water from a vase of flowers onto it before handing it to Hayley. "Here. Breathe through this."
Imogen's breaths were shallow as she watched Hayley cover her mouth with the fabric and she coughed violently, her body's way of trying to expel the polluted oxygen. She weakly lifted her head to glance around the room and saw that the entire room with covered with bright orange flames, burning its way up the walls towards the ceiling.
The window behind them shattered inwards, sending glass shards raining down on them and Imogen cried out in shock as she moved to cover Hayley from the falling debris. She looked up at the approaching figure with a frown on her lips and she sighed in relief when she recognised Elijah through the mass amounts of smoke.
"Go! Go! Go!" Imogen shouted in a raspy voice, instantly regretting the act when her throat burned and she coughed uncontrollably as she tried to push Hayley towards the Original. She struggled to keep her eyes open as she felt Hayley's weight being shifted next to her and she couldn't help feeling relieved that at least Hayley and her baby would be safe.
"Here. Come on, stay awake." Jackson ordered softly in a gruff voice as he placed the wet rag over her mouth and wrapped an arm around her waist as she leant heavily against his side. Her breath was coming out in short pants as her head lolled to the side until it was resting on his shoulder and she whimpered in pain as he shifted to tightened his hold on her waist.
Suddenly, a blurry silhouette was approaching them through the thick smoke and crouching down to slip their arms underneath Imogen's body, lifting her until she was cradled in his arms. Jackson nodded once to the shadowed figure as he felt himself drifting off and the figure disappeared into thin air as though they'd never been there at all.
The fresh air brushed over Imogen's skin like ice water and she gasped sharply as she jerked upright, her blue eyes wide as she sucked in a cleansing breath. Her fingers gripped the grass underneath her tightly, her nails digging into the dirt beneath her like she was trying to ground herself. She rolled onto her side as she began to cough violently, aware of someone rubbing her back comfortingly and she dropped her head onto the cool ground as she tried to regulate her breathing.
"I'm gonna kill that bitch."' Imogen whispered in a raspy voice as she pushed herself up on her arms and glanced over her shoulder to see Hayley sitting next to her with a small frown on her lips.
"Yeah? Get in line." The werewolf muttered bitterly as she continued to rubbed circles on the witch's back and Imogen choked out a chuckle as she sat up all the way with some help from Hayley.
"Wait. Where's – " she started to ask in a worried tone but was cut off when she noticed Elijah appearing next to them at vampire speed with his arm around Jackson's torso. The Original instantly dropped his arm from the werewolf when he noticed that Imogen was awake and he moved to kneel down next to her, cradling her face in his hands.
"Imogen. Are you okay?" he asked in a concerned voice, a small frown on his lips as his oak brown eyes burned with fear and she felt her lips turn up slightly as she leaned into his touch.
"I'm fine. Where's Rebekah? Last I saw she was dancing with one of the werewolves."
"I'm afraid Celeste has done something."
"Then why are you still here? Go! Find Rebekah!" she ordered firmly as she pushed his hand away from her cheek with a frown on her lips and he leaned down to pass a kiss to her forehead before using his vampire speed to run out of sight. She could feel his lips lingering on her skin as she pushed herself to her feet with a grunt of frustration and frowned down at her ruined outfit, seeing it covered in black ash.
"I have to go. The moon." Jackson told the girls with a sigh as he pointed at the full moon and he stuffed his hands in his pants pockets as glanced at the burning house behind them.
"Listen, Jackson. I wanna thank you for protecting me. Not just tonight." Hayley said softly in a vulnerable tone of voice, one that made her cringe to herself because it didn't sound like herself.
"I have been dreaming about this since I was a kid. I never thought it would go like this."
"Hey." Imogen called out to him as he began walking back into the forest and he turned around to face her with an expectant expression on his face. She hesitated a moment as she glanced over at the burning house before sneaking a look at Hayley and then looking back at Jackson as she rocked back on her heels. "I'm not like the other witches in the Quarter. I don't agree with what was done to you or your people. I won't stop until I'll find a way to break your curse. I promise."
Jackson's eyes widened in shock as he looked at the witch with his lips parted slightly but he nodded once with a thankful smile before retreating back into the forest to transform back into his wolf form.
Hayley grinned slightly as she wrapped her arm through Imogen's, a content warmth in her chest as she laid one hand on her protruding stomach and she felt maybe Imogen was right when she said that she already had a family.