Hey there, guys. Just wanted to respond to one of the reviewers and say that the girl in the cover image is Emma Watson. I wanted to find a picture that wasn't too recognisable haha!
As Brenna yelped, Esther's eyes went wide and she ran to her as Kol caught her. "What happened?"
"I don't know, all of a sudden I felt this pain in my chest, AHH!" Brenna cried.
"Mother, the spell. It needed a blood sacrifice to activate it. That's why you could feel it dormant this morning," Kol realised. Esther immediately grabbed Brenna's hand as Brenna grimaced.
"It's been activated, I can feel it. Helga made us think she did the spell incorrectly, she knew today was Samhain. Helga knew there'd be a sacrifice." Esther felt Brenna's forehead, "you're burning up."
"The fever," Brenna breathed. "She said a fever would kill me. Am I going to die?"
"No," Kol answered bluntly whilst Esther stayed silent.
"I'm scared. I'm scared Kol, I don't want to die. We aren't even married yet."
Others at the festival hadn't noticed the commotion between the three.
"Kol, take her to our house before people start to notice," Kol nodded scooping her up in his arms as Esther raced to Mikael.
Klaus saw Esther whispering to Mikael and turned around to see Kol walking off with a limp Brenna in his arms and ran toward Esther.
"Mother! Brenna?" he exclaimed.
"She's been taken down by Helga's magic…" Esther began, and before she could finish Klaus had run off after Kol and Brenna.
"KOL! Kol!" Klaus yelled as he caught up.
"She just collapsed Nik," Kol breathed as he raced to the cottage. Klaus walked beside them and was stuck staring at Brenna and decided to reach out and sweep some hair off of her face causing Kol to yank her away and Nik to roll his eyes.
Kol reached his home and laid Brenna down and held her hand as Klaus stood over by her feet. "She's burning up," Kol said as he felt her forehead.
"I'm dying aren't I?" Brenna panted.
"No," Klaus and Kol replied at the same time. "No I won't let that happen," Kol added. "I'll let mother work out what is going on and then I'm not going to stop until I find a spell to fix this," he comforted.
"Move Kol," Esther ordered as she and Mikael entered. Kol obeyed and Esther again grabbed Brenna's hand to get a feel of the magic within her. "It's not a type of magic that I am familiar with, I can not determine the spell. Kol, fetch my grimoire." Kol ran to fetch the book.
"Here, mother."
Esther flicked through the grimoire and found the spell she was looking for and began chanting, as she finished, Brenna sat up gasping.
"What did you do mother?" Kol enquired as he helped Brenna lie back down.
"The magic was strong, it would have killed her by tonight. I just slowed down its effect, it's not gone but I've delayed it a while." Esther informed.
"So I'm still going to die? AH!" Brenna winced as she tried to sit up again.
"I will work non stop to find out what magic this is so I can reverse it."
"I'll help," Kol interjected.
Brenna turned to look at Nik and smiled as he crouched down beside her putting a comforting hand on her shoulder and Kol glared as Nik rolled his eyes again.
"So do you think you'll be able to marry Kol now?" Tatia asked, supporting Brenna as they walked.
"Oh my dear Tatia, I can't marry him until they find out what is happening to me. Besides I've hardly seen him the last month, he's been too busy pouring through spell books."
"Well, whilst you're being ignored I've spent plenty of time with Elijah," Tatia giggled.
"Oh I know," Brenna smirked.
"Tonight's our first full moon since I refused Niklaus, I just do not want it to be uncomfortable in the caves tonight."
"I do not think it will be, he's been spending most of his time helping me, he hasn't been moping. I think he knew it was inevitable."
"Oh, look, I see Elijah, are you alright here or do I need to help you somewhere?"
"Just walk me to the tree sister, I just want to be alone for a while," Tatia nodded taking her to the tree before skipping off.
Brenna woke with a start as Niklaus shook her shoulder.
"You fell asleep, love."
"Oh sorry, my bad. Thank you for waking me Nik. Where were you today? I was looking for you," she asked as he helped her up.
"I was painting," he whispered as Brenna's eyes went wide.
"But Mikael!" Brenna exclaimed.
"Don't worry, I found somewhere hidden," he smirked. "You should probably head home," he said as he pulled a leaf out of her hair. "Everyone is preparing to head to the caves.
Brenna nodded, "I'll meet you down there?" she asked and he nodded as she smiled and left.
"Kol!" Brenna said alarmed staring at the entrance of the cave and he ran toward her. "Nik and Henrik, they're not here yet. And the moon is up!"
Kol's eyes widened and he turned to the entrance in hidden fear. "Nik is a big boy he can take care of himself," he snapped as Brenna glared at him.
"What about Henrik, huh? And Nik... he's still your brother, it is not wrong to care," she snapped back before storming off to Rebekah as Kol huffed staring after her.
"Nik isn't here Brenna," Rebekah told her alarmed.
"I know Bekah, he'll be fine, he's brave," she said grabbing her friend's hand and sitting down next to her.
"Oh, look at this one Bekah," Brenna pointed out a necklace to Rebekah trying to keep her mind from wandering to Niklaus' welfare.
"It is quite lovely," Rebekah said enchanted and reached out her hand to touch it, but as she did, it burned her. She looked to the side to see Ayanna, "Ayanna, you burned me," Rebekah whispered as Brenna inspected her hand.
"That is not yours to touch," Ayanna replied smugly causing Brenna to glare.
"MOTHER!" Nik's voice roared.
"Is that Niklaus?" Rebekah asked as Brenna nodded. "Something is wrong," she continued before turning to look out the window, only to see Nik carrying Henrik's limp body. "Henrik!" she yelled as she grabbed Brenna's hand and rushed outside.
"MOTHER!" Niklaus roared again. As they ran outdoors they both stopped short seeing little Henrik's body covered in blood as Esther and Elijah rushed from other areas of the village to Henrik's side. Brenna turned to look at Rebekah and flung one arm around the shocked girl's shoulder and rested her other hand on her arm in comfort.
"No, no! What happened?" Esther questioned panicked.
"The wolves," Nik whimpered, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
"Save him," Esther demanded of Ayanna. "Please there must be a way," she said as Rebekah and Brenna crept closer to Henrik's body.
Ayanna placed her hand on the boy's face before sighing "the spirits will not give us a way Esther. Your boy is gone," she said to a now distraught Esther. Both Brenna and Rebekah crouched down on either side of Niklaus, Rebekah stroking his hair and Brenna hugging him as he rested his head on her shoulder.
"No! No! NO!" Esther kept repeating in anguish.
Brenna stayed at the Mikaelsons that night to help Rebekah grieve, Kol had barely spoken a word to anyone and Brenna was well aware that the best course of action was to give him space to privately grieve his baby brother. Rebekah, on the other hand, needed attention and someone by her side. Brenna woke up in the middle of the night to Rebekah shaking her and ushering her to follow. Brenna obeyed and she and Rebekah came across Esther, Ayanna and Mikael talking.
"Please Ayanna, I implore you. You must call upon the spirits on the next full moon.
"I will not," she replied to Mikael. "It is a crime against nature."
"Ayanna, we have already lost too much," Esther broke. "We cannot lose anymore," she said in reference to her children, causing Brenna to narrow her eyes and look at Rebekah grimly. "The spirits can help us find a way to protect our children." Brenna had had enough of eavesdropping and smiled at Rebekah before pulling her back to the bedroom.
"Brenna, I don't know how to tell you this, it's strange, but Esther asked for my blood today," Tatia said to her sister as they were lying on the ground, watching the clouds and trees.
"What?" Brenna sat up asking.
"She said she needed it to make her family superior to the werewolves that harmed them. I just thought of how devastated I would've been if it were Elijah dead and not Henrik. So I gave it to her, no questions asked.
Before Brenna could respond she got hit with a wave of nausea began to feel weak and instead of probing her sister further she merely mumbled an ok and lay back down panting.
It had been days since the Mikaelsons had been seen. Villagers had seen them burn in the sunlight when they reached out of doors or windows. It had been days since Brenna saw her best friends and Kol. Brenna had been getting weaker by the day but hiding it from her family. Eventually, the pain became too much and she found herself knocking on the Mikaelsons door. Esther opened the door so only her eyes were visible.
"Yes my child?"
"The spell, the one you cast to help me. It's not working anymore, ahh," she hissed grabbing her chest.
"Let her in mother," she heard Kol demand behind the barely ajar door.
Esther huffed before resigning and opening the door. "She can come in, but only if you and the others stay in the other room. You can't go near her now. You might endanger her."
Brenna saw Kol's dejected face in the shadows as he nodded and left as Esther helped Brenna through the doorway and into the main room to lie down.
"I am so sorry child, this is my fault," Esther said sadly, brushing the hair from her cheeks. Kol then entered the room. "Kol! Leave. You cannot be trusted," she hurried.
"I will not hurt her mother, I swear to you. I would never. The others are staying back there. What can be done?"
"I was keeping her alive. I was sending my own life force into her. It's how she stayed alive. We were sharing energy to keep the spell from claiming her."
"Why isn't it working now?" he enquired sweeping hair off her clammy forehead.
"I had to withdraw it. I needed my full power for the spell for you and your siblings and father. I couldn't let it stay in her." Kol looked at her shocked. "I did find something though. A spell she will come back healed. But she will have to die for it to work."
"What?" Brenna said panicked.
"It will work Kol, she will die, but she will come back, I promise. What do you think dear?" she asked Brenna.
"I'll come back straight away?" Brenna asked.
"No, you'll be born to another family, but you won't be sick."
"But then I won't see Kol again! I can't die," Brenna said panicked.
"I swear to you, dear. You will see Kol again. He will appear just the same as he is now," Esther reassured a confused Brenna.
"Do you promise I will see Kol? He'll be there?"
"Sweetheart, he'll always be here now."
"Ok. I suppose we have no choice. What is the harm? I will die anyway. I trust you." Esther and Kol nodded and he held her hand as Esther chanted and then Brenna's eyes fluttered closed for the last time.