The Forgotten Salvatore Book 5

Saviour

"Kind of hard to ignore it when someone needs your help, huh?" Hayley said to Jackson. Jackson makes a face, but before he can respond, Freya suddenly looks panicked as she starts to become aware of what has happened to her. "They took it. The Serratura." Freya said. Freya groans in pain and frustration as she pushes herself into a seated position. "I was meeting with a witch from the bloodline who built the lock. I was hoping she could help me destroy it, but it's not possible. She said the only way to get rid of it is to use it. We have to get it back and lock something else away. Anything but my family." Freya said.

Hayley, realizing how bad their current situation, groans in annoyance. "Great. Why don't we pay Tristan a visit and ask him really, really nicely?" Hayley asked. "Fine by me." Daniel said. Suddenly, Elijah walks into the courtyard wearing a very somber expression. "I'm afraid we have a far more urgent problem." Elijah said. Elijah looks over to the entrance to the courtyard just as Rebekah walks into the room, looking pale and tired, though she smiles at her friends and family at the sight of them. "Well, to be fair, I am the prettiest urgent problem you have ever seen." Rebekah said.

Later

Freya and Rebekah are sitting side-by-side on the couch in the compound as Freya examines the skull-shaped weal on her wrist, which has only grown larger and more painful looking since the last time it was seen. Elijah is pacing around beside them while Jackson, Daniel, Mia, and Hayley watch them with worry. Rebekah sighs in frustration before addressing Freya. "Give me the bad news, Doc." Rebekah said. "Aya's stake was cursed. It infected you. As this mark grows, you will go mad. Left unchecked, you will become a relentless, unstoppable Ripper." Freya said. "Oh great. Another one." Daniel said. Rebekah sighs again and rolls her eyes sarcastically.

"Aya always was thorough." Rebekah said. "The Strix always employ a safeguard. In the event that we were successful at retrieving your body, you were cursed. You see, if one is on a rampage, one is not difficult to hunt." Elijah said. Elijah turns to Freya with a concerned expression. "Can you fix this?" Elijah asked his sister. Freya picks up the stake and examines it, noticing a set of unfamiliar-looking runes carved into the end of it before nodding weakly. "The spell is carved here. I can... I can reverse it." Freya said. Freya quickly stands to her feet, but it's clear by the dazed look on her face and the quiet tone of her voice that something is wrong with her.

"I just... need some time... and a hell of a lot of magic." Freya said. Just then, Freya's eyes roll back into her head as she faints and collapses. Fortunately, Elijah is able to catch her before she falls to the ground, but Jackson and Hayley stand and rush over to her to check on her as Elijah deposits Freya's unconscious body on the couch next to Rebekah, who looks panicked. Daniel and Mia watch worried. "She was fine. Hayley healed her." Jackson said worried. Elijah looks down at Freya and notices a puncture wound on her neck that is still bleeding and weeping. "This scratch is not healed." Elijah said.

Suddenly, he realizes what is going on. "This is poison. This is an assassination attempt." Elijah said. They all look around the room at each other in alarm at this news. Elijah, Rebekah, Hayley, Daniel, Mia and Jackson are all anxiously surrounding Freya. After a moment, Freya begins to stir. "She's waking up!" Hayley said. Elijah holds his hand out to Freya, who takes it and squeezes it tightly as she sits herself up. "Are you okay?" Elijah asked. "I feel weak." Freya said panting. "Those vampires must have stabbed her with something." Jackson said. Elijah thinks about this for a moment.

"So, the Strix are fond of this slow-acting poison. There is an antidote... If I can get my hands on it." Elijah said. Elijah pulls out his phone and walks away to make a call, leaving the others to continue to brainstorm. Freya reaches over and takes Rebekah's injured wrist into her hands as she addresses the others. "For this, I'll need a pure silver knife, some white muskroot..." Freya said. Hayley turns around to look at Jackson. "I'll get the knife." Hayley said. "I'll track down the root." Jackson said. Hayley nods before turning back to Freya with a concerned expression.