Rue | Klaus Mikaelson

Chapter 29

"Ibeth."

She glanced at Hayley as she appeared behind them. "We've got company," said Hayley. "We have to go, now."

"What's going on?" demanded Keelin. "Who are you people?"

"Sorry about this," said Hayley, knocking Keelin into the nearest wall and rendering her unconscious. "No time to explain here."

"This isn't good," said Ibeth as they returned to the truck. "My grandma was right. Someone else knew about her. I wouldn't call it a trap but it is rotten luck. Where to now?"

"I have a place in mind," said Hayley, starting to drive. "Start getting her venom. Better now that she's unconscious."

Though Ibeth didn't like the sound of that, she knew it probably would be better that Keelin didn't feel the pain at all. By the time she woke, they would have the venom they needed and could instead focus on how they were going to protect her now that she'd been found.

She cradled Keelin in her lap while they extracted the venom. Ibeth tried to soothe her as much as possible, and the instant they got the last drop needed for the spell, she removed the mask and had Hayley give just a small amount of her blood to accelerate her healing.

They arrived at a secluded warehouse, parking the truck inside and quickly unloading the coffins. Ibeth opened all the lids, preparing Kol and Elijah to be cured. Rebekah's hex had already been siphoned off, and she would wake once her brothers did.

"Oh, my head," groaned Keelin as she awoke. "What the—?"

"We got the venom we needed," said Ibeth. "I apologize for doing it in your sleep, it was to minimize your pain. I also know it was without your consent, so I apologize for that, too. But we're being chased and it wasn't safe. Doesn't make it any better but we're a little desperate right now."

"Let me guess," muttered Keelin, "we're on the run from vampires?" She nodded to Hayley, "You have the same stink they do."

"I'm special," said Hayley. "I'm a hybrid. Half-vampire, half-werewolf. And considering that I saved your ass, you should show me some respect."

"Hayley," warned Ibeth. "She doesn't need to respect us after what happened. Keelin," she kneeled in front of her, "We'll get you somewhere safe as soon as this is over. Whoever sent those vampires knows about you and wants to kill you to eliminate the Malraux completely. We needed your venom to cure them," she gestured to the coffins. "My husband's siblings. The Originals. It's time to reunite the family so our kids can safely grow up away from the city they were born in. We can't hope to keep them safe as they are without the Mikaelson manpower. We have a lot of connections, we'll ensure you're protected."

"What are you doing?" asked Keelin, seeing Hayley preparing a syringe and standing by Freya's coffin.

"This is Freya," said Hayley. "She's a witch, and she left me instructions on how to wake her up early. Once she gets on her feet, I can give her the ingredients I got. And, with any luck, no one has to die." She stabbed the syringe into Ferya's chest.

The witch awoke with a gasp. "Freya!" cried Hayley, hugging her tightly. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Did you get the ingredients?" They both assented. "Good, I need to begin. If I can't turn all that into a cure, Elijah and Kol are going to die."

"Here," said Ibeth, gesturing to where they'd prepared a star with seven peaks. "The seven strains of venom you asked for, and Klaus's blood that Hayley saved from six years ago. And this," she pushed a box forward, "dark objects Cami gave me awhile back to prepare for this moment, if it ever came. Keelin is here because we were being chased."