Rue | Klaus Mikaelson

Chapter 36

Freya huffed. "The perfect lair for someone who relishes tragedy."

"Wait," said Ibeth, pointing at a smaller serpent appearing on another area of the map. "This one is tinier. Is she in two places at once?"

The witch examined it. "Huh... if the serpent at the LaForge House represents The Hollow herself, then this must be some sort of totem she's using to magnify her power and protect herself. Dahlia used to use these when she was up to something particularly awful. It will render the Hollow unkillable. We will have to destroy it before we can face her."

"Lovely," said Rebekah, pulling out her phone. "I could do with some fresh air. And some fresh blood."

"Take the map," said Freya, folding it for her. "It's been spelled to track the totem. Don't go alone."

"One step ahead of you, sis," said Rebekah, holding the phone to her ear.

Ibeth heard Kol's voice on the other end. "Hey, Bex. What's up?"

"Someone's floating around with a trinket that's fueling our enemy's power. What say you help me track down and exterminate this scoundrel?"

"I'd like nothing better."

Jayden ran into the room as Rebekah left. "Mama," he said, tugging at her shirt and trying to hang himself from her arm like a monkey. "I have a question."

"A question?" she asked. "What is it, my love?"

"I want to give my blood, too."

"Why is that, sweetheart?"

"Well, Hope said she's scared that if she does this, there will be another fight. But Mama Hayley said sometimes we have to do things we don't want 'cause we're the only ones who can do it. So Hope is giving her blood but then, then, then—" he lifted his legs, swinging on her arm, "I thought, I'm special too, even if I'm not a witch. Can my blood help?" He turned to Freya. "Can it?"

"Maybe," said Freya thoughtfully. "You are still very powerful. You're not a Labonair, but you are a Crescent, and you are Hope's sibling. It can magnify the potency of her blood."

"Wait," said Ibeth softly. "But what about what Vincent, Hayley, and I told you guys about my bloodline and The Hollow? The way she uses it against the Labonairs? Is that a good idea? Use my blood instead, not Jayden's."

"The could work," thought Freya. "If you are already carrying another child, this one might have inherited the witch gene, we simply don't know, but on the off chance you are and it is... it could work. And if not, then at least The Hollow can't use Jayden's blood to hurt him."

"But Mama!" cried Jayden indignantly when Ibeth held out her hand to bleed into a bowl. "I wanted to be the one to help!"

"It's not one hundred percent safe though, my little prince. Let Mama take this one, okay?"

Jayden pouted, letting go of her as he watched her blood drip into the bowl. "Okay..."

He remained by her side as Klaus called her and Freya into the next room to examine the weapons he'd chosen. "Ooh," said Jayden, reaching for a sword, which he could barely lift. "I want this one."

"Be careful, my littlest wolf," said Klaus, coaxing it away from him. "I will teach you to use a sword when you're older."

Jayden huffed, crossing his arms. "You guys don't let me do anything!"

"We're not restricting you to make you feel sad or mad," Ibeth said soothingly. "We're doing it to protect you."

"I don't wanna be protected, I want to fight like you guys! I wanna defeat the bad guys, too!"