[3] Bloodline • Legacies ✓

iii.

chapter three.

Matthias, Niklaus, and their wives sat in an empty classroom with files all around the table. Matthias was looking through their backgrounds, Niklaus was looking at their counseling notes with the help of Aurora, while Rhea was looking at Alaric's schools teaching curriculum.

They hadn't been completely honest with their children about why they were.

"So, you want us to spy on Alaric's records?" The question left the lips of a confused Matthias as he sat beside his twin brother.

Vincent had called them into the office for a meeting but was vague, the twins had assumed it was because he wanted nothing but complete privacy that his spelled office would allow.

"I got a tip from a student at the school about Alaric sheltering the students." He told them while reading over the files in front of him. "I understand Alaric's wishes of wanting to protect the school, but I learned he has a dark object underneath the school meant to neutralize any and all type of magic within the perimeter of the school."

"How did you learn that?" Niklaus asked him with a frown on his face. "We've dealt with a lot of things in our life Vince, we cannot risk our safety to the words of some student. We could be going in blind, walking into a trap, the possibilities are quite endless."

"And I understand your paranoia." Vincent told him and Niklaus ignored the jab.

However, Matthias wasn't Niklaus, and he wasn't going to ignore it. "Watch your tongue." He snapped at the witch.

Vincent shot Niklaus an apologetic smile. "Sorry, old habits." He admitted before clearing his throat and setting down the papers. "I believe this student about the sheltering but about the artifact, I know it's real because we also have one."

Now this shocked them.

"What?" Matthias asked with wide eyes. "And you never thought to tell us!?"

Vincent sighed and gave him a pleading look. "It's not like that." He promised. "I never plan to activate it, it was the only way to get permission from the human faction on opening the school at all."

"That's why you know Alaric has it." Niklaus said. "They probably told you that Alaric had signed the agreement when you declined."

Vincent nodded his head. "Yeah, they did. They said it was a failsafe should any of the students lash or act out." He explained. "I don't like it but to keep the school open, I have it locked away in one of the cellars, but it's spelled off so no student should be able to find it unless they actively go looking for it."

That did nothing to ease the parents minds, but they also didn't see the point in arguing with the man. They had all gone through so much together and at this point it wasn't worth it to start doubting him now.

"Alright, but why does it correlate with the transfers?" Matthias asked, wanting to get back on track.

"I think someone wants New Orleans Academy to step in and remove Alaric as Headmaster." He told them while running a hand down his face. "I honestly don't want to merge the schools, nor do I want to get involved with their issues, but if someone is trying to get my attention on the matter, I want to at least pretend to be interested."

"Ah, so you want us to see if their truly is something to worry about or if it's just someone wanting to get rid of Alaric." Niklaus pieced together and Vincent nodded. "Sounds simple enough."

"Consider it done." Matthias shrugged in agreement.

Shaking the conversation with Vincent from his mind, Matthias went back to snooping while also reading on the several students that want to transfer.

"We were told that only vampires want to transfer." Aurora spoke up from her spot on the couch. "Why am I finding declined attempts?"

"What?" Niklaus frowned while walking over to his wife and she held out the stack of papers in her hands.

"There are at least a dozen requests, but Vincent never got them I assume." She told her husband.

Niklaus took the files from her, and she was indeed right, they had all been declined but Vincent never spoke of anyone wanting to transfer recently. The transfer requests in his hands were from months ago, Vincent wouldn't have decided this on himself, he's always consulted with the Mikaelson twins.

That's when he spotted the obvious, Vincent's signature wasn't anywhere on the papers in his hands.

"No darling, it appears that someone is trying to keep students from their right of schooling." Niklaus agreed with her. "Rhea, how is the academic schedule here looking?"

"They have the basics down, but it genuinely doesn't look like he doesn't have anything of advance classes." Rhea told the hybrid. "I mean at the academy we're teaching the wolves how to control their wolves during the shift or even trying too, some have been successful while others' not so much. We have me and Kai teaching the witches about magic alongside Bonnie and sometimes Davina will even come to teach a class or two, I think Alaric lacks the teachers needed to teach what they need to know."

"So, Vincent should be worried?" Matthias asked her.

Rhea opened her mouth only to close it when the doors to the room they were in opened and in entered Alaric, he looked almost nervous, and it made the two twins smirk at one another.

"Alaric, so nice of you to finally join us." Niklaus joked. "How's being headmaster treating you?"

Alaric fought the urge to roll his eyes. "It's been fine, I apologize for being late, I had to pick up a newly turned werewolf last night."

"Newly turned?" Rhea asked him. "How did you know?"

"Vincent gave us one of the magical globes that Hope created so that I could find those closer to my school and vice versa." He told them simply. "Last night it went off with a new one and I did try and see if you would like to join but the kids said you were out."

Matthias nodded his head. "Makes sense."

"How is the wolf?" Niklaus asked Alaric. "Confused? Scared?"

Alaric was almost shocked by the caring tone that Niklaus held but he didn't dare show it. "I have my daughters showing him and his brother around."

"Brother?" Aurora asked. "You only mentioned the wolf."

"Sorry." Alaric said, but the apology wasn't genuine, and they knew it. "He has a foster brother, apparently the parents thought that his outbursts and anger issues were the result of a demon and were trying to have an exorcism preformed on him."

The statement had Nik and Matthias sharing a chuckle while Aurora bit back a laugh and Rhea sent them a scolding look. "Behave." She told them but even Matthias knew that his wife was trying to remain serious for Alaric's sake. "I do hope he's okay."

Alaric nodded, "He's confused but I think he'll fit in just fine with Jed's pack."

Jed Tien.

Niklaus had heard nothing but and things about Jed Tien, the wolf was a lot like Tyler Lockwood, filled with arrogance and was an overall bully. Vincent had denied his transfer after meeting with some of the wolves and they had told them about Jed's way of leading things, something he had learned from his abusive father.

If Jed was unwilling to break the cycle of his father's teachings, Vincent knew that the wolves at New Orleans Academy would rip him to shreds. He wanted Jed to see his wrongs so when he stated in the report that he wanted Jed to seek therapy, Jed refused and said that Vincent was wrong.

"Bold assumption." Niklaus told him but didn't explain further since Alaric hadn't even shown the slightest of concern for how Jed was acting as alpha. "Nevertheless, we have to talk."

"Did you come to a conclusion on the transfers?" Alaric asked them.

"Our children are conducting tests right now to show whether or not they'll benefit from a transfer or not." Aurora answered him or well half answered him. "What we would like to know, is why there are probably more than a dozen denied transfers when Vincent never signed off on it and where these students are now."

Alaric paled, something none of them missed and he knew that he was now in deep shit.