𝕯𝖊𝖋𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖊 - [𝗘𝗹𝗶𝗷𝗮𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗮𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻] (EXTENDED HIATUS.)

𝐢. the legalities

Nobody could fight or stand up to Marcel. The witches were useless, the humans would get their throats torn out and the wolves wouldn't stand a chance.

Ophelia had never felt so strong, even without a steady source of magic she was on top; thanks to Marcel. Now, just because Marcel gave the woman everything she desired; a home at the Abattoir, a powerful position by his side, and an abundance of clothes and food. She still didn't entirely trust the man.

After all, her mind and heart had been damaged, she couldn't find it in herself to trust. But for the time she spent beside him, she offered her aid and her counsel; she was a lot older than she seemed after all. She played the part better than she could have ever imagined. Ophelia had to get reacquainted with the world, everything had progressed so much; technology was actually what she found easiest to get accustomed to, as well as learning the history of everything that had happened in her time in the prison world.

Surprisingly, Ophelia didn't mind Davina's presence all too much; the young witch had shared the story of the Harvest with the siphon, and Ophelia could relate. She told the young witch that her family had betrayed her too; though she didn't divulge in her past any further than that. Nobody really knew who Ophelia was; she was an enigma to most.

A siphon; a rare form of witch that Marcel knew almost nothing about, to say he was shocked at what she could do was certainly an understatement. Davina knew very little about siphons, after all, children in the coven were forbidden to learn about the abominations. But Davin had always been someone who craved to know more; she never saw Ophelia as an abomination, only a woman who, like her, had been cast aside by the witches. They were one and the same.

The witches of New Orleans came to fear the siphon. She walked around with her head held high, a glint in her dark eyes that frightened them. Even the vampires under Marcel's command never dared to challenge the woman whose fire had returned. Her mouth was fierce and it was as if she feared nothing; a reason why Marcel took a liking to the siphon. She fought hard and she proved time and time again that he could trust her.

The dark-skinned vampire had shared small parts of his past with the woman; he told her about his old family and about the original vampires he once knew, how they had thought of him as family, about how powerful they were. Marcel, no matter how hard he tried, no matter what silver-tongued questions he asked, he just couldn't get the siphon to speak of her own past.

All he and anyone else knew was that her name was Ophelia, she was twenty-two and her family had tossed her to the side after finding out what she was. That was it. It wasn't false information, but it definitely wasn't enough for any of them to truly know who she was. That was how she wanted it.

Within the time she spent parading around New Orleans with Marcel, she had never quite built a bond with any of the other vampires in Marcel's charge; she wasn't one for building connections, not anymore. But it didn't bother her, she played the part and offered them smiles that didn't reach her eyes and that was enough for them to deem her a 'friend' in their eyes, especially since Marcel trusted her.

They listened to her, each of them valued her opinion and her counsel; she was intelligent and knew of New Orleans history. She was also very aware and knowledgeable of the supernatural creatures that surrounded them.

One rule she had stuck to, however, was that she didn't touch anyone unless she aimed to drain their magical energy. It had been ingrained in her from her teenage years. She hadn't been allowed to touch her family, or anyone for that matter. Her parents feared that either she or Kai would steal magic and use it for their own gain. They weren't wrong, had either of them had the chance, they would have done exactly that.