BLOOD WITHIN ✔︎

31 | Feeling thankful

Kol made to kiss her forehead but Talia leaned up and caught his lips with hers. The kiss was hesitant and chaste but Kol ached to take it further. Kol pulled away before he could push Talia further than she wanted to go.

There came a cautious knock on the door. Kol and Talia turned their heads to face Rebekah as she entered the room.

"Hey, Elijah is awake and ready to talk." Rebekah looked at Talia.

"Tell 'Lijah we'll be down in a minute." Talia answered her.

Rebekah nodded and exited the room, giving the new couple some space. Rebekah whispered a quiet yes as she left the room. She had won one of the bets. Nik won the other. Rebekah plotted what she was going to do with that six thousand dollars she just won. Maybe get Talia a new wardrobe.

"What are you so happy about sister?" Niklaus asked her.

Rebekah smirked. "Looks like we both get some money. I won the first bet with Kol. You won the length of time it took."

Niklaus smiled as well.

Elijah walked into the room just then. "What are you two so happy about?"

"Looks like we won the bet. Pay up Elijah." Niklaus spoke.

"Seriously? This again." Talia sighed.

Rebekah and Nik opened their mouths to comment but Talia waved them off. "We need to compare stories first. Then we can discuss that."

Elijah, Niklaus and Rebekah sat down in various chairs throughout the room. Kol and Talia sat on the couch. Talia curled into Kol's side. "Here is what happened with us." Talia started.

Elijah and Talia took turns telling Kol, Rebekah and Niklaus about their time away.

"What happened with the hunter?" Rebekah asked.

"We parted ways at the airport in Nova Scotia. I have a feeling this won't be the last we see of Mister Vaughn. Talia after all swore to help him with one thing in return." Elijah answered.

"You do realize what a vampire's word means, right?" Niklaus questioned.

Talia was offended. "Of course I do. We needed his help. I had to do something."

Kol soothingly rubbed Talia's arm. "It's okay Darling."

Talia sat back. "What happened with you guys?"

It was now Rebekah and Nik's turn to tell a story. Kol stayed silent because he didn't want to admit how scared he had been.

"And then Kol went and trashed your room." Rebekah was saying.

Talia raised an eyebrow at Kol. Kol shrugged and smiled at her. Talia rolled her eyes.

"Are you listening?" Rebekah demanded.

Talia nodded. "Yes I was. You were saying that you spent the last three days cleaning my room."

"Well, that's about it." Rebekah spoke sourly. She was upset with Talia. Kol had his mate, Rebekah wanted hers.

Talia gazed at Rebekah. She noticed her tone with her. What do I do? I know she wants her mate, but how will I bring him to her? What about Matty? When will she show up?

"Go to New Orleans." That same voice from before ordered. "Save the witches."

Talia jumped.

"You okay Talia?" Elijah asked.

Talia looked around nervously. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Kol narrowed his eyes.

"We don't like lying, Talia." Niklaus warned.

Kol studied the girl in his arms. His mind snapped back to when she punched him in the chest. She looked about the same. "What is going on Darling? What is scaring you?" Kol asked.

Talia looked up and met Kol's dark brown eyes. "I have been hearing a voice." She whispered, still looking at Kol.

"It's a female voice and she always talks to me when I am wondering about the future. The first time I was wondering about the information I have. She soothed me and told me it would all work out. This time I was wondering about Rebekah's mate and how I will bring him to you. She told me to go to New Orleans and save the witches."

"What does that mean? 'Save the witches'?" Elijah questioned.

Talia sighed and got comfortable in Kol's arms. "Who is ready for another story?"

The Originals shared looks. One by one they got more settled in their seats.

"In the series after you guys defeat Silas, you guys leave Mystic Falls. By this point, and I hate to bring this back up but there it is important, Kol and Finn have both died in Mystic Falls."

She looked at each of the originals.

"You three felt that you have lost so much to this town you agreed and left. You scattered. Rebekah went to Paris, Elijah was about to leave the country, and Nik went to New Orleans. He had gotten wind of a witches plot to kill him."

She turned to Nik, "It wasn't true."

Talia took a moment to breathe before waffling on,
"Well, it was partly true. See, Nik had slept with Haley and she got pregnant. The witches of New Orleans had captured her and when Nik didn't believe it, they lured Elijah to town. The witches wanted a deal."

Pause.

"See, in New Orleans right now, it is being ruled over by vampires. Witches can't practice magic. If they do, they are killed in the street in front of everyone. Since witches in New Orleans practice ancestral magic, their dead is kind of important to them. Sometimes this so call king will take the witch's body so she can't be laid to rest." Talia paused for breath and to let all of that sink in.

Kol was furious, Talia could tell. He had clenched his hands tighter on hers. Talia rubbed her hand soothingly on his arm.

"The witches wanted an Original's protection. The first asked Nik but he declined. They then exploited Elijah's weakness. His family. This king was not pleased with the Originals in his city."

The three originals were shocked by the information, especially Elijah being exploited.

"It turned into a major war. Eventually dragging Rebekah back into it. It came to a truce when Nik, in all his hybrid glory, fought this king's army and they came to a standstill. The thing is, the witches had another reason for doing this. They were in the process of doing an ancient ritual called the harvest."

Talia knew she was approaching information she wasn't certain about, but she knew they would correct her if they knew otherwise.

"Correct me if I am wrong, but every three centuries, the ancestors of the land demands that four witches be sacrificed and they teach them in death. I don't know if they get brought back to life or not. But the last time this happened in New Orleans it was 1712 and they didn't have the right recording of the event."

Talia took a breath.

"Some witches didn't want this to happen. They didn't know if their loved ones will come back. So, this king interrupted the ritual and kidnapped one of the girls. The ritual was down to the last girl. Davina is her name. Davina now has the power of three powerful witches and her own powers as well. The king hid away Davina and she spies on the witches for this king. I guess that voice wants me to save the witches." Talia finished.

"What is this king's name?" Niklaus asked quietly.

"Marcel." Talia stated firmly.

There were gasps.

"I thought he died." Rebekah murmured.