BLOOD WITHIN ✔︎

50 | New Orleans

Nik snorted. "Good luck with that."

Talia leaned forward and flicked his ear. "Don't be mean to Bekah."

The car swerved. "Hey! No distracting the driver." Matty reached back and slapped Talia's leg.

"Ouch! That hurt you freak!" Talia frowned.

"You love me psycho." Matty smirked in the front seat.

Kol and Niklaus rolled their eyes. While they haven't gotten used to Matty and Talia's relationship they were getting a really good idea about it right now.

Kol's phone rang. "Elijah." Kol said in greeting. "Yes. We're fine. Talia flicked Nik's ear." Kol sighed. "Alright. Here, Darling. It's for you."

Talia hesitantly took the phone. "Hello?"

Everyone in the car could hear Jordan and Elijah's scolding tones.

Matty snickered. "Double team." She muttered under her breath.

Talia glared at her sister. "Yes, Elijah. I promise to not distract the driver of any car I am in. Not even if it is Kol." Talia said sullenly.

Kol rubbed her arm. "It's alright Darling. You can distract me anytime."

Talia's face went as red as her hair. "Kol!" Talia elbowed him in the ribs. "Sorry for yelling in your ear Elijah." Talia gritted. "Yes. I will be a perfectly behaved poodle." Talia snapped the phone shut.

"What was that for?" Talia hissed.

"Talia, calm down." Matty turned in her seat. "You can get your revenge later. We have some people to save."

Talia relaxed as much as she could. "Yeah. People to save." Talia looked out the window as New Orleans rolled by. "Are we there yet?"

"Almost." Niklaus spoke as he made a turn onto a rural road.

Talia pressed her face to the glass of the window as a huge, sprawling manor loomed in the distance. "Wow." She mouthed.

Talia and Matty shared looks.

Nik turned into the driveway and parked the car at the end of it. "Now, we haven't been here in a while so the house may need some touching up."

"How long is a while?" Matty asked.

"Since the beginning of the 1900's." Kol spoke up.

"So, it's an old relic like you?" Talia questioned mock innocently. Talia squealed as Kol pinched her side. "Okay. Okay. Not an old relic."

"So basically, ancient plumbing and electrical." Matty said, ignoring the two in the back.

"Essentially." Nik popped open the car door and got out.

Matty, Talia and Kol got out of the car.

"An elderly artifact?" Talia giggled.

Kol made a face at her.

"A decrepit antique?" Talia tried to calm her giggles.

"Who are you calling decrepit?" Rebekah huffed. Just her luck to be stuck with the stuffy ones.

"Talia's calling Kol that. Klaus explained about the house and Talia made a joke." Matty explained.

"I got it! Ancient heirloom." Talia shrieked.

Kol growled and chased after her. Talia yelped and ran around the house.

"What is Talia doing? She's supposed to be helping us save the witches." Rebekah said, angrily.

"Give her a break!"

"She's doing her job!"

Matty and Jordan defended her.

"Look, you guys know best how destructive Kol can be. Talia is helping by keeping things light. Don't get her wrong, Talia and Kol are furious but they are doing their best to not go all Terminator on Marcel and the other vamps." Matty explained.

"How can you tell she's angry?" Elijah asked, curious.

"Simple." Jordan took over from Matty. "It's in the way she carries herself. Look at her shoulders, see how tensed they are? Outward, Talia may appear calm and happy. Inside is a different story. Talia is pissed."

"She is keeping calm for Kol's sake." Matty whispered.

"See? She's doing her job." Jordan said, just as quietly.

Talia and Kol emerged from the side of the house. "Matty? You have got to see this. There is a garden back there. Overgrown and in desperate need of care, sure. But it is massive. Come on! Jordan, you come as well."

"I can't." Jordan told her. "I have to go inside. The sun is coming up."

Talia whipped her head to face the east and sure enough there was a lightness in the sky. Talia's face fell. "Yeah. That's right. I forgot."

"It's okay Tals. I will see it tonight." Jordan wrapped Talia in a hug. "Don't worry so much. We will save them."

"I'm not-" Talia protested.

Jordan threw a look at her. "Talia, your back and shoulders have been military straight since we got off the plane. Take some time today to just breathe and relax. You have the advantage. You know almost everything. Just don't get too cocky. Arrogance can be our downfall. I really have to go inside." Jordan brushed past everyone, grabbed her small bag from the trunk of the car and scurried inside.

Talia grabbed her bag and went inside. "I think we need a meeting at around one in the afternoon. That will give me time to come up with a better plan." Talia shot over her shoulder as she went.