Time seemed to move slowly.
It was giving her terrible flashbacks to when she had been trapped with The Strix, and she knew Hayley felt the same way.
Beatrix had awoken strapped into a chair, ropes of vervain around her wrists and ankles, as well as one around her neck. There was an additional IV inserted into her, pumping vervain in every minute.
Beside her had been Hayley. They were both drenched in sweat and dirt— the building they were in was full of dust and smelled of burned sage.
"H-Hayley," gasped Beatrix, not daring to move. "Hayley..."
"She was awake before you."
The Heretic's head shot up, seeing Greta entering the room. Above her head, written on the wall in blood were the words 'FREAK FILTH CROSSBREEDS.' Greta smirked and knelt in front of Beatrix. "She already had her taste of pain. She woke up from the sleeping spell her daughter put on her. Attacked us. We subdued her easily. It was her blood we used to write that, up there. Now, it's your turn. Every good painting needs a second coat."
Beatrix let out a scream as Greta drove a blade into her side. The Heretic thrashed about, only succeeding in getting more vervain pumped into her. The vampire before her yanked the blade out, spilling Beatrix's blood into a tin that awaited under her chair. Moaning in pain, she felt herself be bled out. With all the vervain, there was no way she'd heal right away. The blood would continue to leak until Greta wished for it to stop.
"We took the liberty of taking your magic," added Greta, watching with satisfaction as the tin began to fill up. She held up a small piano key. "It was very easy to search your mind to find the symbol we needed. And of course, my witch was verycapable of draining it out by force. It was why you hadn't awakened. It's been... a few days."
"Days?" gasped Beatrix in shock. She squeezed her eyes shut, her side throbbing painfully. "No..."
"We are quite fortunate that your niece was idiotic enough to sabotage you and her mother herself. From there, it was quite easy for my son to find you." Greta dipped the piano key into the tin of blood, smearing it before wrapping it into a handkerchief. "I ask for your opinion— do you think this will be enough for Klaus to recognize you, or should we add this to the gift box we intend to send?"
Greta held up another handkerchief. Beatrix nearly threw up. It was part of Hayley's back— flesh carved out to show her Crescent birthmark. The vampire smirked as the Heretic turned away. "That's a good answer," she said darkly. She pulled out a fancy little wooden box from her pocket. Inside of it was a coin with an eagle. Greta carefully placed the bloodied piano key inside with it, then the torn flesh. "Roman."
A young boy with curly dirty blond hair and hazel eyes entered the room. Beatrix glared up when she recognized him. He was one of Hope's classmates. Greta handed him the box. "You know what to do with this."
"Yes, mother," he said before speeding out of the room.
Beatrix growled and tried to break out of her restraints again, to no avail. "When I get out of here, I will tear you and your son to shreds!"
Greta smirked. "You won't get out, darling. And if you harm my son and I, then my daughter will come for you. Perhaps you know her. After all, she's the girl dating that handsome Elijah Mikaelson who you once called your own."
Snarling, Beatrix tried to kick out, but couldn't. Greta looked overjoyed at her misery. "You hybrids are the worst of the lot," she said. "Perhaps, you may not be as bad as the three werewolf-vampire bastards and the tribrid girl that runs amok. But you and that other Heretic are perhaps even more dangerous." She grasped Beatrix's face roughly. "Rest assured that you will all be dead. And half-breeds will cease to exist. First, I'll kill that little tribrid bitch borne of Mikaelson blood. Then, I will have you watch as I kill Hayley and the father of her daughter. I will gather that Heretic girl— Valerie Tulle— and I will make you witness her beheading. And then, you will get the mercy of death, so that at the end, it is Marcel Gerard that has to see the bodies piled together, before he meets his end too."
Beatrix let out a scream of rage, but there was nothing she could do. If she had her magic, she might have been able to use enough angry energy to blast Greta back. But with it being taken by force, she felt weak. Already, she could feel a pain in the pit of her stomach. She looked down and saw blackened veins had, after seven years, reappeared on her arms.
"Don't mind those," said Greta with fake-sweetness, taking one of her hands and sliding off Beatrix's daylight ring, tossing it carelessly to the side. "The marks will be gone when you die." She grasped Beatrix's neck and snapped it.
She had only her memories to rely on in order to pass the time.
It was 1902 and she and Elijah were having dinner out on the balcony.
"You didn't have to arrange this for me," she said softly as she looked up at the stars. "It's like you got an entire light show to be done in space."
"I admit, I coaxed several witches into doing a ritual of blessing for the cosmos, so that the sky would be extra bright," he said, smiling and putting his arm around her. "It's your birthday, Itza. It's a special day."
She shook her head. "It's not very special, Elijah. I'm... I'm just an abomination of nature. I shouldn't be sitting here. My birthday is just a reminder of what I have stirring inside of me. One day, it will cause a problem."
He took her hands in his. "Itza," he whispered. "There is so much about yourself that you don't love. And I wish that I could show you what you look like through my eyes."
Beatrix blushed. "How do I look through your eyes, Elijah?"
He reached one hand gently over her eyelids, urging her to close hers. "I see," he said, "someone who stands with poise and strength. Someone who has taken all the pain from their life and channeled it into doing good. Someone who is talented and majestic in every sense of the word. A powerful witch and vampire who is a force to be reckoned with. She has gorgeous tan skin, crafted by the gods themselves. Her eyes are dark like black onyx and shine in the light to become a gorgeous brown of smoky quartz. You may think that your eyes are plain, but in them, I find my favorite color. I want to be able to see those eyes every day for the rest of my life, having them be the first thing I gaze into in the morning and the last thing I catch a glimpse of in the evening. Her hair flows like honey, and she has lips that tempt me to kiss them every chance I get. All those things that you think are flaws— they are the most beautiful things about you, Itza. I love every single part of you. From the way you don't back down to a challenge because you're so stubborn, to the way that you sing softly in the shower when you think no one is listening. I love you. I love the aspects of you that you never notice. The aspects that you nitpick. You see yourself as an abomination, yet I see you as a goddess. You are worth so much more than you think. And I hope to one day be able to show you just how much you mean to me."
Her eyes opened again, and she saw that Hayley was awake. The house was different now— just as musty, but around them were windows, and a gentle light glazed over them.
"B-Beatrix," gasped Hayley, turning to face her. "Beatrix..."
"Are you okay?" the Heretic asked immediately.
She shook her head weakly. "Can't... move. Too weak..."
Beatrix tried to move as well, and shook her head. "They took my fucking magic... my ring..."
Hayley leaned her head back, gasping hoarsely. "We're... we're not getting out of here, Beatrix," she said softly. "This is it..."
"Don't say that," said Beatrix sharply. "Don't you dare say that. We're getting out."
"They're not going to let us live..."
"We'll fight like Hell and live anyway, do you hear me? We—"
But they both stopped, listening to the sound of a car pulling up outside.
"Greta," said Beatrix in a low growl. "I swear, I'll tear her face off with my bare hands..."
"A-As long as you let me dismember her," said Hayley weakly, trying to be funny.
"I will. We're getting out, okay, Hayley? We've been through worse."
The hybrid nodded. "Jackson..." she shook her head. "We... we survived worse."
"Yes, we did." Beatrix could see that Hayley looked so much weaker than before. Of course, she was the one they wanted to kill most.
The door opened and the two women flinched, expecting to see the wretched face of Greta. However, they saw Roman instead, with Hope in front of him.
"Mom?" the girl gasped. "Aunt Trix?"
She ran to them, and the two women looked up in shock. "Hope," breathed Hayley. "Hope—"
"What is this?" snapped Hope, turning to face Roman as he slapped on some manacles on her so that she could no longer do magic.
He looked guilty. "I'm so sorry..."
"What's going on?" Hope demanded.
Beatrix glared at the boy. "He's the one that led them to us in the church attic."
Hope blinked. "But how did you know where they were?" Her face went pale. "You got inside my head. The first day you touched me. When you tucked my hair behind my ear. You were really just trying to figure out where my mom and aunt were hidden."
Roman held his hands up in surrender. "Hope, look, I know this looks bad, okay? But if you just do the binding spell..."
"Binding spell?" gasped Hayley. "What's he talking about?"
Hope faced the two women. "Greta said that if I-I did the binding spell, then they'd let you live."
"She said that?" Beatrix whispered. "Hope, no—"
"It's just so Hope can't make any more hybrids," Roman said. "Our movement is about getting the natural order back. That's all my mom wants."
Hope whirled back around "Wait. Greta's your mom?"
"Untie us, now!" snarled Hayley, kicking at her restraints. Beatrix began to fight as well, but Roman did not concede. "I can't. Okay? Just do the binding spell, and you'll be fine."
"Nothing will be fine for you unless you untie us!" Hayley growled.
"Your mother is insane," Beatrix said. "Let us go, Roman. You're better than this!"
He looked almost indignant. "It's not insane to defend yourself, okay? Werewolves kill to trigger their curse. None of them are innocent. But at least they're a naturally occurring species. Hybrids are a perversion. Look at Klaus. And— and Henry was a hybrid for less than a day before he murdered someone. They're just unnatural."
Hope scoffed. "Well, um, at least I know how you really feel."
"We're not terrible," said Beatrix. "We have free will. Klaus did whatever he did not because he's a hybrid, but because he's Klaus. Henry is just a kid. Eventually, he'll learn self-control."
"We're going to train him," promised Hayley. "He—"
"Mom," said Hope softly. "Henry's dead. They tore his heart out and strung him up outside Rousseau's."
The two hybrids gasped in shock. "What? Who—?"
"No one knows," murmured Hope.
Hayley stared at the blond. "I bet Roman's mother does. Think about it. If they did that to some backwoods bayou kid that they barely even knew, imagine what they're gonna do to us."
"No!" he said. "My mom just wants peace. If you bind yourselves, you'll be free. You... You'll see."
"And if you believe that, then you're a fool!" snapped Beatrix. "Your mother doesn't want to bind Hope and Hayley. She wants to kill them. As for me— she's taken my magic by force ands he's going to murder me, too."
Roman shook his head wildly and pulled out his phone. "No. You're wrong." He dialed Greta's number, and the woman did not pick up. "This is Greta. I'm unavailable. Please leave a message." Again. "This is Greta. I'm unavailable. Please leave a message."
"She's not answering," said Roman shakily.
"Maybe Greta didn't recognize the number as your burner phone," Hope muttered.
"Be smart, Roman," pleaded Beatrix. "Why would your mother send you to the middle of nowhere for a Binding Spell? Why would I be tied up instead of being asked to do the spell?"
"I trust her, okay?"
"That's what she's counting on!" said Hayley desperately. "She's not how you think!"
Roman looked livid with denial. "When I was a kid, werewolves literally tore my family apart. And they left me for dead. Greta saved me. She treated me like a son. She gave me a new family. Until your father showed up and killed mine. Because of him, I spent years desiccated in a cave. But the whole time, Greta never stopped looking for me. She never gave up. She's a good mother."
"That's not what a mother does," Beatrix said. "She's expecting things from you that no mother ever should. A mother who really loved her son wouldn't use him as a soldier. Take it from two mothers— one who was an adoptive mother to a boy who had experienced loss, too."
"Just shut up, okay!" he said harshly. "She just wants us to live separately in— in peace!"
"Until everyone she doesn't consider 'pure' is annihilated," said Hayley. "She wants us dead. You know we're right."
"She would never do that!"
"And you're so sure. You're so sure that you're willing to risk our lives on it, to risk Hope's. You have to let us go."
He turned away. "I got to make a phone call, okay?" He walked out, and Hope immediately dove down to try and remove the ropes from Hayley and Beatrix.
"Keep trying," said Beatrix encouragingly. "You can do it..."
"This is impossible!" she cried, unable to break through it, especially not with the manacles. "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry for all of this..."
"It's not your fault, Hope," whispered Hayley. "This is all Greta..."
"I just— I thought I was actually gonna fix it by doing the binding spell," said Hope quietly.
Beatrix sighed softly. "You weren't actually going to do it, were you?"
Hope bit her lip. "No, I was. But Dad stopped me at the last minute."
Hayley tried to laugh to ease the tension. "You dad does have timing. Hope, promise me that you won't try again, that you won't ever deny any part of yourself. Promise me."
The girl looked confused. "Aunt Freya said you didn't want me to trigger my werewolf side."
"It's... complicated. And having all two hundred and six bones crack in your body sucks, it really does. But when you're running through the woods, under a full moon, with no thought of pain or... or trouble, just freedom... there is no greater feeling in the world."
Hope looked down, and started to tear up. "I am so stupid. I... I actually thought that he liked me."
Beatrix shook her head. "That doesn't make you stupid, my sweet girl," she said. "If... if we all judged ourselves by the mistakes we've made with the men in our lives, we would never, ever get any peace. Your mama told me that a long time ago, when you were still little, and it rings in my head every day."
The tribrid let out a shaky sigh. "Nowhere to go but up, I guess. I just, I hate that I can't get us out of here."
"I'm sure Aunt Freya is looking for all four of us," said Hayley encouragingly.
"I cloaked Roman and me," said Hope quietly, "so there's no way for her to find us. And I can't do magic with these stupid chains on. Wait...." she shook her head. "It's a really bad idea, but... there may be a way to call for help."
"Anything," said Beatrix. "Just... say it."
Hope looked down. "My mom would have to agree to the binding. If— if her werewolf side is removed, the spell on her will break. I don't think it would work if you did it, Aunt Trix, because your magic is gone, and technically you're just a vampire right now."
Beatrix cursed internally. "And the spell isn't broken because I can willingly put my magic away whenever I choose to. Removing a werewolf part of yourself is a much bigger release of energy."
The door opened, and Hope quickly pretended she hadn't been fussing with the ropes. "Who'd you call?" she demanded as Roman entered the room.
"My sister," he said gently.
Hope scoffed. "Oh, there are more of you? Great."
Roman held his hands up in surrender. "Listen, I don't know what's happening here."
"Then let us go!" Hope pleaded.
"I-I can't..."
"Then we'll give Greta what she wants," mumbled Hayley. "Call your witch. We'll do the binding spell."
Beatrix gulped as Roman pulled out his phone. She looked at Hayley and let out a shaky breath. "It's gonna hurt like hell," she whispered.
Hayley nodded. "I-I figured as much. Talk me through it..."
"The witch will soak moonstone in Hope's blood. She'll make a pentagram of chalk and burn wood, putting a bowl over it, that will hold fire to heat up the moonstone. They'll press it to your palms and the soles of your feet, and finally your forehead."
The hybrid nodded, closing her eyes. Within minutes, the witch had arrived— apparently she'd been on standby. She walked in and prepared for the spell just as Beatrix said she would. The Heretic watched closely, ready to criticize if anything. If the witch did it wrong, Hayley could die, and it would be very painful.
How she wished she could have held her hand. Hayley let out screams of pain as the procedure began, and the witch chanted as she pressed the stone to Hayley's palms, "Anima marcam. Iskoristi vuka. Anima marcam. Iskoristi vuka. Anima marcam. Iskoristi vuka. Anima marcam. Iskoristi vuka."
The hybrid let out a shaky breath as the witch prepared for the stone to be pressed into her forehead. "It's... a piece of cake."
"Liar," Hope whispered, trying to bring her mother some comfort.
"Hope, I think you should look away," whispered Beatrix as the witch finished heating up the stone. Albeit weak, Hayley nodded, and Hope turned away. The witch began to chant once again, and pressed the stone on Hayley's forehead, making her screech out in pain.
She was left with a reddish welt. "How do we know if it worked?" asked Roman urgently as Hayley's head slumped forward.
The witch came to undo one of the binds on Hayley, extending her hand toward the bit of sunlight that entered the house. Hayley hissed in discomfort as it burned her, and the witch let her recoil her hand. "See? Nothing but a vampire now," she said.
Hayley took her chance to strike. Launching herself up, she tore into the witch's throat, and before Roman could stop her, Hope swung the manacles up and slammed them into his head, knocking him out. Hope rushed to her mother, who had torn through the ropes to remove her daughter's manacles. The two then tore the ropes from Beatrix, the three going straight for the door.
"Wait," said Hope, just before opening it. She cursed softly. "The two of you... you can't. You don't have daylight rings."
Beatrix gulped and shakily took her hand. "We'll stay, then."
"No!" cried Hope. "There— there has to be a spell I can do to shield both of you! You— you both can still move really fast, I just need it to hold for a minute while we get to the nearest building."
Hayley shook her head. "No, baby, you have to go."
"I'm not going without you! Freya's beacon will have flipped out by now— they'll know where to find us now."
"And we'll be fine, Hope," insisted Hayley. "But it all makes sense now. They could have killed us at any time, and they didn't. It's you that they want."
"No— I can take care of myself—"
"No, it's not your strength that they're afraid of," Hayley continued. "You are a Mikaelson witch with a werewolf mother and an Original father. You are the one that could finally unite all the factions. And that goes against everything that they believe in. They thrive on hatred, and you... you, my sweet girl, are their worst fear. Which means you have to go. Yes, you have to go. You have to leave now. I love you. Now. Go."
But it was too late. Just as Hope made to leave, Greta entered the house, blowing sleeping powder and knocking the girl out. The vampire smirked, opening the door enough so that sunlight hit both vampires, making them hiss in pain and jump back. The woman grabbed Beatrix first, ripping part of the door frame off and stabbing it into her gut before tossing her back and rounding on Hayley, slamming her into the wall.
"If you lay one finger on my daughter..." Hayley began.
Greta was indifferent. "I'd say you're not in a terribly good position to make threats."
"Mom?"
Greta turned to where Roman had awakened. "Are you alright?" she asked, letting Hayley slump down weakly beside Beatrix, who couldn't get the wood out of herself. Hayley made to help her, but the Heretic shook her head.
"Don't focus on me," she whispered as quietly as she dared, taking advantage of the fact that Greta and Roman were talking. "Save yourself, Hayley, that's an order."
"Are you kidding me?" she hissed. "No! I'm not just leaving you here to die!"
"We're both too weak. You have to get out for your girl, Hayley, please. Please. She can live without an aunt but she needs her mother."
"You're like a mother to her too, Beatrix, how am I supposed to tell her that I abandoned you?"
"I'm asking you, please, because I don't want her to lose you—"
They both stopped as they heard the sound of fighting outside. Greta handed Roman a stake and motioned for him to kill Hope, and Hayley sprang up, tackling Greta, though she was no match for her now that her werewolf nature was gone.
Beatrix desperately tried to remove the wooden piece lodged into her. But she was too weak. There was far too much vervain in her system and she hadn't fed in days. Roman came over, holding the stake at her, preferring to use it on her than Hope. "Don't try anything!" he said shakily as Greta and Hayley fought near the door. "I-I'll stake you!"
"Don't do this, Roman, please!" Beatrix begged as the door burst open. Klaus and Elijah tumbled in, and Beatrix looked up hopefully, as did Hayley.
"Elijah," she whispered as Greta held her by the throat.
But he didn't recognize her. He dug a stake into Klaus's back, causing the hybrid to bellow, spitting out blood. He looked around wildly, not knowing who to try and save first, even if he was in no condition to do any rescuing. His daughter lay unconscious closest to him. The mother of his child was in a chokehold by a vampire much older than her. And Beatrix...
"Roman," said Elijah, coming over. "Are you okay?"
He looked like he'd been slapped in the face when he saw Beatrix. He furrowed his eyebrows. "Ianira," he whispered. "Again... how—?"
A terrible scream sounded. Beatrix watched as Greta thrust her hand into Hayley's chest, and Klaus yelled out in pain, unable to remove the stake.
"Elijah, help her, please!" Beatrix begged. "Please! You don't know her, but I swear to you, she meant so much to you, not long ago, and I'm begging you— no matter what you don't remember— save her!"
He looked back just as Hayley closed her eyes. Beatrix struggled to get to her feet, only to have Roman shove her back down. She thought that Elijah would rush forward. He'd tear Greta off of Hayley and—
There was another scream. Hayley ripped Greta's finger right off of her, removing her daylight ring. It was a second too late when Beatrix realized what was about to happen, and she watched Hayley speed them both out.
"NO!" Klaus roared.
Beatrix let out a scream as she watched the flames erupt outside the doorway.