• • •
The morning had been busy for Natalia. She had paid the witches a visit with her night boy toy to retrieve the folder.
Nothing worked wonders with humans using the power of flirting.
She entered the bar and greeted Cami with a smile.
"Hey darling." She smiled warmly at the bartender.
"Hey Nat." She returned the smile. "What can I get you?"
"A glass of bourbon would do. Thank you, darling."
She nodded and left.
Her thoughts trained of thoughts continued as she dazed off the reality.
She smiled in pleased as she held the folder in her hands after she had forced Sophie to remove all the herbs on it - the latter had no choice but to oblige when Natalia threatened to kill the entire coven and she knew how true her threat was.
Natalia only brought her boy toy to the cemetery for insurance. She had him stole the folder and kept it in his hands until the herbs were removed.
Sophie looked at her pleadingly. "Please, don't do anything about it."
Natalia looked at her incredulously. "You brought me here using this and now you ask me not to do anything about this?"
Sophie shook her head frantically. "You don't understand." Her voice panicked. "The more you lose control, the more you let darkness consumes you."
Natalia froze at Sophie's words. She furrowed her eyebrows at thinking how right she was. On both episodes that she let out, she did feel the strange pull. Enticing, alluring, overall very tempting.
"Tell me everything." She demanded.
Sophie then proceeded explaining to her about herself. Apparently, the urge to use the power more and more every time she used it was the darkness - her darkest self.
Like when she delved into Rebekah's mind, she did have the urge to go further with her power - that's the darkness pulling - but she resisted.
Sophie told her that she might be able to resist now. But the more often she used her power or if she had another episode, the harder for her to say 'no' and eventually she would give in. But by then, it would be too late for anyone to pull her out of it.
If it came to that point, she would be a danger. Not only to New Orleans, but to wherever she went.
That's why Sophie really plead her not to do anything rush. Even if Natalia wanted to have her revenge, she pleaded her not to use her power, just did it as a pure vampire.
"How do you know all this, Sophie?"
Sophie was hesitant, but she knew she couldn't hide this forever from her. So, she reluctantly pulled out an old leather journal and handed it to Natalia.
She recognized it almost inmediately. Natalia saw that book almost everywhere her mother went. She never opened it because her mother told her not to and when her mother ran away, she took the book with her.
Her deadly glare pierce through the witch's eyes in an instant. "Where did you get this?"
"I got lucky. My guess is she lost it somewhere in the way and someone stumbled upon it. When I was travelling, I just happened to meet the person and found it."
"Is there anything else you hide from me, Sophie?" Natalia asked in a threatening manner. "Things I can't touch? Things you hide?" She sassed.
"No." She shook her head frantically as Natalia smirked. "Good."
Her boy toy beside her groaned, tightened his arms around her waist. "Great. I'm starving. Let's get the hell out of here, baby."
Natalia rolled her eyes. She had enough of his whining for the morning as she didn't really had that good of a night.
"As am I." She told him. "Well you know what they say..." she trailed as she sped to him and sunk her fangs to his neck sucking him dry without even giving him a chance to scream.
"Morning breakfast is the most important food of the day." She smirked pleased as she retracted her fangs back wiped his blood clean off her mouth. The witches watched in horror as she smiled, carelessly dropped the body to the ground. "Bury him, will ya?"
Natalia was snapped out of her daze when she heard the entrance opened. Klaus entered the restaurant while Cami was at work wiping down the bar.
"Hello, Cami." Klaus smiled greeting her, not noticing Natalia staring at him at the other corner of the room.
Cami glanced at Natalia, seeing her shaking her head telling Cami not to tell Klaus about her here, turning back to Klaus she returned his smile before her compulsion suddenly kicked in, and she frowned in confusion as she remembered everything she was compelled to forget.
Cami furrowed her eyebrows looking at him. "How is it that when you come up to me now, and no one else is around, I suddenly remember that you just told me you're a vampire, and you're mind-controlling me? And then you leave, and then I go back to thinking you're just some hot guy with a cute accent and money to burn on your sprawling memoir?" Cami said exasperated.
Memoir? Natalia frowned in confusion, ignoring a pinch of jealousy when Cami called Klaus 'hot guy with a cute accent'. Ain't that too bloody true, she thought.
Amused, Klaus leaned in and answered in a low voice. "Well, that's how compulsion works, love."
"Yeah, but what's happening? Is it hypnosis? Are my neurons being shut down somehow?" Cami asked curious.
Natalia smiled in amusement as she listened in on their conversation. Cami, always the curious scholar.
She did wonder the same question years ago when Kol first introduced her to it. She was as curious as Cami, if not more. She learnt all about the human anatomy seeing it was important as part of their training in the institution.
They learnt how to knock out or even kill people just by pressing hard to the right points. It was proven to be useful in her days. But she had always hated biology, even though she was forced to be good at it.
"You're always the curious scholar." Klaus voicing her thought. "Let's talk about Marcel." He gestured to the bar, where the two sat together. "You said you have a little information for me."
Natalia furrowed her eyebrows hearing this. She has information for Klaus?, she thought. She closed her eyes as realization dawned her. Of course, the little twit compelled her to spy on Marcel!, she thought angrily.
"He's bringing someone to the music festival tonight. A girl he's mentoring. Apparently, she's going through a hard time. Rebelling against authority, anger issues, that sort of thing. I guess with my psych degree, he figured I could set her straight, but I said no." Cami informed him.
Natalia heard her and instantly knew who she was talking about.
Davina.
And so did Klaus.
"I'm going to go ahead and insist that you change your answer to 'Yes.'" Klaus replied back. She stared at Klaus for a moment and frowned.
"You're going to force me to do this, aren't you? Why even bother with politeness?"
Klaus sighed in frustration. "Because I like you. I like the way your mind works. Under different circumstances, I think we might be friends. However, I don't have the luxury of passing up tonight's opportunity. You see, in addition to being Marcel's rather potent secret weapon, this girl, Davina, is holding my brother captive. In other words –" Klaus compelled Cami – "the girl needs your help. Call Marcel. Tell him you'd be happy to oblige."
With that, Natalia left.
• • •
Hayley sat on the couch, flipping through a book while she talked to Agnes. Over at the coffee table, Rebekah sat and typed on a laptop. On the other chair across from her, Natalia had the table sprawled around the papers from the folder as she read through the information given.
"I told you Agnes, I feel great!" Hayley said exasperated.
"You are overdue for a check-up." Agnes told her.
"How thoughtful of you, Agnes!" Natalia mocked from the other room. "Maybe you should put more thoughts into Hayley as well. You know, by giving her freedom back, fix the bloody hex." She smiled at the old lady as Agnes glared dagger at her.
To be frank, Agnes' patience with the vampire had ran out thin. Natalia was called here against her judgement. Both Rebekah and Hayley thought it would be better to have a third opinion about the whole thing. Translation: they both need moral support from the vampire on their opposite side.
"Or what? You're gonna threatened us again?" she snapped. "I sure put my thoughts to you this morning when I cleaned up after your human boy, abomination."
In an instant, the air grew colder. Both Hayley and Rebekah - especially Rebekah - tensed. Tell me the dumb witch did not just say abomination. They both thought. While Hayley already thought it was hella disrespectful, Rebekah had a deeper reason. It was the name her father used to call her brother, Niklaus -in which little did they knew, Machae's father also used to call her that. And I don't need to tell you: it didn't end well, at least for Klaus.
But it all dissolved when...
Natalia just chuckled, amused. "Oh don't be grumpy, Agnes. I didn't harm you lot. This abomination just gave you a little parting gift. That's all." She teased. "He sure was delicious." She smirked, biting her lips teasing Agnes.
Agnes stared at the vampire in disgust. "Sure he was, his blood was hard to scrub off, you know." She sassed.
Natalia mocked an expression of sympathy before continuing. "Oh I mean in bed, dear. But his blood was also delicious." She winked.
At this, Rebekah raised an eyebrow at her, amused. After going out last night with her, she just realized what a party queen her friend was. And boy...she had lost count of the number of boys wanted to be with her, until she just played a little game with Natalia on who she chose.
No wonder her brother was so infatuated with the woman. And without her realizing or not, so did Natalia herself to Klaus. It was so apparent that the two were crazy for each other so she was quite surprised when Natalia went all boy-mad last night.
"So, you did leave with the cute guy." She smirked proudly at her.
Her brother must have done it bad last night if Natalia did the deed with a boy toy.
Natalia just smirked back.
"Thank the Lord, I didn't have to worry of the risk of pregnancy trouble." She feigned a relief expression. "Which leads us back to...Hayley, why do you not want to check on your baby?"
"What am I gonna do? Pop into the Quarter for a quick ultrasound? A pregnant werewolf escorted by a witch? Nothing to see here!" Hayley sassed. Natalia rolled her eyes and went back to reading her folder.
Hearing this, Rebekah was mildly jealous. "A lot of women would kill to have a child. It strikes me as odd that you're not taking better care of yours." She said bitterly. Natalia looked at her friend in sympathy.
She knew Rebekah had an excellent maternal instinct and had longed for a child herself. But as was she, Rebekah was a vampire. Vampires can't procreate.
When Rebekah looked up to Natalia since she felt her eyes on her, Natalia offered a smile of reassurance and encouragement. Rebekah knew what it meant and nodded gratuitously.
Hayley also seemed to notice the bitterness in Rebekah's voice but didn't say anything.
"I know a doctor out in the Bayou, off the beaten path. Now, I took the liberty of making an appointment for you. Tonight, after-hours, just us. Vampires will never get word of it." Agnes offered.
"And have Hayley go alone with you with the doctor you appointed?" Natalia scoffed. "Absolutely not."
"What do you suggest then?" Agnes challenged. "Have her check up in the Quarter and have her killed on spot before she could even utter 'ultrasound'?"
"I suggest you lift the bloody hex and she can go check-up anywhere she wants." Natalia challenged back. Both of them glared heatedly from across the room.
Hayley knew Agnes wasn't backing down and not going to do anything about the hex. She thought for a moment and rolled her eyes in reluctant agreement. "Okay, fine. Bayou-baby-doctor it is."
Natalia rolled her eyes at this and shook her head as Agnes and Hayley leave the room. "Morons." She muttered and went back to her folder.
She found a lot of information inside about the Shadow Knight pack. But none of them were the essentials she was looking for. Like who their alpha was, their specific location or maybe the bloody prophecy that landed her in this pile of mess in the first place.
All the folder had was kind of like a profile of the pack members. Like the name, height, strength, family, and the history of the pack.
She did look at William's too. She wondered how he had been all this time, but didn't find much. He really had a closed off life. While in the back of her head 1 main question remained: did he really not have any lover since Hexa? Had he even move on?
But anyway...
It was stated here that the pack was built here in New Orleans but it didn't say specifically where. They were the strongest pack known. Klaus was right it was basically a ghost pack after their alpha brutally murdered his own 100 members pack – almost all of its member at the time – for the reason not mentioned here.
They were then casted out of New Orleans by Marcel when they had a fall out and never been seen or heard ever since.
She was now filled with more questions than answers.
She was going to hold on to the information although she had not found its use yet.
So she abandoned the folder for now and moved on to the journal.
She had read the early entries of it. It was definitely her mother's handwriting. It didn't offer her much knowledge than what Sophie had told her.
Though, at the end of the entry, there was a map. Leading to what, she had yet to find out. But she was aware it was valuable since her mother used a secret code she used to teach her.
Now, she was just concentrating on deciphering it.
This was going to take a while. Mind you, she mentally groaned at having the need to recall things last used 150 years ago or so. Not to mention, it was quite a complex code. This might potentially lead to her needing her mother's notes that she specifically wrote for Natalia.
Rebekah was looking at satellite photos of the French Quarter. Klaus walked in and laughed at her when he saw her.
"Please, sister, tell me you're not still at it with the internet search. How does one begin, anyway? Just type in 'anonymous attic'?" He sassed as he glanced at Natalia's direction and saw the concentrated Natalia reading a familiar leather journal - he gulped recognizing it was Tatiana's - with Shadow Knight folder she went crazy for yesterday on her lap.
"And I see you have retrieved the bloody folder you were mad about yesterday." Klaus poured himself a scotch. "And a leather journal."
Without looking up, she answered. "Damn right."
He walked closer to her and she mentally rolled her eyes. Why did he have to be in her personal space all the time?
Eventually, she looked up to his direction. "You'll be surprised by the power of a few touch and flirt can do." She smirked when she saw the jealousy flared clearly in his eyes.
Rebekah rolled her eyes at the two and cut him off before he could comment on Natalia's spiralling. "Someone has to find Elijah, even if I have to search every bloody attic in New Orleans."
"Like looking for a needle in a rather large pile of needles." Klaus commented instead.
"I remember details about the attic Marcel took me to. There were shutters on the windows behind Elijah's coffin." Rebekah replied him without taking her attention off her computer screen.
Klaus walked to the two women sitting down in a chair next to Natalia as he peered down to her papers. Is that a map?
The map was coded. Typical Tatiana. He had no idea how to read it, but it seemed Natalia did.
On her lap, the folder was laid open with a page of William's biography proudly presented.
He felt a bile of jealousy once again rise up but he took a few deep breath calming down not wanting another argument with Natalia.
"Well, that should narrow it down immensely." Klaus turned back to his sister's conversation. He offered Natalia a glass. "Do not throw this one away, Lia." He warned, not to repeat her last night's tantrum.
Natalia give him an innocent smile as she took the glass out of his hand. "No promises."
He rolled his eyes and turned back to his sister. "Myself, I prefer actual strategy as opposed to mind-numbing labour. Marcel's delay in returning our brother makes me suspect he's no longer in charge of the situation. If Davina's loyalty to Marcel is strained, perhaps the young witch will be open to discussing a new alliance."
While Natalia pondered over his words, realized he had a point and began to scheme a plan for herself, Rebekah didn't share the same view.
She smiled bitterly. "As usual, your power grabs are more important than rescuing your brother."
"I prefer to think of it as killing two birds with one stone. Rob Marcel of his secret weapon, bring our brother home." Klaus mischievously smirked. Rebekah, still unimpressed, smiled tightly at her brother as he sipped his drink.
• • •
"Can't wait 'til his ancient-ass is outta here." Diego grumbled angrily talking about Klaus.
Rebekah and Natalia strutted dramatically into the bar.
"You and me both." Rebekah told him.
A crowd of nightwalkers were hanging out in small groups in a dark bar, which disgusted Natalia so much and she didn't bother to conceal her grimace but she kept her silence. The lot were busy feeding off young woman dropped their dead bodies carelessly.
Diego stood up, clapped his hands, and walked toward Rebekah and Natalia.
"What's up, Nat!" He greeted with a toss bumb. Natalia returned the toss with a teasing yet grimacing smile. "When you said we should hang out, I imagine the place has much more hygiene than this, Di."
"Sure next time we can go hang at the fucking hospital, yea?" He teased back.
He chuckled then turned his attention to Bekah. "Look alive, boys. We got ourselves one high-class Original vampire."
Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Mmm, a real charmer. What if I told you I could help you out with your little Klaus problem, in exchange for the tiniest bit of gossip?"
Diego's face turned serious as he considered the offer. "Like what?" He asked warily.
"You might have heard the rumours that Marcel and I were quite the item, back in the day. He seems to have moved on, and I'd like to know with who." Rebekah baited, though Natalia knew the real reason.
What she meant to ask was where the hell was Davina.
Diego scoffed and turned back to the bar. "You've seen him with the bartender."
"What, that plain-Jane that he carries on with?" She sassed as Natalia gave her a look: 'Don't be too harsh on the poor girl.'
"Only a blind man would choose her over me. There must be another girl in his harem."
Diego shrugged and shook his head, uninterested. Natalia saw this and tried to help her friend. "Come on, Di. Look at her, the poor girl is still obsessed with your boss. Seems like he gave her quite a mark." She tried to persuade Diego at the same time teased Bekah - payback for the Cami comment - as the blonde girl just glared sideway at her best friend.
Rebekah turned back to Diego who still seemed unconvinced. "Look, I just need the tiniest bit of closure. And then I can leave New Orleans and I'll be sure to take Klaus with me. Which, let's face it, would make your life a whole lot easier."
Diego glanced at Natalia as the woman gave him a nod. He sighed, giving in. "Look, Marcel's got a full plate. If he's seeing some other hottie, she's somewhere in the Quarter. Probably close by." Rebekah smiled.
"And that, milady, is all I got." He finished.
That's all they needed.
"Cool." Natalia smiled. "See ya at the hospital, Di."
• • •
Somewhere in the French Quarter, at the side where Marcel didn't take Natalia since it wasn't the tourist corner - a priest was cleaning up a very run-down looking church when Rebekah and Natalia entered and started looking around. He briefly looked up at the two women before going back to what he was doing.
"Church is closed. If you want your horror fix, go take a ghost tour." He told them.
After the tip from Diego and the Natalia realized Marcel didn't take her there at her tour, confirmed by the magic residual she sensed from the place, she confirmed to Rebekah St. Anne's attic was where Davina and Elijah were.
"I don't much care for ghosts. I am, however, fascinated by window shutters." Rebekah replied. "I've been on a town tour of them all day. I noticed the windows of your attic have shutters."
"Are you really interested in shutters?" He questioned, though Natalia couldn't tell whether it was in sarcasm or disbelief.
"I can assure you it's her current life obsession." Natalia replied, gesturing to her best friend.
"What's your name?" Rebekah asked.
"Father Kieran. And you are?" He asked back, looking at the two women.
"Mildly curious." Rebekah replied without missing a beat. Father Kieran turned to Natalia. "A good helper." She smiled innocently.
Father Kieran sighed deeply as Rebekah and Natalia noticed a red stain on the nearby wall.
"What happened here?" Natalia asked. She scrunched up her nose looking at the blood stain in disgust.
Father Kieran sighed again. "St. Ann's used to be the heart of the neighbourhood. It's been abandoned for a while now... since the night of the massacre."
Unknowingly by Father Kieran, Natalia used her power to take a peek at his mind.
A young, blonde seminary student in the church, who murdered several other seminary students by beheading them with a scythe, before ultimately killing himself the same way, despite Father Kieran's pleas.
What the hell?, Natalia thought internally. Somehow the blonde boy strike her familiar, though she couldn't put a finger where.
"Nine seminary students were killed... by one of their own. "He explained before focusing on Rebekah. "You're standing on blood."
"I'm not squeamish." Rebekah countered back. "Where's the attic?"
"Like I said, the church is closed."
Rebekah moved herself right in front of his face and compelled him. "Where is the attic?"
"Past the sacristy, up the stairs." He answered monotonously.
Rebekah smiled before compelling him again. "Thank you. Now, forget I was here."
Rebekah and Natalia walked away. After a moment, Father Kieran shook his head, as if shaking himself out of a daze.
Upstairs, Rebekah and Natalia found the attic and opened the door.
"I knew it!" Rebekah exclaimed. Natalia wanted to butted in saying she found it but refrained herself from doing so remembering how dedicated her best friend was searching the bloody attic the entire morning.
They both tried to enter the room, but they were unable to cross the threshold, as though Davina had somehow magically revoked her invitation.
In the doorway, they looked over at her Elijah, in his suit as always, laying in his open coffin, still dessicated. His eyes suddenly opened and look toward Rebekah and he used his vampire telepathy to speak with Rebekah in her head, using a memory of them going to an opera in New Orleans in the 1880s as a backdrop.
Natalia noticed this and gave them both privacy and be their look out, guard the place instead.
In Rebekah's mind, she was dressed in 19th century finery and standing in front of a horse and carriage, looking incredibly confused.
"What the bloody hell?" She exclaimed.
Elijah approached her from behind, smiling roguishly in his own fine clothing. "Rebekah, language, please!" He playfully scolded.
"Elijah!" Rebekah ran toward him and hugged him tightly before looking around them.
"What is all this?" She asked her brother.
"You don't remember? We went to the opera house together. It was your first full day back into New Orleans' society after Klaus removed the dagger from you. It's a memory that only you and I share. Also, I need you to know it's not another of Davina's tricks."
"Well, how are you even awake?" She asked confused.
Elijah smiled at his sister. "Davina removed the dagger, unaware that doing so even once would negate the dagger's power. In a few hours, I shall be as good as new!" He exclaimed proudly.
"So, pop me into the attic and we can find a way to get you out!"
Elijah stared at his sister with a slight uneasy expression. "I'm afraid I'm not quite ready to leave yet, Rebekah." he told her warily. "This girl, Davina, she's... curious. Willful, too."
He poured himself and Rebekah a drink. "Soon, I shall be able to speak to her, perhaps to even propose a truce of some kind. So, if we can end this war between the vampires and the witches, we'll be able to eliminate the threat to Hayley and her baby. Perhaps then Niklaus and our entire family can finally know peace." He handed Rebekah her drink.
"In the meantime, I need you to look after Hayley. She is our family now, so I need her and her unborn child to fall underneath our protection." He held out his drink to toast to her. "Swear to me, Rebekah."
He returned her back to reality, where she still stands in the doorway, looking at him in his coffin.
"I swear." Rebekah turned to leave as Natalia stared at her confused.