Dahlia was furious.
She'd acknowledged Klaus, almost kindly. Claiming he was the smartest of his siblings because he'd chosen to side with her. She praised him for being willing to help her take down Hayley and anyone who stood in their way when they went to get Hope. Right after, she began to mix ingredients into a bowl of blood. Overhead, a storm began to rage.
"You."
Ingrid flinched as Dahlia lifted her hand, forcing her to her knees, with the sensation that she was choking. "You foolish girl," she sneered. "Thinking for even a second that you would deny me your power."
The younger witch screamed, holding her head as blood started to pour out of her eyes, her nose, mouth, even her ears. "STOP!" she screamed, trying her best to burst out magic that might overpower her. "STOP IT! LET ME GO!"
"You see, Niklaus, why you must allow me to take Hope now?" said Dahlia, as if this was a perfect example. "Why it is best that you remain alongside us to parent her? Ingrid was better than Freya in many ways because I had her since her birth. However, she resents me greatly and continues to act out, despite all that I have done to help her."
"I say we teach her a lesson," said Klaus wickedly.
Dahlia stopped her spell. "I will have many of our kenned come to feed you, so that you may be at full strength. Then," she glared at her niece. "You're going to bed early."
"On the contrary," said Klaus. "I believe she ought to be awake. And in her right mind. But under my control, forced to watch and participate."
Ingrid stared at him suspiciously, not sure why he would want her to be awake if he clearly disliked her so much. "Surely there is a way to do that?" he inquired to Dahlia, who wasn't sure she wanted Ingrid to be in the way. "If the spell no longer works on her, perhaps a different method is in order. You weaken her mind just enough for me to compel her. Witches are impervious to my tricks, but perhaps not if you give me an entrance."
"Don't do this to me," said Ingrid weakly. "Please, no, please—"
But it seemed Dahlia was intrigued. "Very well," she said. "You weaken her, physically, while I fetch you sustenance. Then, I will perform the spell."
Ingrid was backed into a wall. She couldn't even think to use her magic, because Dahlia would just stop her.
Klaus lunged at her, yanking her head to the side and biting into her throat, starting to feed. Ingrid screamed, trying to push him off of her, but he held her arms down. And that was when she realized what he was doing.
She saw a dim light even when she'd closed her eyes. Voices. A memory. She was letting him into his mind, willingly. So she took the entrance but continued to scream, so that Dahlia would suspect nothing.
"Good morning."
She was standing in a hut, looking down at a young woman and a young man who were seated together. The man was holding his wife's hand, caressing it and smiling.
"Dahlia," said the woman excitedly. "It is true. I am with child."
With a pang in her heart, Ingrid realized she was seeing her parents.
"That is very good news, sister," said Dahlia, glancing at Einar, who no longer looked happy once he saw Dahlia was pleased. Obviously, he wasn't on board with what the two witches had planned.
"It will be born after several full moons," said Frida. "In that time, we can prepare Freya for our spell."
"Do you not understand that she is merely a child?" said Einar sharply. "You both treat her as though she is a magical object gifted to you for your usage. That girl is not happy here. Perhaps returning her to her mother—"
"Esther did not want her," said Dahlia, no longer speaking kindly. "She promised me Freya, and I have her now. I will do no such thing as returning her."
"Is our child to have the same fate?" asked Einar, looking at his wife. "Will it also be condemned to live with her? She does not even treat Freya with kindness."
"We will be there to help give the both of them affection," said Frida, who though just as vengeful as Dahlia, seemed to have more maternal bones in her. "They will be just fine."
"I do not like this, Frida," said Einar. "You said yourself that you were starting to doubt—"
Frida suddenly looked frightened. "What is the meaning of this?" asked Dahlia sharply.
"I-I merely had concerns about doing the spell immediately after our child is born," said Frida. "I have not abandoned our plan, I was only hoping to wait longer before we link her."
"It must be done immediately!" said Dahlia. "Before she even begins to show signs of magic!"
Einar got to his feet, standing tall over Dahlia. "I have as much desire to be rid of the Vikings as you do. I already promised my help in battle, but I will gladly rescind it and take Freya and Frida with me and you will never see any of us again."
The memory suddenly changed.
There were several men and horses in a patch of grass, and she could tell they were preparing to go into battle. Frida was standing off to the side, watching Einar as he mounted, apparently in the lead. Ingrid assumed he must have been as Mikael was— a leader, a warrior, the one everyone else looked up to.
"Come back to me safely," she told him, before holding her more swollen belly and heading back into her hut after blowing him a kiss.
Dahlia emerged from where she'd been watching in the bushes. "Dear brother," she said, addressing Einar as if she actually considered him family. She took his hand. "I will care for my sister in your absence."
"You had better," said Einar, who didn't trust her. "I will return by the next full moon."
Dahlia seemed to know that he would return, alive and in one piece. So, whispering a spell, she squeezed his hand tightly. A small skull-shaped mark appeared on the back of his hand, but it faded instantly, prohibiting Einar from realizing it was there.
"A blessing, for you," said Dahlia, pretending the spell was a good thing, in case he'd noticed it. "You will return safely."
Ingrid was already crying from the pain of Klaus biting into her throat and being rather violent as he fed from her. But more tears flooded out when she realized that her father hadn't simply died in battle. Dahlia had cursed him to die. Otherwise, he would have made it home.
The final memory was more painful than the last.
"This is ridiculous," said Frida angrily. "For months I have insisted we wait and you refuse to see that your magic might hurt my child!"
"You are acting just like Esther!" accused Dahlia. "Shying away from magic, for what, a family? For motherhood?"
"I will not abandon my magic as our sister did!" shrieked Frida. "But I can sense that the spell will harm my baby! You saw how Freya looked the first day after the spell. She was ill for a week. My child would be a newborn— she would not survive it!" She scoffed. "Perhaps Einar was right. Perhaps we should have left. This is not the revenge I had in mind, Dahlia, you have twisted all of it out of some grudge against Esther!"
Enraged at the revelation that her sister had considered leaving, and that she no longer seemed to believe as fervently in their cause, Dahlia grabbed her shoulders, shaking her and saying another spell. Immediately, Frida cried out in pain, holding her belly.
"W-What are you doing?" she cried. "No! Dahlia! It is not to be born yet!"
"It will be born when I decide for it to be," said Dahlia, pushing her to the ground. "You are only going to obstruct our progress, sister. It is time for you to join your husband. It is a pity that he did not align with my plan. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had to kill him."
Frida's eyes began to water, and soon, she could not emit any sound aside from pained groans. Just when Ingrid was born, and Frida reached up to try and hold her, Dahlia waved her hand, and Frida gave a sharp gasp, blood starting to exit her body rapidly. She slumped back, her breathing raspy before she gave out, and went completely still.
Klaus stopped feeding on her. Ingrid sank to the floor, bringing a hand to her throat and covering the wound to try and stop the blood flow. She glanced up at Klaus, wondering what the point of all that was. Given that Dahlia was not facing him, he brought a hand up and put it to his lips, indicating she couldn't reveal what she knew just yet.
So, he clearly had a plan to double-cross Dahlia. But Ingrid wanted to know what that plan was, with as much detail as possible.
"The acolytes will be here shortly," said Dahlia, satisfied with the sight of Ingrid trembling on the ground. The young woman was mustering all the strength she could to not attack her right then and there. But soon... she would. "In the meantime... Ingrid is weak enough."
Klaus hoisted her up, shoving her into Dahlia's arms. The witch grabbed Ingrid's head, whispering a new spell in her ears. Ingrid started to feel lightheaded as Klaus looked into her eyes and said, "You will do what I say, when I say it, and you will not perform magic unless I've allowed it."
She felt the compulsion settling in. She was too weak to fight it at the moment. Klaus bit into his wrist, offering to her. "Drink only until I say to."
Okay, so he was giving her a chance to get stronger. She appreciated that. She reached for a cup, letting the blood drain there. Once he saw a small amount fill the bottom, he withdrew his hand and motioned for her to drink. She did, and felt her wound starting to close immediately.
"That'll be enough for the time being," said Klaus. "Now, I am still hungry."
Ingrid had to stand and watch as Klaus tore viciously into the bodies of the acolytes Dahlia brought for him. She was shivering, feeling cold as the storm brought gusts of wind blowing into the open door of the tomb.
"I know their plan," said Klaus once he was no longer hungry. "They will lure you into a trap, with Rebekah performing a spell to create a decoy of Hope. We'll indulge them, and foil their plan. Take them all out so that none may come after us when we fetch our daughter. Come along. There is something to be done first."
Dahlia created a magical umbrella over herself, but since Ingrid wasn't allowed to use magic, she was soaked from head to toe once they arrived in the bell tower of the St. Louis Cathedral.
"My deadline has come and gone, and yet you bring me here," said Dahlia in disbelief.
"I find it fitting," replied Klaus. "This is where Freya plotted her own treachery."
"When I granted you the strength to overcome the dagger's curse, I assumed you would thank me by taking swift and merciless action."
Klaus snorted. "Am I to traipse around in this monsoon you created?"
Dahlia rubbed her hands together, causing Klaus to groan in pain. "This storm is to stop your family from running with the child. So, I wonder, are you having second thoughts about standing against them? They are the family, after all, who left you here to rot."
"I assure you," said Klaus venomously, "there are no second thoughts."
"We struck a bargain for the benefit of your child, so that she would be delivered to me safely and be content by the presence of her father. But make no mistake— I will take her, with or without you."
Klaus smirked. "Let me be clear about one thing, witch," he said, causing Dahlia to roll her eyes. "You need me. I know my siblings better than anyone. Their strengths, their weaknesses. They are a powerful and determined lot! Perhaps capable of evading you for the short year you have until your slumber begins anew! You may well lose everything. But, I know how to vanquish those who stand against us, and that is exactly what I intend to do."
Dahlia sighed, coiling her fist and making the rain stop. "The storm has served its purpose. Now, enough delays. I will take what is owed to me, and if the mother resits, or attempts to run, I will kill her myself."
"I wouldn't worry about that," he said. "What I have planned for Hayley is far worse than death."
He exited the tower, and the two witches were made to follow after him. He led them to Algiers, to a building which Ingrid recognized to be Marcel's loft. Klaus motioned for them to wait in the hall, and went in to sit down on the couch. They heard Marcel coming into the living room while on a phone call.
"If you find him, keep your distance," he said, likely speaking to one of the Mikaelsons. "Call me, I'll handle it."
"Sound advice," they heard Klaus say to Marcel. "Although, I do wonder—"
There was a loud thump and a yell of protest, which led the witches to assume that Klaus had pinned Marcel to the wall. "How exactly would you handle me?"
Marcel tried to plead, "Now, before you get angry—"
"I'm well past angry, Marcellus," snarled Klaus. "I'm mad with rage. But, today is your lucky day, because I'm not gonna kill you. Now, I need something from you, so instead, I'm gonna take solace in the anticipation of ripping it out of you." A large snapping sound informed them that Marcel's neck had been broken. The witches walked in, and Klaus smirked in satisfaction.
Ingrid wondered whether the others were aware that Klaus was gone yet. She wondered if Elijah had forced someone else to be the bait, considering Ingrid was now out of the picture. She wondered if they would think her a traitor. She hoped not. But the sinister look on her cousin's face suggested that even if they did not believe her a traitor now, they would soon. Because chances were, he'd force her to do something awful to keep her from letting Dahlia in on whatever his plan was.
"What are we doing here?" asked Ingrid quietly.
"Marcel once had a witch place a curse on the Crescent wolves," said Klaus. "I intend to fetch that spell from him and use it against Hayley."
Her eyes widened. "But you can't do that!"
"I thought we were in agreement, dear cousin! What Hayley did was wrong!"
"Well, yes, but it does not mean I want to help you torment her that way!"
Klaus seized her by the shoulders, shaking her. "You will perform the spell," said Klaus wickedly. "You will curse her to that form."
She realized why he wanted her to do it. One, it would make Dahlia think that he was doing a good job of keeping Ingrid on their side. Two, as the witch who would cast the spell, Ingrid would easily be able to remove it as she saw fit. Hayley would suffer for a short period of time to keep up the ruse, and though Ingrid didn't like the sound of that, she promised herself (and Hayley) that she would remove the spell the instant Dahlia was dead.
Though it was hastily planned and rather sadistic, Ingrid had to admit Klaus was rather intelligent.
"Don't make me do this," she said, playing along. "They're going to hate me if they know I was the one who cursed Hayley!"
"That is exactly why you must be the one to do it. Better they hate you than me. Now, sit down. Both of you."
The witches sat on the couch while Klaus bound Marcel's ankles and wrists to hang him from the ceiling upside down. He stabbed into his arms and abdomen, beginning to bleed him of the vervain in his system.
There was a scuffling sound outside, as if someone was arriving. A group of vampires entered the room, apparently looking for Marcel.
"Wonderful," said Klaus. "We have company."
Dahlia and Ingrid sat down as he ripped them all to shreds. Well, all but one. The first vampire to lunge at him had merely had her neck snapped while the others were completely eviscerated.
When he was done, Klaus went back to stabbing Marcel. The pool of blood on the floor was getting larger and larger, and it seemed he was close to being free of vervain. Once the last drop had exited his body, Klaus motioned for Ingrid to come over. She shuffled toward him, permitted to use her magic to see the spell in Marcel's mind.
"All you must do is modify it to account for Hayley's hybrid nature," said Klaus. "Using that linkage to her pack to our advantage."
"Don't make me do this," she said again. "Klaus—"
"Sit back down," he said harshly. "Plan how to execute the spell, witch."
She shuffled back beside Dahlia, unable to resist the compulsion.
"Wakey wakey," said Klaus, once Marcel started to come to. "I was getting bored, but then some of your associates popped by to keep me entertained." He held up a bloody knife, smirking.
"Keep them out of it!" said Marcel angrily.
"Easy, easy!" said Klaus before he could struggle too much. "You've suffered a substantial amount of blood loss! I had to excise the vervain from your system— I can't have you impervious to my compulsion, now, can I?" He stabbed him in the gut again, and Marcel yelled out.
He then turned to the first woman, and it was only when he gave her a curious look that Ingrid realized she actually knew her— it was that woman who'd been with Hayley when she'd kenned the cat to spy on her. Gia, Marcel's friend.
"Hello, pretty," said Klaus. "I think you're gonna come in rather useful later on."
"You've got what you came for," said Dahlia impatiently. "Just kill them and be done with it!"
"With respect, dear Aunt Dahlia," replied Klaus, "this is all part of my plan! My family, powerful though they may be, are bound by love. Vows of friendship and," he rolled his eyes, "nauseating romantic entanglements. All of which I intend to use against them." He smirked. "Marcellus will help turn the tide, mark my words! At day's end, they will be laid low, and my daughter will be safe— with us."
"Klaus," said Marcel weakly. "Don't—"
"Be quiet," said Klaus, looking into his eyes. "You will do everything I tell you to. When we head to the Compound, you will find Rebekah, and you will disable her. Place the cursed manacles on her and prevent her from performing magic." He then went to Gia, waking her up. He smirked when he realized she didn't have vervain in her system. "Naughty girl, neglecting your vervain because you're constantly in bed with my brother and you allow him to feed on you. You will regret this."
Ingrid felt that his compulsion of Gia was unnecessary. But given he'd just told her to do whatever he asked of her, she wasn't sure if there was perhaps a greater part for Gia to play that he hadn't decided on.
"Have you found how to perform the spell on Hayley?" asked Klaus once Gia and Marcel were standing obediently behind him.
"Yes," said Ingrid, unable to keep her mouth shut. "I know what I need to do."
"Very well. Come along, everyone." Ingrid made to follow, but he stopped her. "Actually, I believe it's best if they don't see you. Here—" he grabbed a glass off of Marcel's table and bit into his wrist, pouring his blood into it. "Begin tracking Hope. When we are done, you will lead us to where she is."
Dahlia started to walk ahead, and Klaus quickly pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, handing it to her. She took it and hid it as he led Dahlia, Marcel, and Gia away.
She uncrumpled the paper once they were gone. He'd made notes of what he planned to do, causing her to raise her brows.
'-Ingrid will perform the Crescent Curse. She can undo it when this is over.
-Stab Elijah with Papa Tunde's blade. He deserves it.
-Put Rebekah back in her Original body as punishment.
-Have Dahlia link herself to me. I will dagger myself. Ingrid can keep us asleep. Buys time to resurrect Esther.
-Kill Dahlia using a weapon forged with Esther's blood.'
She wondered when the hell he'd had the time to write this. Must have been in the brief seconds that he'd been ahead of them on the walk to Algiers.
She knew the others wouldn't have had enough time to resurrect Esther yet. Elijah and Rebekah would suffer for it. Freya likely would, too, though she knew Dahlia wouldn't kill her— she'd merely put her to sleep.
She did what she was tasked with. She tracked Hope, sensing the Crescents had stopped at an auto repair shop for the night, following the storm. She then made her way to the Compound on foot, arriving as the battle inside finished. Klaus was carrying an unconscious Freya, and Dahlia was walking behind him.
"I know where they are," said Ingrid, handing Klaus the map she used.
"Excellent," said Klaus, going to his car and popping the trunk to place Freya there. "Let us get going."
It was an awkward drive, but it was faster than going on foot, and better than succumbing to the vertigo of traveling at vampire speed. Klaus had the two witches wait a bit aways as he approached the Crescents who were outside the auto shop.
"Good evening, Crescents," he said loudly, making his presence known. "It will come as no surprise to learn that things will not be ending well for you."
Ingrid and Dahia moved closer, and saw the wolves had begun to attack Klaus. Ingrid didn't see Hayley among them. Klaus had noticed this as well.
"So, Hayley runs, and you hold the line," he told Jackson as he shoved him back with ease. "How valiant. Not too bright, though. You do remember our last, somewhat-one-sided altercation?"
"This ain't gonna be like last time," said Jackson, his eyes glowing.
Dahlia faced her niece. "If you stop resisting the spell, I could allow you to walk free among us once we have the girl."
"I'd rather go to sleep," she muttered. "You can't control me with that spell. I'm strong enough to fight it."
"After your part is done, I will put you to sleep just as I did Freya. I imagine it'll be enough of a punishment, given that if that happens, you will never see that bartender again." She smirked maliciously at the uncomfortable look on Ingrid's face. "You really were starting to like the girl, weren't you?"
Ingrid shifted her weight on her feet. "It's none of your business."
They both looked up as a rush of movement revealed that Hayley had now joined the fight. Ingrid saw Klaus turn in their direction, and she had no choice but to lift her arms, sending all the wolves flying back.
"Why is she with you, Klaus?" said Hayley in disbelief when she saw Dahlia come to stand beside Klaus as Ingrid coiled her fists, keeping the wolves pinned to the ground.
"Unlike some, he is doing what is best for his daughter," said Dahlia smugly.
"I'm gonna skin you alive!" said Hayley, though she suddenly gasped, then screamed as Ingrid started her spell. Hayley twitched on the ground, her bones slowly beginning to snap. "AH! What are you doing to us?!"
"Oh, this?" said Klaus innocently. "This was my idea— stealing from Marcel the Crescent Curse he once used on your pack. Ingrid made the necessary adjustments to accommodate your hybrid nature." He crouched down in front of Hayley. "Now, you will be trapped in wolf form, save for the full moon, leaving you very little time to cause any further mischief. And, because of the Unification ritual linking you to your pack, now they will share your fate, Queen."
Ingrid winced as Hayley turned to look at her. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I can't stop myself."
"Please," said Hayley softly. "Please don't do this, Klaus... she's gonna steal our baby."
"It was you who tried to steal my child," said Klaus. "And, for that, you will suffer."
Ingrid lifted her arms, and Hayley's scream turned into a howl as she and the rest of the wolves were forced into their wolf forms. Ingrid slammed her hands back down, and the wolves all fell asleep, to give them time to get away.
"So compliant," said Klaus happily, nodding to Ingrid. "Now, let us fetch my daughter."