I HAVE NOT SAID A SINGLE WORD TO KLAUS SINCE LAST NIGHT. Not since I yelled at him for how he went about getting Davina back. He hasn't dared tried to speak to me either. He knows how hurt I am.
Hayley, Elijah and I sat in a room in the compound while Elijah explained something to us. He found a drawing of his old girlfriend. Davina drew it which is odd because she only draws people when they're evil and trying to hurt us. Elijah's girlfriend is very much dead.
"The Italians call them Strega. The Yoruba of West Africa call them Aje, meaning mother. Where my mother was from, they called them Hexa, and here, we call them witch. Over the centuries, vampires have fought them and fought beside them, bedded them and burned them, whether adversary or ally, they have been a force to be reckoned with. Their ancestral magic anchors this city. There's never been one all powerful witch until Davina." Elijah paused and looked at me. Before he could say anything, Klaus walked in.
"Who is now tucked in safe and sound down the hall under my protection." Klaus spoke. I spent a lot of time with Davina last night. I slept on her floor until I woke up this morning.
Elijah turned back to me and finished, not acknowledging his brother's presence. "Your power is different. The entirety of the Claire ancestry line stands behind you. They've turned their back on Davina the minute she took the power of the other witches from The Harvest. She holds too much power on her own."
I looked to the picture Davina drew of Celeste. "She's beautiful." I pointed out.
"And a potent of evil according to our volatile artist in residence." Klaus deadpanned.
"Yes, perhaps Davina's mistaken what she calls evil for power. Celeste was certainly powerful in her day, but she's been dead for over 200 years. I don't understand why all these sketches now." Elijah pondered and sat down.
"Why does any witch do anything?" Klaus muttered under his breath. I snapped my head to him. He quickly shut his mouth and avoided all eye contact with me. I have saved his ass so many times, he better keep that mouth shut.
Down the hall, I heard glass breaking and a thud against the wall. I smiled. "Marcel must have brought her breakfast." I chuckled.
A few seconds later, we heard more glass shattering. "Oh, that's going well." Klaus mused. I don't even want to think what would happen if he walked in that room.
"If you were trying to win the girl's trust, perhaps poisoning her one true love was not the most splendid idea." Elijah spoke up.
"Not to mention almost killing her." I sneered.
"Oh, are there anymore inopportune deaths you'd like to wave in my face?" Klaus asked sarcastically.
"Give me a month. I'll get you a list." Elijah nodded.
A louder crash this time. Klaus huffed. "Young, old, dead or alive. Witches are a pain in the ass."
He went to get up but I used a spell to push him back down. "You remember that the next time you need a get out of hell free card." I huffed and went to Davina's room.
I walked in to see her throwing up dirt.
"What the hell is going on?" I exclaimed to Marcel. He was by her side holding her hair back. This is not good.
Klaus walked in soon after and saw the sight. "Bloody hell." He let out.
All of the sudden, the ground beneath all of us shook. It was like an earthquake hit. It wasn't just the compound, either. It was the entirety of New Orleans.
She turned pale and sick instantly. I don't know what's going on with her but it's scaring me.
I sat with her until Rebekah showed up. Rebekah walked up to her. "What game do you think you're playing? I said disrupt the household, not shake the entire city."
I shook my head at her.
"I didn't do it. Not on purpose. I-I don't know what's wrong with me." Davina let out nervously.
I leaned down and kissed her head. "I'm gonna go figure out what to do. Try to relax, love."
"Don't let me die." She said with tears in her eyes. It broke my heart.
"I would never." I let out and got up.
I walked into the room Marcel, Klaus and Elijah were in. If they're planning something, I will be in on it. She's my sister.
"This is madness. How can a 16 year old girl shake the entire French Quarter?" Klaus asked.
"I've seen her rock the church, but I've never seen anything like this." Marcel let out.
"How did you control her when she was in the attic?" Klaus asked. I don't like the use of the word control.
"I didn't have to. But then I never killed her boyfriend." Marcel snapped.
"Yes, yes, we've been over this part already. The point is, in her present state she's useless as a tool against the witches." Klaus muttered.
I snapped my head to him. How could he? "She is not a tool. Something's wrong with her." I exclaimed and paused. "Her power is manifesting itself aggressively. I don't know why."
Elijah sighed and walked out.
"Where are you going?" Klaus asked.
"This is witch business. Let's ask a witch. One that's familiar with the territory." Elijah spoke and continued out the door.
I kept my eyes on Klaus. Almost like I was challenging him. He knew it, too. He avoided eye contact because of it.
Marcel looked between us. "Everything okay?"
"Not at all." I said the same time Klaus said, "It's none of your business."
Klaus knew I was mad. He knows that I will do almost anything to keep Davina safe. Even if that means going through him to do so. I know I can't kill him. I have no intention in doing so, but I will hurt him if he hurts her. I did it once with Elena and I'll do it for Davina.
Situations like this are so tricky. I love him. He's my person. The father of my child. When I'm with him I'm happy. When I'm with Nik I'm happy.
Klaus is different. Klaus is ruthless. He doesn't care what he does. That's where it's hard for me.
—
Elijah came back with Sophie. I have some words for her but I'll spare them for now.
Marcel and Rebekah traded off. Personally, I don't think Marcel could stand to be in the same room as Klaus.
This situation is sticky. Sophie was trying to absorb the magic that Celeste's bones have in order to complete the harvest because the last elder in New Orleans is dead.
"So, you have stolen the remains of the very person that Davina's been drawing for months. Would you care to explain this startling coincidence?" Elijah asked her.
"I can't. I didn't even know who Celeste Dubois was until I-" Sophie started but was cut off by Davina screaming and the compound shaking. She jumped out of her skin. The rest of us didn't even blink. "Was that Davina?"
"Charming little habit she's developed." Klaus replied.
"And the earthquake I felt today?" She then questioned.
"Also Davina, and she's taken to vomiting dirt." Rebekah said.
Sophie's face fell. "Oh, we have a huge problem." All of us slowly cranked our heads to her. "I thought that we had more time, but we need to complete The Harvest now."
"Said the desperate witch conveniently." I sneered.
"I'm serious. That earthquake you felt- a preview of the disaster movie that is about to hit us." Sophie spoke.
I chuckled bitterly. "I don't believe a word you say, Sophie."
"You know Davina. You know her story. For months now, she's been holding all the power of the three girls sacrificed in The Harvest ritual. A force that was meant to flow through her and back into the earth. One person was never meant to hold that much power. It's tearing her apart, and it will take us down with it." Sophie explained to me. "I know you love her. I know she's your sister, August. But this is for her own good."
I stood up and was eye to eye with her. "I am not letting you slaughter her. End of story."
Marcel came into the room. He must've heard the conversation. He looked at me. "I'm with August. We're not killing her. No way."
At least someone is on my side with this.
"Let me break this down for you. Davina will die either way. As she self-destructs, she'll cycle through the four stages that represent the four elements that bound together The Harvest. The first being the earthquake. Then comes wind, and since that's next, each stage is more intense than the last. She will blow the roof off this place. Then after the wind is water. Horrible rain, thunderstorms, flooding. That's not even the worst of it. The last stage is fire, and since it's the last...it will be by far the worst." She explained.
I sighed. "Sophie, I get it. I made a promise to her to protect her."
"But you can't. Not with this. If we don't complete The Harvest, she will die with no chance of coming back. If we complete it, she will come back and be better."
Klaus went to go warn Father Kieran. Rebekah went to talk to Davina. They're sold. I'm not. Neither is Marcel and Elijah.
"You've convinced my siblings. You've yet to convince us." Elijah spoke to her.
"The first sign's already come and gone." She argued.
"So fix her." Marcel snapped.
"She can't be fixed. There is nothing I or even August can do. She cannot be saved. This will not stop at the earth sign, and if you wait it out, you immortals will be the only ones left to argue about it." Sophie replied.
The wind started to howl. The windows opened and shut over and over from the wind outside. I don't want Sophie to be right. I don't want to have to kill Davina in order for this to stop.
It calmed down. Rebekah must have done the sedative for her to relax.
I went and sat next to her. Marcel came in shortly after and watched her for a moment. I know he doesn't want to go through with this. I don't either but I think this is the only way she has a possibility of coming back. This is going to kill her one way or another.
Marcel stormed out of the room at once. I ran out just in time to see him punch Klaus in the face. I'm happy I didn't miss that.
Klaus tried to reason with Marcel. "The earthquake I was willing to chalk up to hideous coincidence, but these winds? If Davina is not sacrificed, then every inch of earth that shook, everything blowing about now will soon be drenched in water and consumed by fire."
"Oh, so now you care about the city?" Marcel huffed.
"We ought to. We built it." Elijah spoke
"And we all saw it burn to the ground twice. I will not let that happen again. Do I make myself clear?" Klaus challenged Marcel.
He huffed. "Yeah. Yeah." He said and walked off.
Klaus looked up at me on the balcony. I saw that conflicting look in his eye once again. He then zoomed up the stairs and was face to face with him in seconds. It made me jump.
"Look, I know you're upset with me and you have every right to be, but are you alright?" Klaus asked me. I was surprised by this.
"Like you care." I shook my head and went to walk away.
He grabbed my wrist. Not hard, but enough so I couldn't run off. I turned back to face him. He looked me right in the eye. Almost enough to pull me right back into his arms. "You know I care, August."
"You didn't care when you tried to kill her. You didn't think of me at all. Old habits die hard, huh?" I sneered.
"August, please." He tried.
I shook my head. "Save it. We'll talk when this is all over. I-I can't right now." I let out and walked off.
I went out the door and went for a walk. I needed air before the rain starts.
I was gone for maybe 20 minutes when I got a call from Rebekah.
"Where the hell are you?" She asked me.
"I went for a walk...?" I replied, confused.
"With or without Davina?" She asked me.
"What are you talking about?" I asked her, even more puzzled than before.
"Just answer the question."
"Without! What's going on?"
"He took her." She let out.
"What? Who took who?"
"Marcel took Davina." She replied. My eyes fell. Damn you, Marcel.
"I'll be home in a second." I replied and hung up.
When I got back, I ran upstairs to see the room a complete mess. Rebekah and Klaus were in it, looking at it all. The wind picked up again.
I fear there will be no good outcome to come out of this.
—
Elijah went to find Sophie and found out Celeste's bones have already been consecrated. In order to get the power, Sophie needs it from the bones on an unconsecrated witch. His grand idea is his mother.
When he told Klaus, Rebekah and I, our eyes bulged out of our heads.
"It's taken you 1,000 years, but you've finally gone mad. Our own mother?" Rebekah exclaimed.
"Yes, our beloved mother, who Niklaus has affectionately placed in a coffin in his basement, not daggered but quite dead." Elijah replied. Makes sense.
"Well, she did try to kill us all." Klaus shrugged.
"Well, I say we put her to use and put her to rest once and for all. Now if we bury our mother on land owned by one of her descendants, she becomes a New Orleans witch, and we as her family share in that ancestral magic." Elijah replied.
"We're vampires, Elijah. We can't practice magic or own property for that matter." Rebekah replied matter of factly.
"Yes. With regard to practicing magic, Sophie will come in. We can channel all her power to her. Only hitch is, as conduits of mother's magic, we need to participate in The Harvest. And as for owning property, not all of our mother descendant's are dead." Elijah explained.
Oh my god. "The baby." I spoke.
"The baby." Elijah nodded and brought us a paper. "The parish tax assessor's office is just steps outside of the Quarter. You, August, now hold the title to the plantation." He said and gave it to me.
I shook my head. "But I'm not the pregnant one."
"You technically are. It's your child and your blood runs through her veins. Your connection to Hayley is what binds the baby to you." He replied and continued. "So if we bury mother there, and we consecrate those grounds, we can finish The Harvest ritual."
Tied neat with a bow.
"You're a bit of a mad genius, Elijah. Count me in." Klaus smiled and stood up.
"Am I the only one thinking? Our mother was the most powerful witch in history. If we bury her, we hand that power to our enemies to use against us." Rebekah spoke.
"Plus, I don't like Sophie." I added.
"Given our circumstances, I don't believe we have a choice." Elijah huffed.
"I don't know why we bother, August. Those two will do what they want anyway." Rebekah replied. I nodded.
"No. Our decision must be unanimous." Elijah replied.
"This is not a democracy." Klaus muttered.
"You're right. This is family." Elijah nodded.
We looked out the window to see the rain pour. The next stage is beginning. We don't have time.
"Well, she wasn't my mother." I shrugged.
"No, but Davina is your sister. Your opinion matters." Elijah assured me. I just nodded.
"Rebekah?" Klaus asked.
She sighed. "Kill a demon today, face the devil tomorrow. Count me in."
"August?" Elijah asked me.
"I don't see I have a choice. I'm in." I shrugged. I just want Davina to be okay.
"Well, this is no family reunion without our mother. I'll fetch her." Klaus spoke and walked out.
—
Rebekah did some digging and got me an address to where Marcel took Davina. It was my job to find her.
And I did find her. Marcel was comforting her. She looked so sick. It pains me to see her in pain.
She was telling him about a dream she had. "I had a dream that Tim wasn't dead. He played a song that he wrote for me, and he kissed me. And we were just normal."
I walked in and made my presence known. "That sounds like a beautiful dream. I had some after my brother died. But it was just a dream." I let out regretfully.
"August, don't." Marcel warned.
Davina rolled over and puked up water.
I looked to Marcel. "This is killing her. We can't let our stubbornness get in the way."
"I promised her I'd fight for her. I'm not breaking that promise." Marcel replied.
"So did I. And I wouldn't be doing my job as big sister if I let this consume her. Marcel, we are the only family that this girl has. We owe it to her to fight for her to live." I said to him with tears in my eyes.
When Davina was done puking, I walked over and sat next to her on the bed. "I made you a promise the first day I met you. Do you remember?"
She nodded. "You said you'd protect me from anything. Even Klaus."
"Have I held true to that promise?" I asked her.
She nodded.
"Had I known Klaus would do that to Tim, I would've fought for him, too. But I didn't know. No one did. I'm sorry he did that to him. I'm making him pay for it, don't you worry that. Ask Marcel."
Davina looked over to Marcel who nodded. "She's right."
I held her face in my hands. "I will continue to fight for you until my last breath. You are my sister, Davina, and I'm sorry I missed out on 16 years of your life, but I'm here now. What's happening now will consume you and kill you with no chance of coming back. This stupid ritual gives you a fighting chance. I'll take those odds over the other choice. Now, I can't make you decide, but if you want to live, you know what you have to do." I paused and kissed her head. "I love you."
"I love you, too." She said through tears.
I let out a sigh and went to walk out. I turned to Marcel and sent him a pleading glance. "Please."
He sighed and nodded.
I went to the plantation house and met the rest of them. Klaus gestured for me to stand with him under the umbrella. He saw the tears and fear in my eyes.
"Did you find them?" He asked me. I nodded. "Will he bring her?"
I nodded. "He'll bring her."
Father Kiernan looked at us. "Are you ready to do this?"
Klaus pulled a knife out and cut his hand. "Always and forever." He let out.
He passed the knife to me. I did the same thing he did before I passed it to Rebekah. She did the same and passed it to Elijah. Because of my baby being a magic ball of sunshine, my wound healed right up.
Kiernan took the knife and tossed it into the hole where the casket is. "It is done."
With that, we moved to the cemetery where the ritual has to be done.
We saw a trail of fire coming. Davina's here. Marcel carried her up to the podium. I walked over to her and kissed her cheek.
She looked at me with tears. "Thank you for everything. I love you, August."
"I love you, my girl." I let out with tears.
I stepped back behind her and next to Marcel.
Sophie heated up the knife and walked over to Davina. This is the part I've been dreading.
"Do you believe in The Harvest?" Sophie asked her.
"I believe." Davina nodded.
In a swift motion, Sophie slit Davina's throat. I winced. That is a sight I will never get out of my head.
She came falling back and I caught her. I held her in my arms while the life left her body. As soon as she was dead, the rain stopped.
Unfortunately, I couldn't hold her for the rest of the ritual. I reluctantly set her down next to the other girls who died in this.
I stepped back and watched Sophie complete it. I looked up for one moment to see Klaus staring at me. He felt awful.
"After The Harvest comes The Reaping. Their sacrifices were made and accepted. We call upon our elders to resurrect the chosen ones."
Nothing happened. Not a thing.
I watched them all with bated breath. For something.
"We call upon our elders to resurrect your chosen ones." Sophie repeated.
And again, nothing. I swear to god if I just convinced Davina to sacrifice herself in a ritual that doesn't work.
"Resurrect your chosen ones." Sophie huffed.
The tears started to form again.
"Please." Sophie begged.
And then it hit. None of them are coming back. Not her niece or the other two. Not Davina. They're all dead.
I sunk to the ground and took Davina's hand. I cried so hard. I can't believe this. I finally got a sister back and she's dead.
Everyone dispersed but I stayed here. I couldn't just leave her. I can't do that to her.
And I couldn't stop crying.
I felt a presence behind me. I turned around to see Klaus. He set his hand on my shoulder and sat down next to her.
"I'm so sorry, August." He spoke. He kept repeating it over and over.
He tested the waters and wrapped his arms around me. I don't have it in me to fight. I just want to be held.
"Let's get you home, my love." He whispered to me.
I shook my head. "No. No. I can't leave her here." I exclaimed.
"Darling, you're shaking. You haven't eaten all day. You need sleep. I will send someone to take care of her delicately, alright?" He told me.
I relented and just let him hold me. He picked me up and brought me home. He carefully laid me down in bed and got me situated.
"You and I will seek revenge on whoever is responsible for this. We can start tomorrow. For now, get some rest." He let out and kissed my head. I just let him.
There has to be something we can do. There just has to be.