FANTASY.
vi. fruit of the poisoned tree
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MUCH LIKE THE MAJORITY of the witches she'd been associated with, Charmaine had faced her fair share of scarring experiences. For instance, she had to experience the saddening death of her free-spirited mother at just the young age of nine. The poor girl was forced to undergo a pain that should be unimaginable in the eyes of such a young child, a heartbreak that brought her scars, but also strength all the same.
While her mother's passing had brought her great distress, it had also brought the woman a persistent determination that she never would have thought she would acquire. Within the years that the most important person of life had been gone, Charmaine merely continued to withhold the legacy of her family; she continued to live the life of a Quarter Witch, serving her ancestors in whatever way she could. And, in a way, serving her own mother.
Like many, the loss of a parent remained an excuse for the actions Charmaine took, the decisions she made. The passing of her mother was one of the reasons the woman awaited the arrival of Agnes, an elder of the witches, within Anne's Church.
"Do you have it?"
The gravelly, feminine voice had brought Charmaine a slight fright. The young woman turned to face the owner of the familiar voice, arising from her pew she had sat upon during her wait. "Yeah, I've got it."
Agnes visibly released a sigh of what appeared to be relief, putting her hand out to receive the wanted ingredient. "Good." She breathed, Charmaine placing the small vial into the elder woman's hand. "And you're sure it's gonna work?"
Charmaine nodded her head. "Yes. As long as that link is active, neither of those babies will make it through the night. There's a possibility Sophie may not even make it either."
Stuffing the vial into her bag, a stoic expression painted its way upon Agnes' face. It didn't take long for Charmaine to take notice of the unmoving determination that swam within the woman's brown orbs. "And that's a risk we're willing to take."
☾
Following Elijah's return, things around the plantation had been more put together. Less chaotic, you could say. Both of the pregnant werewolves that resided within the large house hadn't taken any additional trips to the Bayou since the night Elijah received his freedom; the bickering between Rebekah and Klaus had subsided for the time being; things within the Quarter had been quiet, which seemed both concerning and relieving at the same time.
Fortunately, with the silence of everything, Moira and Hayley were able to get the necessary rest they were seemingly required by Elijah and Rebekah. While the sleep and princess treatment was enjoyed in the beginning, it had grown quite annoying within the past week that had slowly dragged by. It was evident that the two girls had grown used to relying on themselves rather than others.
On her trip to the kitchen, Moira hadn't missed the sight of Klaus and Elijah sitting quietly on either side of the living area. The elder brother sat in a fabric chair, one ankle put on the top of his knee; the younger sat on the antique couch across from the other.
Though, it wasn't the sight of the two brothers sitting in the same room that had brought the girl surprise. She had taken notice of the subtle actions Klaus had taken to please his elder brother, to perhaps win his way back into the man's good graces. While she didn't think Elijah should grant the hybrid the gift of forgiveness, that was exactly what he'd done, much to her confusion.
It was the sight of the book within Klaus' hands that took her by surprise. Over the couple months Moira had lived with the family, never once had she seen the hybrid pick up a book – he just didn't strike her as the type. Maybe it was the fact that she'd only ever witnessed the wild, impulsive side of him. No one would ever think a man of such a violent nature like Klaus would even take the time to pick up a book. It seemed he had proven Moira wrong.
When Moira entered the kitchen, she was also slightly taken aback to see a certain brunette werewolf standing before the fridge. Even with all the sleep she'd gotten, Moira had always been the first to emerge from her bedroom.
"Well, what's got you out here bright and early?" Moira jokingly asked the Marshall girl.
Hayley shut the pantry doors. "I don't know." She replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Was just hungrier than usual this morning. The real question is, why are you late?"
"Oh, you know," Moira followed with a nonchalant shrug of her own shoulders, walking around the island and making her way toward the cabinets to retrieve cereal bowls. "Had a dream I was married to Brad Pitt, woke up, tried to go back to sleep in hopes I could escape reality for a but, but I couldn't."
"Mm." Hayley hummed, placing the box of cereal on the island beside the cereal bowls Moira had taken out. "Life's just so unfair."
Moira rolled her eyes, nodding in agreement. "As if I don't already know."
"Good morning." A familiar voice greeted the two ladies. The two diverted their attention from one another and toward the vampire before them.
"Morning."
"Hey."
As Hayley turned and walked toward the fridge, a blonde vampire burst through the french doors to their left. Moira furrowed her eyebrows in confusion of why Rebekah had been outside in the first place, seeing as she was the one that had suggested alongside Elijah that they all remain within the walls of the plantation home.
"Listen, I know we might be the only ones that actually drink milk," Hayley began, gesturing toward herself and Moira. "but would it kill any of y'all to make sure it's on the grocery list?"
It appeared Rebekah didn't much care for the werewolf's complaint, merely strutting past the brunette with a cleaning cloth in hand. "Speaking of, add bleach." The blonde ordered before exiting the kitchen.
Due to their lack of milk, Hayley decided upon a tub of ice cream that she'd spotted in the freezer a couple nights before. She slid the tub on the island toward Moira, shutting the fridge.
"I do hope my siblings were hospitable towards you both in my absence." Elijah mentioned.
"In your absence, as you like to call it," Hayley responded, coming to stand behind the island once again as Moira provided them each with a spoon. "which is a way-too-polite way of saying that your brother put a dagger in your heart, the both of us have been attacked by French Quarter vampires, we've had to live in a house with a secret dungeon full of coffins, and... let's see, what else am I missing?"
"We were also nearly murdered by those witch-bitches because they're convinced that our babies are the children of Lucifer, born from the fiery pits of Hell." Moira finished Hayley's thought, her tone laced with resentment of the Quarter witches. "But, then again, I guess I can see why they'd think such a thing since Lucifer himself impregnated us."
As the two girls exchanged smirks, Elijah weaved his way around them to stand before the fridge. He opened the freezer door, snatching the ice cream tub from in front of the girls and placing it back on its designated shelf. Before either of the werewolves were given the chance to protest, the suited vampire brought out a quart of milk and set it on the island.
"Huh," Moira released a small chuckle, raising her eyebrows in amusement of the flushed expression that had taken over Hayley's face.
"Oh," Hayley uttered, her voice barely audible. "Look at that, there's milk after all."
Since it appeared that Hayley had then lost the ability to speak because of her embarrassed state, Moira had taken it upon herself to answer Elijah's question. "They've been okay." She spoke up, pouring milk into each of their bowls of cereal. "Your siblings are oddly protective of something they claimed to want nothing to do with. I guess we have you to thank for that."
"Well, I'm just happy to see you're both still in one piece." Elijah told the girls, watching as they began to munch on their breakfast. "So, back to the murderous witches. I have some concerns."
Moira nodded, raising her spoon. "So do I." She commented, her mouth still filled with chewed cereal.
"They're evil." Hayley declared, her voice soft and facial expression shockingly filled with genuine fear. "And our lives are still magically linked to Sophie Deveraux, which is not comforting in the slightest."
"Yes, I think it's time we took care of that little problem." The vampire insinuated, Moira raising an eyebrow in interest.
Before the girls were able to question the vampire on his intentions, a certain blonde re-entered the kitchen with a drained body in tow. "I am all for it." Rebekah chimed in, gaining the attention of the three. "The sooner they're unlinked, the sooner we get to leave this crap town."
At the mention of the blonde's true intentions behind her presence and aid in keeping the girls safe, Moira couldn't help but feel a little sick to the stomach. The idea that once the child within her was born, the Mikaelsons would leave her with nothing more than what she had before brought Moira absolutely no comfort. Unfortunately, the girl had grown quite fond of Hayley and the seemingly silly possibility of having a family like she'd dreamed when she lay in bed crying over the absence of her parents. She'd mistakenly gotten attached, and was now afraid of the consequences she was to inevitably face.
"Who do we have to kill?"
"Probably no one." Elijah replied, attempting to assure himself more than anyone. Moira quirked a brow at the man, completely aware of the stubborn nature the witches held. "Alright, potentially everyone."
☾
Sophie Deveraux grunted, making attempt after attempt to free herself of her kidnappers' grips. However, her struggle was to no avail seeing as grips only grew stronger and she remained within the candle-lit mausoleum. The swinging of her arms, the failed efforts at headbutts, the spewing of hateful insults; it was all merely ignored.
"Let go of me." Sophie practically growled. Though, her kidnappers paid her no mind once again.
"Let her go." A feminine voice echoed throughout the mausoleum, the sight of the individual bringing immediate disgust to the Deveraux witch. "Sophie Deveraux."
"Charmaine Rhodes." Sophie grumbled. As the kidnappers chained Sophie to the ceiling of the small building, she could only watch as the arrogant smirk grew upon Charmaine's face. "You know, killing me to get to Klaus or his babies is not the answer."
Shrugging her shoulders, Charmaine began to ready her tools. "Maybe, maybe not." She teased, turning to face Sophie with a large needle in hand. "If it makes you feel any better, our intention isn't to kill you necessarily. But, if it does, then... collateral damage, I guess you could call it."
The sickening sight of the needle within Charmaine's hand arose a fear within Sophie that was hoped for. The Deveraux witch's eyes grew wide, her breathing becoming more erratic with each step closer Charmaine took toward her trapped figure. The poor girl shouted in protest. In hopes of protecting herself and the children of Klaus Mikaelson? Charmaine didn't know, and quite frankly, she didn't care.
☾
Moira had been drowning her numerous thoughts into the sound of piano keys once again – she had been taking the luxury of distraction — when she was taken aback. She flinched, a piercing pain shooting throughout the left side of her body, but in one spot specifically it remained.
Instinctively, her hand shot up to the main source, to the left side of her neck. When she pulled her fingers away from her skin, a familiar warm, crimson substance dripped from the tips of her fingers to her palm. At first, the only thing that could describe what was going through her mind was confusion. Until she came to the realization that the only reason a wound such as her own would suddenly appear is because it happened to the one she was linked to, a certain trifling witch.
"Hayley!"
☾
Because of Rebekah's babysitter title, both Hayley and Moira found it only right to inform the blonde of what may develop into a serious issue. To their surprise, Rebekah didn't look that much into it; she merely inspected their wounds, quickly cleaned them up, and told them each to take a seat in the living area to remain under her supervision.
"Time for the demon spawns to snack." Rebekah chirped, entering the living area with a peach and an apple in each hand.
Hayley rolled her eyes at the name the blonde had given. "I think I can speak for both of us when I say that I really wish you wouldn't call them that." She sighed.
"Oh, I'm sorry, have you picked another name yet?" Rebekah quipped, receiving nothing but silence in response. he "Didn't think so." She placed the peach in Moira's outstretched hand before handing the apple to Hayley. "How are your necks?"
"I feel fine, honestly." Moira replied with a mouthful of peach. "Which is kinda weird, if you ask me."
Hayley nodded in agreement. "I'm sure this is Sophie-related."
Moira released a humorless chuckle. "Oh, for sure."
"Then, do me a favor and don't die on my watch." Rebekah subtlety pleaded. "I'll never hear the end of it."
"You know, when I first met you, I thought you were a real bitch." Hayley shared with the blonde, receiving a chuckle from Moira.
"A very loud and snappy one." Moira added, earning a nod from the werewolf beside her.
Rebekah quirked a brow. "What changed your mind?"
"Oh, I still think you're a bitch."
"Still loud and snappy."
"I've just grown to like that about you." Hayley told the blonde vampire.
Rebekah released a chuckle. "Well, that's sweet of you to say, Hayley." She made sure to put emphasis on the elder werewolf's name, displaying that she'd taken notice of the way Moira had only provided her with insults. "Just remember it when I'm gone."
Moira dipped her head at the mention of Rebekah's intention to leave, having well known of the ill relationship the young Mikaelson now had with the town and Marcel Gerard. She'd grown to understand the fact that being within the presence of her first love only brought memories of the past which she'd always tried to forget – memories she'd tried to forget along with the pain and trauma they'd brought her throughout the numerous years of her long life.
Though, it seemed Hayley hadn't thought of Rebekah's perspective like Moira had. That much was evident by the mixture of confusion and shock painted upon the werewolf's features. "Gone? Where are you going?"
"I only came here to make sure everything was okay with Elijah." Rebekah revealed to the clueless werewolf. "He's fine, and he hasn't punished Klaus for daggering him, so, as usual, they'll be thick as thieves and I'll be left to clean up the mess. It's time for me to fly the coop."
Hayley seemed to deflate with Rebekah's words, though she tried her best to keep it hidden. "Oh..."
Seeing as during their conversation Moira had been happily snacking on her peach, the only thing left in her hand was the core by the end. Just as the girl stood up to dispose of ger trash, her head had grown heavy, her surroundings beginning to spin. Overwhelmed, Moira squeezed her eyes shut and decided to place herself back into her seat.
"What's wrong?" Rebekah asked the werewolf, taking notice of her struggling state.
Moira gulped. "Uh, nothing, I'm fine. Think I just stood up too fast."
Ignoring the girl's reassurances, the blonde stepped toward Moira and placed her palm on her forehead. "You're not fine." Rebekah observed. "You're burning up." She then placed her palm on Hayley's forehead as well. "The both of you."
☾
Because of the uneven ratio between impregnated girls and strong vampires, Rebekah had thought it best to gather both the werewolves into one bedroom and lay them upon the large bed. The girls lay on top of the bedsheets, separated as far away from another as they could given the circumstances in order to avoid unnecessary heat.
While Hayley continued to complain and fuss over the rough circumstances of her body, Moira had grown silent. With each minute that passed, the heat only increased and her body only grew weaker; she didn't see much coming out of whining other than more energy being taken away.
"Stop fussing, will you?" Rebekah grumbled, growing annoyed with Hayley's incessant complaining. "Elijah will be here any moment."
Hayley only continued to groan, weakly squirming under Rebekah's attempts to blot the sweat from her forehead. "I feel like I've been microwaved."
"Hey, just because you're carrying a baby doesn't mean you get to act like one." The blonde quipped. "I'm sure those children are healing you both up as we speak." She then turned to see Moira had sat up from her lying position. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"
Moira didn't have the energy to explain what she'd heard, so she just nodded to the doorway of the bedroom. "Elijah."
The mention of her elder brother's name caused the blonde to turn toward the direction the werewolf had gestured toward. Once she saw Elijah, more specifically the woman he'd brought along, Rebekah hurriedly stood from her spot on the bed in alarm.
"What the hell is she doing here?" The blonde questioned her brother, gesturing toward the Deveraux witch that stood behind him.
"I'm here to help." Sophie claimed, quick to defend herself.
Moira lightly scoffed, her drowsy eyes piercing into Sophie's petite figure. "And I'm here to call bull."
"You're the reason we're in this bloody mess." Rebekah reminded the witch before turning back to her brother. "Why aren't we unlinked from this witch already, Elijah?"
The elder Mikaelsom didn't provide an answer. "Rebekah, please, let her do what she can." He pleaded with his sister.
"I may know a way to slow the fever down." Sophie informed Rebekah. "But, I'm gonna need some special herbs. I'll text you a list."
Choosing to put faith in her brother to protect the new additions of the Mikaelson family, Rebekah went along with the plan. "Fine. Happy to play fetch girl."
☾
The young witch had been patiently awaiting word from Agnes that the deed with the pregnant girls had been completed. She was then suddenly snatched and escorted from the Quarter to Anne's Church, the young woman struggling within their grip with demanding questions spewing from her lips. Though, just like Sophie Deveraux, her voice seemingly fell upon deaf ears.
The men dragged her through the church, aggressively seating her next to – funny enough — Agnes herself. Once she'd seen the elder, Charmaine already came to the conclusion that the two had been caught and were about to be put to shame for their actions.
"This is outrageous." Agnes quaked, feigning an act of confusion. "What's the charge?"
"What the hell is this?" Charmaine demanded.
"Please, ladies." Father Kieran began, his tone laced with aggravation that the women would even attempt to feign their innocence when there was such great evidence left. "You know that Marcel runs the vampires in this town. Who do you think runs everything else?"
One of the officers who had forcefully escorted each of the witches into the church handed Father Kieran a cloth. The sight of the object had only confirmed what Charmaine had been thinking, that they'd been caught. Agnes, however, seemed to have held onto the belief that they were going to get away with it. The woman should've known better.
Once the priest revealed the large needle that Charmaine had embedded inside Sophie Deveraux's neck from underneath the cloth, all hope Agnes once had had been lost. The elder witch noticeably gulped down the bile which had risen within her throat. Though Charmaine remained resilient, her facial expression was blank and unreadable.
"I believe this is what you're looking for." Father Kieran nearly shouted, seeming to be speaking to someone not standing or seated before him.
Each of the witches exchanged looks of confusion before beginning to scan their surroundings. Their wandering eyes came to halt once they saw the figure of a certain hybrid emerge from the shadows.
"Hello, Agnes, Charmaine." Klaus greeted the witches, the large needle now within his hand.
Agnes looked between both the priest and hybrid in shock of the turn in events, and perhaps panic just as well. "You made a deal with him?" She asked Father Kieran, eyeing Klaus closely in an uneasy manner.
Father Kieran then began to quickly advance toward the elder witch, his mind becoming blinded by rage, his desire for vengeance. "After what you did to Sean, I'd deal with the devil himself just to see you suffer." He hissed, his choice of words bringing on a look of amusement from Charmaine.
To Charmaine's surprise, Agnes didn't seem all that bothered by the intimidation within the man's tone. In fact, she only stood from her seat on the pew to grow closer within Father Kieran's face. She wanted to show her courage just as he did. "You can't hurt me." Agnes seemingly reminded the man. "The entire witch community will turn against you."
"Enough!" Klaus shouted in agitation of the pair's bickering. "Please, enough." He then descended the stairs of the altar, coming to a standstill before both the Quarter witches and the priest. "I don't care about witch politics. I don't care about your ridiculous, little Harvest ritual. What I care about is this trinket." He held up the needle once again. "Undo its curse, or I'll show you things worse than death."
Agnes scoffed. "Dark objects don't come with an off switch." She informed the hybrid.
"And even if they did," Charmaine spoke up, evidently unthreatened by the hybrid's words. "the answer would still be no. The curse took root within Sophie. She's linked to your devil children. It's just a matter of time."
☾
Within time, Rebekah had returned from her fetch for the necessary herbs Sophie had asked for. As soon as the blonde sped her way back into the bedroom, she provided the witch with the herbs before assisting Elijah in supporting the weakened werewolves out the plantation home and toward the backyard.
Due to the girls' steadily increasing temperature, Sophie had thought it'd be a good strategy to place them within the cold water of the pool. Therefore, both Mikaelson siblings did their best to aid both the werewolves into the water, removing the towel they'd wrapped around each of them beforehand.
"They're burning up." Elijah acknowledged, assuming Moira's body was facing the exact extremity of Hayley's. "We need to do this now."
"I don't understand how a midnight swim is supposed to help their situation." Rebekah commented, having missed the Deveraux witch's explanation.
"Their temperatures are sky-high." Sophie responded to the blonde vampire. "The water, with the help of the herbs, should cool us down." She then passed Moira a cup of an unknown substance. "Drink this."
Despite her current state, Moira couldn't help but be at least the slightest bit more skeptical of the witch's intentions. It may have sounded dumb, seeing as she was on the verge of passing out and her child on the verge of death, but it wasn't like the witches had given her much of a reason to trust them.
After a moment, she finally released a sigh of defeat. Moira snatched the cup from Sophie's hand, sipping some of the contents before passing it to Hayley so she could do the same.
"You're both going to have to find a way to get their heart rates down." Sophie told the Mikaelson siblings.
"And how do you suggest we do that?" Elijah asked on behalf of both himself and his sister.
"Hold them." The Deveraux witch instructed. "It's a natural human remedy to slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure."
While Elijah took it upon himself to take Hayley into his arms, Rebekah was left with no other choice but to provide Moira the necessary body heat. Both the Mikaelsons held each girl bridal style within their arms, pressed against their chests.
"Well, this is kinda awkward, ain't it?" Moira joked, her soft and weak voice barely audible.
Rebekah rolled her eyes at the young girl. "Shut it before I stuff you in a toaster oven myself and we can all be done with this." The blonde snapped in response to her own anxious state. "This isn't going to work."
"Davina will break the link." Elijah reassured everyone, including himself. "We just need time."
Just when Moira began to believe that things couldn't get any worse, an unnerving heavy weight had sat upon her chest. It felt as if someone had wrapped their hands around her lungs and began to squeeze the life out of her, as if someone had taken a seat on top of her. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. The only thing that did was that she couldn't breathe.
"I – " Moira choked, gulping in fear. "I c – " Inhale. Exhale. "I can't — " Inhale. Exhale. "breathe."
"Oh, bloody hell." Rebekah quietly gasped, her concern for each of the girls and their children growing by the minute.
Elijah stepped toward Rebekah, taking one of Moira's hands into one of his own. "Okay, long deep breaths." He instructed both the hyperventilating werewolves. "Alright, long deep breaths. Just try and focus on the sound of my voice. You'll be okay. You'll both be okay."
For a moment, just the smallest, Moira had begun to feel better. Her body still felt like it was burning from the inside and out, but she was beginning to feel like she could breathe again, and that was a great start. However, her peace was merely fleeting, as it appeared; all of a sudden, a sharp white-hot pain shot throughout the entirety of Moira's body, a loud cry of agony escaping past her lips.
Her hands began to grip at her ever-growing stomach, as if her hold on her abdomen would protect the child from any further harm. Though it didn't. Her child was dying, withering away as she squirmed in agony in Rebekah's strong hold. It felt as if she were dying herself, as if she could feel the life slowly slipping away from within her body.
She soon was on the verge of unconsciousness, her body having grown so weak that she'd begun to feel as if she were beginning to float. Just before her body gave in to the agony of the spell, Moira could've sworn she felt the pain leave her poor figure. But, she wasn't able to decipher whether it had just been her mind playing tricks on her or if it was reality.
☾
"You're a piece of work, Charmaine Rhodes." Klaus concluded, standing from his seated position atop the altar. "But, guess what. I'm quite a piece of work myself."
Charmaine quirked a brow. "That's one way to put it." The young witch muttered, completely aware of the hybrid's enhanced hearing.
Klaus only chuckled in response to Charmaine's witty remark before continuing his rant. "You know, I contemplated leaving bits of you both artfully arranged outside your family's tomb. I thought it would leave a fitting message." He then sped toward the two witches, gaining a tight grip around their throats to ensure they got the message. "Don't touch my family."
"Leave them."
At the sound of his familiar voice, the hybrid swiftly turned the witches' bodies within his grasp to face the one who'd entered the church.
Elijah Mikaelson stepped forward. "I gave my word."
"You tend to give your word at the most inopportune times, brother." Klaus realized, his chokehold tightening around the ladies' throats. "We've been doing things your way all day, so, come on. Just one little snap, and it's toodle-loo to Charmaine and Agnes. You well know they both deserve it."
"Niklaus, do not make another move." Elijah commanded his younger brother, beginning to take steps toward the altar where the hybrid stood with the two witches in hand. "You have asked for my forgiveness. I will grant you that forgiveness, but do not make me break my word."
There was an aching silence that cast over the atmosphere within the church as everyone awaited Klaus' reaction. They all waited for him to shout, to take action on his numerous threats toward the two Quarter witches and declare the power he supposedly held over them all. But, to their surprise, the opposite had occurred; though it was with reluctance, Klaus decided to release the witches from his grip and left them at the mercy of his dear brother.
The hybrid raised his arms in mock surrender of his elder brother's demand. "My noble brother. How's that for personal growth, eh?" He teased. "Still, it is just like you to spoil my fun."
"Oh, not necessarily." Elijah replied, bringing confusion to everyone in the room.
None of them were given the chance to question and/or understand his words before the elder Mikaelson had taken it upon himself to rip out the hearts of each and every officer within the church. In shock of the vampire's unusually erratic behavior, both Charmaine and Agnes took cautious steps backward. They both watched in fright as Elijah dropped two bloody hearts of the men scattered about the floor of the church.
"I swore Agnes wouldn't die at my brother's hand." Elijah recalled his conversation with Sophie Deveraux, then facing Charmaine alone. "She didn't seem quite fond of you seeing as she had no objections to your impending death. Should make this all the easier then."
Within the blink of an eye, Elijah stood dominantly before the two witches, strong hands squeezing at their throats. The look within his brown orbs could only be described as dark, vengeful. There was nothing anyone could say or do to put a halt in Elijah's actions, just like every other Mikaelson known to man.
"No one hurts my family and lives." The suited vampire proclaimed to the women shortly before quickly snapping their necks without a second thought. "No one."
☾
After the curse had been lifted, the two Mikaelson siblings saw to it that the two werewolves were taken to their bedrooms. Rebekah had stayed a little while longer after she and Elijah bid their farewells, wanting to ensure Moira was alright once she awoke before taking her leave. While the blonde had managed to build a bond with each of the girls, she still believed it was best for her happiness and her life to flee the city she once loved.
Once Moira and Hayley said their goodbyes to Rebekah, they each jumped into the shower to cleanse themselves of sweat and chlorine. They wanted to erase any sign of the events that unfolded that night off of them.
Fresh out the hot shower, Moira made her way down the stairwell. She began to saunter down the hallway toward the kitchen to grab a snack, but the doorbell echoed throughout the house. Exasperatedly throwing her head back, Moira diverted her route from the kitchen to the front door. Before opening it, the girl made sure to push back the curtain first, and the sight had brought her relief.
Moira swung the door open. "Hello, Josh."
"Where is he?" The young vampire urgently asked, seeming panicked due to his heavy breaths and frantic looks from left to right. "I've been trying to find him all day. Marcel knows that Klaus lied to him about where he lives."
Her stomach had plummeted, though she chose not to panic just yet. "I don't know where he is. He left with Elijah this morning and hasn't come back."
"Okay, look, just tell him to call me. Please?"
"Yes, of course." Moira promised before shutting the door.
The girl had turned to find Hayley standing not far behind her. "I take it you heard that little conversation." Moira guessed, the elder werewolf nodding in response. "Good, so you know that I'm probably not gonna sleep until Klaus gets back."
"Don't be melodramatic, M." Hayley sighed, rolling her eyes. "Marcel doesn't actually know anything. Josh only said that he knows Klaus is lying. That doesn't mean he knows about this place specifically." She tried to assure the girl, grabbing her arm to head back to the kitchen. "Now, let's go get a snack."
The two began to make their way toward the kitchen once again, but the same sound echoed throughout the large home. Both the girls groaned, beginning to develop a resentment toward Klaus' lackey for his poor timing.
"What the hell, Josh?" Hayley griped, leaving Moira a few feet behind.
The werewolf flung open the door only to reveal a familiar face, but it definitely wasn't Josh. "Hi, there." The individual greeted, a toothy smile plastered upon their face. "I'm Marcel. I don't think we've met."
☾
When Elijah returned from his errand run to the Quarter, he had been expecting the sight of two girls peacefully tucked into their beds. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case; both of their designated bedrooms were empty, no sign of them was found around the rest of the house when Elijah sped through the entirety. There wasn't even a note left, which only alarmed him all the more.
As a desperate measure, Elijah had chosen to reach out to his fleeing sister. He had a strong hope that both the girls had just taken the first chance they could to escape Klaus and the threat of the Quarter witches for the sake of a better future. But, that was just a hope, not reality.
"Goodbye means goodbye, Elijah." Rebekah told her brother, annoyance laced within her tone.
"Are they with you?" Elijah asked, his panicked tone alarming the blonde.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Moira, Hayley – they're gone. Where are they?"
"Wha —"
"Elijah." Klaus' voice interrupted the apparently meaningless conversation between the other two siblings, grabbing Elijah's attention. "Marcel was here."
☾
"You alright?"
Sophie Deveraux jumped, a startled yelp nearly escaping past her lips at the sound of another's voice. It was completely understandable, her anxious state, given the threat she'd faced and the events that unfolded throughout the day. Recently, it felt like nowhere, no one, was safe. She was nearly put to death by her own people, which proved just how alone she really was.
The young witch released a sigh of relief as she laid her eyes upon a friend, Sabine, leaning on the threshold of her kitchen. "Yeah." Sophie replied. "Yeah, I'm okay."
"What did they do to you, honey?" Sabine questioned the Deveraux.
"It was Charmaine." Sophie grumbled, continuing to pick up the mess around her kitchen. "Her and Agnes took your vision very seriously. They put some substance inside me, a curse that would bring miscarriage, in hopes of eliminating a threat greater than themselves. Long story short, Lucifer's children remain alive and I, like many, get the luxury of looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life."
Sabine shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Soph." She apologized on behalf of the witches she knew wouldn't do it themselves.
"It's fine. There's nothing you could've done. Like you said before, you can't control your visions."
"Yeah," Sabine sighed, taking steps further into the room. "I can't. You know, you've always been such a good friend to me, Sophie." While the Deveraux witch was a little confused by the woman's words, she gave a sweet, small smile nonetheless. "You're loyal, compassionate, brave, and one hell of a cook."
Sophie chuckled, stopping her tasks to catch a long gaze at the woman's face before her. "While I appreciate the random compliments, I can't help but think you raided the shelves of alcohol again."
Sabine hummed, the corner of her lip quirking up ever the slightest. "Remember when I said I was sorry just a couple minutes ago?"
Now, the Deveraux witch was beginning to grow uneasy by Sabine's odd behavior. "Yeah?" She responded reluctantly. "Why?"
" 'Cause I just wanted to make sure you knew this wasn't my first choice."
With that said and a simple twist of her wrist, Sophie Deveraux dropped dead before Sabine's feet. But, just because she was dead didn't mean her body couldn't be put to good use.
Within the span of half an hour, Sabine had been able to carry the bodies of Sophie Deveraux and Charmaine Rhodes to Lafayette Cemetery. She dragged the Deveraux witch's body into the mausoleum where she'd already placed Charmaine's in advance. After ensuring no one was present on the sacred ground, the witch began the spell.
Over and over, she repeated the words to the spell she'd grown to memorize. What once was a steady breeze developed into a strong wind, the gust taking out the candle fire. The only light left was the white moonlight shining through the entrance of the small structure, leaves scattered amongst the ground began to swirl into a frenzy.
Then, everything stopped – everything went silent for just a moment. And then a gasp escaped Sophie's mouth, bringing a relieved smile to Sabine's face.
"Welcome back, little cousin."
author's note:
thanks for reading again!
i'm sorry for the slow
updates, but school has
been kicking my friggin
behind lately. i'll prob
try to update one more
time after this bc it's
thanksgiving break, and
there may be a gap after
that. i hope y'all liked
this chapter tho.