Derek wakes up in bed to the sound of commotion. He glances over his shoulder to the open window. A lone bird sits at the edge of the balcony, chirping away. Past the bird, Derek can see Klaus and Elijah talking heatedly.
He turns over to find an empty bed. He furrows his eyebrows and sits up, looking around.
His eyes move back to the Mikaelson compound to see Lexi walk up to her brothers. He closes his eyes and tries to focus on what they are saying.
"...After the Serratura is recovered," Lexi says, sighing. "Freya has also told me that her pendant is missing."
"And Finn's mystical essence along with it. So let the imbecile stay lost! Our business for today is to finish off the de Martels!" Klaus shouts.
Derek opens his eyes and gets out of bed, walking over to the window. He notices Elijah's concerned expression but also realizes Lexi's lack of reaction.
"Now, brother, think." Elijah pleads. "Think. Tristan needs the most powerful witch in the city to activate that weapon. A Regent."
Klaus sneers, starting to storm out. "Vincent. One who was possessed by Finn—"
Lexi grabs his arm as he passes her, stopping him instantly. A look of confusion passes over his expression, quickly replaced by anger. "Stay here," she orders. "She needs you now more than ever."
Klaus stares at her before storming out of the room. Lexi rolls her eyes and stands. Before she can leave, Elijah stops her. "What happened last night?" he asks.
She pauses and thinks for a moment before responding. "Question for a question. You get one and I get one." Elijah nods hesitantly before pouring himself a drink. "Rebekah came to me because her mark had regrown. She asked me to dagger her and I did. My question is..." Derek can tell Elijah isn't content with her answer. "What exactly happened to Camille?"
"From what Niklaus says, Aurora compelled her to slit her own throat silently," Elijah says.
"So, Nik's girlfriend is a vampire now? Hmm." Lexi purses her lips in concentration.
"Are you alright?"
Lexi laughs. "Everything is just perfect. Why wouldn't I be ok?" She mutters to herself as she walks out.
"I don't know."
—|—|—|—
Vincent stands above the Obi witch he had just killed. Holding a Regent hostage is never a good thing to do.
A vampire comes up behind him. Before he can act, he is on his knees, waiting for death.
Suddenly, the vampire arches his back and gasps. He falls to the ground to reveal Lexi Mikaelson holding his heart. "Vincent." She greets cheerfully, dropping the heart. Elijah walks up behind her, offering a handkerchief for her bloodied hand. She walks forward as Elijah stands over him.
"We should chat," Elijah says.
Only then does Vincent realize why Lexi went behind him. By the time he turns around, Lexi is already holding Finn's pendant, a smirk on her lips.
Vincent sighs in defeat. He sits up and leans against one of the numerous tombs in the cemetery. "I don't know what to tell you. You want your big, bad Serratura, you're going to have to go after Tristan because he took it with him."
"After he made you activate it." Lexi points out, playing with the pendant in her hand.
"Deactivate it," Elijah demands, pacing in front of the witch.
"I couldn't even if I wanted to, and just for the record, I'm all done with vampire demands for the day. Push me and see what happens."
"You don't want to see what happens." Elijah threatens, not even looking at the witch. "My family's in jeopardy, you are responsible."
"That's on you! If Tristan didn't have the pendant, then he wouldn't have leverage over me."
Lexi picks up the pendant with a blank expression. Vincent clenches his jaw and lets his head bounce against the stone behind him. The Mikaelsons now have the leverage. No matter what, he's screwed.
—|—|—|—
Lexi, Vincent, and Elijah walk into the compound to find Freya, Cora, and Derek standing at the coffee table. On the table is a small box. Cora holds a piece of paper, but she is staring at the box in horror. "Cora?" Lexi asks, walking over to the girl.
When Cora stays silent, she glances at Derek, who is also stunned. "What happened?" Elijah asks Freya.
"A messenger came," she replies, tears in her eyes. "Some compelled tourist. He left this..."
Elijah carefully opens the box. The moment he sees the bloody heart within, he shuts the lid. He steps back, preparing for more news. "Who?"
"Jackson," Cora says, handing the note to Lexi. Her blue eyes skim over the writing as her expression turns angry.
"Courtesy of the Strix," Derek adds, taking a deep breath.
Lexi hands the note to Elijah, letting him read. "Unless we meet his demands, Hayley will be next." Elijah runs a hand over his face.
Lexi takes a deep breath before she makes her way to the door. "Where are you going?" Vincent calls after her.
Lexi freezes and turns around. "He can't do this and get away with it. Someone has to show him that."
"What?" Cora asks, moving her eyes to Lexi as the blonde storms out. "Lexi!"
Derek runs out after her, trying to stop her from doing anything stupid. He stops right outside the compound only to see citizens going about their daily lives— Lexi is nowhere in sight. "Oh no."
—|—|—|—
Tristan stands with Aya and Marcel in front of a trashed car. He knew the Mikaelsons were planning something but taking his sister is not something he would allow.
His phone starts to ring and the moment Tristan sees Klaus' name, he picks up. "If you touch one hair on her head—"
"I'll do my best to restrain my brother, Tristan," Elijah retorts. "But you and I both know that he can be impossibly savage when he wants to be."
"State your terms," Tristan growls.
"You'll meet us at Patrick's Dock, the warehouse. We exchange Aurora for Hayley and the Serratura. Oh, Tristan? I would make it snippy. Unless, of course, you want Niklaus to eviscerate that poor girl."
The dial tone just fuels Tristan's anger. He turns to Aya and orders, "Go retrieve that filthy cur. Double the dosage of wolfsbane. Make certain she suffers."
"Now, hold up," Marcel says. "Maybe we should think this through, huh?"
"I already have. The Mikaelsons want to make a deal, so I'll give them exactly what they want. And, once I know Aurora is safe, I'll order the Strix to descend en masse." He pulls the Serratura out of his pocket, fiddling with it. "Before the night is over, we will seal them away for all time."
His phone begins to ring again. Tristan picks up without a second thought. "What else do you want, Elijah?" He growls.
Nothing responds.
"Who is this?"
Silence.
Tristan's eyes search the surrounding area before a thought dawns on him. "Marcel. Leave."
"What—?"
"Leave." He orders. Marcel glances between Aya and Tristan before he speeds away.
"Good choice." Aya and Tristan turn to see Lexi standing behind them. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She demands, tempted to slap him in the face.
"What do you mean?" Aya asks, slightly terrified of the Mikaelson.
"We had a deal." Lexi sneers. "You would leave them to me."
"Plans change," Tristan tells her. "They have Aurora—"
"I don't care," she says. "You said you would trap the lot of them and leave them to me. I don't care if I am trapped with them, all I want is my vengeance and to feed. Now, because of your actions, Hayley's grief will be dulled. Bitter, even."
"I'm confused," Aya states.
Lexi's cold eyes find Aya. "The Mikaelsons will pay. If not now, soon." Lexi walks up to Tristan, close enough to kiss him. "You broke the deal. Remember that when you fall."
*sigh. Hope you enjoyed!