"All we really know is that the cult wanted to sacrifice children." I explained to Mary whilst Hayley played with Grace. "Somehow Clara was drawn into it and when she tried to escape, it was too late for her. So... she killed herself."
"It doesn't make sense." Mary said, unable to see how this could be a possibility. "Someone recruiting Crescents into a cult? Who would do that?"
"Well I don't know." I told her. "But I do know you need to be on high alert for anything out of the ordinary. In particular, an image of a serpent eating its own tail. Appropriately gruesome."
"Wait, what did you say?" She asked with concern.
"A serpent eating its own tail." I explained. "Sort of like a dragon. Actually, Grace drew quite a few when she was infected. Look." I said as I handed her some of the drawings.
Mary examined this and her eyes grew wide, clouded in horror. She knew that image. And knowing that ghastly thing was probably not a good sign.
"Fiore, there's something you need to see."
~Klaus POV~
"You know your way around, don't you?" Klaus said as he walked through the Quarter, with the Hollow still clinging onto him. "New Orleans native? Were you buried in the vicinity? Someone disturb your grave? Why else would you be such a grumpy dumpy ghost?"
The Hollow, still in the form of Mikael, stopped and turned around to face him with a scowl as he realised Klaus's true intentions.
"You don't really intend to kill Marcel, do you?" The Hollow said to him. "Your father was right. You are a coward. Because of you he's lost everyone he loves, your wife included. And due to your pathetic fear of losing her, you will share the same fate."
"More meaningless threats." Klaus mocked, rolling his eyes at it. "Is that the extent of your power? I remain underwhelmed."
"You really think I don't have power?" The Hollow brought a white oak stake and jammed it into Klaus' chest causing him to cry out in pain only for the stake and the hollow to vanish. "I can make you see and feel whatever I like." It said as it walked out from behind him.
"Oh, do your worst." Klaus said, rolling his eyes once again. "I know the truth. The white oak is gone, Mikael is dead, and you are nothing but a bad dream."
"Maybe I should find a way into your daughter's dreams?" It threatened. "Oh, what fun it will be to be in her head!" Klaus's anger surged and he pushed the thing back forcefully, only for it to appear behind him. "Ruthless, nicely done." He grabbed its neck and snapped it before it appeared in front of him again, this hybrid choosing to tear a large chunk out of its neck. He smirked as it fell to the floor, only for Klaus to be in the presence of three dead bodies. It had tricked him.
"No." He said in shock.
"Imagine if I'd made you kill someone you actually cared about!" The Hollow told him. "Unless I already have." Klaus turned and saw Elliott's dead body, laying on the floor, with blood spilling out of him.
"Elliott! No! No! No! NO!" he cried out at the loss of his son. Only for the illusion to fade away.
"Next time, I'll make you really kill him."
"NO!" He yelled at the tormenting presence.
"Even if you could resist, who would stop Marcel?" The Hollow asked him. "After all I'm having my fun with him too. And I will make him tear through your family in the same way you did these people. That leaves you with one choice—kill Marcel. Or he will kill you and everyone you love."
~Fiore POV~
I sat outside with Hayley and Elijah, explaining to them the contents of the damaging journal that Mary had showed me.
"It belonged to her husband." I told the two lovebirds. "He wrote it in the build up to his death so most of it is rubbish but there's stuff about Hayley's parents in there."
"What does it say about them?" She asked quickly.
"Ramblings about how they were traitors because they were allied with vampires." I handed the book to them and Elijah flipped through the pages.
"His writing deteriorates as his thoughts do." Elijah commented.
"In the end he couldn't even form a semi-coherent sentence." I replied before turning to a shell-shocked Hayley. "Hayley, I think the Hollow made him kill your parents."
~Klaus POV~
Klaus: Elliott, I haven't heard from you in a while. Please tell me you're safe. I need to know that you are safe.
"Klaus! I was worried!" Klaus froze at the sound of Freya walking over to him, completely terrified at the thought of hurting her too.
"Freya, stay back!" He commanded.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't want to hurt you." He told her shakily. "But I can't trust myself."
"I trust you." She said as she walked towards him but he turned around and ensured she kept her distance.
"I SAID STAY BACK." He yelled. "I have underestimated our foe. The Hollow is more powerful than I thought! It made me see things and do things."
He turned back to the sacristy where he was cleaning his hands only to see his reflection. His eyes the signature blue of the Hollow. He hit at the water in frustration, unable to see a way out of his predicament without killing Marcel and losing everything.
"Then let me purify you." She told him as she gingerly stepped towards him with the cleansing spell. She began to chant and Klaus thought he might have found a way out only for her to stop with a deeply concerned look.
"It's sprung too deep." She said quietly. "But I know what it wants."
"For me to kill Marcel, or him to kill me." Klaus told his determined sister. "I can't do it. Fiore would never forgive me."
"No, Fiore will never forgive you if you leave your children fatherless." Freya told him sternly. "Klaus, if this thing is demanding a sacrifice—don't let it be you."
"Freya—"
"Find Marcel and end this." She continued. Klaus knew he had no choice and was now resigned to his situation, clenching the dagger in his white-knuckled fists.
"Don't follow me."
**********************************************************************************
Klaus entered the abandoned witch house where Marcel was stood. He stared him down grimly when the door suddenly slammed shut.
"it appears as if we can't leave until one of us is dead." Klaus told him.
"I know you're seeing things Klaus." Marcel told him. "But I have a way to fix things for both of us."
"And I suppose I'm just to take your word?" Klaus scoffed.
"Don't be stupid, you know you can't beat me." Marcel said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, can't I?" Klaus asked teasingly as he held up the dagger. "You see courtesy of my dear sister, you're not so unkillable after all."
~Freya POV~
Freya walked through the quarter in search of her brother as well as calling Elijah on the phone to inform him about their situation.
"Elijah!" She exclaimed when he picked up. "You need to get back here otherwise Marcel will kill Klaus."
"What about Fiore?" Elijah questioned as he prepared himself to leave.
"You mustn't tell her. Klaus doesn't want her to know." She hung up the phone and he gave Hayley an apologetic glance before going off in search of his brother.
~Klaus POV~
"Of course!" Marcel snapped. "You say our feud is over but you set out building a weapon that can kill me."
"Well I wouldn't need it if you could be trusted!" Klaus snapped.
"Then trust me now and we'll both make it out alive!" Marcel shot back.
"How can you trust yourself?" Klaus asked warily.
"Spelled beads keep me safe from this damned thing and if I bury this here then we're done. Alright? No need to fight." Marcel told him but it was to preoccupied ears. The Hollow had crept up behind the original vampire, still in the form of Mikael.
"He hopes to lower your guard with his lies." It told the Original. "Then he will wrench the dagger out of your hand. Don't be a fool."
"I am no fool."
~Fiore POV~
"Where's Elijah?" I asked Hayley and she gave me a sheepish look. A look I didn't trust. "Hayley, whatever it is you're hiding, it is not worth it."
"He—" She gave me a reluctant sigh. "He went to save Klaus from Marcel."
"What?" I asked in a panic.
"They got infected by the Hollow. And now it wants them to kill each other."
"And no one thought to tell me?" I asked her in disbelief.
"Klaus said not to." She explained.
"Well then. Marcel just became the least of his problems."
A/N: I hope you enjoyed! If you did, please vote, comment and follow! Love you as always! X