Tia is waiting on the front porch when we arrive. It is midday now, and her tan skin glistens beautifully in the fall sun.
"Were you expecting me?" I ask her when we reach each other.
She pulls me into a hug as soon as I'm close enough. Her eyes never leave my Cadillac where Klaus is waiting, so I know she can sense him there.
"Your company is not welcome here, Clara," she whispers, hesitantly.
I sigh, "I want him to meet her. "
She narrows her eyes for a moment before realization hits her and her face contorts into a wide smile, "You know how to bring them back?"
I nod slightly, "I do, Tia. Call the others, it's time."
Tia runs back into the house and I lean against the railing of the porch for a moment. It's cold, but it's calming after being squished in the car with Klaus. I feel bad that my memory changed the demeanor between us for the rest of the drive, but neither him nor I wanted to discuss what had happened in more detail.
Speaking of Klaus, he exits the car carefully now and makes his way up the porch to me. I almost tell him to wait even longer so I can break the news of his presence to Georgina, but I don't want to give him any more reason to act impatiently.
"Would you care to explain how I'm involved in this?" He questions, but his voice is soft and curious.
Klaus stands next to me now. It's not too close that I would be uncomfortable, which is unusual for him, so he must have caught on to my discomfort.
"I'm going to sacrifice you in exchange for my daughter. A life for a life," I reply without looking at him.
He is taken aback by my bluntness, but the reaction disappears just as quick as it came. A nod comes from him in acceptance.
Now it's my turn to be surprised, "Niklaus, please. I was just joking."
I willingly bump my shoulder with his and smile just as his solemn face switches to a smirk. He chuckles slightly with me now in an attempt to hide the fact that he didn't fight my request.
"Seriously then, my love," he requests lightly, "tell me what you plan to do."
"You do not get to demand anything from the Immortal Witch," Georgina interrupts us as she appears in the doorway.
The house is in my name, which is why she chooses to hide behind the magical barrier from Klaus. I know her fears firsthand and I can practically feel them radiating off of her now, but I find them completely unnecessary. Despite her vileness, Georgina is a friend and I protect my friends.
Klaus retorts, "You will do well to remember who I am, witch. Maybe you should at least attempt respect."
Before she can respond with a rude reply, I make my way to the door and gesture for her to move out of the way. She remains standing tall against the two of us, despite the warning.
"I will not play games with you, Georgina." I remind her, "You know how this works: do as I say or leave without the benefits of working with me."
"How do I know you can do this today?" She whispers, her eyes meeting mine.
"Because I have determination, power and hope. You should get yourself some."
I push past her now to deactivate our protection spell and then invite Klaus in under my breath. He follows me closely, but I can tell they are both acting like dangerous children behind me.
Tia is in the basement with Lillian and Amir when we get down there. They must have used the back entrance as I'm sure I hadn't sensed them earlier. Amir comes forward to give me a hug, but Lillian is much newer to our cause, so she settles with a polite handshake.
"Niklaus Mikaelson..." Amir breathes in admiration and surprise when Klaus comes down the stairs, "The original hybrid... Here?"
"Hey, nerd, hush it. They're kind of a thing," Tia scolds him as her eyes flirt with suggestion.
I roll my eyes and look at Niklaus who is smiling down at me amusingly. He's behind me like a watchful bodyguard, which is ironic because he is actually the most endangered person in this room. As usual, he doesn't seem to consider those around him a challenge.
There are a few candles that are lit around us and dozens that are not. I wave my hand lazily and they all become one with light around us.
"This isn't abnormal for me to see," Klaus mutters about the coffins that appear in front of us.
"Maybe don't mention that?" I mumble back before raising my voice for the humans to hear, "I apologize about the abruptness of my arrival, but we are in danger if we stay here any longer. Besides, I think our loved ones have waited long enough."
Amir hums a cheers to my statement and finishes the drink he has in his hand. Georgina is standing over her son, her eyes hold so much pain and sorrow... I don't want to let her down again. We have tried so many times and have almost been successful on multiple occasions, but the ancestors have always worked against us. Now, we can do it and I will never have to see that look on her face ever again.
On my command, Lillian helps me pour a line of salt from where I will be laying to each individual coffin. Klaus stands intently from a distance now, but his attention never leaves my busy body. The only positive experience he has had with witches is his relationship with me, and even that ended in tragedy, so I don't expect him to feel too comfortable in this current company without me.
"The ancestors are angry with our work and want to stop us, which is why the original witch tried to permanently kill me last night." I explain as we work, "She knows that the only way that we can bring back our family is if we tie my immortality to the souls of our dead. Does everyone understand?"
Tia shakes her head, "We have tried this. It is not possible."
"We tried to give them my power," I correct her. "If we tether their existence to me, they will live as long as I do."
"We can at least try, please?" Lillian pleads, her eyes wandering from her dead mother back to us, "Even if it was just for a little while."
I small smile forms over my lips at the thought, "Yes, I completely agree."
With the connected agent in place, I lay on the blanket on the floor expectantly. It's covered in splatters of blood from past attempts, but not one of us have bother to wash it what with it just going to get dirty again. Each witch and the warlock place a hand on my body as they kneel on either side of me. I recite the spell for a moment so they can take note of it, but I only have to say it once before they have it down.
"Mortus est filia mi revertere adducere!" They chant, beautifully.
Dark magic swarms through me and I close my eyes for a moment to absorb it. The price we will have to pay will be high, but it's obviously much more worth it than any of them even know yet.
The spell continues and I only open my eyes when Klaus shuffles angrily. I look at Tia who has brought out the knife, as she is expected to do. She winces in reflective pain as she brings it to my skin and slices down my arm.
A magical cut slashes down Klaus's arm and he sucks in a breath as it heals, "Clara-"
"Hush, Nik, I'm alright," I soothe him, reaching for his hand.
It only burns a little as my mind is distracted with excitement. The comfort of having Klaus holding my hand is just what I need to calm myself even more.
The chanting from my witch friends grows harmoniously as the spell takes hold. Tia snakes another line down my arm with the knife, but I try not to react by gripping Klaus's hand tightly.
Georgina stops chanting for a minute, "It's working!"
The salt before me has caught on fire and is slowly making its way to the first coffin. She returns to chanting and I feel their determination grow now that they know it's really happening.
When the flames reach the first coffin, it becomes engulfed in flames. I close my eyes again and scream in agony at the feeling of my insides being stretched apart. My magic reacts as it reaches for the new connection we have created.
"Stop this! She can't take anymore!" Klaus orders without effect.
The witches ignore him and press on as the flames continue to grow. I feel like I'm about to pass out, but I don't think the spell would continue without my consciousness.
Squeezing Klaus's hand tighter, I mutter a spell of my own to draw more power from him. I'm already more powerful than usual with the connection to the Mikaelson family, but that doesn't feel like it's going to be enough.
Klaus groans and tries to pull away, but I've forced him to stay. He will be fine; I just need to borrow the rejuvenating portion of his vampire powers while mine is busy.
The next coffins to be lit will be done in unison. It's taking much longer to move the magical flames that are linking them to me, but they eventually get there. I scream again as the connection grows to two more souls and Klaus grips tighter to help me in any way he can.
Closing my eyes, I try to focus on drawing from Niklaus, but I can't seem to push past the discomfort. It is then that I don't notice the new figure in the room that should have been my first priority.
"Finn, no!" Klaus roars, but I know he wants this to stop as much as his brother does.
My eyes fly open as Finn sinks his teeth into Amir's neck and drains him of blood. He reaches for Tia who is still wielding the knife in an attempt to warn him away. Klaus lets go of my hand before picking my body up and backing away. I push against him with the little strength I have to get to Tia, but Finn snaps her neck before I can save her.
"I will kill you!" I shriek, throwing my power at him with all of my might.
He is thrown towards the wall, but Klaus is there to catch him before he can run into it at full force.
"If you kill him, then you kill yourself," Klaus contests before throwing his brother to the ground.
The spell has stopped, so a portion of my magic has returned to me. I stand in front of Georgina and Lillian protectively and drag Finn's body towards me with a spell.
"Clara-"
"Save it, Niklaus." I snap, waving my hands to confine Finn further, "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"I have prevented more abominations," he hisses back. "You are unnatural. The last thing the world needs is more immortal beings with uncontrolled power."
"I am a feminist; you will never control my power." I reply sarcastically, but the meaning still rings true.
Georgina is crying now as she rocks Tia's body in her arms. She is next to the unlit casket of her dead son, but the girl before her was like a daughter to her. This was a double loss today for her, and I will carry the blame of that forever with me.
I release Finn from my spells but confine him to my person just in case. He will not be able to run this time; I will make sure of it.
"We will bring him with us so we can perform the unlinking spell," I say to Klaus who is staring at me in admiration.
I'm not one to show off, nor am I capable of using my true abilities against him, but it has been a long time since he has seen me this forceful and angry while using my strength. The sadistic part of him is probably proud of me.
I make my way over to Georgina and Tia hesitantly. I place a hand to Tia's cold forehead and whisper an incantation I haven't used in years. The results are overwhelming.
"She is at peace," I breathe and Georgina sobs in happiness.
There's no telling the punishments Tia would have endured if she would have been forced to walk the other side. The ancestors hate us and our mission enough that they would send Esther to destroy me, I can't imagine what they would have done to Tia.
"Tia!" A new voice gasps and all eyes flash to the second coffin where the girl's aunt is now climbing out of.
She's covered in the dusty white sheets we had provided for them. It is a relief that they survived the fire as she is naked underneath. Her shaking legs wobble from lack of use, but she finds her way to Georgina all the same.
"You must be Jewel," Georgina greets her as she passes Tia into her arms. "I'm so sorry."
Jewel cries softly and speaks to Georgina in a low voice that I cannot hear. I leave the two, obviously unwelcome now.
A boy, no older than nineteen, emerges from the fourth coffin. Lillian is sitting with Amir's body when his older brother comes to meet her. Neither acknowledge me.
Adalynn's casket was the first to be lit, but she does not emerge from it like the others. Klaus comes to my side and wraps his arms around my shoulders as I cry silent tears.
"We never should have come here," I whisper.
"Then they would all be dead," Klaus responds. "The others are alive because of you."
I shake my head, "Tia is dead because of me, so is Amir."
"You're too hard on yourself," he counters.
I turn around and sink into his arms. My cuts have fully healed, but the fresh blood stains his shirt even more than his own had. He doesn't seem to mind as he caresses my hair and comforts me.
We were always at risk here, and we all knew these spells were too dangerous and controversial to ever be shared with the outside world. The living were the ones we were worried about... who knew it would be the dead that would mess everything up.
"Can I cut in?"
I release myself from Klaus and turn to see my daughter in the flesh. She drops the sheet after she transfers a t-shirt and leggings from my suitcase onto her body.
My tears become one with joy as I engulf her in a hug and hold her so tightly that she struggles for breath.
"Um, not a spirit anymore," she grunts, and I finally let her free.
The smell of daisies wafts through the room with her arrival. I breathe them in deeply to bring myself back down to reality, but it doesn't seem to do much good.
"I'm so sorry about Tia," she whispers to me.
I give her my thanks and intertwine my fingers with hers. Klaus watches us from a distance, as does Finn who is standing by the door. I look around at the witches and warlocks who are newly mourning their losses and my guilt becomes overwhelming again.
The killer is still in the room, and it's up to me to be rid of him. Even if I lose everything, my friends with be avenged.
*******
Chapter 29: 12/9/19 -- 10:56 pm
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Mae