"Hayley, mind if I tag along? The boys asked me to be scarce when Esther got here, and I have nothing else to do," Charley stood up from the stairs as Hayley was leaving from the dining room, she'd completely healed from the previous night's injuries, Elijah practically forcing her to stay in her room all day until she had her full strength back.
"Sure, I could use some company. A member of my pack let me know the witch who needs to do the spell on Esther is being held in the cemetery. We've gotta go get her so she can do the spell for us," Charley nodded following her to the car, the ride to the cemetery was spent mostly in silence.
"Oliver?" Hayley called out as they walked into one of the tombs.
"They worked her over pretty good," The blonde headed man, Oliver, answered. Charley walked over to Lenore lifting her head up gently checking over her wounds.
"We need to get her out of here," She looked over her shoulder at Hayley breaking one of the chains and helping the woman lean against the wall.
"And then what? They'll know that I let her go," Oliver asked nervously. "Look, you asked me to infiltrate Cassie's coven. I'm not gonna blow my cover for some has-been hippie witch. No offense."
"I guess we could always make it look like you got jumped. Tell Cassie that Lenore got rescued by her people," Hayley offered, Charley caught her eye nodding in agreement to her plan.
"Let me guess, you, uh, wanna beat the hell outta me?" He asked, resting his hands on his hips and Charley rolled her eyes.
"Well I can't say I wouldn't enjoy it," Hayley retorted.
"Oh, come on, man up," Charley laughed, breaking Lenore's other chain, wrapping her arm around the witch and helping her to sit. She found it quite amusing watching Hayley beat this wolf, she obviously had some pent up aggression towards him.
"So, What are you two doing in this mess? Neither of you are Mikaelson's," Lenore asked, standing up looking between the two girls.
"Well she sort of is in spirit and me, well, I'm just here for a good time," Charley offered, surprised to see Hayley smile at her answer.
"The werewolf mother?" Lenore asked, turning her attention to Hayley this time.
"In the flesh. Listen, can we do the spell or not?" Hayley questioned, they didn't know how much time they had so they needed to get this done as soon as possible.
"After what that bitch and her footman did to me, I'll do any spell you want," She answered, turning and walking towards the opening of the tomb.
Hayley and Charley both followed her, grabbing the bag that held the python and got into her car. The drive to Lenore's shop was also quiet. Charley wondered how long this would take and how Elijah was doing at this dinner. As they parked at the shop she pulled out her phone bringing up Elijah's messages.
To: Elijah
From: Charlotte
We've got Lenore. Is everything good over there?
She hit send shoving her phone back in her pocket before getting out of the car and following the other two women inside.
"So, will this take long?" Charley asked walking to the back of the store through the beaded door curtain. Hayley was standing off to the side while Lenore was already starting to gather the supplies she needed.
"You want me to soul brand the resurrected spirit of a thousand-year-old witch. It's best I take my time and do it right," Lenore answers, taking the bag with the python in it.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. No one should ever lose a child," Lenore added looking towards Hayley, Charley gave Hayley a sad half-smile. Only a few knew that Charley knew the pain of losing a child. Even though Hope was still alive she could only imagine the pain of not having your baby at all.
"No. No one should," Hayley agreed, as Lenore saged herself.
"Do you have the talisman?"
"Oh, yes," Hayley pulled out the necklace Klaus had given to her, something Esther spelled for him when he was just a child.
"So how does this work? You brand Esther with the spell and then what?" Charley asked, she'd heard of soul branding before but wasn't aware of how it actually worked.
"The next time she jumps into a body she'll be marked with a distinctive symbol on the back of her hand. That way you'll always know who she is," Lenore explained, pulling the python from the bag, setting it around her neck.
"We still don't know what she's doing here. When Esther held you captive did she give you any idea why she's doing all of this?" Hayley asked.
"Love." Lenore answered simply, Hayley and Charley sharing a confused look.
"How hard did they hit you?" Hayley questioned sarcastically but Lenore looked less than amused as she lifted the snake back over her head.
"What besides love inspires such pain and cruelty? And Esther?" Lenore spoke pausing as the slit the snake opened, its blood and guts spilling out. She scooped the insides out gathering them in her hands and squeezing the blood into the pot.
"Her love is very strong," Lenore finished, adding a few more things to the pot.
Hayley and Charley were both quiet watching her for a few moments, sharing a look when her hands stopped what they were doing. Her head dropped down suddenly and she swayed on her feet another second passing before her head rose back up, looking around confused.
"Are you okay?" Hayley asked, trying to catch Lenore's attention.
"Yes, I'm just getting my bearings-" Charley held back a gasp grabbing Hayley's hand and pulling her back.
"The mark," Charley told her quietly, well aware that she could still hear them. Hayley grasped her hand back anxiously.
"It's you isn't it? Esther?" Charley asked, the only answer she gave was a smile, reaching out to grab a rag and began wiping the blood from her hand, jumping when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket, using her free hand to pull the phone out slowly.
"Go on, answer it," Esther motioned, she didn't hesitate to hit the answer button bringing the phone to my ear.
"'Lijah were at Lenore's shop-"
"That'll be enough," Esther cut the girl off, waving her finger towards her, the phone dropping from her hand and falling to the floor.
"They're going to come for us, Esther. You know they are," Charley gritted through her teeth, she had thought they were done with all of Esther's games long ago.
"My dear, Charlotte, that's been the idea all along. It's nice to see you again. And, Hayley, it's so lovely to finally meet you. Tell me do my sons ever acknowledge the good you bring into their lives? After all it was you that gave them Hope. The promise of a child shows us all the possibilities of a future that could be. Children are meant to save us from the worst parts of who we are. A truth that makes my own circumstances all the more tragic. Wouldn't you say?" Esther asked, all of her attention on Hayley, knowing she couldn't manipulate me.
"I don't pity you, Esther," Hayley answered, Esther nodding slowly once before looking down at the pot.
"It's a terrible thing for a mother to fail their child. As you well know. But now I offer you freedom, Hayley. The gift of a new body. Freedom from being a hybrid. I have the ability to return to you all that you have lost. To make it so you can have a family of your own. More children of your own-"
"Don't listen to her, Hayley-"
"Wouldn't that be nice?" Esther continued to talk over Charley, she squeezed Hayley's hand to get her attention, her eyes breaking away from Esther and looking down at the ground.
"I assume I have the misfortune of speaking to my mother," Klaus snapped as he walked through the same beaded curtain as she did earlier, walking in front of the two girls only to be stopped by Esther throwing salt on the ground to stop him.
"You hide behind your spells like a coward." Klaus growled.
"I did not come here to wage war," Esther sneered, throwing another handful of salt as Elijah entered through the doorway beside his mother.
"Everything you do is an act of war. If you touch either of them, so help me-"
"Hayley is free to go. I've spoken my piece, she knows why I'm here. I have come to heal our family, Elijah." Charley squeezed Hayleys hand once again as Esther spoke, she needed to get out of here.
"Well, that's a grand sentiment coming from you. Go, now." Klaus spoke turning back to look at Hayley. She turned to face Charley and she untangled their hands.
"Go, we'll be okay," Charley whispered to her, she hesitated for a second but nodded rushing from the room. The lights flickered before a bulb burst, Elijah making his way over to Charley's side.
"My intent was never to harm, only to heal, as I have already healed your brothers, Finn and Kol. For you I will undo everything that has been done thereby giving you a new life," Esther began explaining as another lightbulb burst, a wave of her hand and the room began to shake. Elijah grabbed Charley's hand pulling her close to his side.
"A life without the vampire curse I inflicted upon you. Ask Hayley and Charlotte to share with you my loving proposition," Esther spoke calmly.
"You're a fool if you think we'll accept anything you have to offer." Klaus growled, face twisted in anger.
"Oh, you are wrong, Niklaus. There will come a time when you will beg for it!" The room began to shake more violently, Elijah covering Charley's body with his own as the windows burst.
"Are you alright?" Elijah asked, grabbing her face in his hands after the room stopped shaking.
"I'm okay, 'Lijah. Where the hell did she go?" She asked, looking towards where Esther was no longer standing.
"For her sake, far away from here." Klaus growled, storming from the building.