"I HAD NO idea that Aya was gonna take Klaus and Elijah down. And regardless, why the hell are we trusting this guy all of a sudden, huh? He's the one who ran off with Aurora the first chance he got." Marcel raises his voice, pointing towards Lucien. After the Strix had gotten the heart they needed they didn't slow down, going after Klaus and Elijah as well.
"You can hardly fault a man for following his heart. Yet, the moment she started raving about firing white oak into Klaus, well... Words were said, hearts broken, veins drained." Lucien speaks up weakly.
Hayley turns to Marcel, a glare on her face. "You're one to talk about trust-- who was it that handed my dead husband's heart to the people that helped murder him?"
"I bought Cullen's life with that heart. But hey, you know what? You called me here, so if you have another plan? Please, let's hear it." Marcel drawls.
"It's simple. We storm the coven house, stop the Strix from completing the de-siring spell." Cullen shrugs.
"Okay. Well, that's easy for you to say. You're not sired by anybody, are you?" Marcel arches an eyebrow towards her.
"It's not just about de-siring... We've got to stop an execution." Lucien exclaims.
"What are you talking about?" Marcel questions.
"A lovesick teenage witch with a runner-up heart is somehow going to break the sire link? I'm sorry, but your darling Davina is in over her head, and Aya knows this. She will let Davina de-sire both brothers, then test the spell's success by firing a white oak bullet into Klaus' heart. I mean, it's win-win for her-- if you live, Marcel, we'll, she's won. If not, at least she's eliminated the rival sireline, including me." Lucien explains.
"His prophecy witch said she saw Klaus die and his entire sireline burn." Cullen states.
Lucien nods. "She watched us fall, she watched us burn, every soul Klaus ever turned. When Aya tests this spell, Klaus will fall either way. And, if Davina fails, as she likely will, the two of us will die as well."
"Actually... make that the three of us." A random man chimes in, walking into the courtyard.
"I'm sorry do I know you?" Cullen questions, confused as to why a stranger was in her home.
"My name's Stefan Salvatore." The man, Stefan, tells them. "I'm an old friend of Klaus'."
-
After assuring them that Stefan was who he said he is, the group jumped into action, trying to form a plan that wouldn't get them all killed. "Could use one of these access tunnels to slip into a back room." Stefan mumbles, pointing towards the map of the Davilla Estate. Lucien frowns, making a noise as he stands over Stefan's shoulder. "What? Worried about getting a little dirt on your thousand-dollar shoes?"
"Actually, I'll be doing most of the heavy lifting, since the vampires we're facing are, what? Seven times your age?" Lucien bites back, turning to face Marcel. "Is this really the best help we can get?"
"Doesn't matter. We're not getting their bodies back. Strix from all over the world are flying in to make sure this spell goes off. They're guarding every entrance and exit." Marcel replies.
Lucien scoffs. "Well, you're their leader. Call a meeting. Schedule a retreat. Order them to stop."
Marcel shakes his head. "Nah, nah, nah, nah. I do that, Aya has no problem staging a coup."
"Marvelous. I guess it's on me to come up with our grand plan, then." Lucien sighs.
"No need, Lucien. Freya figured out a way to get the boys out of the chambre. She just needs a strong enough power source." Cullen enters the room, a smirk on her face.
"I'd channel Cullen, but she'll be busy saving my brothers. So, I'll channel Lucien. The older the vampire, the better the battery." Freya states.
"We're going to buy her some time, keep the Strix occupied." Hayley speaks up, voicing the plan the women had come up with.
"Wait." Lucien interrupts. "You want me here holding hands with the leftover sister while you take the toddlers and tackle the Strix? You must be jok--"
Before Lucien can finish his sentence Freya raises her hand, magically snapping his neck. They watch as he falls back onto the couch, the silence a welcome sound.
"Huh, that was impressive." Stefan nods.
Freya smiles. "Well, I work better with quiet."
"Wait, so the plan is that the four of us are gonna keep one hundred of the world's most ancient vampires occupied?" Marcel questions, looking between Stefan, Cullen, and Hayley.
"Well, there could be another way." Stefan announces causing the group to look towards him. "All you have to do is get us to the front door."
-
"Are we close?" Stefan questions as him and Cullen try to find a comfortable position in the cramped trunk.
"A few more minutes." Cullen tells him, checking her phone.
"That's a cute kid." Stefan comments when he catches a glance of Hope on Cullen's home screen.
"Yeah." Cullen smiles, thinking of her daughter. "She is."
"Is she the reason you're here?" Stefan inquires.
"In a trunk with a stranger, going into a fight we may not win?" Cullen jokes. "She's not the only reason, but yeah. Maybe I just don't want her to grow up without a father."
Stefan hums like he was lost in thought. "Guess that depends on the father. I could have done without mine. If it weren't for my brother, I probably wouldn't have survived the guy."
"So, he stood up for you, and now you're risking your life for him?" Cullen glances towards the vampire laying beside her.
"Yeah." Stefan nods. "Something like that."
"You know, I never understood the brotherly bond until I met Klaus and Elijah. They hurt each other more than anyone, but... They're vicious when it comes to each other." Cullen mutters.
"And the ones they care about?" Stefan drawls causing Cullen to smile, thinking of everything the brothers had done for her.
"So, who's on your homepage, huh?" Cullen questions, waiting for Stefan to pull his phone out. He chuckles quietly, reaching into his back pocket. When he brings his phone back up Cullen can see a picture of a smiling blonde girl. "She's pretty. Girlfriend?"
"Yeah. Her name's Caroline." Stefan tells her.
Cullen nods. "And she's also in Klaus' sireline. Is she the reason why you're here?"
Stefan smiles, repeating Cullen's earlier words. "In a trunk with a stranger, going into a fight we may not win? I guess we both have our reasons."
The light hearted mood is killed as the car comes to a stop. Cullen glances towards Stefan, raising a finger to her lips as he begins to open his mouth. They feel Marcel drive a little further before stopping the car. They can hear him opening the door and closing it which means the plan was beginning and all they had left to do was wait.
Time continue to pass, Cullen checking her phone every five minutes. Letting out a sigh when she reads the time she turns towards Stefan. "It's time."
"Hey, listen. I... know we don't really know each other, but my life is... sort of in your hands. So let's make this count." Stefan exclaims, reaching down to scratch off the paste Freya had made for his magical tracking wound. They wait a couple more minutes before getting out of the trunk. The plan was to wait for the woman who was tracking Stefan. Apparently she was an immortal supernatural hunter so while Cullen and Stefan took out the guards covering the front door they waited for Rayna to do the rest.
They watched from the shadows as Aya took a group of her men to see what the disruption had been. Of course they stopped when they noticed it was Rayna. With the Strix fighting Rayna it gave Cullen the distraction she needed to sneak into the pool room where Elijah and Klaus were being held.
Cullen's eyes widen as she takes in the sight before her. Klaus and Elijah floating in a pool with their throats slit as the Strix's coven chants a spell. it doesn't take long for one of the guards in the room to notice her, but that doesn't stop Cullen as she bares her fangs, killing him. With the knowledge of her presence Marcel turns to the other guard in the room, snapping his neck.
"Marcel." Davina cries, glaring at Marcel.
"I'm sorry, D." Marcel apologizes before turning to Cullen. "We need to get them out of that water now." Davina lets out a yell as she raises her hand, sending Marcel and Cullen flying back. While Marcel and Cullen try to collect their bearings Elijah wakes up, speeding out of the pool. He jumps forward, grabbing one of the witches as he falls back into the water. It's obvious what he does as the blue water turns to red. Cullen joins him, taking out the remaining Strix witches, leaving only Davina. "Davina, stop!"
Davina doesn't listen, only begins chanting the spell louder. Finally Klaus awakens, flying out of the water and towards Davina, but she stops him with a spell. "You've had your time!" Davina screams, sending Klaus pack into the water.
"Davina." Cullen yells over her chanting, trying to warn the girl. When Davina still doesn't stop Cullen shakes her head, raising her arms and lowering her head as she begins her own spell, anything to throw off Davina's focus. As the two witches continue to chant, both or their magic fighting against one another it begins to be too much, the lights in the room exploding, sending sparks everywhere.
The force of Cullen's magic knocks Davina out, but it's too late. Her spell had already been completed and that's clear to Cullen as Marcel and Stefan let out groans of pain as the sirelink breaks away. A quiet eeriness fills the room as they wait for Klaus to wake up. When he doesn't Elijah jumps into the pool to gently pick up his brother, his eyes open weakly as his body fades from gray to his usually skin tone. "I felt them leave." Klaus states. "My sireline is broken."