three
the dragon.

THE NEXT DAY, Isabelle finds herself walking towards Dr.Saltzman's car, getting ready to go find Landon. Somehow, he escaped the night before with an ancient knife he'd stolen from Alaric's collection. Now, her, Alaric, and Hope are going to find him.

So when she sees Rafael working on the car, she gives him a curious look. "Hey, Raf. Whatcha doing down there?"

"Adjusting the sway bar," he replies with ease, confusing her. The only thing she knows how to do with a car is drive it. She doesn't have a license, but she's driven a handful of times. She doesn't know any of the technical terms.

"I have no idea what that is," she deadpans, her brown eyes the size of saucers. "But was it broken?"

"It is now," he informs, pulling the piece forcefully out of the bottom of the car. She gapes at him, surprised he'd have the nerve to even touch Dr.Saltzman's car since that thing is like a third child to him. He pushes himself to his feet and stands up so that he's towering over Isabelle. "You're going after Landon. If you want this car to work, I'm going with you."

"Raf, what Landon did was not okay."

"He took a stupid knife."

"No, he didn't," she shakes her head at him, giving him a pleading look, wanting him to understand that she has nothing against him or Landon. "That knife... it could hurt people. Innocent humans. We just need to stop him."

"Hope doesn't wanna stop him. She wants revenge," he corrects her, making her roll her eyes at him.

"That's why I'm going. I can keep her in check," she tells him, but he still seems keen on going. So she reaches for the car part in his hand, only for him to move it out of her reach. She then narrows her eyes at him, knowing she can get it from him the hard way if she has to. "Don't make this difficult. I have powers."

"And I have a long list of anger issues," he counters, only for her to give him a challenging look.

"Don't make me-"

"He can come," Alaric interrupts as him and Hope walk over. Isabelle gingerly moves away from Rafael, surprised by her headmaster's words. "He knows Landon; he'll be an asset. And we need all the help we can get, so fix the car and hop in."

She smiles at the werewolf before climbing into the back seat next to Hope. He quickly fixes the car and the group drive to Route 29, where Landon used the knife to turn a bunch of humans to stone last night. Alaric parks the car on the side of the road before they get out and head into the woods where Hope tracked Landon to.

"I don't know why he's still out here," Hope declares, her dislike for Landon and Rafael crystal clear. She'd once liked Landon, so she's taking his betrayal personally. "He has a whole day's lead on us. He could be anywhere."

"Maybe cause he doesn't have a reason to run," Rafael suggests, making Isabelle bite down on her lip. Personally, she doesn't want to hurt Landon, but if he's a threat, she might have to. But she'll take extra precaution to not kill him.

"Logic that would be perfectly believable if he hadn't, you know, ran," Hope retorts as Isabelle hears a twig snap somewhere nearby.

She quickly puts her hand up to motion for them to shut up and not move, and the four all exchange uneasy glances. "We're not the only ones out here."

She follows the sounds, the group right behind her only for her to come across a pretty African American woman in a tattered dress. She has dirt caked on her face, and she looks as though she's seen a ghost.

Isabelle puts her hands in front of herself to show the woman her and her friends aren't a threat. "We're not gonna hurt you. Are you okay?"

The woman stays silent, looking at them like she's never seen a person before. Isabelle takes a step closer to the woman only for her to take a step back. But it only takes the witch a moment to take in the recognizable smell of smoke.

"I need to get her to the police so she can get some medical attention," Alaric states, glancing at the teenagers. "Why don't you three go ahead. Don't engage. We don't know how dangerous Landon is."

"He's not dangerous-" Rafael begins, giving Dr.Saltzman a pleading look.

"I said don't engage," Alaric cuts him off sternly, just wanting to protect his students.

Isabelle pulls her jacket further around herself as the trio make their way through the woods, not knowing exactly where Landon is. Rafael then glances at the duo questioningly. "What exactly happened on that bus?"

"No one knows," Hope answers simply. "It's like something incinerated it from the inside."

"Look, whatever he did, I know there's a good explanation," Rafael insists, wanting to believe with every fiber of his being that Landon's innocent. "He's the most loyal friend I've ever had. He was there for me on the worst day of my life. After my girlfriend died, he's the only thing that kept me going. So let me get that knife back for you and then we can hear him out, okay?"

Isabelle's mind is racing. The way that Rafael defends Landon-it must mean Landon is somewhat good. His friendship with Landon is like her friendship with Hope, and those relationships don't just happen over night. It's an unbreakable bond. But if Landon really is innocent, how did the bus incident occur?

"Appreciate the passion," Hope smirks at him, clearly not amused. "But maybe you should exert some of it making new friends."

"So I can be as popular and well-liked as you?" Rafael scoffs at Hope as Isabelle zones out, wondering about Landon. Maybe he didn't have a choice... "I've been at the school for two days and I've already heard all about Hope Mikaelson and her sunny disposition. Isabelle's the only person that likes you. I'll get you the stupid, not-stupid knife-"

He trails off as Isabelle walks away from them, her eyes set on a root cellar. Somehow, she knows in her heart that's where Landon is. Bingo, the witch thinks, slipping into it unnoticed. Hope and Rafael are too busy arguing to even see her.

"Landon?" Isabelle calls out, her voice soft and kind. She finds Landon sitting at the bottom of it, his hood over his head.

He stares at her in shock, standing up to greet her hastily. "Holy hell. How'd you find me, Isabelle?"

"Doesn't matter," she brushes it off, somehow knowing that Rafael isn't wrong about him. She has an intuition about him, and hers are never wrong. "Landon, things aren't looking good right now. The people on the bus you were on last night are all dead. How'd it happen?"

"That wasn't me," he states, his blue eyes silently begging this girl that's nearly a stranger to believe him.

"Then who was it?" Hope's familiar voice interrupts, and the duo turn to see that her and Rafael are standing behind them. Before he can reply, she uses her magic to shove him against the wall. "Corporis impetu."

Isabelle gasps, surprised by Hope's sudden violence as Rafael jumps between Landon and Hope. But Hope ignores him, glaring at Landon. "Where's the knife?"

"I don't have it," he insists as Isabelle watches, ready to intervene if Hope goes too far. "I must've lost it when I ran."

"After you burned the bus?" Hope raises an angry eyebrow, glaring at him.

"That wasn't me, I swear. I barely got out alive."

"Last chance," Hope warns him, taking a threatening step towards him as Isabelle takes a step towards her with wide eyes. "Who the hell was it?"

"There was this girl."

He then tells them a bazar story about a fire-breathing woman burned everyone on the bus alive. Hope then releases her grip, but shakes her head at him. "I don't believe anything you say."

"You have every right to be mad at me, but I am telling you the truth."

Rafael exchanges a troubled glance with Isabelle before he nods at them. "I believe him."

"You believe that a fire-breathing woman burned the bus alive?" Hope remarks, disbelief written all over her face. But a part of Isabelle can't help but wonder if he's telling the truth, especially since they ran into a woman in the woods earlier. "And Landon happened to be spared?"

"Landon might be telling the truth," Isabelle theorizes, gnawing on her lip nervously. She slowly begins to pace, wondering if Dr.Saltzman is okay. "He said he ran, so that would explain why he got away safely. But he said a woman burned the bus, and we saw a woman in the woods earlier, perfectly fine like he is."

Hope thinks about this for a moment before turning her attention back to Landon. "Why did you steal the knife in the first place?"

"I don't remember stealing it."

"Of course not. How about pretending to be compelled?"

"That was to avoid being thrown back in the werewolf dungeon."

"Transitional cellar."

"Small spaces," he then takes a step towards the tribrid, desperate for her to believe him. "Hope, you have to understand, Dr.Saltzman had already told me the school wasn't gonna let me stay. If he thought I'd talk, he'd lock me back up. There wasn't a good ending for me. I didn't want to steal from you and I don't want a fire-breather chasing me. I'm sorry for all of it."

All the while, Isabelle focuses on her senses, ones that are heightened due to her angelic blood. Her werewolf side may be dormant, but she still has some werewolf powers. And as she does, she hears Landon's heart beat, and it doesn't skip a beat the entire time he's talking. "He's telling the truth."

The cellar doors are then thrown open, and Alaric bursts in, closing them firmly behind him. "There's a fire-breathing woman running through the woods." He then notices how tense the teenagers are and scoffs. "Did I or did I not say 'don't engage'?"

"Oh, please. Landon is harmless," Isabelle shrugs, knowing he must be some kind of supernatural being, but appears to be as strong as a mundane.

"Looks can be deceiving," Alaric counters, only for her to shrug gently. "Now our bus refugee, turns out she's a pyromancer. A fire-breathing witch."

"I knew it," Isabelle gasps, an excited grin crossing her face. She's never come across a pyromancer, but she's heard the stories about how dangerous they are. Lucky her, fire doesn't burn her. The angelic blood in her veins protects her from all kinds of fire, even heavenly fire and hellfire. "She came for the knife."

"Okay, well, where is it?" the headmaster asks, only for the Castiel girl to internally cringe. All four of them turn to Landon questioningly.

"I lost it in the woods. I was running around in circles all night trying to find a place to hide."

"Okay, well, let's find it before she does," Alaric sighs, out of breath from all the running he just did. The group then exit the cellar, only to see the pyromancer a few yards away from them.

She stares at them silently before stretching her hand towards them, wanting the knife. She then sets her eyes on Landon, and her brown eyes begin to glow the color of fire.

"Back in the cellar," Isabelle deadpans, pushing the others aimlessly into it before slamming the door shut behind them. She gently puts her hand on the door, using her powers to put out the flames. "Adiuuatur."

She then turns on her heel and storms over to Landon, wanting to end this situation as quickly and cleanly as possible. He struggles against as she pushes her left arm against his chest and uses her right hand to check his jacket pockets for the knife. And sure enough, she pulls it out of one of his pockets. "I didn't know that was there-"

She listens to his heartbeat, finding that he's telling the truth. "I believe you."

She then listens as Alaric calls Dorian. Dorian tells them that the woman, in fact, isn't a pyromancer but a dragon. And the only way to take down the dragon is with the knife.

"I've got this," Isabelle mutters, taking a deep breathe as the group stare at her in disbelief.

"Are you serious? By yourself?" Rafael asks her, the concern showing in his eyes. Hope and Alaric wear the same expressions, and Landon is staring at her like she's crazy.

"I'm the only one she can't hurt," Isabelle points out, only for Rafael to give her an odd look. "Its a story for another time."

She then steps out of the cellar, closing it behind her. The dragon reacts immediately, sending a huge fireball towards her. It, however, doesn't harm her, she simply walks through it. The being stares at her in shock as she throws the knife with ease, taking care not to hit any organs that could kill her. "Be true."

The knife buries itself in her shoulder, and she falls to the ground, growing unconscious. Isabelle heaves a relived sigh, running a shaky hand through her blonde hair as the others pile out of the cellar. Alaric gives her a worried look. "You all right?"

"Never been better," she replies sarcastically, catching her breathe as she yanks the knife out of the woman's shoulder. The others gasp as Isabelle feels goosebumps rise on her skin. She slowly turns around and sees that the woman has turned into a full on dragon. She has dark scales, and growls at them. She then takes off into the air, flying away. "Ugh, things can never be easy."

Hope then decides to pipe up, turning to face the other teenagers. "You guys go. Get to the car and get out of here. I have an idea."

Hope grabs the knife out of Isabelle's hand gently, holding it up. "She wants this. She's going to be back."

"All right, you two, go to the car. I'll meet you there," Alaric tells the boys, his voice stern. He then raises an eyebrow at Hope. "You wake up with a death wish today?"

"Something like that."

Hope and Alaric then argue about him helping them, and he loses, retreating to the cellar once again. Isabelle has no idea what Hope's plan is, so forms a circle with her arms, silently calling to the dragon so she'll return and they can deal with her.

And when the dragon nears, she gingerly puts her hand into the air, willing her to stop. She's too focused on the dragon that she doesn't notice Hope pull piece of paper with a dark magic spell out of her pocket. Hope begins to chant, but she doesn't hear it. It's like it's just her and the dragon, and the dragon lands on the ground a few feet in front of her.

The dragon stares at her tentatively, almost as if she's curious about the young witch. But Isabelle knows deep down that the dragon won't harm her. She slowly reaches up to touch the dragon when suddenly, she drops to the ground, transforming back to her human self.

As the dragon does so, a burst of magic bursts out of her, the magic hitting Isabelle and Hope like a ton of bricks. Isabelle is thrown off of her feet and falls to the ground, losing consciousness.

When she wakes up again, she sees Hope standing over the dragon with the knife in her hand, like she's going to kill her mercilessly. The woman gives her a helpless look, still reaching for the knife even though she's clearly dying.

"Motus!" Isabelle breathes, using her powers to snatch the knife from Hope. Hope ignores her, pleading with the woman, trying to get answers.

"Why do you want the knife so badly? What makes it so special? Say something."

The dragon then turns around, and Alaric appears from behind the Castiel witch, grabbing the knife from her. He stabs the woman in the neck without hesitation, protecting the teenagers like he always does. She falls to the ground, dead as Alaric turns to Hope, having seen exactly what she'd just done.

"Isabelle, go wait in the car. Hope is in serious trouble."

UNEDITED