Freya and Elijah had called me to the compound.

Freya was sketching with a piece of charcoal. Her rough drafts were covering the coffee table.

Elijah was pacing impatiently. "Noah, we are out of time."

"A sigil is a complicated magical symbol, weaponized and condensed to its most potent form," Freya told me. "If I combine the right elements, we'll have a chance at stopping Lucien."

"And what do you want me to do?" I asked.

"We need the Strix to weaken him," Elijah answered. "And as their fearless leader..."

"You want me to lead them right into battle against Lucien," I finished. "All right."

Freya seemed surprised with my response. "That was easy."

"What, you expected it to be difficult?" I asked.

"Frankly, yes," Freya answered. "I know you don't care much for the Strix, but leading them into death..."

"I want to get rid of Lucien," I told them. "Whatever the cost."

Freya and Elijah nodded in understanding, grateful.

We heard the sound of panicked knocking from downstairs, exchanging a look, walking into the courtyard.

Hayley walked toward Cami at the doorway outside worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"It's Klaus," Cami told us frantically. "Lucien has him."

"Freya, invite her in," I told her.

"Yeah, come in, you're invited," Freya told her. 

Cami looked nervous, taking a step forward, crossing the threshold with no problems, walking toward us.

Hayley took a look outside to make sure no one else was coming, closing the door, walking toward us.

Elijah looked at Cami. "Tell us what happened."

"Lucien ambushed him," Cami answered. "He knocked him around like it was nothing."

"Did he bite him?" Hayley asked.

Cami shook her head. "No. I think he wanted him alive. I followed them. Lucien took Klaus back to the penthouse."

Elijah's phone buzzed. He took it out, reading the text, scowling. "Lucien is demanding my presence at the Whiskey Cask, alone and immediately. He says if I delay, Niklaus will die."

We were all anxious and overwhelmed.

Elijah turned around, walking away.

***

While Hayley and Cami went off to Lucien's penthouse to get Klaus, and Davina, Vincent and Marcel were trying to keep a handle over Kol's increasingly hexed state, Elijah went to the Whiskey Cask to face with Lucien.

Lucien didn't know that Freya, the Strix and I were ready to come in at any moment. 

Elijah took off his jacket, tossing it on the nearby stage, looking around, prepared for a fight. 

He heard Lucien's voice behind him. "Such a treat." Elijah turned around to find Lucien sitting on the railing of the balcony. "Being in New Orleans this time of year. But, alas, for all today's talent, nothing quite compares with watching Ella and Louis perform live."

"Yes, what a wonderful world that was," Elijah told him sarcastically. "Give me my brother before your world becomes significantly less wonderful."

"Mm, I'm afraid I need something from you, first," Lucien told him. "A brother for a brother, as it were."

"Let me guess," Elijah told him. "Your fantasy sweetheart wants her beloved Tristan back?"

Lucien nodded in answer. "Hmm. Or your death, to relieve his suffering. So, either tell me how to find him, or I'll kill you."

***

Lucien was starting to become even more impatient. "Elijah, I've asked you a rather important question. Given our current circumstance, you'd be wise not to test my patience. So... Tristan's resting place...?"

Elijah looked at him incredulously. "You carefully craft yourself into this abomination purely to become... an errand boy to that banshee?"

Lucien chuckled. "Oh, you Mikaelsons. Your arrogance truly knows no bounds. Do I need to remind you the prophecy is on my side? Your family is doomed. So, if you'll give me Tristan's location, at least I could make your death quick."

Elijah shrugged. "I have no idea where he is. But you know, Lucien, the thing is that I suspect you don't even really care."

Lucien tilted his head in agreement. "Mm. I never really liked him. But, at least I can tell Aurora I tried."

***

Elijah, who was panting from the exertion of his previous attempted attack against Lucien, got into a defensive position to prepare to lunge toward him again. "You give me my brother. I won't ask again."

Lucien rolled his eyes. "Please, Elijah. Know when you're beaten."

Lucien turned to face Elijah, transforming his beast face, letting his irises glow bright red and veins trail down his cheeks. He returned to normal, walking purposefully toward Elijah, only to be stopped in his tracks when he stepped on the sigil that Freya had created, which burned itself into the floor under his feet, trapping him there and causing him so much pain that he roared in agony and fell to his knees within the circle of the sigil.

Freya and I walked out into the open.

I smirked. "Oh, that looks like it hurts."

"That's what I was going for," Freya told us.

Lucien groaned in pain. "What... did you do to me?"

"The sigil will bind you," Freya told him. "Weaken you. The boiling blood, I added myself. Maybe I can't kill you, but I can make you wish you were dead."

I smirked, impressed.

***

Lucien was still on his knees in the middle of Freya's magical sigil on the floor, and he groaned and grunted in pain as he tried to fight against it.

Freya, Elijah and I watched with smug expressions. 

Lucien stopped fighting it, rising to his feet. "Whew! Well, I admit, Freya, this is a truly valiant effort. Inspired, I assume, by your grief over Finn's demise?" Freya sneered at him, thrusting her hand forward, flicking her wrist, casting a pain infliction spell, making him yell in pain and fall to his knees. "Pop goes the weasel! Oh! A rather potent aneurysm spell."

"You never fail to impress," I told her.

"Oh, I have all kinds of tricks," Freya told us. "We even brought an audience to enjoy the show."

I whistled.

Several dozen Strix vampires filed into the room, surrounding Lucien, growling at him menacingly.

"Oh, come on, Freya," I told her. "The Strix are the show. Well... the first act. Act two, Lucien's buried beneath 1,000 tons of cement. Act three? Spoiler alert, you're a parking lot."

Lucien chuckled. "Oh, Noah, even after more than a century, you've never managed to curb your hubris. I can kill anything. Even them. Even you. And, since the Ancestors have made me their champion... They will not allow me to be detained."

A faint whispering was heard around us.

Lucien suddenly stepped toward us without harm as the sigil on the floor faded away.

Freya, Elijah, the Strix and I were all extremely concerned, though it didn't stop the fight from beginning.

I whistled through my fingers.

The Strix all lunged toward Lucien.

Lucien spun in a circle, growling in preparation for their battle.

***

Lucien threw me across the room, making me fall and roll into the nearby wall.

I scrambled onto my hands and knees to get up, watching as Lucien easily dominated the fight against the Strix.

Lucien grabbed Strix 1, spinning to kick Strix 2 behind him, making Strix 2 fall, flipping Strix 1 to the floor, slamming his hand over his back, breaking his bones. Strix 3 kicked Lucien. 

Lucien grabbed his throat, lifting him in the air, slamming him onto the floor. He chuckled in disbelief, spreading his arms wide. "Is that the best you've got?"

Freya thrusted her hand toward Lucien, casting a spell that caused blood to pour down Lucien's shirt as she attempted to use telekinesis to rip his heart out of his chest. "Delphin eoten cor. Delphin eoten cor. Delphin eoten cor."

***

Freya walked toward Lucien as his heart was slowly being pulled toward her and out of his chest. "Delphin eoten cor. Delphin eoten cor. Delphin eoten cor."

Lucien stopped groaning.

Freya and Elijah both looked alarmed when once again, the Ancestors' interference prevented Freya's magic from working.

Lucien smirked.

Elijah rushed toward Lucien, grabbing him around the waist with his arm, sinning him around like a shot-putter, tossing him across the room.

Lucien flew into the nearby wall, getting tangled up in the NOLA Music Days banner, falling to the floor.

Everyone that could run ran, including Elijah, Freya, the Strix and me, leaving the dead bodies of the other vampires laying around the floor.

***

I was at in the Quarter, enjoying the music festival.

Freya walked toward me. "You were quite the hero today."

I scoffed. "Please. I got my ass kicked."

"Yeah, but you helped us with the Strix," Freya told me. "They wouldn't have followed me and Elijah in, but they did follow you."

"Yeah, right to their deaths," I told her. "No great loss there, but the others will definitely think twice about following me anywhere else ever again."

Freya sighed, shrugging. "Still."

"So, Aurora's down, and Klaus is saved," I told her. "And it only took the better part of the day."

"I would have rather to kept the chains on him so he wouldn't be so difficult," Freya told me.

"You'd be doing us all a huge favor," I told her. "Maybe you could fasten something to his mouth so he can't talk or annoy us?"

Freya laughed. "Aurora's still out cold."

"What are the chances of keeping her that way?" I asked.

"Oh, my spell will keep her down long enough to use the serum in her blood to figure out a way to kill both her and Lucien," Freya answered.

I smirked. "I must say, I'm rather looking forward to it."

"Thank you, for today," Freya told me.

"You're welcome," I told her.

Freya smiled, walking away.