"MAY I ask what the exact plan is?" Ingrid questioned in curiosity, standing before the two Mikaelson brothers with her arms folded over her chest and a raised eyebrow. "And may I ask why I can't just murder her? The longer Camille runs around with the white oak in her possession, the more uneasy I become."

"Ingrid, you can't murder everyone because they pose an inconvenience to you." Elijah explained in a scolding manner, in disbelief that she would even consider that plan.

"Uh... yes, I can and I will." She replied in determination and gaped at Klaus in a way that read: is he serious?

"Regardless of your opinion, I say we kill her and take the horse back. She's acting like a spoiled brat who's throwing a fit when they can't get their way. I'm not tolerating it. I don't tolerate it with Hope and I sure as hell won't for a grown ass woman. Let's just get rid of her. Simple. At this point, we can't trust anyone who is not family. If that..." Ingrid whispered the last bit, making a snarky expression at him.

"The plan is to trade." Elijah answered with a pointed look.

Unimpressed, she paused with her mouth hung agape for a second before raising a finger and chuckling sarcastically. "Please tell me that's not all of it."

"I'm afraid so, my love." Klaus replied in a reluctant tone.

"And we're sure that once she gets the dark objects, she'll just hand over the horse to us?" Ingrid asked in worry. "How sure exactly? Because we need to be absolutely sure."

"She will hand them over." Elijah replied confidently.

Realizing that they had decided that was what the plan was going to be, Ingrid sighed and closed her eyes to calm herself. "If this goes sideways, it's on you." When she opened them, she looked straight at Klaus with a stern expression. "You will not be going alone." She ordered strongly before turning on her heels and walking out of the room.

Klaus and Ingrid arrived at the cemetery with equally unhappy expressions. Klaus had a briefcase in his hands and the couple walked toward the Lycée where Vincent was leaning against the outside wall of one of the tombs.

"Ah, Vincent." Klaus greeted and turned down the aisle to approach him. "I should have known Camille would seek powerful fools to aid in this rather futile gambit. As I send you off to join your Ancestors, just know this is her fault." Klaus lunged for Vincent but was promptly blocked by his boundary spell.

Vincent looked slightly smug and didn't even flinch as Klaus glared at him. "I was hoping for a simple trade, but seeing as how everything you took can't possibly fit in that briefcase, I'm gonna go ahead and assume that "simple" ain't exactly your style."

"Well, of course not." Ingrid commented with a smirk, walking over to stand next to her husband.

"Why don't you take down this barrier? I'll show you precisely what my style entails." Klaus threatened coldly.

Just then, Cami finally walked out of the tomb and joined them. "Seriously? I have an ancient, mystical weapon of doom, and instead of agreeing to my very fair trade, you're making threats."

Ingrid groaned loudly with an overdramatic eye roll. "Ugh..."

"There she is! Traitor to my family, thief of that which is mine." Klaus snarled furiously, gesturing at the blonde.

Cami rolled her green eyes and scoffed. "Don't be dramatic. Like I said, I wanted your attention. And, seeing as you're here, I'd say I got it." She mused smugly, smirking at them.

"Yes, a rather effective tactic-- one I usually reserve for enemies." Klaus replied irritably. "And here, I thought we were friends. Not anymore."

Cami smiled widely and nodded her head. "We are. But relationships are built on trust and equality, and we don't have either if you're confiscating my stuff."

Ingrid laughed at that statement and threw her head back to laugh louder in a mocking fashion. She placed a hand on Klaus, using him to stabilize herself.

Klaus scoffed harshly at his former therapist. "And so your response is to steal what's mine in an attempt to bend my will to yours."

"I just want back what you took." Cami looked at the briefcase in his hands. "What, that's like, a third of them? So, would you like a third of the white oak?"

Klaus was absolutely stunned and exasperated by Cami's behavior. "Are you really gonna do this?"

Ingrid pushed off Klaus, listening to them arguing while staring between them completely bewildered. She was still unconvinced why Cami deserved to continue breathing. In that moment, the only thing stopping her from rushing toward the blonde was the invisible barrier between them.

Vincent, who had had enough of their squabbling, stood up to walk away. "Okay, listen-- I'm gonna leave you alone. But, uh, y'all want my advice? Y'all best to finish this up before someone finds out what she took." He advised then took his leave.

Cami and Klaus stared at each other intensely, trying to make the other back down, while Ingrid was looking around their surroundings for objects. She found a couple of rocks sitting on the ground and picked them up before launching them at the Cami, cutting open her cheek. "That's good to know." She mused to herself.

"I want to make this abundantly clear, if that horse gets into the wrong hands, my entire family could potentially die. That may not seem like a big deal to you but it is to us. If my daughter has to grow up without parents because you decided to be a selfish, ignorant, brat then I hope you can muster up the fucking gall to have the decency to look her in the eyes and explain how it was you who took them from her." Ingrid snarled harshly and aggressively causing Cami to roll her eyes.

Klaus, clearly annoyed and frustrated by Cami's behavior, began pacing the floor while Cami watched him in amusement. "I think you need to calm down. Count to ten. Focus on your breathing."

This comment only served to make Klaus more irritated. "Is this amusing to you, endangering my family?"

Cami's expression became serious as she turned to look Klaus in the eye. "Am I laughing? I want to put this all behind us."

"You, of all people, know what I am capable of, and yet you seem determined to incur my wrath. I'm gonna ask you one last time..." Klaus began one of his many famous threats but was interrupted before he could finish.

Cami cut Klaus off and finished his statement. ""Give me the white oak stake?" Am I right? My answer is: "Happily! As soon as you stop screwing around and give me back what is mine.""

"Except they do not belong to you." Ingrid pointed out with a bitter smile. "When all things considered, technically... they belong to us." She remarked with a small laugh earning a glare from Cami. "Just because your grandpappy, or whatever the hell, stole them, doesn't make them yours."

Klaus sighed exasperatedly and rolled his eyes. "And if I give your trinkets back, I embolden all manner of foolishness. You will grow arrogant under the false belief you have power, and ultimately, you will end up dead." He explained before turning to Ingrid and pointing a finger at her. "That is... Unless Ingrid decides to use her creative freedom despite Elijah's wishes."

"Ooooh..." Ingrid mused in interest and snickered darkly. "I think we all know I would."

This reaction from him surprised Cami, who grew frustrated herself. "Klaus, you're afraid something will happen to me?"

"Not really." Klaus answered quickly in a dull tone. "I'm actually counting on it."

Cami gritted her teeth and ignored his coldness. "Guess what-- Something already did. Your stalker hates me so much she murdered me. She's gonna have to pay for that. And, since I can't fight her fair and square, I need those dark objects."

"Oh, there's no need." Ingrid informed her in a stern manner. "We're going to handle Aurora. But you're right. You have no fair fight. Which is why you need to sit it out and know your place."

Klaus sighed and realized they were getting no where by talking so he kicked the briefcase through the barrier for her. However, it was clear that he was still quite frustrated by the whole ordeal. "Fine. I'll retrieve your toys. Keep this bloody barrier up 'til I return."

Cami looked satisfied as she watched Klaus leave. Ingrid glared at the new vampire before turning around and following after Klaus.

When the couple arrived back home, Ingrid glowered at him. "Are you out of your damn mind right now, Niklaus? We can't give them to her."

"Ingrid, I completely agree but I cannot risk our deaths." Klaus replied seriously with a shake of his head.

"This is enabling." She commented with a pointed expression. "Camille..." She trailed off with a low sigh. "Is not meant to be a vampire. That much is clear. Let's just put her out of her apparent misery, take the white oak back, and burn it. Be done with this whole ordeal."

"She'll never hand it over and you know that." He replied, walking toward his study.

Ingrid pursued after him quickly and held her hands out at her sides with a scoff. "Exactly. That's why I said take it. She's playing a dangerous game with dangerous people. We need to put her in her place."

Klaus thought over what she said for a moment then nodded his head in agreement. "Usually I would try to dissuade your murder fantasies but Camille is playing with our lives too loosely for my taste. If killing her is what we have to do then we do it."

Ingrid took a small step backward in shock and shifted her eyes side-to-side in skepticism. "Okay... oddly supportive."

"She's ultimately going to be more trouble than she's worth." Klaus answered nonchalantly. "We need to start considering who's against us and at this moment, Cami is against us. So we treat her like foe."

Ingrid pursed her lips, impressed by his change of attitude with Cami, then smirked widely at him. He met her gaze and smirked back. Klaus then laughed with a shrug of his shoulder. "Plus, Elijah isn't pleased with you already. You have nothing more to lose with him."

"I am going to kill her, Niklaus." Ingrid informed her husband in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I know." He replied in a calm manner .

A few moments later, a deadpanned Ingrid and a sullen Klaus returned to the cemetery with a large duffle bag full of all of dark objects. They began walking toward the tomb where Cami and Vincent were still hanging out.

However, unbeknownst to them, a witch was hiding behind the far wall with a lit sage smudge-stick, which she was using to create a privacy spell so that Cami and Vincent couldn't hear him. Klaus sensed that something is wrong, which only worried him more when he didn't see Cami and Vincent waiting for him or Ingrid beside him.

"If someone's playing games, just know the contest ends when I..." He snarled threateningly as the witch waved her hands over the smoking smudge-stick. All of Klaus' words began to drown out. It was almost as though he was speaking under water. He threw the bag onto the ground and pulled his phone out of his pocket to make a phone call but frowned when he saw that there was no cell service. Klaus sighed and put his phone back into his pocket before he shouted out for his wife. "Ingrid! INGRID!"

The witch continued to wave her hand over the smoking sage to drown out Klaus' words. He threw his arms open wide and gestured dramatically but none of his words could be heard.

Ingrid didn't feel Klaus behind her anymore and turned around in confusion. "Niklaus?" She called out to him, stopping in her place and frowning. "Niklaus?!" She yelled louder and began back tracking her path, looking around each corner for any sign of him. Furrowing her eyebrows, she grabbed her phone from her pocket and hit her speed dial. The call barely rung before being sent directly to voicemail. "What the hell?" She whispered to herself, pulling the phone away from her ear and gaping down at the screen. "NIKLAUS!"

She turned back around and made her way to the Lycée. When Cami and Vincent came into view, she held a finger up and opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Shaking her head, the hybrid glanced at the duo in confusion. "Putting this aside for a second, have either of you seen Niklaus?"

"No. He's supposed to be meeting us here." Cami replied sternly, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, I know. He was right behind me and now he's gone." Ingrid explained in worry and turned to Vincent. "He just vanished in thin air with no warning."

The Regent stood straighter on his feet and shifted anxiously until a powerful wind blew through the tomb, rattling a wind chime made of animal bones. Vincent immediately looked concerned by this omen and shook his head. "I agree. Something's not right." He said in an odd voice and turned to Cami. "Hey, stay here."

Cami, looking worried, did as she was told and watched as Vincent walked over the barrier toward Ingrid. "We're not alone." He explained vaguely to her in a haunting tone.

Meanwhile, Klaus was looking even more anxious as he shouted into the night air. "INGRID!!"

Finally, the unfamiliar witch appeared behind Klaus. "She can't hear you." Klaus spun on his heel to face her but she didn't appear to be at all afraid of him.

Klaus growled under his breath and lunged for her but she vanished before he could come close to making contact with her. It was as though she was simply an illusion or teleported elsewhere. Klaus was completely frustrated by her antics and snarled into the emptiness. "Show yourself!"

Klaus sensed her behind him and turned to face her once again, his eyes widening as he realized who she was. "You're one of the coven affiliated with the Strix."

"My Sisters and I have come for the one thing that can kill you." The witch answered darkly.

"Well, perhaps I'll find your sisters and feed them what remains of your insides." Klaus roared as he lunged for her for the second time only to find that he was blocked by another boundary spell.

"I have a better idea." She sneered smugly then thrust out her hand and lifted it upward causing Klaus to be pulled several meters up into the air. She cast a momentary pain infliction spell on him and he screamed out in pain until she flicked her wrist, snapping his neck and allowing him to fall all the way to the ground below.

Vincent and Ingrid were carefully making their way around the cemetery, looking for any sign of Klaus or the witch lingering by. It was eerily quiet and unsettling. Ingrid felt her heart pounding in her chest at the thought of something horrible happening to her husband.

Vincent stopped in his place and threw his hand out in front of the hybrid causing her to stop as well. She glanced up at him in confusion and slight irritation until she noticed a body lying on the concrete a few feet away. Pushing past Vincent, she ran toward it and let out a deep sigh of relief when she realized it was Klaus. "Thank, Odin." She whispered softly while kneeling down beside him.

Klaus woke up not too long afterward and met the dark brown eyes of his concerned wife. He grabbed her hands and placed them on his face, kissing her palms. Ingrid helped him sit up and rubbed his back soothingly. "What happened? I looked back and you were gone."

He groaned lowly and rubbed his neck. "Witches are foul." He growled out angrily. "A witch employed by the Strix trapped me in an illusion. I'm assuming she's gone."

Ingrid let out a long, deep breath. "And I'm assuming that if she came here and attacked you that she wants the same thing we do."

Nodding his head, he pulled himself off the ground and grabbed ahold of her hands, helping her off the ground. "Yes." He confirmed in a dreadful tone of voice. "Where is Camille?"

"Still at the tomb." Ingrid answered dully.

Groaning, he stormed off toward the Lycée with an angry scowl. Ingrid watched him walk away for a second before running to catch up. When Cami heard them approaching, she walked out of the tomb.

He saw her and jabbed a finger in her direction while scolding furiously. "You realize this is your doing? Your attempt to manipulate me played right into our enemies' hands!"

Cami sighed loudly with a not so subtle eye roll. "I'm sorry." She mused emotionlessly before giving him a reluctant look. "But we really have a problem... she took the white oak stake."

Ingrid froze in her place as she felt her heart drop down into her stomach while pounding away harshly in her ears. Her hands shook at her sides and tears involuntarily welded in her dark brown eyes.

Klaus was shocked, his light blue eyes widened into saucers. His surprise and worry was overtaken by absolute fury and exasperation. "Your apologies won't bring back what's been lost!"

"Then shut up and let Vincent track down that witch!" Cami snapped harshly at him.

Vincent, who had about enough of Cami and Klaus' bickering for the day, stood to his feet and started to get ready to leave, causing Klaus to call after him threateningly. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I want to find her just as much as you do, but I cannot concentrate, not with this pointless bickering." Vincent answered passive aggressively.

"Well, then, by all means, please, go, attend to your task." Klaus encouraged with a wave of his hand.

Vincent rolled his eyes and walked away from them. When Cami tried to follow after him, Klaus stepped directly in her path and stopped her. "You, however, are coming with us."

Cami opened her mouth to question him but before she could say anything, her neck was harshly snapped to the side in a gruesome action. The blonde fell lifelessly down to her knees, revealing Ingrid standing behind her. Ingrid kicked Cami with her foot, forcing her down onto the concrete face first. Klaus smirked darkly at his wife and motioned to the body at their feet. "She's all yours, my love."

Tilting her head to the side, she narrowed her eyes and looked down at Cami. "Hmm... yes." She mused in a cold tone of voice.

---
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