Eva Sinclair was taking control back over her body, and she had tried to go after Hope, but had gotten hurt in the process, so she had to run.

Marcel and I found Vincent at Rousseau's.

Vincent was sitting at a table, surrounded by multiple empty glasses of bourbon and small plate of french fires, looking at a photo of him and Eva together.

Marcel sat next to him. "A little early, isn't it?"

I sat across from him. 

Vincent sighed. "You know why I'm sitting here day-drinking in the Quarter all by my lonesome?" I shook my head. "Because I'm pretty much done and through with the vamps, wolves, and witches of this town. And, from some of the looks I've been getting, they're through with me, too. So, if I'm sitting here, they don't see me, and if I drink..." He held up his full glass of bourbon, tapping it with his fingers before chugging the whole glass down. "After a while, I don't see them, either."

I picked up the photo of Vincent and Eva, holding it up. "And how many is it gonna take before she disappears?"

Vincent reached for the photo.

I pulled it out of his reach.

"Come on, man," Vincent told me.

"Uh-uh," I told him. "You need to know that she is back and on the loose, and I need to find her before the witches do so we can save our friend who is trapped inside of her. And we came to you, because you are the only person in this city who knows her inside-out."

I held the photo toward him.

Vincent quickly snatched it from my hand, pulling out his wallet, returning the photo to one of the pockets. "Look, man. I'm sorry about your friend. But, if Eva is back in control of her body... the first of the kids went missing two years ago. Feels like a lifetime. I was, uh, clocking in. College, work, coven. Felt like a normal life. But, um, had this woman. Met when we were sixteen years old, did our first bit of magic together. It was so insanely intense. Eva was a wild beauty practicing a wild magic. But, we were so happy, the coven let us be."

Marcel sighed. "And then the kids began to disappear."

"First was a little girl names Amelie Dupree from Algiers," Vincent told us. "Then, Lou-Anne Hughes from the 9th, Nicholas Alseis from the Treme..." He kissed his fingertips as a sort of prayer to the children. "All young kids, all witch prodigies. Phew. Vanished into thin air. So, I put together a posse of guys from each of the covens, but the killer cloaked the kids so quickly, our locator spells was useless."

"But, because of your tenacity, she was caught, I heard," I told him.

"It was a fluke," Vincent told us. "I was able to slap a locator spell on one of the kids right after he got snatched, and I got nothing at first. And then a car, and then a face... but that face, man... It was Eva." He chuckled bitterly without humor. "The love of my life. So, I caught her, confronted her. And then I saw the truth. She kept pleading with me." He began to imitated Eva. "'Vince, just three more little girls, Vince. Just three'."

"Why three?" I asked.

"To complete the Rite of Nines," Vincent answered.

"The Rite of Nines?" I repeated in confusion.

"Eva thought if she sacrificed a witch from each of the nine covens, it would create a new witch order in New Orleans," Vincent explained. "She would have been more powerful than any Elder." He gestured to Marcel. "Any Harvest Girl."

"Wait, wait, wait," Marcel told him. "But why kids?"

"Because their magic is untapped," Vincent answered. "It's pure. And, they're a hell of a lot easier to subdue."

"That's why she went after Hope," I told him.

"She would have killed that baby, channeled her powers, as she did with those other poor children," Vincent told us. "I never found those kids. They died. Unconsecrated, unable to be with our ancestors. Used as a source for Eva's magic."

"So, help us find her before she takes any more lives, including Rebekah's," Marcel told him. Vincent looked torn, considering for a moment. "Help us stop her."

**

Eva was in an abandoned shop, hiding, making a paste with a mortar and pestle. Once it was finished, she spread it out over the deep gashes in her thigh, sighing in relief. "Okay."

Eva took a small red bottle, using the dropper to drip some liquid onto the paste on her leg, making her groan in pain. After a moment, the potion took effect. Eva sighed in relief, sitting back in her chair, relaxing.

I rushed toward her, slapping the magic-disabling manacles onto her wrists before she could react, laughing. "Not really keen on a witch headache."

Eva looked at the shackles in anger. "Dark objects? How did a damn vampire find me?"

Marcel walked in. "We had a little help. Someone who knew where an injured witch on the run might go to heal up."

Vincent walked in, looking at Eva.

Eva looked at Vincent in horror, whispering. "Vince?"

Marcel rushed toward Eva angrily, pinning her against the wall. "No time for catch up. Release Rebekah. Now!"

Eva smirked. "Best not damage the package, or you may never see her again. Or your little adopted witch Davina."

Marcel looked at her in shock. "What did you just say?"

I stepped closer in surprise.

Eva laughed hysterically. "Oh, some daddy figure you are. I've been feeding off of her for days, and you didn't even know she was gone?"

Marcel rushed around, slamming Eva back against the table. "Where is she?"

Eva continued to laugh. "Release me, and you can have what's left."

Marcel squeezed her uninjured leg with his hand until his fingernails dug dip into her flesh, making her scream in pain. "I think I'll just torture you until you give me what I need."

"Torture ain't gonna do it, man," Vincent told him. "Half the witches in this city went after her. She ain't say a thing."

"Marcel, you kill her now, we lose Rebekah and Davina," I told him.

Marcel groaned in frustration, reluctantly releasing Eva from his choke hold, turning toward us. "You got a better idea?"

"Yeah," Vincent answered, walking toward Eva. "Let me talk to her."

Eva gave Vincent a look, but couldn't help but smirk.

**

Marcel and I were waiting outside, listening to Vincent and Eva talk to one another.

"I heard they'd gotten you, that you'd been taken over by the crazed brother of the other one that's still inside me," Eva told him.

"Hmm, yep," Vincent answered. "But, I'm back now."

"So you are."

"Mm."

"The man who sold out his own girl and gave up on their future."

"Don't start with me. Now, Marcel and Noah said that--"

"Oh, Vincent, are you kissing vampire ass now? This city could have been free of their kind if you hadn't been such a weak little coward."

"You left me no choice. I couldn't let you go on doing what--"

"Oh, please. You saw how beaten down we've become. Covens from every ward fighting each other, half of them working with vampires. Now, change was necessary. Unity was necessary."

"Killing kids was necessary?"

"Vincent, I didn't kill any kids. They're still alive. Just asleep. Cloaked, of course."

"All of them?"

"Uh-huh. I just need their power. They don't have to die."

**

Vincent and Eva were still talking.

"You know, even when you betrayed me, I didn't blame you," Eva told him. "You just couldn't see the light. But, you see it now, don't you? Now that your body was stolen by the same family of vampires that are trying to steal mine. You see what's gotta be done. Now, I just need one more witch, and then we can finish the ritual. Together. Take all the power we need, and then those kids can go home to their moms. And then we need never to be under their control again."

Marcel and I walked into the room in annoyance.

"I can hear her yapping, but clearly, she's not talking," Marcel told them. "I guess we're back to square one."

Eva looked at Vincent anxiously.

Vincent sighed, turning to Marcel and me. "Actually, she did talk." He used magic to snap Marcel's neck, letting him fall. "And I decided to listen."

I lunged toward Vincent.

Vincent clapped his hands together, pushing them together, casting a pain infliction spell, making me groan a scream of pain and fall to my knees. He used telekinesis to throw me out of the wall of windows and out onto the sidewalk, walking toward the wall, using magic to snap my neck.

**

After we woke up, Marcel and I went to tell Hayley, Elijah and Gia what had happened.

Hayley had Hope in her arms, gently bouncing her on her hip as she paced around anxiously. "Great. Eva is in the wind, although now, she has a sidekick."

"The charming Vincent Griffith," Elijah told us sarcastically.

I sighed. "It gets worse. If Eva has Davina, then she has eight of the witches she needs to finish the ritual." Elijah looked horrified. "She just needs one more."

"If she comes after Hope, Rebekah or no Rebekah, I will put her down for good," Hayley told us.

"Fortify this house," Elijah told us. "When they do come, kill him, capture her."

"Capture?" Hayley repeated incredulously.

"I will not abandon my sister," Elijah told her. Hayley looked embarrassed and guilty for her words, but remained silent as she held Hope protectively. "Now, gather what wolves you have. With Vincent by her side, she will strike with considerable force."

**

I had left for a while.

Elijah, Gia, Marcel and Hayley were still in the courtyard of the compound.

Hayley was pacing around anxiously. "Still no sign of her. What the hell is Eva waiting for?"

I walked closer. "She didn't wait. She took Josephine LaRue not half an hour ago."

"If Eva doesn't need Hope, then where would she go?" Hayley asked.

"The same place she kept all the other captives," Marcel answered. "Where she took Davina."

"A place no one has been able to find for two years," Elijah told us.

My phone rang. I pulled it out, seeing it was Vincent calling, answering angrily. "When I find you, I am going to rip your head from your neck."

"You may want to hold off on that decapitation. I found them all. Davina's alive. Sorry, I had to make it look convincing. If you two were in on the plan, Eva would have known."

"Yeah, snapping his neck and blasting me through a couple glass doors really sold it. All right, round of applause. Now what?"

"Now, we got a problem. These kids, they're all linked to her. If she dies, they all die."

"So, we'll find a witch to unlink them."

"Gonna need somebody with some serious power."

I sighed, looking at Elijah, hanging up.

Elijah seemed to be thinking the same thing I was, nodding.

Their sister Freya, the witch.

**

Freya, Elijah, Marcel and I met up with Vincent in the warehouse where they had found the missing witch children that Eva hand taken to channel their power.

Marcel was carrying Eva's unconscious body.

Freya looked at Marcel and Vincent. "Lay her inside the salt, and lie on either side of her. Each of you take her hand. I will act as a bridge into her mind." Marcel laid Eva's body in the middle of the salt symbol. Freya looked at Elijah. "But I'm trusting you to anchor me, brother."

"Do what you need to do," Elijah told her.

"Rebekah's buried deep," Freya told us. "Eva will not give her up without a fight."

"Then she gets a fight," Marcel told us. 

"Be careful," Freya told them. "You're entering Eva's mind. If she kills you in there, you will be lost. And if you kill her before you free Rebekah, then Rebekah will be gone forever. Once you have Rebekah, then and only then can Eva be dealt with."

"We got it," Vincent told us.

Marcel laid on one side of Eva.

"You'll need a weapon," Freya told them.

Vincent laid on the other side of Eva.

Freya knelt next to Vincent, pulling out a knife.

"How am I supposed to take that with me?" Vincent asked.

Freya held the knife in both hands, chanting under her breath. She looked at Vincent. "This is going to hurt."

Freya stabbed Vincent in the side, making him groan in pain.

Elijah held a hand toward Freya.

Freya stood, walking toward Elijah, taking both of her hands, nodding, chanting the spell. She lurched back, arching her back because the spell was pulling her mind toward Marcel, Eva and Finn in the symbol of salt behind her. 

Elijah struggled to keep her standing.

**

Elijah continued to hold Freya standing as her anchor as she continued her spell.

Freya continued to chant, still arching back. 

Marcel's eyes started to bleed.

I knelt outside of the salt circle symbol.

**

Elijah continued to hold Freya standing as her anchor as she continued her spell.

Freya continued to chant, still arching back.

I watched warily, about to make a move.

**

Elijah continued to hold Freya standing as her anchor as she continued her spell.

Freya continued to chant, still arching back. She looked up worriedly. "I'm losing them!" 

Freya continued the spell.

I took one of Freya's hands from Elijah's, holding one of Freya's hands. "You'll need another anchor or we'll lose you, too. Save them."

Freya nodded, continuing the spell, arching back.

**

Marcel and Vincent gasped awake.

Freya let go of me and Elijah, gasping, backing away.

We looked at Eva's body.

We heard Davina's voice in the back. "Where am I?"

I rushed into the back room instantly to see everyone was waking up, all of the kids, Davina, and Josephine. I looked toward the front. "They're okay!"

"Noah?" Davina asked.

"Hey," I told her, helping her stand.

We walked out to the front.

Elijah looked from Eva to Freya. "Why isn't she waking?"

Freya shook her head.

Eva or Rebekah gasped awake, sitting up. She looked around, sighing. "Bloody hell."

Marcel smiled, knowing it was Rebekah.

**

I was sitting at the bar of Rousseau's, drinking.

Freya walked closer, sitting next to me. "I thought vampires were exiled from the French Quarter."

I smirked. "Not since the wedding and unification of werewolves thanks to Hayley and Jackson."

Freya smiled a small smile. "Still. To be forbidden from your home? Forbidden to have a home? It's torture."

I turned to Freya. "Sounds as if you would know."

Freya sighed. "My aunt Dahlia took me from my home when I was all but five and had us sleep for centuries, only to live life for one year among them all."

"I know the story," I told her. "Just as you would know my story from taking the dive into my head when I offered to be an anchor. But you now have a home here in New Orleans thanks to the witches welcoming you to our city."

Freya smiled a small smile, holding the necklace that the witches had given her. "Yes." She let it go, looking at me. "And I know why you did what you did. Providing yourself as an anchor to this place so that I wouldn't be lost. To save Rebekah and Marcel. But you saved me, too. Despite this... bad boy demeanor, you care more than you let on."

"It's a classic trait," I told her.

Freya smiled. "Just as your music, yes?"

I smirked. "Why don't I show you sometime?" Freya nodded. I stood, taking my drink with me. "Enjoy the rest of your night."

I walked away, leaving.