𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 | 𝓼𝓾𝓷 𝓫𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓯𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓼

𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘰𝘯'𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦

NORA MIKAELSON HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED true happiness. Throughout her incredibly long life, she had never felt truly at peace; felt that warmth blossom in her stomach. There were short moments when she was happy, but it never lasted. Nora knew from early on that it was her environment that caused her to live like that. Her family wouldn't allow her to true happiness. Her younger sister, Rebekah, lived a life similar to Nora's own. Niklaus would never allow her true love, slaughtering all her partners before they got too close. Nora, however, would be put to sleep by a powerful, enchanted dagger that induced a temporary death upon her body. So, while Rebekah never got to experience love, Nora was cursed with feeling eternally miserable.

She had never known why her brother would dagger her. She understood the reasoning with the rest of their siblings – Klaus would get too paranoid or feel betrayed by something they had done, sentencing them with the dagger for however many months, years, or decades. Nora had been dealt with the silver knife far too many times than she could keep count of anymore. It felt to her that the second she would get on the path to possibly feeling that happiness, it would be ripped out from underneath her feet faster than she could attempt to stop it.

Perhaps it was because Niklaus was terrified the cause of this happiness would tear her away from him. Maybe their entire family was worried Nora would up and leave them, shattering their powerful motto of always and forever.

After the first few times, Nora got used to being forcefully lulled into an empty, emotionless slumber. She grew numb to the feeling of being literally stabbed in the back by her siblings. Whatever reason they had behind the actions was unbeknownst to her, and after a while, she grew not to care. Because that reason would never change the fact that Nora Mikaelson would be the wasteful sibling. She would be the girl that they could carelessly toss aside without a second thought, only awakening her when they would need her for something.

And that was the problem Nora had with the daggers. Something so delicate but so deadly held more power than the Mikaelson family themselves. It granted something akin to death, and the power to reverse it whenever the user desired to. In Nora's opinion, the dagger was far more formidable than the white oak stake could ever be.

The last time she had been awoken had been by the hands of Elijah. Niklaus had not been a part of the decision, in fact, he had been quite horrified when he had laid eyes on his sister in Mystic Falls. The daggered siblings had been reunited with the rest of their family, not knowing just what danger waking up would be brought upon them.

After Finn, Kol Mikaelson was the second Original to face their fate of death in Mystic Falls. Nora would call that damn town cursed. She had watched firsthand as her brother, her best friend, had looked at her with fear as Jeremy Gilbert plunged the stake into his heart. She had watched him collapse onto the ground, heard him whisper things to her before his body was engulfed by roaring flames. And right after Nora had dealt the Gilberts the most painful last moments of their lives she could possibly conjure up, it happened again. For a little over a year, Nora slept a deep, dreamless sleep, unaware of the sheer chaos that occurred outside with her family.

The dark-haired vampire is in her dedicated coffin, the lid open so her siblings can watch the grey veins on her desiccated body slowly disappear. As the curse of the dagger is taken away, her grey skin changes into the usual flawless pale white. Her lips are stained crimson, droplets of blood lingering from a few moments earlier. Even on the brink of death, Nora Mikaelson looks ethereal.

This house had been the first place they had thought of to return to. New Orleans was no longer their kingdom. The vampires running the streets did not belong to the Mikaelsons, no, the crown that was held over them belonged to Marcel Gerard. Once an old friend considered family has become their foe. They couldn't risk exposing Hayley Marshall to the Quarter that despised the presence of werewolves, so here, in the planation house, they were guaranteed a net of security and safety for the time being.

"This is a bad idea," Rebekah stresses in concern. With her arms crossed, she turns to her brother with a sigh. "If anything, she's going to be even more unstable than before you daggered her, Nik."

Niklaus carefully watches his younger sister laid in the coffin, still wearing the same blood-stained clothes from that day. "I disagree," he argues. "She dealt with his death by getting rid of insufferable Elena and her brother. She'll be fine."

Rebekah takes a small step closer to the coffin, throwing the hybrid an anxious glance. "You're wrong," she says quietly. "We never gave her time to grieve. She killed the Gilberts, but it was a distraction for herself. It was revenge, but it never justified Kol. She'll be devasted, Nik, and she'll despise us all."

Klaus rolls his eyes at her melodramatic words. "You are far too paranoid," he replies. She stares at him blankly because of the irony of his statement. "Just wait, sooner than later, she'll be as happy as I was back in the forties."

Nora's eyes snap open. Just by staring at the ceiling, she immediately knows where she is. New Orleans.

Rebekah quickly steps back, having a rather good guess at what is about to happen next. Klaus remains in his position, a smile on his face as Nora meets his eyes. Quickly, his smile falls when he registers the fury seeping off her body.

Nora's cheeks are bright red with rage as she speeds across the room and pins her brother up against the wall. Her hand grips Niklaus' throat tightly and she wishes she could deliver him just an ounce of the pain he had gifted her. "You backstabbing bloody asshole!"

Rebekah winces. "There it is..."

Niklaus diverts his eyes to the ground, guilt flooding him as he spares another glance at her. With her hand still crushing his throat, Nora then rounds to her sister. A sliver of the anger is replaced by betrayal. "And you!" Rebekah closes her eyes at her loud, booming voice. "Bystanders are worse than the assailants, sister," Nora says lowly. "You taught me that."

"Nora-"

Her jaw clenches as her head snaps back over to Klaus. He nervously swallows. "Do not interrupt me," she seethes. He bows his head. "I am livid at all of you. What are we up to now, forty-seven times? That sounds about right. And yes, I've been keeping count."

Klaus tries not to wince as her nails dig into the delicate flesh of his neck. He can feel the blood pooling on his skin. He points a finger down to the kitchen. "There's chocolate chip cookies," he says gently, hoping that it would distract her for a moment or two.

A grin suddenly splits across Nora's face and she forgets all about her elaborate plan to destroy her siblings' lives. "Oh, splendid," she exclaims joyously. But as she gets halfway across the room, she whirls back around. "Don't distract me."

Niklaus sighs as he rubs his neck. "Worth a try," he admits.

"Why?" Nora's sharp gaze moves between them as vulnerability flashes in her eyes. "Kol died," she whispers. "I was hurt by his death, and you stick a dagger in me again. To what, Niklaus? Make sure I wouldn't distract you? To have one less unhinged sister to deal with? You all robbed me of my grief."

Tears brim in Rebekah's eyes. "Nor-"

"No." She inhales a deep breath, then plasters on a bright smile. "I think I'm going to get a change of clothes then head into the Quarter to kill a few people and find a place to stay. No sane person would live under the same roof as you traitors!"

Klaus grimaces at her shrill voice. He shares a look with Rebekah. "Well, actually, Marcel likes to call himself king nowadays," he informs her hesitantly.

Nora turns her blank stare onto him. The news that Marcellus is in fact alive after all this time does not surprise her at all. "What, is it on his bloody driver's license?" she snaps impatiently.

Rebekah bites onto her tongue to suppress her smile. She's missed her sister greatly.

Nora rolls her eyes at their silence. "That's what I thought," she says. "I can't even look at any of you right now without wanting to throw myself in front of a moving truck, so I'm leaving."

Rebekah sighs softly and tries to place a hand on her arm to stop her from leaving. "Marcel-"

"I will tear his heart out. I don't give a damn. Never liked him anyway."

Niklaus grins as he imagines just how Marcel would react upon seeing her for the first time in over eighty years. "Yes, well, he echoes your sentiments fondly," he comments. Rebekah rolls her eyes.

"Fabulous!" Nora grabs the opened blood bag on the side table beside her coffin and waves a hand as she heads to the front door. "What a wonderful reunion this will be. And before I get back, get Elijah in here so I can rip his head off. Do not follow me.

The two vampires let out the breath they had been holding when the door slams shut. "Okay, I'm going with her to stop her from royally pissing off Marcel even more, " Rebekah declares.

Klaus rolls his eyes. "Fine," he says dryly. He walks over to the coffin and dabs his fingers on the droplets of blood staining the coffin.

They turn to the doorway expectantly upon hearing the werewolf's heartbeat and footsteps. Hayley cautiously walks into the room with her eyes darting around to try and find the newly awakened Original. "So," she begins. "No one's dead yet, that must mean things went okay."

"The exact opposite," Rebekah retorts as she passes the brunette. "But I'm sure Nora would be delighted to meet you later."

Klaus snorts. "Delighted," he repeats in amusement. "Yeah, that's the word I'd use."

⋆。 ﾟ☾。 ⋆。 ﾟ𓆦 。 ⋆

New Orleans looks the same to Nora as it did a century ago. She's thirsty. After all, the only drink she's had in over a year had been three drops of blood. The first thing she had done was to rid herself of the crimson stained, once white, dress she had been in after slaughtering the Gilberts. As fond as she was reminiscing on the memories, walking around in town covered in blood wasn't a good way of blending in. She might be immortal, but she isn't stupid.

Rebekah finds her sister down the back of an alley, just like she had suspected. The faint sounds of jazz music bounce off the cobblestone path, echoing through their heads pleasantly. "Very inconspicuous," she calls out.

Nora's fangs swiftly depart her victim's neck, and she steps back, allowing the woman's lifeless body to thud to the ground. "Ah, Bex, how kind of you to ignore everything I said." She wipes the blood off the corner of her mouth with her thumb and turns to see the blonde leaning against the nearby wall. "What the hell do you want?"

Rebekah sighs. "I'm really sorry." She tries to swallow her anxiety, worried that the most recent daggering will be the downfall of their relationship. "I shouldn't have let Nik do it."

Nora rolls her eyes and folds her arms as she looks anywhere but Rebekah's gaze. "Keep talking," she mutters.

"I missed you, Nori," Rebekah says softly. When her sister doesn't protest, she walks over to her and gently takes one of her hands. "And I'm sorry I didn't try to wake you sooner."

She nods. "Well, you're one step closer to forgiveness than Niklaus," Nora responds bluntly. They share a small smile. She clears her throat. "But that doesn't mean you're in my good books."

Rebekah quickly nods in understanding. "Of course, and that's fair. Be pissed at me as long as you want." She pauses for a second. "The only thing that was stopped me was-"

"The backstabbing, narcissistic wanker," Nora finishes. Rebekah lets out a soft laugh. She's missed the sound. "I get it." Her brows furrow as she tries to find the right words. "He wants to have good intentions, but everything he does draws us further away from him. Why the fuck did he even dagger me this time in the first place? What possible reason would he have that could pardon him?"

The blonde lets out a sigh, her eyes briefly flicking down to the dead human beside them. "After the Gilberts, he- we were all worried that you would spiral further. It was Mystic Falls, Nora. Finn had just died, then Kol." She hears Nora inhale a sharp breath. "He... He daggered you because he was afraid they were going to kill you in response to their friends' deaths."

Nora arches a brow. "You're kidding me," she retorts exasperatedly. "Niklaus was afraid a bunch of egotistical teenagers were going to kill me."

"Those egotistical teenagers killed two of our brothers," Rebekah reminds her gently. She squeezes Nora's hand. "We couldn't risk you acting out again and getting caught in the crossfire."

"That is the most bullshit I've heard in over a century." Nora huffs a sigh at her sister's pleading expression. "But I..." She grits her teeth. "I understand the motives."

The two vampires start walking down the alley and back out to the main street. "I understand more than anyone what it's like," Rebekah says. "Which is why you shouldn't excuse our behaviour."

The sun hits Nora's face and it feels like she can breathe again. "It's exhausting arguing with you lot," she deadpans. Rebekah chuckles. "Seriously, I think I'd rather be daggered again. Wait, no, that's too far, I take it back. So, fill me in, sister. Why the hell are we back in this place?"

Rebekah looks both ways down the street before they cross. Nora's eyes narrow at the blonde's sudden apprehension to be seen in public. "It's complicated," she replies slowly.

"We've got all of eternity."

The two women sit down on a nearby park bench, watching as a group of tourists are walked down by a guide who explains to them the history of witches in New Orleans. "Nik came down here a few weeks ago because he heard that a witch was plotting against him," she explains.

Nora tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and snorts. "When are they not?"

Rebekah grins. "True." Her smile falls, and Nora frowns as she realises just how serious and concerned her younger sister is. "Niklaus got a werewolf pregnant."

Nora's eyebrows shoot up to her forehead. "I'm sorry," she laughs. "I thought I just heard you say our brother impregnated a werewolf." She laughs again at just how stupid the words sound. But her smile falls when she notices that Rebekah isn't laughing along with her. "Shit."

The blonde-haired vampire nods. "Apparently because he's part wolf now himself, that's nature's loophole." Nora leans back against the bench with her arms crossed over her chest. "The girl's staying with us, her name is Hayley. She's annoying, but I think I quite like her."

"That's a big statement coming from you," Nora states. Rebekah rolls her eyes. "So, this... Hayley. The baby is real? It's not just some elaborate witch trick?"

"There's a heartbeat," Rebekah smiles. "It's very real, Nori."

A long sigh leaves Nora's lips. "So that's why you woke me up," she realises. "Because I'm about to be an aunt to some miracle baby." She shakes her head in disbelief. "Bloody hell, this is some plot twist, Rebekah."

Rebekah turns to face the woman, concern once again prominent on her features. "Elijah convinced me to come down here after promising the child was real, but Klaus admitted last night that he daggered him, then gave him to Marcel as a damn peace offering."

Nora scoffs. "That fucking prick," she hisses. "The audacity to dagger a sibling then wake another up."

"I'm going to try and find him this afternoon," Rebekah continues, worry obvious in her voice. "But you can't tell anyone about this baby or Hayley. Marcel cannot find out."

She immediately nods. "Done. I hate him anyways, one less reason to talk to him." Remembering her sister's complicated relationship with Marcel, she quickly adds, "No offence."

Rebekah smiles. "He's going to hate seeing you again."

Nora stands up and clasps her hands behind her back. "I strongly agree," she grins. "If he's king, he's doing a terrible job considering he's missed not only my murder, but me in general." She waves her hands around. "I thought a ruler was meant to be aware of everything going on in the kingdom?"

Rebekah's eyes lock onto something behind Nora and she sighs. "Great," she says dryly. "You jinxed us."

"Ah, Nora Mikaelson." The aforementioned woman spins around, a scowl already on her face the second she had heard the all too familiar voice. "You know how they say time makes you grow fonder? All lies."

Nora's eyes narrow to slits as she looks at Marcel Gerard for the first time in over eighty years. She barely acknowledges the group of vampires that surround him. "This is the first time I'll ever agree with you." Her irritation disappears in the span of light, causing Marcel and his daywalkers to feel just a little unnerved. "I've heard a few rumours that you're king of New Orleans! I'll be sure to send a bottle of something as my congratulations. It might be vervained, but you didn't hear that from me."

Marcel's eyes flick over to Rebekah who has moved to stand beside her sister. "You didn't tell me there was more of you in town," he points out, a similar fake smile on his lips.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't find the overwhelming need to let you know," Rebekah retorts. Nora cracks a grin. "But I'll be sure to rope you in on everything else my family is doing this weekend."

"I don't like Originals walking around my city," Marcel states. His gaze settles on Nora. "Especially you."

The dark-haired woman licks her lips and holds up her hands in an innocent manner. "Oh, Marcel," Nora begins condescendingly. The group of vampires flinch forward when she lays a hand on his arm. "How bold of you to say that in a way you're assuming I'll cause you any trouble."

Marcel's jaw tightens, refusing to break even a hint that he's ever so slightly scared of her. He would never give her that luxury. "Well, I've known you for a while," he shrugs with a smile. "Trouble follows you guys wherever you go."

Nora sighs and pats his shoulder. "The only reason I'm in town is to have a much-needed reunion with my family." She stops before him. "You wouldn't happen to know where Elijah is, would you? I'm dying to catch up with him about where I've been!"

The Mikaelson sisters listen to Marcel's heartbeat as he replies. "No clue," he denies, having the nerve to act offended that they had asked him. "But if I see him around, you'll be the first person I call." He's a damn good liar.

Rebekah smiles sweetly at him. "We'll see you around."

"Hopefully not," Nora retorts.

In the blink of an eye, the Original vampires have disappeared.

⋆。 ﾟ☾。 ⋆。 ﾟ𓆦 。 ⋆

As she walks up the driveway to the new home with Rebekah by her side, Nora declares the next step in their plan. Violence. Preferably lots of it. "Marcel chose to do this the hard way," she says simply. "I'm imagining a lot of threats, preferably a good punch to his face, maybe killing someone he's fond of to get into his head..."

Rebekah shakes her head in amusement as she glances to her. "Agreed." They stop by the front door and she arches a brow questioningly at Nora. "Care to have a little adventure with me this evening?"

"I thought you'd never ask, sister." Rebekah is almost very well forgiven, Nora had decided. Klaus, however, has only dug himself into a deeper hole than before. As if daggering her wasn't enough, he had to go and take away the one other person she wanted to scream at. "Niklaus!"

Rebekah lingers behind her sister a few steps as she smiles. She's missed Nora's squabbles with their brothers dearly. It's been rather boring without them.

Klaus pokes his head out of the living room at the outburst. "Ah, you've returned." A smile adorns his face as he approaches a fuming Nora. "I knew you couldn't stay away from us-"

The sound of a palm smacking against skin resounds through the room.

Rebekah sighs happily. "There it is."

"You bloody asshole," Nora seethes.

"This seems quite familiar to a few hours ago-" Klaus's eyes widen when she quite literally throws him across the room.

One of the glass doors to the garden shatters. "You gave Elijah to our enemy?" she yells. "That's my job!"

Klaus sighs and dusts the shards of glass off his body. "Firstly, I have a plan," he says. He purses his lips at her unwavering anger. "Secondly, it was the only way to get Marcel to trust me."

Nora laughs at his words and looks at Rebekah. "He has a plan," she repeats. "He has a plan!"

"It was a peace offering," Klaus continues. He winces when Nora throws a vase at his head. "That was completely unnecessary!" Another vase is thrown. It shatters against his skull. "Fine! Go at it then!"

"Let me guess, the plan is to gain Marcel's trust, and then take down his empire. And of course, the only way you know how to execute this plan is by stabbing your family in the back. Again. Let me know if I'm wrong."

Niklaus sighs as he stands up, cautiously walking over to her. "That's actually pretty close," he admits. He raises his chin as he stops in front of his sister. "But you won't leave me. You won't leave us. Because that would mean abandoning the only thing you've ever cared about."

Nora's eyes blaze with anger as she glowers at him. "I hate you," she speaks through gritted teeth. "Just know that, Niklaus. I might not leave you or this family, but you do not have my respect. You do not have my kindness. Right now, you do not have my love."

Rebekah watches the interaction closely, noticing that Klaus had flinched at her brutally honest words. However, he regains his composure quickly. "See that I care," he mutters.

Nora stares at him for another few seconds, then Rebekah watches her storm off up the stairs. She meets Klaus's eyes but doesn't say anything to him before walking off herself. There's nothing left to be said.

One of the bedrooms had been dedicated to Nora. It's plain, with no decoration or evidence that it belongs to her. It doesn't feel like home. She doesn't remember the last place she had been in that truly felt like home. That's the consequence of being put in a coffin so often. She had never been around long enough to form an attachment to somewhere, or right when she did, she would lose it.

She finds herself out on the balcony attached to the room, looking out over the acres of orchards blossoming with apples. Perhaps tomorrow she could make juice with the fruit. Nora is so caught up in her own whirlwind of thoughts that she doesn't notice someone walk out to join her.

"You must be Nora."

She spins around in surprise. Her eyes lock onto a young woman that must be in her early twenties. Locks of hazel hair fall down her shoulders and she brushes some out of her green eyes, eyes that Nora knows she could get lost in for hours. She spends a few moments staring at her, memorising her face so she wouldn't forget. After all, this woman is now one of the most important people in her life.

"And you must be the maid," Nora says. A smirk pulls at her lips when the werewolf stares at her blankly. "I've been in a box for a year, I've got a sense of humour. I've heard a hell of a lot about you in the last hour, Hayley."

Hayley joins her beside the balustrade and offers her a smile. "Likewise." Silence falls over them for a few moments. "I, uh, I actually didn't know you existed until this morning."

Nora raises a brow as she turns to look at the werewolf. The sun has caught the side of Hayley's face, creating an almost ethereal glow around her. "Really?" she questions in amusement. "I must be somewhat of a sore subject."

A laugh leaves Hayley's lips. "Yeah, there was some colourful language thrown around," she nods. "But I can tell you mean a lot to them."

She hums. "Well, that's new." Her gaze falls back onto the orchards beneath them. "So, my brother knocked you up."

Hayley's eyes widen slightly at her blunt statement. "Yeah, that's the result of a bottle of scotch. Not my best decision." Nora cracks a small smile. "Hey, so what's with this giant house? I mean, there's only, what, four of us."

"Love, you'll quickly learn that my siblings have the taste for the finer things in life." Nora glances to her, finding a smile on Hayley's face. "This house is their version of simple."

Hayley nods, following her gaze out to the hundreds of apple trees. "Rebekah told me about the daggers," she says quietly. She notices Nora suddenly tense. "So, I got this for you."

Nora's eyes widen as Hayley hands her the silver dagger. "What the hell is this?" Panic has seized her entire body, her immediate thought being that she's about to be put back in a coffin like she had been this morning.

But what Hayley says next shocks her to her core. "I thought you might want it," she tells her. "You know, so you don't have to live in paranoia and worry that Klaus will stab you in the back for the thousandth time. So you can finally have control of your own life."

A smile graces Nora's face. Never in her entire life has she received an act of kindness quite like this. She gingerly takes the dagger from Hayley's palm. "I think I like you, Hayley Marshall," she declares. "I'm going to keep you around."

The werewolf smiles as her eyes flick across Nora's face. She gestures down to her stomach. They both listen to the second heartbeat thudding away. "Well, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, so it's your lucky day."

⋆。 ﾟ☾。 ⋆。 ﾟ𓆦 。 ⋆

There is currently only one thing left on Nora's mind. She still has one more person to unleash her rage onto, and that person just so happens to be missing. Just like planned, she had declared for an evening of violence. With Hayley at the house with Klaus, the Mikaelson sisters had ventured out into the French Quarter to track down the one person who has any clue of where Elijah resides. They find Marcel in a bar, completely empty except for himself and the blonde-haired woman sitting next to him.

"Okay, I know you guys have ... history, but do you think you can save the jealously for later?"

Rebekah sends a scowl to her sister walking beside her. "Shut up," she snaps irritably.

Nora nods. "Not in the mood for talking," she concludes. "Fair enough, let's just cut straight to the chase." The pair of Originals burst into the bar, sending the doors slamming onto the adjacent walls. Marcel sighs upon realising who it is. "Oh, wow, this is such a surprise. Fancy seeing you here!"

"You've lied to us," Rebekah states. "I'm done playing games and, well, Nora is just about ready to rip your bloody head off. So, I'll ask one more time. Where is our brother?"

Marcel leans back in his chair. "Hello to you, too." He glances to the girl next to him who is clearly his date. "Cami, Rebekah and Nora. Rebekah and Nora, Cami."

"I see you still have a thing for blondes," Rebekah snarks.

Nora's eyes linger on Cami. Her lips curl into a smile when the woman shifts uncomfortably under her gaze. "She looks delicious," she says. "I'm super keen for an evening snack." Cami's eyes widen at her words, but they widen even further when Rebekah moves with inhumane speed, grabbing Marcel by the throat and pushing him up against a wall. "Kinky," Nora observes.

"Tell me where Elijah is," Rebekah demands impatiently.

Cami stares at them incredulously, immensely confused by what is happening in front of her. "What the hell is going on?"

"I think we need to change direction here," Nora calls out. The sisters lock eyes. It's clear that Marcel isn't affected by their threats of death. She speeds across the room and harshly grabs Cami, locking her elbow around the human's head to cut off her oxygen supply. "I'm happy to kill this one," she tells Marcel with a smile. Cami frantically claws at Nora's arm. "Did I mention I'm hungry?"

Marcel's eyes widen in panic as he watches the dark veins trail down Nora's cheeks. Her fangs peak out the corners of her lips as she leans down to Cami's neck, making sure to keep her eyes on him the entire time. "Okay, fine," he acquiesces. "Let her go." He glances to Rebekah. "You won. I'll take you to see Elijah."

Nora brushes Cami's hair off her neck and sighs as she pushes the woman away from her. "Shame," she mutters.

"What the hell are you people?" Cami exclaims in horror.

Rebekah and Nora step back as Marcel steps before the human, gently grabbing onto her arms and staring into her soul. "It's okay," he reassures her soothingly. "Go home, forget all of this, and just know that I will make it up to you, I promise."

Stuck in the dazed state from the compulsion, Cami stares into empty space as Marcel turns around to the sisters. "See?" Nora clicks her tongue. "This didn't have to be so hard, Marcellus. If you think about it, it's really all your fault."

His jaw clenches. "You want to see Elijah? Fine. Follow me." They share a triumphant smile before following him out of the bar.

Marcel leads them a few blocks away, and when the sisters realise that he's walking toward a church that looks very abandoned, they share a sceptical look with one another. The second she walks inside, Nora immediately gets hit with the scent of blood. It's old, but whatever had happened in here was brutal.

They follow Marcel through the church wordlessly. He leads them up a staircase that looks to be on its last legs, and that's when Nora and Rebekah hear the fourth heartbeat. The attic's door is swung open, revealing the large room decorated with a crystal chandelier, candelabras, and a bed. As Marcel heads inside, their eyes immediately find the dark, polished coffin.

They share a look and simultaneously lunge toward it, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier in the doorway. "Invite us in or I will rip your head off," Nora speaks lowly. "And I'm done threatening people with that."

Marcel simply shrugs as he glances to them. "Got to ask the lady of the house! Davina," he calls out. "Come on out, sweetheart." Nora's brows knit together as a young girl, one that can't be more than sixteen, walks out from behind the dividers. She hadn't expected this. "Invite them in," Marcel tells her.

"Come in," Davina's soft voice rings out.

Without any hesitation, Nora storms into the attic, sending one more glare to Marcel before beelining to the coffin. When she opens it, she freezes for a moment. Elijah is laid inside, a silver dagger sticking out of his chest as his skin carries those all too familiar grey veins courtesy of the desiccation. As angry as she is at her brother, Nora wouldn't wish her worst enemy to go through this.

She quickly makes work of taking the dagger out of his body, but before she can fully remove it, Davina stops her. "I wouldn't do that," the girl warns.

Nora's eyes widen when the dagger is forcefully shoved back into Elijah's chest. "You're a witch," she concludes. She shakes her head as she steps back from the coffin. "I've gotta say, Davina, I haven't felt magic like this in a long time."

Rebekah's eyes have narrowed to slits as she stares at the teenager. "Who the hell are you?"

"Davina," she replies simply. Nora has to crack a small smile. "They're old ones, aren't they?"

Marcel nods at her question, his eyes glued onto the vampires. "Yeah," he confirms. "Nora and Rebekah are Originals, which means they can't be killed."

Nora grins. "You must be so thrilled by that." Marcel's jaw ticks.

"They don't seem very nice," Davina comes to the conclusion.

"Okay, hold on, love," Nora begins. "We can be really nice when we want to."

She's surprised when Marcel nods. "They can be," he agrees. "But they haven't been very nice to me tonight." Nora rolls her eyes, but before she can retort something, she and Rebekah share a wide-eyed look when they feel their bodies begin to be tugged in a different direction.

"Then I'm afraid it's time for you to leave," Davina says calmly. Without lifting a finger, the witch throws the pair of vampires across the room, making sure to slam them up against a wall before tossing them out the attic window.

⋆。 ﾟ☾。 ⋆。 ﾟ𓆦 。 ⋆

After waking up in the compound — once the Mikaelson home – in the Quarter, Marcel had reminded the sisters the amount of power he has behind him. Not only is New Orleans his, but so is Davina, and so is Elijah until he feels kind enough to return him to his family. He had made sure to emphasise that what was once theirs is now his. How mature, Nora had thought.

Not only is she now beyond pissed at Marcel Gerard, but she's added another name to the list of those to be on the receiving end of her vengeful rage. Before he had done this, Nora had held no reason to starting something with him. She had planned to do as Rebekah had said, stay away from him as far as humanly (vampirely) possible. But now... Now she's launching herself headfirst into the fight between her brother and Marcel. 

Of course, the second the sisters had gotten out, they had immediately returned to their current home. Even though neither woman is fond of Niklaus right now, they need to let him know the impending threats hanging over their heads. After all, he does have a child coming into the world. Rebekah bursts inside the entrance foyer of the mansion, instantly locking eyes with the hybrid. "You're right," she begins frantically. "The girl, Cami, she's the key."

Klaus's gaze moves onto Nora who looks the epitome of furious. "Marcel likes her," she adds with a scowl. "And because we managed to exploit that, we got to see the secret weapon he's hiding away."

"Well, don't stand on ceremony," Klaus says impatiently. "What is it?"                   

"It's not a what," Rebekah corrects. She glances to Nora. "It's a who, a girl, Davina. She can't be any older than sixteen, and I've never felt power like that before." Nora's lips press into a thin line as she recalls the feeling of being tossed across a room.

"A witch," Klaus determines exasperatedly.

"She's not just a witch, Niklaus," Nora snaps. "I have never seen anything like her before. She's something more, something beyond powerful, and because of your idiotic decisions, she has Elijah!"

Klaus flinches at her shriek, but as he looks to Rebekah, he realises his sisters are just as equally as angry at him. "Who knows what she could do to him," Rebekah says.

"Where is she?"

Nora opens her mouth to respond, but she freezes upon realising that she can't think of an answer. She turns to Rebekah with wide eyes. They don't remember. "That clever bitch," the blonde scoffs. "I don't know."

Niklaus glances between them with worry. "What's wrong?"

"She wiped our memories of the location," Nora spits out. Her jaw clenches as that familiar rage returns. Even as she takes a threatening step toward him, Klaus doesn't move. "Marcel has a girl more powerful than an Original, and you handed our brother to him!"

"How many times will Elijah forgive you?" Rebekah yells. Klaus grits his teeth. "How long until his hope for your redemption finally dies?"

As they turn around to storm out of the house, Klaus quickly follows. "I did what I had to do!" The sisters pause. "He took our home!"

Nora shakes her head in disbelief. She cannot believe that he had traded Elijah because a house had taken from them. "A home is worthless without family," she argues. Klaus's face falls. "This is your fault," she says as she jabs a finger against his chest.

"We are finding Elijah," Rebekah states. "Whatever it takes. Are you going to help us?"

He takes a few moments to hesitate to answer. "Whatever it takes," Niklaus agrees.

"About bloody time."

𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘪'𝘮 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 🥰 🥰