𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 | 𝓼𝓾𝓷 𝓫𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓯𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓼

𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯

NORA AND HER BROTHER KOL had always shared a different bond together than with the rest of the siblings. Due to being daggered during relatively similar periods of time, when they woke, they were the only ones that could understand each other. They were the only ones that could understand the grief of having decades taken away from them, or the pain of being betrayed by Niklaus. But even since they had been children a thousand years ago, before the curse of being a vampire was even laid upon them, Nora and Kol had been tied to the hip. From the very moment one-year-old Nora laid eyes on her baby brother, she knew they would be the best of friends.

And they were. Her fondest memories of their childhood are braiding daisy chains into Kol's hair despite his clear annoyance, creating tiny fairy villages at the bases of trees, having water fights in the nearby streams, and learning how to use their magic.

With their mother being a witch, magic flowed through the Mikaelson family's blood. However, Nora and Kol had been the only children who successfully managed to tap into it. Even by the time she could complete some of the more advanced spells her mother taught her, magic had always left Nora in awe. She simply couldn't comprehend that there was a higher power that could work in ways no one could ever begin to understand.

When the vampiric curse is fallen onto the siblings, each went through their own levels of grief, sadness, and anger. But none of them experienced it quite like Kol and Nora. They had lost the one thing that kept them sane, the thing that kept them humane. Instead, they was promised a forever life of brutality, blood, and death. They became something that nature despised, the very opposite of what being a witch stood for. They all became something that nature despised.

As the centuries flew by, the time Kol and Nora were blessed with living was spent researching and traveling around the globe connecting with witches. Nora had realised quickly that the only way they could try and regain the part of themselves that they had lost would be to engulf themselves back into the world of magic. Witnessing firsthand Kol's face light up as their newfound friends demonstrated their gifts had given her a sliver of the happiness she so desperately craved. And despite the thrill of getting to experience magic being performed before her, the sorrow and longing for what was lost only grew stronger.

Nineteen-Fourteen was a year that remained a rather banished topic amongst the Mikaelson family. It had all begun when Niklaus had removed the daggers from his brother and sister's bodies on the first day of the new century. They were once again integrated into the city of New Orleans, the city known worldwide for its population of the supernatural. By Nineteen-Fourteen, it was clear that there was a war brewing with witches of New Orleans.

Half were aligned with Niklaus, but the other half aligned with the pair of vampires that treated them as equals. Even though their very nature was of something that witches were meant to hate with every bone in their body, their early experience and knowledge with magic was something that helped them bond.

With the fear that Klaus' future plans would cause the city to be overrun with vampires, Nora and her younger brother created a plan. A devilishly devious plan. And if it was to go their way, peace would be restored. To make a long story short, Nora and Kol had hoped that their friends could turn one of the silver daggers into gold so its powers would affect Niklaus, so they could deal him with the fate he so often dealt them. She shouldn't have been surprised when it didn't work. The next plan was to capture a diamond that would help the witches channel further power. That was also spoiled.

That lead them to the Christmas party that December. With a newly befriended witch that held the skills to transform the dagger, perhaps things were going to go their way after all. That was the night when Nora had experienced her first and only betrayal by Rebekah Mikaelson. Even though Niklaus had been the one to stab her and Kol with the daggers, Rebekah had been the one to light the match. That night, Rebekah had erased her relationship with her sister. Even ninety years later, their relationship still isn't the same. Nora doesn't believe it will ever be the same again.

However, things were slowly and surely repairing. Maybe it would be the miracle baby that would bring the Mikaelson family together again; at least, that's what Elijah had proclaimed to hope for. Nora didn't believe in hope. She had given up on the concept long ago. It was a feeling that made you feel safe with the wanting and longing of what could be. But she had gone through too many experiences where hope had proven her wrong. The very night on December Twenty-Fourth in Nineteen-Fourteen, Nora had made a promise to herself as the dagger slipped into her chest that she would never be tempted by the prospect of hope ever again.

Hope meant naivety. In a life as cutthroat and vicious as the one Nora lived, she couldn't afford the luxury to be naïve. So even though she can hear the second heartbeat within Hayley Marshall's body, she doesn't allow her mind to wander off to what this baby might promise them. Because when you hope for something, it only makes the hurt even more agonising when it doesn't follow through.

The morning sky is bright blue, the type of blue that is void of clouds and so vibrant that renders you speechless. The sky held everything together, becoming a beautiful background to what lies below so that everything becomes slightly more interesting. The dozens of apple trees spread vastly in the distance. The charred lawn. The burnt wood. Sometimes the sky took on the role of the monster, however, today it's as if it knows what is going to happen when the moon replaces. It's like it knows what truly lies in the shadows of New Orleans. It knows, so it becomes something beautiful instead.

Nora leans back in the leather seat as the engine of the car roars to life. Her eyes widen in pure amazement. Rebekah, in the passenger seat next to her, watches in amusement as her sister takes in the wonder that is the modern automobile. Of course she had seen a car before, but the cars in the early twentieth century were nothing like this.

After realising that her sister had missed out on most of the new inventions over the last century, Rebekah had decided to spend the morning so she could fill Nora in on as many things as she could. Even though there was the pressing issue of getting Elijah back, Niklaus had told them to have some fun while he continued scheming. If there was one thing Nora could trust with her brother, it was that he was rather good at creating plans to take down an enemy.

Nora's wide eyes are filled with awe as she looks around the roofless BMW, unsure of what to do. "People use these every day?" she asks curiously.

"Yeah," Rebekah nods with a smile. "Every day. Okay. So-"

"No." Nora glances to her sister with a stern gaze. "I don't trust you to teach me. I want a manual." Rebekah leans her head back and rolls her eyes – of course she wants the damn manual. "Is there an instruction manual? Someone get me an instruction manual."

She clears her throat and opens the glove box. Nora's eyes widen even further at the revelation of the secret compartment. Rebekah takes out a thick book and holds it up before searching through it to find the more relevant information. "Okay, so, the gas pedal is on the right and the brake is beside it on your lefthand side." She looks up to Nora who nods. "To go, you want to gently press down on the gas -"

Nora's fingers tightly wrap around the steering wheel, and she suddenly presses down on the pedal. Rebekah sighs in exasperation as the car only revs loudly, not moving an inch forward. Nora's cheeks begin to redden in frustration as she continues to press further down on the pedal. "It's not moving," she exclaims loudly. "Why isn't it moving?"

Rebekah doesn't hold back her laugh. She holds a hand up apologetically when her sister scowls deeply at her. "You need to put it in gear," she points out with another chuckle. Nora stares back at her blankly in confusion.

With another sigh, Rebekah takes her hand and guides it over to the gear stick. "Right now, it's in park," she informs the woman calmly. "You want to put it into D, which is drive."

Nora breathes out a sigh. "Oh," she says simply. After finally managing to move lever into position, she grins. "Let's go!"

Rebekah's hand flies out to tightly clutch onto her door as Nora shrieks in excitement when the car rapidly moves backward. As they drive in circles, the wide-eyed Rebekah yells out, "The brakes! Nora, hit the bloody brakes!"

Without any warning, Nora slams her foot onto the brake, sending the car to an abrupt stop. Rebekah slowly turns her head to glare daggers at her, and she clears her throat, a sheepish smile appearing on her lips. "So, I think it was in reverse..."

"You think?" Rebekah exclaims. She rubs her forehead with her thumb and sighs. "Okay, before you go, please check you're in drive. And do it slowly." Another grin flashes across Nora's face as she nods with understanding.

Just as instructed, the car slowly rolls forward. Nora's eyes have remained wide the entire time as she ever so slightly presses down further on the gas pedal. "I'm doing it," she yells happily. "Bex, look, I'm doing it!"

Rebekah can't help but warmly smile at how thrilled her older sister is. But her smile quickly vanishes when the pedal is once again floored. Nora's squeals of excitement fill the air as the car zips through the orchard of apple trees, occasionally skimming past branches that Rebekah ducks to avoid getting hit by. Niklaus has moved to the window at the commotion, and he chuckles at the sight of the chaos occurring outside. He's just glad that he's not in the vehicle.

Once again, the car screeches to a stop. Rebekah brushes away the strands of hair that cover her eyes. "Right, we need to make some ground rules," she declares breathlessly. "One, do not drive with the pregnant werewolf. Two, no driving outside the property."

Nora huffs a sigh of disappointment. "Try to sound a little more believing in me," she remarks. Once again, Rebekah rolls her eyes. Despite having a few incredibly near misses already, Nora doesn't find herself scared of the car. She's too wrapped up in the joy of finally getting to see what the fuss is about. Kol would be having a field day with one of these. She frowns when Rebekah pulls her seatbelt across her body and clips it in. "What the hell is that for?"

"I currently fear for my life," she states bluntly.

This time, they spend the next five minutes carefully and slowly driving through the lanes of the orchard. Both sisters are getting more confident that everything is going to be okay. Maybe Nora is a fast learner after all.

And it's all going smoothly until they crash into a tree. Smoke billows out of the engine as a large branch has struck through the windshield, shattering the glass atop of the two vampires who are sporting multiple injuries. Nora plucks a shard of glass out of her forehead with a slight wince. "Okay..." She glances to Rebekah who looks very unamused by their situation. "Perhaps I shouldn't drive again."

"At least you didn't kill either of us," the blonde-haired woman admits. "So I guess it wasn't a complete disaster." Another beaming smile adorns Nora's face. "Oh, it was still a disaster. Just not a complete disaster."

After extinguishing the small fire that had erupted across the bonnet of the bright blue car, the sisters return home to shower off the drying blood on their bodies. Rebekah had ended up with a dislocated elbow which she had quickly reset, whilst Nora had been impaled in the stomach by the giant tree branch.

Niklaus looks up when the front door opens, and he heads over to greet his sisters. "Should I care to ask?" he says with a smile.

"I drove a car," Nora confesses proudly.

He looks to Rebekah whose expression is all he needs. "Ah."

Rebekah crosses her arms over her crimson stained shirt, eyes narrowing slightly as she glances back to their brother. "I cannot believe you disposed of those vampires without me," she says in annoyance.

After slaughtering all of Marcel's vampires who had caught Hayley in the Quarter the other day, the bodies had been returned to the plantation house where they were then destroyed. They couldn't risk Marcel getting wind that Rebekah had been the cause of his missing lackeys.

Nora hums lightly. "Yes, Niklaus, you are aware that I'm quite fond of fire," she adds.

Amusement shines in his eyes as his brows raise. "Was I supposed to leave them in the front yard to rot?" he retorts. "Besides, they were my responsibility. They attacked the helpless, pregnant girl who's carrying my child."

"Oh," Rebekah begins, her tone dry and sarcastic. "I am so moved by your newfound sense of fatherly duty towards the werewolf carrying your hybrid bun in her oven."

"Yes, it does seem like your favourite part of being a future father is having an excuse to kill people," Nora chimes in. "But, you know, every parent has their flaws."

Whilst Rebekah grins, Niklaus lets out a genuine laugh at their words. He's missed their combined disapproval for anything and everything he does. He's missed Nora.

Upon recognising the scent that is becoming more and more familiar, Nora looks up from picking dried blood off her nails to see Hayley. Her eyebrows draw together as she notices the worn leather book the werewolf is carrying, and after another few seconds of studying it, she realises it's one of Elijah's diaries. "The werewolf would like to know what the plan is," Hayley states.

"Well, that depends what plan you mean, love," Klaus says. Nora and Rebekah share an equally annoyed look. "My plan for global domination, or Rebekah's plan to find love in a cruel, cruel world? Or how about Nora's plan to abandon us all and find true happiness in the roots of hell?"

Any trace of a smile has quickly vanished from Nora's face. She watches Rebekah smile sweetly at Klaus before grabbing onto a pencil and throwing it violently at him. Whilst he catches it inches before it impales his eye, he misses Nora grabbing the nearby lamp and chucking it at his head. The glass shade shatters against his skull, and she steps back with a satisfied smile.

"That was so unnecessary," Niklaus mutters as he wipes the trail of blood off his forehead. He rolls his eyes at Nora's thunderous glare. "I take it back, don't try and set me on fire again."

Hayley's eyes have widened at the use of 'again.' She'll want to hear that story later. "The plan to rescue Elijah," she clarifies, once again bringing their attention to the most pressing matter at hand. "You know, the good brother, the one who is now in the possession of the mortal enemy after you stabbed him in the back."

Niklaus has the nerve to correct her. "In the front, if we're being specific." This time, he's prepared when Nora throws a vase at him. He catches it before it hits his shoulder and smiles at her.

Hayley rolls her eyes at their violent bickering. "Look, you three said that you would get him back," she points out. Her gaze settles onto the sisters who had proved to be more adamant to return Elijah than Klaus. "So is there a plan, or what?"

Nora looks expectantly to Niklaus; she's rather fond of this plan. "Okay," he agrees. They follow him into the adjoining room where he takes his place in one of the armchairs. "Well, firstly, Marcel is not my mortal enemy."

"Each to your own," Nora shrugs. Hayley cracks a small smile.

"He's my friend," Klaus continues, crossing his legs over the other as he pointedly ignores his sister's comment. "Albeit one who is unaware that I am trying to sabotage his hold over the supernatural community of the French Quarter, but a friend, nonetheless. And secondly, I daggered Elijah in order to gain Marcel's trust."

Nora flinches to grab something to throw at him again.

"You know, sister, you're becoming incredibly predictable," Niklaus remarks. He grins when she pauses to glower at him, then the smile slips away as he dons a more serious demeanour. "If I had known Marcel would place my brother in the hands of a particularly nasty teenage witch, I certainly would have weighed my options a bit differently. And thirdly, Rebekah, please."

Rebekah turns to Hayley who has leant on the door frame, listening curiously to the so called 'plan.' "And thirdly, the plan, as you have demanded, is for Niklaus to simply ask Marcel for Elijah back."

Hayley's lips part as she looks between the three vampires in surprise. "That's not the whole plan, is it?" she questions nervously.

Rebekah chuckles. "Oh, please. Klaus may be a miserable excuse for a sibling, but there is none more diabolical. Actually, Nora might rival him."

The vampire in mention grins. "Why thank you, Rebekah," she praises.

"That's only the plan A, love," Niklaus tells Hayley. "There's always a plan B."

"And what's plan B?"

A smile slowly adorns Nora's face. "War," she replies calmly.

⋆。 ﾟ☾。 ⋆。 ﾟ𓆦 。 ⋆

Whilst Niklaus had the duty of visiting the compound to have a friendly conversation with Marcel, Nora and Rebekah had taken it upon themselves to meet with one of the witches involved in their list of problems. Sophie and Jane-Anne Deveraux had been the ones who told Hayley she was pregnant, and with Jane now dead courtesy of Marcel, Sophie held an anger toward the vampires of New Orleans. And that's exactly what the Originals hope to exploit.

As the sisters walk down one of the many streets within the French Quarter, Nora can't help but eye every passing human. Even with the warnings Niklaus, Rebekah, and Marcel had given her, she had a habit of ignoring people. Over the past few days, she had shamelessly left dead bodies around the Quarter, each drained of every drop of blood. She wasn't a Ripper, God no. She just liked to get her meals straight from the source instead of a blood bag.

Her thoughts related to ripping into someone's neck disappear as Rebekah finally gives into her impatience and calls their brother. "Hey, Klaus, for the love of Mary Magdalene, how long does it take to ask a simple question?"

Nora snickers. Even though the phone remains at Rebekah's ear, she can still hear his words clear as day. "Much longer than you'd think," he replies. "Considering the answer was, as expected, no. Marcel's man Thierry is suspicious. He thinks you killed ten nightwalkers."

"Well, that's a lie. I only killed eight," she reminds him. "Should I make Thierry the ninth?"

Nora hums as she sucks on her raspberry lollipop. "Ooh, that's a good idea," she agrees.

"And by the way, he mentioned that another bunch have showed up dead. Either of you care to share your most recent side hobbies?"

Rebekah suddenly stops walking to stare at her. "What?" Nora asks her.

The blonde-haired vampire's eyes narrow accusingly as she takes in her sister's sudden innocence. "Nora, what did you do?" Rebekah presses.

She scoffs. "I'm offended you're both assuming I could possibly be the root cause of Marcellus's growing list of problems," she retorts. Nora huffs a sigh when Rebekah arches a brow. "Okay, fine, it was me. But it was only three...teen more."

Rebekah closes her eyes and inhales a deep breath. "We're all dead," she concludes.

"No, we're not," Niklaus says firmly. "And if the both of you stop the shenanigans, he won't find out. Marcel is playing friendly. We can't kill the favourite son – any sons on that matter – nor break his sacred rules by feeding in daylight, or he'll catch onto us."

"So war it is, then," Rebekah concludes with a short sigh. Nora grins brightly at the thought of getting to possibly kill someone.

"Indeed. Do you both know what to do with the witch?"

They stop before the Jardin Gris voodoo shop, where Sophie had requested them meet her. They share a look before Rebekah says, "Yes, we do."

Nora removes her lollipop and leans against the brick wall, her heeled boots tapping away on the ground. "Torture her and get what we need," she answers. She can practically hear Niklaus roll his eyes. "Bloody hell, you're boring."

"You two manage Sophie Deveraux," he states, his warning to Nora evident in the stern words. "I'll take care of the next step."

Throughout the ten minutes they impatiently wait for Sophie to show up, Nora had chewed through her lollipop and gone through the different ways in her head how she planned to murder Marcel Gerard. When she finally lays eyes on the witch, her body tenses, unsure of how Sophie is going to react upon meeting her. "Oh, so glad you could make it," Rebekah greets the woman dryly. "Elijah only lies daggered and rotting whilst you dillydally."

Sophie stops before them, a scoff leaving her lips at the impatient remark. "You're lucky I came at all." Her eyes flick between the pair of Originals, lingering on the dark-haired woman. She recognises who Nora is immediately from descriptions belonging to stories she had been told, and the vampire looks exactly like she had pictured: all too calm, power seeping off her nimble frame, and a lingering anger ever present in her eyes. "What do you want?"

Nora clears her throat, her arms folding over her chest as she meets Sophie's gaze. She's a pretty woman, brown hair framing her face with coffee-coloured eyes and full lips. "Three nights ago, Hayley was attacked by Marcel's crew because somebody told him there was a werewolf in the Quarter," she explains curtly.

"She only made one stop," Rebekah says, turning to look at the store behind them. "Whoever saw her here ratted her out."

Sophie crosses her arms defiantly, her eyes narrowing a fraction as she nods her head to the older sister. "You gonna introduce me?" she asks Rebekah. Her gaze shifts back onto Nora, subtly dragging down her body and returning to her eyes.

Her lips curl into a smile. "Oh, you know who I am. I'm rather infamous in the witchy world. I also know quite a bit about you..." Nora steps closer to the woman, jabbing a finger against her chest. "Sophie Deveraux."

Sophie glances to Rebekah who only watches the interaction, making no move to interrupt. Her eyes flick back to Nora curiously. "And let me guess, if I do something you don't like, you'll kill me?"

A laugh slips past her glossed lips. "Kill you?" Nora repeats. "Absolutely not. Christ, Sophie, who do you take me for?"

"A psychotic, homicidal vampire."

Nora grins at the blunt response. "While I can be all of those things," she begins. Rebekah cracks a smile. "I have too much respect for New Orleans witches to kill you." Her smile quickly slips away, sending a chill down the back of Sophie's spine. "However, if you hurt my family, I will bring so much pain upon you that you will wish I granted you the mercy of death." Her cheerful demeanour quickly returns. "Right, let's get on with it then!"

Rebekah smiles. "Watch and learn," she says. Sophie inhales a deep breath as the Originals stride into the store, the brass doorbell announcing their arrival to the owner.

Katie returns to the shop from the back room and a smile immediately graces her face when she spots her friend. "Hey, Soph," she greets cheerfully.

Sophie clears her throat softly, trying to be as casual as possible under Nora's sharp gaze. "Hey, Katie," she replies.

Whilst Rebekah and Nora have busied themselves by observing some of the racks, Sophie has walked over to stack some products. She notices what the dark-haired woman is staring at and offers her a small smile when they meet eyes. "That's filled with marigold," she informs Nora. "Great for attracting the opposite sex, would look awesome on you."

Rebekah suppresses the want to smile at the sour expression her sister now holds. As much as Nora wants to retort how she would rather stake herself with the white oak than attract a man, they have priorities. "I very seriously doubt that," she responds.

Rebekah takes a step closer to the witch whose back is now turned to them. "My sister does look stunning with jewellery though," she chimes in. "Do you have any others, one with, say... I don't know, wolfsbane, perhaps?"

Nora's lips curl upward as she watches Katie's body turn rigid. "Wolfsbane?" she questions cluelessly. "Why would you want that?"

The siblings share an annoyed look with each other. "Someone's missing out on the Oscars," Nora declares. She speeds forward and wraps a hand tightly around Katie's throat. "Play dumb with us again and that's the last thing you'll ever do."

Sophie's eyes widen in alarm as Nora suddenly slams Katie down onto the counter. "Hey," she yells in protest.

But violence has always worked wonders. It's why Nora results to using the method so often. "I just sold the werewolf some herbs," Katie answers quickly, gasping for breath. "That's all."

Nora lets out a disappointed sigh. "What was it I said earlier?"

Katie's eyes widen further as the fingers around her throat tighten. "I believe it was something along the lines of 'Play dumb with us again and that's the last thing you'll ever do,'" Rebekah reminds her. Nora clicks her tongue. "I suggest you answer the question honestly."

The witch glances pleadingly to her friend who has only stood by watching. "Sophie," she chokes out.

"Just answer the question, Katie, please," Sophie tells her firmly.

Nora places her free hand on her hip, her fingers tapping impatiently against her belt as she smiles at the witch before her. "Clock's ticking!"

After another second of hesitation, Katie caves in. "Yes. I told someone, but you don't understand. I-I love him." Nora rolls her eyes and pulls her off the counter to toss her across the shop.

Katie lands harshly on the ground with a moan of pain, wincing as she tries to lift her head. Her breath catches with fear as Rebekah steps closer to her, the heel of her stiletto hovering inches above her throat. "Then tell me, who is this vampire Romeo of yours?" Rebekah enquires.

Nora groans impatiently at the silence that greets her ears. "Katie, come on, love," she calls out. "We've got places to be, things to do!"

Rebekah smiles sweetly down at the witch as the heel of her shoe presses lightly against her neck. "Shall I count to three?"

By the time they step back outside, the scent of rain immediately hits Nora's nose. She feels herself exhale a deep breath. Everything about rain calmed her. The rhythmic sounds of the pattering against the pavement or the cooling sensation of the drops hitting her arms. Katie had given up the name of her boyfriend the split-second after Rebekah had started counting down. It had been far too easy.

Of course, the first thing they do is call Niklaus to update him of their progress. He picks up on the second ring. "Well?" his impatient voice greets them.

Rebekah places the call onto speaker phone out of politeness for her sister, despite both having enhanced hearing. "You were right about the traitor," she admits. "Luckily, she's just a kid and she doesn't know anything about us and what we're up to."

A satisfied smile pulls at Nora's lips. "Would you like to hear what's going to please you the most?" she asks him. "Because it's certainly thrilled me."

"Oh, do tell."

"The poor girl has fallen in love with one of the pricks in Marcel's inner circle," she answers, grimacing sympathetically at the thought. Nora glances to the side where Katie and Sophie are talking in hushed voices. "Care to take a guess at who it is?"

They can hear the smile in his voice. "Right-hand-man type, favours silly caps?" Niklaus presumes.

"Two points for you," Rebekah praises. "Thierry is fraternising with the enemy."

"I'd like to propose a new name for him," Nora begins seriously. "Twenty-two. You know, because he'll be the twenty second vampire we're going to kill."

"You know what, sister, I think you're onto something," Klaus confesses. She grins. "And with this, well, it means he just unwittingly became the key to our entire plan."

"We told you you'd be pleased."

"Oh, to be young and in love in a city where witches and vampires are at war..." Niklaus smiles. "How very tragic."

And so they had dragged the rather reluctant Sophie Deveraux back to their home. They needed a family meeting. Whilst Nora had ventured upstairs to check on Hayley and then fetch the young woman a cup of tea, Niklaus had returned from his secretive goings related to upending Marcel.

Very quickly, the Mikaelsons had made their request clear to Sophie, but they shouldn't have been surprised when that lead to an argument. "Are you out of your mind?" Sophie retorts loudly. "No way!"

Despite her limited time within New Orleans, Nora had quickly come to terms with Marcel's ruling. Not only are all werewolves banned in the French Quarter, but so is magic. Any witch that tried to practise was almost immediately found by Marcel and his vampires, then punished with the extreme: death.

"It's very simple," Rebekah says. "We need you to perform a teeny, tiny locator spell to help us find our brother."

"Witches who practise magic in this town get caught, and they get killed," Sophie reminds them all, a hint of exasperation in her tone.

Niklaus hums and moves across the room, Sophie's narrowed eyes trained on him. "Yes," he begins. "About that, it seems you left out a crucial detail when we made our deal." Nora rolls her eyes as he rather dramatically takes his place in an armchair. "Marcel's secret weapon, the way he knows when a witch is using magic."

Nora takes a sip of her tea and waves her unoccupied hand in the air. "Yes, she's about yay high, simply adorable, anger issues." She smiles. "She reminds me of me."

They all watch Sophie's face drain of colour. "Davina?" she asks softly in realisation. "... Where have you seen her?"

The sisters share an annoyed look. "I don't know," Rebekah replies with a sigh. "The little brat erased Nora and my memories right after she threw us out a window with her bloody mind."

Niklaus, however, has grown rather tired of the continuous arguing. "Let me cut to the chase," he interjects. "Davina has Elijah. You witches, I assume, want to get Davina away from Marcel. We don't know where she is. Ergo, we need magic."

Sophie quickly shakes her head. "Davina would sense it," she says.

A sigh leaves Nora's lips as she sets her cup back onto its saucer. "You really aren't that clever, are you?" She shakes her head with a tut as Sophie stares at her with wide eyes.

"What my sister is trying to say," Rebekah starts with a smile, "is that unless, of course, another witch – say, a traitor to the cause, Katie, for example – was to perform much more powerful magic at the same time."

Nora points to her with a nod. "Exactly!" Her elbows rest against her knees as she leans forward in her chair, her eyes locked onto the witch shifting uncomfortably across from her. "Something like that would create a smokescreen concealing your very small spell from Davina."

Sophie's lips press into a thin line as the plan runs through her head. "Katie doesn't deserve to die," she protests.

Klaus, more than through with her resistance to go along with them, slams his hands on the coffee table and stands up. "Sophie Deveraux!" He sits in front of her, and Nora suppresses her smile at how the witch's heart upticks. "You're in no position to be so principled. You can't win a war without a few strategic losses, no matter how regrettable they may be. How many times have the vampires been one step ahead, known something they shouldn't, your sister executed in the public square for practising magic who knew she'd be caught? Did she even attempt to flee?"

"She was caught hiding in a cargo hold of a freighter before it set sail down the Mississippi," Sophie quietly reveals.

Nora clasps her hands together. "Oh, come on, love," she sighs. She's been here for less than three days and can already see more than Sophie can. "Who in Marcel's circle manages his business at the docks?"

Sophie's jaw tightens as her eyes move between Nora and Klaus. "Katie's boyfriend," she answers. "Thierry."

⋆。 ﾟ☾。 ⋆。 ﾟ𓆦 。 ⋆

With Marcel's masquerade ball lingering on the horizon for the evening, the Mikaelsons still had numerous things to do before the event. Whilst Niklaus would continue to feed seeds of doubt into Marcel's mind and be his manipulative, charming self, Nora had suggested that she and Rebekah work a different angle. When they had left the plantation house, Hayley had been fast asleep with the newly added air conditioning whirring away. Nora had hated that her first thought had been, She looks beautiful.

After the rather violent encounter with Camille O'Connell a few nights prior, Nora had become only more fascinated by the blonde-haired woman. Camille seemed like the epitome of innocence. She was too pure for the supernatural world, too pure to have her hands stained with blood or to even become close to the spilling of blood. But Cami is merely a pawn in their complicated game of chess; collateral damage Rebekah would say.

Rousseau's was a bar tucked away on one of the main streets in the French Quarter. It was constantly bustling with people, no matter the time of day, searching for ways to ease whatever pain they were feeling or simply to feel more. The plan had been to simply befriend Camille by sharing their reasoning to moving to New Orleans. "And so with that, I moved back here to be closer to my brothers because, let's face it, family is important, right, Camille?" Rebekah smiles.

The woman grimaces slightly at the use of her name. "Cami," she corrects. "I have to change this name tag. Drunk guys keep hitting on me in French." Her gaze moves over to Nora who is nursing a glass of scotch. "And what about you? You seem like you have the burden of being an older sister."

Nora chuckles into her glass at the assumption. "You're not wrong," she confesses. "Recently, my siblings have been absolute pricks." Rebekah rolls her eyes. "Last year I was slightly... inconvenienced, but after a family reunion I decided to stick around. I've missed this city."

Cami smiles at them both. Her eyebrows furrow slightly after a second. "You sure neither of you have been in here before?" she asks them. "Your faces look so familiar."

Ah, the joys of compulsion. "You must have seen us out and about," Rebekah reassures her kindly. "Aren't you dating Marcel Gerard?"

Nora downs the rest of her spirit and sighs, giving Camille a sympathetic look. "Apologies," she speaks on behalf of her sister. "She's rather a gossip."

Rebekah's lips curl up slightly. She clears her throat softly when noticing how Camille has suddenly become more apprehensive to answer. "He's a friend of ours," she adds. Nora scoffs in sheer disgust. "... Sort of. I heard along the grapevine that he had a crush on the blonde bartender at Rousseau's."

A bashful smile adorns Cami's face. "I would hardly call it dating," she brushes her off. She moves along the bar to clean up empty glasses. "He's wooing me... sort of. I don't know. He's very charming, which probably means I should run for the hills."

Nora stifles her laughter by taking Rebekah's half-full glass of whiskey and sipping from it. Oh, how badly she wants to honestly say something about this. "I'm kind of in an on-again-off-again thing myself at the moment," Rebekah confesses. She ignores her sister's amused look.

"Those are the worst," Cami acknowledges. "Aren't they? The ones you can't shake, even though you know better, and you always know better."

"Oh, I like you," Nora tells her with a grin. "I like you a lot, Cami." She's ashamed that Camille's involvement is only going to most certainly end with her death. It always does. Every step the Mikaelsons took, death surrounded them like a plague.

Rebekah smiles. "As do I," she admits. "Most girls have the unfortunate tendency of being whiny, little twits." Nora quietly snickers at the rather obvious dig toward of the late Elena Gilbert.

"Thanks," Cami chuckles softly. She pauses for a second as she silently repeats her words. "I think."

Nora waves a hand at her. "Oh, darling, you're far off from being one of them," she assures the woman. "Not only are you simply gorgeous, but you're actually tolerable. You'd be surprised by how hard it is to find someone like yourself." Having supernaturally enhanced visions gives many perks, including right now where she can see the subtle shade of pink that taints Camille's cheeks.

When Nora realises she's being watched, her smile quickly slips away and she stares at Rebekah blankly. The blonde-haired vampire huffs a quiet laugh. She'd go as far to assume that her sister is taking a like to Cami O'Connell. "Hey, so my sister and I are supposed to go to this posh charity thing thrown by this philanthropist tonight," Rebekah reveals.

Nora snorts. "Philanthropist is far too generous," she retorts. "'Self-centred ass who happens to have a substantial amount of money' seems more correct." Cami's brows raise in amusement.

"He's a bit of a Gatsby," Rebekah says. "Throws a mean party. Any interest?"

Cami smiles, her eyes lingering on Nora. The vampire catches her gaze, settling her into a state of a surprise. Her lips curl into a smirk. "Care to be my plus one, Camille?" Nora offers.

After receiving a yes, they leave Cami to return to the various customers and move to a quieter corner of the bar to update Niklaus. "My two favourite people," he greets them cheerfully.

"And what kind of torture are you under?" Nora counters sceptically.

"I'm horrified you think I can't willingly pay you a compliment," Klaus replies in a dry tone of voice.

"Considered I was in a box less than a week ago, I don't think you can."

Rebekah rolls her eyes at the bickering, no doubt sure that it will continue unless she stops them. "I believe we've made certain Marcel will be properly distracted tonight," she informs their brother.

"Dare I ask?"

"No, you may not," Nora responds curtly. She'd rather wait for his reaction later tonight. "We did our part, Niklaus. Now, what are you doing to ensure Elijah's return?"

He clears his throat as the sound of papers shuffling are heard. "Currently, I'm preparing insurance against the tender-hearted," he answers. "We need proper motivation for Katie to cast a powerful spell tonight. I'm creating that motivation. Marcel has ordered a rousting of the witches."

Nora's eyes narrow to slits and Rebekah watches her grip on the glass tumbler tighten to the point where she can hear it begin to crack. "Excuse me?" Nora says loudly.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, sister," he chides. "It's simply some words of warning. I, in turn, have arranged for things to go tragically wrong." They share a look. "My minion is playing a rather important part in this game."

"The idiot you compelled?" Rebekah corrects.

"Marcel might not be concerned with Thierry's romantic entanglements, but there are other crimes which he'll be less inclined to so easily forgive."

Nora arches a brow. "What did you do?" she asks curiously. "Please tell me one of them is going to die, I'm in need of some good news today."

They can picture his smile as he reveals his plan for Thierry to kill the vampire he had compelled to attack Katie. "Killing a vampire, well, that would be unforgivable," Niklaus says. "If Katie hopes to save her one true love from Marcel's punishment, well, a rescue mission like that will require something positively magical. But then, what's worth dying for if not love?"

"You're being awfully saccharine today, brother," Nora grimaces. "If you're not back to normal by the time I'm home, I'll put you in a coffin myself." Before he can retort with something that would surely be amusing to him, she quickly hangs up the call.

With the gala set to begin in under an hour, the sisters return home to a waiting Klaus where they finish their debrief before getting ready. The night sky glistens with stars, but the main attraction is the crescent moon shining in between clouds. What Nora disliked most about living in a city was the air pollution. For most of her life, she had been in a box, so she shouldn't be complaining about the clarity of the sky. She should be grateful that her undead heart is beating once more, and she is breathing amongst her remaining family.

Her bedroom is filled with dresses strewn across the flooring. Every inch of the space is either covered by material or jewels from accessories. As Hayley passes the open door, she suddenly pauses and then backtracks. An amused smile pulls at her lips as she watches Nora throw the various choices over her shoulder, inaudible mutters of frustration leaving her lips as she does so.

With her back to woman, Nora is so stuck in her head that she doesn't realise she has company until Hayley lets out a yelp when a stiletto misses her head by an inch. She glances over her shoulder and frowns at the sight of the werewolf picking up the heeled shoe. "What are you doing?" she calls out.

Hayley enters the room and stops before the kneeled woman, the shoe in her outstretched hand. "Trying not to get decapitated by you," she answers. She smiles when Nora rolls her eyes and returns to her disorganised process of picking an outfit. "So, uh, you're going?"

Without so much as sparing a look at her, Nora hums. "I am," she confirms. She grimaces at the horrible shade of green of the gown now before her. "Don't be too disappointed, love, these things are usually a disaster."

She takes a seat on the end of the king-sized bed, her hands running over the sapphire-coloured satin beside her. "Yeah, dancing and pretending to be interested by important people isn't my thing," Hayley confesses.

At this, Nora finally does glance to her. "How're you settling in here?" she asks gently.

"It's not terrible," the werewolf admits. "It could be better, like, you know, not being a prisoner would up my ratings considerably." Nora chuckles. "And I've been craving Froot Loops almost every other second of the day."

"Don't worry about that," she reassures. "By tonight, your bedroom will be drowning in whatever these... Froot Loops are."

Hayley's eyes linger on her face for a few moments, a soft smile gracing her lips. "So, if you hate these things so much, why're you going?" she questions, nodding her head down to the pile of dresses.

"Because I have a role to play in this nightmare of a feud, Hayley," she replies rather briskly. Nora hesitates as she picks up a deep black dress, then chucks it over her shoulder. Hayley leans out the way to avoid being hit by it. "We're at war. I take wars very seriously."

She nods. A silence falls over them as she watches Nora continue her process. It's not comfortable, but it's also not stifling and unbearable. "I get why you're not a fan of Marcel," she finally speaks up. "So far, he's been a bit of a dick."

A genuine laugh leaves Nora's lips. "That is the understatement of the millennium." She looks over to Hayley to see her staring off into the space before her. "But he won't get to you, I hope you know that." Green eyes meet dark brown. "You're part of my family now, and I don't take that lightly."

"Thanks," Hayley says softly. She offers a small smile. "So, what's the story with you two?"

Any sense of kindness immediately washes away. Nora tenses, her fingers clutching the current dress in hand curling into fists. "Just because I'm friendly with you doesn't make us friends," she responds bitterly. "Do not mistake that."

She inhales a sharp breath and nods, standing up from the bed and brushing her hands on her sundress. "Got it," Hayley mutters. As she takes the hint and walks out of the room, she glances back over her shoulder before properly leaving to see Nora raise a hand and cover her eyes for a long moment.

She understands why the woman is so secretive and guarded. For her entire life, Nora had built up trust with her family and then been stabbed in the back when she had least expected it. Some moments, maybe she did deserve it, like in Nineteen-Fourteen. But almost all the others, Nora Mikaelson had just been someone standing in the way. Trust is earned. However, even if Nora believed someone had earned the luxury of her trust, she would never fully share herself with them. Maybe there's a part of her that would always stay paranoid, that would always worry that someone would never view her as their first choice. That she was meaningless enough to simply toss away.

Hayley Marshall intended to prove her wrong. She intended to be Nora's friend, her first true friend, to offer her a sliver of the kindness she had been shown so far. Even though the politeness from the Mikaelsons might only be a courtesy because of her current predicament, she had been welcomed into their family. Hayley hadn't felt like she belonged in a longtime. She might not ever be one of them, but she was with them. That wasn't going away any time soon.

⋆。 ﾟ☾。 ⋆。 ﾟ𓆦 。 ⋆

Red had always been Nora's favourite colour. It reminded her of her favourite things: blood, wine, and giving in to her rage. The dress she had picked out was a hue of crimson, and the thousands of jewels sewn into the fabric make it look like it's shimmering. The second Rebekah had brought the gown to her, Nora knew that it was the one. She had spent the time to curl her hair and do her makeup, swiping gold glitter over her eyelids and painting her lips a darker shade of red than the dress. For the first time in a while, she felt like herself.

And she looked gorgeous. Rebekah thought she did too, and upon being forcefully nudged in the right direction, so did Niklaus.

As the three vampires walk into the courtyard of the home that had once been their own, Nora's gaze quickly moves across the area filled with costumes and masked guests. She has to give it to him, Marcel does know how to throw a party; one of the many things he had learnt from the Mikaelson. Sparkling confetti cascades down from the ceiling, like an endless source has been provided, and acrobats and dancers perform from hanging silk or platforms.

"It's a bloody circus," Nora mutters with a roll of her eyes.

Rebekah, arm in arm with Niklaus, smiles slightly at her annoyed words. The siblings had somewhat colour coded with each other, opting for more dark and dramatic colours. A tight black dress is fitted on Rebekah's body, the skirt flowing out more freely, and a glittering, chunky beaded necklace adorns her neck. She gently smacks Nora's hand when the woman tries to play with the feathers in her hair.

Klaus smiles at them and he tilts his head as he turns to take in the gala. "Well, this certainly is a fitting backdrop for tonight's events, I must say," he proclaims.

Nora watches the way his smile quickly slips away when he notices the newest arrival. Her lips curl upward as she takes in the blonde-haired woman's appearance. Camille O'Connell looks ethereal. Dressed as an angel with fluffy white wings and a sparkling lace dress, she only proves Nora's assumption from earlier. She really is innocent.

Niklaus leans closer to his sisters, his eyes never once leaving Cami. "What's she doing here?" he asks them shortly.

Nora's smile widens to a grin. "Ah, this is perfect," she says. "You've got a soft spot. It's going to be like that Caroline girl all over again. Run now, Camille!"

As she hurries over to greet the human, Rebekah glances to him to reply, "What better way to distract Marcel than to put his very-human new girl in a room chock full of vampires?"

"Cami," Nora calls out. She meets the human's eyes and smiles. "Oh, darling, you look absolutely divine."

Cami's eyes widen in surprise, and she clears her throat, her eyes trailing down Nora's dress. "Oh, thank you," she says. "You- you look stunning." She offers Rebekah a small smile as she joins them. "This party is ridiculous, but I think I could get to enjoy this place."

"Trust me, they never get more enjoyable," Nora admits. She swipes a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray and takes a long sip of the bubbly liquid.

Rebekah chuckles as her sister continues to drain the glass empty. "Nora's right," she agrees. "But once you've had a few drinks, it becomes slightly more bearable."

Camille smiles at them both. Her eyes find Niklaus who is standing behind them a few feet, closely watching the interaction. "Is he the infamous on-again-off-again?" she questions Rebekah curiously.

"He's the brother, actually," Klaus corrects as he approaches them.

"The absolute prick of a brother," Nora grumbles.

He ignores her entirely, leaving Nora to share an exasperated look with Rebekah. "And my sisters are right," he continues. His gaze softens slightly as he looks back to Cami. "You do look stunning."

"You clean up pretty well yourself," she tells him kindly.

"Well, don't be fooled, love," Niklaus grins. "I'm the devil in disguise."

Nora rolls her eyes as Cami merely smiles, not nearly aware of just how true that statement is. "Good heavens above," she murmurs. "I need something stronger."

Klaus chuckles as she strides away. "You two chitchat," Rebekah says. "I'm going to make sure she doesn't destroy another champagne tower."

Twenty minutes pass of Nora trying varieties of alcoholic drinks whilst she and her siblings survey Marcel Gerard. So far, he had barely left Cami's side. She hated that she was growing to like the human, because Camille really was a means to an end. Nora's hate for Marcellus surpassed any like she may harbour for Cami. She would do almost anything to make him suffer, and that included killing anyone he was fond of.

Marcel had once stripped her of her only source of happiness. One by one, the Mikaelson family abandoned their sister in favour of the beloved son. All except Kol. Oh, how Nora wished he could be here to see Marcel's future downfall.

Niklaus watches Cami and Marcel dance with a deep scowl etched onto his face. Nora thinks he looks like a statue. He finally breaks his silence. "You really are a hideously evil little thing, aren't you?"

"Which of us are you describing today?" Nora asks. She snickers when he turns to look her in the eye, his scowl unmoving.

Rebekah rolls her eyes at his grumbling. "Nonsense, they're perfect for each other," she argues. "You wanted Marcel distracted. Voila."

It's then that one of Marcel's most trusted friends, Diego, decides to show up. As Nora raises her glass of champagne to her lips, she nudges Rebekah's side. "Rightio, that's our cue," she announces. Her eyes narrow as she sets her gaze on her brother. "Don't fuck anything up."

His eyebrows raise at her blunt statement. "Me?" Niklaus retorts with a smile. "You must be thinking of someone else."

Rebekah huffs a sigh and downs the rest of her scotch. "Best we're off, I can't handle any more of your talk," she declares.

The two Original vampires make quick work of exiting the party and rushing out onto the street, aided by their enhanced speed. Lafayette Cemetery had been somewhere that Nora had once considered a second home. As she follows Rebekah through the aisles to where Sophie is, her pace falters as they pass a tomb that she could recognise in her sleep.

Nora pauses to stare at it, the grey stone burning in her mind as flashes of memories good and bad come flooding back. Tears spring to her eyes as the smallest of smiles pulls at her lips. Once upon a time, that tomb had been her and Kol's safe haven. "I hope you're wreaking absolute havoc up there," she whispers up to the sky.

"Get a move on," Rebekah calls back to her impatiently. Nora sighs and tears her eyes away from the tomb to follow.

They find Sophie tucked away in one of the back aisles of the cemetery, the altar before her littered with candles and a map of the city needed to perform her spell. Nora inhales a deep breath, allowing herself to close her eyes. Even though there's currently no magic being practised, they're standing on sacred ground. It's the closest she's felt to her true self in decades. 

"You're doing the right thing," Rebekah assures the witch gently. Sophie turns around to find them behind her. "It's the only way to find Elijah." Nora meets her eyes and gives her a nod.

Sophie's lips press into a line and she turns back to face the alter. "I'm doing what I have to do," she says. She inhales a deep breath and takes hold of Elijah's pocket watch. "Salacku, tusdeh do..."

As she repeats the incantation, the wind begins to pick up around them. Nora feels a rush of adrenaline course through her blood and a warmth settles within her chest. Rebekah glances to her, gaze lingering as she realises that Nora looks more at home here than she does with them. Maybe it's because this is how she feels connected to Kol.

As the watch spins above, the pile of black sand in the centre of the map begins to move. "Hurry," Rebekah urges. The vampires lean forward as the sand continues to move across the marked streets of New Orleans.

Until everything suddenly stops.

Sophie's hand stills, her eyes slowly opening. "Katie's magic stopped," she says. "I can keep going."

"No," Nora interjects quickly. "No, she'll know."

"No, I can find Davina," Sophie assures them confidently. "I just need another moment."

The sisters share a look before Rebekah lunges forward and rips the map off the altar, sending the sand flying through the air. "You may be willing to die to get your witch back, but Hayley and the baby will die with you," she argues heatedly. "Elijah will never forgive us and rescuing him will be for nothing!"

"I'm sorry," Nora laughs. "It sounded like what you just said means that Hayley is linked to dear Sophie's life." Sophie flinches slightly under the dangerous glare from the vampire. "Something you both conveniently forgot to mention to me!"

Rebekah winces at her shrill shriek. "That might have slipped my mind in all the chaos," she confesses quietly.

Nora's eyes bulge. "It slipped your mind?" she repeats loudly. "This is precious!" She whirls around, jabbing a finger in Sophie's direction. "I may have promised not to kill you, and it seems like I can't even harm a hair on your head now, but I swear upon my dead brother's name, if you think about hurting yourself to inflict pain upon Hayley and the baby..." Her voice lowers to a whisper. "You'll wish you had only known me through the myths and stories."

Silence overtakes as Nora's powerful words sink into Sophie. Her skin has paled a shade lighter. Rebekah's gaze returns to the discarded map on the ground. "It's over," she says quietly, finally realising that Elijah won't be returning to them. "We failed."

So much for the diabolical plan.

⋆。 ﾟ☾。 ⋆。 ﾟ𓆦 。 ⋆

They had returned home, Rebekah moving to sit at the piano and absentmindedly play the keys, whilst Nora had taken the armchair in the corner of the room, a permanent scowl etched onto her face. She's pissed. She had to see Marcel far too many times in one day, she couldn't visit the tomb she and Kol had once spent hours inside researching magic, Sophie and Hayley are linked, and Elijah's coffin has no intention of returning home.

When Niklaus finally walks through the front door, Rebekah lifts her head off her arm and stops playing. "Well, tonight was an epic failure," she declares miserably.

As he turns around, he visibly flinches when spotting Nora sitting in the corner. "Christ, could you look any more villainous?" he remarks with a roll of his eyes.

With her hands clasped together, she smiles. "Oh, absolutely."

Klaus sighs as her smile is quickly replaced by her usual glower. "Wonderful," he mutters. "On the contrary, sister, tonight was a masterpiece."

Rebekah and Nora share a look of incredulity. "Are you mad?" the former questions. "Katie died before Sophie could complete the spell."

"Oh, I'm well aware," Niklaus hums. "I killed Katie."

Nora leans back in her chair at the revelation. "Huh," she says simply.

"You what?" Rebekah retorts.

"There's no way our little suicide witch wasn't gonna try and take out Marcel with her," he explains as he pours himself a glass of bourbon. "I saved his life, and in doing so, I now have him exactly where I want him."

Rebekah shakes her head, a quiet scoff leaving her lips. "Sophie trusted you," she says.

"That was her first mistake," Nora calls out. Niklaus points back to her.

But Rebekah doesn't seem so willing to move on. "I trusted you against all my better instincts," she adds, tears glossing over her eyes. "Nori trusted you!"

The woman in mention immediately grimaces. "God no," she states. "I know better than that."

"Wake up, Rebekah," Niklaus speaks lowly. "The witches are on no one's side but their own." Nora hesitates for a second before nodding in agreement with his words. "This girl Davina, that's all they want, and when they have her, what do you think happens then, a truce? Of course not. They will use Davina's power against all of us."

"Even if you're right, the plan was to find Elijah," Rebekah stresses. "And you failed us."

Niklaus grits his teeth together. "You always did lack faith," he says finally. Nora rubs her forehead with her index finger – she's growing another headache from his personality. "By protecting Marcel, I've cemented his trust, so much so that he's agreed to return Elijah to us." The sisters' eyes widen. "And when the time is right, when he has told me everything I need to know about Davina, I will have her for myself."

"Calm down, Niklaus," Nora rolls her eyes. "Goodness, all this talk about fighting for possession of a teenager is disgusting. She's a girl, not a toy." Rebekah cracks a small smile. "Can I just be the one to point out that Davina did not seem willing for to take Elijah a few days ago?" Klaus turns to her, his blank expression giving nothing away. "Who's to say that Marcel isn't in control of her? After all, he's not the one that can telepathically throw someone across a bloody room."

"No," Niklaus states simply. She arches a brow. "Marcel and I-"

"Mean nothing to a sixteen-year-old girl," she interrupts. "That girl has so much power, she can sense when magic is being practised." Nora's voice lowers a fraction, almost in fear. "I have never seen something like that before. I don't believe we need to be concerned about what Marcel will do. I believe we need to be concerned about what Davina won't."

Nora snatches the bottle of bourbon off the piano and makes her dramatic exit, leaving her siblings wondering just how right she might be. As her heels click on the flooring of the hallway, she pauses as she passes the study. A warm glow of light is seen through the cracked door, the familiar heartbeat of Hayley beating away inside.

She looks up from her laptop when the door creaks open and Nora pokes her head inside. "Oh, hey," Hayley says in surprise. "How did the diabolical plan go?"

"Niklaus will fill you all in on that," Nora snarks. She sighs as she watches Hayley's eyes widen slightly at her bitterness. "As promised, your Froot Loops have been delivered. Just an FYI, I believe I used that correctly, those things are not healthy, for you or your baby. I read the box."

"Noted," she smiles. When she would return to her bedroom five minutes later, she would find ninety-nine boxes of Froot Loops stacked against the walls.

𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 10𝘬+ 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵 🥰

𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘷𝘥𝘶 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘖 𝘉𝘈𝘋𝘓𝘠 𝘪 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩