𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙏𝙒𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙔 𝙀𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏
ミ★ ( reign of wolves, act two ) ★彡

It was surreal to be sitting across from Kol after him being dead for so long. Rhea should've known that with the return of Mikael, Esther and Finn that Kol would've returned too but she just couldn't believe that he was there. He wasn't necessarily in his own body, having taken the body of a witch like Esther and Finn but he was there. He was alive. Her friend was alive. Kol refused to look her in the eye, like he was ashamed of what he had done, or more so how he had returned to the land of the living.

     It was morning and they were sat in the dining room of the compound with Kol and Finn who were still binded by the enchanted manacles that thankfully prevented them from doing magic. The table was covered in platters of breakfast pastries and fruits and other edible goodies that made Rhea's mouth drool had she not of been feeling completely on edge sitting in front of Finn—who had nearly killed her a few nights prior—and Kol—who she hadn't seen in years and assumed to be dead.

     Klaus was of course going on one of his infamous rants as well, trying to persuade his brothers to join his side and abandon the quest that their mother had set them on, "We arrive into this world as innocents. Wide-eyed. Vulnerable. It is the job of our parents to nurture and protect us. Unfortunately, our own parents failed miserably at even the most basic of parental tasks. But, we are not beholden to the past they created for us." He started, "Today, a new future awaits. Forget your animosity toward Elijah and myself. Instead, join us against she who truly deserves your ire—our mother."

     Kol rolled his eyes at his older brother while Finn only seemed bored. Rhea let out a deep sigh and tan a hand down her face, "I think I need to make this drink alcoholic if I'm going to sit through this." Rhea pointed at her juice to one of the compelled servants, dressed in a suit beside her as she handed the drink to them, "Make it strong, please."

     The person only nodded as she grabbed a bottle of champagne and made Rhea's juice a mimosa.

     "Do this, and we will welcome you with open arms." Klaus finished his rant.

     "Well—" Kol started and reached for a plate of pastries with his shackled hands, but Klaus pulled it out of his way.

     Kol sighed and rolled his eyes again while Klaus smiled, "But, if you continue to oppose us, a denial of pastries will be the least of your concerns."

     Kol sighed once more, "If all you wanted was my allegiance against mother dearest, you should have said so! Save me a night shackled to the wall." He complained.

     "Yes, this was Niklaus." Elijah breathed, "My recommendation was to remove your limbs, one by one, until you comply."

     "Elijah!" Rhea hissed as she lightly smacked his arm, sending him a glare for threatening Kol when he hadn't actually done much to them.

     Klaus laughed at the couple and stood up, "We've—we've no desire to torture you." He told his brothers and went to stand behind Kol and Finn, squeezing their shoulders with his hands, "Provided you vow to stand beside us as brothers."

     Finn shrugged out of Klaus' grip and looked at him skeptically, "Brothers... does that word even apply to us? After all these centuries of betrayal?" Rhea rolled her eyes at him and his attention turned to her and Elijah, "And, has loyalty to you ever rewarded? If so, tell me, Niklaus—where is our sister, Rebekah?"

     "Rebekah's whereabouts are none of your business." Rhea told him with a glare, Elijah also glaring at him as well, "Especially with your recent mission to kill us all. We think it's best that we keep her away from you and your mother's eagle claws."

     "Rebekah has been blindly loyal to Klaus for a thousand years, and now? Nowhere to be found." Finn responded, "Where did our sister go? And, how did she escape your vile machinations?"

     Klaus' expression turned nervous, but Finn couldn't see as his back was turned to him, but laughed fakely to cover for it before he turned to face them, "You think me vile? What, then, do you make of the one who cursed us?"

     "She was trying to make you mortal again!" Finn snapped frustratedly. Rhea then noticed Elijah grab a knife off the table, clearly suspicious and annoyed by Finn's words, "And you all refused her." He laughed darkly.

     "Because her wants come at the cost of taking someone else's life from them." Rhea snapped, "She doesn't care for us, she's just clearly just wanting to fix her reputation with the witches by ridding the world of vampires."

     "Your thinking only proves how far you've fallen and how much my brothers have ruined you, Rhea." Finn shook his head and Elijah glared at him again, "But, I expect Rebekah will have a different response to her proposal. See, unlike the three of you, she always did cling to her humanity."

     "Rebekah is off-limits to you." Elijah snapped at him angrily, pointing at him with his knife, "You pursue her, and you will suffer."

     Finn and Kol both looked surprised and slightly concerned by Elijah's uncharacteristic outburst, as does Klaus and Rhea, "Do not let him goad you, Elijah. Neither he, nor Esther, will find Rebekah unless she wants to be found." He turned to Finn, "And she does not."

     "Esther is quite determined." Finn assures them with a shrug, "She's been searching for Rebekah since the day she returned. I imagine it's only a matter of time."

     Within a blink, Elijah snapped and loses his temper, grabbing Finn by the collar and slamming him onto the table before ripping into his neck, "Oh, my God!" Rhea yelled as she stood up from the table and pulled Elijah off of Finn before he killed him in a fit of rage.

     Klaus does the same and drags him into another room before slamming him against the wall, Rhea shoving him off of her soulmate instantly also. Rhea sighed at what just happened and pulled out Elijah's handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and handed it to him so he can clean himself up, her mind momentarily reminding her of the dreams she was forced to have from Esther. She grimaced, "You've got blood all over you. Clean yourself up."

     Elijah sent her a funny look and Klaus groaned, "I enjoy a good bloodletting as much as anyone, but our brothers have power, as well as knowledge of Esther's plans." Elijah only wiped the blood off of his face while he listened, "We need them alive."

     "After what they did to Rhea and I, I can only imagine what they would do to Rebekah—to Hope." Elijah whispered.

     "Rebekah has been cloaked by powerful magic." Rhea reminded him before lowering her voice to make sure that Finn and Kol couldn't eavesdrop, "They'll be fine. We need to focus on your brothers. As much as I don't like Finn, we need to persuade him and Kol to join us so we can bring home Hope."

     "I'm through with persuasion." Elijah decided and went to leave and Rhea let out a sigh of disdain, but Klaus grabbed him by the shoulder and stopped him before looking at him with concern.

     "Has the earth shifted on its axis? You needing restraint from me?" Elijah looks taken aback by Klaus' words, coming to a realisation of his own that he was right, but he grew distracted when his phone rang.

     He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it when he sees it was Rebekah calling, "It's me." Rebekah said frantically, "I have the baby, and we're on the run. Esther found us. We're safe, for now—I've lost her bloody starlings, but I have no idea where to go."

     "Tell her to head west. I'll call Hayley." Klaus told his brother.

     "Do not tell Hayley!" Rebekah yelled from the other line, "Esther's too smart for that. The only advantage that we have is that she thinks the baby died. Text me the plans."

     Elijah hung up the phone with a sigh, "Go. Rhea and I will take care of Kol and Finn."

     "Splendid." Klaus remarked with annoyance, "And, in your hands, I assume they'll be dead by nightfall."

     "Hey, I won't kill either of them but Finn needs to watch his mouth before I smack it." Rhea rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "You can't blame me for not being his biggest fan after he snapped my neck and handed me over to your mother to be tortured."

     "We will show restraint." Elijah promised as he snaked an arm around her waist, "Hope needs her father."

     The Original hybrid sighed, "What she needs—what we need—are allies to help us defeat our mother. Finn and Kol must be turned to our side. Without their help, there will be nowhere left for Hope to run."

     "Niklaus, your child—"

     "I have waited months to see my daughter." Klaus interrupted him and he stopped speaking for a moment and gulped anxiously, clearly unhappy with this plan before he let out another sigh, "I can wait one more day." Klaus looked like a kicked puppy and it pulled at Rhea's heartstrings. She could tell how much he missed Hope and how much it hurt that he couldn't drop everything to go to her. Klaus looked at Rhea, "I'll need you here with me. You and Kol have a certain friendship that can help persuade him—and I'm sure enough rage to help Finn." He told her and she smirked in agreement. Klaus then looked at his brother, "Elijah. Do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

     "I give you my word."

     Rhea walked back into the dining room and made a beeline for Kol, grabbing him by his shirt collar and dragging him out of his chair, "You're coming with me." She tells him as she pulled him out toward another room away from Finn.

     She sat him down forcefully onto the chair and sat across from him, crossing her legs, "You and Elijah are off your bloody rocker. What's gotten into you two?"

     Rhea only scoffed, "Okay, you ass. Don't act like you don't know that your crazy mom kidnapped us and basically psychologically tortured us for a few days." She reminded him and he grew uneasy at the confession, "But, we're not here to talk about that. Marcel tells me you're the one that's been toying with Davina."

     "I haven't been toying with her—"

      "Yes, you have. We all know about what power she has—not doubt your mother knows, too. What does she want from her? Because if you think about putting a hand on her—"

     "You'll what?" Kol challenged, "You'll kill me?"

     "I don't want to kill you, Kol." Rhea shook her head, "You were my friend." She reminded him softly before her dark eyes slightly hardened, "But, now that you're in a witch's body with those manacles, you're basically human; which means I can hurt you immensely if you piss me off. So don't."

Kol's mouth twitched into a smirk, "I missed you, lovely." He said to her and she offered him a smile, "I saw you cry over my dead body from the Other Side. It was quite touching if I say so myself."

"Shut up." She rolled her eyes, "And stop messing with Davina or Marcel will kill you for it."

Kol shrugged, "He can try. Mother's got plans for me, whether I like it or not. If I die, she'll just pop me into another body." He told her and she scowled at how persistent Esther was being, "Not that my family will care that much if the death was permanent."

"Don't say that." Rhea whispered sadly, shaking her head at the way Kol believes so wholeheartedly that his family doesn't love him, "Klaus nearly killed Elena and Jeremy for what they did. Had Bonnie not intervened when she did, he would've succeeded." She told him, "We missed you a lot."

"I don't think so." Kol disagreed, "I don't really think my family cared at all that I died—or if mother made it permanent." He thought out loud and her face dropped at how little he thought they cared for him, "Nik's daggered only daggered me a dozen times. He always cared more for Marcel than he did for me. He doesn't know squat about me—you're the only one I felt actually cared."

"Kol, you're their family. They love you even though they have the downright worst way of showing they care. But, they do." She assured him, "And I swear, I will prove it to you. I'll make sure they make it up to you... if you believe there's still time to savour the relationship."

Kol only looked down at the floor before letting out a sigh. He nodded, "Okay, you win."

Rhea triumphantly smiled.

Kol and Rhea continued talking. The Original spoke to her about what he experienced on the other side after he died and how he tried to get himself brought back to life using Bonnie Bennett. Since it didn't work, he explained what he was stuck doing instead—which mainly included watching his family wreak havoc on New Orleans. He knew all about the fact that the wedding was postponed and Rhea could only think that hopefully once they defeated Esther and Mikael again that they would actually be able to go through with it.

Their conversation was cut short when the sounds of crashing was heard downstairs and Rhea ran out, quickly taking off Kol's shackles so he could help, thinking an attack was happening but was left shocked to see Davina standing in the courtyard, blood dripping down her neck while Klaus and Marcel were knocked out on the ground. Kol almost seemed pleased to see her as he rubbed his sore wrists and approached her, taking note of the unconscious Klaus on the floor, "Impressive. What exactly did you do to him?" He asked her.

Davina seemed surprised to see him completely intact and not a mark on him considering she was told that he was being tortured in the other room, but relaxed when she saw Rhea behind him, "I channeled dark objects through my blood to poison him." She explained and Rhea made an impressed face. Davina then noticed that he was no longer shackled and frowned in confusion, "How did you get free?"

"Rhea's my friend. She thought there was a danger and she freed me to help." Kol explained, "Better question is, if he's not dead, then what are you gonna do when he recovers?"

Davina shrugged, "We have an hour, maybe less. Enough time to chain him, bleed him, dump him in the river."

"No." Rhea refused bluntly. She wasn't about to leave Hope without a father; or Rebekah and Elijah without a brother. She might've understood where Davina was coming from only a few short years ago, but she would do everything in her power to make sure Davina didn't get her way.

Kol was surprised by Davina's idea and his eyes widened as he responded, "That's a bit harsh, isn't it?"

Davina's eyebrows furrowed and her stance turned defensive, "Since when do you care what happens to Klaus?"

"Since Klaus is his brother and has been for a thousand years." Rhea stated like it was obvious, "And he's helping us defeat Esther."

Davina looked at Kol, her expression confused and slightly betrayed. Kol sighed at her, "Look, Nik is a pain in the ass, but, well... she's a problem for us all."

"Klaus is the problem!" Davina snapped angrily, "I don't give a damn what happens to Esther."

"Says the one she hasn't fucked with yet." Rhea stated, "When she messes with you or someone you care about; believe me, you'll want her dead more than you have ever wanted Klaus dead. I mean, where do you think he got it from?" She asked Davina, poking her thumb out at the unconscious Klaus.

Cami then walked into the room, "I agree. Rhea's right." She stated and she then notices Klaus and Marcel's unconscious bodies on the ground and turns back to Kol, Davina and Rhea with a horrified expression on her face, "Should I even ask?"

"Probably not." Rhea shrugged before turning attention back to Davina.

"Cami, you should go. It's not safe." The young witch told her softly.

"No kidding!" Cami slightly chuckled, "I woke up with puncture wounds all up and down my spine and no idea how they got there. According to my uncle's files, they're part of this ancient spell, and I don't know about you guys, but when I see 'ancient' and 'spell' in the same sentence, I think Esther."

Davina looked at Cami with concern and Rhea sighed, "As I said."

Davina then sat Cami down on a couch while Rhea raced to grab her a glass of water, letting the human girl chug it quickly while Davina and Kol examined the puncture wounds on her back, "That's mom's work, all right. She must have wiped your memory." Kol frowned.

"Not the first time that's been done by a member of this family." Cami remarked and Rhea chortled. She then turned to Kol, "What does it mean?"

Kol grimaced, "It's a byproduct of a... preparation spell." He answered her hesitantly.

"Preparation for what?" Davina asked him.

"To make her a vessel." Rhea realised. After all of the encounters she had with her, it made sense, "Esther's preparing your body for someone to jump into."

Davina looked horrified and Cami looked confused, but also scared. Kol scoffed, "Likely herself. I mean, knowing mother."

"I don't know. She's been pushing for all of the Mikaelsons to jump into different bodies—including Hayley, and I. It could be for any one of us."

Cami's breathing began to quicken before she demands, "Where's Vincent?"

"Who?" Rhea asked.

"Finn." Kol whispered to her.

"Oh." Rhea's face skewed before she pointed to the door that lead to the dining room, "He's in there. Have at it."

By the time Cami returned from talking to Vincent—or rather, Finn—Marcel had woken up from his neck being snapped. Kol had caught him up and Cami filled in the rest, telling them that she was going to be the vessel for Rebekah.

     "How long do I have?" Cami asked Kol.

     "Well, now that Esther knows where Rebekah hiding... not long." Kol answered her with a shrug, "The only way to stop it is to stop her."

     Cami took in a deep breath, "Then, let's do this. Marcel's a vampire, Rhea's a hybrid with an Original as a soulmate, you two both are powerful witches..." She pointed out.

     Marcel began to pace around the room anxiously while he processed the information, "Esther's stronger than anything I've ever seen. Even with Elijah on our side, if we're to go up against her..." He looked at Davina, knowing she was not going to be happy with the idea he was about to put forward, "...we're going to need Klaus."

     Davina scoffed, "No. No, we can do this without him!"

     Kol raised his hand with a slight groan, "Uh, I'm never gonna say this again, but Marcel's right—we do need the bastard."

The witch sighed deeply, clearly unhappy with the idea and Cami approached her and grabbed her hands in her own, "Davina, I know this is asking a lot, but please." Cami pleaded.

After a moment, Davina nodded. It wasn't about her hatred for Klaus anymore —it was about her friend. She needed help, and she unfortunately needed Klaus' physical strength. She walked over to Klaus' body and knelt by his head. She placed her fingertips on his temple and murmured a spell under her breath.

Klaus suddenly gasped awake, and rolled onto his side before he began to pull himself onto his feet, "What did she do to me?"

Davina smirked smugly, "All you need to know is that I beat you. Again." She stated.

"And yet, you relented. You need me, don't you?" Klaus realised and Davina rolled her eyes and sighed at him as he smiled at her, "Did I really lose?"

Rhea sat across from Kol once more in the dining room as he happily reached for a plate of food that he was finally able to eat from earlier that morning that Klaus denied him. He grabbed a croissant before turning to look at Davina, "Quite nice of you, coming to my rescue like that!"

"You know, it's a good thing you didn't actually steal the stake from me. Or I would have been the one torturing you." Davina said pointedly.

Kol tilted his head in his usual cocky manner as he asked, "Does that mean you trust me, then?" Davina only smiled and gave him a look, which made Kol chuckle.

After a moment, Klaus walked into the room, "Provided you're not busy concocting a new paralytic to use against me, I'd like a word with my brother and my sister-in-law." He announces and Kol glared at him for trying to kick Davina out of the room while they were having a moment.

Davina only shrugged, not really offended by his aversion to her, "Well, to be honest, I can't stand being around you anyway." Davina walked away, leaving Klaus smiling slightly in amusement while Rhea chuckled.

Klaus' face then becomes serious when he turned to face Kol, who looked worried and he put his hands up and almost scooted away from his older brother, "For the record, I didn't know a bloody thing about mother's plan for Cami, I swear."

"Well, I think I can judge for myself which of her schemes she would entrust to you, and which she would not." Klaus responds as he sat across from Kol in an arm chair, "I believe this was Finn's task."

"I mean, why else would he pretend to be her therapist and friend?" Rhea reminded them all with a sigh, "Clearly, Esther instructed him to get close to her."

Kol relaxed when he realised they believed him and leaned back against the couch with a sigh of his own, "Where, pray tell, is he now?"

Klaus' mouth twitched in amusement, "He's waiting uncomfortably for me to return and deliver his punishment. Pass the beignets, will you?" He requested.

Kol passed him one like asked, "You know, it's only a matter of time before mother gets bored of waiting for you to let us go." Klaus takes a beignet off the plate and whispers a polite 'thank you' under his breath, "Well, Finn, at least. I don't expect she'd care if I never came home."

"A mother cares for her children. A monster does not." Klaus stated with a sigh, "Once you accept she's the latter, you'll stop expecting the former. And, despite what you might think, Kol, I did mourn you after your death. And, I did attempt to avenge you. I would do nothing less, because we are brothers. Always and forever."

Kol looked over at Rhea who winked at him, telling him how she was right from their earlier conversation. Kol nodded in understanding at him. Rhea's phone then rang, "Excuse me." She said as she removed herself from the room and answered the call when she saw it was Elijah calling her, "Hey, please tell me you're safe."

"Rhea, it's me." She heard Rebekah say instead and her eyes widened when she said, "Something's wrong. Elijah slaughtered a dozen people, whose only sin was their terrible taste in food. I mean, when have you known him to kill when he could otherwise compel? It's the kind of act that will draw Esther's attention."

"Her torture must have done more damage than we thought." Rhea sighed, clenching her eyes, trying not to picture him covered in blood like all of those other memories, "Where is he now?"

"I broke his neck to keep her safe, but I have no clue what to do next." Rebekah told her.

Rhea bit her lip, "Where is a place that your parents would have no idea to look?" She asked before elaborating, "A place meaningful to you, Elijah and Klaus?"

She gasped, "The place we dined for Christmas after we fled Mikael."

"Go there." Rhea decided, "I'll get Klaus and we'll meet you there. And please—keep yourselves safe." Rhea then hung up the phone before she headed towards the ballroom where Finn was still bound after his torture session with Klaus and Marcel, "What did you do to him?" She snarled.

     "Mother wanted you all to see the error of your ways." Finn answered, "A little reflection shouldn't hurt."

     "So, what?" She scoffed, "You fuck with his mind and make unable to control himself? Make him fear himself and what he could do so much that he takes up your offer?" She asked, "I don't think so. The only thing you and your heinous mother have accomplished this far is pissing us off."

     "I don't think that's all we've done..." Finn smirked, "I think by the end of the week, we'll have him in the palm of our hands."

     "Not if I have anything to do with it." She chuckled, her eyes spotting something in the corner of her eye and a smirk appears on her face, "And since you love reflecting so much, I think it's time you do some of your own." She says as she walks over toward the coffin and dragged it into his line of sight, his face paling, "Oh, don't tell me you're afraid. It's just a little reflecting time."

     "Listen to me—"

     Rhea dropped the coffin with a loud bang, "I am done listening." She snarled harshly, "You and your mother have done nothing but bring drama into our lives, and it's time you pay for it—maybe you'll think next time about fucking with my mind."

     "Rhea, please don't." Finn begged as she opened it and walked over to him to try and drag him in there, but he planted his feet into the ground to stop him getting any closer to it, "Please don't."

     Using her strength, she threw Finn into the coffin and stood over him, "Don't worry, if you're a good boy, I'll get Klaus to drill in some air holes—small ones." She smirked, "I think some time back in here will do you some good, Finn."

     She then closed it and Finn began to scream in fear. He begins to pounded on the inside of the door while she locked it before she headed for the door, an accomplished smirk on her face.