Chapter 4
Brittany’s flight to New Orleans had been long, and by the time she stepped off the plane, her legs were sore and her mind still a little hazy. She had a vague sense of purpose now, some unexplainable pull that had drawn her to the city, but that didn’t stop her from feeling like a tourist in a strange, mystical land. The air smelled different here, thicker somehow, maybe it was the humidity or maybe it was just all the magic floating around.
As she walked through the terminal, Brittany’s eyes darted around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings with wide-eyed curiosity. The city was unlike anything she had ever seen before. People bustled past, the sound of jazz music humming faintly from somewhere in the distance. It felt like a mix of history, mystery, and magic, all wrapped up in one.
She had barely stepped out of the terminal when a man approached her, wearing a dark suit and looking far too serious to be hanging around an airport. He gave her a small, polite smile, and Brittany, ever the social butterfly, smiled back, albeit a little confused. He was attractive, in a tall, brooding kind of way. His expression, though, made it clear he wasn’t here to flirt.
“Brittany S. Pierce?” he asked, his voice smooth and professional.
Brittany blinked. “Wait, how do you know my name? I haven’t even checked into my hotel yet.”
The man’s brow furrowed for a brief moment. “I’m Vincent, and I’ve been asked to meet you.”
Brittany grinned, her eyes wide with innocent enthusiasm. “Ooh, are you a vampire? You look like one. All tall and mysterious. And, um, is that a cape?” She motioned vaguely at the back of his suit, clearly not seeing the difference between a coat and an actual cape. “Because if so, I gotta say, that’s very on-brand.”
Vincent paused, staring at her for a long beat, before finally giving a small, bemused chuckle. “I’m not a vampire, and no, I’m not wearing a cape,” he said, somewhat exasperated but amused nonetheless. “But we do have a lot of that around here.”
Brittany’s eyes grew even wider. “Vampires? Like, for real? Do they sparkle, or—”
“No,” Vincent cut in quickly, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “Vampires don’t sparkle. At least, not that I know of.”
“Darn,” Brittany said, nodding thoughtfully. “Well, guess we’re off to a good start, then.”
He led her out of the airport, guiding her to a sleek black car waiting just outside. She climbed into the backseat, still buzzing with the strange mixture of excitement and confusion. Vincent sat across from her, tapping his fingers lightly on his knee as he kept a close eye on the road ahead.
“This city, New Orleans,” Brittany said, tilting her head to the side as she looked out the window, “it’s pretty cool. Lots of old buildings and stuff. You know what’s funny? I used to think Mardi Gras was just a big party where people threw beads around. But now it’s like—wow. It’s more of a... vibe. A really magical, mysterious vibe.”
Vincent glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “That’s one way to describe it.”
The drive was short, though to Brittany, it felt like an eternity as her mind raced with questions about the strange call to New Orleans. She barely noticed the scenery as they entered a gated area. The compound she was being taken to looked like something straight out of a gothic fairy tale. Tall, imposing iron gates opened as they approached, and Brittany was left speechless as they entered.
“Welcome to the Mikaelson compound,” Vincent said. “This is where things are going to get... interesting.”
Inside the compound, Brittany was immediately greeted by a woman with dark brown hair, Hayley, and a teenage girl who looked to be around fifteen or sixteen, her dark brown hair falling loosely around her shoulders. The girl stared up at Brittany, eyes wide with curiosity, a little too old to be a young child but still giving off the aura of someone who hadn’t fully reached adulthood.
“This is Hope,” Vincent said, gesturing toward the girl. “And this is Hayley, Hope’s mother.”
“Hi!” Brittany said brightly, flashing them a big grin. “You two look like you belong in a movie about witches. Or maybe vampires. Wait, are you vampires? Or witches? Or maybe both? Is that possible? What if we’re all—”
“Brittany, darling,” a voice interrupted, warm but amused. Brittany turned to see a tall woman with blonde hair and piercing eyes step into the room. She had a powerful presence, and there was no mistaking the serious way she carried herself. “I’m Freya.”
Brittany blinked. “Freya,” she said, drawing out the name. “Like the goddess? Or is that just a coincidence? Because if so, I’m kind of freaking out right now. I’m kind of into mythology, so this is like way cooler than I thought it would be.”
Freya’s lips twitched upward. “I suppose I could live with the comparison,” she said, taking a step closer. “And yes, I’m a witch.”
Brittany tilted her head, her expression going from excited to confused. “A witch? Like…witch witch? I mean, I know witches exist, but I don’t know any personally, unless you count those people who throw spells on people to make them fall in love or hex their exes for cheating. Are you the kind of witch who does that? Because that sounds kind of fun.”
Freya chuckled softly, her expression softening in amusement. “I’m a little more powerful than those kinds of witches. But I have a feeling that you could be as well. Your magic, however, hasn’t fully manifested yet. It’s dormant.”
“Dormant?” Brittany repeated, the word rolling off her tongue. “So, like... I have superpowers? I mean, that’s awesome, but is it, like, when you’re waiting for a pizza and it’s taking forever? Like, my powers are in the oven, but they’re not ready yet?”
Vincent raised an eyebrow at her. “Something like that.”
Freya took a deep breath, her expression turning more serious. “There’s something you need to understand, Brittany. There’s a new threat in the city, and it’s one that could affect everyone; humans, vampires, witches, all of us. We need your help.”
Brittany blinked at her, trying to process everything. “Help? What kind of help? I just broke up with my girlfriend, Santana, and I’m still kind of sorting through that mess, you know? I don’t think I’m quite ready to save the world yet, no offense.”
Freya nodded thoughtfully. “I understand that. The weight of what’s going on can be a lot to take in. But trust me when I say that the situation is dire. I can show you what you’re capable of, but you need to be prepared.”
Brittany took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, okay. Show me what I can do. But first, just, are unicorns real? Like, real, real?”
Freya’s lips curled in a smile, and she looked around the room for a moment before raising her hand. The air around them shimmered slightly, and Brittany gasped as a small illusion of a unicorn appeared in front of her, sparkling and prancing around in a perfect circle.
“Unicorns,” Freya said with a wink, “are as real as magic itself.”
Brittany’s eyes widened, and she laughed. “This is the best day ever! You mean, I could have one as a pet? Can I keep it?”
Freya shook her head with a grin. “Let’s focus on your powers first, and we’ll talk about unicorns later.”
Vincent, Hope, and Freya took turns showing Brittany small displays of magic; things like telekinesis, simple elemental magic, and light spells. Brittany was fascinated, but she couldn’t stop asking the most random questions. After all, her mind wasn’t entirely on the magical world just yet. There was still too much going on in her personal life.
Meanwhile, Santana had just arrived in New Orleans, wandering the streets in a daze. She had no idea where she was going, only that she was following some strange, magical instinct that had pulled her to the city. The streets were unfamiliar, but there was a strange sense of familiarity here too, like this place had been calling her.
As she walked, a man approached her with a confident stride, his eyes scanning her up and down like she was a prize he intended to win.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” he said with a smirk, his voice smooth. “I couldn’t help but notice you’re new in town. Mind if I show you around?”
Santana rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned back casually. “You couldn’t help but notice me? Really? What’s next? Are you gonna say something like, ‘It’s my lucky day’?” she mocked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
The man chuckled, stepping closer. “I like a girl with a little attitude. But I’m serious. How about I show you a good time?”
Santana could feel the familiar hunger inside her, the insatiable thirst for blood that was starting to stir. She smirked and bared her fangs, hoping to scare him off. “You know, you should’ve taken the hint. You’re really not my type.”
But instead of backing off, the man bared his fangs right back, his eyes darkening with predatory intent. Without warning, he lunged at her, aiming to sink his teeth into her throat.
Santana barely had time to react. The man’s teeth were inches from her skin when a blur of motion entered the scene, and with a forceful shove, the man was sent crashing to the pavement.
“Stay down,” a voice commanded, and Santana turned to see another vampire standing there, his posture confident but casual. “You really shouldn’t mess with someone like her.”
The man scrambled to his feet, clearly intimidated. He backed off, muttering something under his breath before retreating into the shadows.
Santana glanced at the new vampire. “Thanks for that, but next time, a little warning would’ve been nice.”
He chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’m Marcel, by the way. Welcome to New Orleans. I couldn’t help but notice you’re not from around here. Vampires from other places usually stay away from this city.”
Santana nodded, her arms still crossed. “Yeah, I’m not exactly here by choice. I got some weird text telling me to come here, and now I’m following some magic pull or something.” She shrugged, rolling her eyes. “Honestly, I don’t even know what’s going on.”
Marcel’s eyes narrowed, but there was a flicker of recognition in his gaze. “A magical pull, huh? Sounds like someone’s got their hands on you. Let me guess, Kol and Davina?”
Santana blinked. “Kol and Davina? Who—”
“Don’t worry,” Marcel interrupted, smiling. “I know where you need to go.” He motioned for her to follow. “Come on. Let’s get you to them.”
At Kol’s house, Santana was greeted with a look of quiet curiosity from Kol himself. She recognized him instantly; he was the guy with abs for days who had turned her into a vampire a couple of months ago.
“Well, well,” Kol said, a wry smile curling his lips. “Look who it is. I thought I’d recognize you.”
Santana blinked at him. “You. You turned me into a vampire, remember?”
Kol raised an eyebrow. “That I do. And I see you’ve made your way here, just as I hoped.”
Santana opened her mouth to ask what was going on when she caught sight of a woman standing nearby, her posture stiff and watchful. It was obvious that the woman, Davina, was sizing her up.
Kol placed a hand gently on Davina’s shoulder, clearly aware of her discomfort. “This is Davina, my wife,” he said softly.
Santana raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Wife? Wow, didn’t see that coming.”
Davina gave a tight smile, clearly wary. “You’re... a very pretty girl,” she said, her voice a little cool. “I just don’t want you getting any ideas. Kol has enough distractions without you throwing yourself into the mix.”
Santana shrugged, unfazed. “Look, no offense, Kol may be cute, but I’m not here for that. I just broke up with my girlfriend, and honestly, I’m not looking to get involved with anyone right now. I’m still figuring out the whole vampire thing.”
Kol chuckled, his gaze turning more serious. “You’re in the right place for that. We’ve got bigger problems to deal with than any romantic drama.” He took a seat across from her. “We need your help, Santana. The Mikaelsons are vulnerable, and with my reputation; well, let’s just say we need all the help we can get. The vampire community doesn’t exactly flock to my side.”
Davina’s expression softened slightly. “The extremists, those factions that are after everyone, witches, hybrids, vampires, they’re not going to stop unless we fight back.”
Santana leaned forward, her fangs gleaming. “So you’re asking me to help fight these guys?”
Kol nodded. “We need you. Together, we’ll take them down.”
Santana thought for a moment, the weight of everything she was being asked to do sinking in. She had no idea what she was getting into, but one thing was clear: she wasn’t backing down.
“Alright,” she said with a grin. “Let’s do this.”