Black, Blue, Red
Black, Blue, Red
In New Orleans, a pacing Marcel tells his most loyal daywalkers what happened when he was taken. Thiery questions, “You met Death?” Marcel stops pacing, “Met him and was warned about the witches uprising. His reapers have been clearing out the Other Side which has made the witches very angry.” Thiery nodded, “And now they’re scrambling to keep their ancestors’ power.” Marcel nodded as he poured himself a drink then slammed the glass down, “These new witches though. The magic I watched them do was like nothing I have ever seen.” “Do you think they’re a threat?” Thiery seemed to be speaking for the others. Marcel refilled his glass, “They’re aligned with the Mikaelsons.”
Marcel shakes his head, “I just know things are going to change.”
Damon made his way to the Lockwood home wanting to speak with Carol in regard to the council. When the door opens, Carol gives the vampire a tight-lipped smile, “Damon? How can I help you?” Damon could see the woman wanted to slam the door in his face, “Carol, I wanted to speak to you about the goings on of the council. You see, after the actions of some of the council members, myself and others don’t feel safe. So…The majority of us will be leaving town. Those staying behind will be treated with respect or…Well, you catch my drift.” Carol stiffened, “Did you just threaten me?” Damon smirked, “Not a threat. Farewell Carol, hope to never see you again.”
Minerva walked into the sitting room, sitting down and calling for a meeting. Once everyone was in the magically enlarged room, Minerva called for everyone’s attention, “It seems a trip to New Orleans is needed.” Leilani and Bill notice she’s holding the book for monitoring magic. Bill asked, “How many entries?” The three wand wielders could see most of the occupants were confused. Leilani explains, “We created a book that monitors magic. It covers the entire world, but it appears New Orleans is very active.” Minerva nodded, “Miss Potter is quite right.” She opens the book to review the entries, “Oh my, there’s already a new one. And it’s blue.”
“Miss McGonagall? What do the colors mean?” Elijah asked. “Black is safe or harmless. Red is harmful. And blue is accidental. Now, the blue entries are the ones we are concerned about. Majority of the time it may be an adult who has little to no control of their magic. However, there have been cases of children under the age of ten exhibiting magic,” Minerva replied. Jeremy spoke up, “And if they come from families who don’t have magic, they may be in danger of abuse.” “Quite right Mister Gilbert,” Minerva agreed.
Damon clapped his hands, “Well, I’m up for a road trip. Who’s going with me?” Leilani, Bill, and Klaus decided to go with Damon after Leilani made a copy of the book. “We’ll check in with Marcellus while we’re there.” Kol rolled his eyes, he never really cared for the boy his brother adopted. Kol just wanted to get back to the library. He feels he is close to figuring out how to get his magic back. Rebecka and the Malfoys were going out of town for some shopping. Elijah had been researching wizarding laws and customs, he found them quite fascinating. Finn wanted to get back to the Sanctuary. It reminded him of his human days and working with his hands. He was also anxiously waiting for Freya to awaken.
As the group was getting ready to leave, Luna handed Lei a bag, “A peace offering for the vampires.” Lei looked in the bag and smiled, “Thank you, Luna. I’m sure they’ll love them.” She hugged her friend then walked out the door to Damon’s car. He asked Lei, “What’s in the bag?” She showed him and he laughed, “She’s looking out for us.” “Why is that?” Klaus was curious. Lei pulled one of them out, “There’s a few hundred in here.” Klaus has seen his eldest brother eat these Blood Pops but has not tried one himself. He shrugs, pulls the wrapper off, and pops it in his mouth and is pleasantly surprised. “Now, I understand why Finn likes these so much,” Klaus sighs, “He will never accept his vampirism. If he could be human again, Finn would in a heartbeat.”
Meanwhile, Elena was spying on those she considered the enemy. She feels these people have taken everything away from her. Everything she felt like she deserved. Stefan was supposed to worship the ground she walked on with his elder brother not that far behind. Bonnie was supposed to be at her beck and call with her magic, and Caroline was the expendable friend. But, now, Elena has nobody. Her aunt, brother/cousin, and father figure have also turned their backs on her and moved closer to Alaric’s new teaching job on the same campus Jenna attended.
Elena watched from her hiding spot as Damon’s car drove away from the Potter residence before she went to knock on the door. She wanted to speak with Stefan, knowing he was here and not at the boarding house. She would know; Elena has ventured into the house that should’ve belonged to her once she was back with Stefan. She just has to get him away from those people and hopefully break the spell they have on him. Denying the fact Stefan feels nothing for the delusional girl. Taking a deep breath and knocking, tapping her foot impatiently.
A few moments later, the front door opens, and Elena is greeted with the emotionless face of Narcissa Malfoy. Her expression changes to sneer at the girl, “Can I help you?” Elena tries her best to make herself look meek, but she is not fooling anyone, “Is Stefan here by any chance? I tried his home, but he wasn’t there.” Narcissa internally rolled her eyes before answering, “You are not welcome here.” Then proceeded to shut the door in the doppelganger’s face. Stefan was in the sitting room with Luna listening to the spirited girl talk about strange and fascinating creatures she and her father have come across. He also half paid attention to Elena being rejected and his already present smile grew.
Elena huffed as she walked home. She didn’t see the eyes of the Original Witch following her. Opening the front door, Elena heard someone clear their throat behind her. “Good morning, Elena. I think it’s time for you and I to talk,” Esther’s smile unnerved the doppelganger. “Do I know you?” Elena closed her door. Esther chuckled, “No, but I know you. The doppelganger who has lost everything. How would you like to get revenge on those who wronged you?” Elena’s smile matched that of Esther’s. However, what Elena didn’t know is Esther plans to kill the girl thus ending her bloodline.
“If we had been to New Orleans before, we could have used a portkey. At least we’re not squished,” Leilani sat in the backseat looking out the window. Damon drove like a bat out of hell, only stopping for bathroom breaks and food. The normally 14-hour drive took a little over 8 with Damon breaking several traffic laws. Leilani and Bill spent that time reviewing the book entries, noting all the activity in New Orleans.
Leilani leaned into the front between the seats to speak with Klaus, “We’re more than likely going to enter a war zone. The amount of harmful magic in the city is immense. Too much just for a few to be casting a spell here and there.” Klaus thought for a moment, “Good thing we’re meeting with Marcellus first. It would not surprise me if he’s somehow in the middle of it.” The Original Hybrid thought about his adoptive son and the overwhelming feeling of resentment coming from him. “Also, we will secure our living quarters for the time being while we’re here,” Klaus was thinking of the Plantation House the Originals resided before the compound was built.
Finally, after 7 stops and two naps Damon pulled up to the Plantation House. Klaus had called as they were leaving Mystic Falls for a cleaning crew to get the home ready. He didn’t want to waste time when having to dust the place even with the use of magic. “We’ll drop our bags then find Marcellus,” Klaus led everyone inside. He had Damon and Lei follow him to the master bedroom where they would be sleeping. The three of them have acknowledged they are mates but have not officially gone on a date as a triad. However, they have become accustomed to sleeping in the same bed since Damon’s transition to a Lycan/Vampire hybrid.
Damon was still getting used to his sharper senses, which is why he almost missed the scent of a vampire spying outside. He dropped his bag and sped to where the spy was hiding. Klaus soon joined him, “Well well, it’s not polite to spy. Who sent you?” The newly turned vampire struggled in Damon’s hold but refused to answer. Damon tightened his grip on the guy’s neck, “I’d answer him if I were you.” Damon loosened his hold so he could speak, “I was curious. Nobody sent me.” Klaus smirked; he knew the guy was lying. He tried a different question with a little compulsion, “Who turned you?” The guy struggled against the compulsion but ultimately failed, “Marcel.”
After asking the vampire where to find Marcel, Klaus tore his heart out and tossed the body to be disposed of later. The group got into Damon’s car and headed for the city and the bar Marcel frequents, Rousseau’s. Bill and Lei could feel the magic that resides in the city, and it feels tainted. Lei leans over to Bill, “The magic of this place makes me feel like I need a shower.” Bill nods with a “Hm.” Klaus looks over his shoulder, “What do you mean, love?” Lei shudders, “The magic here feels tainted, and just wrong.” Nothing else was said as they pulled up to the bar.
Entering the bar, Klaus was able to spot Marcel right away seated at a table with a couple of vampires. The four of them caught the attention of everyone in the place. A vampire near the door came to stand next to Leilani, “Your kind is not welcome here, witch.” He spit the word ‘witch’ like it was poisonous. Klaus growled at the rude vampire revealing his Hybrid face, “Watch it, mate. That’s my wife you’re speaking to.” Klaus didn’t know what came over him when he blurted the title wife.
The stare down between the rude vampire and Klaus was interrupted by Marcel, “Donny, why don’t you get our guests some shots?” Donny scoffed but did what he was told. Klaus turned to Marcel, “It’s good to see you, Marcellus.” Marcel shook his head, “What do you want, Klaus?” Bill stepped forward to hopefully lessen the tension, “There’s a matter we need to speak to you about. Is there somewhere less noisy we can speak?” Marcel looked over the redhead, then to the woman Klaus claimed was his wife, and then the eldest Salvatore before nodding.
Marcel turned to his right-hand man, “Meet me at the compound.” He turned back to Klaus, “My office at the compound. I’m sure you remember where it is.” Klaus was losing his battle with his anger, “You mean, my office.” Marcel just smirked as he walked out of the bar. The four got back into Damon’s car and drove to the compound that once belonged to the Mikaelsons’ before they were run out of the city by Mikael. Lei leaned between the seats with a smile and teasing tone, “Your wife, huh?” Damon adds, “Wait until they find out we’re a triad.”
Instead of the office, Marcel opted for one of the upper floors sitting rooms, “So? What is this about?” Leilani set down her bag and pulled the magic monitoring book out. Marcel had to do a double-take, “How did that fit in there?” Lei smiled, “Extension charm.” She sets down the book, “This book was created to monitor magic.” Lei opened it to New Orleans pages, “It monitors magic all over the world. This section is for New Orleans.” Marcel leans over to read the pages and notices the ink, “What do the colors mean?”
Bill explains, “Black is safe or harmless. Red is harmful no matter the severity. Blue is accidental. Now, the blue is what we’re mostly concerned about at the moment. Although the red entries will probably need to be investigated. Accidental magic is when a witch or wizard has an outburst of magic in times of distress or high emotions. Sometimes a witch has little to no control over their magic. However, the majority of the time it’s children under the age of 10. What concerns us is these children may come from families who don’t have magic anywhere in their bloodline and could result in the child being mistreated or even abused.”
“I see. Can you tell if it’s a child or not?” Marcel read one of the entries and answered his own question. “Maxwell, Cynthia. Age 6. And it gives you an address. Can I send someone to check if this is a trick or not?” Marcel didn’t see Klaus narrow his eyes but nodded for Leilani to give the go-ahead. “We’d appreciate it,” Lei wrote down the address. Marcel left the sitting room for the courtyard and handed the address to Thiery, “Need you to check this out. An accidental magic outburst from a 6-year-old. Cynthia Maxwell.” He pulled out his phone and noticed a missed call from his secret weapon that helps him control the witches. He thought to himself, “If this book is legit, Davina will have more help.”
Not even five minutes have passed when Thiery comes back carrying a bruised and hyperventilating from crying 6-year-old Cynthia. Marcel was flabbergasted, “What happened?” “Her father was beating her and screaming about making her stuffed animals dance on their own. There were torn up teddy bears in the front yard,” Thiery carefully set the girl down. Marcel crouched to her level, “Did you make your teddy bears dance?” Marcel was joined by the four from Mystic Falls.
Klaus and Damon heard Thiery come back with the little girl. Cynthia was already frightened by her father, then a strange man took her away, and now another is asking her questions. She’s too afraid to answer but doesn’t want to anger anyone else so she whispers, “I didn’t mean to.” Lei knelt next to Marcel thinking Cynthia may feel more at ease talking to a woman. “Hello, my name is Leilani. Can you tell us what happened? We promise to not get mad.” Cynthia looked at Lei with red, puffy eyes, “Promise?” “I promise,” Lei smiled.
Cynthia looked at the rest and saw they were watching and listening, “I always have tea time with my teddy bears. Sometimes my mom has tea with me, but she is in heaven. I was thinking about my mom and my teddy bears started moving to drink tea with me. My dad came into my room and saw my teddies dancing in their chairs, and he got mad and ripped them up. Then he got really mad at me…” When she said the teddies were dancing Cynthia did a little happy dance wiggle, bringing a smile to everybody’s face. But the smiles dropped when she talked about her father getting mad.
Lei inched a little closer, “Did he hurt you when he got mad?” Cynthia was looking at the floor with fresh tears streaming and nodded. Marcel stood up when Bill tapped him on the shoulder, “I’m going to run a diagnostic on Cynthia. Depending on the results, we may need to come up with a plan in case of more blue entries.” Marcel nodded and stepped out of the way and was approached by Thiery, “Blue entries?” Marcel signaled to wait a moment.
Bill bent down to talk to Cynthia, “Hello, little one. My name is William, but I go by Bill. And this.” Bill pulls his wand from its holster, “Is my wand. I’m going to cast some spells, okay?” Cynthia was curious, she nodded and stayed still as Bill waved his wand in intricate patterns. A scroll of parchment appeared next to Bill with the results, “Just like Joshua. Our magic is adapting to this world quite quickly.” Bill passed the scroll to Klaus while he and Lei comforted the child.
Klaus reviewed the results with Marcel, “Cynthia is the first in her family to have magic. Not the kind we’re used to but theirs.” He nudges his head toward Bill and Leilani. “Leilani is leaving a smaller version of the book here. It covers a 200-mile radius. All she asks is to investigate the blue entries. If it is a child and they are in danger, remove them and contact her.” Klaus was cut off by Marcel’s phone ringing, “Yes, D.” “Marcel!” Davina’s pained voice could be heard. “Davina? What’s wrong?” Marcel was concerned for his ward. “It hurts! I think they’re punishing me! My head feels like it’s going to explode! AAAAAHHHHHH!!!” Davina screamed in pain.
Marcel didn’t wait, he just took off with Klaus following close behind. Marcel bursts into St. Anne’s Church and into Davina’s room in the attic. He saw her curled up on the floor, her ears, nose, eyes, and mouth were oozing blood. “D! Davina!” Marcel picked the girl up when she didn’t respond. He could feel she was breathing but it was shallow. “Marcel?” Klaus watched his son fret over the girl. “Not now, Klaus. I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with Davina?” Marcel hissed. Klaus rolled his eyes, “Take her back to the compound and have Bill check her over. He specializes in curses. Even helped me break mine without killing the doppelganger,” Klaus turned and headed back towards the compound. Marcel held Davina and followed.
As Marcel and Klaus re-entered the compound, Bill was explaining the book to Thiery while Leilani was showing Cynthia and the other vampires her Patronus. The ghostly-like wolf floated around the courtyard, weaving around the heads of everyone present. Marcel stopped in his tracks at the display of magic but came to his senses when Davina groaned in pain. “Bill,” Marcel laid Davina on a couch in the courtyard.
Bill cast a few diagnostic spells, “Huh? She is harboring a lot of magic.” Marcel sighed, “She’s a Harvest survivor.” “The Harvest! That barbaric ritual!” Klaus bellowed. Marcel nodded, “Yeah, she was the last girl.” Lei questioned, “The Harvest?” Marcel responded, “A ritual witches would do every 300 years to appease the ancestors. Four young girls representing the elements would be chosen and sacrificed. Only the girls were told they were getting a small cut on their palms then sleep for a year. Not their throats slit. I rescued Davina before they could finish the Harvest and have been hiding her ever since.”
The results were shown to Lei, “That amount of magic is killing her. She needs to release it back into the Earth.” Marcel pulled out his phone, “Josephine LaRue. My favorite regent.” The vampires listened to the call, “What do you want, Marcellus?” “I might need your help with the Harvest survivor,” Marcel is feeling exhausted. Josephine sighed, “What is happening?” “The ancestors are lashing out,” Marcel hopes the Regent of the Nine Covens can help Davina. “I’m sorry, Marcel. I cannot help you without consequences,” Josephine lied through her teeth. She just didn’t want to help the vampire.
Marcel hung up the call and turned to where Davina laid. Bill was standing next to her waving his wand, “Leaving the city is out of the question. Her magic would be stripped if she left the city, not just the magic of the other girls but hers as well.” He stopped casting spells over Davina and cast his Patronus to send a message, “Oi, I need three cleansing crystals. Bring them to the New Orleans French Quarter. No messing around you two.” The Patronus left to deliver the message to his brothers. He spoke to Marcel, “My brothers will be here shortly, might want to warn others since they will be using magical travel.” Thiery had already sent a text to the vampires around the French Quarter.
Fred and George tracked Bill’s location using his Patronus and apparated to him. When they entered the French Quarter, they were greeted by Damon and led into the courtyard of the compound. The twins handed off the crystals to Bill and observed the courtyard. The twins moved to stand with Lei, Klaus, Damon, and Marcel. They introduced themselves in typical Weasley twin fashion. “I’m Fred,” George says. “And I’m George,” Fred parrots. Lei shook her head and pointed to Fred first then George, “That’s Fred and that’s George.”
The twins were flabbergasted, “How does she do it? Our own mother couldn’t tell us apart.” Lei snickers, “I’ve always known who is who. Only now it’s easier since George is missing an ear.” George could be seen patting his hair down to hide his ears. It was a dead give-away. Fred scoffed, “Cheeky witch.” Lei crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue like the mature adult she is. Any further bantering was cut off by Bill, “We’re ready. Once the excess magic is in the crystals it can be distributed where need be.” He turned to Marcel, “This will receive unwanted attention from those who want to interfere.” Marcel gave a silent command to his vampires.
Davina had been placed on the ground of the courtyard with the crystals surrounding her. Bill stood at her head with his wand in hand, “Ready Lei?” The witch nodded, “Ready.” Bill started casting the spells to pull the excess magic out of the young girl. Due to the young witch being unconscious she did not react that strongly. Not until the end. Bill nodded to Lei to join in with her own spells, causing Davina’s body to flinch in pain. Everyone in the courtyard could see three tendrils of magic flowing from Davina and into the crystals. Until finally only Davina’s own magic was in her body.
During the cleansing ritual, several New Orleans’ witches tried to gain entry to the compound but were stopped by Marcel’s vampires. A few of the elders, including Agnes and the Deveraux sisters Jane-Anne and Sophie showed up and tried to push their way in. The New Orleans’ witches were desperate to get Davina back and finish the Harvest. They could feel the magic in the air and knew something was happening to the girl. These witches needed to complete the Harvest if they wanted to have access to their ancestral magic. They refuse to believe the ancestors were being reaped, thinking they were just being punished for not finishing the Harvest in time.
The vampires holding the witches at bay could tell they were not as strong as they once were. Painful aneurysms weren’t so debilitating anymore. The vampires were able to stay on their feet and attack the witches before the pain became too much. It was when Fred and George joined the fight that truly turned the tables in favor of the vampires. Fred had thrown Peruvian Darkness Powder in the witches’ direction, temporarily rendering them sightless. The vampires backed out of the cloud of darkness to catch their breath as the witches tried to clear their vision. The twins proceeded to cast “Petrificus Totalus” on a few of the witches, taking them out of the fight as the Peruvian Darkness Powder dissipated. Leaving Agnes and a couple of the Elders still standing.
By that point, Davina had been cleansed of the excess magic but was still unconscious. Bill exhaled a sigh of relief, “It’s done. She’ll be weak for a few days. Otherwise, she is fine and only holds her own magic.” Marcel nods, picks up the girl, and disappears to one of the empty guest rooms. Bill carefully picks up the crystals and notices they have changed color; Blue for water, Gray for air, and Green for earth. “Huh? I wonder?” Bill moves to the outside of the compound where a stand-off is occurring. He speaks to all of the witches, “I have the magic of the fallen Harvest witches. I can either release it to the Earth to be distributed or I can smash them, and the magic will be lost. The choice depends on your actions. Stop fighting and accept what is or lose.”
Desperate to have the Harvest witches returned, the Deveraux sisters answer for them all, “We accept.” Agnes is furious, “What do you think you are doing?!” Jane-Anne straightens her shoulders and stares at the Elder, “Taking back our magic to bring Monique back.” The witches continue to scream at each other as Bill stands with the crystals in his hands. He didn’t bother correcting Jane-Anne about what was going to happen. If they didn’t listen to what he said, that's their fault. He said the magic was to be distributed, not returned to the fallen Harvest witches. So, if the three witches do not rise from their graves, it is not his fault. Bill hid his smirk as Jane-Anne accepted the crystals and left followed by her sister. The petrified witches were released, and they too left.
Once everyone was back inside the compound, Marcel addressed all who were present, “Tonight things are going to change. What we saw here tonight is only the beginning.” He points to Leilani, Bill, and the twins, “There are new magic wielders that have become known. They wield magic like nothing we have ever seen. However, they do not want to cause trouble, only live in peace.” When he pauses, Lei steps forward, “Our magic is not those witches you’re used to. We do not need to channel outside sources like nature or those who have passed. As it stands, Lady Magic has adapted. Our type of magic wielder may very well become the norm. As Marcel stated, we are not looking to cause trouble, only to live in peace amongst all of you.”
Damon handed the bag with the Blood Pops to Thiery, “First peace offering from Leilani and her people. I call them “Red Lollies”. They’re vampire candy.” Thiery was shocked when he stuck his hand in the small bag and couldn’t feel the bottom. Damon laughed, “Yeah, surprised me too.” Thiery pulled a Blood Pop out and unwrapped it, cautiously sniffing it before putting it in his mouth. Some of the tension in Thiery’s shoulders relaxed as he passed the bag to Diego, who took one and passed the bag to Marcel. Eventually, all the vampires were handed a Blood Pop. Klaus smiled at his adopted son, “Those are good for newly turned to help with cravings. Stefan and Finn practically live off them.” Marcel couldn’t help but agree with Klaus.
After setting a meeting up with the human faction the next day, Klaus, Damon, Lei, and Bill went back to the Plantation House while the twins apparated back to Mystic Falls. Little Cynthia went with Lei and Bill until her living situation could be fixed. After they left, Marcel, Thiery, and Diego went over the entries in Marcel’s copy of the book. “We’ll scout the red entries over the next few days. This book monitors a 200-mile radius, so we’ll have to recruit a few more trusted vampires,” Marcel tells his most trusted friends. Thiery reads over the entries and sees a familiar name in black and is relieved. Thinking to himself that his girlfriend is safe for now. Diego was fascinated, “I like their magic. When Leilani conjured that ghost wolf, the atmosphere felt lighter. Almost happy and warm.” Marcel sighed. He didn’t want to admit it, “Yeah, it did. But I was too concerned for Davina. Just glad she’s going to be alright.”
Everyone at the Plantation House settled in for the night. They were going to head back to Mystic Falls after meeting with Marcel and the human faction. Once back in Mystic Falls, they were going to prepare to move those leaving the small town. As well as deal with the council and Esther. None of them notice the rising tension in the ranks of Marcel’s vampires and some of the humans, which are actually un-triggered werewolves. Peace will come with a price, but at what cost.