Forever Original | Alaric Saltzman

Chapter 44

October 19, 2013

Hilda wasn't all too sure how she managed to function.

Possibly, it was all thanks to Freya and Hope.

She had been inconsolable the first few days she'd been back. Elijah had visited one day when Klaus was out of the Compound, and he hadn't been able to get a word across. Rebekah called, but Hilda just mostly listened to her talk— she didn't know what to say. It was easier to relate to Klaus in this state (he kept bringing unsuspecting tourists in for her to feed on).

But overall, if any progress was made, it was through the influence of the oldest and youngest Mikaelsons.

Freya had already been caring for Hope in Hayley's absence. Elijah took his niece to see her mother on every full moon when she could be human enough to hold her. Thus, Freya was already bustling around the house caring for someone, and it was quite easy for her to add Hilda into the mix.

At first, Hilda had been very livid with Freya bringing Hope into her room every day. She thought Freya was purposely putting the baby girl in danger. Instead, the two women found that Hope just brought a smile to the face of anyone near her.

Hilda distracted herself with changing diapers and cleaning the place. Sometimes, to sleep soundly, Freya and Hope would spend the night in her room, the baby between the two sisters, cooing and making them smile even in their sleep.

That was not to say that Hilda hadn't been making contact with outside sources.

It became a regular thing for Hilda to be messaging Bonnie Bennett, Damon Salvatore, and Caroline Forbes. The first two were off traveling with Alaric to help him grieve. Damon gave the best updates on his condition, but Bonnie had started up a project that kept Hilda's mind fixated on solutions rather than sadness. As it turned out, Kai Parker had apparently linked Bonnie and Elena's lives, meaning that Elena could not wake from a deep slumber until Bonnie passed.

"He said there's no loopholes," said Bonnie one evening on FaceTime, so that the witch could see Hope. "But that can't be possible, can it? He said if we try to find a loophole, Elena and I will both die, immediately."

"It doesn't matter how smart Kai is, there is always a loophole. However, there has to be some credibility to his statements— preventative measures he took. He might have combined the Linking Spell with a Blocking Spell to keep it from being disturbed without his knowledge."

"The problem is that Kai's dead. So now, we know nothing."

"What I think might work— but this might be a reach— is for one of those Heretics to siphon simultaneously from you and Elena. It might destroy the Linking Spell, but it could also kill you because I bet he cast a corrupted Protection Spell. Like, he had to have added elements of it because otherwise the link would be very easy to break, but he must have made it only hover over you, if that makes sense. He wants you to suffer and to get hurt. So I fear siphoning might kill you and ensure Elena wakes up. The majority of the spell is concentrated on her. Less siphoning would need to be done on you, but the Heretic would need to siphon from both of you, as long as it takes.

"I can do some brainstorming and ask a few of my sources for advice, but without being able to see into his mind, it will be pretty hard to determine exactly what he did. Even if we figure out which spell theories he applied, we don't know what ratios he used, and if we don't get it right, it just puts you both in danger. But I guarantee— there is a loophole. No witch is that good, not even Hope. Look at her, she's a tribrid, but she'll have a weakness, too. Nature always creates a balance. Doesn't matter how much work Kai put into it, it's very possible to break this curse, it will just take time and work."