Forever Original | Alaric Saltzman

Chapter 53

Hilda was surprised with a baby shower.

She'd suspected nothing when Caroline found her after her Physical Chemistry class and asked her to come see something in her dorm room.

What she found was that the lounge on Caroline's dorm floor had been decorated with pink quite literally everywhere, and nearly all the friend group from Mystic Falls was present, along with several of Ric's (non-judgmental) students who he got along well with.

"Surprise!" they cried, making Hilda clutch her belly in shock.

"Oh, wow," she squeaked, looking over where they had already created a massive stack of presents. The guests seemed to be enjoying some homemade cupcakes and alcoholic drinks out of baby bottles. Caroline tugged Hilda's arm and pulled her to sit in a grandiose rocking chair near the present table.

"Just because I know you've still been feeling drowsy," she said happily. "Do you like it?"

Hilda smiled. "Yes, I do." And this was true— she did like it.

It just made her sad that none of the faces here were that of her siblings.

Since December, it seemed things had only gotten worse in New Orleans. Hayley was in the process of recovering from the trauma and loss of Jackson's death, Cami was adjusting to being a vampire, Aurora was still causing a multitude of problems, and The Strix seemed to be reeling Davina into their Coven. And what's more, Rebekah still needed to be daggered to keep the Insanity Curse from kicking into action and making her kill someone.

The young witch had called Hilda at the beginning of March.

"Hey," said Davina sweetly. "I know we haven't talked and I'm sorry, I haven't been doing the greatest."

Hilda knew this, as Freya had told her that Davina had been shunned. "It's alright," she said smoothly. "I've been really occupied and I don't hold it against you. Are you doing better?"

"I am. And I have some good news. I was offered a place in The Strix Coven."

Hilda had gone rigid. "Why is that good news?" she murmured darkly. "Davina— they can't be trusted, not after Tristan lost control of them."

"It's okay! Marcel is in charge, not Aya."

"She still bears a heavy influence. What— what did they promise you?"

"It wasn't a simple promise— they already gave me the spell to resurrect Kol. I showed it to him!"

"What? But how did you...?"

"I needed to verify that it was true. I didn't want to get your hopes up, so I went into the Ancestral Realm and I saw Kol there. They've been beating him up a lot, but he can't die. He said the spell is accurate, but he told me that I should find another way."

"Listen, if Kol believes you need to find another way, then you do. We know Strix spells, we can reproduce them and find another Coven to attempt it while channeling me once I give birth. But under no circumstances do I advise for you to go through with this. They will stab you in the back, Davina, that Coven has always been dangerous. I was fine pitching in when I thought Tristan would take lead and help me get my brother back, but even with Marcel in power, Aya can easily sway those little brats who perform their spells. Do you not see a pattern? Young girls with no family? They take everything and keep you trapped there for as long as you may live. Trust me, this is not the path you want to go down. Why— why would they even give you such a powerful spell? What are they making you do to earn it?"

This had put Davina in an uncomfortable position. "Oh... they're just... um, you know, Locator Spells and Strengthening Spells..."

"That's a fat ruddy lie and you know it."