Hellfire | Hayley Marshall

Chapter 21

Hayley was worried the next morning.

"Jackson and Oliver should be back by now," said the wolf, checking her phone for the fiftieth time in the past half hour. "Klaus said they'd be here at noon, and it's already nearing sunset."

Eisa was on her laptop, trying to use it in order to get satellite images of the nearby area. "Try calling them again."

"I already did, Eisa."

"Well, then I'll call my brother. Maybe he went to meet them and took their phones so that Marcel couldn't track them. It seems the witches knew about the moonlight rings, and I don't doubt the vampires got word of it by now."

Eisa pulled out her phone, watching as Elijah entered the room with some tea for Hayley, and whiskey for his sister. They each took their cup, waiting for the line to stop ringing. "Yes, Sister, what is it?" asked Klaus on the other line. Eisa could hear the sound of wind rushing wherever Klaus was.

"Are you with Jackson and Oliver?" she inquired. "Seems you're in Chicago, from the sound of that wind. They were due hours ago, and we haven't yet received any word of their presence in the Quarter. We've been trying to find them, but—"

"Yes, well, that might be a bit tricky," said Klaus. "You see, I've located their car on a back road in the middle of nowhere. I suspect they've been shanghai'd."

Eisa scoffed. "Nik, why didn't you say anything? Elijah and I could have been searching ages ago!"

"It was my intention to present you with a problem only after I had found an appropriate solution. Don't be so cross, Sister."

"Well? What is the bloody solution?"

"I'm closing in on it as we speak. The only person who would be bold enough to snatch my wolf allies is the one who has the most to lose."

"You think Marcel found them?"

"I am certain of it. Considering our efforts to locate them have not worked, I imagine he has procured a cloaking spell. The only witch who will aid Marcel is Davina, who, funnily enough, was moved out of the Cauldron just this morning, for her own safety. The witches seemed displeased. I just need to get one last bit of leverage before I pay her a visit. She will tell me what we need to know." A pause, before he said, "And there it is." He hung up.

"How curious," mused Elijah, going to look out the window. "Marcel takes the wolves, and then Davina. As if... he knew something."

"He definitely doesn't want the rings completed," offered Hayley, carefully sipping her tea. "Davina might have been the one to tell him about the moonlight rings. She found out when Cassie told Eisa she knew. I'm assuming Eisa was going to swear Davina to secrecy, had the other girl not butted in. My guess is, Davina told Marcel because she worried Cassie would do something to give the wolves the upper hand, and she was moved to keep her safe from both the witches andEisa."

"Perhaps," said the elder sister. "Ah, look, Nik's solution came through. He wants Elijah and I to meet him at a warehouse by the docks— Thierry's place. Well, Brother," she looked up at the man standing by the window, "something tells me that Marcel is trying to avenge Thierry."

"I am aware that I may have acted rashly when I killed him," said Elijah, rolling his eyes. "You needn't remind me."

"Clearly, I ought to. Come on, let's go. Hayley, stay inside."

The two Originals sped away, finding their brother waiting for them at the entrance. As soon as he saw them, he nodded, and opened the door, where they found a man tied to a chair, which was rigged with explosives.