The Original's Legacy (GxG)

Twenty-three

Twenty-three
"The Compass"

"I got something," Hope said, waving the picture in her hand.

"What is it?" Lizzie asked.

"Something that'll help us." Hope laid the photo on Alaric's desk. The other three leaned in to get a view of it. It was clear as day that the little girl sitting on the older man's shoulder was Melori, and the rest of the bunch were her family. Of course, not knowing they existed, it was a shock to see two other kids clinging onto the mom's side.

Josie's head cocked to the side as she lifted the picture. "They look just like her...she's a triplet?"

"Was," Hope silently corrected. "Have we come up with a solution to the anti-locator spell?"

Josie shrugged helplessly. "It would help if we knew what to look for exactly. Or who, besides Mel."

"The best questions here are one; who would want to take Melori, two; why have they done it, and three; is she hurt?"

"That's very considerate to ask," Alaric joked with Lizzie. The girl childishly stuck her tongue out at her father. "And extremely valid. Hope, you know the most about her past... what have we got?"

"Nothing besides those vampires, far as I know. They're still on the run from Marcel and potentially my aunts... How they evaded them for thirteen years, I have no idea."

"Well, maybe they have a few more witches up their sleeves. That makes sense, right?"

"There's also the possibility of it not being those vamps," Hope sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration. "There could be a lot of people that know about her... And then there's Clarke. He had to be the one that tossed her in the pit."

"So... maybe we find him?"

"I like this plan," Ric nodded. "We can question him about the whole thing and get Melori back too."

"So, what do we have of his that will help us locate him?" Lizzie asked.

Hope smiled proudly, knowing of the best possible link to the man-golem. "His brother. Same father, partially the same blood."

"This is too easy," Lizzie smirked, blowing on her nails and checking them for effect. "I love when it's easy."

"I'll go get him—"

"Slow your roll, speedy." Ric held his hands up, facing the teenaged girls in the office. "I want to get Melori back to safety as much as the rest of you... but you need rest."

"She's in danger. I can't sleep knowing someone's probably torturing her right now."

"I know, but we can't be much use to anyone if we go in half-cocked and unrested. We all need sleep. I'm sure whatever's happening, she can handle it until we get there, right?"

"But—"

"No buts. To your rooms, all of you."

Hope sighed heavily, snatching Mel's family photo off the desk before storming out of the office. The twins bid their father goodbye, then followed Hope as closely as possible. But angry Hope was fast... The other girls struggled to keep up.

Despite Lizzie and Josie's pleas for Hope to slow down, the young Mikaelson kept her pace as she made twists and turns around the necessary corner and jogged up the stairs off to the wolves' section. Eventually, they stopped just in front of Rafael and Landon's door.

The twins looked at each other, both smiling, then turned back to look at Hope. She raised her hand to knock but stopped when the sisters stood on either side of her. Smirking, Josie looked into her eyes. "We're totally going to help her still, aren't we?"