𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤

fifteen

𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐒

Davina woke up startled. Something felt wrong. The attic was dark and cold and she felt a chill in her bones. She sat up on the bed and looked around in confusion trying to locate the source of her discomfort. And that's when she noticed it.

The coffin that had the original vampire was now empty. He was gone. The old one had escaped.

Her heart leaped to her throat. How? She wondered in panic. She had spent countless hours trying to break the dark magic that protected the coffin and had failed every single time.

Davina got up from the bed and walked towards the empty coffin. Her trembling hands touched the black ash inside, the only thing left from the totem that had kept the original in place. Someone must have helped him, it was the only explanation. The dark magic had weakened him and drained him slowly; there was no way he had been able to get out on his own.

But who did it? she wondered fearfully. Who was powerful enough to break through such dark magic and let him out while she slept?

Davina had not sensed anything. She had fallen asleep after another failed attempt at destroying the magic and now the original was gone.

She closed her eyes shaking as she remembered the visions that plagued her dreams. She needed to warn Marcel.

It had begun.

The end was coming.

♛♛♛

The plantation house Felix and Angelica had secured for Klaus was absolutely stunning. A beautiful Greek revival style with tall white pillars, a gorgeous porch and nestled among beautiful oak trees. It was close to the city but with enough land to grant them the privacy they needed.

Angelica and Felix had prepared everything for their arrival. The house had been furnished and there was food on the kitchen much to Belle's delight as she had been starving.

While the hybrids went to the kitchen to eat Angelica showed Bonnie, Matt and Rebekah around the house and to their respective rooms.

Klaus took the opportunity to speak to Felix and they moved to the study.

"What have you found?" Klaus asked as soon as the door was closed.

"Marcel has quite the army of vampires, most of them nightwalkers but his inner circle has daylight rings." Felix informed him. "He has a deal with the local authorities so they turn a blind eye whenever his vampires feed or turn someone, tourist mostly. He's also charmed the locals; many not only respect him but actually like him."

Klaus stared out of the window, hands behind his back as he listened to Felix.

"The witches live in fear of him," Felix continued. "They break the rules, they die and none of them are willing to talk. I haven't found anything about the witch that is helping him. I heard some rumors but nothing substantial."

"What rumors?" Klaus questioned.

"Some sort of ritual that went wrong. A ceremony important for the witch community, it seems Marcel had something to do with it but I don't know the specifics." Felix answered. "I will find out." He hadn't been in the city that long after all. "There is however a girl, Marcel seems very interested in her."

Klaus turned to face Felix, "his lover?"

"No. She has turned him down a couple of times but he keeps trying to charm her. Her name is Camille and she works at a local bar, Rousseau's. Sophie and her sister worked there as well." Felix informed him.