Moonlight | Lucien Castle

Chapter 36

They were surprisingly not killed upon entry.

"You're here," said Rebekah, coming to hug her sister as she walked in. "Hope is upstairs." She gave Lucien a hopeful look. "You're a scientist, right? Perhaps there is something you could do to help?"

Lucien gave a weak laugh. "Well, I am a scientist, but that does not necessarily make me a doctor." Seeing the nervous look on Rebekah's face, he added, "But I will see what I can do."

"If she gets worse," said Amaris, "then I know a doctor who may be willing and able to help while we figure out why she wasn't purified. Keelin Malraux, works at the University Medical Center. She's an E.R. doctor— a werewolf. I've told her about Hope."

Rebekah led them to the upper study, where Hope was laid down on a couch. Freya was chanting a spell, and Kol was guiding her through it. Klaus and Elijah were standing off to the side, while Hayley cradled her daughter's head in her lap. Everyone sat up when Amaris entered the room.

"Hello," she said softly, trying to look each of them in the eyes at least once. She went over to Hope, kneeling beside her. "Hi, little bunny." She smiled, caressing her face. "We're going to help you, okay?"

"What did you find with Marcel and Vincent?" inquired Elijah.

Amaris didn't look up at him, stroking Hope's face. "Four kids, in a spell, all in the Davilla Estate's pool room. One man controlling them like puppets. Vincent purified the kids, found the man was using totems to bind them to the spell. They were sent to the hospital, they should be there by now. I don't understand why the purification wouldn't have worked on Hope."

"I think I may have an idea," said Lucien, holding up his phone. "According to Marcel, the children never arrived at the hospital to begin with. The ambulance is missing."

"Do you think they started the spell again?" asked Hayley nervously.

Kol shrugged. "Can't rule it out. Alright, love," he smiled at his niece, "let's take you to your room while we figure out a way to make you feel all better." He picked her up carefully, carrying her away while Freya, Hayley, and Rebekah followed.

Amaris stood protectively in front of Lucien as Klaus finally turned to look at her. Glaring, of course. But at least not lunging at her to choke her again.

"As soon as this is done," he said in a deadly voice, "you leave."

"I figured as much," she replied dryly. "God forbid I stay here to see her grow up after Lucien and I traveled all the way here to help where we are able to."

"Vincent asked for you," he sneered. "I did not."

"Newsflash, you're not the only one who cares about Hope and you're not her only parent. Even if Vincent hadn't asked for me... if I'd heard about her feeling sick, I would have come here anyway. You and I have never consistently gotten along. Yeah, a lot of it is my fault. But it doesn't change the way I feel about Hope. She's the kid I didn't get to have. My niece, even if you don't see yourself as my brother. I love her and I will protect her."

Klaus's lips curled up maliciously. "The child you didn't get to have, you say? I have been wondering, how's the scar? Did it heal when you became a hybrid? I never asked."

Amaris placed her hand on her stomach subconsciously, feeling her skin burning. Elijah cut in, "Niklaus, she is here to help your daughter. Do not mistreat her when she is placing herself in danger for Hope's sake."

"If you recall, brother, she placed us all in danger when she started whoring around with—"

Lucien punched him across the face. Amaris was surprised mostly because he'd been standing behind her, and then, she'd blinked and he was across the room.