[3] Bloodline • Legacies ✓

xxxii.

chapter thirty-two.

Once Kai had woken, he had taken the task of carrying Malik on his back while Matthias held Rina. Nadia was being supported by Katerina, and Hope was lingering by her father's side since the man refused to let her go any further.

Veronica and Finn had finished wiping out the remaining vampires along with Marcel and Bonnie, the four had met up with them at the entrance and sighed in relief at the sight of the kids being unharmed. While Hope was covered in blood, they were sure that it wasn't hers.

However, the sight of a girl caught their attention, she looked to be one of the captives that Niklaus and Matthias had let leave.

"Who's that?" Hope whispered while glancing at her father.

"I do not know." Niklaus told her honestly.

"It's Iris." Rina's voice caught their attention, and they turned their heads to see that she was awake in her father's arms. "She's Natalie's sister."

Kai and Katerina's eyes widened in shock. "What?" Katerina questioned.

"Iris." Rina called out to the girl, and she perked up at the sound of her name.

Iris turned and felt nervous at the sight of all the people, but she wasn't afraid. "I know it's a lot to ask, but I just want to see her."

"I know." Rina said softly while leaning her head against her father's chest. "I vouch for her, we'll explain on the way home." Rina told them all.

Matthias looked to Kai and Katerina, the two wore conflicted emotions on their faces but still nodded their heads. "Alright, let's go."

Iris smiled and fell into step beside Matthias, figuring that if she lingered beside Matthias and Rina, she would be okay. Though she knew that they were all looking at her questioningly, she could feel the stares and it was making her uncomfortable, but she understood it.

"I'll start from the beginning." Iris spoke up after a few moments of them walking towards the cars that were parked a bit aways waiting for them. "Natalie and I have the same mother, but different father's. It's why Natalie is a hybrid, while I'm just a witch." She explained softly. "Our upbringing wasn't the greatest, our mother dated terrible men who in turn did terrible things to us. When we turned 15, we ran away and we met some kids who were in the same spot as us, they left already with the others so it's just me who stayed behind."

"Is that why Natalie has scars all over herself?" Hope asked softly. "Because of the boyfriends?"

Iris nodded while wrapping her arms around herself. "My mother only dated other witches, Natalie's father was an exception to her dating record. I don't think he knew that my mother was pregnant when they broke up, I was an infant at the time and from what I know, she kept it from him. However, it was the boyfriends that hurt us, Natalie more so when she activated the curse by accident when she was protecting me. Her boyfriends used wolfsbane and such on her, while with me they simply just beat me." She told them with a faraway look in her eyes. "I didn't mean for Natalie to activate her curse, she told me that it wasn't my fault, but I still feel like it was."

"If she said it wasn't then it wasn't." Rina said softly. "Natalie has always been that way and she means what she says."

Iris smiled sadly, "Yes, I suppose you're right."

When they reached the cars, Rina found herself dosing off once more but at least this time she knew that when she awoke, both her and her brother would be safe.

⨳ ⨳ ⨳

"RINA!"

Malik awoke with his sister's name leaving his lips in a scream, Rina who was beside him, quickly pulled him into an embrace.