Hopelessly Devoted | Hale- TO/TW [6]

35 | Loophole

"Before they forced me to take her, they had me put up a cloaking spell, so we can't be tracked," Vincent explains. Around the recording device, Finn huffs. Freya had called him urgently, ranting about Alexis being in danger. All he can think of is how dramatic this Vincent character is. "Now, Lucien's taking us out of town someplace, I don't know where...but there's a loophole."

"Just how am I the loophole?" Finn asks once Elijah pauses the recording. Before him, there is not one person who doesn't look worried. Derek stands next to Elijah, his arms crossed over his chest tightly. The wolf looks about ready to rip someone apart. His sister, off to the side with the witch who had condemned Finn to an eternity as a vampire, looks as if a weight is pressing down on her. Even as an immortal psychopath, Finn knows that no teenager should look as haunted as she does.

Freya sits in the chair, her face pale. Her eyes are glued to the screen, the color dark. Beside her, Kol is fuming. Of course, the out-of-control little brother would be angry.

Kol mutters what sounds like a curse under his breath. "Last year, when Esther first brought us back, I got put in the body of a gormless twit, but you got housed in one of the most powerful witch bodies in the city— Vincent's," he explains, annoyance clear in his voice. "And, even after all this time, there's still an echo of a body-soul connection between you two."

Elijah makes the video continue.

"And Davina, that's where you come into play. I need a powerful witch that's off the Ancestors' radar." Vincent raises a knife and slides it down his palm, leaving some of his blood in a small vial. This vial of blood that is now in Davina's pocket. "I want you to find the thread between me and Finn."

Elijah pauses the video, turning to the young witch. "Have you ever done anything like this?" He asks, careful to keep his tone even.

"I don't know if it's even possible," she admits, holding up the blood. "But I do have Vincent's blood. If I can take Finn's blood and do the spell right, I should be able to track Vincent down."

"And why can't Freya do the spell?" Finn raises an eyebrow.

"The Ancestors have a link to my magic," Freya says, her voice rough. "While I am not in anyway connected to them, they can still track it. If they know what we are doing, they might just kill her sooner than they thought."

Finn begins to pace, his expression contorting into anger. "I should have known. Now Lucien has a head start." He pauses, waving a hand in Davina's direction. "Go, witch. Tend to your spells. I won't rest until she's found."

Cora growls as Derek's expression darkens beyond what Finn thought was possible. Kol scoffs, barely checking his anger. "Behold, the selfless martyr. First, he wants to rip Davina's head off for trapping him in his body. Now he can't wait to be spelled!"

Finn walks right up to Kol, daring him to say more. Cora scoffs from her spot. "And don't forget the sudden interest in the sister he tried to kill. Multiple times."

"Contrary to popular belief, girl, I do actually care about some of my family," Finn snaps, his eyes now on the wolf.

"Oh really?" Derek counters, suddenly right next to Finn. The vampire is able to contain his flinch. "It's not because of the fact that she offered to kill you when you wanted last night? Or because she might be the only person alive who can undo that spell that trapped you?"

Elijah sighs, moving to face Finn and Derek. Now, the four boys are in a diamond: Derek and Finn are staring each other down while Kol is to Derek's right, Elijah to his left. "Finn, Derek. Us three shall go together. Kol, you stay here with Davina and Cora."

Cora's jaw drops as Kol exclaims, "You're going with Finn? So, the people responsible for not destroying the white oak when they had the chance, thus putting us in this bloody mess, are now off to try and fix it. That's just marvelous. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?"

Before Kol can advance, Davina grabs his hand, turning him to face her. "Kol, look at me," she pleads, still not used to his anger. "I don't know this magic. I need your help." Elijah watches the interaction closely. "Come on."

The witch carefully leads Kol away. Cora stomps over to her brother. "Why am I not going?" She seethes.

"You're not supposed to be here anyway. I don't want you getting into trouble. Stay here with...Kol." Derek pauses before the Original's name.

"Ass," Cora snaps, stalking after Davina and Kol.

Derek just huffs out what could be mistaken for a laugh. Elijah lets out a sigh as he hands Finn a knife. "Let us begin."

"Do not give me orders, brother," Finn snaps. "And make no mistake— I do not look to you as an ally or even family. The only reason I tolerate your presence is the hope of finding our sister."

Freya's expression shifts at the mention of Finn's care for Lexi. Derek's only darkens.

—|—|—|—

Vincent's chanting fills the space around the three creatures. Lexi sits against a tree, her tied hands aching. Lucien monitors Vincent carefully, his attention torn between the smell of Lexi's blood and the spell being performed.

Lexi's eyelids feel like bricks. She keeps them open, shifting relentlessly. Every movement she makes causes more blood to roll off of her wrist and onto the rocky ground. The wolfsbane in her system has already turned the blood black and is stopping her from healing. She just has to wait it out. Then, nothing will stop her from ripping Lucien Castle apart.

"All this effort to become a sad copy of an Original?" Lexi scoffs, drawing the vampire's attention. "You think you can just wake up one day and become top of the food chain?"

Every word that spills from her mouth hits Lucien's ego, knocking it down enough to send him speeding in her direction. He grabs her by the shoulders, pinning her to the tree. She doesn't look remotely scared.

"It did not happen overnight, I assure you," he hisses. "The truth is, I used to think you and your siblings gods...until my love was stolen, and our lives taken by your compulsion."

Lucien hadn't noticed before, but Lexi is shaking. Before, it was out of fear from the spell. No doubt it brought up some bad memories of when her brother had died, father had killed her, mother had manipulated her. But now she shakes from anger, the flame apparent in her burning blue eyes.

He only chuckles darkly. "Once free, I realized you were not worthy of all that had benefited to you. I decided, then, that I would become in flesh what I have always been— your better." He shoots to his feet, pointing to the spell. "I have engineered every second since into achieving this moment."

The burning in her eyes fades. "You faked the prophecy."

"Oh, no," Lucien shakes his head, a crazy smile grazing his lips. "When I found the prophecy foretelling your family's end, I knew it was true, and that I was its living embodiment."

Lexi clenches her jaw, turning away quick enough so that Lucien could not see the tears gathering in her eyes. When he grabs her chin, forcing her to look at him, all she sees are the eyes of a madman. "It is my rise that shall be their downfall."

I love Derek's hate for Finn. What about you guys? Fav part of the chapter? Hope you enjoyed!