Original Vampires, Welcome to New Orleans (The Originals Seasons 1 and 2 Fanfic)

Chapter 32: Dahlia is Here

Jackson and Hayley walked through the streets of New Orleans, baby Hope in tow inside a stroller.

'Now Mrs. Marshall-Kenner, now that you've got a real local to show you around the Quarter, what would you like to see first?'

'Well, Mr. Kenner, I'd ask to see your old haunts, but we do have a impressionable, young lady with us.' A lady nearby was playing a happy tune on a violin and Hayley walked up, dropping some coins into the violin case.

'Thank you,' the lady replied. She turned and continued walking, but then the lady started playing a haunting tune on the violin. Hayley turned nervously to see the woman staring directly at her as she played.

'That song, what is it?' Hayley asked. She looked around, seeing a server scrawl something on a blackboard: A Promise made is a Debt to be Paid. Hayley looked around, the fear and panic rising in her. She was stopped by a tall dark skinned person in the middle of the street, holding a single flower in his hand.

'Flowers, miss. A gift for the child.'

'No, we're all right,' Jackson said. 'Thank you.'

'You sure? Black dahlias are in bloom,' he said, smelling the flower. 'They're quite lovely.' She went to step around him, but he grabbed her arm, and alarmingly, the man's eyes shifted to a milky white colour. Just then, Klaus came up, grabbing the man by his throat and snarling,

'Show yourself, witch.' Hope started to fuss and whimper. She turned, and to her surprise and horror, Jackson's eyes were the same milky white colour.

'Klaus,' she called. He dropped the man, promptly turning to face the two.

'I am here,' Jackson said in a monotone voice. 'I am everywhere, and I intend to take what is mine.'

'It's her,' Klaus said softly. Just then Jackson's eyes returned to normal, and he looked around.

'Hey. What just happened?' he asked.

'Dahlia,' Klaus said, Hayley and Jackson looking at the hybrid.

Later...

'Isn't that the point of a fortress?' Klaus shouted at Hayley as Rebekah, still in Eva Sinclair's body, and myself sat nearby. 'It does its job of protecting you when you stay within its walls.'

'Okay, we get. Now, let's just figure out what we're gonna do.'

'What I would like to do is take a strong leash -' Klaus began to yell, but Elijah walked into the room, cutting off his rant swiftly.

'Children, please - Niklaus, your ire is justified. However, Hayley is quite right. We need to find a new strategy. Freya, if you please.' She sighed, turning to them.

'This spell that you described - Dahlia calls it kenning, using proxies to watch her enemies from afar, but I've never seen it done on quite this scale.'

'Awesome,' I retorted sarcastically. 'So every hurricane-chugging, boob-flashing tourist on Bourbon Street is a potential spy.'

'Good news is, I know a little bit about how her magic works,' Freya said, coming over to the table. 'This tonic will at least prevent her from using any of us.'

'Well, come on. Should work like a charm,' Rebekah said, taking one of the tonics. 'Bottoms up.' We each took the tonic, except for Klaus. Elijah extended a cup to him.

'Niklaus, is there something you wish to contribute?' Elijah asked, when he wouldn't take the cup.

'I prefer biscuits with my tea,' he replied. 'Besides, our minds are far too strong to be invaded by kenning spells. So what we experienced was a test. Dahlia is watching to see how we respond to aggression. She's preparing for battle. My guess is sooner rather than later.'

'Well, if she's watching us, she would know that we have our own army.' Hayley replied.

'She also knows where we are,' Elijah said, 'and given the immense nature of her power, we simply have no idea what to expect from her. What we need is to create a new stronghold, something that Dahlia knows nothing about. A sanctuary from any witchcraft.'

'That's a fine strategy,' Freya said. 'I offer another. We could use Jackson to trace her magic back to its source. Find out exactly where she is.' We all looked at Hayley.

'Fine. Do it.'

'Good. Then it's settled. Off you pop to your respective tasks. Me, I've always been of the opinion that the best defence is a good offence. So I'm gonna find a way to murder that god-forsaken witch.'

A little later that day...

'Oh, this was quite the place back in my day,' Josephine LaRue said, walking through the building that would house the sanctuary against witchcraft. Elijah, Marcel and I trailed behind the matronly witch, surveying the place. 'St. James Infirmary - vulgar, filthy, loud. Some of the best nights of my life. But I assume you didn't go through all of this trouble on my account.'

'As you know, this place served as neutral ground for both our communities,' Marcel said, 'a place where all were welcomed and safe.'

'And in keeping with that tradition,' Elijah said, walking towards Marcel, and me just falling in step behind him, 'we'd like to invite you to cast a spell, one that would prevent the use of any magic within these walls.'

'You'd ask me to create a place where my kind would be utterly helpless?'

'My dear Josephine, powerful as you are,' Elijah replied, 'surely you must have sensed this grave, new threat.'

'And I am not without empathy, but I have a responsibility to the witches. This is not our fight.' She walked past the three of us in order to leave, but then I spoke.

'Well, then, I do hope you understand that anyone willing to stand aside and allow our family to be threatened... I would be forced to consider an enemy.' She turned to face him.

'And as I said, Lilliana, I am not without empathy,' Josephine replied. 'Perhaps a traditional blessing to dispell unwanted spirits, a barrier against those who mean to do us harm. Yes, a blessing combined with a disruption spell should do the trick.'