Piece of You | Finn Mikaelson

Chapter 21

They wasted no time getting there.

In the passageway leading up to the main entrance, they found vines overflowing with black dahlia flowers stopping only at the door frame. Hayley was inside with Hope, rocking her fearfully while Elijah stood across from her.

"What happened?" inquired Elaine, wondering just how much Dahlia had done to them.

"Dahlia came," said Hayley, shaken. "She said we have until tomorrow night to give her Hope."

"Why didn't you call us?" asked Elijah. "We could have come to your aid."

Hayley appeared mildly annoyed at his question. "You think I didn't try to call you? Of course I did, Elijah. But since Dahlia was able to take down Klaus, Mikael, and the rest of you, I'm guessing that a cell phone tower was a piece of cake."

"And where were the wolves who stood guard?"

"Getting their asses handed to them by Dahlia, just like Klaus did."

Klaus promptly walked through the front door. "That's it— you're coming with me to the Compound. We will wait there until Esther is resurrected and we are prepared to assault Dahlia en masse."

"No way," said Hayley. "We'd be sitting ducks there, just like we will be here as soon as that spell breaks." She sighed. "Which is why we have to go. Jackson is out getting supplies, and then we're taking the wolves and we're headed to the Bayou."

"The swamp?" snarled Klaus. "So my child can be protected by the very wolves Dahlia so easily defeated? Absolutely not!"

"Hang on," said Elaine. "First of all, Hope is not your child alone, she is also Hayley's. And I think, though trusting the wolves alone is a terrible idea, running could work in our favor. Think— Dahlia needs to be lured somewhere in the first place when we are ready with our weapons, right? If Dahlia found out that Hayley and Hope were in the Compound waiting around, she could drop any sort of magical bomb and we'd be unprepared to protect Hope against it. But if she runs... well, Dahlia is not a vampire nor is she a wolf, she can only move so fast and since we have The Strix map to track her, we could use it to lure her to a prepared location where we could trap her in place, fight her, and kill her with the weapons we have. Clearly the idea of a safe house isn't working if Dahlia found her so quickly. Moving her back to the Compound is a foolish idea."

Hayley gestured toward her appreciatively. "Jackson knows the Bayou like the back of his hand. Maybe he knows a good place where this fight can happen. While you guys fight her, he'll also know a good place for Hope and I to hide until it's over."

Klaus's jaw twitched, and he held back a comment when he saw the looks Elijah and Finn were sending his way, warning him not to retort. "Then I set a deadline," said Klaus. "If Dahlia wishes to have Hope by tomorrow night then we kill her tonight." He pointed at Elaine, "Your son better have Esther resurrected within the hour."

"It shouldn't take much longer," noted Elaine. "Reynard knows what needs to be done, he said it would only take about fifteen minutes. If you'd like, I could go with the wolves while Dahlia follows them to the site of the trap. Reynard could accompany me. We will meet you at the place where the fight will ensue and aid you in killing her. That way, Hope will be guarded very well."

"It is a good plan, brother," said Elijah. "Rebekah says she needs only a few minutes to arrive at the cemetery with our mother's ashes. The resurrection can proceed soon. Which means we must create the weapons. Where are Father's ashes?"

He wasn't able to answer as a voice outside thundered, "KLAUS!"

They turned to the doorway as Jackson's angry yell sounded through it. "Jack?" said Hayley, confused. She was quick to lower Hope into her playpen.