Splitting Our Odds Into Evens

No more

Vincent held his hands before him, observing the wolf and the fellow witch. "I know why ya'll are here."

"It's been a while, Vincent. How are you?" Bonnie asked. She wasn't the best of friends with Vincent, but he was a witch and a nice one, or to her, at least, so she cared for his well-being.

Vincent exhaled. How have I been? I don't know how I've been, Bonnie. With Freya terminally ill and me being the reason why, how can I be okay? "I've had better days," he said. "How have you guys been? How's Hope?" Specifically asking.

"We're fine, and Hope's fine. She's just learning to use her magic and stuff. With Freya traveling with Keelin all the time and you, Vincent, being busy settling your coven back on track, it's been a struggle for Klaus and me," Hayley answered.

Bonnie furrowed her brows, turning to face Hayley. Yeah, she's been off the grid for a while, but no matter what, she'd always put her family first. Or so she said. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have taught her the basics of using her magic, no questions asked."

Hayley could almost laugh. "You?" Bonnie, who was never home. Bonnie, who spent her free time always working. Bonnie, who never made time for those she loved ever since she started her new job. That was the Bonnie who could teach Hope the basics of using her magic. Puh-lease. "You've fallen off the earth these past few weeks."

Bonnie took that in for a second: has it been that long since I've associated with any of them? She had got so caught up with work that it had become her blood, sweat, and tears.

"Anywho." Vincent circled, leading them inside the building in the cemetery. Bonnie and Hayley followed him.

On the table were a salt circle and a spell book. Instantly, Bonnie knew he had been cooking up something: something that would fix whatever the hell had been going on with Freya. "Someone's been at work."

"It is a hell of a lot of work speaking with the spirits," Vincent said. He wasn't lying. "I was trying to convince them to lift whatever crap they put on Freya's heart, but you could guess how that went. I know I shouldn't have let Freya get involved, and I am sorry that I did, but the spirits have given someone in town the ability to kill vampires easily; that's why Freya and I were trying to sever their connection with our world. Messed up new guy comes to town, and starts killing vampires, and, soon, humans. The french quarter is turning into an actual freak show."

"Guy and girl," Bonnie said.

"What?" Vincent pressed.

"It's a long story. I'll explain it later," Bonnie said. Sounds like Vincent hadn't heard about the town's vampire slayers yet.

"Also, Vincent, we do not need an explanation for why you and Freya did what you did," Hayley said.

"Exactly," Bonnie added. "What we need is an explanation for a cure."

Vincent cocked his head with a sly smirk, content that they hadn't come to find him for the wrong reasons; like knocking him out and holding him hostage because some people would have. *Cough cough* -Klaus on steroids because normal Klaus wouldn't even have the balls to. He beckoned for Hayley and Bonnie to come closer, and they did. He opened his spell book. "See this?"

The two leaned towards him, and Hayley read the page. "Dark sorcery requires a steep price to be paid in exchange for power. Those willing must sacrifice that which they hold most dear. Most of the time, a life." Hayley didn't know what to make of it. "I don't talk witch, so I'll leave this to Bonnie to dissect."

"Freya hasn't touched dark magic, and your coven wouldn't have access to it if they're in the spirit world because even to sustain dark magic, you'd have to exchange a life. The spirits can't do that because they're already dead," Bonnie explained.