Anemoia • Mikaelsons mate

Chapter 10

• • • New Orleans, present-day • • •

"Can you please hand me my notebook?" Florence asks softly, after abundantly thanking the grumpy-looking archivists who had just handed her a couple of printed documents.

Kaleb nods, before grabbing the item she required. He had quietly watched Florence pull several books from the shelves whilst awaiting the documents she had requested. As far as he'd seen, Florence was not a naive girl, there was a determination in her attitude, something he found very appealing. Kaleb's earlier cheerfulness is replaced with apprehension as he flips through the notebook, noticing various paragraphs of text with the names of the Mikaelsons scattered in between the lines. "What do you know of the Mikaelsons?"

"Not much." Florence lies effortlessly, not willing to trust Kaleb too easily. Even though Marcel had been very kind to her, that didn't mean every supernatural being had reputable intentions. "Just doing some research on the city, I saw the name flash somewhere."

Kaleb shoots Florence a disbelieving look, seeing right through her.

He had heard of the Originals, like every child in the coven, the information was usually passed down from generation to generation. These lectures were often paired with a lot of spite and warning. The Originals might not have shown their faces in the city for over 90 years, that didn't mean they would not return someday, undoubtedly bringing death and mayhem along.

"Of course you did." Kaleb grumbles sarcastically, waving the notebook in front of Florence's face in a teasing manner.

Florence scowls at Kaleb and makes a grab for the item, only to have it snatched away from her. She huffs and proceeds to turn her head away in a demonstrative manner.

"If you're simply going to stand there whilst letting me do the heavy lifting, you might as well leave." Florence mutters under her breath while lifting one of the heavy piles of books to the reading tables. She didn't like the cloudy expression that just crossed Kaleb's face, and worry settled over her.

Florence wanted to know more of the Mikaelsons, it was the motivation for this reckless road trip, but the longer she stayed in New Orleans, the more horror stories she heard about the infamous Originals, and she was eager to shut those out. Bliss could be found in ignorance, and Florence didn't want to believe that the kind Mikaelsons from her dreams were truly capable of these horrendous deeds.

"Alright," Kaleb mumbles, hastily stepping forward to take the books from Florence's hold, notebook clenched under his arm. "It's just that they don't exactly have a good reputation around these parts."

"Why? What happened?" Florence asks, immediately interested to learn more about the Mikaelsons from the perspective of a witch.With another pile in her hands, Florence follows Kaleb.

Kaleb visibly hesitates. He had been sincere in his attempt to befriend the sweet-looking girl but knew his coven members wouldn't be too pleased if he were to spill all of their secrets. It could, however, be beneficial for his coven, and indirectly himself, to learn any new information about the infamous family of vampires. "Tell me the truth as to why you research them, and I will tell you why it is a terrible idea for you to gather information on them."

"I have a better idea." Florence hums while taking a picture of one of the pages on her phone. "You tell me all about your aversion for the Mikaelsons, and I will consider telling you my objective to all this."

"How strange, normally my good looks and winning smile are enough to convince people to yield to my wishes." Kaleb deadpans before drawing out a heavy sigh. He slumps himself dramatically in a seat before locking his gaze on the girl, who looked far from impressed. "Fine, Florence. You win."