Fates Intertwined

36. | Enchanted Woods

"This is pointless!" Nara bursted, pacing up and down the sidewalk.

They were stopped on the corner of a street, buildings lined side by side running from Lina's right. Eric was practically passed out on the bench, Zyran beside him. Lina stood on his opposite side, leaning back against the wall with her arms crossed and one foot propped against the wall. Aurora stood by the street, staying out of the way of others passing by.

"We've been out here for hours, the sun is going to be setting soon, and I'm hungry again!" Nara exclaimed, throwing her arms up.

Lina rolled her eyes. "When are you not hungry?"

"When I'm eating." She retorted.

Zyran sighed. "Nara's got a point. We've been out here for hours and everyone refuses to tell us anything about Evelyn. We're lucky no one's started screaming and running in the opposite direction."

"Are we even sure she's in this city?" Lina asked, brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed. "Who's to say little miss Aurie's friend didn't lie to us just to get us out of her hair?"

Aurora's head straightened. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because I can." She threw back, snarkily.

Before Aurora could respond, Nara spoke. "How are we supposed to find her? Compulsion doesn't work, and everyone is either an asshole, terrified, or has absolutely zero idea of who she is."

"How does someone just completely vanish?" Eric slurred, throwing his arms out.

"Because she's powerful, and even the slightest mention of her name has people running in fear." A voice spoke from behind Aurora. She whipped around, stepping away from the woman standing with a hood over her head. But then she removed it, revealing the reddish-brown hair underneath. "You're looking for Evelyn?"

"Uh, yeah." Aurora answered, glancing at the others. "Evelyn Mikaelson."

She snorted. "She's not a Mikaelson. She never deserved that name."

Lina pushed off the wall, suddenly intrigued. "Oh. Sounds like you two have some bad blood."

"She killed my parents, then abandoned my family the second she got hers back." She sneered. "Everything would've been better if she never existed."

"Sorry to interrupt your little vengeful speech here, but, uh, who are you?" Nara asked, sliding up beside Aurora and wrapping her arm around her neck.

"My name's Hope." She answered. "Hope Mikaelson."

Zyran was leaning forward. "You're her sister."

"Was. But never by blood." She replied scornfully. "You all are looking for her?" They nodded. "Well, you're never gonna find her here."

"And what did I tell you?" Lina made sure to throw out, holding her arms out.

Aurora turned back to Hope. "Where is she?"

"Still in New Orleans. Just cloaked. Doesn't want anyone finding her precious castle." She sneered.

"Where is she?" Zyran stood up, walking toward them.

"The Enchanted Woods. There's an opening through the Bayou that no one knows about." She answered.

"Like a portal?" Nara asked. She nodded. "Siiiick."

Aurora's brows furrowed. "How come you know about the portal?"

"Because I'm the one who created it."

Nara nodded slowly. "So we go through the portal in the Bayou to get to the Enchanted Woods."

"Yes." She nodded. "But if I were you, I'd go before dark. There are things in the woods that aren't exactly safe."

"Psh. I'm sure we can handle it." Nara waved a hand. "Right, guys?" She looked around.

"I love how we're trying not to die by doing deadly things. How ironic is that?" Lina fake smiled.

Nara rolled her eyes, turning back to Hope. "Thanks for the guidance." Then she was walking down the sidewalk.

The others followed, but Aurora lingered for a few seconds. "Why are you helping us?"

"I'm not." She smiled, but there was no emotion in her eyes. "I suspect you guys to be dead by sunrise." She studied Hope's face, trying to figure out her motive. "Besides, if the woods don't kill you, Evelyn surely will."

Aurora nodded her head slowly, mulling over the information she had just given her. She didn't expect them to survive; she wanted them dead. Aurora began to make her way after the group.

"How long do you expect to go without drinking blood?" She suddenly asked, making her stop and turn back around. "The more you don't drink, the less control you have and the weaker you become. With this war you're running from, I suspect you'll need all you can get. Powers won't save you one-hundred-percent of the time."

Aurora stared confused. What war? She asked herself.

A smirk pulled at Hope's lips. "Good luck, Aurora. You're gonna need it." Then she was walking away. Her eyes widened.

"Rory," Zyran called, now noticing she was still behind. "You comin' or what?"

It took her a moment to register what he had said, her mind caught up on Hope's words. "Yeah. I—" She jogged to catch up with them, and they continued walking, but Aurora was glancing back to the direction Hope had disappeared in.

Aurora never told her her name.