WAR OF HEARTS ↠ KOL MIKAELSON [1]

3:05

| THE AFTERMATH:
CHAPTER FIVE |

"I don't know what's more surprising," Vincent said as he stepped into the sacred stillness of St. James Infirmary, voice dry with disbelief. "Rhea Monroe saving my ass today—or the fact that the three of you are still here waiting to see me afterwards."

He paused at the threshold, surveying the trio with a mix of weariness and cautious curiosity. The weight of recent events showed on all their faces—grief clinging to their expressions like shadows. Ares was leaned back against one of the support beams, arms folded, brow tense. Davina stood close to him, her arms crossed and foot tapping—impatient and guarded. Rhea, however, stepped forward with quiet resolve.

"We need your help, Vincent," she said simply, no hesitation, no softening. Her voice echoed slightly beneath the high ceilings, cutting through the silence like a blade.

Vincent exhaled, already shaking his head. "Rhea... I don't know if I'm your guy. Outside these walls, the Ancestors—" he gestured vaguely toward the world beyond the chapel's protective wards "—they've still got a whole lot of control over what I can and can't do. Hell, today showed they've got reach even I didn't know about."

He turned his gaze toward Ares then, his voice tightening. "And what happened today? That just proves it. They've got some kind of grip on your brother, too."

Rhea's head whipped toward Ares, confusion and alarm flashing across her face. "What is he talking about?" she asked sharply.

Ares stiffened. He didn't meet her eyes—his guilt was written plainly across his features. He looked to Davina like a man hoping for rescue, but she gave him a silent shake of the head. You need to say it. All of it.

Ares ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I didn't want to tell you like this, but... they got in, Rhe. The Ancestors. They got in my head. I—I didn't even know what was happening until it was too late. They forced me to help Vincent finish the spell. I wasn't in control. I swear it."

Rhea stared at him, the breath leaving her in a slow, stunned exhale. Her brother—the one person she trusted unconditionally—had been used as a weapon. That realization made her stomach twist.

Davina stepped in gently, trying to soften the blow. "I think it's because of how Esther brought him back. She used the body of a New Orleans witch. Even if it's just a fragment of that connection..."

"They can still use it," Rhea said quietly, finishing the thought. Her voice was strained now, her mind spinning. "Even if it's the smallest part of you... they can reach in and twist it."

The idea of fearing Ares, of having to question him—it hit her harder than anything else could have. She could feel the ground tilting beneath her feet.

But then she turned to Vincent, her face hardening with clarity.

"They're manipulating Kol too."

Vincent didn't react with surprise. He just nodded solemnly, already expecting the confirmation. "Yeah," he said quietly, almost regretfully.