Void

2.13

I sat on the couch as I watched Mum. She leaned against the back of a couch as she studied a picture of her from a long time ago. Klaus walked towards us and stood behind the other side of the couch. Mum complained, "That is just not my chin, Nik. It was much more delicate."

Klaus scoffed, "The only delicate thing about you, sister, is your ego."

I snorted, "Placed beside the behemoth size of yours, certainly."

Klaus chuckled and Mum smiled at me when I glanced up at them to see their reactions. Elijah's voice traveled through the phone as he asked: "Could we dispense with this fascinating dispute for just a moment and return to the subject of our supposed, long-lost sister?"

Mum waived off, "There's not much to discuss, Elijah." I rolled my eyes because there obviously was a lot to discuss. If this woman was the first born of Esther and Mikael it meant a lot. "Said she was Freya then darted off into the night."

I questioned, "And you believed her?"

Mum scoffed, "I met the girl in a mystical looney bin. She could be anyone, telling any lie." She took a deep breath. "But she did seem familiar somehow."

Klaus asked, "And how is she still alive?" He moved to stand in front of me, but looked above me and at a painting. "A question as ridiculous as its possible solutions given this family's annoying predilection for cheating death."

I spoke up, "Not as many as you would think." Their gazes turned to me. "If she's got magic, there really isn't as many ways as you would think. At least not to my knowledge."

Mum butted in, "Don't know. Just telling you what she said."

Klaus asked, "Well, did you happen to ask if, by some similar miracle, our Aunt Dahlia lives as well?"

Mum started, "I barely had a chance to pr"

Klaus cut her off, "Because, on the list of obvious questions, it would be nice to know if the woman who placed a curse on the firstborns of this family is still breathing air."

Mum snapped, "Well, let me turn back time and do it to your liking."

Elijah cut in, "Enough. Both of you. If she is who she says, we'll find out soon enough." I needed to more about the kind of power that Mum felt coming from the woman. "For now, it is imperative no one learns of Hope's existence. This has been our salvation thus far."

Klaus reminded him, "Unless Hayley's husband-to-be starts flapping his gums. Perhaps I should take preventative measures and separate him from his head."

Elijah slowly informed, "Jackson will do nothing to jeopardize that wedding."

Hayley getting married was news to me, but I could understand why. There was the whole unification ritual that they would go through so that their pack could change at will. Mum asked, "Hayley's getting married?" Klaus smiled. "What in hell else did I miss?"

When Klaus looked at me, so did Mum and I raised an eyebrow. Klaus informed, "Our little Rose went on a date yesterday."

I rolled my eyes, "Yes I did." Mum raised her eyebrows in surprise. "And got my hands on the spell to find Mum at the end of it."

++++++++++++++++

I stood in the courtyard as I talked to Zach. I asked, "You sure someone took him?"

Zach confirmed, "Yeah, I wouldn't be calling if I wasn't. Can you find him?"

I answered, "I'll try. Just give me some time and I'll get back to you about it."