Ambience ~ n.m.

Prying Open Dead Eyes

I decided to take Eden for a walk out in the Quarter this morning. I know that there's a risk, but she should see her home before it all goes to shit. Eden cooed and I laughed happily. God, she's perfect. 

I stopped when I saw someone playing a violin. She played a lively tune for my little girl and finished with a large smile. I pulled a hundred from my pocket and put it in the violin case. "Thanks." I smile gratefully.

After I walked away, I could hear a sad melody being played by the woman. It was so familiar. I looked back at the woman and felt something seer through me. Humming and dark dead eyes, crows screaming from the rooftops, and a single dahlia blooming through the rubble.

I turned around quickly and began to walk faster. A bellboy gave me a long stare. The chalkboard he wrote on give me a chill down my spine. 

A promise made is a debt to be paid.

I looked around cautiously. 

"Flowers, Miss?" A man asked in front of me.

He held a blood red and black charcoal dahlia out for me. 

"A gift for the child." 

I gave him a threatening glare and pulled the stroller closer to me. "No thanks." I hiss. "Are you sure? Black dahlia's are in bloom." the man stated, smelling the flower. "They're quite lovely." He smirked.

I tried to push past him, but he grabbed my arm. His eyes turned white and I flashed my blue veins under my eyes. Klaus sped to grab the man by the throat. "Show yourself, witch." He demanded.

Eden began to cry. I turned and saw another person with white eyes. "Klaus." I warn. He lets go of the man and turns to the other. "I am here. I am everywhere. And I intend to take what is mine." The man stated blankly.

"It's her." Klaus hissed.

The man was suddenly back into reality, winded from Dahlia taking over his body.

I looked at Klaus with fear in my eyes.

"Dahlia."

_________

"Isn't that the point of a fortress? It does a better job protecting you when you stay within its walls." Klaus scolded me. We sat at the dinner table with Rebekah sitting across from us. I had a pounding headache from Klaus's incessant blabbering.

"Okay, I get it." I snap. "Can we just figure out what the hell we're going to do?" I ask. "What I'd like to do is take a strong leash-" Klaus started, standing from his seat. I burst from my chair and got close to his face. 

"And what? Tie me in the dungeon? I can protect myself and my daughter!" I growl.

"Can you? Because I had to save you from-" Klaus began before Elijah cut in.

"Children, please. Niklaus, your ire is justified, however, Harper is quite right." Elijah stated. I smirked and sat down. "At least someone in this family is on my side." I mutter. Klaus gave me a cold look. 

"We need to find a new strategy." Elijah stated.

Freya poured tea into glasses and Elijah looked over to her. "Freya, if you please?" Elijah gestured to her. "The spell you described. Dahlia calls it 'kenning'. Using proxies to watch her enemies from afar. But I've never seen it done on quite this scale." Freya explains.

"Fan-fucking-tastic. So every drunk, boob-flashing, and ass-grabbing tourist on Bourbon Street is a potential spy." I scoff. "The good news is I know a little bit about how her magic works. This tonic will at least prevent her from using any of us." Freya explains, setting out the tea sets in front of us.