A Light in the Dark- An Originals Story

Chapter 14

"Mum?"

Hannah poked her head around the door and looked into the dark room. Dimly lit by only a small candle on a bedside table next to a large four poster bed not unlike her own. The room was very similar in decoration as there was not much there, apart from the occasional picture or ornament showing signs of someone having lived there for a while. The bed was facing away from two large windows covered by thick velvet curtains, trapping the light and preventing it from entering. The covers on the bed were strewn and rumpled. A large mass was on one side, an ordinary human would not tell that there was anyone there, but Hannah could sense her mother's slow ragged breaths penetrating the sheets.

Hannah slowly walked over to the edge of the bed and placed her hand gently on Hayley's shoulder.

"Mum, come one wake up.... it's important... I think I may have found Carlos." Hannah shook her mother gently until her lips muttered the name Hayley had been playing in her head on repeat for days on end. She shot up from bed in a dash causing Hannah to jump.

"What do you mean? Where is he? How long till I can rip his throat out?!" Hayley snarled as her eyes glowed a golden yellow with black veins spiralling underneath her eyes.

"Spain," Hannah replied slowly trying to calm the hybrid down. "A small lake called Ecrina. It's a possible lead but we aren't certain yet so we can't get our hopes up." She cupped Hayley's head with her hands soothingly. "I'm leaving now to chase it up... I came to say goodbye, I'm not sure you're going to be up for this mum." Hannah sighed looking to the ground. "Your heads not in the right place, you need to take care of yourself and the others."

Hayley opened her mouth in protest but Hannah stopped her. "No." Hannah shook her head. "I can take care of myself, I know what to do... besides it may not be him and we could be wasting a perfect opportunity if all our forces are in one place far away from the true threat ready to stab us in the back from behind. It's better for everyone if I go alone."

Hayley sighed and gazed at her daughter in wonder. How much she had grown in these past few weeks has astounded her. She was no longer this timid, naive girl who knew nothing and acted if the world was a happy and safe place. She had seen horrors and overcome them. She has succumbed to darkness but taken it in its stride. She has faced losses beyond understanding. She lost her twin, her other half. And she has come out of it a fierceness warrior. Brave, yet exceptionally compassionate. A truly good Mikaelson.

"Okay."

"Okay what?" Hannah looked at her mother confused.

"Okay, you can go... just be careful okay? I can't stand you getting hurt, not after..." Hayley trailed off her eyes clouding over as tears closed up her throat.

"I know mum... I know." Hannah nodded in acceptance and pulled her mother into a tight embrace. Tears falling as she squeezed her mother's shoulders. She knew what losing Hannah would do to her. She was broken enough after losing one daughter. If she lost her other daughter too, Hannah was not sure if she would ever recover.

********

Hannah pulled tightly on the strap of her rucksack. The same one she had walking down the streets of London that day that changed everything. She turned around and looked over her shoulder at the place she now called home. The courtyard was silent, the occupants were either sleeping or closed up in their private rooms rapidly digging through possible leads and plotting their own personal revenge on the man that took a life of one of their own.

She sighed as she gave the house one last goodbye glance before walking through the giant open doors and into the outside world.

The streets of New Orleans were quiet at night. The occasional few still up from late nights partying, stumbling clumsily down the streets. A low hum of birds could be heard beneath the chatter and cars of city life. Hannah reached an old tourist shop, dream catchers and trinkets filled the windows. She pushed open the door as a small bell rang eerily into the darkness.

"Hello?" Hannah looked round the small room. No one was in sight. Crystals and old china dolls filled the room. A few wooden sculptures here and there. The room itself was filled with a herbal aroma as incense was burning in the corner.

"Hello there.." A creaky voice rang through the shop. Hannah jumped at the noise. She turned around and saw an old woman with spiralling grey hair and a netted scarf encasing her body. Her eyes were a dark black. A void, staring into them too long left Hannah nervously blinking trying to calm herself down. She opened and closed her mouth anxiously at the woman. A large smile cracked on the old ladies wrinkled face.

"I assume your hear for the vile?" The woman asked tilting her head gazing at the young witch. Hannah shivered.

"Ye-...Yes... Freya sent me." Hannah swallowed nervously. "Are you the witch she spoke of?" Hannah let out a breath of relief as the woman nodded her head in agreement. The woman reached down under the counter and pulled up a dark green vile, the size of a pencil. It was closed by a golden lid with a small imprinted design around the edges.

"Now be careful," The smile on the witches face faded as she looked sternly upon the young Mikaelson. She handed the vile over to her. Hannah took it and placed it inside of her rucksack. "It will do its job correctly but if not all is consumed then it will unlikely work at all, and you will be facing the consequences." Hannah gave the woman a small smile as she nodded in goodbye.

Hannah turned around and walked back out of the small shop and into the streets outside. She stood by the side of the road and hailed a taxi.

"Where to?" The cabby asked poking his head out of the car window.

"The airport."

*Authors note*

Not edited