The Jewel of the New Orleans ⚜ The Originals

Chapter 11: Earth, Wind, Water and Fire

So long as Davina was to remain in the Mikaelson compound, Colette would be too. In the days following Tim's death, Davina refused to have anything to do with anyone in the house other than her or Rebekah. It wasn't for lack of trying on Marcel's end as he tried to make peace with the girls. Colette was even waking up to fresh flowers every morning in the room she had taken next to Davina's. But it was going to take much more than that for him or any of the boys to earn back her trust or respect.

"The Italians call them strega. The Yoruba of West Africa call them aje, meaning mother. Where my mother was from, they called them hexa, and here we call them witch. Over the centuries, vampires have fought them and fought beside them, bedded them and burned them. Whether adversary or ally, they have been a force to be reckoned with," Elijah explained to Hayley, as if she needed a history lesson to be told that witches are not to be trifled with. "Their ancestral magic anchors this city. There's never been one all-powerful witch until Davina."

"Who is now tucked in safe and sound down the hall under my protection. Your Celeste was quite beautiful," Klaus looked up from the drawings to his brother. "-And a portent of evil according to our volatile artist in residence."

"Yes. Perhaps Davina's mistaken what she calls evil for power. Celeste was certainly very powerful in her day, but she's been dead for over 200 years. I don't understand. Why all these sketches now?" Elijah sat down on the couch next to Colette.

"Time doesn't matter much to witches here," she offered. "Nor would I be surprised if she found her way back to the land of the living-" Colette looked to Klaus, careful with her words. "Did you not have a witch resurrected in 1766? Vivianne Lescheres?"

Elijah leaned back into his seat. "You certainly know your local history."

Klaus, however carefully Colette could've said it, wasn't amused. "And you'd do well never to mention her again."

Colette put up her defensively. "All I'm saying is a witch as powerful as you're claiming Celeste to be could find a way to cheat death. Even I know a few ways to do it and I'm not as much in danger of dying as most witches."

Loud crashes echoed down the hall, capturing everyone's attention. Davina was awake. Klaus mused, "Well, that's going well."

"If you were trying to win the girl's trust, perhaps poisoning her one true love was not the most splendid idea," Elijah countered.

"Oh. Are there any more inopportune deaths you'd like to wave in my face?" Klaus asked him.

"Give me a month," said his brother. "I'll get you a list."

Both she and Klaus smiled at that one when another loud crash sounded. He sighed, "Young, old, dead, or alive, witches are a pain in the ass."

"Klaus..." Colette warned him as he got up and headed towards its source with her right on his heels.

Klaus burst through the door. "What's with all the racket? Bloody hell."

Colette followed moments behind, stopping in the doorway when she saw her. Davina seemed to be trying to cough up a lung. Or at least, that is what Colette wished was happening. Dirt was coming out with every cough, choking Davina. She ran to her, getting on the bed as Marcel took the other side.

The room shook, sending the lamp crashing to the floor as pictures hung on the wall threatened to follow suit. Outside the door, Colette could hear other objects falling as the whole of New Orleans felt the earthquake. She covered up Davina's head in case the ceiling decided to come down on them while Marcel and Klaus raced out onto the balcony.