Phoenix Rising

2:3: Offer

It's morning as I'm with Hayley as we're eating grapes off the buffet breakfast table after she told me about the wolves moving in and turn to see Klausis walking over to us. "So, which restaurant's missing a compelled chef?" I ask. "It's certainly a card I've played in the past, but I had no hand in this.." Klaus says, confused and points at the food. "Hm. Then I guess we have Elijah to think." Hayley says and hear footsteps down some stairs and look over at Elijah as he walks over to us. "This wasn't my doing." He says. "Then, where did this all come from?" Hayley asks, confused and we see the covered plate rattle with the silver lid. "Oh!" I exclaim and Klaus removes the top and we gasp, stepping backwards as two Starlings come out from the plate, leaving a note behind. "What the hell was that?" Hayley asks, looking around and Klaus picks up the note. "Dinner. Your home. 8pm." Klaus says. "Who's it from?" I ask, confused. "An invitation from our mother." Klaus says. "Esther." Elijah says.

We're in Klaus' room as he's out on the balcony, looking over the note from Esther and walks back in as Hayley and I are laying on hisbed. "It is times like this I'm really glad I never knew my mother." Hayley says as we sit up, looking at each other and back to Klaus. "We have enough enemies here. And now, the war for our home is to be fought against my own family." He says, looking at us. "Your wretched mother and her disciples tried to put a carving knife through our baby's heart. I will happily add to the body count." She says and Klaus smiles at her. "I guess we'll have to kill Esther. Again." I say. "You all will do no such thing." Elijah says, walking in and we look at him. "Esther's a master in the art of possession. We know whose body she currently inhabits. We must decipher her intentions before she finds a new host." He says. "Well, her last invitation was an assassination attempt on all her children. I think we can assume her intentions are decidedly foul." Klaus says and Elijah shrugs before checking his watch. "Well, then. We have this afternoon to prepare for the worst." He says and walks off and Hayley and I look around, confused. "Bloom is off the rose, I see." Klaus says, smirking as he walks past us. "Shut up." Hayley and I say at the same time.

I arrive with Elijah and his newbie vampire, Gia, to a witch shop called Lenore's as she's mixing something with a mortar and pestle, looking up at us. "Go away, I'm busy." She says and looks back down at her mortar. "Yes, blatantly practicing magic, I see." Elijah says. "Herbal remedies for a neighbor who lost her insurance. But, my guess is an Original ain't here to talk neighborhood gossip." She says, looking up at us. "I have a favor to ask you." Elijah says after Lenore looks back up from her mixture. "Quarter's crawling with witches. Go ask one of them. You got one right there." She says, talking about me. "Don't typically ask favors of my enemies and he's a.. very dangerous newbie." Elijah says, looking around the shop and Lenore looks up at us again. "So you've come cross the river to bother me." She says. "It's unfortunate, isn't it? Bureaucracy has not been kind to your community." He says, walking towards her and rubs some dust between his fingers. "Those tax incentives on local businesses have been stalling for months. Of course, a persuasive person could potentially remove any red tape." Elijah says and Lenore sighs. "I'm listening." She says. "A certain someone, let's say a witch, has a troublesome tendency of jumping into other bodies." Elijah says, smiling politely. "When she does so again, I would like to know into whom she jumps." He says, dropping a quarter into a tip jar. "Soul branding. It's a sacrificial spell. I'm gonna need an item that's been spelled by the witch in question. And a python." Lenore say, finishing up the herbal remedy and looks up at us. "I shall retrieve the enchanted item." He says and walks over to Gia. "My female partner will take care of the python." Elijah says as Gia has her arms crossed as he's about to walk out the door. "Ew, what?" She asks and he looks back at us. "Second lesson of the day. Acquisition through mind compulsion." Elijah says and turns around and walks off. "How the hell do mind compulsion?" She asks and looks at me and I shake my head. "I don't know, I'm immune." I say and she sighs and we walk off.