girls | hope mikaelson

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

(1.16 There's Always a Loophole)

Rowan walks in stride with Hope and Rafael, nudging the Mikaelson and side eyeing the wolf when his eyes glow and a growl escapes his lips.

"Hey, you okay?" Hope questions, leaning forward and looking around Rowan to gaze at the boy.

"Um... my mind still won't settle down." He admits, "Look, I'm sorry, but I can't join the fight."

"Don't worry," Hope reassures him. "I'm not going alone." They round the corner and her lips twitch into a grin as she watches her friends approach. "My squad answered the Bat-Signal."

Rowan blanches at the sight of a handkerchief tied around Harry's neck, mocking that of a rat-sized cape. "Seriously?"

Harry sniffs, turning his nose up at the girl. "You're just jealous you don't have one."

Rowan purses her lips and nods slowly, playing into the boy's game. Her attention is drawn by the Saltzman twins, their looks of disdain aimed at each other. "She's coming?" They sneer in unison.

"I need all the help I can get, so please put your twin war on pause," Hope advises.

Rafael's face darkens when he spots Jed, his eyebrows drawn together. "Why is he going? He hates Landon."

"Look, you're the Alpha." Jed tells him, "If Landon's your pack, that makes him ours."

"Where's MG at?" Kaleb asks.

"He's on his way," Hope says. "Let's load up while we wait for him. Come on,"

Rowan reaches down and laces her hand with Hope's letting the girl lead her toward the door. "Oh," she pipes as Kaleb opens it and ushers the two girls out first. "I have water and granola bars if anyone needs them."

Harry slings an arm around her, falling into step with she and Hope. "Thanks, Mom."

The trio stops short, feeling the body heat of the rest of their friends when they bump into them.

"Oh, sorry." The man in uniform tells them, a wry smile gracing his lips. "We were about to knock."

"Who the hell are you?" Lizzie scoffs.

"Name's Burr," the said man introduces himself. "Triad Industries,"

Hope yanks her hand from Rowan's and mutters an incantation, pushing her palms toward the group of men. "Propellere,"

Burr just stares at the tribid, amused.

"I got this," Kaleb nods to him. He sets his bag down and charges toward the man, grunting in pain when he skin sizzles in the sunlight.

Rowan glances at Harry, her hands twitching with the instinct to grab him and make sure he doesn't move.

"What you don't got is magic," Burr taunts them. "Which is why your daylight ring won't work." He looks at his men beside him and behind him, "And what we have are stakes, wolfsbane... and other things. So I think you should invite us inside."

•••

Rowan and Harry stand between Lizzie and Hope, Josie being on the other side of her sister. They have no choice but to listen as Burr stands before the whole school, letting them all know just what they're there for. "We're looking for an artifact known as the Chalice of Arimathea. We have reason to believe it's part of your school's collection. Now, you know this place a lot better than we do, so the sooner you help us find it, the sooner we'll be gone." He looks at Rowan and her friends with a smile. "Triad thanks you for your time,"