To Be Found ♧ Legacies

40 | brooding but helpful

Celia returned to Jed absolutely beaming. While the guilt hadn't completely faded away, she could feel herself moments away from achieving all she had ever wanted.

"Mission successful?" He asked, still leaning against the fence like he had never left, except now he had a backpack.

"Yes," she answered. More than you even realize. Suddenly the understanding of what she had done set in and holy crap she had kissed Rafael. Rafael. The same boy she found herself so angry at not that long ago. The thought made her dizzy. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see Jed's reaction to the emotions she was feeling. Emotions she knew he could read like a book. With a deep breath, she shoved those feelings down. Now it was time to focus on Maddie. And if all went well, it could close out her week with a bang.

When she opened her eyes again, Jed was looking at her incredulously, but he didn't say anything. She was grateful for that. Maybe he could make the assumption, but she wasn't sure she was ready to tell him yet.

Pushing past him, she walked through the hole in the fence. He followed her, and the two made their way to the bus station. Jed had more money than she had expected, paying for both of their tickets. And before Celia knew it she was on her way to New Orleans.

-

It was about a fifteen-hour bus trip down. Though Celia hadn't planned on it, at some point over those hours, she fell asleep. She awoke to Jed poking her cheek.

"Wh-what?" She asked, rubbing her eyes with her palm. He had a grin plastered on his face that confused Celia. "Was I drooling?"

"Yes," he noted, shaking his head. "You also snore in your sleep, but that's not why I woke you up."

At that moment Celia realized they had stopped. "We're here," she observed, a matching smile spreading across her face.

Giddiness fluttered like butterflies throughout her stomach as they exited the bus. They had really done it. They were in New Orleans. Not just New Orleans, but the French Quarter. Celia took in the sight.

The buildings paralleled either side of the street. It was early morning, so people had begun to mill about the streets in front of them, entering in and out of cafes and carry arms full of groceries or flowers. But she knew at night this place was a bustle of activity. A sight she couldn't wait to see. Each building seemed to have two or three stories and balconies all around. Greenery also seemed omnipresent as baskets full of plants and flowers hung from each balcony. There were tables out in front of restaurants where people had begun to congregate and vendors opening their stores. Even though Mystic Falls had a rich history, Celia always found the buildings to be more modern. They didn't reflect the past. That was different here. Each building's history seemed to be written on its walls. It was beautiful.

And Maddie was somewhere in here.

"So where do we start?" Jed came up beside Celia. His gaze was transfixed all around them. He seemed to be taking in the sights as well.

Celia fumbled a piece of paper out of her backpack. "Josie gave me a quick summary of the all covens in New Orleans," Celia explained. "But she said only one lived in the French Quarter." She folded out the paper. Written in her own sloppy handwriting were the words Rousseau's. It was apparently a bar where Hope's aunt worked. Josie told her that Freya Mikaelson may be able to put her in contact with the French Quarter Coven. She handed the paper to Jed. "We have to find Rousseau's."

They wandered the Quarter until around lunchtime. All in all, it was much larger than Celia had expected it to be. Eventually, they did stumble upon a building where Rousseau's was written on the outside.