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"THE KIDS ARE attached to that spell: if we save the kids, we save your little girl." Cullen hears Vincent explain as her and Marcel enter the clearing where Klaus and Elijah stood, along with the witch.
"And the sooner you all can be on your way." Marcel chimes in as they walk towards the group.
"Clearly, we're skipping all the hugs and hellos." Cullen mutters. "Vincent?"
Vincent points in front of them. "Trail leads off this way, so, I guess we, uh, follow the breadcrumbs."
"Tactless savages holding a ghost-raising rave. Best make short work of them. I say we-" Before Klaus can finish Marcel cuts him off.
"We split up. Klaus, you're with me, I'm not letting you out of my sight. Anybody got a problem with that." No one says anything, though Cullen does roll her eyes at Marcel's childlike behavior. "I don't give a damn."
After Klaus walks away with Marcel, Elijah and Cullen begin to follow Marcel. "Vincent." Cullen begins. "The wolf I talked to, she mentioned something about a blue light."
"Yeah, that's the Fifolet. New Orleans legend says that a spirit might present itself in a bright blue ball of light." Vincent explains.
"Wonderful." Elijah drawls. "How do we kill it?"
"We'll find out soon enough." Vincent states.
It's night by the time they find the other witches, them preparing for the sacrifice. Cullen's eyes widen when she notices for small bodies wrapped in bags. The kids, she thought. A chill running down her spin. They looked dead. "Now that you've returned, brother, you may join us as we claim our power. Our rightful place. And lay waste to all who would deny our master. Are you prepared to prove your loyalty to the Hollow?" One of the witches questions, speaking to Vincent's friend Will.
"I know what I have to do. I'm not afraid." Will responds.
"We should begin." The witch in charge instructs, pulling out a blade. Before the witch can do anything with the weapon a tree branch flies through the air, stabbing the man in the chest. Cullen's eyes widen slightly as she steps back, not having expected the move.
"Hey, we got to get the kids. Get the kids!" Vincent grabs Cullen's arm as the rest of them begin taking the witches down. Together they manage to grab all the kids off the podium, almost all of the kids. As Vincent goes to get the last child he stops in front of his friend. "Will? Will! Come on, man. It's over."
"No, Vince." Will shakes his head. "It's only just begun." Using a magical artifact Will forces Marcel towards him, the vampire being pulled closer to the podium. Following after him Klaus lunges forward, grabbing ahold of Will's neck. "You can't stop what's coming." Angered by his words Klaus tightens his grip, breaking Will's neck.
"No!" Vincent shouts. Before he can yell at Klaus anymore a ring of fire surrounds him and Marcel, bringing both men to their knees. Elijah attempts to reach his brother, but the barrier around them stops him. "Oh, man, we got this all wrong. They wanted us here."
Cullen takes a deep breath as she feels a sudden weight on her chest. She lets out a yell of pain as she's forced to the ground, Elijah and Hayley running to her side. "What's happening?" Elijah raises his voice, looking between Marcel, Klaus, and Cullen. Cullen's head is suddenly thrown back as her eyes roll in the back of her head and an aura like vapor surrounds her before mixing in with the fire surrounding Marcel and Klaus.
"I don't know." Vincent shakes his head, eyebrows furrowed. "Whatever's happening, it's using Cullen's power."
"What's happening to them?" Hayley gestures to Marcel and Klaus.
"They want to channel your power, and anchor The Hollow to the living world." Vincent states, still his eyes move back to Cullen. Whatever was happening to her was a mystery. Leaving the three of them, the rest of them go to check on the kids. "Okay, they're alive. These kids are linked to that ritual. We can't free Marcel, Klaus, and Cullen unless we break the spell."
"How do we stop this?" Elijah gazes towards the ritual.
"I don't know!" Vincent exclaims. "It's a sacrificial ritual. I can't break it unless I kill one of the kids."
"No, no." Hayley shakes her head. "There has to be another way."
In Cullen's mind it was like everything was normal, except the world around her was doused in a blue light and she was alone. Standing up she looked around only stopping when she noticed her body in the real world hadn't moved. Whatever was happening to her was still draining her magic. A dark cloaked figure in the distance suddenly catches her attention. "Hello?" Cullen shouts. "Who are you? Where are we?" The cloaked person turns around, causing Cullen to gasp. It was a woman, around the same age as Cullen, and they looked almost identical. "Who the hell are you?"
The woman smiles. "My name is Inadu, you may know me better as the Hollow."
Cullen's eyes widen before anger fills her body as she marches towards the woman. "You leave my daughter alone or I will kill you."
Inadu laughs, shaking her head. "Oh, Cullen. I don't want your daughter. I want you."
Cullen takes a step back. "What?"
"You see, you and I, we're family." Inadu's evil smile widens. "We are descended from the same bloodline and you happen to be the last of the line, of course there's your daughter, but she doesn't hold the same power you do, close, but not matched."
Cullen tries to shake the shock from her mind, but it's still present as she questions the woman. "So why are you going after my daughter?"
"To get to you." Inadu continues, circling Cullen. "You were powerful before you became a vampire, but when you died it changed you. It strengthened your magic making you one of the most powerful witches to every walk this earth. You haven't even reached your fullest potential."
"So what?" Cullen shakes her head. "You're gonna kill me and take my power?"
"I don't want to kill you, Cullen." Inadu corrects, a spark in her eyes. "I want to be you. Once I'm in your body and I tap into your darkest magic I'll be unstoppable, unkillable, undefeatable."
Waking with a gasp Cullen drops to the ground, her hands landing shakily on her knees. Looking around she notices that everyone is surrounding her, waiting for an explanation. "I know what she wants." Cullen breathes out, glancing towards Klaus. "She wants me."
