COLBY SAT NEXT to Elijah on the couch, flipping through his journal. Whether he knew or not, he didn't seem to mind much. Elijah was reading one of his mother's grimoires, and Klaus was reading through a copy of "A Poison Tree" by William Blake. The dead woman on the coffee table between them made Colby feel uncomfortable, but she chose to avoid mentioning it as classical music played in the background. Rebekah soon walked into the living room, throwing her hands out to her sides in disbelief.

"So, this is what you do the first time we're back together as a family? Vampire book club?" Rebekah asked incredulously. Colby raised her hand, not looking up from the journal.

"Not a vampire." She stated, a smile dancing on her lips as she finally glanced up at the blonde vampire.

"Reading edifies the mind, sister. Isn't that right, Elijah?" Klaus said, looking up at his brother.

"Yes, that's quite right, Niklaus." Elijah replied, making Colby stifle a laugh. Rebekah gestured to the dead girl on the coffee table.

"And what's this business? Hardly a good thing to keep around in the presence of a young girl." Rebekah said, while nodding her head towards Colby. Elijah looked up from the grimoire, sighing.

"This is a peace offering, of sorts. My deepest apologies, Colby." Elijah said, before looking at Colby, who shrugged slightly, and continued to avoid looking directly at the body.

"It's uncomfortable, but I'm technically a guest in your home. I'm not about to start complaining about what you do in your free time, even if it's gross." Colby said, shutting the journal, and setting it on the couch next to her.

"I presumed, after so much time desiccating in a coffin, that my big brother might be a bit peckish." Klaus explained, making Elijah sigh.

"And I explained to my little brother, that forgiveness cannot be bought. I'd simply prefer to see a change in behavior that indicates contrition, and personal growth." Klaus looked almost guilty as Elijah gestured to the dead girl. "Not this nonsense."

"Well, I couldn't very well let her go to waste, could I?" Klaus questioned in amusement, making Colby scrunch her nose up in distaste.

"Well, I suppose I'll go fetch the rubbish bin, because she's staining a two hundred-year-old carpet." Rebekah snapped, before abruptly stomping out of the room. Elijah looked up from his book as he saw that blood was dripping from the girl onto the carpet.

"Ah, gross," Colby mumbled, standing from the couch, and making her way into the kitchen, where Hayley was making herself breakfast. "Good morning, Hayley!" Colby chirped, grabbing an apple and from the bowl on the counter.

"Morning, Colby. Hey, what're you doing today?" Hayley asked the younger girl. Colby thought for a moment, before shrugging.

"I was gonna go see Sophie at Rousseau's. I even got approval from our gracious hosts." Colby said jokingly, making Hayley laugh as she opened the fridge.

"Have a good time, then, Col." Hayley said sincerely. Colby grinned, biting into her apple, and making her way out of the kitchen, passing Elijah on her way out.

Dragging herself up the stairs, and to her room, a shiver ran down Colby's spine. She tried to shake it off, but she couldn't help looking over her shoulder to make sure nothing was peering at her from behind. Seeing nothing there, Colby sighed, taking another bite of her apple.

"Get it together, Colby."

–•–•–

After showering and throwing on some clean clothes, Colby drove to Rousseau's. Walking in through the back, Colby found Sophie and Sabine in the kitchen. Sabine jumped up on the table, sitting as she watch Sophie chop up vegetables.

"I cook on that, you know!" Sophie said, making a face at Sabine.

"Yeah, that's really unsanitary." Colby said, smiling. Both witches turned to look at her with matching grins on their faces.

"Colby!" Sophie said, moving to give her a hug. Colby returned the hug with a laugh.

"It's been a while since I've seen either of you." Colby said with a shrug. Sophie nodded, returning to chopping up vegetables, shooting another look at Sabine.

"Don't get cranky with me! I'm the only witch who still likes you." Sabine said, and Colby moved to lean against the table next to Sabine.

"Yeah, it's not like I'm trying to save the witch heritage or anything." Sophie said, turning to look at the other witch.

"They'll come around. They're just old-school, and scared." Sabine said gently, which only made Sophie scoff, angrily beginning to chop another vegetable.

"Scared of what? Your prophecy about the hybrid baby? Agnes and her freak-show minions had a real field day with that one." Sophie spat out. Colby frowned, having heard about the strange prophecy from Hayley.

"I can't help what I see, Soph." Sabine said softly, shaking her head. Sophie laughed, finally turning to look at the pair.

"Well, if you're psychic, I'm Martha Stewart, and Colby is Ellen." Colby laughed, crossing her arms. Sophie walked towards the table to grab something, shooing away Sabine. "Scootch!" Sophie returned to her table, Sabine jumping down as her and Colby joined Sophie. Sabine suddenly looks uncomfortable for a moment, before two people in black masks walk in.

"What the–" Sabine is abruptly cut off, as one of the masked people backhanded her. As she falls to the ground, she hits her head on the corner of the table, falling unconscious.

"Sabine!" Colby yelled, dropping to the ground next to the witch. Sophie tries to fight off the masked strangers, but they blow a powder in her face, making her fall unconscious as well. Colby looks up at them, terrified. As she opens her mouth to scream, one of the masked people places their hand over her mouth. They blow powder into her face, and Colby's vision blurs before she falls unconscious as well.

–•–•–

Colby groans, opening her eyes. There was a dull ache in her head, but she ignored it as she watched the masked man put Sophie in shackles that were hanging from the ceiling. Colby lunged forward, trying to move to Sophie's side, but she was pulled back by shackles around her own wrists, the chains connected to the wall.

"Let go of me!" Sophie yelled, thrashing around. The words made Colby's head fuzzy for a moment, like something she was trying to remember. Agnes entered the mausoleum, setting a bag down on a table.

"Leave her be." She said calmly. Sophie was infuriated, pulling against her chains.

"Killing me, or Colby, to get to Klaus or his baby is not the answer!" Sophie shouted in anger. Agnes began rooting around in her bag, as if looking for something.

"I'm not gonna kill you, Sophie. I was there the day you were born. I am the last remaining Elder of our coven. It is my duty to protect our power, and our power means nothing if that baby grows another day." She paused, turning to look at Sophie. "Sabine's omen was clear. That baby will bring death to us all." Colby frowned, pulling at her shackles.

"What are you gonna do?" Sophie asked, glancing to Colby, a look of fear crossing her face. Agnes held up a large, old-looking syringe in her hand, a long needle on the end of it. Sophie tried to back away, terrified, but was unable to move.

"No, no, Agnes, no. No, no, don't!" Agnes held Sophie's head down, stabbing the needle into her neck.

"Agnes, no!" Colby yelled, remembering the link Sophie had with Hayley, and in fear for her friend. Sophie's head dropped as she groaned in pain. Agnes set the needle down, looking towards Colby.

"Now, sweet little Colby, we need to talk." Agnes said, sending a chill down Colby's spine. Colby swallowed down the lump in her throat, trying to sound as confident as she could.

"And saying, 'Hey, Colby, can we talk?' was too hard for you?" She asked, anger lacing her words. Agnes sighed, frowning.

"I didn't want to resort to taking you, dear, you must know that." Colby scoffed, looking at Sophie, who was glaring at Agnes. "Sabine had a vision about you," Agnes began, picking up a blade from the bag. Colby frowned, trying to pull at her shackles again. "At first, I thought it couldn't be true. But then I heard it; the wail of a banshee. And I knew that you had inherited your mothers abilities." Agnes lightly pressed the tip of the blade against Colby's neck, just barely breaking the skin, but enough for blood to trickle out. "You are dangerous, Colby Scott. Far too dangerous to allow you to roam freely through New Orleans. I do hope you can forgive me." As Agnes grabbed onto Colby's hair in an attempt to pull her head back, Colby struggled against her grip. She felt the cool surface of the blade pressed against her neck again, and she felt a scream building up inside of her.

"Let her go, Agnes! Stop it!" Sophie screamed, struggling against the shackles. Throwing her head forward, ignoring Agnes' grip on her hair, Colby screamed. All her fear, her anger towards Agnes, came flooding out. A ripple in the air boomed out, and Agnes was sent flying backwards, hitting the wall. Small bottles filled with unknown substances shook on tables, some falling to the ground and shattering. As the scream cut off, Colby breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath. Agnes dropped the blade in fear, quickly gathering her things and rushing out of the mausoleum, leaving Colby and Sophie alone and chained up. "How did you do that?" Sophie asked quietly, her ears still ringing.

"I have no idea." Colby answered, swallowing thickly. Her head began to spin as a headache pounded heavily against her temples. How did she do that?