***

"There's got to be an easier way to do this," Hope muttered, after slicing her palm. She turned to me as I held my palm out for her, letting her do it for me with a different knife. If she didn't do it, it would never get done. I winced and made a small sound of pain. I bled into a second bowl beside Hope's as she kept slicing her palm, finally getting enough courage to slice my own this time for the second time. To get enough blood for the spell, we had to slice our palms multiple times due to our high healing factor as tribrids.

"Your blood is the key. I just need enough to soak the moonstones," Freya explained, watching the blood pour. Once Hope had enough blood, Freya chanted, "Anima marcam. Iskoristi vuka. Anima marcam." She waited for me to get finished as she soaked my moonstone in my blood.

"What does that word 'Marcam' mean? 'To brand'?" I questioned, as Freya nodded and praised me for my observation. It actually completely meant, "The drenched stone is heated and used to brand the afflicted."

"Brand me? Where? Skye, you knew this and never told me?" Hope accused, quite upset with me.

"I thought you were aware..." I admitted softly, "And I knew because I study Latin, remember? A class you never seem to pay attention in. Marcam sounds like Markas, which means to mark or to brand. I took a lucky guess." Hope seemed to finally get it, and she looked like she was upset at herself for not getting it before. Yes, Hope had the strength and stamina between us while I had clumsiness. But I also had the book smarts, intelligence. And the cleverness and strategizing skills. We made a good team together.

"The palms of both hands, the soles of both feet. And... the site of the third-eye chakra. And, girls, listen to me, you can't pass out or ever stop breathing, okay?" Freya lectured, as i finally realized the weight of what we were doing. This could potentially kill us...

"And if we do?" Hope asked, a little nervous. I was nervous too, in fact, more than nervous. Petrified. But, I tried to keep it from them so  they wouldn't ask me if I was okay. Because truthfully, I am not okay. And I would definitely be honest about it too.

"Just don't," Freya said pleadingly, "If you ever want me to stop..." But if we decided to go through with this, we could not back out. Especially whilst we are so close. We both insisted upon doing it, much to Freya's displeasure.  Freya began to chant, "Anima marcam. Iskoristi vuka." She used her tongs to grab the bloody moonstones to warm them so she could brand us. Freya started with me,  since I had the most nerves and I had to get it over with if I wanted it done. But before the scolding stone could brand my forehead, my dad grabbed the tongs from Freya.

"I will not let my past become your future. Do you understand? Do you understand?" Dad asked us, the last one a bit harsher than the first. He seemed  quite upset with Hope and I, and I definitely did understand.

"Marcel told you," Freya concluded, speaking of our adoptive brother, or past adoptive brother. He's definitely our brother at heart, as he sees us as his sisters. And I can't blame him, we are the only people he has left as his family-family. He disowned the other Mikaelsons.

"He didn't have to." Dad paused, only to begin again, "A thousand years of family has taught me to expect betrayal from those I hold most dear." He then turned to my sister and I to point at us. "Bind them? Really? How many times have you heard me rail against the shame our parents gave me?"

"How many times have you heard me cry, devastated over having lived my life without my mother?" Freya started, definitely winning over Dad just then. Soon, the winds began to blow and the plants started to die. "You have to go, Klaus. You can't stay here with them." She was referring to Hope and I.

"Girls, listen to me. This ends..." Dad started, taking our cups of blood, "Now." And just as swiftly as he appeared, our father was out of sight and still in our  mind. That was.. unbelievable. Insane, really. But it did happen. We weren't imagining things.