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CHAPTER 25: CHRONICALLY OVERWHELMED

❝ well, every good story needs a wicked witch. ❞

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ENOLA COULDN'T HELP BUT FEEL CHRONICALLY OVERWHELMED. She has learned by now that trauma and abandonment disconnect people from their bodies as a source of pleasure and comfort. When she cannot rely on her body to signal safety or warning, she loses the capacity to feel at home in her own skin—and by extension—the world.

As long as the map of the world is based on trauma and abuse and neglect, people are likely to seek shortcuts to oblivion. Anticipating rejection, ridicule, and deprivation—Enola is reluctant to try out new options, certain that these will lead to failure. This lack of experimentation traps her in a matrix of fear, isolation, and scarcity where it is impossible to welcome the very experiences that might change her basic worldview. She would give anything to feel at home in her own skin.

"Which restaurant is missing a compelled chef?" Enola inquired.

In the middle of the courtyard sat the most mouthwatering breakfast spread they had ever seen. They wondered where it had come from. They would have heard someone setting all this up. They naturally assumed someone living under the roof of the compound had done it to welcome the werewolves who had moved it. They supposed it was the most plausible reasoning.

"This is certainly a card I've played in the past," Klaus confessed. "But I had no hand in this."

"Then I guess we have Elijah to thank?" Hayley wondered out loud.

"This wasn't my doing," Elijah shook his head with a frown.

"Then where did all of this come from?" Hayley inquired skeptically.

The cover on a silver platter suddenly began to rattle. Enola immediately jumped back and latched onto Klaus. He gave her hand a soft squeeze before reaching forward to remove the tray cover. Two ravens flew out into the open, leaving behind a single note.

"What the hell was that?" Enola questioned nervously.

Klaus kept a hold of Enola. He was hesitant to reach forward before snatching the note off of the silver platter. He opened the note, eyes scanning the lines that had been inscribed on the small piece of paper. A deep frown settled on his lips as he answered all their questions.

"It's an invitation," Klaus informed, eyes settling on Elijah. "From our mother."

"It is times like this I'm glad I never knew my mother," Hayley hummed.

"We have enough enemies here," Klaus groaned. "And now the war for our home is to be fought against my own family."

"Your wretched mother and her disciples tried to kill our baby," Enola reminded. "I will happily add to the body count."

"You'll do no such thing," Elijah slightly scolded. "Esther is a master in the art of possession. We know whose body she currently inhabits. We must decipher her intentions before she finds a new host."

"Well, her last invitation was an assassination attempt on all her children." Klaus pointed out. "I think we can assume her intentions are decidedly foul."

"Well, then," Elijah nodded, plucking the invitation into his own hand. "We have this afternoon to prepare for the worst."

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Enola found Klaus in the dining room. He was preparing for their guests this evening when she entered the room. She couldn't help but watch in fascination as he chose between two different vintage wine bottles. When he wasn't off plotting the downfall of an enemy, he seemed so normal. She couldn't help but wonder how their lives would look if they were human. Would they live the white picket fence dream?

"I guess letting Oliver live paid off," Enola informed. "He just informed me that your mother has a partner in crime—another witch."

"Building alliances in her quest to destroy us, I imagine." Klaus sighed, setting the two bottles back on the rack.

"Why does she hate you so much, Nik? Disregarding the fact that you killed her. Twice." Enola noted. "She had, like, six kids. It's not like she doesn't have the maternal gene."

"Seven, actually." Klaus corrected. "And I think at one time, she loved us very much." He began to set the table. "One died before I was born."

"I didn't know that," Enola frowned.

"Well, as you do know, my brother Henrik was killed by the werewolves in our village. The loss of another child is what pushed my mother over the edge. So she used her magic to turn us into immortals. I think that is when she loved us the most. But it was her undoing." Klaus sighed. "It triggered a sequence of events that led to the reveal of her long-held secret: my birth father was the werewolf whose pack killed my little brother. Of course when Mikael found out, he murdered my real father. And so my mother lost her lover as well."

"No wonder she went crazy," Enola whistled lowly. "I'm out of my mind having just given away Hope. I can't imagine if she had actually died."

"You know, my siblings used to tell each other that she didn't actually hate us. She hated herself for what we had become." Klaus said, looking down sadly. "I think they believed that even after she tried to kill us all."

"What did you believe?" Enola wondered.

"I don't know," Klaus confessed. "I just knew I wanted her dead."

"Well, every good story needs a wicked witch." Enola grinned. "It will be all the more satisfying when we melt her."

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Esther had a troublesome tendency of jumping into other bodies. They needed outside help to track the next body jump which is where Lenore comes in. She was a witch whom Marcel trusted enough to do spells on the downlow for a friend in need. It was called soul branding—a sacrificial spell. They needed an item that had been spelled by the witch in question.

Klaus had that covered. It was a necklace that had a leather strap with a metal bird on the end. His mother—Esther—gave it to him over a thousand years ago. He said it had been spelled to protect him which made it the perfect item for the spell. However, they no longer had a witch to perform it. Enola got word from Oliver that Lenore had been taken by Esther.

"Lenore is being held captive in the quarter," Enola informed.

"Oh perfect," Klaus rolled his eyes. "Mother is a step ahead of us, as usual."

"Oliver is with her," Enola continued.

"I'll go get her to do the spell," Hayley volunteered. "But I need the necklace."

"I don't like this," Elijah voiced his opinion.

"No. You don't get to ignore me for days and suddenly act like you're concerned, Elijah." Hayley interrupted. "Just for once—will you please trust me that I will do something and get it done."

"I can go with her," Enola volunteered, holding a hand out for the necklace.

"Be safe," Klaus hummed, gently handing the necklace over.

"You're okay with this?" Elijah questioned Klaus in shock.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Klaus inquired. "My fiancé is capable of getting the job done."

"But it could be dangerous," Elijah persisted.

"My fiancé can also take care of herself," Klaus scoffed. "You needn't worry, Elijah."

"Fine," Elijah reluctantly caved. "Just—"

"I don't want to hear it," Hayley interrupted.

"There is something else," Elijah pushed. "Marcel has a disciple that has been instructed to fetch another ingredient. Ask for Gia."

"Will do," Enola saluted, giving Klaus a quick kiss. "Good luck."

"I'm dealing with my mother," Klaus reminded. "I am going to need a lot more than luck if I am to succeed."

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Oliver led Enola and Hayley into Lafayette Cemetery. They entered a mausoleum to find who they assumed to be Lenore. She was strung up to the far wall with chains as if she was some sort of prisoner when her only crime was helping them. They could tell she put up one hell of a fight and for that, they couldn't help but respect her.

"They worked her pretty good," Oliver sighed.

"We need to get her out of here," Hayley announced.

"Well, then what? They'll know that I let her go. You asked me to infiltrate this coven. I'm not going to blow my cover for some has been hippie witch." Oliver scoffed in disbelief, sparing Lenore a quick glance. "No offense."

"We could always make it look like you got jumped," Enola suggested. "Tell Cassie that Lenore got rescued by her people."

"Let me guess," Oliver huffed. "You want to beat the hell out of me?"

"I can't say I wouldn't enjoy it," Enola grinned with a simple shrug.

"Okay," Oliver caved. "Just—Just not the face."

Enola punched Oliver directly in the face. Six times. Hayley grimaced when Enola dropped Oliver like a fly before moving to help Lenore. She broke the chains with sheer strength as she helped the witch sit on the stone bench.

"It's going to be okay," Hayley reassured. "I promise."

Lenore nodded before spotting Enola through the haze. Her head was unclear at the moment due to the torture session earlier, but she recognized that face anywhere. She had been around for a long time. She had run into that same face back then.

"You're the doppelgänger mother," Lenore realized.

"Turned werewolf, turned vampire, turned witch rescuer apparently." Enola shrugged.

"Well, thank you." Lenore nodded, glancing back to Hayley. "Both of you."

"Don't thank us yet," Hayley warned.

"Listen," Enola began. "Our friend, Elijah, spoke to you earlier today asking for help with a spell. Will you still do it?"

"After what that bitch and her lackey did to me," Lenore began gratefully. "I'll do any spell you want."

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Enola and Hayley followed Lenore somewhere secluded. She owned a shop just across the river where they would be able to work in private. Enola handed over the necklace while Hayley brought the snake Lenore needed to complete the spell.

"Will this take long?" Hayley inquired.

"You want me to soul brand the resurrected spirit of a one thousand year old witch," Lenore deadpanned. "It's best I take my time and do it right."

"Well, we have the time to wait." Enola reassured. She glanced to the clock on the wall. Klaus and Elijah were probably still busy with Esther which gave them the time to hopefully finish the spell before anyone notices that Lenore is missing.

"For what it's worth—I'm sorry." Lenore sighed, sparing Enola a quick glance. "No one should ever have to lose a child."

"No," Enola muttered, looking down in sadness. "No one should."

"So how does this work?" Hayley wondered. "You brand Esther with the spell and then what?"

"The next time she jumps into a body, she'll be marked with a distinctive symbol on the back of her hand." Lenore informed. "This way you'll always know who she is."

"We still don't know why she is here," Enola expressed. "When Esther held you captive did she give you any idea why she's doing all this?"

"Love," Lenore answered as she pulled the snake out of the bag.

"How hard did they hit you?" Hayley inquired.

"What besides love inspires such pain and cruelty?" Lenore inquired. "And Esther? Her love is very, very strong."

Lenore pulled the snake out of the bag before reaching for the ritualistic dagger. She cut all the way down, allowing its intestines to fall into the bowl she had prepared. She closed her eyes as she began to chant in a foreign language. The lights flickered, the wind blew, the spell was complete. She stumbled slightly, dropping the dagger to the ground along with the snake skin.

"Are you okay?" Enola questioned hesitantly.

"Yes," Lenore muttered automatically. "Just getting my bearingings."

Lenore lifted a hand. She massaged her scalp slowly, revealing a distinctive mark on the back of her hand. She seemed unaware of this as she leaned back against the counter with a tired sigh. This was probably why she was abducted earlier that day. For her.

"The mark," Hayley whispered.

"It's you, isn't it?" Enola muttered. "Esther?"

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Enola and Hayley watched Lenore—or Esther—clean the snake intestines up with a nearby rag. She didn't seem all that surprised to find what they were up to. She had probably been expecting it all along. She was probably also counting on it. She remained unfazed when the shrill cry of a cell phone called out.

"Go ahead," Esther nodded. "You can answer it."

Enola was hesitant. She kept her gaze locked on Esther as she slipped the phone out of her back pocket. She didn't so much as glance down at her caller i.d as she pressed the answer button. She already knew who was calling her.

"Where are you?" Klaus questioned immediately.

"At Lenore's shop," Enola informed.

"What is happening?" Klaus inquired worriedly.

"Your mother—" Enola tried only for the line to go dead thanks to a little magic.

"That will be enough," Esther hummed.

"They will come for us," Hayley spoke nervously.

"My darling, that's been the idea all along." Esther hummed, turning to Enola. "It's so lovely to finally see you again. Tell me, do my sons ever acknowledge the good you bring to their lives. After all it was you who gave them Hope. The promise of a child shows us all the possibilities of a future that could be. Children are meant to save us from the worst parts of who we are. A truth that makes my own circumstances all the more tragic. Wouldn't you say?"

"I don't pity you, Esther." Hayley spat.

"It's a terrible thing for a mother to fail their child. As you well know." Esther continued, ignoring Hayley. "But I offer you freedom. The gift of a new body. Freedom from being a hybrid—from being a doppelgänger. I have the ability to return to you all that you have lost. To make it so you can have a family of your own. More children of your own. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Enola couldn't help but consider the offer. She would be lying if she said she wasn't tempted. She had spent the past three years in misery. She had lost almost everything. A chance to start over and live a human life was tempting. How was she supposed to spend eternity with the possibility of loss looming over her?

"I assume I have the misfortune of speaking to my mother." Klaus hummed. He stormed in the room with Elijah following close behind. He went to make a move only to run straight into a boundary spell. "You hide behind your spells like a coward."

"I did not come here to wage war," Esther defended.

"Everything you do is an act of war," Elijah scoffed, face full of disdain. "If you touch them, so help me—"

"They are free to go. I have spoken my peace." Esther promised. "I have come to heal our family."

"Well, that's a grand sentiment coming from you." Klaus growled, eyes briefly flickering to Enola and Hayley. "Go. Now."

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Esther escaped. Enola couldn't bother to be surprised. She had witnessed this same treasury back in Mystic Falls. She knew this was far from over. The original witch will not rest until all of her children are dead. Except for Finn who is also apparently alive helping Esther plot their downfall.

"Of course she used those damned birds to escape," Klaus seethed.

"Besides mothers offer of rebirth, what else did she say?" Elijah inquired.

Enola stayed silent. She didn't know what to say. She listened to the offer and she really liked it. But she knew better than to trust the original witch after everything she had witnessed thus far. She just wished there was a way where she could get everything she wanted and not have to worry about old enemies resurfacing.

"I don't know. She rambled a lot." Hayley spoke up. "She blamed the two of you for what happened to Hope—for what happened to us."

"Well, I trust you're not thinking of taking her offer?" Klaus hummed, earning nothing but silence in return. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

"What?" Enola groaned. "Excuse me for being easily persuaded."

"You are not easily persuaded," Elijah said. "You are perfectly justified in your feelings."

"How is any of this justified?" Klaus questioned.

"She lost everything, Klaus." Hayley sighed, trying to be the mediator.

"We all have lost something," Klaus argued. "That . . . woman . . . who brought me into the world and made me what I am—she lied to me, she made me weak."

Esther had revealed that the necklace she had gifted Klaus a thousand years ago, the one they had used for the marking spell, was spelled to keep him weak. She wanted to make sure that his werewolf curse was never activated. She didn't want to risk ruining her perfect little life by having her husband find out about her affair with the werewolf.

"You were never weak, Nik." Enola shot back. "I have seen first hand what you are capable of. You will protect our home even in the face of an enemy like your mother because that—that is what you do. That is why I didn't take your mother up on her offer. Because I trust you to fix this. You always do."

"Have I told you how much I adore you?" Klaus inquired, pulling Enola close. "I promise I won't let you down."

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AUTHORS NOTE.
the mikaelson family always seems to find a way to cheat death. most of the time. they have all come back to life just to die again. it was kind of draining. like torture. just let them live at this point. no one needs to die that much. until next time, my loves!!!