CHAPTER SIX | THE MAP OF MOMENTS

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THE MINUTE THAT RILEY LOOKED IN THE MIRROR THE NEXT MORNING, SHE SAW PUNCTURE WOUNDS ALL DOWN HER SPINE. With her mind racing, no recollection of what had clearly happened to her the night before, and desperation to learn what was happening, Riley quickly called Davina. With a vague and confusing answer from Kol, it turned out that Esther had prepared Riley's body for Rebekah to jump into. 

Riley anxiously watched as Davina and Kol performed a spell using a small, terrifying looking voodoo doll in an attempt to protect Riley's body from Esther's magic. "It's finished. But, I'm worried it's not enough to protect you, Riley."

"Hey, the fact that you're even standing here trying is good enough for me." The strawberry-blonde witch took a deep breath and forced a smile onto her face, no matter how scared she was. "Thank you. Both of you."

Kol nodded, his eyes turned back toward the voodoo doll. "It'll be fine. This spell needs time to cook."

"Riley doesn't have time. Esther can jump anybody into her body right now." Marcel stepped out into view with his arms folded across his chest. He had promised Klaus that he would do everything in his power to protect Riley whilst the Hybrid had disappeared with Hayley.

"Right. But, she wants to jump Rebekah. That same Mikaelson who is miles away in an unnamed location and out of Esther's reach." The witch interjected with another shrug. "I appreciate the concern, but Esther can't even find Rebekah. It'll be okay."

"Just keep working." Marcel's tone was stern toward the Mikaelson before he wandered off toward the dining room with Riley. "Hey, I know this is crazy right now, but we're gonna get this sorted. Nobody is jumping into your body."

"I have an idea. I— I know it's probably not the most sane idea, but it's all I've got." Riley's eyes gestured toward the coffin in which Klaus had locked Finn inside once he learned Esther's intentions for Riley. 

Marcel looked almost stunned by the young witch's choice to talk with Finn. "You're not talking to Finn." 

"Why? I could at least try. Surely it's better than sitting around, waiting for Rebekah to suddenly take me over." Riley noticed that his demeanour remained unchanged, even more stern than before. "Marcel, you either help me, or I'll snap your neck and speak to him anyway."

"You know, I'm only doing this because it means so much to you. But if it's not safe, I'm staying. Not to control you, to protect you." Marcel told Riley as he walked toward the coffin at the end of the room. 

"I appreciate the sentiment, but it's unlikely he'll say anything if I've got a vampire bodyguard beside me. I can handle myself, it's not like he's going to be able to take me on after the torture Klaus had put him through."

Marcel shrugged in agreement and swung open the coffin door, letting Finn fall straight into his hold. With laboured breathing Finn was escorted toward a chair by the two supernaturals as he looked between them, startled by his current situation.  

Marcel's eyes flickered up to Riley, almost as if he were silently asking if she were okay. The witch nodded. "I'll be outside." Marcel defiantly exited the room.

A heavy sigh left Riley's lips as she sat down in a chair opposite the Mikaelson. Finn's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she slid a cup of water toward him. "I thought you could do with some water." 

"You're a compassionate woman, Riley. It's your fatal flaw, and it will be your downfall."

"Figures." The witch chuckled softly in an attempt to mask the nerves that bubbled within her. "Come on, then. Isn't it time you told me why? Why the hell would your mother choose me?"

"Because, Riley, you're perfect." Finn whispered softly in such a tone that made her skin crawl. "Healthy. Beautiful. Smart. Alone. And, a witch. Nobody would question any personality changes. But, the longer I studied your relationship with my brothers, it's clear that neither of them would allow you to be harmed."

"Okay. So, stop it."

"I can't. Only my mother can." 

"This is my body, Finn! Mine. I don't know what the hell is wrong with people like you and your damn mother, but I swear if I so much as feel anything out of the slightest bit ordinary, I will turn you back into the thing you despise." Riley's venomous glare appeared to strike fear within Finn. "I will turn you into a vampire."

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It had turned out that Marcel received a call from Klaus detailing their entirely new plan. Rebekah wanted to go after Esther whilst she was distracted during the body jumping spell, when she would be most vulnerable. Obviously, there would be a chance that the spell would continue and Rebekah would surely be placed in another body, but they needed to make sure that the body Rebekah could potentially inhabit would not be Riley's. They needed Kol's help.

"Done! As per request." Kol sauntered back into the compound as all eyes averted to him. "Miss Angelica Barker. Good cheek bones and a tummy you can bounce a quarter off. She will be Rebekah's new host body instead of Riley."

Riley and Davina exchanged hopeful looks, though it was clear there was an element of guilt between the two witches. "Who's Angelica Barker?" Davina asked.

"One of my vampire potentials. Had to turn her down. She was too lost."

"Wait." Riley interrupted again. She felt nothing but horrific guilt for the woman that was about to take her place. "Does she know this is gonna happen?"

Kol shrugged. "It's better when they don't know, love."

"Hopefully, we won't have to use her." The Gerard vampire attempted to keep the storm of guilt that whirled inside Riley at bay.

"Hopefully. Though my mother is a wily and vindictive woman, which is why I've got to ask something else of you." The Mikaelson's attention was solely placed on Marcel. 

"You're already getting the diamond." Marcel spoke, referring to the Fauline Diamond that he had taken off from Kol in 1914.

"For which I'm thrilled about, but in order for me to help you, I need access to my mother's hourglass, which is in the lycée with my mother." Kol trailed off, noticing that Marcel seemed confused. "Well, I haven't been back in a while, and the only way she won't suspect me is if I bring back the thing that I was sent to find."

Riley folded her arms across her chest and furrowed her brows. "And, what were you sent to find, Kol?"

"The White Oak stake."

The entire playing-field had completely changed at the mention of the one weapon that could completely destroy an entire line of vampires. "Are you out of your mind?" Marcel gawked in disbelief.

"Kaleb!" Davina also hissed, whilst Riley silently judged the Mikaelson. It didn't surprise her one bit that Kol was changing the goal posts.

"Look, it's the only way that she's gonna trust me." He desperately looked between Marcel, Riley and Davina. "She doesn't want to kill them. She just wants to make sure that the weapon doesn't fall into the wrong hands. I swear as soon as she's gone, I'll give it right back to Klaus."

"No. No, you can't do this. The deal's off." Riley shook her head immediately. There was absolutely no way that they could even risk Esther getting her hands on the stake. 

"Kol." The voice of the Hybrid echoed throughout the compound until he finally stormed inside with a stone cold expression. "Whatever grudges you hold against me, we are doing this for the good of our family. Do I have your word that for once you will honor that?"

Kol swallowed thickly, nodding immediately. "You have my word, Nik. I swear on the fate of us all."

"I'll get the stake."

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The plan was in motion and it was fair to say that everyone was tense. Kol had set off with the White Oak stake after providing Klaus with his word that he would do right by their family, whilst Davina was ensuring the spell would work and that Esther was prevented from placing Rebekah into Riley.

"Kaleb will link this hourglass to Esther's." Davina explained toward Riley as she turned the hourglass in front of her. "Ours will mirror hers." 

"When the last sand falls, Esther will try to jump her into you." Marcel continued on from the witch's explanation with his arms folded across his chest.

"Right. And, you'll redirect the spell from me, to Esther." Riley exhaled with a look of understanding as she finished placing her hair up into a bun. "I got it."

"When Rebekah attacks, Esther won't be able to jump her into you or herself anywhere else."

"What about Kol?" The strawberry-blonde's gaze nervously flickered between Marcel and Davina. "Are you sure that we can trust him?" 

"He's on board." The Gerard vampire spoke confidently that it was just easier for Riley to believe him. "He's a thief and a liar, but like Elijah, he doesn't give his word lightly."

"It's working." Davina softly whispered as she watched the sand within hourglass begin to trickle slowly into the other end. Riley couldn't help but feel nervous, desperately watching as the minutes poured out into the bottom. 

"Now?" Marcel asked. 

Davina shook her head, her eyes firmly on the hourglass. "Not yet."

"Now!" Marcel loudly yelled as the final droplets of sand fell. Davina's eyes clamped shut and she began to softly chant whilst Riley's body grew rigid and began to spasm. The vampire sped forward and caught the witch right before she fell onto the ground. "Did it work?"

"I have no idea." Davina breathlessly answered back with an anxious look in her eyes.

Twenty minutes had gone by, and Riley had not regained consciousness. Marcel had placed her on one of the couches in the foyer whilst Davina carefully brushed the strawberry-blonde hair from her face. Her attention was taken when Klaus had walked in, holding an unconscious Rebekah within his arms.

"When she's up, we need to get her out of the quarter." Marcel abruptly entered the foyer with a panicked look on his face. "She's not safe here. Somebody busted Finn out."

The Hybrid grunted underneath his breath. "My mother is using Mikael to do her dirty work now." As the words left his lips, a loud gasp escaped Riley's. All eyes averted to her, anxious about whether or not Rebekah had been jumped into her body. "Riley?"

"Oh. Thank God." The witch exhaled in relief whilst a smile washed over her. Davina fell into her hold, wrapping her arms desperately around the strawberry-blonde witch. "Thank you."

Marcel's attention was turned to Rebekah, who still hadn't woken up. "I couldn't stop the spell." Klaus whispered in a guilty tone.

"Please tell me that your mother's dead?"

"Rebekah and I took extra precautions. Esther is exactly where she needs to be." Klaus vaguely answered before his gaze met the strawberry-blonde witch. "I am dealing with the last piece of tonight's puzzle, then I'll be back. In the meantime, pack a bag. The quarter is no longer safe for you."

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