CHAPTER THIRTEEN | EXQUISITE CORPSE

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IT HAD SEEMED THAT EVA HAD RECLAIMED CONTROL OF HER BODY, AND ATTEMPTED TO GO AFTER HOPE. Luckily, Klaus and Hayley were able to intervene and stop Eva before she laid a finger on the youngest Mikaelson. However, the twenty-four hour hold that Elijah had managed to get Josephine and the witches to agree to ended, which meant that the vengeful witches would also be looking for her. 

Riley, Elijah, Hayley and Gia had decided to pay Josephine LaRue another visit in order to persuade her to call off the hunt on Eva Sinclair. The four supernaturals stood in the foyer, waiting for the witch to make an appearance. Gia excused herself, telling the trio that she would see if she could find Josephine.

"Did she have to come with us?" Hayley voiced her clear irritation for the fact that Elijah and Riley had asked Gia to join them. 

"Josephine LaRue can be rather recalcitrant. She is, however, enamoured with Gia's musical prowess and cavalier spirit." Elijah explained to the Hybrid once he and Riley took a seat.

"Huh. So, the baby-vamp is now the witch whisperer?" Hayley scoffed, then turned to Riley. "I figured if anyone here would get through to Josephine, it'd be you. You know, being a witch, too."

"So did I, but I don't think she's too impressed by the position I've placed myself in." Riley's gaze met Elijah's as she sighed. "Siding with vampires isn't exactly praised in the witching community."

Gia entered back in the room with Josephine following swiftly behind her. Elijah, Riley and Hayley all lifted themselves up to their feet as a sign of respect. "Madame LaRue."

"Mr. Mikaelson." Josephine greeted and gently placed a kiss upon each of Elijah's cheeks then turned to Riley. "Miss. Evans." Josephine chose to smile sweetly toward Riley before they all took their seats again. "Have you come to impress me once more with young Gia's rare talents?" Her gaze instead shifted to Hayley. "What, pray tell, does this one do?"

"This one is family, Madame." Elijah nodded, Hayley smiled with her arms folded across her chest. "We've come to ask for a favour. It seems that Eva Sinclair has managed to regain control of her body and my sister still remains trapped inside her body, too."

"Then you need to let the witches put that body down. Eva will use up your sister, just like she did the others." 

Hayley's brows knitted together with concern. "The others?"

"Eva was a wild beauty practicing a wild magic. But, she and Vincent were so happy, we let them be."

"And, then the children began to disappear." Elijah trailed off. He was familiar with Eva's history.

"Yes." Josephine nodded. "But, because of Vincent's tenacity, she was caught. Once caught, Eva persisted. She told him that she just needed three more children to complete the Rite of Nines." 

Riley shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "What's the Rite of Nines?"

"Eva believed that if she sacrificed a child from each of the nine covens, it would create a new witch order, meaning she would have been more powerful than any elder. A child's magic is untapped— pure. And, children are far easier to subdue."

"That's why she went after my baby." Hayley swallowed thickly in disgust as she put the pieces together.

"She would have killed your daughter. Channeled her powers as she did with those other poor children." Josephine's face fell once more. "We agree she must be stopped. No more of our youth will die. That is why, Mr. Mikaelson, I will not extend your twenty-four hours. Eva Sinclair now has a bounty on her head."

Riley and Hayley exchanged looks of panic as Elijah's fury began to grow. He lifted himself up to his feet. "You would condemn my sister to her death?"

"I dislike the term collateral damage, but there it is. If one or two must fall in order to take Eva down for good, so be it."

"Ms. LaRue, please think about what you're doing here." Riley interjected. She could see just how desperate Elijah was to keep his sister safe. "We can assure you no harm will come to the witches. We will defend the children. We will do whatever it takes, just please reconsider." 

Josephine shook her head again. "I appreciate your desire to assist Mr. Mikaelson, but I need to protect my community. My mind remains unchanged." 

"Are you serious?" The Hybrid mother scoffed loudly. "She puts on a talent show. Elijah has every vampire in the Quarter kissing your ass. Riley stands here and speaks politely even though you treat her like crap for standing with us, and your final answer is screw you?"

Gia lifted herself up to her feet. "Hayley—"

"—Back off." She cut Gia off once again with an irritated tone.

"We came here to honour the alliance between us. If this is something you wish to rescind, so be it." Elijah simply stated with a vicious tongue, before he gripped Riley's hand and began to exit.

"Don't you dare walk into my house and threaten me!" Josephine yelled out furiously which caused both Elijah and Riley to stop. "I am not the one that needs you, Elijah Mikaelson, it is you who needs us. Or, you will soon enough." She twirled around and gripped Hayley's forearm. "There is a storm coming, Cherie. Your darkest demons ride upon it. I do not know it's name, but when I peer into your future, there is a blackness that should terrify you."

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Marcel had managed to find Eva with the help of Vincent, but as it turned out, Eva had managed to convince Vincent to help her and the pair had disappeared. Upon hearing the news, Hayley anxiously paced up and down with Hope against her hip. "Great! So, Eva is still in the wind, although now she has a sidekick."

"The charming Vincent Griffith." Elijah sighed heavily with his gaze peering out of the window.

"It gets worse. If Eva has Davina, then she has eight of the witches she needs to finish the ritual." Once Marcel revealed the startling information, all eyes fell on him. "She just needs one more."

Riley felt panic begin to bubble inside of her once her eyes fell to Hope. "You don't think—"

"—If she comes after Hope, Rebekah or no Rebekah, I will put her down for good." Hayley took a step closer to the trio as she clutched tightly onto her daughter.

"Riley, can you place some a boundary spell on this house?" Elijah asked the witch, who nodded without hesitation. His attention then moved to Marcel. "When they do come, kill him. Capture her."

"Capture?" Hayley echoed in a startled tone.

"I will not abandon my sister." The Original vampire snapped viciously, almost as if he were irritated that Hayley would consider anything otherwise. "Now, gather what wolves you have. With Vincent by her side, she will strike with considerable force."

With Elijah's ordered ringing in their ears, Hayley had taken off to locate the rest of the wolves and arrange them strategically around the compound. Riley was stood at the gate of the compound, her eyes closed at she performed the boundary spell. 

"Vis sera portus. Vis sera portus. Vis sera portus." She whispered softly, then finally turned on her heels the moment that Hayley entered back into the courtyard. "Barrier is up. Though, considering Eva is channeling eight witches, and has Vincent, I don't know how long it'll hold."

"There's still no sign of her." Hayley exasperatedly sighed. "What the hell is Eva waiting for?"

"She didn't wait." Marcel stormed back into the courtyard. "She took Josephine LaRue not half an hour ago."

"Okay. So, if Eva doesn't need Hope then where would she go to get this done?" 

"The same place where she kept all the other captives. Where she took Davina." Marcel trailed off with worry as he thought about the young girl he considered a daughter.

Elijah nodded slowly. "A place no one has been able to find for two years."

Marcel's phone began to ring in his pocket and as he pulled it out, he sighed heavily. "When I find you, I am going to rip your head from your neck!"

"You may want to hold off on that decapitation. I found them all." Vincent spoke down the sigh, listening to Marcel sigh in relief. "Davina's alive. Sorry, I had to make it look convincing. If you were in on the plan, Eva would have known."

"Yeah. Blasting me through a couple of glass doors really did it." Marcel rolled his eyes irritably. "Alright. Round of applause. Now, what?"

"Now, we've got a problem. These kids, they're all linked to her. If she dies, they all die."

"So, we find a witch to unlink them." Marcel simply looked toward Riley, who nodded. 

"Gonna need somebody with a serious power."

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Elijah enlisted the help of Freya, despite Klaus' objections. Eva was powerful, and it would take a lot more than just Riley's power to solve their problem. They needed Freya. They arrived at the abandoned warehouse, Marcel carried Eva's body whilst Freya directed the plan.

"Lay her inside the salt and lay on either side of her. Each of you, take her hand. Riley and I will act as a bridge into her mind." She instructed Marcel and Vincent, who laid Eva's down into the salt triangle. "But, I'm trusting you to anchor me, brother."

Elijah nodded to Freya. "Do what you need to do." Then, the Original vampire turned to Riley with a panicked look. "Are you sure you're willing to do this?"

"Of course I am. I'll be fine." Riley smiled as she felt Elijah's hand brush against her cheek. "Promise."

"Rebekah is buried deep. Eva will not give her up without a fight."

"Then she gets a fight." Marcel seemed determined to get Rebekah back, no matter what the odds.

"Be careful. You're entering Eva's mind. If she kills you in there, you will be lost." Freya explained as she watched both Vincent and Marcel exchange looks. "And, if you kill her before you free Rebekah, then Rebekah will be gone forever. Once you have Rebekah, then, and only then, can Eva be dealt with."

Vincent nodded. "We got it."

Marcel and Vincent laid down on either side of Eva's body, inside the triangle. Freya kneeled down beside Vincent. "You'll need a weapon." She took Eva's knife from her boot and held it toward Vincent.

"He won't be able to take that with him, Freya." Riley told the ancient witch with furrowed brows, though she herself still remained in the safe hold of Elijah. 

"Lamina ferri in mentem. Lamina ferri in mentem." She chanted softly, then shrugged. "This is going to hurt." Without hesitation, Freya stabbed Vincent in the arm with the knife. The witch screamed in anguish before he and Marcel both fell unconscious. Freya straightened herself up, and stood one side of Elijah, taking his hand, whilst Riley took the other. "Are you ready, Riley?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Repeat after me— Pontem praesidio. Anchora immortalibus. Pontem praesidio. Anchora immortalibus." Freya began to shout the incantation loudly, hearing Riley's words follow after. "Pontem praesidio. Anchora immortalibus. Pontem praesidio. Anchora immortalibus."

Both girls chanted loudly as they felt the magic begin to overwhelm then. Freya and Riley leaned backwards, arching their backs as their heads remained thrown back. Elijah used what strength he had to keep the females from falling. The Original grunted loudly, desperate to keep the spell going through his attention moved to Marcel and noticed blood began to drip from his eyes.

"Pontem praesidio. Anchora immortalibus. Pontem praesidio. Anchora immortalibus." Riley screamed loudly. She could feel that something was happening inside Eva's mind. Both she and Freya looked back at Elijah. "We're losing them!"

Klaus suddenly sped into the room and grabbed Riley's arm, as well as Elijah's. In doing so, the four were now linked in a circle in an attempt to anchor the witches. Freya seemed almost startled by his intervention. "We're not finished, you and I. But, for right now? Save my sister."

Freya nodded, breathlessly before she clamped her eyes shut again. "Pontem praesidio. Anchora immortalibus. Pontem praesidio. Anchora immortalibus."

A sudden gasp from Marcel and Vincent caused Freya and Riley to jolted backward from Elijah and Klaus. Riley breathlessly looked up toward Elijah, who let the witch lean into his hold. Marcel sat up and looked over toward Eva's body, noticing she was still unconscious. 

"Did it work?"

Marcel sped out of the room the moment he heard a small echo of voices— presumably the children that Eva had kidnapped. "They're okay!"

Rebekah, however, was not okay. She still hasn't woken up. Klaus began to grow impatient, devastated at the thought of losing his sister. "Why isn't she waking?!"

Almost a few seconds later, a gasp left Eva's lips and she sat up straight. The five looked at her warily, unsure whether she was Rebekah or Eva. A smirk appeared across her lips. "Bloody hell." She exhaled deeply, indicating that it was, in fact, Rebekah Mikaelson.

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