Hayley was updating Klaus and Elijah on what she knew when I entered the room.

"Marcel's witch is being held captive in the Quarter," Klaus started to get annoyed "Oh, perfect. Mother's a step ahead, as usual," Hayley continued "Oliver's with her. I'll go, and I'll get her to do the spell. But, I need the necklace."

Before any of us could speak, a worried Elijah spoke up, "I don't like this whatso—" but Hayley cut him off, "No. You don't get to ignore me for days and then suddenly act like you're concerned, Elijah. , for once, please, will you trust me that I'll do something and it will get done?" I was doing my best to hold my laugh. Elijah looked like he was about to say something, but shut his mouth.

Klaus sighs and pulls the necklace out of his pocket and hands it to her. She takes it, thanks him and leaves. "Wait, I'll join," And I tagged along with her. As we were about to, Elijah stops us and tells us to ask someone named Gia to provide us with another ingredient.

We arrived at the crypt where Oliver was waiting with Lenore, who was still chained up. The python Gia stole has wrapped itself around the hourglass, which is still 3/4 the way full. We broke Lenore's chains.

"They worked her over pretty good," Oliver spoke up, looking at both of us, a bit more annoyed at me.

"We need to get her out of here" Hayley balanced her body by leaning over me, panic was taking over Oliver's face "Huh? Then what? They'll know that I let her go! Look, you asked me to infiltrate Cassie's coven, I'm not gonna blow my cover for some has-been hippie-witch!" Lenore groans and gives him a side-eye, which makes Oliver look slightly guilty.

"No offence!" Annoyed, I looked around the mausoleum while Hayley tried to come up with a plan.

"I guess we could always make it look like you got jumped?" I suggested, " Yeah and tell Cassie that Lenore got rescued by her people?" Hayley added.

Oliver sarcastically said, "Let me guess, you, uh, wanna beat the hell out of me? Make it look convincing?" Hayley and I smiled at each other and then looked at Oliver "Well, I can't say I wouldn't enjoy it!"

Oliver laughs weakly and sighs in defeat before bracing himself, "Okay, just... just not the face, okay?" I looked at Hayley and smirked. My fist flew straight at his face, blood dripping, and Hayley kicked him off balance. As he lay on the ground unconscious, our kicks and pushes made the scenario convincing. I even left traces of magic.

The hourglass is now almost half-empty. Lenore was adjusting herself as she checked on Oliver. "He'll be okay, I promise," Hayley said as she saw Lenore's look at Oliver. The witch looked at me, confused "What's your dog in this fight? You're not a Mikaelson," I hesitantly spoke, "well, I am sort of dating one, formed bonds with them. So I sort of am... in spirit."

Lenore was shocked, "You are the witch, the witch that carried the hybrid's baby!" I shrugged, "turned witch-rescuer" Hayley interrupted, "Listen, can we do the spell, or not?"
"After what that bitch and her lackey did to me? I'll do any spell that you want!" Lenore walks out of the crypt as we follow her after sharing a look.

We arrived at her shop, and as quickly as possible, Lenore started preparing for the spell. We watched Lenore as she set up a small cauldron before handing her the bag with the python.

"So, how long will this take?" Hayley asked, Lenore scoffed, "You want me to soul-brand the resurrected spirit of a thousand-year-old witch? It's best I take my time and do it right."

Lenore looks up at me, and her face softens into a sympathetic expression, and she speaks, "I'm sorry. No one should ever have to lose a child". My face dropped "No. No one should" Hayley's hand found mine, squeezing it a bit. I gave her a sad smile. Lenore lights a bundle of sage and wafts the smoke around the room. "You have the talisman?" she asks as I dig the necklace out of my pocket and hand it to her.

"So, how does this work? You brand Esther with the spell, and then what?" Hayley asked as Lenore set the necklace on top of the cauldron so that it lies across the diameter of it while the ends hang over the rim. "The next time she jumps into a body, she'll be marked with a distinctive symbol on the back of her hand," she pulls the python out of the bag, "this way, you'll always know who she is".I took a deep breath. This was all going wrong. I had to give up my daughter at first place, and now her grandmother is hell bent on finding my girl. Again.
"We still don't know why she's here. When Esther held you captive, did she give you any idea why she's doing all this?" I asked as millions of thoughts swirled inside me. Lenore puts the python around her neck for a moment and looks at me with a serious expression. "Love!"

Hayley rolls her eyes at this response and chuckles, "How hard did they hit you?"

But that one word was very strong. I have always heard that Esther would go to any length to correct her mistake of making her children vampires. But now, if I looked at the situation from a mother's perspective, it was all for love. She had to give her children up, be killed by her blood and then watch as they unleashed hell on Earth. I get it. But Esther always had the wrong way. She always chose the path of destruction, and that is why she was always tagged as a villain.

Lenore takes the python from around her neck and holds it in front of her with one hand "What besides love can inspire such pain and cruelty? And Esther?"Lenore takes a knife with her free hand and slices down the length of the snake with it before disembowelling it and squeezing the entrails in her hands, dripping the blood in the cauldron, "her love is very, very strong."

We watched Lenore, looking both stressed and worried, as she continued the soul-branding spell.