Author's note: Hi I hope everyone is well and doing okay during this trying times. I hope you are practicing social distance and avoid going out unless necessary until this pandemic is over. Thoughts and prayers with all of you xx

Chapter 16: Wages of Sin

"Finally!" I exclaimed, as Marcel, Klaus and Kol walked into the courtyard. Diego and I, along with a couple of daywalkers had waited for them to return from the church for a while now. They had gone there to meet Father Kieran, in attempt to find Papa Tunde, the witch who was now, lying dead on our courtyard. "You've got special delivery."

"Oh bloody hell," Klaus muttered, upon seeing Papa Tunde's body.

"I supposed your witch problem has just begun," Kol said and Klaus shot a glare at him, telling him to shut up.

"Our witch problem," Elijah corrected and Kol shrugged.

"Did you know who exactly sent it?" Marcel asked those of us who had stayed in.

"No, they didn't ring the doorbell," I answered dryly and Marcel gave me a look.

"Can I get you anything, brother? A magnifying glass?" Klaus chimed in to lighten the mood as Elijah examined Papa Tunde's corpse like a detective.

"Or a pipe," Kol added and the two brothers shared a similar sounding chortles. Who had thought two vampires over a millennium can be this childish?

"You have a theory you'd like to share with us?" Elijah asked condescendingly.

"Back in the day, when the witches wanted to send a threat, they'd just kill a chicken and leave it on your doorstep," Marcel said.

"It's rather a large and ominous chicken, wouldn't you say?" Elijah countered.

"Papa Tunde defeated Rebekah with ease, almost got the three of us as well. If he was supposed to be the prize fighter, why leave him for dead in our front yard?" Klaus questioned and Kol sighed.

"Am I the only Mikaelson with a brain?" he said aloud, earning death glares from Klaus. "That mark on his forehead shows he had been sacrificed. Meaning, his power has been absorbed into that bloody blade he tried to use on us last night."

"Well, this package didn't come with any blade. Who else have you guys pissed off over the last three centuries?" I asked and the four of them looked at each other.

"Well, don't you all look cheery," Rebekah said as she arrived. She held up her phone, waving it. "There's a reason we have a family group chat," she said haughtily.

"What?" Klaus asked, annoyed.

"Listen to this; a girl literally exploded from a grave today as Sabine was giving a tour of the City of the Dead. It was Monique Deveraux," Rebekah said.

"What?" Klaus asked. His tone was laced with anger, as he knew this was no coincidence.

"The tourists thought it was part of the show, but the witches are celebrating like it's some kind of bloody miracle," she explained.

"Maybe it is," Marcel said. "They think that all hope is lost, but now suddenly a Harvest girl is resurrected. This is how we're gonna get Davina back; kill the witch who took her place."

"Well, glass half full; three more to go," I said.

"I have a theory about who one of them could be," Hayley said, appearing at the stairs. She pulled out a drawing that had been drawn by Davina. It was a beautiful woman with oval face, and curly hair. "Celeste. I mean, it's got to be. Davina was trying to tell us. She was drawing pictures of Celeste. She was warning us that a great evil is coming."

"Great, first, Papa Tunde returns to settle old scores, now your murdered lover is back. This isn't witches attacking vampires," Klaus said as he tried to contain his anger. "They're declaring war on us," he continued and we glanced at each other.

"We need to find those resurrected witches," Elijah said, bringing his siblings back onto the important matter.

"Hold it. Could it be a coincidence that there are four of you and four of them?" I raised the question and they all turned to me. "Just a theory, one resurrected witch for each Mikaelson."

"Well, we can start by looking familiar faces that we killed," Kol said, all cheery. "Good luck, brother," he said feigning sympathy, patting Klaus on the back as he made his leave, motioning me to come with him.

"So any idea who might be after you?" I asked Kol.

"You know I never mess with witches, except…" he trailed off and I looked at him questioningly.

"You slept with them and never called them back?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Don't be jealous, it's been three centuries," he piped in, before glancing at his siblings that had now dispersed. "Remember Mary-Alice?"

"The one that helped with you with…" I trailed off and he nodded.

"I don't mind her trying to kill me, but if she tells Nik, then I'd better off dead," he said worriedly.

"Where can we find her?" I asked and he held up his hand.

"I will find her. You stay here," he said and quickly continued as I opened my mouth to protest. "If what you said is true, that would put a target on your back for being with me," he said and I rolled my eyes.

"I can take care of myself," I said and he gave me a force smile.

"I know. And I'm just going over to investigate. I'll call you when it's party time," he said and I sighed.

"Fine," I said in defeat and he smiled, kissing my forehead.

"See you later?" he asked and I nodded, watching him leave. Why do men never let us girls help them? I found Elijah and Rebekah arguing civilly and knocked on the wall.

"Bad time?" I asked.

"No, I was just leaving," she said. "Why don't you tell her your plan?" Rebekah said sassily to Elijah as she left.

"Does that have something to do with you being sexist?" I asked, crossing my arms. If Rebekah involved me in Mikaelson's argument, that usually meant it had something to do with feminism.

"I suggested to her that you and Hayley to stay at the plantation for a while. It's not safe for either of you," he said.

"Would that be because we are pitiful damsel incapable of taking care of ourselves?" I asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"It has nothing to do with the fact that you are a woman," Elijah said calmly and I rolled my eyes. This would be the second time a man telling me what to do and it is barely even noon. "With the incoming threats, I believe you two would be safer away from the witches."

"As if the witches couldn't come knocking at the plantation house," I mumbled, walking over to pour myself a drink.

"You may ask Kol first," Elijah said and I accidentally broke the glass.

"Excuse me?" I snapped, turning to look at him. "I don't need Kol's permission to do anything and I surely don't need yours," I hissed, before storming out. Ugh, men.

Kol reached La Fayette cemetery and listened for any suspicious sound. All he heard was the enthusiastic chattering of tourists and the clicking sounds of their cameras at the tomb where the Deveraux witch had exploded out of from. He made his way to the Claire's tomb, which had been his playhouse in the 20th century.

After Nik had imprisoned his witches in that Dowager's mansion, he had returned to the playhouse only to find out that Mary-Alice had locked the tomb with a blood spell. Her being resurrected, might be his one chance to unlock the tomb and complete the gold dagger.

"Come on darling, I know you missed me," he called out. When no one answered, he tried opening the tomb to no avail. Kol cursed under his breath and sighed. Perhaps she hadn't come back in an attempt to retaliate for what he had done to her. For what he had let his brother did to her. He stared at the tomb for a second before sighing. He didn't know why but deep down, he had wanted her to come back.

His head whipped to the side as he noticed a presence and smirked.

"Finally, darling," he said, turning around only for his cocky grin to falter at the sight of the resurrected witch.

I waited for Elijah to leave the house before entering his room, rummaging through his things to find his journal. The one that Hayley had found and read rather thoroughly. Speaking of Hayley, she had gone over to the plantation with Rebekah, surprisingly without any protest.

I found his journal, hidden in one the drawers of his desk, and decided that if I wanted to anger Elijah, I might as well just make a show of my breaking and entry into his room. Elijah had always been a private person, even when he had opened up to me back then. I camped at his studies, and flipped the pages until I found the pages on Celeste.

According to Hayley, Celeste had been one of his greatest love before she was led to her death by Klaus, but according to his journal, they were together for barely a year. Elijah had been very devastated and heartbroken that after her death, he hadn't written in almost two decades before his next entry which was…1864. And my oh my, what a treat.

French Quarter, 1864

Klaus knocked on Elijah's studies before letting himself in. He had that smile on his face. A smile that showed he had won.

"Oh come on now brother, live a little. You can't stay in here forever. The city's prospering, businesses are thriving and the women…"

"How can I help you, brother?" Elijah asked curtly, didn't even remove his attention from the ledger he had been working on. After Celeste's death, Elijah had treated Klaus with silence, only speaking whenever necessary.

"I brought you a gift." Klaus said and Elijah took a deep breath, before finally looking up to Klaus.

"I have yet to forgive you for what you did, Niklaus. Perhaps in another decade or two," he said. His words however didn't falter the smirk on Klaus's face. Instead, he simply entered his studies and gestured for someone to come in.

Impossible.

"Hello Elijah," Cassandra's soft, honey-like voice spoke and Elijah let out a breath of disbelief.

"Cassandra," he said, standing in front of her in a second. He took her face in his hand, his eyes wild, as if he wanted to remember her. He remembered Niklaus's presence and turned to his brother.

"What's the meaning of this?" he asked.

"Consider this an apology for my behaviour. Your lover will not have to run from me again," he said.

"Will you give me a moment with my brother?" Elijah had asked her. She glanced at Niklaus and he nodded, permitting her to leave.

"I do not have time to play with your childish game, Niklaus," Elijah said. "You would stoop that low, bringing her here after centuries of torturing the Petrova sisters."

"I thought this would make you happy and forget about that bloody witch," Klaus growled under his breath. "I offer you peace, brother. I could easily kill your beloved doppelganger if I find you uncooperative."

"You will not touch her," Elijah said, seething. Klaus held his ground, challenging his brother for any threats but Elijah closed his eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Thank you, brother."

"Your happiness is what's important, brother," Klaus replied, the corner of his lips tugged into a smirk. He had won this cold feud between him and Elijah, once again.

Elijah had rambled on how he was suspicious of Klaus's plans and had kept a wary eye on him but after a month, nothing had happened. Business was as usual in the Quarter, Klaus made no move or threat to harm Cassandra, and they were almost happy. Cassandra had been almost awkward, perhaps that had been because she was living under the same roof as Niklaus. But she hadn't complained. She had told him that this was more than she could ever asked for.

Okay let's back up. So when Cassandra left Mystic Falls, she came straight to New Orleans? That was what Klaus had told me back in Chicago. Klaus hadn't sought her out to make amends with Elijah. She had handed herself over to Klaus with the information of Katherine's whereabouts and he saw the opportunity. As it happened, when Klaus went to Mystic Falls, Katherine was said to have died in fire with the rest of the vampires in Mystic Falls.

There was only once or twice Celeste name was mentioned in the rest of the diary, of Elijah missing her or feeling guilty of her death. This journal didn't help me in finding clues of Celeste at all. I flipped through the pages to see if there was anything else when a photograph stopped me. It was their wedding. 1872. Rebekah was nowhere in sight but Kol was. I smiled a little, looking at how dashing he was.

It was an odd sight. Watching you in my brother's arm as he walked you down the aisle. Niklaus had not showed one moment of monstrosity towards you for this past eight years. You had taken care of us, even helping us keeping tracks of the business across Louisiana. I had never thought of myself, capable of loving you even more. Until the day I saw you in your beautiful white gown, looking more radiant than an angel.

I hope you will never regret the day you said yes to me.

The ringing of my phone made me jumped, and I glanced at the door before keeping Elijah's journal back inside the drawer.

"What took you so long?" came Klaus's gruff voice once I answered my phone.

"You need to talk nicer if you want me to do stuff for you," I shot back at him.

"Vanessa love, I need you to come to the church," Klaus said, a bit nicer but still with that anger in his voice.

"Didn't know you're a devoted Christian," I joked but closed the journal and stuffed it in my bag as I left Elijah's studies.

"Father Kieran has been hexed," he said. "I need you to look after him while I find the bloody witch responsible for this."

"What kind of hex? I'll try asking Kol," I said.

"Already did, he's not answering his phone."

"Do you think he's okay?" I asked, growing worried.

"Elijah's looking for him. And can I ask you kindly that you stay with Father Kieran at least until we've found Kol?" Klaus asked and I groaned.

"I'm not a babysitter Klaus. I can take care of myself," I said.

"I know, and I'm asking you to take care of yourself and the priest. As well as Camille-" he added the last sentence and I laughed.

"Ah, so you actually need me to babysit your blonde bartender," I teased.

"Say another word and I might find a dagger that works on you," he said and I rolled my eyes.

"Ugh, fine. As long as she doesn't try to tell me I'm a dysfunctional sociopath. Oh wait-that's you," I said and heard Klaus muttered curses under his breath before he hanged up. I laughed a little as I called Kol's number. It reached his voicemail and I pursed my lips, hoping he was in no danger or whatsoever. I calmed myself, knowing he can take care of himself as well as the rest of the Mikaelsons.

"Aren't you at least a little bit happy to see me? I thought we were friends," Astrid said and Kol chuckled.

"Astrid Malchance, how nice of you to go through all the trouble to see me," he said.

"We all have some unfinished business," she said and gestured at Kol's ringing phone. "You should take that. Your girlfriend must be worried." Kol remained emotionless, knowing she just wanted to let him know that the witches knew about Vanessa.

"I rather not. She can be quite jealous with me talking to some other women," he replied. "I have to say, I'm quite disappointed." Astrid raised her eyebrow. "I was hoping your friend would be the one to show up."

"Mary-Alice?" Astrid laughed at that. "She doesn't hold vendetta over what you did to us. I however, do."

"My brother and Marcellus were the one that locked both of you in that asylum," Kol scowled.

"And you can't do anything to release us? Or were you too afraid of having another dagger in your chest?" she asked and Kol growled, vamp sped to her. Astrid stopped him halfway, holding him in an invisible grip.

"What do you want?" Kol asked, seething.

"What do you think that I want, Kol?" Astrid asked. "I want revenge, as simple as that. But first, I'm going to ask you to do a simple task first."

"And what's that, darling?"

"Call your girlfriend. We'd like to meet her," she said, smiling.

"Father?" I called out as I entered the church. Cami seemed glad to see me as she rushed towards me.

"Thank you. I know you guys have a bigger problem right now," she said and I waved her off. It wasn't like Klaus gave me a choice but I wasn't going to tell her that.

"I'm sorry about your uncle. Where's he?" I asked.

"It's the same curse. The one they put on my brother before he went insane and kill those people. And I can already see it happening," Cami told me.

"How long before it takes control?" I asked. Kol and I were here in the Quarter when the church massacre happened. It was horrible and the witches got scot-free despite them being the culprit. I gasped a little, realizing something.

"What?" Cami asked.

"You said it's the same curse?" I asked her and she nodded. I marched towards Father Kieran who had been praying. "Sorry for interrupting Father," I said, taking his hand and he looked at me, tired. I saw the X mark on his hand and breathed out in relief. "Didn't your nephew have this mark as well?"

"Yes," he replied. "Why?"

"When the massacre happened over a year ago, Kol told me it was caused by one of his dark objects that he and his witches crafted back then. I'm sure he can think of a way to reverse it," I said.

"That's good news," Cami said and she went to hug her uncle.

"Thank you, Vanessa," Father Kieran said meekly and I nodded, texting Klaus updating him about the hex. I called Kol once again and at the fifth ring, he finally picked up.

"Finally, where were you?" I asked, half-worried, half-mad.

"Your boyfriend's a bit preoccupied right now. Can I take a message?" a woman's voice asked. Damn it.

"Is this one of Kol's whore from 20th century?" I asked, trying to remain calm and angering the other side at the same time.

"You should be careful with your mouth. Your boyfriend is passed out at my feet," she said.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Come and pick up your boyfriend at La Fayette Cemetery. Alone," she demanded and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm a bit busy right now," I said, sticking to Klaus's instructions. The other line went silent, clearly not expecting my reply.

"I will not repeat myself," she said.

"So do I," I said and hanged up, hoping I chose the right decision to stay out of it and not fell into the trap. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I quickly told Elijah and Klaus where Kol was, hoping they would rescue him. Kol had predicted that they will come after me, but not like this. They had wanted me and not Kol.

Kol was the leverage.