Chapter 14
It was two weeks into her renovation period of Débauche, and she hadn’t heard anything from Alaric. But she didn’t have time to think about him as she was simply very proud of her club rising from the ashes. Oh, a lot had to be done, still. She needed new staff, she needed a friendly witch to put security up, she met this great guy who worked in IT and was willing to set up a secure payment system for her and even gave her the number of someone who was a wizard with cameras and security systems.
Klaus was fuming as he had found the witch Davina and he also found Mikael and Kol. He rendered Mikael immobile by pushing something he’d acquired the year before into Mikael’s chest, and Davina and Kol had run off because Klaus was willing to kill him.
For what? Well, for siding with their mother, of course. Myriam wanted to explain that Kol basically didn’t have a choice and that with Klaus being so closed off towards Kol that it didn’t make it easy for him to turn to him for help.
And Myriam had told Klaus that. He promised to do better for Kol, but not for Finn.
Myriam was still in bed when Klaus marched back into the bedroom after having it vacated only minutes before. “Elijah is gone.”
“What?”
“His coffin is open, and Elijah is gone,” Klaus repeated as he started to pace the room. “How is this possible? Our security is fine, and he was protected by magic!”
“Your mother has been able to slip in undetected before,” Myriam reminded him as she sat up. “But who knows? It might not be your mother this time, who else is after you?”
“Who isn’t!” Klaus cried out. “No, I have a feeling that it’s Mother. She’s up to something. She wants us all in different bodies, and this is what I would do! If only I’d have unboxed Elijah, then he’d — this is all your fault!”
“My fault?”
“You daggered him, you said we’d be better off without him and look what happened!”
“Blame the fucking witch who seemingly protected him with her magic, not me!” Myriam countered angrily as she got out of bed and started to get dressed. “In any case, I’ve been trying to stick by you while you deal with your parents and the return of your siblings, but to blame me for that wench for stealing Elijah? Sorry, Klaus, that’s the last straw,” she said as she pulled her hair back in a ponytail. “Until this is solved, I’ll be living at the club.”
“What! You can’t do that!”
“I can. And I will,” she shot at him. “Unless you want me to leave New Orleans all together? Because I can do that, you know.”
“Myriam, I need you!”
She rolled her eyes at him. “No, you don’t. You know how I feel about your parents, I’m not going to be in the middle of this. I can’t help you because frankly, while I’m pleased that I’m more indestructible than I have been in the past, I am useless to the point of not being able to help you with my pets. And yes, you hear those stories of your partner having the parents from hell, but yours are that, quite literally! I’m done!” Myriam rambled. “Both your parents have kidnapped me to get to you. The both of them! We’ve always run from Mikael. I’m not running now, but you’re making it quite difficult.”
“You’re not going to blame Elijah’s kidnapping on me!”
“I’m not! You’re not even listening!” Myriam then took a deep breath and shook her head. “I’m going to stay at the club until you’ve done something about your parents.” She then used her speed to leave the compound and headed straight for Débauche. She arrived just in time for the trucks to arrive with the inner workings of her club, it was time to decorate, or was it? Had the vampires truly worked throughout the night to paint everything? Put in new floors? Had she overestimated the two months she believed it was going to take?
Walking inside, her heart swelled with so much joy, the fight with Klaus forgotten momentarily. It was precisely as she had sketched it out. Walking into the entrance, there was a small reception area with room for a member of security to keep an eye on things. The door to the right lead to the bar area and the bar had large windows looking out on the dancers in the next room.
On the left was an area for security and her own office was behind another secure door or two, and a small utility room was also accounted for. Then there was a lovely little area with more security but also with guest stairs that lead up to the first floor; where she was going to have ladies for just about anyone. Willing ladies. Myriam wasn’t going to push, and she certainly wasn’t going to force anybody.
There was a kitchen on that floor and a handful separate rooms for the girls to work in. There was even a small dormitory for them to stay and or rest. All rooms were equipped with showers, and she had also ordered a cupboard for them.
A staircase hidden behind a security door lead her to the top floor, with once again a dormitory and showers, and a handful of apartments, one of which she was going to claim for her own. Because while she wanted to help humans who were hurt by the supernatural, she also knew that it was also likely that children would be involved. Or anxiety. PTSD. You didn’t want to put those people with others in a room.
And everything looked pristine. It smelled clean, fresh and had the colour scheme she wanted.
Myriam had her business back. She was happy.
Letting out a girly giggle, she went downstairs again and started to direct the movers to where things needed to go. Much to her surprise, more of Klaus’ vampires showed up to help. It was almost as if Klaus wanted to make up for the fact that he was once again blaming her for things she hadn’t had any control over.
But, not wanting to turn them down as it would mean the trucks would be emptied quicker, she told them where everything needed to be. She arranged her office by herself, the new laptop would arrive later that day.
By the end of the following day, her business was ready to open for business, but she still needed staff. She needed girls. Test the girls. Interviews. She locked herself into Débauche and spent the night on the internet with a bottle of vodka to look for talent. But, while the internet was accessible and useful for a lot of things, she didn’t trust the things she found. She needed someone with more knowledge of the internet, but it was 3 am, and she was drunk and all alone.
Deciding that Kol would probably know, she dialled his number. It took a while for him to answer, but when he did, he sounded different. Strained. “Are you okay?”
“I’m a little tied up, darling. We’re having a family reunion. I could really use your help to tell my brother that I’m on your side.”
Myriam let out a groan as she heard how the phone was moved away from Kol and back to likely Klaus. “Let him go.”
“He is colluding with my mother!”
“It’s Kol. Remember I caught him 100 years ago trying to plot against you? It’s what he does! Especially when he’s afraid! What you’re doing right now is making him even more fearful, so you let him go, and you hear him out. He’s truthful,” she said as she downed her bottle. “He’s on your side, Klaus, he wants to help, but he’s afraid of you.”
“And why were you calling him?”
“He’s my friend. Let him go. Don’t make me come over and beat your ass,” she got to her feet and swayed a little and bumped into the desk before making her way to the bar to find another bottle of vodka. “But if he’s busy with you, I’ll call someone else. Bye husband,” she said as she disconnected the call.
Making her way back to her office with an expensive bottle of bourbon, she dialled Alaric’s number.
“Myriam, it’s 3.30 am. Why are you calling me?” Alaric sounded groggy. Had she woken him up? Ah, she didn’t care.
“I need your help with the internet. I’m looking for ladies to work for me but all it does is take me to websites I have to pay for and this craigslist… I don’t trust.”
“And you need my help with that at this time?”
“Yes.”
“After you killed Jeri in my apartment?”
“I sent a cleanup crew, and I got you a new couch,” she said as she took a swig of her bottle. “And I have a job for you if you don’t want to teach.”
“I am a teacher, Myriam.”
“I’ll pay you triple from what you get as a teacher.”
She could hear some shuffling on the other end of the line and a deep sigh. “I don’t do it for the money.”
“I’m your friend. I need you.”
“You don’t need me, Myriam, at least not on a daily basis. You’re more than capable of—”
He was rejecting her, wasn’t he? Well, it was only a matter of time, but it still hurt. “Then why did you move to New Orleans if you’re not my friend? You could have stayed at Whitmore, you seemed to enjoy that.”
“Because I have a better opportunity here. There’s a wider community of supernaturals and—”
“But you hate vampires and the supernatural!”
“And that you always seem to throw tantrums,” Ric sighed. “Myriam, I love you, but I’m not going to work for you. And if you allow me a few more hours of sleep, I’ll be more than happy to come over and help you out with the internet. Go have some sleep yourself, you sound as if you’re on the verge of a mental breakdown.”
“I can’t talk to anyone about this shit.”
“Then write it all down, just like I told you to do when you came to me a couple of months ago. Write it down and sort it out,” he said kindly. “Relax, have a good night, Myriam. I’ll bring breakfast in a few hours.”
“But…”
“Myriam, you always told everyone that you don’t need anybody. That you’re the bigger monster than Klaus. And I know that you were only looking out for yourself when you killed Jeri, but I’m sorry, I’m not going to get out of my apartment to come to you for something as trivial as helping you navigate the internet. You’ve made your bed.”
“Asshole,” she muttered as she disconnected the call and took another swig of her alcohol. Oh, she knew that if she were patient, Klaus and Kol would stop fighting, and Kol would be able to help her out, but she wasn’t patient. She wanted to get her business running as soon as possible.
And it was ridiculous that she even needed help. She could send an email just fine and usually google helped her out just fine but how was she supposed to know that the girls she found were real girls? Or that they weren’t being beaten by some pimp?
No, she needed to go about this old school. Pushing her laptop to the side, she grabbed a pen and paper and started to draft an advertisement. The newspaper was likely going to print soon, so she had to move fast. And she was going to make copies of it and send it off to other newspapers.
Screw the internet. Sometimes doing things old school was the best way.
~o.O.o~
A couple of days later, there was a whole line of girls waiting outside the club, ready to be auditioned for dancers, and Myriam couldn’t be happier. It was a joy seeing the girls dance and try to impress Myriam, and while most of them were clearly professionals, she made sure that by the end of the day, she had a well-balanced team of professionals and some that weren’t as good. Yet.
She compelled them to speak the truth, and she was relieved that they were here on their own volition and gave them all an advance as she expected them to return the following week.
She went to Tremé and see how popular she was still there. Granted, she hadn’t been in contact with them for over a hundred years, but maybe they’d still accept her. She had taught them more about magic. The best part about the Tremé witches was that they practised both Ancestral and Sacrificial magic. And occasionally traditional magic. Tremé witches didn’t trust outsiders, and she had done a lot to gain their trust back in the day. She’d never felt alienated by them, although at this point she wasn’t sure about anything.
New Orleans had changed, thanks to Marcel, and not for the better.
As expected, it took some time for Myriam to find the Elder of the Tremé coven. She tried talking to them at the market but was given headaches every time she came close. She then remembered that she used to be close to the McDaniels, and went to find their kin. Funnily enough, the family still lived at the house that she had often frequented in the past.
The door opened, and Myriam half expected another headache or to be smacked on her ass, but instead, the resident raised a curious eyebrow. “We don’t deal with vampires.”
“I know that,” Myriam replied kindly. “And you don’t like outsiders either, which I find nothing but admirable. However, I’m not here because I’m a vampire. I’m here because I took back what was mine and I want to turn it into a safe haven for humans who fell victim to the supernatural.”
The woman huffed and motioned for Myriam to come in as she moved away from the door. “Your ‘friend’ Isabella did a piss poor job in your absence, especially in the last 100 years.”
“I know, I got rid of her,” Myriam smiled as she followed the woman. “To be fair, I’m surprised you’re still here, Diane.”
“Nothing that a little bit of magic can’t fix,” Diane sat down in her chair. “You may have your immortality, I have my spells to make my life last a bit longer, but it’s wearing thin, I can tell you that. I merely wanted to stick around long enough for Marcel Gerard’s regime to come to an end. I believe I have you to thank for that?”
“I wasn’t quite myself, but I suppose so,” Myriam chuckled slightly as she sat down across from the woman. “And Klaus knows better than to try to control the witches, as long as things don’t go too crazy, but that’s just like the werewolves and the vampires.”
Diane looked at her for a moment as she slowly nodded. “You look troubled.”
“I’ll be a lot better once my club and shelter are up and running. It’ll be the sole thing I’ll be focusing on for a while.”
The older woman let out a breath and nodded. “I shall ask my daughter and granddaughter to go to Débauche and meet with you, to talk about the security spells you require. And don’t be a stranger, you hear? I plan on hanging on for as long as I can, but eventually, this body will deteriorate, and I won’t be able to keep up rejuvenating myself.”
“Thank you,” Myriam smiled at her. “You know, I could still turn you.”
“Oh, over my dead body,” Diane laughed, shaking her head. “Don’t worry, Myriam. I’ll talk to the Tremé witches and tell them that you’re not like any other vampire and that they can trust you. You can have a good bond with us witches again.”
“I owe you, so much.”
“Darlin’, you got rid of Marcel Gerard. We owe you.”
~o.O.o~
A week later, she opened the doors to Débauche officially after the refurbishment and the hiring of new talent. She had a talented bartender and some great staff working underneath him, dancers, and even some girls who were willing, free, and able to entertain men privately. However, tonight was all about the bar and the dance club, and she hoped, that for one day in whatever her husband and her best friend were up to now, that they’d stop and come.
However, she could understand what they wouldn’t. After all, she had ignored Klaus’ phone calls and text messages, and she wasn’t helping him with his parents. No, she was safe in her club.
She loved watching the people entertain themselves, watching the girls on stage. Currently, there were the Bees. They came to Myriam to tell her that there was a hit on her head for quite some money and that they would keep her safe if she’d paid double. Which she did. And offered them an hourly fee if they’d work for her. As it turned out, the Bees were professional dancers apart from their side job as hitwomen.
Could Myriam trust them? Sure, after she compelled them!
But Bree, Betty and Bianca were amazing. Tall, gorgeous and dangerous. And they had the men eating out of their hands.
It was near midnight when security alerted her of two witches who wanted entrance into the club. Myriam had a strict no witches, vampires or werewolf policy unless she stated that they were allowed in, and the spells and dark objects that Diane’s family had made for her were the ones who screened every soul that entered the threshold.
She headed over to the detention area and blinked when she saw Kol, accompanied by a very young witch. “Kol!” she smiled at him and hugged him tightly. “You made it!”
“Of course I did, darling,” he smiled at her. “This is very important to you. Sorry, we’re late. Very impressive magic.”
Myriam grinned. “Well you’re welcome to stay, but your little friend doesn’t look legal.”
“She’s not, but surely you can make an exception for Davina?”
Myriam narrowed her eyes on Kol before looking at Davina. She was a Claire alright. “Heard so much about you, Davina, pleasure meeting you. But no. Access denied.”
“Oh come on, Myr!” Kol whined. “We want to party, and she’s allowed in Rousseau’s!”
“This isn’t Rousseau’s. If you want to go to Rousseau’s, you go to Rousseau’s. You know very well what kind of place I run!”
Kol huffed. “You never had an issue with underaged girls before.”
“Those were different times. I had to bend over backwards to get the licenses that I have, and I’m not going to ruin it by allowing her inside.”
“Oh come on, you’re a vampire.”
“Kol. No,” Myriam said sternly. “I’d love to have a chat with you and get to know Davina, but not in the club. I really appreciate you coming, though. It means a lot.”
“But—”
“It’s alright,” Davina eventually spoke up and gently caressed Kol’s arm. “Myriam obviously takes pride in her club and wants to keep everything legal. That includes me not entering the bar and the club. It’s rare these days.” Davina then looked at Myriam. “I can see why Kol likes you so much. How about we have lunch tomorrow at the little eatery on the corner of this street?”
“That sounds like a plan, thank you for understanding, Davina.”
“I’m thankful of you for ridding New Orleans from Isabella. She was really shady. If there’s anything I can do for you, just ask.”
Myriam smiled at her. Silly young witch. “You shouldn’t offer your services like that. Not to anyone,” she said sternly. “But yes, see you two for lunch, tomorrow. Thanks for coming and Jerry here will see you two out.”
“But Myr…” Kol tried again.
“No, Kol. You should be glad that I even allow you to enter without Davina if you want after you started the fire!”
“That was years ago, you’re still blaming me?”
“Yes. You’re a fire hazard,” she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Out. Now.” After making sure that Kol and Davina had truly left the building, she went back to the party and found Alaric sitting at the bar, nursing a bourbon. “Hey, you made it. Thought you wouldn’t want to see me anymore.”
“I don’t,” Alaric said as he watched her sit down next to him. “In fact, I think I’m going to move back to Mystic Falls.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you made me leave?” Alaric shrugged. “Because I’m in a huge city filled with witches, werewolves and vampires and I simply can’t understand how I can live here. You helped me with whatever Esther did, and I helped you to regain your senses, but I think that’s where things should end for us, Myriam.”
“But…”
“You killed someone in my flat. Someone I had found for you to help you.”
“And she was going to take my invulnerability,” Myriam hissed as she slapped her flat hand on the surface of the bar.
“And what if Kol wouldn’t have been there at the right moment?”
“I’d rather have died.”
“Yeah, you see, I don’t believe that,” Alaric said as he knocked back his drink. “I do think that this is a great venture for you, Myriam. It’s good that a vampire is looking out for those who can’t. And while you do that here, let me do that in Mystic Falls where the population of vampires, werewolves and witches can be counted on one hand. Maybe two.”
“I thought we were friends,” she muttered.
“Friends? No. We have a connection, but we’re not friends. I like you, Myriam, but I don’t like what you are. I don’t like it that you’re in bed with the big bad wolf, literally. And he’ll continue to hurt you. Chip away at everything that you are and you will continuously need to fight that because eventually, you’re going to change so much that not even your mother will recognise you.”
Myriam rolled her eyes. “I’ve got my club back. I’m good, but sure. Leave me. Live your life the way you want to.”
“That’s it?”
“What? You want me to cause a scene in a full bar during the grand re-opening of everything that I love? You’re not going to get it,” Myriam said as she signalled the bartender for a drink. “See you later, Ric. Thanks for the help. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
“Oh come on.” Alaric huffed.
“You’re ruining my night. Leave before I decide you’re not going to leave New Orleans alive,” she finished her glass and pushed herself off of the bar and continued to mingle.
“Can I have this dance?”
Myriam smiled when she heard the voice she’d wanted to hear all night and moved against him as she put her arms around him. “You made it!”
“This is an important night, I thought I’d arrive fashionably late, in the hope that you’d be alone,” Klaus replied as he put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “I’m surprised I wasn’t stopped by your security as Kol was. He wasn’t happy.”
“There’s only one hybrid. I told my guys to allow you through, always.”
“You built a fortress, love, it’s even worse than before we left.”
“Yeah well, your parents are in town, and threats are eviler this time,” Myriam sighed as she looked up at him. “How are you doing, mon LouLou?”
“Could have done better, but we’re dealing with mother now,” he said quietly. “There’s a plan in motion. She wanted to use Camille as a body to jump into, but we’ve put a stop to that. Elijah…” he sighed then. “Mother has done a real number on him, and we’re keeping him in the dungeon below. Kol provided the protective spells.”
“That’s good.”
“I miss you,” he sighed again as he kissed the top of her head. “Come home.”
“You can stay here with me,” she could feel herself melt against him. “This place is safer than the Compound.” The hell with going home. Not with mommy and daddy dearest on the loose. Not until Klaus would treat her better. “Come on, just for one night. Let us be husband and wife again. Let me show you around. Forget your worries for one night.”
He let out a breath and nodded. “Very well.”
“Is that because you want to or because I asked?”
“Because I need to,” he told her, a smile on his face. “My wife has rebuilt her business, and it’s more glorious than ever. Why should I go back to our home alone when there’s so much celebrating to be done?”
Myriam let out a groan. “You’re thinking with your dick. I want you to be with me because you want to. Not because you have an itch to scratch or because I asked.”
“Love, what I need or want is not on the table tonight. It’s what you want, what you need.”
“Really? Even if I just want to spew my thoughts?”
Klaus nodded. “I am your husband. I can always listen. You know that I don’t do well with change, but I’m willing to try. Again. You’ve given me so many chances, I want to do it right this time.”
Myriam smiled then, believing the sincerity in his voice. “Come on, then, let’s leave this party early and let me show you around and take you to my room.”
It seemed as if things got even crazier for the Mikaelsons the following weeks. Klaus had turned his mother into a vampire, Finn went nuts and played with Kol’s life by keeping him locked inside the compound with a bunch of newbie vamps while channelling his parents and Kol forgot to mention that he’d misplaced Rebekah into the Witches’ Asylum who eventually broke out with long-lost sister Freya.
Myriam wasn’t keeping score. She liked to be blissfully unaware of things so she could remain happy, centred, focused. She was content in her fortress. Business was going well, and she even hired some new girls who came in to audition. She was in the middle of helping a human victim of the supernatural get settled when Kol just about fell into her establishment and security called for her.
She found in him in quite the state, anger and pain was written all over his face, and she took him into her office, pushed him on the sofa and handed him a big glass of alcohol before sitting down next to him, waiting for him to calm down. It was likely that he had merely had a fight with Klaus again, but realised he was actually too fragile to do something about it.
“Nik doesn’t want to help me, despite Rebekah telling him I spoke the truth,” he said as he clenched his hand around the glass. “He forced himself into my thoughts, and I had to defend myself and ran.” Kol took a big gulp from his glass. “Always and Forever, my ass. I’m always not included.”
She gently ran her hand through his hair as she looked at him. “What’s going on, mon chou?”
“It’s Finn,” Kol spat. “I was trying to distract him so that Davina and Aiden could free Josh from Finn’s hold and I was doing fine. Or so I thought, but he was playing me. And then cursed me into this body. No more jumping bodies. No escape from death. Which will come, you know, because he hexed me along with it. I might have days.”
“He did what!”
“Our family has always been at each other’s throats, you know that as well as anyone, but this?”
Myriam growled. “So, if I kill Finn, will that stop you from dying?”
“Likely, but darling, he’s fuelled by my parents. You’d need to sever that connection first before you can approach him and even then, he’s powerful. Mother choose our bodies with care; his with strong magic in his flesh and blood, mine with just enough. He’ll kill you.”
“I don’t care. I need to kill him because I’m not allowing you to die,” she said as she got to her feet and started to pace around to think. “Do you know where his host body came from?”
“I believe he’s a Tremé witch,” he replied. “I think. Should be.”
“Why?”
“It just feels like it, that’s all. Finn is doing things he shouldn’t be doing, things that weren’t taught to him, which means it comes from the mind of the person he’s inhabiting.”
Myriam let out a breath and nodded. “If you have a picture of him, send it to me on my phone. Get some rest, I’m going to do a little bit of hunting.”
“Myr, you’re going to get yourself killed.”
“I’ll be fine, Mon Chou. Nobody gets to hurt you and get away with it. Not now you’re so breakable,” she waved her phone around before grabbing a blanket for him. “Rest. I’ll be back in a bit.”
On her way over to Diane, Kol sent over a picture of Finn’s host body, and her anger towards him grew even further. Would she still had been in possession of her demons, she would have ripped him apart without even laying a finger on him.
“Myriam! Twice in such a short amount of time!” Diane greeted her with a smile. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m sorry for bothering you, Diane, but do you know who this man is?” she showed her friend Finn’s image. “I need to find him.”
Diane paled a little. “Oh, he’s… trouble. He and his ex-wife both are, she’s locked up in the Asylum now but…” she sighed as she motioned for Myriam to come inside and rummaged in a drawer to find a picture. “His name is Vincent Griffith. He comes from a long line of powerful Tremé witches. When he was sixteen, he met Eva Sinclair, and she was a wild one,” Diane laughed a bit when she handed the picture to Myriam. “When Eva fell pregnant, Vincent wanted to make New Orleans safer for her and their unborn child and rid the city of Marcel Gerard, because living under his rule was not a walk in the park. Vincent discovered a power even stronger and older than the Ancestors, and they both got so enamoured with it that it tore them apart. A tragedy, really. Vincent tried to back out of it, captured Eva when she kidnapped children from various covens to sacrifice them and threw her in the asylum. He then left the coven to live his own life.”
Myriam let out a breath and nodded. “That left him vulnerable, and he fell victim to Esther Mikaelson.”
“What?”
“Yeah,” Myriam sighed. “But don’t worry, now I know that he is Tremé at heart, I can take care of him. He’s not Vincent anymore, but Finn Mikaelson was put in his body. And I’m going to clean up that mess.”
“You mean you’re going to kill him.”
“I’m going to kill Finn. Yes, he’s in Vincent’s body, so I suppose that’s killing Vincent too. He fucking cursed my best friend to die, and he doesn’t deserve to die again, so unless you know someone who’s powerful enough to break that curse and hex that was put on my friend while Finn’s channelling two very dark and powerful objects, then I’m willing to give that a shot. If not, I need to take him out.”
“Myriam…”
“Diane, he’s endangering New Orleans. I can’t allow that to happen to our city,” Myriam said as she rose from her seat. “Thanks for the picture, and the information. I owe you one.” She then quickly left the home and headed back to Débauche to talk to her witches to do a locator spell while she was going through her dark objects in her room. She still had the Devil’s Star that she had confiscated from Kol after he had killed half the parish of St. Anne’s and Dowager Fauline along with it.
She wasn’t a fighter. She had always relied on her demons to fight for her. But she had held on to the Devil’s Star for all this time in cases like this. There was no way that she could take on a witch that was channelling two very powerful supernatural beings. Even so, there’d be a risk that Finn would see it coming especially since he knew what she looked like.
He hadn’t approved of her in Mystic Falls, and she hadn’t actually mourned his death. He didn’t like her because she actually had made the Mikaelsons into a proper family, and allowed them to be who they were. Even now with Elijah back out of his box and scarred by whatever his mother did to him, Myriam wanted to make sure Elijah wouldn’t go back to meddling with the family.
Her witches gave her a location, and after checking in on Kol, who had passed out on her sofa, Myriam headed to the place given to her.
“Myriam. What are you doing here?” Finn questioned her as he spotted her in the doorway. “Do you wish to join my parents?”
“Pass,” she retorted. “I came here to talk because I know you’re a dick and hate vampires but to go after your siblings? What drugs are you on?”
“The truth. Vampires are an abomination. They’re monsters. Mother is trying to fix her mistake.”
“Your mother created a whole new subspecies who have learned to thrive and co-exist with the others. Your siblings are closer than they’ve been in a very long time and you’re fucking shit up, it stops now.” Finn reached out to hurt her, but she was faster and lodged the Devil’s Star in his chest. “How dare you to curse and hex your own brother? Your baby brother who’s in a weaker body than yours? How dare you, Finn Mikaelson? You’re saying your brothers are monsters, but you’re an even bigger one that Elijah is!”
She took out her phone and started to film Finn writhing on the floor, screaming as tiny slices appeared all over his body, blood pouring and squirting out of every slice. It looked glorious.
After he breathed out his last breath, Myriam headed to LaFayette Cemetery where she found Esther and Mikael in a circle, out cold. Sighing, Myriam dialled Klaus’ number. “Mon LouLou, how much are you going to love me when I say that I’ve found Finn’s lair where he’s channelling your parents?”
“Tell me where and I’ll deal with them, love. I thought you were staying out of this?”
“I am. I just need to stop the power from them so that Kol’s curse and hex will go away.”
“You’d need to—”
“Kill Finn? Yeah, did that. I’m also pretty sure he didn’t jump into another host body, so you’re welcome.”
“Bloody hell, Myriam! Now I have to protect you from our sister Freya who’s a powerful witch of her own accord and hellbent on reuniting our family!”
“Well, I suppose she needs a crash course in Mikaelson family politics,” Myriam shrugged. “I’ll text you the location of your parents and where I killed Finn. And then I’m going back to take care of your baby brother. Oh, and you’re welcome.”
~o.O.o~
“How could you do this?!” Klaus fumed as he paced the courtyard, pointing at Finn’s dead body on the table for everyone to see. Their dessicated parents were on the rug together. “He’s my brother, Myriam! He’s a pain in the neck, but I’d never go as far as killing them! That’s what the box is for!”
“Yes, because that’s what you love to do, isn’t it? Dagger me repeatedly!” Kol was standing behind Myriam, feeling a lot better and healed.
“I dagger all of you, Kol!” Klaus shot at his brother. “Each and every one of you for your own good! I’d never go as far as killing you, not even Finn! If you don’t agree with my motives, then fine! I never claimed to be the bastion of temperance!”
“And I had to kill Finn for Kol to survive, Klaus,” Myriam snarled. “And I’m sorry, but if I had to do it all over again, I would have done the same. Finn was an asshole, and he would be the end of you all. I simply couldn’t allow Kol to die again, this time at the hands of his brother. So yeah, if this makes me the bad guy, so be it. I don’t give a fuck. All I care about is Kol’s survival. And yours.”
Klaus calmed down somewhat and nodded. “Finn’s been dead to me for a long time. Thank you, love, for making it official,” he then looked over to his brother Kol. “Oh, don’t worry, I’d never kill you, as annoying as you may be.”
Myriam was glad to hear that Klaus still accepted Kol as part of their family, he was a Mikaelson, after all. A girl was sniffing in the corner, and Myriam was annoyed by that. “Who the fuck are you?” She then looked at Klaus. “I swear, if that’s a whore, I’m going to rip off your manhood and—”
“Relax, love,” Klaus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “That’s Rebekah.”
When Rebekah looked up, Myriam turned around to punch Kol’s shoulder. “You moron! Of all the people you could have jumped Rebekah into, you had to put her into the body of a serial killer?”
“I… what?” Kol blinked at her. “I did no such thing!”
Myriam took the picture Diane had given her out of her pocket and showed it to him before giving it to Klaus. “That’s Vincent Griffith and his ex-wife Eva Sinclair, and oh boy, do they have a lovely story.” Myriam sat down in a chair with a glass of bourbon and kept an eye on Kol as she told the story of Vincent and Eva. How Eva ended up in the asylum. By the end of the story, Rebekah was slapping Kol silly.
“They’ll be coming for me then! For fuck’s sake, Kol!” she screeched. “Why did you want to pull one over me like this?!”
“Relax, Bekah,” Kol ducked away from her assault. “I can get you back in your body right now if you want to, and we can put Eva back where she belongs.”
“Well, not exactly. Freya broke the spell around the cottage when she busted us out,” Rebekah sighed. “So what? We hand Eva back to the Tremé witches?”
Myriam nodded slowly. “They’ll take care of their own. However, we may have a new problem,” she looked at Kol. “The witches will come after you for destroying their asylum and—”
“I didn’t! You heard Rebekah, Freya did it!”
“Yes! To break them out! If you hadn’t put Rebekah in there, Freya would likely have found a different way to get out of there!” Myriam rolled her eyes at him. “They’ll blame you for Eva’s return to New Orleans. So, is there an easy way to rebuild your vampire body and put you back where you belong?”
Kol was silent for a moment as he paced the length of the compound. “There might be. If Freya broke the spell on the Asylum, that means she’s a very powerful witch. With her and Davina channelling our dead parents and perhaps even Nik, they might be able to resurrect me. However, I believe our dear long lost sister won’t be so forthcoming when she learns that you killed her brother.”
“Great!” Myriam said chipper. “Then I want you to grab a bag of clothes and your ashes, and you come with me to Débauche. That place is a lot more secure than the Compound is, and I’m going to keep you safe until your sister decides to play ball.”
“But that means…”
“That means no more Davina,” Myriam nodded as she got to her feet and ruffled his hair playfully. “So, I suppose we need to stop by your playhouse, and I think Klaus has your ashes?”
“Hey hold on, what about me?” Rebekah piped up. “Can you at least fix me before you’re being locked up in the ivory tower?”
Kol nodded. “Of course, a promise is a promise.”
~o.O.o~
Things quieted down for awhile while the siblings tried to reason with Freya, to get to know her better. Myriam still had to meet her again, but Klaus told her that he’d rather wait with the introduction because after all, Myriam killed Finn to save Kol and Finn was the only brother Freya had known before her abduction by Dahlia.
Kol was bored. Myriam had given him one of the apartments on the top floor, and she could have sworn hearing things blowing up when she was trying to get some rest but didn’t tell him to stop. It wasn’t fun to hide, to make yourself scarce and basically disconnect from the rest of the world. She was tempted to invite Davina over, and have her go upstairs while the cameras had a malfunction, but it was yet another Claire Kol was messing with.
On the other hand, she couldn’t meddle with his love life. Davina seemed to genuinely like Kol and Kol seemed to be smitten as well so, in a moment of weakness, she allowed Davina entrance through the back door and told her where to find Kol and whatever she did, not to linger on the second floor.
When Myriam returned to her office, she found a crumpled note on her desk that she knew she hadn’t put there herself.
Thank you for keeping my secret all these years. Can we talk? I’m outside. Freya.
She sighed and headed outside. Freya was standing right in front of the door. “You’re scaring away the customers like that,” Myriam said as she motioned for Freya to come inside. “Come, let’s have a seat inside. We serve the best coffee in town.”
“No, thanks,” Freya replied as she didn’t move a muscle. “You killed my brother.”
“To save one that was more favourable to everyone in the family and the New Orleans witches,” Myriam explained. “You’ve been hanging around with your siblings for the last few months, what do you think of them?”
Freya wanted to counter with something before having to agree reluctantly with Myriam’s words about Finn. “They’re arrogant. They think they know everything and they say that family is more important than anything and yet proceed to keep stabbing each other in the back! According to the stories quite literally too! And then there’s the paranoia, the anger. The angst! Both Niklaus and Rebekah told me that their lives became better after you entered their lives but how can one person have so much influence on such powerful beings?”
“I had my demons to play with and to threaten them with, but most of all, I’ve never allowed them to think any less of them than they are or to think of them as monsters because they’re not.”
“But they are! You are!”
“If I were truly a monster I would have killed you 98 years ago at the Christmas party for spying on your own family, Freya, because my jealousy would have gotten the best of me,” Myriam replied. “Besides, no one, not even humans, takes betrayal lightly. I was still human and a witch when I took revenge on my own family for abandoning my mother after falling pregnant with me. There are more human monsters out there than you may realise. Your family is far from it. They protect their own. Fiercely. As do I. And Klaus and Kol are mine.”
“You’re in a relationship with both?”
“No, but Klaus is my husband, and Kol is my best friend. Anyone who touches them is mine. Like Finn,” Myriam repeated. “I don’t care how powerful of a witch you are, Freya, but if you hurt my family, I will hurt you.”
Freya nodded. “I can appreciate that. Now, I understand that we need to put Kol back in his true body, correct?”
“The body that turned into ash before Klaus’ eyes, yes.”
“No problem. We still have our parents, and I can channel them. Is Kol ready to go back to being a vampire?”
Myriam hadn’t thought about that. All she’d been focused on was to keep him safe in his fragile and mortal body, but she knew that he liked being a witch too much. “I’ll have to talk to him about that.”
“And do ask him if he and Davina are expecting a baby, please. It’s of the utmost importance, for the survival of us all.”
Myriam blinked at that. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Niklaus didn’t tell you about Dahlia? Nor about the deal our mother made with our aunt?”
She blinked at her as she sought her own memories of her discussions of his family with him. “I don’t think he really knew of her before now and he hasn’t said anything to me recently. Why? What’s happened?”
“Dahlia took me away from our mother when I was 5 years old, it was part of the deal Esther had made to become fertile,” Freya started to explain. “For as long as Esther’s family would live, every firstborn would go to Dahlia. Dahlia bound me to her, and I’ve been running from her for centuries. But I feel she’s drawing closer, and that could be endangering us all before I get the chance to delink myself from her.”
“Kol is in this Kaleb’s body, and it’d be his DNA. A magical loophole to that deal,” Myriam replied. “It wouldn’t be Kol’s child if she was pregnant. Besides, I would have heard a heartbeat or been able to smell a change in her scent when she came by before. She’s the same as when I met her.”
“My brothers and sister are infertile… unless… did Niklaus take a lover next to you?”
Myriam growled at that question. “He wouldn’t dare if he wanted to keep his cock attached to his body. He’s sworn to me over the years he’s been faithful. I believe and trust him,” she hissed.
Freya let out a breath and nodded. “Then I suppose she figured that I’d be with my siblings, finally. At least we can all rest easy knowing that not another child shall be taken by her.”
“Do you want to rid yourself off of Dahlia?”
“Oh, of course! And I know what I need to do to be able to do so, but Niklaus told me not to involve you because you’d say ‘no’ anyway.”
“He’s right. Everything involving your parents or now your aunt always ends in misery so I’m staying out of it.”
Freya scoffed at her response. “That can’t possibly be true!”
Myriam rolled her eyes. “Your father took me as a way to get to Klaus when I was a regular vampire, loading me with vervain, and your mother kidnapped me and wanted to turn me into a vampire killer, but my demons managed to filter out the progress, and while I lost them, I am now an original vampire, like your siblings. So no, thanks. I will stay the fuck away from the Compound even with them dessicated. It’s not safe. Débauche is a fortress.”
“I understand that Mother is the worst, but Mikael… Niklaus allowed me to revive him and—”
“Oh hell no!”
“He’s so nice, kind and warm to me.”
“And Klaus is letting him live?”
“For now,” Freya nodded. “And Mikael is with Elijah in the dungeon, willingly. For me.”
“I’m never going to set foot in the Compound again,” Myriam shook her head. “In fact, I might never leave Débauche ever again!”
Freya smiled kindly. “You worry for nothing. You’re indestructible.”
“Don’t tell me what I feel,” Myriam shot at her. “Unless Mikael and Esther are both a pile of ash, I’m not coming over for dinner or for a fuck with Klaus. No, you can tell him that if he wants a piece of me, he comes back here,” Myriam said as she walked back to her door. “Anything else you wanted to talk about, Freya?”
“You really don’t have to be afraid, you know.”
“Again, don’t tell me how I feel,” Myriam opened the door with a sigh. “Thanks for stopping by and not killing me, Freya.”
“As you said, you’re indestructible, and I seem to be the only one who liked him. Thank you for answering some questions and hearing me out, Myriam. I appreciate it.”
“Yeah yeah,” Myriam closed the door after getting inside and went to her office to see what she could order from the various takeaway shops in New Orleans. Surely one was open at this time? She didn’t want to bother the cook who had a day off today, but she was hungry. Not for blood, but for Gumbo. The greasier, the better.
Myriam checked the security feed and saw that Kol and Davina were in the shared kitchen on the top level together, cooking and having fun. She was tempted to turn on the audio surveillance, but they deserved their privacy. It’s likely that Kol took Davina to the common area just so Myriam could see that they were up to nothing but talk and perhaps a bit of magic.
Letting out a groan, she placed her order online and headed upstairs. She needed to talk to Kol about putting him back in his body. “Hi guys,” Myriam smiled. “Sorry to disturb your conversation but can we actually have a chat?”
“Of course,” Davina smiled. “I’ll just go to his room and—”
“Nah, you can stay,” Myriam smiled at her as she sat down at the countertop. “So, I just spoke to Freya and the good news is is that she’s willing to help you get back into your own body, Kol. To make you durable again and safe from the witches who might have a beef with you for letting out Eva Sinclair.”
“I didn’t let her out!”
“Your actions did, anyway, I never stopped and wondered to ask you if that’s what you want.”
“Want what?”
“Be a vampire again. I know you love being a witch, so much, I can imagine you don’t want to sacrifice that.”
Kol let out a breath and nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it the last couple of weeks, and it wasn’t easy, but I think it’s time to give Kaleb his body back. I mean, he’s not even that powerful, and I have to use dark objects or even the diamond to boost his power. I’m weak.”
“Don’t say that,” Davina said in barely a whisper. “You’re a great witch, Kol. You’re smart, and your knowledge is so vast. You’re kind and…”
“That’ll all be still there when he’s back to his usual self,” Myriam smiled at Davina. “No matter what his siblings might say. Kol’s one of the good guys.”
“With serious impulse control issues, but I’m willing to work on that for you, Davina. I truly am. Nothing will change, other than not doing magic with you.”
“But you can’t!”
“It’s not your decision to make,” Myriam told her. “It’s his.”
Kol looked at his girlfriend with an apologetic look on his face. “I’m going to miss being a witch, but my family needs me, and I hate being weak. But nothing will change, Davina, I promise.”
Davina withdrew her hand from him and backed away. “I can’t be with you when you’re a vampire, Kol. I just… vampires are monsters.”
“Darling, I told you everything there is about me, and from the time I was a vampire. But I’d still be me!” Kol tried to convince her. “Honest! If you’d just give me a chance!”
“I’m sorry,” she said with tears in her eyes and ran towards the stairs.
Kol turned to Myriam and growled. “This is your fault!”
“How is this my fault?!” Myriam replied. “I can’t help it that all Claire witches are fickle! In fact, I believed she truly wanted to be with you and perhaps channel you for all of her spells, but I’m surprised that I was wrong about that.”
He scowled then. “I’m going to Nik’s and get this over with.”
