werewolf books for an entire day after her run-in with Noah's parents. She and Hope were still at Mary's cabin seeing as their parents were throwing a big party in the French Quarter. Hope had asked Mercy if she wanted to play outside, which was surprising, but the girl had declined, trying to read the heavy books as quickly as possible.

There was just something about Caesar and Lucy Day that rubbed her the wrong way.

She tried not to think about them as she read the books. She trusted Noah, and although the relationship between them was rocky, they were still his parents, and she knew that it must be startling to suddenly have them back in his life again. Obviously Caesar and Lucy would act a little strangely when reuniting with their son, but she almost felt as if they were pushing it, making it seem as if they were good when a feeling deep down told Mercy to be wary of them. She wasn't sure this feeling was well-deserved until she spoke with her ancestors through the night.

They had spoken of people who had gone astray, and Akela had informed Mercy that no matter the situation, Caesar and Lucy Day were still werewolves, and therefore, under Mercy's circle of protection. The little girl in question didn't quite understand it, but she tried her best to ignore the queasy feeling.

Now, she was reading. When reading the first book in the trilogy, she learned the essentials: why it was important to protect the wolves, what their history and ancestry meant, how it was possible that werewolves were created. It felt more like a history lesson than anything. As she continued though, the book began telling her of spells that only she could perform, being one of the only two werewolves capable of magic. She studied the spells thoroughly, and despite Mary telling her that her parents would come to pick up their children soon, Mercy still read, engrossed in the book.

She had packed her things quickly before returning to the reading on her bed. She was trying to understand the duty and responsibility that had been laid upon her. She still wasn't completely sure of what certain spells did, but others she was ready to try out this instant. Before she could experiment with them, there was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Come in," Mercy said politely, and her Grandma Mary peeked her head in, sending a look to the younger twin that was difficult to decipher.

"That boy's come around again," she began, but at Mercy's confused look, the older woman smiled before continuing. "It's Noah. He's askin' for you."

Immediately, Mercy jumped from her bed, rushing to where the front door was. The young girl made sure her grandma was out of view before opening the door up to the young boy.

He looked better than he had yesterday. His eyes were no longer puffy and he looked more like the carefree kid that Mercy had first met. However, there was a certain, deep sadness in his eyes that the young girl could understand; while she wasn't as invested in her family as Hope, it was still hard to be without them, and that was something that, unfortunately, both Mercy and Noah had in common.

"Hi," the girl began, her eyes bright with the afternoon sun.

"Hi," Noah responded simply, fiddling with his hands. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I should've—"

"You don't have anything to be sorry for," Mercy cut him off. She said it so blatantly, as if it was obvious, and Noah looked surprised by her words. "I mean my family's a little dysfunctional to say the least, and that was before my father came back. With Hope acting all weird earlier...I'm a little scared. I can understand family drama as well as you."

Noah nodded his head, glad he didn't have to say anymore. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

She perked up at his question. "Sure, hold on," she told him, closing the door softly behind her and running to Mary to see if it was alright. She agreed, but made sure that Mercy would return within the half hour, and the little girl was determined to make the deadline. When she returned to the front door, her smile was wide. "Okay, let's go."

They walked a little ways away from the cabin, and Mercy felt both content and uncomfortable with the silence. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, and because she only knew him for a little bit of time, she found herself questioning his actions and wondering what he wanted to talk about. But, thankfully, before she voiced her concerns, he spoke.

"My parents..." He trailed off, and both of the kids stopped walking, looking at each other. Mercy noticed the way that his hands shook at his sides. "They want to gain full custody. They're trying to take me from Uncle Parker."

"They can't do that," she indignantly cried out immediately, but even she had to admit that she knew next to nothing about how custody battles worked. She had no idea what Noah was going through. Absentmindedly, she touched the necklace he had given her; she saw his eyes flicker at the movement before he responded to her small outburst.

"Technically, they can," he said in indifference, his eyes a hundred miles away. "They're my parents, and they're alive, so they have full rights to whatever happens to me."

Mercy's argument died on her tongue, not knowing what to say. There was a pregnant pause as she followed Noah's gaze into the abyss of trees surrounding them. The wind blew from the east, and Mercy was distantly surprised that she knew which way east was.

"Did they tell you why they left?" Mercy asked, not knowing much about Noah's history with his parents.

He breathed deeply, bending down to sit on the forest floor. She followed suit, their shoulders brushing against one another. "They said it was a mistake," he scoffed. "That it was a mistake they left their infant son alone. They said they want to make amends, be here with me. I think they're lying."

His last words were spoken with an air of knowing, and Mercy's eyes looked to the ground. Noah's voice sounded as if he had aged ten years in two days, and the girl pitied him, despite knowing that he wouldn't accept her pity if she showed it.

Finally, she spoke again. "Why do you think they're lying?" She asked, keeping any suspicion out of her voice. She had also felt uneasy around his parents, but she wanted to know why Noah felt the same. "Or I guess I should be asking what do you think they're lying about."

He met her gaze then, and she felt the intensity in the ways his eyes flickered over her face, searching for something. "I don't know yet," he eventually confessed, bending his knees on the ground to set his chin on. She copied his movements, and the two young werewolves sat in silence.

She sighed, leaning against him and placing her head on his shoulder in a friendly way. She didn't know how else to comfort him about something she knew nothing about. "Well, either way I'm sorry," she told him honestly. "I wish there was something I could do."

He shook his head. "Don't be sorry. It's not your fault," he said, and she nodded despite not feeling any better about the situation.

They stayed like that for a little while longer, simply enjoying the quietness of the bayou. It was only when they heard a set of footsteps approaching that she let herself straighten up, her head leaving his shoulder.

It was Hope that walked up to them, raising an eyebrow at their place on the floor but saying nothing. "Mom's here," she told Mercy, and the younger girl perked up at the news. "She said we're going back to Dad's for the day."

Mercy frowned. She didn't particularly like the house in the French Quarter, but she also missed her dad. It had only been a few days, but even before that, she hadn't seen much of him. She looked to Noah helplessly, torn on what to do, but he only returned her look with a gentle smile.

"Go," he told her, nodding his head. "I'll be okay. I'll see you in a few days, right?"

Mercy nodded despite knowing nothing of what the Mikaelsons would decide to do in the next few days. She had to hope that she would see him soon.

The two stood up, and Mercy gave Noah a tight hug. "I'll see you soon," she said quietly, feeling him nod against her shoulder. When they pulled away, she gave him a smile.

>

Mercy and Hope were back at the Abattoir, looking for things to do. They ended up finding themselves in the attic of the large house, Hope shifting through the things stored there while Mercy sat with her legs crossed and the werewolf book in her lap, almost done reading the first of the trilogy.

She only had a few chapters left, and as she turned one of the pages in her hands, her eyebrows came together in confusion, seeing a familiar symbol there.

It was the sign of the Hollow.

The snake which formed a circle stared back at her in black ink, much more detailed than the drawings Hope had done. The look of it sent a shiver down her spine, and she looked to the page next to it, reading the writing there. Distantly, she heard Hope reading a poem out loud, but she didn't pay her sister much mind.

"A man of words, and not of deeds, is like a garden full of weeds."

Mercy let her eyes fly over the page, reading about the occurrences that took place whenever the Hollow came out of hiding, always in the pattern of four. She read about the number four symbolizing the remaining parts of the Hollow's body needed in order to come back alive. She read about the Council of Wolves separating these four pieces across the main packs, but Mercy grew confused. She remembered Akela telling her that only three packs were apart of the Council, which made sense considering Mercy held three books in her possession. Where was the last one?

"And when the weeds begin to crawl, it's like a bird upon the wall."

She flipped the page, seeing a spell written there, one that was obviously advanced, if the unknown language was anything to go by. Mercy grew more confused as the deep feeling in her stomach increased, and she wondered what the spell was meant for.

"And when the bird away does fly, it's like an eagle in the sky."

Mercy read the explanation of the spell, seeing that it was meant to be done when the presence of the Hollow was close to discovering the location of all the bones. The spell was needed in order to know what would happen should the Hollow gain even the smallest step into the real world. The text only grew more ominous and it made Mercy grow nervous.

"And when the sky begins to roar, it's like a lion at the door."

Mercy's eyes widened as the book continued, explaining that should the spell be done, it would have to be done precisely, with the right ingredients. Should the spell be done incorrectly, it would cause death to whoever cast it.

"And when the door begins to crack, it's like a stick across your back."

She turned the page again, her heart hammering in her chest. The wolf book declared that should the Hollow be given a foothold in the real world, it would cause heartache and pain to the one the book was meant for. Mercy realized that the book spoke of her in this sense, and her blood grew colder than it already had.

"And when your back begins to smart, it's like a knife inside your heart."

She reached the end of the book now, the last page laid out in front of her, meant singularly for Mercy to read, alone. When she finished reading it, the book fell from her grasp, hitting the ground quietly from her position next to Hope. Her fingers felt numb.

"And when your heart begins to bleed, you're dead and dead and dead indeed."

Hope had finally finished the poem, and Mercy was relieved by the fact. After what the younger twin had just read, the ominous words that Hope spoke were a burden against her head. She sat with her hands clenching and unclenching in her lap, unsure of what to do.

"Not exactly the most uplifting reading material," a voice sounded out, surprising Hope as the girl gasped. Mercy didn't look toward their father, biting her lip in worry. Her thoughts were filled of magic and horror and fear, and although she felt this fear in her very bones, she didn't allow it to show on her face.

Hope looked back down at the book in her lap, and Mercy reached out, closing the wolf book in front of her. Despite knowing that she was the only one who could read it, she still didn't want the words to be seen, even to her.

"It's an old book of rhymes," Hope explained at their father's words. "There's a lot of weird stuff here."

Their father paused, and Mercy looked toward him, watching as he let his eyes wander around the attic they sat in. "You know girls, I'd rather you not play here actually," he said lowly, and Mercy got the sense that they were in trouble, but his voice wasn't necessarily angry either. "All the splinters and the dust..." he trailed off, and Hope looked to Mercy with a frown on her face. After seeing the expression, Klaus continued. "And the bats."

"There aren't any bats," Hope said in disbelief, but Klaus only shook his head.

"Now I've seen no evidence that your Uncle Elijah doesn't sleep up here, hanging upside down," he told them. Hope chuckled at the words, and even Mercy felt her lips lift up just a tiny bit at the humor.

Their father smiled, glad he could make the two girls smile. There was a pause, and then Hope spoke again. "Dad..." she began. "Was there a little boy who used to live here?"

Mercy stood up at the question, drifting to the window of the attic, looking outside in interest. The town of New Orleans was bustling, waiting for its next festival or party. She tilted her head at the sight, wondering if they knew the true dangers of the town. Mercy was still young, but even she recognized the evil that lived here.

There was silence behind Mercy, and the girl turned around to see that her dad had come to crouch down in front of Hope, gently taking the book of rhymes from her grasp. "Come along, sweetheart," he said to her, briefly glancing to Mercy to display that the words were meant for her as well. He stood up again, holding a hand out to Hope. "We can discuss ancient history another time."

Hope grabbed onto Klaus's outstretched hand, standing up, and Mercy grabbed the wolf book from the floor, clutching it close to her chest. The oldest of the twins suddenly stopped, and Mercy looked to Hope in confusion. The girl retraced her steps, picked up one of the toy soldiers from the ground, and resumed her place next to the two, walking out of the attic silently.

Klaus led them back downstairs, and Hope left to go play with the new toy she had found. Mercy stood beside her father, silent and seemingly miles away. Klaus frowned at the sight, seeing that his youngest daughter was pale, stark white.

"Mercy," he said, and she jumped, as if forgetting he was there. His eyebrows came together in worry as he bent down to look in her face. Her eyes were wide, and if he didn't know any better, he could see a small twinge of fear that she desperately tried to hide. "Mercy, what's wrong?"

She seemed to clutch the book she was holding tighter, and the movement didn't go unnoticed by her father. "Nothing," she said. His eyes narrowed at the obvious lie, tilting his head to the side. Seeing the look on his face, Mercy sighed, shaking her head. "I just read something... scary." When his face contorted into an even more concerned look, she rushed to speak before he could. "But it's nothing bad or anything. I just... I don't know. I wasn't expecting it is all."

Klaus sighed, deciding his next words carefully. "Mercy," he said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. He could see the bright green and slight brown inside of her eyes, mixing together to form a color that would take Klaus years to perfect in a painting. "You can always tell us—your mother and me—anything. You know that, right?"

She smiled then, and he appreciated the sight of it. "I know," she replied softly, nodding her head. Quickly, before he could say anything else, Mercy turned and walked away, leaving her father confused and worried even more than he had been before the conversation.

Mercy walked quickly, not wanting to be near her father after what she had just learned. She had schooled her features excellently—thanks to years of lying over pranks so that she didn't get caught—but she knew that he noticed her distress.

She found an empty room, one that was messy, just as the rest of the large house. Vines grew over one of the brick walls, and she noticed a big desk in the middle of the room. She realized then that this must've been an office of some sort, and she wondered if it had once been her father's.

Setting the book down on the table, she sighed deeply. She didn't know how to process the information she had learned from the book. She wanted to know more, needed to know more. If she didn't, Hope could be put in danger, and not even that, but her whole family could be in danger. Mercy's fear sky-rocketed at the thought.

Her thoughts drifted back to the spell, and she felt herself unconsciously flipping back to the specific page, toward the end of the book. Her eyes scanned over the spell, sounding the words out in her head as she assumed them to be pronounced. She looked down, below the incantation, to see the ingredients needed for it to be completed.

She gasped, her eyes growing golden as she left the safety of the Abattoir into the world that only she could see.

Akela stood before her, and Mercy turned to the woman, feeling more distraught at the words of the book echoing in the back of her mind. "Akela," the girl breathed, shaking her head. "I'm scared."

The older woman bent down quickly, taking the child into her arms. Mercy's eyes grew watery at the motherly affection, and she clutched onto her tightly. "Don't be, my child," she said smoothly, pulling the young girl back to stare deeply into her eyes. If Mercy didn't know any better, she would've suspected that Akela was staring into her very soul. "But I must warn you of the spell you found."

Mercy shook her head. "I know that if I don't do it right—"

"It's not that," Akela cut her off with a small smile. "I, as well as the rest of the Council, know that you can complete the spell effortlessly. The Original Witch's magic flows through your veins, and you will not find it hard to complete. Instead, I offer you the knowledge that the key ingredient is in your very home."

Widening her eyes, Mercy shook her head. "I don't understand—"