Arthur stared at Hope and Landon with intense, stormy grey eyes, his raven hair cropped short, a stark contrast to his pale skin.

Hope dragged her eyes to meet his gaze. "She doesn't exactly look happy to see you." Her grasp on Ara tight. The forcefield around them a cold wall of safety against this unknown supernatural.

Arthur's lips twitched "She was never really a fan when I used my magic." His voice smooth and casual, like he was conversing with a friend.

Landon swallowed, sizing Arthur up. "So what.... you're some sort of shape-shifter?"

Arthur put his hand up to correct "A warlock actually, shape-shifting is part of my magic, part of my charm really," He smirked placing his hands behind his back and stepping down the platform. "Although I do prefer wolves to ravens...." His eyes darted to Hope and he smiled. "Sharper teeth.."

Hope's eyes narrowed as Alaric's words came back to her and her voice was ice as she concluded. "You....you were the creature in the woods?"

Arthur chuckled, his eyes flashing dangerously in wickedness.

"I was....so you probably shouldn't have let your friends go out there, they'll be disappointed to find there's no creature..."

Hope swallowed "What were you doing there then?"

"You mean, before I came here? I was looking for something that belonged to me." His eyes trailed to Ara and the grey in them began to soften. "She always did resemble her aunt..." He mused, his voice gentle yet conflicted, remnants of pain seem to surface in his eyes.

Landon and Hope eyed one another briefly, weighing his words.

Arthur cracked his neck to the side as if shaking off a memory before meeting their curious gazes. "I meant what I said, I've come for my daughter. Be nice little witches or vampires or whatever it is you are and hand her over....."

Hope's clutched Ara tighter in her arms. The shield around them bubbling. "Not until you tell us why you're really here..." Her voice took on a threatening edge. "You didn't just come for your daughter-."

"and I'm pretty sure a dead body in the woods is no coincidence before you show up." Landon finished.

Arthur gaped. "You found a dead body in the woods and assumed I had something to do with it?" He smiled "I don't know whether to feel flattered or insulted..."

"But you do have something to do with it?" Hope pressed, "Otherwise you wouldn't have been in the woods in the first place and you wouldn't have waited until now to swoop in."

"And she wouldn't be protecting us, not you." Landon quipped.

The corners of Arthur's mouth twitched upwards. "Do you both always finish each other's sentences? It's cute really, too bad true love never lasts..."

Hope rolled her eyes, his mannerisms reminding her a lot of the incredulous Clarke, mixed with the evil Kai.

"Quit stalling..."

"Okay fine." Arthur sighed in reluctance but considered. "I didn't really wanna do this but..."

"Do what?" Landon interjected.

Arthur's eyes cast to the side as he thought over his words. "I waited for the opportune moment, true." he stated as he folded his arms across his chest. "And I might've had a little something to do with the woman's body...." His stormy eyes flashed darkly as he snarled at them. "But you already knew that didn't you..." He took a step towards them. "You already know who the woman is....you can feel it???"

Hope stepped further back with the baby, her heart thudding against her chest. The necklace in her jeans pocket felt heavy, as if confirming what she'd already begun to suspect.

"Ara's mother..." Hope whispered.

Arthur grinned. His eyes like the slits of a snake.

His cropped dark hair slowly grew down the length of his face into waves of silvery gold. He shrunk a few inches down, and the straight planes of his body curved into hips and inverted into a tiny waist. The stubble on his face disappeared to reveal milky, glowing skin. The eyes that stared back were a sea blue.

The face in front of them was the Undine.

Melina.

Hope's chest fell. The once Undine who stole Serena's voice and also Serena's love.

Arthur. He was the boy from the necklace, and he stood now before them in his dead wife's body.

"Holy hell..." Landon gaped, his muscles beside Hope tightening around them.

Hope placed her hand over Ara's cheek and turned her head towards herself, as if shielding Ara from the person in front of her.

Arthur in Melina's form smiled devilishly, looking from Hope to Landon and then to the baby.

"Aaaaaraaaa," She cooed. Her voice, like the sound of chimes dangling softly in a breeze. Airy and light. She held her arms out, and smiled warmly. "Come to mommy sweetheart..."

Ara squirmed in Hope's arms trying to turn towards that voice. Her tear-drop green eyes peeking through Hope's fingers. She wailed almost as if in relief and released her forcefield. The cold waves bubbling around them in a haven of protection gave way to the chilly and damp air in the Salvatore Library.

Ara began to cry, reaching for her mother and Arthur, in Melina's body smiled triumphantly, her gaze fixed on Hope. "Now little witch," she taunted "I'm giving you one last chance to give me my daughter and no one gets hurt."

Hope had only one chance to strike with the forcefield down. She knew Arthur may deflect it, but she was willing to risk it to scope his powers. With a wave of her hand she took him by surprise and sent Melina's body flying across the room. Melina gave an eerie high-pitched cry and crashed into a tall oak bookshelf, the heavy leather bounds falling onto her as she hit the stone floor.

Ara burst into tears, her cheeks reddening before she screamed, her eyes squished into her cheeks as tears trickled down her face.

Hope and Landon's attention on Melina momentarily shifted and they surveyed Ara.

Landon's eyes widened. "Hope..."

"Sssshhhh" Hope soothed, running her hands through Ara's hair. Her fingers gently grazed something sticky and wet. Hope pulled back her hands to see blood smeared on her fingertips.

Hope's eyes wide, she looked at Landon speechless.

Landon's stoked the back of Ara's hair "How did that happen?"

Hope quickly turned to Melina's unconscious form on the ground. Her eyes narrowed as Ara sobbed against her cheek. Landon followed Hope's gaze to where a dark stain of blood pooled at the back of Melina's head, darkening her hair from a silvery-gold to burnt brown.

She rocked Ara gently, trying to soothe her cries as the realisation sunk in. Landon turned back to her questioningly, yet his eyes told Hope that he'd come to the same conclusion.

"Are they linked?" Landon sputtered. Hope could see the theories in his head tipping over "I mean there's no possible explanation for that to happen unless..."

"He did a linking spell..." Hope finished for him, the reality of her words sinking in. "I can't kill him without..." she didn't finish, as she cradled Ara closer. 

"Killing her.."