Howling to the Heart || Isaac Lahey

95.

Neriah barely parked her bike before she was off it, throwing her helmet onto the road behind her as she sprinted toward the jeep parking. She had changed at the Argent's, but she didn't have time to clean the blood off her body, leaving her exposed skin to look like she walked out of a horror movie.

"Riah?" Scott called out, spotting her the second he got out of the jeep.

But she ignored him, running over to Stiles who stubbled, grabbing a railing.

"I've got you," she told him, throwing his arm over her shoulders as he looked at her in surprise.

"What happened to you?" Lydia asked, grabbing Neriah's face that had splotches of blood.

"Ezril got my humanity back on," Neriah briefly explained and then looked to Kira who was standing beside Scott. "I'm truly sorry for what I did last night, Kira. It was wrong of me, and I hope I can get the chance to apologize to your mother as well."

Kira gave her a nervous smile. "She understood when Scott explained to us about your humanity."

"I would still like to apologize one day," Neriah pushed and then tightened her grip around Stiles' waist. "Now, can we please get this hell over with?"

"Definitely," Stiles mumbled, and they all started walking to the school.

Stiles struggled, but with Lydia and Neriah's help, they got to the doors leading to the school.

"Scott, hold on," Stiles said as they stopped in front of the doors. "I know what you're all thinking. If this works, it might kill me too. But even if it does, you have to go through with it. Stick with the plan, okay?"

"The plan is to save you," Scott said firmly.

"That's the plan we're going with," Neriah added and then nodded at Scott.

Scott pushed open the school doors, but when they walked inside, they were met with a garden full of snow.

"What the hell?" Neriah murmured, walking further in with them and blinking up at the snowflakes landing on her face.

Behind them, the doors slammed shut and they all looked to see that the school doors were now large wooden ones with patterns.

Stiles walked away from Neriah and Lydia, taking a few steps forward. "Oh, this is definitely not part of the plan."

"Of course, the first time I'm seeing snow in real life is now," Neriah muttered, watching the cold snowflakes land in the palm of her hand.

Footsteps sounded and they all turned around to see a mummified-looking man dressed in war clothes turn toward them near the doors. Kira stepped in front of them, unsheathing her katana.

"Like I promised, Stiles," the nogitsune drawled, stopping a distance away. "We're going to kill all of them. One by one," he growled, clenching his hand into a fist.

An oni appeared out of black smoke in front of Kira, striking its sword, but she blocked it with her katana. Then more appeared, circling them and Neriah reluctantly reached out, grabbing Stiles and putting herself in front of him and Lydia as Kira stepped back to Scott's side.

"What the hell is this?" Scott asked. "Where are we?"

"Between life...and death," the nogitsune said slowly.

"Bardo," Lydia supplied quietly.

The nogitsune faced her. "But there are no peaceful deities here, Lydia. You're dying, Stiles. And now everyone you care about is dying, too."

"What?" Stiles breathed, grabbing Neriah's arm as he stepped up to her side. "What do you mean?"

"I've captured almost all of the territories on the board, Stiles." The oni around them took a step closer. "The hospital. The sheriff's station. And now the animal clinic. Do you know the ritual of seppuku, Stiles?"