Pure × Isaac Lahey

54.

       "Himself."

       But with that, too, he was wrong.

x x x

       Elora stood at the open window of Stilinski's SUV, red and blue lights still flooding the parking lot. "What's your next play?" she asked, arms leaned on the base of the rolled down window.

       "You're sure you can't find him with a spell or something?"

       She shook her head, "I wish I could, Sheriff. Trust me, I want to find him - to make sure he's safe. I'm going to do everything I can to help, but tracking him mentally isn't an option." She suddenly looked up, able to see Scott waving for her. "Got it," she said to the air. Her eyes went back to Stilinski, "Derek's heading to the high school with Isaac, Scott's coming down to meet you."

       "Wait," Stilinski said before Elora could back away from the window, "where are you headed?"

      "I'm going over to the Argent's. No one can get ahold of Allison. That, and Charlie's awol."

       Stilinski nodded, "Yeah, that makes me nervous."

       "Oh yeah," El replied, patting the car door. But before she could bring herself to leave, she stopped. "Are you...are you sure you don't know who that new deputy is?"

       "I mean, sure I know him," answered Stilinski, a little hesitantly. "He's Jordan Parrish, ex-military-"

       "I...that's not what I meant." Elora sighed, mildly beside herself. "Nevermind. Stiles should be the main focus." She began to back up, "Keep me updated."

       "Stay safe," Stilinski said, starting the engine to the SUV as Scott jogged over from the hospital.

       "You too," echoed Elora, apparating as Stilinski flashed the headlights to give her cover.

      And instead of making it perfectly into the Argent apartment, she thudded against the front door that was still locked.

       "Jesus Christ," Elora muttered through gritted teeth, a hand going to her forehead as he unlocked the apartment door and went inside. "Chris, Al, it's Elora. Please don't ambush me with guns."

       "No intruder is that loud," a husky voice said, a door within the home creaking open as Chris emerged form his bedroom. "Still getting used to having your apparation abilities back?"

       El sighed, rubbing her forehead, "Big time. Is Allison here?"

      "I sure hope so," said Chris as he stretched his arms, decked in pjs. "Why, what's up?"

      "She's not answering her phone." El headed toward Allison's room, Chris close behind. "Stiles is missing - sleepwalking - and nobody can find him. Not even a locater spell."

      Chris opened his daughter's bedroom door, practically flinging it as he turned on the lights.

      But just like the bed, her room was empty.

      Elora's lips parted as her eyes fell on the curtains billowing in the open window. "Either she went out the front and left the window open, or she can fly."

      "Either way, this is bad," Chris said.

      "Get dressed," El told him as she circled the bed. "I'm gonna need you for this."

       Chris ducked out of Allison's room without hesitation, practically running to his own.

       Elora ran a hand along the curtains, a white hue eliminating any Hale green. A wispy figure of Allison shot past her, leaping from the window as time replayed itself for Elora's eyes only.

       Just as Chris surfaced in the doorway, El took a step backward, unsettling in movement, as if she wasn't in her own body.

       "Elora?"

       The witch gave no response, turning on a dime as she reached the closet. Her eyes faded out of their trance as she pulled open the door with a swift tug.

       El jumped, Charlie falling forward, curled together with hands bound behind him. "Jesus, Charlie." She went to her knees, untying the rope around his wrists.

       Chris, instead of helping, had a gun trained on him.

       Charlie's eyes were half open, barely reacting to El as his hands were freed.

        "What's going on?" Elora asked as she helped Charlie turn over onto his back.

       Still, Charlie said nothing.

       "Hey," persisted Elora, tapping Charlie's face, "hey."

       Charlie remained still under his sister's touch, pupils inactive but soft breath coming from his nostrils.

       "What's wrong with him?" Chris asked, finger hovering over the trigger of his glock.

       "I don't -" El carefully pulled down on Charlie's eyelid, "stardust."

       Argent's brows furrowed, "What does that mean?"

       "He spelled himself." Elora pulled Charlie up by his collar, sitting the unresponsive warlock against the wall.

        "How - how the hell does that happen?"

        "I wish I knew." Elora put a hand on either side of Charlie's neck, closing her eyes as a pulse of yellow light began to hum through her body.

       "I just want to know why the hell he's in my daughter's room," grumbled Chris.

       Charlie awoke with a jolt, eyes nearly glowing as El pulled her hands away. "Holy - Elora? What-" He quickly looked around himself, a cold sweat brewing on his forehead. "Where am I?"

       Chris pulled back the safety, glock pointed at Charlie. "I don't know, where are you?"

       "Oh God-" Charlie looked as if he'd finally realized what had happened. "Where's Allison? Is she still here?"

       "She's gone." Elora stayed crouched in front of her brother, "What's going on?"

       "You need to find her. You need to find her right now."

       Argent's heart race, "Is she in trouble?"

       "No," said Charlie through a wince, allowing El to help him up from the floor, "but if we don't find her soon, we'll all be in trouble."

       "You're not making a lot of sense, Charlie." El reached out, grabbing his shoulder to keep him balanced, able to sense his ill footing. "Talk to us. Why did I see Allison go out the window?"

       Charlie's brows furrowed, an unsteady look on his face. "You saw her?"

       "A memory of her, it's how I knew you were in the closet." Elora couldn't tell where Charlie's mind had gone.

       "How did you - you shouldn't be able to do that. That's not a Danielson-"

       "Charlie, that's not the point right now," El hastily interrupted. "What's going on with Allison?"

       And when Charlie paused, Argent stepped forward and grabbed a fist full of Charlie's shirt.

       "What the hell is going on with my daughter?" Chris growled, Charlie pulled face to face with him. "Tell me right now or the Council will get a tip on where you are and your ass is going back to Russia for eternity."

       "There's two, okay!" Charlie shouted, partially out of nerves. "There's two of them. I wasn't positive about it until tonight."

      Elora's eyes went wide, lips parted in terror. "Please don't mean what you just said, Charlie."

      Charlie softly shook his head, bearer of bad news.

      The worst news.

      "There are two nogitsunes in Beacon Hills, and one of them is Allison."