Pure × Isaac Lahey

57.

       "What the - what the hell is that?" Charlie asked, voice timid for once in his life.

       The witch made no move to answer him, instead reaching down and cupping the firefly in her palm. And in a sharp movement, she squeezed, a purple flash bursting from within.

       Elora stood from over Allison, unfurling her fist to release a plume of dust. "It's dead." She motioned with only one finger, Allison's body rising up from the forest floor. "Let's go."

       "I'll carry her," Argent said, voice wavering as he walked toward his daughter.

       Allison lowered softly into Chris' arms, Charlie and Elora joining him on either side. Together, they joined hands, placing a palm on Chris' shoulders.

       Then they left the warehouse behind, 2,500 year old remains finding a grave among the dirt.

x x

       The Argent apartment downtown bore a surprising silence, soft hums of Allison's unconscious breaths filling its interior. Soft shuffles of feet littered empty breaths, hidden among the limp walls of the minimal home.

       Elora sat at the edge of the hallway, back pressed against the doorframe of Allison's bedroom with her head down on her thighs.

       A light murmur rattled from Argent's office, familiar tones of Charlie and Chris seeping into Elora's headspace no matter how loud her thoughts grew.

       The witch ran a hand along her face, sighing into her palms as she dragged them down a solemn expression.

       She wasn't sure how to move on - where to go from the valley she had been thrown into.

       On a hundred different levels, everything was wrong.

       Allison was unconscious after the nogitsune left her, Stiles was still hiding Yakunan from everyone but her, she mourned a brother nearly a decade after she lost him like it was yesterday and old enemies were looming in the distance.

       "Why didn't you tell us?"

       Chris' voice murmured from the next room, "It wasn't my place to say. Your parents charmed nearly everyone, especially people they couldn't trust to keep quiet. They wanted to protect you, your sister - your cousins."

       "They didn't want us to remember him? To love him? They took a brother from us."

       Elora rested her head back on the wall, able to hear them perfectly, even when they whispered for her sake.

       "The nogitsune used your brother - your wonderful, gracious brother - like a puppet, and killed people with his hands. It was too much. Fuzen was too much. They did what they thought would be best for everyone."

       "They let me stay emotionless, Chris. I'm not this person-"

       "They couldn't reverse it -"

       "I nearly got them killed! I spent 5 years imprisoned and hated by the Council for something I didn't really want to do."

       "Stop. Stop. Stop talking," Elora finally shouted, hands on the side of her head. "Just stop talking."

       And they did.

       But Allison, however, started.

       Elora lurched up at the sound of the huntress' voice, scrambling back into the bedroom. "Allison?"