Gather The Ashes || Stilinski || Book Three

Thirty-Nine

They finally reached the basement, Dr. Fenris stating the closed unit was at the end of the hall. Sierra nodded, continuing to walk right beside Stiles while Lydia followed. Except when Lydia turned around, Kira and Scott weren't there.

The two were stuck in the middle of the hallway, unable to take another step.

"Sierra," she worriedly called out, and the true empath followed her gaze.

"You didn't think you were all going, did you?" Dr. Fenris inquired.

Scott realized, "It's mountain ash, isn't it?"

"Everywhere," Dr. Fenris confirmed with a nod, "but heavily concentrated down here." He swiped a key card, unlocking a gate before looking at Sierra. "Vallack's cell is the last one at the end of the hall."

Scott focused on his best friend, who seemed hesitant to go on without him. "We'll be right here," he promised, Kira agreeing.

"Okay," Sierra let out a heavy sigh, glancing at Lydia and Stiles with determination in her eyes. "Let's go then."

She walked through the gate Dr. Fenris held open, Stiles and Lydia sticking behind her. The dim lights provided eerie sight and the chipping paint would not be displayed in an interior design magazine. A foul odor stuck in the musty air and Sierra scrunched her nose.

"This place is disgusting," she whispered once Dr. Fenris was out of earshot. "There's no way it's up to code."

"It probably would be if people knew it existed," Lydia replied quietly, moving closer to the couple out of fear.

"She has a point, string bean," Stiles agreed, slipping his hand into Sierra's. "Who knows what maniacs would be on the streets if Eichen didn't house them."

She squeezed his hand for reassurance as they turned a corner, revealing rows of cells mixed of mountain ash and bullet proof glass. The trio fell silent, too scared to let their eyes wander too long on any of the creatures held inside. Sierra noted a female version of the Mute in a straight jacket and a beast with pointed ears, deformed skin and red eyes. And those were the only two she could bare herself to glance at.

Stiles found himself distracted as he glanced at a cell near the end, his heart rate picking up. Donovan sat perfectly still, his cold expression glaring forward.

Bewildered, Stiles moved to the next window to see if Donovan was truly there, but only another inmate growled back at him.

"Stiles?"

Sierra's concerned voice flitting through his ears made Stiles snap his gaze away. She briefly rested her hand on his arm. "Are you alright?"

Stiles nodded, unable to speak. Sierra and Lydia looked at each other worriedly, but didn't say anything.

When they reached the end of the hall, they arrived at a cell that mimicked the others.

Tile floors, an empty cot in one corner and a basic toilet in the other. In the middle sat a man, criss-crossed with a bandage wrapped around his head. He lifted his eyes before any of them said a word. "Tell me what you just saw."

"Who, me?" Stiles fidgeted as Vallack stared at him.

"The creature in the previous cell," Vallack explained his question. "The Sluagh. The myth is that they can take on the appearance of lost souls that have become inextricably bound to it." One of his eyebrows raised and he smirked. "Happen to see any lost souls, Mr. Stilinski?"

"Yeah, everyone down here," Stiles replied sharply, his grip tightening on Sierra's hand.

"Oh, don't give up on us yet," Vallack clicked his tongue in disapproval. "We're all works in progress."