Eliana's POV:
I narrowed my eyes. "Let me go!"
Lucille laughed darkly. "I can't do that, sweetheart."
A growl caught our attention and Evan appeared. "Let her go, mother."
"Evan, darling. It's wonderful to see you."
"If you don't let her go, I'm gonna hurt you or call Dad. I haven't decided yet. Leave her the fuck alone. You've put her through enough shit. The next time I see you near her, I'm going to hurt you. Or worse."
Lucille glared and left.
I glanced to Evan and said, "Thank you."
He nodded. "I owed you. Why didn't you fight back?"
"I-I don't know. I can't fight back around her. I've tried, but she's always been bigger and stronger. Evan, I-" My voice broke and I tried to keep the tears in.
Evan hugged me. "El, it's okay. You tell me when she's around, and I'll fight her for you, okay?"
"Okay. Thank you, Ev."
"You're my little sister. It's my job to protect you."
---
Lydia, Malia and I entered the school and I stared at the book in Malia's hand. Malia had told me that the people in masks were called Dread Doctors and that she'd found the book in Tracy's room.
I pointed to the book. "Why would anyone read that?"
Lydia stopped and Malia and I asked, "What?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. There's something about it. Has anyone actually read it?"
"Just me," Malia replied.
Lydia's pace quickened and she said, "We should probably read all of it."
I frowned. "Why would I read that piece of shit?"
"Because we need to know what's going on."
Malia glanced between us. "Kira's working on that. Stiles says he can't find anything on the author. He thinks it's a pen name."
Lydia stared at the front cover for a moment and flipped it over to read the summary. ""In a small New England town, teenagers are taken in the night and buried alive. Days later, they emerge transformed, wreaking havoc and spreading terror, commanded by an ancient order of parascientists known only as the Dread Doctors."" She nodded. "Sounds vaguely familiar. How does it end?"
Malia shrugged. "It doesn't. This is supposed to be volume one."
I frowned. "Is there a volume two?"
"I think we're living volume two."
Lydia looked at us. "Maybe the real question is... Is this a novel or someone's prediction?"
We sat. Malia was in front of Lydia and I was next to Malia. Malia turned moments later to face Lydia. "Why is your heart beating so fast?" She turned to me. "You seem more anxious than normal."
Lydia ignored Malia and flipped through the pages, stopping at the last one. She let out a soft gasp. "Look at this, you two. Look at the acknowledgements page." She turned the book around.
Malia read the words aloud. ""For providing scientific perspective and invaluable insight... this book is dedicated to Dr. Gabriel Valack." Do you know him?"
Lydia nodded. "Yeah. And I know where to find him."
She went to Stiles' house to tell him while I chose to recruit Evan.
ELIANA'S HOUSE
Evan frowned. "Wait say that again. You're going to Eichen House? Ella, you almost died there!"
"Yeah, but this is important," I told him. "Please come?"
"Eliana, it's dangerous."
"No shit, Sherlock. I know. Just, please, okay? I want to hang out with my brother, and I-I want you there in case she comes around again."
He nodded. "You got me there. Okay, let's go."
OUTSIDE EICHEN HOUSE
Kira and Lydia buzzed in. Evan and I remained back with Scott and Stiles, the latter of whom was rubbing his shoulder.
I frowned. "What's wrong with your shoulder?"
He sighed. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."
"Don't worry about it? Something's clearly wrong."
Scott noticed Stiles' discomfort. "Are you gonna be okay in there?"
Stiles nodded. "Yeah, why?"
"You just seem a little off. Maybe some of us more than others," Scott said quietly.
Stiles suddenly seemed incredibly interested. "Wait. What happened?"
"When the other Chimera, Lucas, when he came after us, I heard Kira say something in Japanese."
I shrugged. "Doesn't sound too bad."
Scott glanced at me. "She doesn't know any Japanese."
"Still not terrible," Stiles said.
"I also think I might have stopped her from killing Lucas."
"Okay," Stiles paused. "Wasn't he trying to kill you, though? I mean, that just sounds like self-defense."
Scott sighed. "It was more than that. I mean, she nearly took his head off."
I thought for a moment. "Maybe she didn't have a choice. That's the whole reason for self-defense, right? To protect yourself against attacks?"
Stiles nodded, glancing at me. "Tracy killed her own father. And Lucas would have killed you."
I frowned as I looked at Stiles. He was acting weirder than normal, and I intended to figure out why.
Scott frowned. "They're not the bad guys. They're the victims. We shouldn't be killing the people we're supposed to save."
The gate buzzed and opened. We walked through the entrance. At the front desk, an orderly instructed, "Please empty your pockets into the container."
"We're here to see..." Scott began.
"Please empty your pockets into the container," the orderly repeated. We did as he asked and he glanced to Kira. "Please remove your belt and place it into the container."
"I kind of need the belt. I mean, it's crucial to the outfit," Kira protested.
"Please remove your belt which patients will attempt to take from you and use to strangle either themselves or others."
"Right. Got it." She nodded and took off her belt, placing it in the container.
We followed another orderly down the hall. Without turning around, he told us, "I'll remind you that I'm only doing this as a favor for Deaton. And I'm doing it against my better judgment."
"Hey, what's the etiquette for talking to this guy?" Stiles asked. "I mean, do you ever look at the other eye?"
The orderly shook his head. "I wouldn't."
Scott, Kira, Evan and I followed for as long as we could.
The orderly turned to face us. "You didn't think you were all going did you?"
"It's Mountain Ash, isn't it?" Scott realized.
"Everywhere, but heavily concentrated down here." He turned to Lydia and Stiles. "Valack's cell is the last one at the end of the hall."
Stiles turned to us and Scott told him, "We'll be right here."
He nodded walked off with Lydia.
Scott attempted to listen and sighed in defeat.
I patted my friend's shoulder. "Face it, Scotty. We're sitting ducks. I hate being a sitting duck."
The lights flickered after maybe ten minutes and I frowned.
"What the fuck?" I muttered.
The lights flickered again and I looked around.
Kira collapsed. "Scott! What the hell happened?!"
Scott shook his head. "I don't know." He knelt next to her.
Dr. Fenris, the orderly who had escorted us down, walked up to us. "We need to get her out of here right now."
Scott frowned. "Yeah, well, how do we move her if we can't even touch her?"
I helped Kira up, wincing at the electricity that jolted through my system. "Sorry, Derek," I muttered.
I looked to the electronic door, hearing a buzz, just as the Dread Doctors appeared. Dr. Fenris turned to us. "I think you three had better run."
I shook her head as Scott said, "We can't leave her."
"I can." He ran to a flight of stairs.
Scott picked up Kira and ran out the door. Evan and I followed.
When we got outside, Scott laid beside Kira.
Evan turned to me. "El, are you okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Are you?"
"Yeah."