Once they let us leave Stiles sent someone a text, before turning to me. "The Argents are picking us up."
"Who's all with them?" I asked him.
"I have no idea."
When they finally pulled up, Allison, Rory, Destiny, and Taylor were with him. The three of us climbed into the back seat letting Rory and Stiles sit in the middle and Allison up front with her dad. The ride to the apartment was quiet until we walked inside where Allison expressed her concerns about Jennifer taking her dad.
"The word is "guardian," Allison-- more than anyone, you know that's a role I haven't exactly lived up to lately."
"But she took Scott's mother and Stiles' father. That's not a coincidence." She said as we followed him into a study.
"Yeah. I'd also consider the fact that someone put your name up in large block letters on the elevator door. That kind of felt like a warning to me." I shrugged.
"I think it might be Morrell. She knows a lot more than she lets on, and she might even be trying to help us." Allison said.
"Well, she needs to get on that a lot faster, okay? Seeing as how the lunar eclipse is less than two freaking nights away." Stiles said worriedly.
"Stiles, don't give up hope." Mr. Argent said.
"They could already be dead." He sighed defeated making Rory give his hand a squeeze.
"I don't think so. There's something about Jennifer's tactics... It's like she's still positioning. Still moving pieces into place." Argent explained.
"And you're one of them." Allison reminded him.
"Then, let's not wait around to see the next move." He said pulling out a map making us gather around the desk. "Everything she's done has been on a telluric current, so Melissa and the Sheriff have to be somewhere on one of those currents, right?" He looked over at Stiles still sitting in a chair.
"Stiles, if we're gonna find them, we need your help." I told him honestly.
"You seriously want to go after her? I mean, what if she just takes you like the others, huh? No offense, but what's the difference between you and them?" Stiles said exasperatedly to Argent.
He grabbed a gun and loaded the clip. "I'm carrying a forty-five. Maybe she can heal from a shot to the leg and a few slashes to the face, but personally, I'd like to see how she holds up with half her skull blown off." He said before setting the gun on the desk next to him. "We've got one priority right now, and that is to find Melissa and your dad. We've got a map and every clue we need to figure this out-- the only thing we don't have is time, which is why I need all of you."
Stiles sighed standing up and walking over. "Where do we start?"
"The places where the sacrifices have been committed have usually been different from where the bodies have been found. I think the placement has to do with the strength of the current, so there's the school, the animal clinic, the bank." Argent said before Stiles said something.
"Wait a sec-- she wouldn't use the same place twice, would she?"
"Only if she didn't succeed the first time." Argent told him.
"Scott's boss." Allison pointed out.
"Deaton. It was her only failure. That could mean something." I backed up the theory.
"That's just one place so far. We're gonna need a lot more help." Stiles said.
"What about Lydia?" Allison suggested.
"Lydia? What can she do?" Argent asked confused.
"Uh, Lydia's got sort of a talent... She somehow ended up finding a couple of the bodies, without actually looking for them." I shrugged not sure how to explain it.
"What is she? Psychic?" Argent asked.
"She's something." Rory told him.
The Argents began unloading their supplies leaving Stiles stunned. "Whoa. I thought you guys were retired...?"
"Retired, yes. Defenseless? No." Argent said. "Make sure your phones on. If you hear from Scott, you let us know immediately."
"Yeah, I'm thinking that's gonna be kind of unlikely." Stiles glumly replied.
"Both of you, try to remember-- he's just doing what he thinks is right." Argent said looking at Allison and Stiles.
Someone walked into the doorway and spoke. "I can't shoot a gun or use a crossbow, but... well..." he extended his claws. "I'm getting pretty good with these."
"So, what are we supposed to do then, because you're all looking at us like your about to put us in lockdown." I said gesturing to Argent, Allison, and Stiles.
"This is extremely dangerous Bella..." stiles trailed off.
"And fighting the twins wasn't?" I asked looking at him.
"And you got stabbed through the chest with..."
"But did I die though?" I cut him off. "Look I get it, we're all 15 years old and you want to protect us! But you can't, Taylor and I are wolfs for gods sake. So either arm Destiny with a gun and some ammo, or I'm going to make sure she has exactly what she needs to fight. And then we're going to go looking for ourselves."
"They will too." Rory told them.
"You three go with Rory and Stiles, try to get Lydia's help and go from there." Argent told us.
Stiles drove all of us to the house where he and Rory explained everything to Lydia, and she shook her head before she spoke. "I don't believe it. Scott can't really be with them. He can't be."
"You didn't see the look on his face, though. It was..." Stiles trailed off.
"Then, what can I do? I mean, I get that I'm some kind of, like, human Geiger-counter for death, but... I don't know how to turn it on and off yet. All I know is that she tried to kill me because of..." Lydia stopped as she began thinking of the interaction.
"Because of what?" I asked Lydia.
"Hey, Lydia-- what?" Rory asked looking at her.
"When she called me a Banshee, she was surprised by it. What if that's not why she tried to kill me?" Lydia realized.
"Then why did she?" Taylor asked.
"That's what we need to find out." Lydia nodded.
"School. That's what we do in the meantime," Destiny asked incredulously as we walked the halls before Lydia caught up with us.
"Aiden's still not texting me back." Lydia said making Rory and Stiles stop in their tracks, so she continued. "Okay, well, maybe we could just... We could go over there, and..." She trailed off making us all look at Stiles.
"What?" I asked him.
"Oh, God." He muttered.
"Stiles. What is it now?" Taylor asked him.
"It's from Isaac. Jennifer, she t-...She has Allison's father. She took him. She's got all three, now." He replied breathlessly.
"There's still time." Destiny told him.
"We still have time, right?" Taylor asked making me shrug.
"Stiles?" Rory asked as he began hyperventilation. "Are you okay? What is it? What's wrong? Stiles?"
"He's having a panic attack." I told Rory. "Take him somewhere quiet."
"How do I help him?"
"Kiss him. It'll make him hold his breath, holding his breath could stop his panic attack."
She pulled him into the locker room while we waited for him to calm down.
"Shh, look at me. Shhh... Stiles."
"Ooh. How did you do that?" He replied breathlessly.
"Bella told me that holding your breath could stop a panic attack. So, when I kissed you... You held your breath." Rory told him.
"I did?" He asked disoriented.
"Yeah... you did." Rory laughed lightly.
"Thanks," He muttered.
"You should thank Bella. She was the one to notice it right away and tell me how to stop it. She's the smart one." Rory told him nonchalantly.
"You're incredibly smart too Rory." Stiles muttered.
"If I was really smart, I would tell you to sign up for a few sessions with the guidance counselor." Rory chuckled nervously.
"Morrell." Stiles said in realization.
As they came out of the locker room the six of us hurried into the guidance counselor's office.
"Are you here for Ms. Morrell?" Stiles asked the girl who was sitting in the chair waiting.
"No, I thought this was gym class." She told him sarcastically.
"Sweetheart, we're not in the mood for funny. Do you know where she is?" Lydia said impatiently.
"If I did, I wouldn't be waiting here for twenty minutes! So, how about you six back out the door and wait your turn?" She said and I was ready to lose my patience.
"We're not here for a session." I snapped harshly.
"Well, I am-- and I've got some serious issues to work on." She rolled her eyes at me.
"Hey, wait, wait, wait-- you're Danielle. You're Heather's best friend." Stiles said recognizing her.
"I was Heather's best friend. We've been working on that issue three times a week." She corrected Stiles.
"Hold on-- did you say Ms. Morrell's twenty minutes late?" Lydia said distractedly turning to Danielle.
"And I don't know why, either. She's always on time." Danielle shrugged.
"I was seeing her at the beginning of the semester. She was never late." Lydia said turning to us.
"Then she's not late. She's missing." Taylor told her.
"What if we're not the only ones who think she knows something?" Destiny asked.
"Then I want to know what she knows." I said walking towards her desk and looking through it.
"What are you doing?" Lydia ask me.
"She's trying to find her." Stiles said realizing what I was doing.
"Those files are private!" Danielle exclaimed making me roll my eyes.
"Yeah, she's kind of right." Lydia replied.
"That one's yours." I told Lydia holding out the file.
"Let me see that." She grabbed it from me.
I glanced up as she was looking through it to see that picture of a tree she always draws.
"Wait, Lyd's-- that's your drawing." I muttered standing up.
"Yeah, I know. It's a tree." She relied confused.
"Yeah. Good, too." Danielle told her impressed.
"Thank you." Lydia smiled a little.
"No, but that's the same one, though." I told her
"Same as what?" She asked a little shortly.
"No she has a point, Lydia. It's the same one I always see you drawing in class." Rory told her glancing at the tree closer.
"It's a tree. I like drawing trees." She shrugged.
"No, but it's the exact same one. Don't you see?" I told her moving her arm out of the way so she looks at her closer. "Give me your bag." I said before digging through it myself to find her notebook. I flipped it open to a tree. "There-- see?"
I set them right next to each other as Lydia gently skimmed over it with her finger, before I started flipping through the notebook. Page after page we're decorated with the exact same tree.
"Okay, you can have my session. You got bigger issues." Danielle said somewhat appalled before grabbing her bag and leaving.
"What is this...?" Lydia asked gasping as I flipped to another page and stopped realizing something.
Maybe it wasn't a tree at all. I grabbed the notebook and flipped it upside down, showing it was roots and not a tree.
"I know where they are." Stiles said in realization.
"It's the Nemeton. That's where she's keeping them." I agreed with him.
"It has to be." Stiles nodded.
We all started leaving the guidance counselors office when I saw Scott's dad.
"Call Isaac or Allison to pick you two up. Go!"
"Stilinski!" He said seeing Stiles walking with us.
"Agh...All right, look-- go to Derek, okay? He and Peter, they've been there before, so they'll know where it is. Tell them it's the root cellar, all right? They'll know." Stiles told Lydia making her take off.
Rory grabbed my hand and we were just getting ready to leave when Rafael stopped us. "Not so fast you two, and you. Come on."
"Did you know your dad's car is in the school parking lot and has been since last night?" He asked looking at Stiles.
"No, what does that mean?" Stiles asked playing dumb.
"It means he's officially missing." Rafael told him before motioning is to follow him into an empty classroom.
"Why am I getting the feeling you three know something that could help us find your dad, Stiles?"
"If I did, why would I not tell you?" Stiles asked him.
"If it meant helping your dad, why wouldn't you?" He countered making me roll my eyes.
"So, you're asking me to tell you what I wouldn't not tell you?" Stiles glared at him.
"First, I have no idea what you just said. Second, how about you just help me help you?" Rafael sighed shaking his head.
"Well, I sure he doesn't know how to help you help him tell you something that would help you if he doesn't know it!" I countered sarcastically catching on to what Stiles was doing.
"Are you two doing this on purpose?" He asked looking me between Stiles and I before turning his attention to Rory. "Are they doing this on purpose?"
"Knowing those two, I don't have a clue." She shrugged crossing her arms over her chest.
"I don't know anything, okay? Can I just go?" Stiles asked him tiredly.
"Where are your other friends?" He asked glancing at Rory and I as well.
"You mean Scott?" Stiles and I scoffed at the same time making Rory giggle.
"I mean Scott. I mean Isaac Lahey, Allison Argent, these twins, Ethan and Aiden... I've been told your whole little clique didn't show up at school today. And then I know you sent Lydia Martin off to do who knows what because she didn't report to her next class and your friends, Isabella. Taylor Argent and Destiny Waters also didn't report to their next class."
"We don't have a clique." Stiles answered for us harshly.
"Stiles, come on, There's been a pretty disturbing amount of violent activity in this county in the last few months-- several murders tied to this school. I don't know what's going on here, but it's serious. And hey-- your dad is missing." He exasperatedly told Stiles.
Stiles looked down not saying anything as Rory grace his hand. I glared at Rafael not liking him at all in this very moment.
Rafael sighed standing up. " Fine. But I don't want you going home alone. You have someone you can stay with tonight?"
"He's with me." A voice from the first spoke before Rory or I got the chance to, I turned to see Deaton.
Rafael motioned us to go ahead and leave; we followed Deaton out into the parking lot before he spoke.
"Get to the animal clinic. Allison and Isaac are going to meet us there." He told us making me nod and the three of us piled into Stiles's Jeep.
"It has to be on a telluric current, or maybe even at the axis of two, or where they all intersect. I just know it's where Derek took Paige to die." Stiles told us as we stood around the animal clinic.
"My dad and Gerard were there, once. But Gerard said it was years ago and he couldn't remember where it was... And, my dad obviously isn't here to tell us now." Allison said her gaze on the table.
"Yeah, mine either." Stiles replied.
"Then how do we find this place?" Issac asked.
"There might be a way. But it's dangerous. We're gonna need Scott." Deaton said his gaze far off.
"Rory and I are going with Stiles and Deaton." I told the others.
"Be safe," Destiny told me.
"Always am." I shot her a grin as we left.
"How'd you guys find out?" Scott asked as he saw the four of us waiting in front of the Jeep.
"Lydia. You?" I asked with a shrug.
"Morrell. None of the other Alphas know where it is, either." He said shaking his head.
"So, if this works, are you gonna tell them?" Stiles asked glancing around at us.
"I can't stop Jennifer without them." Scott sighs with a nod.
"How about we concentrate on finding your parents first?" Deaton interjected looking between the two boys.
"What's the plan?" Scott asked.
"Essentially, you, Allison, and Stiles need to be surrogate sacrifices for your parents." Deaton explained to him.
"We die for them?" Scott asked stunned.
"But he can bring us back! You can- You can bring us back, right?" Stiles asked after a moment.
"You remember the part where I said it was dangerous? If it goes right, the three of you will be dead for a few seconds... But, there's something else you need to think about. This is a dangerous ritual for more reasons than one. You'll be giving power back to the Nemeton, a place that hasn't had power for a long time. This kind of power is like a magnet-- it attracts the supernatural, the kind of things that a family like the Argents can fill a bestiary with. It will draw them here, like a beacon." Deaton said making the hair in the back of my hair stand up.
"Doesn't sound worse than anything we've already seen." Stiles shrugged.
"You'd be surprised at what you have yet to see." Deaton said before gesturing to me. "There's more to Bella than we know."
"Is that it?" Scott asked glancing at me.
"No. It'll also have an effect on the three of you. You won't be able to see it, but you'll feel it... every day, for the rest of your lives. It'll be a kind of... darkness around your heart, and permanent, like a scar." He warned them.
"Like a tattoo." Scott realized.
"You better come back to me Stiles." Rory wanted him before she kissed him.
"Wait where are you two going?" Scott asked confused.
"We're going to try and find it on foot. We figured with both of us being witches and with me being a true wolf maybe we have some kind of advantage." I explained with a shrug.
"Good luck." Scott told me.
"Yeah. You too." I nodded as Rory and I moved out of the way so they could drive off.
"So let's find this Nemeton." Rory grinned at me.
"What in the hell was that?" Rory asked.
"A tracking spell. If it works right it should get us a little closer every time."
"Two things what do you mean if it works right? And I thought tracking spells were blue?" She asked looking confused.
"Well the nemeton is a magical place, so there's no guarantee our magic can track it. So I tried a little modification for it to see if it will work." I told her before I started following the trail.
We'd been following the trail for awhile when Rory spoke up. "Are we sure this is even working?"
"Yeah why?" I asked her.
"Because we've been out here for almost nine hours and we haven't found it yet." She told me looking at her watch.
"Come here." I said grabbing her hand and placing on the bark in the tea rest tree. "You feel that?"
"It's like a hum. What is that?"
"It's the magic of the nemeton. We're close. Some of these trees here are..." I trailed off as I caught a scent.
"Bell what is it?" She asked me.
I left a magic imprint on the tree before grabbing his wrist and pulling her with me.
"We have to go now. The alpha pack is here." I hissed quietly to her as we picked up our pace.
After a moment of running I heard someone coming at us fast from my right. I dropped Rory's wrist and turned my body in their direction grabbing them by their throat and slamming them to the ground.
"Go! Get out of here!" I yelled to her watching her take off before turning my gaze to who I had in the ground.
"Aiden." I laughed. "Where's Ethan? I was kind of hoping for a rematch from the hospital."
"Your guess is as good as mine." He choked out before I picked him up and threw him.
"Kali I know you're here. I can smell you." I yelled.
I ducked and watched her going flying over me. "You know I've been looking forward to ripping your throat out." She snarled.
"You're not gonna get the chance." I grinned grabbing her ankle as she swung her foot at me.
I gave her a smug grin before I broke her ankle, she dropped to the ground and howled in pain before I punched her in the nose breaking it and knocking her out. I turned ready to run down Aiden, when something was thrown at me. And it took me only a fraction of a second to realize it was mountain ash.
I growl and rammed it, but it didn't do anything.
"You know I kind of wish Scott was a little more like you. More savage when it come to a fight but, maybe now you'll join us." Came Deucalion's voice from behind me.
A growl erupted in my throat before I turned to face him, the growl disappearing in an instant.
"Yes you see I always find a way to get what I want." He told me his claws placed just hardly touching the skin of Rory's neck.
Kali began waking up still slightly dazed as she got to her feet with the help of Aiden.
"Rory I will find you." I told her before I turned my eyes back to Deucalion. "And when I do if there's even a hair out of place, I will rip all of you limb from limb."
"Are you threatening us?" Kali laughed.
But it was cut short as I growled. "I do not make threats. It's a warning and a promise."
"Oh I have no doubt you would. We'll come back after the lunar eclipse for you answer." He smiled making me punch the barrier.
I walked as it changed color when my fist came into contact with it making something flicker in Deucalion's face before they started to turn and leave with Rory.
"Find Artemis Bella!" She told me before they tugged her out of view.
My fist colliding with the barrier over and over again, and I didn't stop. Not when my knuckles bleed and not even when they broke.