"Derek!" My voices echoes along with the hurried sound of all of our footsteps. We rush down the stairs and are met with a concerned looking alpha ahead of us. Without a word, Derek takes her unconscious body from Scott's arms. We move over to one of the subway cars in the abandoned spot Derek has been using as his home. He lays her on the cement floor and Stiles' worried voice pulls on my heart strings, "Is she dying?!"
Derek only shakes his head while looking over her shaking form, "I...she might. Which is why this is gonna hurt." He reaches out, wrapping his hands around her small forearm, then twisting. The distinct sound of bone snapping is immediately followed by Erica's screams. She withers in pain and I watch, feeling horrible that there isn't some way I could take the pain away. Scott cover's his mouth in shock and I lay my hand on Stiles' shoulder as he looks at Derek in anger, "You broke her arm!"
"It'll trigger the healing process..." He only looks to me with worrisome eyes. "It'll help her start to heal everything." Derek only grabs her arms tighter in front of us, Erica's screams now low whimpers of pain. "I still gotta get the venom out," I groan and lay my hands on her shoulders, assuming this was not going to be pleasant for her. "This is where it's really gonna hurt."
Erica's screaming sounds like it's never going to end as black goo starts to drain on the floor before us. I wince and watch as Stiles tries his best to console her, pulling her into his lap comfortingly. Exhausted from the pain, she falls back into his chest and sighs. Her eyes slowly shut, but with the last bit of her strength she mutters out one thing, "Stiles. You make a good Batman." Her head then rests back as she completely passes out.
I stand quickly, moving out of the cart and into the main room. I sigh angrily and let my hand push through my hair in frustration. We aren't working fast enough, figuring it out fast enough, and because of that people are dying. "You wanna talk about it?"
I let out a humorless laugh at the familiar deep voice behind me. I blink away that slight burning sensation you get in your eyes right before emotion takes over reason. I turn to face the brooding man in front of me for what seems like the hundredth time since I've moved to this damned town, "No, not really. Plus, you're gonna have to start charging some kind of therapy fee or something with the amount I unload on you."
I throw myself onto one the steps and let my arms rest atop my knees. Derek doesn't saying anything, but I notice the small smile ghost his face at my words. He moves over, taking the empty space next to me. I know his silence his way of telling me to speak so I turn to meet his eyes with a sigh, "I'm frustrated. Furious. I feel like the answer is constantly staring me right in the face, but yet I can't figure it out. I need to...before someone else dies."
"You also have to remember that this isn't on just you to figure out. All of us are searching for answers." His words only momentarily take away some of the weight on my shoulders. At least it did before I remember who all of us includes.
My expression falls even more at the faces of my father and grandfather flash in my mind, "That's part of what I'm worried about. There are certain people I feel won't end this without killing even more of my friends." Jackass wasn't a friend in my book by any means, but it doesn't mean I want him dead. Not when someone else is controlling him.
"I know it's not just up to me to end this, but I feel like whatever has been happening to me is giving me some kind of upper hand. One that I can figure out how the hell to use." I rest my head in my hands with disappointment in myself. I only look over when I can feel Derek's gaze on me, a question burning in his eyes. "What?"
"Have you read anymore of the journal Deaton gave you? You said yourself that is the closet thing you have to answers on how you might be able to control what's happening." I only sigh and let my eyes fall to the floor. No, I haven't touched the journal since the night I began to read the first passage. The desire to dive in and discover all the gritty details was eating at me, but so was the fear of what could be. Before I can reply, Scott comes into the room with a passion in his steps.
Derek stands to his feet and I watch the usual stoic expression fall back onto his face. Scott stops a few feet away, "You know who it is."
He lets out a deep sigh, nodding slowly, "Jackson."
"You just wanted Erica to confirm it, didn't you?" Again, Derek responds with a nod. Scott meets my eyes and I can see a storm of thoughts brewing behind his. "I'm gonna help you stop him," He looks back to Derek with determination, "As part of your pack."
I raise my eyebrows in shock at his words. I know being a part of Derek's pack wasn't something that Scott was interested in by any means. Although in Scott's mind, he might do just about anything if it means saving someone's life. Derek looks slightly taken back by Scott's words, but stays silent letting him continue.
"If you want me in, fine. But we'll do it on one condition. We're gonna catch him, not kill him."
Derek crosses his arms over his chest with the smallest of smirks, knowing that wasn't all Scott was going to ask for. "And we do it my way." I nod in agreement and smile when Derek does the same. For once, it felt like there was a little peace between our little worlds.
Moments later, I wait for the boys by Stiles' Jeep, kicking the dirt around the ground below me. Scott wanted to talk to Derek longer, and the musty air down there started to make me feel suffocated. The bright moon above catches my eye, and per usual I find myself staring at it adoringly. What a beautiful thing tied to such destruction. I feel the wind pick up around me, leaves and sticks on the ground moving with it. I inhale the fresh air, but it causes a tightening in my chest. I squint my eyes, the feeling becoming all too familiar for my liking. I lean my hands against the Jeep, bracing myself for whatever might come next. I feel the surge of tingles in my fingers and close my eyes, trying to calm the sensation.
It wasn't human.
I lean back, standing straight up at the voice that echoes around me. I take a glance around the wooded area, but not to my surprise there is not a soul in sight. I knew the voice, it's one that woke me up from a nightmare just the other night. I feel my eyes begin to water as the tightening in my chest grows worse...no. My breath gets shallower, but a twig snapping behind me causes me to scream and turn quickly. My punch gets caught, just inches away from a shocked face.
I gasp lightly for air and watch Scott's brown eyes turned concerned, "Abby? We called your name a bunch of times. Did you not hear us?"
I lower my hand from his light grip and take a step back slowly. I wrap my arms around my torso and shake my head, "No, I didn't hear you at all."
Stiles moves forward and rest a hand on my shoulder, "What happened?" I just sigh heavily and let my exhausted eyes meet theirs. I shake my head and shrug, "I don't know. I thought I heard someone, but there's no one here." I turn and wrap my hand around the handle of the car door, but before I can open it I freeze.
I feel the weight pushing down heavily on my shoulders, begging me to turn back around and tell them everything. Feeling exhausted, I just pull open the door and climb into the back seat of the Jeep. I turn and face the window, ignoring the look of concern shared between the boys. I know if I go to them with this, I need it to be something concrete first.
☾ ✩ ☽
I sigh resting my hand back against the wall behind me. I feel my hands tighten around the leather bound book in my grasps, hoping maybe if I grip it tight enough it'll just disappear. I open my eyes and look over to my door, making sure it was locked for the thousandth time. I finally force myself to stop stalling and finger the pages of the book till I'm back to the first entry. I take a final deep breath before finishing the passage I had started, it consisting of the beautiful hand written words etched on the page.
"--she told me watch for myself, for this gift placed upon me could cost me my own sanity. The voices that echo throughout my head and the nightmares that plague my soul--ones that are so true they feel real. Ones that are in fact very real. The gift of knowledge is one that was always taught to never be taken for granted, but this was so different. Grandmother explained to me that there are ways to control them. Channel them. The women in our family have done it before and so, I will do as well. She says we are one of the most powerful creatures to be created in this world and that we must find our true match of power. I still remember the night like it were just the one before now. The night the beast latched into my soul, as grandmother described. She always reminded me, a Sagesse must always find their being of true power before her own shall be complete. Every day I feel mine growing stronger, more intrusive, and wonder if time is running out or if thy truth is getting closer. I will sleep tonight and shall record the indiscretions of my mind in the 'morn.
Sincerely,
Celeste Sagesse Abram.