Faline pulls her shirt off over her head before quickly changing it before they get to the hospital where Melissa was stood at the front desk.
"Hey," Melissa says.
"Hey"
"Hi"
"Over here," Melissa says. "And if you tell anyone I showed you this, I swear to god I'll kill you both painfully and slowly"
"Why do you want to show me a body I've already seen?" Stiles asks.
"Because you haven't seen everything," Melissa says.
They walk into the morgue and Melissa pulls the sheet back.
"See this around his neck?" Melissa says.
"That's a ligature mark, that means he was strangled with something like cord, rope-"
"Wait a second" Stiles says. "What kind of werewolf strangles someone? That's not very werewolf-y"
"My thoughts exactly," Melissa says. "And then there's this"
Melissa tilts the head to reveal a wound.
"Hmm" Stiles groans. "God, man, what is that? Is that brain matter? Yeah, it's brain matter of course"
"See the indentation?" Melissa asks. "He was hit in the back of the head hard enough to kill him. In fact, any one of these things could have killed him. Someone seriously wanted this poor kid dead"
"So then this couldn't have been Boyd or Cora, you know?" Stiles says. "They wouldn't have done all that"
"But the wound on the throat that wasn't caused by claws," Faline says. "It's too clean-cut, almost surgical"
"Maybe this is just one murder," Stiles says. "Maybe it's just a random coincidence"
"I don't think it was just one," Melissa says.
"How come?"
"Because that girl over there, she's got the exact same injuries"
"Do you want me to check?" Faline asks and Stiles nods turning his head away.
Faline lifts the sheet before looking at Stiles sympathetically.
"It's her isn't it?" Stiles asks.
"I'm sorry Stiles," Faline says.
"The ME said whoever did this wasn't just strangled they used a garrote, which is a stick that you put through a rope and keep twisting"
"Melissa," Faline says quietly.
"Stiles?" Melissa says. "Oh my god, did you know her?"
Stiles nods.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't even think," Melissa says, pulling the covers back over Heather's head.
"We were at her party," Stiles says. "It was her birthday. Her name is Heather"
"Okay, we need to call your father 'cause you're both witnesses," Melissa says.
Faline doesn't say anything but just laces her fingers with Stiles, knowing that the boy wouldn't want words of sympathy. Stiles preferred silent comfort.
Faline frowns spotting a ring on the boy's finger. Her head moves between the two.
"Faline was it?" Heather walks in. "Listen I want to apologize. I'm just sick of being a seventeen-year-old virgin. My friends tease me for it all the time"
"Your friends sound like they suck," Faline says, looking at the wine bottles. "You should probably get some better ones"
"I hate it. I'm like virgin Mary"
"Virgin Mary"
"Virgin"
"Virgin"
"Virgin"
"Faline?" Melissa asks.
"Faye?" Stiles asks.
"Has anyone else been through here tonight?" Faline asks. "Any other bodies or even anybody missing?"
"No bodies," Melissa says. "But-"
"What?" Faline asks as Stiles watches his girlfriend in confusion.
"Two girls," Melissa says. "They brought the first one in, Caitlin, for a tox screen, and then I overheard that her girlfriend, Emily, just disappeared. I mean they were out in the woods and-"
"Nobody's found her yet?" Faline asks.
"I don't know"
"The first one," Faline says.
"Caitlin"
"Is she still here?"
"I think so"
"Where?"
"Wait," Melissa says.
"I need to talk to her"
"Why?" Stiles asks his girlfriend.
"I don't think these are murders," Faline says. "I just need to see her"
"Alright," Melissa says. "Stiles and I will keep watch"
Faline slips into the room.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Faline and I need to ask, why were you and Emily in the woods?"
"We weren't doing anything that bad" Caitlin says. "I mean, I've camped out there plenty of times"
"Why tonight?" Faline asks, keeping her voice soft.
"We wanted to be alone for one night," Caitlin says. "Emily lives with her mom and I have three roommates. Not exactly romantic settings, you know?"
"How long have you two been together?" Faline asks.
"Three months," Caitlin says.
"You wanted to make it romantic" Faline says.
"You know because-"
"Because it was her first time," Faline says.
"They're gonna find her right?" Caitlin asks. "Aren't they?"
"They're going to do their very best," Faline says, squeezing Caitlin's. "Now get some sleep"
Faline gently touches Caitlin's forehead and the girl falls asleep with a small smile on her face.
"What did you do?"
"Give her good dreams," Faline says. "All the good memories of her and Emily are playing in her head right now. Stiles get Scott on the phone. Now"
"Faline what is going on?"
"Just get Scott to meet us in the morgue"
"So Boyd and Cora didn't kill anyone?" Scott asks.
"You're gonna wish they did," Faline says.
"Why?"
"I'm not exactly sure yet," Faline says. "They're all virgins and they're all going to have the same three injuries. Strangled, throat slashed, head bashed in. It's called a threefold death. These aren't random"
"So if these aren't random killings, then what are they?" Scott asks and Faline looks up at Scott.
"Scott, these aren't murders, they're sacrifices. Human sacrifices"
Faline stands in front of her coven.
"As of today" Faline calls. "Three teenagers have been killed. Three innocent teenagers in the wrong place at the wrong time. Three virgins. They were strangled, had their throats cut, and had their head bashed in. As you all know this is the threefold death. These weren't the act of a serial killer which most will believe, just some loon that has some crazed fetish. No we all know, these are the acts of someone practicing dark magic. The darkest magic there is. This is a dark ritual and if I found out someone in this coven had something to do with it or is an accomplice to whoever is doing this-"
"What you'll tell the police?" A young witch Sofia asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh no, that'd be too kind," Faline says, smirking at Sofia. "I'll take your magic and then I'll throw you to the wolves. Now I may be young, but the truth is I know better than anyone what we're up against, and I can build peace, or I can burn our enemies to the ground. The question isn't whether or not I stay as your regent. That decision was made long ago. The question is what the hell would you do without me?"