UP IN FLAMES ➳ S. STILINSKI [02]

[19]

After calling Stiles, Deaton and Lydia back to the School, I was showing them Mr Harris' room - and how it looked as if he had completely disappeared without a trace. Scott and Isaac had left after the ordeal with Ethan and Aiden after thoroughly checking me over to make sure I was safe and unharmed - they needed to go and tell Derek about what they had witnessed.

"You see - he's just...gone? It's like he was never here at all" My head shook at them as they all inspected the Chemistry Teachers full desk.

"But he was here, that's the thing" Stiles held up his bag and jacket. "He wouldn't have left without this - and if he was here, he would have came back"

"So he's been taken?" My eyes flipped to Deaton who was admiring the Cadet's plaque on his desk. "He's gone just like the rest of them"

"Wait-" Stiles held up a test paper.

My head nodded to him in agreement as I walked over. "Did you see the weird titles? They didn't se..." As the words fell out my mouth they came to a quick halt - all of the papers had normal titles, about chemistry and theorems...nothing like what I had seen before.

"What?" Lydia shook her head at me.

"Nothing. What about the tests?" Angling my head down to look at what Stiles was talking about, I furrowed my eyebrows in concentration. "What the..."

"Why would he grade a test R?" Stiles held up the paper to show Deaton.

I passed them to him. "There's a H too"

Crowing around the table, Deaton shuffled the papers about before taking a step back and turning to us. "Remember when I was told you that Druid was the Gaelic word for Wise Oak?"

"Yeah?"

"Well - if a Druid went down the wrong path, the Wise Oak was sometimes said to be called a Dark Oak" He paused. "There's a Gaelic word for that as well.."

My eyes fell down to the paper. "Let me guess"

Nodding, he let out a shaky sigh. "Darach"

***

Deaton had left us now and myself, Lydia and Stiles drove about the streets of Beacon Hills aimlessly throwing ideas about - the rain was lashing off the ground and the sound of distant thunder rumbled through the air but we were all to consumed with what was happening inside the car.

"Okay, so we've had three virgins" My head nodded as I turned to Stiles. "And three Warriors.."

"So what's next?" Lydia's hand gripped onto the back of my chair.

"Healers, Philosophers and Guardians - which could be anyone really" His hands gripped the steering wheel harder and I knew he was anxious about people that we know being taken away - it was a possibility.

"Well now we know what to look out for, so it should be easier. Philosophers are teachers, right? And healers, well - anyone who works in the Hospital...or the Vet, I guess. Guardian's is a little harder but we're more prepared now"

Lydia sat back. "She has a point"

"What do we do now then? I can't just keep sitting and waiting for someone else to die!" Thrashing his hand down on the wheel, Stiles stopped the car and took a breath. "This is torture"

"Stiles" I took my hand is his. "There's no way we can know exactly who's going to be taken, or when...but this information will bring us even closer to finding out who or what is taking people - and that is the best possible outcome right now, okay?"

His head nodded slowly before kissing my hand. "Okay"

Another bout of thunder echoed in the dark street the car sat in and Lydia coughed lightly in the backseat. "We should get going, the storm's starting to get worse"

"You're right, if it gets any stormier then I'd think it was us that was being sacrificed"

"God - please don't even joke about that"

***

"Night!" I shouted after Lydia as she ran inside her house shielding her hair from the rain lashing down. "We should get going too" My eyes turned to Stiles who nodded and started the engine again, I could tell he was still feeling stressed. "We're all going to be safe, nothing's gonna happen to anyone"

"I know, but I just can't shake this feeling that somethings happening..."

"-Right under our noses? Me too, it's weird"

"Even when the Warriors were being taken I was so worried about you" Reaching over, he placed a hand on my knee. "I would die if anything happened to you"

I thought about mentioning the strange papers to him on Mr Harris' desk, but decided that just now probably wasn't the best moment - and it wasn't really anything important anyway, it was just in my head.

"Don't be silly, nothing's happening to any of us. Are you sure you don't want me to stay at yours? It would make me feel much better about you being safe"

"As much as I would absolutely love to take you up on your offer - I just want to go straight to sleep as soon as I get in, I'm exhausted" A yawn crept across his face as he spoke. "Any other night, yes please"

"Of course" I squeezed his hand as my phone vibrated in my pocket and we turned down the street towards the house. "Oh.." My eyes scanned across the screen at the words Scott texted.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah" I nodded at him and flashed my phone. "Isaac's staying at ours for a little bit, something about an issue with Derek?"

He winced. "Doesn't sound good. He'll be staying in Scott's room, right?"

I let out a chuckle. "Yes, Mr Jealous"

"Good, I was just checking" The jeep pulled to a stop outside Scott's house. "I'll see you tomorrow? I can pick you up"

Leaning over and placing a kiss on his lips, I nodded. "That sounds great, thank you"

"Goodnight" He smiled as I opened the door and climbed out the car, closing the door behind me. "Love you!" Even through the closed door I could hear his voice faintly tell me that he loved me.

Before I could even react the jeep quickly sped away and raced down the street, leaving me giggling in the driveway and walking towards the house shaking my head. 

That boy would be the death of me.