Void (The Youngest, Book 3.B.)

Chapter 十八 (B)

The Sheriff contacted Derek and Chris and told them about Stiles and Kylie being in the boy's room and they all headed for the Stilinski House. They all waited for each other by the front of the house and then moved in. They carefully went upstairs but saw that the room was empty.

Derek moved through the house but saw that there was no sign of them anywhere. "They're gone," he said when he met them all back in Stiles' room.

"But Stiles left something behind." The Sheriff then pointed to a chessboard that had pieces set up with colored sticky notes.

"What is all this?" Chris asked as they all moved to hover over it. "What are these sticky notes for?"

"This is what Stiles used to try to explain to me about all of...you," the Sheriff said looking particularly over at Derek.

Allison narrowed her eyes at the board. "Maybe it's a message from Stiles. The real Stiles."

Chris moved to pick up one of the pieces that were taken out and saw that it was Isaac's. He analyzed the board fully and realized that all of the wolves and Deaton were on the same side. He also looked and saw that he and his family, along with Jennifer, Jackson and Matt were on the opposing side. He took a closer look and saw that Isaac's piece was actually of the opposing side as well.

Derek noticed something too. "Any reason why my name is on the King? Or why Kylie isn't even a part of the board?"

The Sheriff looked at the board's setup. "Well, you're heavily guarded and I guess the alarming detail is that, you're one move from being in checkmate."

Chris realized what this was now. "It's not a message from Stiles. It's a threat from the Nogitsune. And Kylie isn't on the board, because he can't risk her being in danger. I think he sees her as off limits."

Allison understood the message as she thought back to Derek's piece being the king. "They're at the loft. That's what he's trying to tell us."

"And he wants us to come there," Chris finished.

Derek took a look out the window and saw the time. "Night's fallen."

"This couldn't sound any more like a trap," said Chris to the others.

The Sheriff shook his head. "I don't think it is."

"I think your opinion is slightly biased Sheriff," Chris said back to him.

The Sheriff held his hand out to him. "Look, here me out. What we're dealing with here is someone that apparently lacks motive. No rhyme, no reason, right?"

"Meaning what?" Chris asked him.

"I'll admit, despite how much Stiles has tried to explain all of this to me, I'm still lost on half of this stuff. But what I do understand is that our enemy isn't a killer by nature, it's a trickster. Killing is a by-product."

Derek narrowed his eyes. "If you're trying to say that it won't kill us, I'm not feeling too confident about that."

"It won't. It wants irony. It wants to play a trick. It wants, a joke. All we need to do...is come up with a new punchline."

Chris privately thought that Stilinski was trying to delude himself and bring the rest of them along with him. He understood, this wasn't just anyone they were dealing with, it was his son, as well as a wonderful little girl. But the reality was that this thing is wearing his son and will milk it for all the advantages that fact gives it and he would most likely drag Kylie with him. But the hunter would keep a clear head, even if everyone else refused to. "The sun is setting Sheriff. What do you have in mind?"