How to build better friends

Section 2: Revenge in three folds

A faint whispering scream echoed in his head again, for the third time today, and it did not get out of his mind until the sight of Lydia at the Beacon Hills aquatic center. She was standing, or more like shaking, next to a lacerated corpse. "Stiles!" She said as she ran down towards him, "I don't know how I got here, but this is it." She gestured to the lifeguard.

"Derek?" Stiles looked at the alpha, "anything?" Just as he said that, a car pulled up and the zombie couple grabbed Stiles and pushed him down to try and get more hidden.

"Relax, it's Isaac," Derek looked back over towards the corpse. Isaac sprinted out towards the group, eying Stiles up.

"I came as soon as I could. Did you call them first?"

"No, I called you first, then Stiles," Lydia crossed her arms.

"Why call Stiles and not me?" Derek looked a little hurt that Lydia wouldn't confide such an important event in him.

"Well, if you look at the corpse, it's not exactly a normal killing, and Stiles can raise the dead," she gave a little eye roll.

"Well, that's if he even wants to come back in the first place," Stiles rubbed his hands together for a moment, "and you're right, something is definitely wrong here, strangled with a throat slash?" Stiles pulled out his journal and began to sift through pages while the others watched him.

"Is there something you're looking for?" Lydia questioned while taking a look around, making sure no one was around.

"Yes, the ritual section of my notes," Stiles found the color coded sketches, "which doesn't tell me anything. Guess Deaton is our best bet," Stiles shrugged then looked around at everyone staring at him, "what?"

"Stiles," Lydia looked like she wanted to kill him more violently than the corpse, "do your thing," she gestured over the corpse.

"Oh," he chuckled a little nervously and walked over to the body. Everyone looked at him expectantly and he began writing the runes with some of the blood.

"Ew, do you have to do that?" Isaac looked away.

"Yes, unless you have a knife I can slice him open with, or better yet, a regular marker," Stiles continued even though he was a little disgusted too, "someone cut him down," he began the ritual as Derek clawed the rope. There was an odd feeling of when he thought his spell should have already worked and then it was like a death grip on his soul. Something was sucking his power from him, something strong, and fighting it was difficult. Whatever it was seemed to negate his own pain manipulation or perhaps where the man's soul was didn't allow Stiles such powers. It felt like he was the only person in the world when he suddenly got a flash of a scarred face and he jumped back.

"Stiles? Stiles!" Derek caught him before he fell into the pool, "Stiles, what happened?"

"I don't know, I couldn't bring him back," he looked at the zombies, "I hope that nothing happens to that totem, cause whoever is blocking my power can also steal it."

"You know who it is?"

"No, I could feel them mostly, I think the ritual they used to take this person's energy is preventing me from bringing them back, it was like they were right there. And when I pushed power into the corpse, they took it."

"Did you get a good look at them? Is there anything you can tell us?" Lydia looked a little frightened. The whole group looked to be a little shaken up by the news of the magic being performed.

"No, I didn't. I don't even know what happened," he stared around the group expecting anyone to come up with anything and a silence followed them.

"We should call Deaton and see if he knows anything and I should inform my mom," Derek pulled out his phone.

"Why don't you two go home, I'm safe with Derek," Stiles said to the zombies. They looked at each other before Stiles tossed them the keys to his jeep so they could drive back, "we'll hitch a ride with Lydia, but this isn't something you guys need to involve yourselves with. You know tomorrow-"

"Is our last day on earth, we know, which is why we understand," Boston nodded and the two drove off as Lydia dialed up the vet then the police. Stiles took a photo of the poor dead teen before they headed off to the clinic. When they arrived, Alan had just entered through the front entrance to greet them. After examining the picture of the corpse, he looked visibly upset.

"There's a ring on this boy's finger, a promise ring, he is-was a virgin. My guess is this person, this dark druid, is performing a threefold death ritual. They'll probably take 2 more virgins, then warriors, then healers, then philosophers, and finally guardians. Undoubtedly, sacrificing these people in this regard will give them powerful abilities."

"You said they are a dark druid, why do you say that?" Derek asked.

"I mean to say that they were most likely someone who lost their way from the path of the supernatural. Druids are not supposed to change the balance, they are what I would call a Darach."

"Derek," Stiles turned to him, "Derek, Heather..." he clung to the man's arm and shared a look.

"It's okay Stiles," he pulled him in for a hug. Lydia and Isaac seemed to be in silence from the information, "We have to assume this Darach, whoever he may be, has his first two victims. We have to find them and stop them before they kill anyone else."

"I'll warn the others," Isaac headed outside with Lydia.

"Deaton," Stiles looked at the man across the table from him with the most serious expression he could muster, "I think this Darach is powerful. Doing a ritual like this will only make them stronger."