Into the Wreckage ▸ Scott McCall (3)

xx. HER RUINATION

xx. HER RUINATION

✢ ✢ ✢

It had been three days since they had gotten back from La Iglesia, and during that time Foster hadn't spoken to any of her friends. Not a single one of them. As of now, Peter was being held at the Sheriff's station as they prepared a space for him at Eichen House. As of current, they were injecting vials of wolfsbane into his system to keep him at bay.

Foster had finally talked to her father, though, and things between them were okay. He was shocked when she finally told him everything that had happened, and found it hard to believe that she had dealt with all of this all by herself. That she had watched her mother's death and hadn't been able to tell anyone. That she had to look that heinous monster in the eye daily.

Which was why it was quite shocking that Foster was willingly entering the very building that Peter was being kept captive in. But it wasn't for Peter. No, she wasn't even going to bat an eye in the direction of the cells.

What she was there for was Deputy Parrish.

As she entered the Sheriff's station, she held a leather bounded book tightly in her hands. He didn't know that she was coming, but then again, she didn't plan on coming to begin with. If she was being honest, she scouring the Bestiary night and day for the past few days, searching for anything about an éadroma, but she hadn't found anything yet. The Bestiary was infinitely long, honestly.

But since it hasn't brought her much luck yet, she thought that maybe she could lend it to someone who might be able to make use of it. Or could be a second eye for her. Maybe Parrish would find what Foster was looking for while they searched for him.

She found herself entering the lobby, smiling brightly when Parrish glanced up at her. Foster waved her hand faintly, crossing the lobby and making her way toward him.

His brows furrowed in confusion as he noticed her enter, Foster making her way over. Finally standing in front of his desk, Foster set the book down and leaned forward slightly.

Confused, Parrish questioned, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home? You have school tomorrow."

Foster simply shrugged, explaining, "I brought something for you."

Parrish glanced toward the green book with his piercing green eyes, questioning, "What is it?" 

"This used to be on a hard drive, but we eventually decided it might be a good idea to have a hard copy around," Foster began, opening the page randomly. It just so happened to turn to the one with the damned Kanima on it. "So, we put it in a book."

"What's it called?"

"The Bestiary," she explained to him, flipping through the pages to show various different creatures stenciled onto the pages. "Whatever you are, it might be in here. And whatever I am might be too, so I'd like to help you figure it out."

He smiled. Genuinely smiled.

"I think I'd like that too."

✢ ✢ ✢

Foster knew that she could avoid her friends for only so long.

And she knew that she could avoid Scott for even less than that, so it came as no surprise to her that he had showed up at her door the next afternoon. She had managed to avoid him all day at school, much to her relief, but she knew she wouldn't be able to keep up that act all day everyday. She needed to face what had happened. They both did.

Foster knew what she had to do now, no matter how much it was going to destroy her. 

But it was the only way she knew how to keep him safe from her.