𝕊𝕄𝕆𝕂𝔼 & 𝕄𝕀ℝℝ𝕆ℝ𝕊 ～ 𝘛𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘧

10 - Hitting The Books

Lynx.

Phoenix.

Kappa.

Mermaid.

Manticore.

Anansi.

The words race through Stiles' mind as he skims through the four open lore books in front of him on the dining table. He runs a hand through his hair, a rush of new questions rising into his conscious.

He turns back in his seat to find Joscelyn pacing back and forth in the living room. "How... how do you know all this?" He asks with furrowed eyebrows.

Josie I need to talk to you, please.

She freezes for a moment while the voice echoed in her mind. It's so loud and pristine clear that she looks to Stiles to see if his attention had stirred.

Seeing that he remained neutral, She shrugs of the weird feeling and ignores his 'cries for attention'.

"I-I've seen them, I know what they can do Stiles. 2004, 2007, 2010 and the following three years, 2016, 2017... and now," Joscelyn lists with dread, "There's a pattern with their work, they have a way of doing this."

"So what? They make up some sort of super pack? Like 'hashtag squad goals'?!" Stiles jokes a little to lighten the tense atmosphere but it doesn't help at all.

"Stiles Beacon Hills is in big trouble if they have the motive to conquer!" She slams her hands down on the table and warns him, "Together they are invincible."

He smirks a little, "And that's the key word right there. All we need to do to stop then is take them down one by one, on their own-"

"For God sake SHUT UP!" She yells then pauses abruptly. Stiles eyes her with hurt and concern at her sudden outburst.

She wasn't mad at him, it was the voice again telling her to 'meet me soon, the others are waiting for an update'.

"Um Josie... are you alright?"

She sighs and sits at one end of the table with Stiles to her right. She rubs her face with exhaustion and looks at her friend sadly.

"I'm sorry about that, I was uh... I was thinking about something. I sometimes can't... cancel out the voices of um... animals around," Joscelyn lies, "This is all very stressful for me and-"

"Hey I'm here alright? Even if Scott and Lydia aren't ready to fight for this and trust you, remember that I believe you and I'll do whatever to protect my town," Stiles says and places his hand on top of hers.

"Really Stiles? You'd do all that?" She asks with a ray of hope on her face.

"Of course, and while I'm at it I'll protect you too... though I don't think you need it," He smiles while she tilts her head.

"Why?"

"Well in case you didn't figure it out, I'm normal and you've got powers. I cant do anything and you can do everything."

She frowns, Stiles takes his hand away from her quickly. "Stiles you can do so much, honestly. Sometimes your mind us the most powerful of weapons alright? Sometimes... I just wish I was normal, that I could have a normal life and not worry about fighting anyone," Joscelyn sighs and he looks at her sadly, "I wish I can be like you..."

"You don't want that."

"Stiles, how would you know what I want? I've been through a lot and I just-"

She stops talking, refraining herself from saying anything that could ruin plans. "What is it?" He pokes at with furrowed eyebrows.

"Nothing... I don't want you to give me your worry," She crosses her arms and he presses her once more.

"Look there can't be any secrets between us alright? We're going to fight this asshole and we need to be on the same-"

Joscelyn leans forward and kisses Stiles on the lips, making him stop talking abruptly. He shifts closer to her and she holds the sides of his face with her hands, kissing him more passion-

Joscelyn, I will have no choice but to show my face if you're not going to be serious about this!

She swipes herself away and stares into his hazel eyes with a look of fear, as the voice echoes and fades away from her mind. Joscelyn gets up suddenly, almost tripping on the carpet below her chair, running a hand through her hair.

"I-I'm sorry Stiles I have to... I-I have to g-go," She mumbles and rushes out the main door after grabbing her hoodie. Joscelyn walks on the street, discreetly glancing into the living room window to find Stiles watching her every move.

She wipes the sweat off her forehead, even though there's a chill in the air. Landen's been on her mind, literally, for the past two hours ever since they came back from the morgue. She's tried her best to block him out but now it's come to a point where it's unbearable.

The reverb of his voice is starting to make her head throb with pain. She needs to stop all this soon otherwise it will truly drive her insane.

Joscelyn doesn't want to be the next patient admitted at Eichen House-

She's tugged back with strength, the breath in her chest getting caught and making her gasp.

A man places his hand on her arm and the other on her mouth, limiting the noise she can make.

"Josie I've been trying to get to you for the whole day. What's going on-"

She elbows him in the gut and pushes herself out of his grasp. "NO you tell me what the hell is going on?!" She yells, though keeps in mind that it's late in the evening and the neighbourhood doesn't need to know about their presence right now, "Why are the others involved HUH? You don't trust me? I can do this on my own ALRIGHT!"

He furrows his eyebrows and glares at her, "Can you? I don't think so, it's taking you so long to do one simple-"

"It's not simple Landen, IT'S NOT SIMPLE! I'm not a psychopath like you so you won't understand," She snaps and clenched her jaw.

"You've grown weaker. You weren't this scared to hurt someone before, you wouldn't hesitate, but now you're just..."

"I'm working with it another way Landen. I've told him everything, I've told him everything about me. He believes me, he's important to the others," Joscelyn clarifies.

"And how's all this supposed to help?"

"We get to main heart of the gang and there's no going wrong right?"

He raises an eyebrow and smirks, "That's... good Josie, that's really good."

She nods her head but then his expressions return to a flat one.

"But I think I need to intervene now-"

THUMP!

He breathes heavily, staring at her unconscious body laying on the ground. "I should have never depended on you Joscelyn... Though you mean everything to me," He mutters then picks her up and holds her over his shoulder, and hurries to his car.

Landen places her on the back seat, then sits in the front seat and looks outside the front and side windows before starting the car.