Kids in the Dark [S.S. Book One]

Forty-Eight

Inside the Yukimura household, Stiles was handed a cup of tea. "Here, it'll calm you."

He looked up. "What is it?"

"Tea."

"What? Like magic tea?"

"No, chamomile tea. Drink it. Alyssa, would you like some tea?"

I nodded slowly and was handed a cup of tea. Mr. Yukimura walked in the room. "He's not safe here."

Mrs. Yukimura looked up at her husband. "He's not safe anywhere."

"But Allison killed one of them," Kira said. "Doesn't that mean something? She killed an Oni."

"Is that even possible?" Mr. Yukimura questioned.

"I'm not sure how," his wife stated. "But she did it. She killed one of them."

"Yeah, and then they killed her," Stiles retorted. "Allison's dead. Now I guess the only good thing is it looks like I'm dying, too."

I glanced at Stiles to see that he was serious about his comment and it broke my heart that he thought such things. I took his hand and he gripped mine tightly.

Mrs. Yukimura gave a small smile. "He made a powerful move by splitting the two of you."

"So what's our move?" Kira questioned curiously.

"At this point, you need a divine move," Kira's dad said.

I glanced at Kira's parents. "What's a divine move?"

Stiles nodded. "Yeah. What's that?"

"In the game of Go, it's what we call a truly inspired, or out-of-the-box move," Kira's mom informed. "The Nogitsune has had a sente, until this point. What you need is a divine move in order to turn the game around."

Kira smiled slightly. "Okay, so is anyone feeling divinely inspired?" She looked at her mom. "Mom, you said you trapped it in a glass jar, right?"

"It wasn't the jar that trapped it. It was where I buried it," Kira's mom admitted.

"The Nemeton," Stiles realized.

Mrs. Yukimura nodded. "A place I don't know too much about."

"Who does?" Kira questioned.

Stiles glanced at me. "Deaton. Deaton does."

I fired a quick text to Lydia and Scott.

To: Beauty Queen and Wolf Boy

You need to get to Deaton's. Stiles, Kira and I will meet you there.

I placed down my cup of tea and silently thanked the Yukimuras'. I glanced to Kira. "We need to get to Deaton's as well. Can you drive?"

Kira nodded and grabbed a set of keys. I gave a small smile. "Good. Let's go."

We hopped into Kira's car and she turned on the ignition. I sat in the back next to Stiles and he rested his head on my shoulder as I held his freezing hand. "How do you do this?" He asked suddenly.

"Do what?"

"Stay so strong when I'm dying?"

"It's hard to stay strong. Believe me. But I know if I let myself cry, I might not stop. So I have to stay strong. And you're handling this like a champ, Ace."

Stiles sighed. "It doesn't feel like it."

I rubbed circles in his hand. "You are. Trust me. You're incredibly strong-willed and I love that about you."