Of Fire And Shadow [completed]

Chapter 5

Lydia opened her eyes to see herself back in Parrish's apartment, clutching his hand. Scott and Stiles remained standing behind her, watching silently. She looked over her shoulder at them, and then turned back to Parrish, who was beginning to return to his normal temperature.

"Jordan," she said. "I'm here. Come back to me."

Suddenly, Parrish sat upright, startling everyone. His eyes glowed with a fiery light as he breathed heavily, and smoke curled off his body. Scott and Stiles took a step back but Lydia stayed where she was, still holding his hand.

"Lydia?" Scott said, obviously concerned, but Lydia knew what she was doing. She reached out to Parrish, remembering all the times they'd spent together, the laughs and cries they'd shared, and channeled those memories to him. She thought back to when they first met, and their first kiss, and everything they'd been through together. 

After a few seconds Parrish's eyes began to fade back to their original green, and he looked around wildly until he settled on a familiar face, the only one he wanted to see.

"Lydia," he said with relief, and she nearly tackled him in a hug, burying her head in his chest. A few tears trickled down her face as he held her, and she swore she would never let go.

"I thought I'd lost you," Lydia said sadly. Parrish put his hands on her shoulders and moved her back gently so he could see her face. He used his thumb to wipe a tear from her cheek and said, "don't worry. I'm right here."

Lydia leaned in and kissed him, their lips crashing together and moving in sync. She never wanted to stop, and didn't, until Stiles cleared his throat.

"Ehem, well, it's good to see you back Parrish," he said, and Lydia laughed. Parrish looked up at Scott and Stiles as though just realizing they were there. He sat up slowly, leaning back against the couch, and put an arm around Lydia as she cuddled close.

Scott took a step closer. "So what happened?" he asked.

Parrish looked down for a minute. "I honestly don't remember much," he said. "I came home, took a shower, and decided to go for a quick walk when ... the shadows appeared." He paused, and Lydia rubbed his arm comfortingly.

"They came toward me and I tried to fight but it felt like all the heat was being drained out of me, all my power. I couldn't breathe and ... I don't know. I don't remember anything after that."

"So you don't know how you got back here?" Scott asked.

Parrish shook his head slowly, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to remember.

"It could be like when you were taking the bodies," Stiles suggested, but Parrish shook his head.

"Ever since I was put in the cryogenic chamber and remembered when I became a hellhound I've been able to remember everything, even if I wasn't in complete control," he said.

"Like with Mr. Douglas and the Ghost Riders," Scott said and Parrish nodded.

"Maybe it was Thanatos," Lydia said quietly, and all heads turned to her questioningly. She took a deep breath and said, "When I was trying to get Jordan back, I talked to Death."

"Death?!" Stiles asked, his eyes opening wide.

"Yeah, he told me to call him Thanatos, like in the old Greek myths. He said he'd help me bring you back as long as I could help you learn control," she said, looking at Parrish.

"Why didn't I die? Isn't that what Death does?" Parrish asked.

Lydia shook her head. "I don't know, he seemed to think you were still supposed to be here and should be given another chance."

Parrish sighed. "A chance to do what?" he asked, but nobody had the answer.

Stiles let out a huge yawn and looked out the window to where the sun was just beginning to rise, and Lydia closed her eyes as she leaned on Parrish's shoulder.

"You guys should probably get home," Parrish said, and Scott nodded, dragging Stiles toward the door. He looked back at Lydia, who was already fast asleep, and Parrish said, "she can stay here."

After the boys left, Parrish carried Lydia to his bedroom, took off her shoes, and covered her in a blanket. He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face and looked over her beautiful features, wondering what he would do without her.

He then went and laid back down on the couch, but he didn't fall asleep right away. His mind kept replaying the events of the night, of him hurting Lydia and his fear of the shadows, and he stared out the window at the sun peeking over the horizon. Eventually his eyelids began to droop, and the last thing he remembered was seeing a small orange butterfly flutter past the window.

***

Thanatos made his way slowly down the shaded street, lost in thought. The sun was just beginning to rise, causing the shadows from the trees to lengthen and stretch across the pavement.

From those shadows rose another hooded figure, similar to the ones that had appeared before, though a bit smaller. Thanatos glared at it and the figure bowed its head, aware of what fate could befall it if it made a wrong move.

Thanatos spoke first. "Does your master want to know why I helped save the hellhound?"

The shadow figure nodded slowly, cautiously.

Thanatos took a step forward and brought his face close to the face hidden beneath the hood. "The hellhound is under my protection," he sneered. "It is not your concern."

The messenger ducked his head lower, and spoke quietly. "We just want the hellhound back where it belongs."

"It belongs here!" Thanatos said loudly, then he dropped his voice lower. "I am death itself, and I know it's time is not yet upon it, so whatever reason you have for wanting to take it back early, leave it be."

He watched as the shadow began to fade in the morning light, dissipating completely as the sun rose higher. Once it was gone, he turned and continued his journey down the street.

As he walked, Thanatos wondered if he did the right thing by helping the hellhound. The shadow king was a dangerous enemy to make. Was it worth it? Maybe he should have just let it die ... No, he couldn't think like that. He had made the right decision.

Even so, he would need to keep an eye on the hellhound. It was dangerous if it couldn't control itself. Plus, the shadows would be back, he was sure, and the hellhound needed to be prepared.

And what about the banshee? What she had done was risky, and Thanatos didn't think she fully understood the consequences of her decision. The connection between the banshee and the hellhound would be stronger than ever. Their life forces were now tied to one another, and if one perished, the other would as well...

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Thank you all so much for reading this! This is my first time doing something like this and I really appreciate any feedback or suggestions so don't forget to vote and comment! I'd love to hear what you guys think so far.