Of Fire And Shadow [completed]

Chapter 9

Lydia rushed over to the wounded Thanatos lying on the couch of Parrish's apartment. "Oh my gosh, what happened?"

Thanatos was struggling to breathe a little, and Parrish noticed the hilt of a dagger protruding from his chest. He grabbed a few towels to press against the wound in an effort to reduce the bleeding, but soon they were all covered in black blood.

"The shadow king ... threw a knife ... stabbed me..." Thanatos said breathlessly.

Parrish pulled out his phone to call Scott and get his mom over here, as well as the Sheriff to inform him of what was going on while Lydia knelt by Thanatos.

"What?" Lydia asked, leaning a little closer. "I don't understand."

Thanatos looked at Lydia with wide eyes, then reached into the folds of the dark robe he had replaced his suit with to pull out an old faded scroll. He handed it to Lydia and said, "read it ...  and keep it safe."

Lydia looked back at Parrish who was standing by the door having just finished calling everyone. He stepped forward and knelt beside Lydia, taking the scroll from her trembling hands gently and unrolling it to view the prophecy scrawled inside.

Harbingers of death
Release a final breath

Scream and Flame's connection
Provide the right direction

To save or lose it all
As more than shadows fall

And those once scorned will rise
With the shadow king's demise

Parrish finished reading aloud and looked up sharply, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Lydia mirrored his expression, but turned once Thanatos started to speak again.

"You two ... destined for ... greatness," he said shakily before passing out. His breathing remained shallow and his heart beat faintly.

Parrish and Lydia sat in silence, their minds whirling. Destiny? Prophecies? It was like something out of a Percy Jackson book.

They both jumped up, startled, when somebody knocked on the door. Parrish rushed to open it and let in Scott and Melissa, with Stiles and the Sheriff following close behind.

"What happened?" Scott asked as Melissa went to examine her patient. She had come prepared with the nine herbs, which combined to make a magical substance that could cure any supernatural injury. Nobody was sure if it would work on Thanatos, as nobody was quite sure what he was exactly, but they figured it was his best shot.

"I don't know, he just appeared here," Lydia said, her voice coming out faster than she meant it to. "He said he was stabbed by a shadow king and then there was this prophecy..." she trailed off on that last part and Parrish pulled her into his arms.

The Sheriff looked to each person individually, trying to figure out what to make of the situation. "So who is this guy?" he asked hesitantly.

Parrish began to explain everything again to the best of his ability, with Lydia interjecting as needed. Melissa listened in as well, hoping that whatever was going on wasn't going to put too many lives in danger, especially her son's.

Once Parrish finished explaining, everyone was wearing similar confused and concerned expressions. They could only hope that Thanatos would be okay so he could explain everything in more detail.

Suddenly, Thanatos coughed and they all looked to the couch. His eyes were opening slowly and his breathing was beginning to return to normal. The nine herbs had worked.

Everybody visibly relaxed upon realizing that he was going to be okay. After a little bit, Melissa helped Thanatos sit up propped against some pillows. He thanked her sincerely and then gestured for Lydia and Parrish to come closer.

"Thanatos?" Lydia asked, stepping forward cautiously. She had taken the prophecy scroll back from Parrish and was clutching it tightly to her chest.

"It is time for you to know the truth," he told Lydia. "You and Cerberus ... Parrish ... are truly unique. We have waited a long time for your arrival."

Thanatos took a shaky breath before continuing. Though he was getting stronger, it would be a few days before he was fully recovered.

"The prophecy states that together, you will be the fall of the shadow king, and now that he knows, he will come for you both," Thanatos said. "You must be prepared to face him and his army."

"But how do you fight a shadow?" Parrish asked.

Thanatos sighed and shook his head. "I use my sword, but it is unique to me. You must find your own way of resisting their power. Only then will they become solid enough for you to fight."

That answer did not help very much, but Parrish decided that was the best he was going to get. They all left Thanatos to rest on the couch and retreated into the kitchen.

Lydia continued to clutch onto Parrish as they read the prophecy aloud once more for everyone to hear.

"Well, that sounds terrifying," Stiles said once they had finished. The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

Melissa looked down at her watch and frowned. "I need to get to my shift at the hospital," she said. Then she glanced over at Thanatos, who had drifted off to sleep. "Call me if anything changes?"

"Of course," Lydia answered.

"I need to get going as well," Sheriff Stilinski said. "I could really use your help," he added looking at Parrish.

Parrish scratched the back of his neck before glancing down at Lydia who was still clutching his arm. "Are you going to be alright if I go?" he asked her hesitantly.

Lydia looked up at him. "Of course, I'll be fine," she reassured him.

Scott spoke up then. "Stiles and I will stay here too," he said. " We'll keep an eye on things while you're gone."

Parrish knew he was talking mostly about Lydia, who still seemed a little shaken up by the events that had transpired and by the reveal of the new prophecy. He was grateful for their offer of extra support, and was once again glad to have such good friends.

"Thank you," Parrish told Scott as he began to remove his arm from Lydia's tight grip. He looked down at her. "You have to let me go eventually," he said, smirking a little.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Lydia told him. "I worry."

"I'll be fine," he said as he finally extricated his arm from her hands and followed the sheriff to the door.

Parrish turned his head once he reached the door to look back at Lydia. She stood watching him, with Scott and Stiles on either side of her, standing guard.

An uneasy feeling crept from the back of his mind and kept nagging at him as he turned away. He knew it was likely irrational but he couldn't get it out of his head. Something bad was going to happen.

He tried to push the thoughts from his head. Scott had told him that she'd be safe with them, and Parrish was almost reassured. Almost.