Author's Note: Originally, I had a whole different direction for this story. I posted the first chapter about a month ago, but I had an idea and ran with it. I've been writing like crazy so I can get a little bit ahead so I can post frequently! So, this is chapter one. The pronunciation of my characters name is Cian (Key-in).
Chapter One: An Turas
If one does not enter the tiger's cave,
He will never catch its cub.
It had been a long time since I had stepped foot outside of the Inbetween and walked among the mortals. The world has changed since I last tread on its surface. I can feel it in the earth, in the breeze; I feel it in my very bones. The mortals have grown bold and inventive in my absence, I was amazed by the technology when I walked into the home of Sean O'raf in the blatant countryside outside of Dublin. I had been sent to him by my mother for aid, and he was a great help to me in my time of need. The man exchanged my gold into money, taught me how to use some of the technology, like cellphones, and how to use this new form of currency. Sean also got a friend of his to forge my documents, making me an emancipated sixteen year old named Cian Hyland from Ireland. I needed to get out of Ireland though, so Sean had contacted an old friend of his who lived in a place called California in the land they now called The United States. I had sent money ahead with the help of Aoife, Sean's wife, through something called a bank transfer and the friend Sean had out there bought me a proper dwelling and some basic furniture so it was ready when I arrived. Thankfully, I still had a decent amount of the paper money left over to live comfortably for quite a few years. I could not stay in Ireland for long, however, and so two months after my exile and my time with Sean's family, I had boarded a plane and landed in California before taking a bus to a town named Beacon Hills.
I sighed as I felt the rounded tips of my ears, an obnoxious necessity in these times. My ears perked as I heard the operator of the coach I was on announce that we were due to arrive in Beacon Hills soon. I gripped my simple black cane in one hand and pulled my messenger bag closer to my person with the other in anticipation of my arrival. Quite a few of my belongings had been shipped ahead of me and sent to the house I had bought, so I carried very little with me. I repeated the cover story Sean had given me one more time in my head: I was Cian Hyland, sixteen, from the countryside of Ireland outside Dublin, I had never really worked with technology before and I moved to Beacon Hills for a fresh start after my parents died because I had always had a fascination with America. Sean had thought himself quite brilliant when he decided to enroll me in highschool; He said being in school would allow me me to pick up necessary information and social skills to properly function in modern society. 'Besides', he had said with an infliction of humor in his voice, 'everyone is awkward in highschool, so you will fit right in!'.
As the bus came to a stop, I rose gracefully from my seat and walked down the aisle, making sure to limp as I used my cane for support. Pretending to have a limp aided me in walking at the normal, human pace while also giving me the benefit of getting to carry my cane everywhere I went, which was of some comfort to me. I exited the bus as quickly as I dare, grateful to have finally arrived at my destination, and my grey eyes immediately found the dark-skinned man without any hair holding a sign that said Cian Hyland on it. I raised a hand in greeting to the man, and he nodded at me in return. Honestly, I was most likely not very difficult to pick out of a crowd; I was one of the unfading, and one of the traits of my kind was our beauty and natural grace.
"You must be the one they call Deaton." I said, the corners of my lips tipping up briefly.
"I am." Deaton replied readily, a warm smile directed at me. "I'm glad you've decided to come to Beacon Hills."
"Oh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in question "Why is that?"
"It is always an honor to meet one of the Sidhe." Deaton said as he turned to lead the way to an automobile parked in a lot nearby. "I have only ever met one prior to you."
"It is good to meet you as well. I appreciate all that you have done in anticipation of my arrival." I said calmly, climbing into the vehicle as I reached the passenger door. "I have heard from Sean that this town has been quite eventful as of late. Would you mind explaining what has happened here? Sean did not know much of anything, just that you had some excitement."
"We recently had a problem with an out of control Alpha." Deaton confided, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye as we drove away from the bus station.
"Werewolves." I muttered, rolling my eyes. I have ran into a few over my lifetime; they were highly emotional creatures, prone to impulsive behavior, sometimes quite volatile, and tended to group together into 'packs'. "What of his pack?"
Deaton explained to me then about Scott, the unwilling teenager caught in the plans of a vengeful wolf, the hunters who had come into town, and the new Alpha, Derek, who had taken the power from the previous Alpha after killing him. It was an interesting tale to hear, but I was glad that I was coming after it was over.
"I am glad that things have settled." I commented, watching the buildings outside of the window as we passed them.
"Cian." Deaton said, causing me to look and meet his brown eyes. The tone of voice he used was not something I enjoyed hearing, it resounded with anxiety and usually meant trouble. "Things aren't settling."
"Would you care to elaborate?" I asked, once again turning to face the window of the car and looking out.
"I'm afraid lines are being drawn. It is merely the calm before the storm." Deaton said tiredly, his grip on the steering wheel tightening briefly.
"It would not be my first war." I responded quietly
There was fire in the air and the smoke was thick. Cries of war were resounding, the clanging of swords in the distance and blood prevalent. I rode my horse hard, keeping a firm grip on the reigns to ensure he would not be frightened by the scents he would undoubtedly smell. I could see the main encampment not far ahead, and I sighed in relief at seeing it untouched by our enemies. As I entered the camp, I nimbly jumped from my horse upon reaching the command tent, my armor silent as I walked to the entrance. The two guards on either side of the orange tent bowed to me as I walked past them, moving the flap, and entering without any hesitation - I was expected. My eyes adjusted quickly and I saw the war council in session, men of varying ages surrounding an oval table. They were all the Generals and Strategists that helped to lead the army to victory, and on the table in front of them was a map of the current objective, Nanjing. At the head of the table sat the my goal, and the room quieted as I approached the man sitting there. I bowed low when I reached his side, and then kneeled before him.
"We were successful, lord." I said in Chinese loudly so that all those within the tent could hear my voice clearly.
"As always, Ru Xiang." The man replied, his dark eyes glittering with satisfaction. The Chinese man bowed his head in a sign of respect before lifting his hand and commanding everyone present to leave the tent. No words were exchanged as the men left and I stayed on one knee before the man. After the last general had left the tent, the man stood up from his chair.
"Many doubted my decision to allow you to serve me." the young lord said, putting his hand on my face to lift my eyes to meet his own, dark brown meeting steel grey. "Many have come to regret these doubts. Stand and be at ease, my friend."
"Dorgon." I said, allowing a smile to come across my face, directed at the man adorned in black and gold armor that glittered in the light from the candles.
We met one another halfway, our mouths locking together with a haste and desperation only dangerous times could breed. It was a fierce battle of tongues and only the need to breathe broke us apart. Dorgon cupped my cheek, his hand running the smooth length of my jaw, brushing a lock of long, golden hair behind one of my ears.
"You are as beautiful as the day that I met you." Dorgon whispered to me gently.
"You are kind." I replied, looking into his eyes and smiling at him in return. "You are just as brave and handsome as that day as well."
"My lord!" a guard's voice called loudly from outside of the tent. I sighed in frustration at the abrupt end to our rare private moment. "A messenger approaches!"
We separated quickly and I turned to face the entrance of the tent, wiping all expression from my face and schooling it into a blank mask. A young, Chinese boy entered, and my heart clenched at seeing blood on such a youthful face, his eyes were wide and terrified. The messenger approached Dorgon and knelt, waiting first for his lord to speak.
"What message do you have, boy?" Dorgon asked
"Reinforcements, my lord. Calvary from the west approach our fort on the river." The messenger stammered as he spoke out of fear.
"How many?" Dorgon's voice was clipped, a trait he took on when he was worried.
"Over a thousand, my lord." The messenger said, glancing at both Dorgon and I before hurriedly dropping his gaze back to the floor.
Dorgon dismissed the messenger before turning to look at me. I nodded at the wordless request and grabbed a helmet from one of the various racks lining the tent wall. I walked back to Dorgon, putting a hand to his face, before bowing and turning to leave the tent.
"Be careful."
I froze for a moment, the meaning in his words filling me with a warmth briefly. I shifted my hand to grip my sword, nodding quickly without turning around, and then steeled my resolve, marching out of the tent.
"Cian, I will admit to being worried." Deaton said, jerking me back to reality. "I'm glad you came, regardless of the circumstances, and I hope that you will help if things become chaotic."
"My options were limited, Deaton. I will do as I see fit, I can promise no more." I said, a finality in my tone suggesting that the conversation was over. We were both silent for the remainder of the car ride, Deaton only breaking the silence when he told me he needed to stop by his place of work in order prior to taking me to the house with my belongings in it. I could not call that place home yet, my home was in Ireland.
We got out of the vehicle and I threw my messenger bag across my chest, over one shoulder. I gripped my cane and we walked together towards the door of the veterinary hospital. As we approached the door, I grasped Deaton's arm.
"We are not alone." I warned quietly before releasing his arm after he nodded minutely in understanding. We stepped through the door and I followed Deaton into the back room slowly, my guard up. There was a body with slashes on his torso, and I could tell by the color of his skin that he had died within the last day. There was a man with light dirty blonde hair and piercing blue eyes standing beside the table who turned to face us as we entered the room. We eyed the man with trepidation, and he was the first one to break the silence and speak.
"I was wondering if you could give me your medical opinion on what killed this man."
"I don't know if you saw the sign out there." Deaton said, walking forward slowly. "But this is just an animal clinic."
"I'm aware of that." the man said, his eyebrows raising. "I'm also aware that you're not just a vet."
"I see." Deaton replied calmly, looking at the body. "I'll need the time."
"I'll be back after an hour." the man said, looking at us both. "And I won't be coming alone."
I observed the man as he strode through the door with an air of confidence, and turned to Deaton with my eyebrow raised in a silent question.
"A hunter." Deaton said shortly, turning on his overhead light in order to see the body more clearly. "Chris Argent."
"Interesting." I said, setting my bag on the floor and removing my jacket. "We had better get started."
We both put gloves on and examined the body. The claw marks were deep, it looks as though the man had been lifted up and the slashes went from his lower stomach to the top of his chest. Deaton examined the man's head and noted a peculiar horizontal cut on his neck.
"That looks surgical." I murmured, tilting the head to see the cut more clearly in better lighting. "Calculated."
"I agree." Deaton said "Most likely to incapacitate the victim."
"Poison?" I said, slightly surprised
"I think venom is a more accurate term." Deaton replied
I hummed in agreement before looking at the man's hands and arms. No defensive wounds were present, which would support Deaton's theory that it was a paralytic agent that incapacitated the victim. A noise from the back of the building caught my attention and when I told Deaton, he looked confused, so he was not expecting anyone.
"It hasn't been an hour." Deaton said thoughtfully "Are they early?"
"I did not hear any vehicles." I told him, quietly grabbing my cane from where it was propped up against the table. I tensed as I heard the back door of the clinic creak open and a moment later, a teenager with dark brown hair and eyes walked through the door holding a hand to his side as though he was injured. I watched as Deaton relaxed, so I did the same and stepped back from the table as Deaton rushed forward towards the boy with a concerned look on his face. The boy was a wolf, I could smell it on him as they lifted his shirt and the blood from the gashes on his chest weeped slowly, struggling to heal.
"Deaton" the boy, who I guessed was Scott, groaned painfully before glancing at me as if he was just now noticing my presence. "Who is that?"
"His name is Cian, Scott." Deaton said, grabbing a bottle with a clear liquid inside and bandages from a drawer. "We have to hurry, the hunters will be back soon. They'll heal normally, it will just take longer because they are from an Alpha." Deaton quickly applied what he called rubbing alcohol to the cuts and Scott sucked in a breath.
"Okay, how do you know this?" Scott asked with a confused look "How do you know anything?"
"That's a longer story." Deaton responded, hurryingly bandaging Scott as he spoke. "What I can tell you, is that I know about your kind. Your kind, I can help. This" Deaton gestured towards the body on the examination table "is something different."
"Well" Scott said sounding slightly panicked "Do you know what did it?"
"No." I said, speaking up for the first time and taking a step towards them. "I'd be willing to bet the Argents will though."
Scott and I both jerked as we heard a car engine pull into the parking lot and the slam of a few car doors being shut. Scott went to hide behind a door in a side room just as the Argents started to walk into the building.
"I'm beginning to think I need a more prominent closed sign." Deaton said coolly as they came through the doors. Chris Argent scoffed as he walked to the side, revealing an older gentleman behind him. The old man called Deaton by his first name, I was interested to hear, and wondered how they knew one another.
Deaton explained our findings to the man, and he looked on in interest, asking questions throughout the explanation. I had not missed the curious glances I had been given throughout the entire exchange, but no one asked about my presence there and I was not going to be volunteering anything either. The old man had a far too calculating gaze on his face as he eyed me, however, so I kept it in the back of my mind to analyze at a later time. The group left after Deaton warned them that the purpose of this creature could very well be only to kill.
"Scott." Deaton called, and Scott came around the corner. "You need to find the records they keep."
"But what about how you know about us?" Scott asked loudly "and what about him?"
"He is an aquaintance of mine." Deaton explained, meeting my gaze as he spoke. "He will be joining you at school. He just recently got here from Ireland."
"Are you like him?" Scott asked, gesturing towards Deaton.
"Not quite." I answered, snorting derisively.
"Cian is here to help." Deaton said, avoiding the outraged glare I shot him at his assumption. I had told him I would do what I felt was right, I did not commit to anything.
"How?" Scott asked, eyeing my cane with disbelief and skepticism in his eyes.
"I have not agreed to anything yet." I told told him, striding forward after I picked my bag up. "I am ready to leave, Deaton."
I walked out to the car, using my cane, as Deaton locked up the building and said goodbye to Scott. He did not take long to follow me out to the car, and I got in without a word. The car ride was tense and silent. When we pulled up to what I assumed was the house I now owned, I reached my hand out and grabbed the keys Deaton was holding towards me without a word. It may have been immature, but I was not going to say a word to the man until he apologized for his presumption. I shut the car door and walked up the cement paved pathway to the front door of the simple, green, two story house with the white door.
The inside of the house was filled with boxes. As soon as you walked in, there was a hallway that branched off into the living room on the right, a door that led to a half bathroom on the left wall, with stairs leading to the upstairs a little further on the left wall. If you walked straight ahead there was the kitchen. The kitchen was simple, it had an island in the middle, a fridge, a stove, a microwave, and on the left there was a room that had a washer and dryer. On the right was the dining room, which led back into the living room. All of the walls were painted a beige color, and after examining the downstairs, I went to check out the upstairs. There was a full bathroom with a nice sized shower, and two bedrooms. In the bigger bedroom my queen sized bed had already been set up, so I quickly shucked my grey jeans off and let out a groan as I fell on the mattress. I could not believe I had been in the town for two hours and already met hunters and a werewolf; what had I gotten myself into, coming here? I should have gone back to China.
High school was strange, I decided as I watched the students, screaming and laughing, streaming into the double doors like ants. We had a learning building back in the Inbetween, but it was much smaller and so there was not as much chaos or noise. I had forgotten that mortals bred like rabbits, and that in the bigger cities there were even more of them. Sighing, I gripped my cane a little tighter and made my way into the school to find the office, where I was supposed to receive my schedule. Another thing I had forgotten about mortals was how much they enjoyed talking amongst one another. Among my own people, my looks were average, but among the mortals I stuck out in a significant way and it was apparently all these hormonal teenagers could talk about. Well, that and the reasons behind why I needed a cane in order to walk. Some of the stories and scenarios they came up with were ridiculous, some of them making me scowl and others causing me to repress a smile at how ludicrous they were. I had on a simple white shirt, black jeans, a grey jacket, simple black boots, and my ever present messenger bag. I looked around and thankfully I decided that I honestly did not stick out that much.
"Scott, is that him?" I heard from somewhere in the crowded hall, the name of the boy from last night piquing my interest, and I tilted my head minutely to listen more closely.
"Yeah, that's him." I heard Scott confirm in a low voice, and my eyes searched the hall for the mop of dark brown hair.
"Woah. He is weirdly pretty." the other voice said, and I finally found where Scott was sitting on steps next to another boy. He was attractive in his own right; he was bouncing one of his legs up and down, he had his head shaved, a nose that was pleasantly upturned, and an attractive spattering of moles. He was wearing jeans, a shirt, and some kind of flannel.
"Dude, Stiles." Scott said, looking at his friend strangely for calling me pretty.
"What?" his friend asked defensively. "He is! For a guy, I mean. Like, no guy is that pretty; it could be a front for him actually being evil underneath. His attractive appearance lures his victims in before he kills them!" The boy, Stiles, said with a spastic gesture. They both ducked their heads suddenly as they noticed me watching them, so I decided to make my way over to them. "Scott, I think he is coming over here. Yep, he is definitely coming over."
"Have you formulated a plan yet?" I asked Scott, getting right to the point, looking into the brown eyes that looked more like they should belong on a puppy than a werewolf.
"Wow, no introduction? No good morning?" Stiles snarked, narrowing his eyes at me. "No explanation for what went on last night?"
"Good morning." I told him slowly "I was not aware I owed anyone an explanation. I also assumed your friend had filled you in, so I am sure an introduction is quite unnecessary."
"Stiles." Scott said, elbowing his friend lightly in the side to get him to not respond. "Deaton and Cian said the Argents would have a record of creatures and stuff they have come across."
"Like a bestiary?" Stiles asked smartly, and I gave him an slightly impressed look.
Scott snorted with laughter, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners with mirth. "I think you mean bestiality, man."
"Interesting." I said, looking at Scott as and wondering if he was touched or not, before turning to look at his more well-informed friend. "Exactly like a bestiary."
"It is a compendium of mythical and supernatural creatures." Stiles explained to his friend as he took in Scotts confused expression. I eyed Stiles again, wondering where he had gotten his knowledge from when his friend, who was a supernatural creature, did not know it himself; I fought down a smirk as I noticed Stiles' ears go red when he noticed me give him a once over.
"How am I the only one who has no idea about this stuff?" Scott groaned, putting his head into his hands for a moment.
"Well, you, my best friend, are a creature of the night - so it's kind of a top priority for me." Stiles said, and I let out a quiet snort at the creature of the night comment, causing Stiles to grin at me.
"We need to get that book." They both said, looking at eachother strangely when they said it at exactly the same time. They both then turned to look at me expectantly, as though I was supposed to volunteer to help them steal the book from the hunters.
"I have to go meet the Principal." I told them, abruptly turning and walking away, fake limping, from the two of them in order to find the part of the school labeled the office.
"So much for him being here to help." I heard Stiles mutter to Scott under his breath, and I froze for a moment in the middle of the hallway, considering if it was worth saying anything or not. Ultimately, I decided it was not worth the time, so I kept walking while keeping an eye out for the office.
"I think he heard you." Scott said right before I turned a corner and saw an enclosed area with windows from the ground to the ceiling and a sign that said office outside. I opened the door and stepped in, stopping in front of the desk where a severe looking woman with dark, red hair and high cheekbones sat. She had a fake smile that did not reach her eyes and exuded a coldness that I did not trust instantaneously.
"May I help you?" She asked politely in a clipped voice
"I am here to see the principal in order to receive my schedule." I told her
"One moment." She responded, grabbing a phone and hitting a button before telling someone on the other line that I was outside waiting to see him. As soon as she hung up the phone, she looked up at me. "He can see you now. Just head on back."
I made my way into the back, where there was another oak door I had to open and what was on the other side surprised me. I carefully made sure it did not show on my face, and eyed the old man from last night sitting behind the desk with interest. These Argents were everywhere. If the old man was surprised to see me, he hid it well.
"Mr. Hyland, I presume? I'm Gerard, but here you can call me Principal Argent" Argent asked, scanning my body and his eyes resting briefly on my cane before returning to my face. He was putting on an act as though he were a kindly old man, and I did not buy it for a second.
"You are correct." I said, gracefully taking a seat in front of him without asking for permission to. "I am here to collect my schedule."
"Ah, yes. You are starting as a Sophomore, aren't you? Judging by that accent, you are from Ireland?" He asked, already knowing the answer to both of his questions. I hated when people phrased statements as questions, it was irritating and pointless.
"Correct on both counts." I replied, leaning my cane carefully against the chair I was in.
"Now, if you don't mind me asking, how does a sixteen year old from Ireland know our town vet?" Gerard asked, eyes glittering with curiosity
"He is a family friend." I said, my eyes unflinching.
"Ah. What are your parents names?" Gerard asked again
"In my family, we do not speak the names of those who have passed on." I told him calmly "Now may I please obtain my schedule to avoid being late to class on my first day?"
"Of course." Gerard said, standing up as I did. "My daughter-in-law will hand it to you on your way out with a map of the school. Oh, and Mr. Hyland?"
"Yes?" I asked, my hand on the door handle
"I'll be keeping a close eye on you, to make sure you are adjusting here well." Gerard said, smiling. The underlying threat of his statement did not go unnoticed by me, and neither did the dangerous gleam in his eye as he dropped his charade for a moment.
"I would not have it any other way, Principal Argent." I replied, walking out before he could say anything else. Mrs. Argent gave me a folder as I passed her desk with my schedule, a list of books, and the map of the school Gerard had mentioned.
As soon as I was out in the hallway, I grit my teeth together at the threat the old man had left unspoken. If there was one thing that I hated, it was being threatened or told what to do. I made my way to History, the halls were emptied which I assumed meant class had already started, and I used the map as a reference in order to find my way to the class. I took a calming breath when I was outside of the classroom before I walked in, my blood still boiling from my interaction with the Argents. The teacher stopped speaking when he noticed me come into his class, and he quickly gave me a book before pointing me towards an empty seat in the back of the classroom. I locked eyes with Stiles, who was in the desk beside the seat, and I purposefully walked over and took my seat, unpacking a writing utensil and a notebook, opening my book to the page listed on the board. I noticed Stiles watching me out of the corner of my eye and, thinking of Gerard, I quickly scribbled a note in my perfect calligraphy before smiling, which came out as more of a grimace, and placing the note on his desk. Curiously, he unfolded the piece of paper and I watched as he read it.
I will assist any way that I can. Inform me when you and Scott have a plan.
- Cian
Stiles' eyes widened a fraction and he looked over at me, nodding his head with a quick grin and putting his two thumbs up while curling all of his other fingers into a fist. Curious. I turned back to face the board and began to copy what was on the board, thinking to myself that these two idiots had better not get me killed with this plan of theirs.
After class was over, Stiles hurriedly put his stuff into his backpack before he threw an arm around my shoulder and guided me out of the door. My glare did not deter him for a second, although he did remove his arm fairly quickly after he noticed it. Stiles explained that Allison, another Argent, was going to get the keys to Gerards office and then Stiles would search the office during tonight's lacrosse game, both of which Stiles and Scott were team members of.
"So what is my task tonight?" I asked, giving him a blank stare.
"We, that is me, well Scott and I, thought you could keep an eye on Gerard." Stiles said, tapping his fingers on the straps of his bag. I was fairly short for a guy, so I had to look up slightly while he was talking in order to maintain eye contact with him; his eyes were a warm, honey brown. I noticed that he had a hard time staying still in the short time I had observed him.
"Won't Allison be doing that already?" I asked, confused "Would it not be more efficient for me to aid you in searching the office?"
Stiles hesitated before answering, an almost guilty look flashing across his face, before quickly turning into a determined one. "In case Allison has to leave, we need eyes on Gerard."
"I still believe.. " I trailed off as it hit me. They did not trust me, that is why they were giving me that job; they wanted as much help as they could get, they could not afford to turn my offer down, but they wanted me out of the way as much as possible. I pushed the indignation I felt down, realizing it would not help anything and told myself that it was something that I would do as well if there was an unknown factor in a strategy. "Alright. I will be present."
Stiles seemed shocked at the lack of argument, but obviously was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I turned to leave before he had an opportunity to say anything else. On my way to my next class, I saw a dark haired girl with fair skin staring at me from down the hallway. As soon as my eyes met hers, she gave me an awkward smile which was followed by a conflicted look. Internally, I groaned as I saw her begin to walk towards me.
"Hi, I'm Allison. You're Cian, right?" Allison introduced herself, smiling sweetly and seeming genuinely friendly.
"What gave it away? The cane?" I asked snarkily
"No! I didn't even notice - Well, I did notice but that's not why.. What I mean is.." Allison fumbled for words, a shocked look on her face before she tilted her chin and pushed on, not noticing my lips quirking at the corners at the girl's distraught state. "Scott mentioned you."
"What did he say?" I asked curiously
"That you were blonde and had a cane. Then Stiles said you were good-looking." Allison admitted, a small smirk on her face, most likely from the memory of teasing Stiles.
"How flattering." I dead-panned, pulling my map out to see where the art room was.
"What class do you have?" Allison said, falling into step beside me as I began walking down the hall.
"I have Art."
"Me too!" Allison chirped happily, nudging me with her shoulder. "Want some company on the way?"
"It is a free world." I murmured, and my nose scrunched as I caught a whiff of what smelled like werewolf briefly. I turned and saw blonde hair before the bathroom door closed, and I wondered how many teenagers were blood werewolves at this school?
"I remember my first day." Allison was saying, chattering as we walked and distracting me from my thoughts. "Small towns can be worse because everyone knows everyone already and you are the new kid. I don't know what I would have done without Scott, Lydia, and Stiles. They were all really awesome."
"I am quite sure Scott was exceptionally hospitable." I said with a smirk, having already smelt him all over her.
"I think you're going to fit in just fine." Allison said dryly, a small blush staining her porcelain cheeks. Soon after we reached the art room, and I gratefully breathed in the familiar aroma of oil and canvas.
Nothing interesting in Art happened aside from Allison introducing me to Lydia and Danny, two of her friends. Lydia had a calculating look on her face as she looked me up and down, before nodding her head as though I passed inspection, before holding out her hand and introducing herself. Danny was much more warm, he told me he played lacrosse and if I needed help getting around to not be afraid to ask him for help; I also notice that throughout the lesson he would not quit staring at me. It was distracting while I was trying to work on the assignment the teacher had told me they were working on. I had deduced he preferred the company of men romantically and it was confirmed when he asked Allison if I was single, who glanced over at me awkwardly as though she knew or at least suspected that I could hear them, before saying that she didn't know. I ignored them both in favor of the assignment, which was to create a piece about or of a moment that impacted you in a powerful way. I was pondering whether to lighten the shade of orange I was using before committing to it when the bell rang. Allison had to leave without me, as I still had to pack up my things. It was apparently normal to pack up and clean five minutes prior to the bell ringing, something I kept in mind for next class, but the teacher wrote me a note to excuse my tardiness for my next class.
The rest of the day was terribly uneventful, and at the end I saw Scott and Stiles standing in the hallway talking to each other beside a grouping of lockers. When Stiles noticed me watching them, he gestured a little spastically for me to come over to join them. I told them that I had to go home before the game tonight, and that I would meet them here by the field later that night. They quickly told me where exactly to meet them before I turned and headed out the doors to walk back to my house. I needed to unpack some of the boxes today before the game got started, and it was boring work setting up a space.
These people take lacrosse way too seriously, I decided, as I watched a huge man that I heard some of the players deemed 'The Abomination' cause another player to get evaluated by a medical professional. I carefully watched as Allison extracted the keys from her grandfather's jacket, with him being none the wiser, and held them to the side of her where Stiles smoothly grabbed them. I shifted on my feet, gripping the box of food Stiles had shoved into my hands, and leaned on my cane. Stiles had called the food popcorn and it would make me appear less conspicuous by eating it. I rolled my eyes at the boy and had considered telling him that I had achieved plenty of tasks through espionage, that I could blend in a crowd when I wanted too, but the salty and buttery treat had turned out to be extremely good, so I held my tongue. I ignored the smug smirk he directed my way when he saw me take a handful and put it in my mouth, munching happily as I switched between watching the game and Gerard.
Another wolf had just joined the game, evident when his eyes glowed yellow briefly after taking down 'The Abomination' and dropping him as though he were a sack of potatoes. The blonde that the dark skinned teenager had been sitting with got up, which caught my interest, and I assumed that was the wolf I had smelled earlier on in the day on the way to Art. She went into the same direction Stiles had just went, checking her phone as she walked through the crowd, and I quickly threw the popcorn away before I followed her. Right before they were out of my site, I threw a cautious look back at the Argents, making sure Allison and Gerard were still sitting next to one another, before I pushed my way through the crowd and towards the school. I had lost sight of the she-wolf after she broke free of the crowd while I had still been struggling to push my way past people. I cursed in frustration when I got to the edge and could not see her, but I knew where she was going so I did not worry too hard about it. I tried to remember how to get to the office from where I was, but it took a few minutes until I finally figured it out, using the gym as a reference point. I moved as fast as I dared with mortals around to try and head her off before she could be with Stiles for too long.
I had just entered the school and was almost to the office when I heard Stiles talking loudly about his ear being ripped off. I smirked a little before following the sound of his voice, but it had faded quickly. I wandered the halls for a moment until I heard a loud growl that sounded like a werewolf. I abandoned all pretense of my limp and booked it towards the noise, moving faster than any human could hope too, until I came across doors that had a sign reading Pool outside of them. Just as I reached the doors, I heard a splash of water; I composed myself, taking a deep breath and gripped my cane for appearances. I opened the door and strode into the room, coming face to face with a giant, reptile that had been pacing the length of the pool before turning to face me and standing upright.
My eyes scanned the room, noting Stiles holding up a dark haired man inside of the pool, treading water in the center. I took in the creatures green scales, yellow eyes, and the tail waving behind it.
"Dude, run!" Stiles sputtered when he saw me, trying not to drink any of the water as he spoke. "It will paralyze you! We don't think it can swim, just jump in!"
I ignored him and the 'thing' as Stiles had called it was watching me intently. I slowly removed my messenger back from my shoulder, lowering it gently down to the ground, maintaining eye contact with the lizard the entire time. The creature cautiously began to make its way towards me as soon as the bag hit the ground.
"What are you doing?" Stiles shouted, struggling to keep himself and his companion above water.
I calmly twisted my cane a little ways from the top, and pulled, revealing the sword concealed within. The top of my cane served as a handle, and I gave it an experimental swing before putting it out in front of myself defensively as the creature came closer. As soon as the sword stilled, the reptile began to rush me; as soon as it got close enough, it pounced and attacked coming straight towards my middle.
I ran to meet it halfway and as soon as it had pounced, I slid on my knees so that I would go underneath it, cutting with my sword along the length of its lighter underbelly, and only narrowly avoiding getting hit by its tail. The creature let out a screech as it felt the bite of my blade, and I hummed in satisfaction as I turned to face it, rising to my feet. I frowned as I saw the rather deep cut I had just made heal up impossibly fast until it looked as though it had never been hurt at all. This was not going to be easy.
The reptile let out a cry as it rushed me once again, and I used the sword to deflect the claws. The thing was fast, and I had a death grip on my sword to prevent the creature from ripping it from my grasp, as it was equally strong. The creature seemed to halt for a moment, and I seamlessly switched from defense to offense; I brought the sword into strikes, cutting an x that it blocked before aiming for the creatures feet. The tail whipped out and almost knocked the sword from my hands, so I made four more diagonal cuts in order to get the reptile to back up so I could maneuver more easily. On the last cut I made, the creature grabbed the sword with one of its hands; the two of us stared at one another for a moment before I lifted my foot and kicked off its chest, using my other foot to kick its head in, doing a flip and landing on my feet. I turned and ran as it threw my sword, which it still had in its grasp, to the side of the pool.
"It's right behind you!" Stiles yelled unhelpfully as we made brief eye contact, whiskey eyes thick with worry meeting stormy grey.
I ran to a corner of the room, pushing on one wall of the corner, pushing off the other one to use the momentum and turn, bashing the creature across the face with my elbow as hard as I could, aiming for the things eyes. Its head snapped to the side form the impact, but it recovered quickly and grabbed me by the throat. I felt the cut on my neck before it threw me hard against the wall, knocking the breath out of me. I closed my eyes as my vision wavered as the air forcefully left my body, leaving me gasping, and in the background I heard a yell. I opened my eyes, ignoring the pain that shot through me from the harsh fluorescent lights, and saw Stiles swimming towards the edge of the pool towards a phone, the reptile stalking towards where he was trying to get too.
"Hey!" I shouted, causing the lizard to stop and look at me along with Stiles. Stiles quickly got back to swimming when he saw me standing, and reached his phone. "I am not done yet."
I took off at a run, releasing the glamour on my body to reveal my pointed ears and my body softly glowing from my immortality. I sprinted full force at the monster, becoming a blur, and I drop kicked the creature with everything that I had. I knocked it off of its feet, but by the time I had stood up, it had as well. I rolled to my left to avoid its tail coming towards me, and distantly I heard Stiles say in a disbelieving tone that someone had hung up on him. Hearing that cause me to lose my concentration for a second, and the creature's claws ripped into my leg, and my scream reverberated around the room. It quickly brought its other claw up, which I blocked, and when I tried to punch it, the reptile once again sliced into me, this time cutting up along my ribs. I groaned this time, and I turned and ran towards the pool before diving in. That was when the world slowed down. I could feel the venom slowing my healing, and the water around me was beginning to look like wine from the blood leaking from my wounds. I floated for a moment underwater before I broke the surface and began kicking, trying to keep my head above the water. I could hear someone talking, but could not make out what they were saying because of how disoriented I was from the toxin, the blood loss, and the hit I had received to my head. It felt as though my body was on autopilot; kicking and fighting to stay above the surface and remain conscious.
A long time seemed to pass, it could have been minutes or hours, before I felt an arm wrap around my waist and began to tug me towards the edge of the pool. Someone lifted me onto the cold, cement floor and I shivered a little as the water dripped off of me, my clothes sticking uncomfortably to my body from where the blood and pool water were.
"Scott!" I vaguely heard Stiles shout in a panicked voice, and I heard footsteps come running over to where we were. "He's hurt. What do we do?"
"I don't know!" Scott exclaimed "Should we take him to the hospital?"
"And tell them what, exactly? A giant lizard monster just attacked our friend, help?" Stiles snapped sarcastically
"Dude! So not the time." Scott said in return, and I could hear him pacing back and forth. "We should call Deaton."
With a groan, I slowly started to sit up. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned, my greys eyes looking into concerned, honey colored eyes. "You shouldn't sit up."
"I'm fine." I said gruffly, sitting up more fully and blinking back the dark spots that threatened to overtake my vision.
"You are not fine." Stiles snapped without any real bite, his voice coming out with an odd sense of relief and worry. "You were just eviscerated by a giant lizard."
"I will heal." I said absently, using my hand to push off of the ground in order to stand. I almost fell, but I felt Stiles put an hand under my armpit, keeping me steady. I was looking around the pool for my sword when I felt something being pressed into my open hand. I turned, only to be confronted with Scott's smiling face. I gratefully took the cane, leaning on it and taking some of the weight off of my foot and onto it instead. "Thank you."
"We have to get out of here." Scott said, looking around at the destruction our fight with the reptile had caused. I nodded in agreement and shrugged Stiles off me, staggering a few steps. I almost fell until I felt a hand slide around my waist and my arm go around someone's shoulder, and turned to see Stiles glaring at me, daring me to try to shake him off again.
"Thanks." I said tiredly, and the three of us slowly left the pool. As we walked towards the parking lot, I suddenly remembered what this had all been about to begin with. "Did you find the book?"
"Yeah!" Scott said triumphantly, holding out a small, black stick for me to observe.
"What is that?" I asked, a blank look on my face. Both of the teenagers looked at me incredulously.
"A USB." Stiles said, as though he were talking to a five year old. I scowled and felt heat rise up to my cheeks, making me scowl even more. I had no idea what he was talking about and I felt stupid for not knowing. Stiles must have seen my embarrassment because he explained what it was quickly, giving me a gist of what they were and how they were used.
We exited the doors and I limped, for once not having to fake it, over to Scott's car. Scott got a laptop out of the back, and they plugged the USB in. There were pages and pages, some of them having pictures to accompany the words, but all of it was written in Latin.
"Is that even a language?" Stiles complained as we looked through the pages.
"It's latin." I said quietly, pressing my hand to my side to keep it from bleeding too heavily. My shirt was stained, I should probably get out of public before anyone saw how gruesome I most likely looked.
"How are we supposed to know what this thing is?" Scott asked rhetorically
"It's called a Kanima." a deep voice said from behind us, and I turned my head to see the dark haired guy from the pool walking towards us. I took a moment to appreciate how in shape he was, my eyes doing a slow once over of the wet clothes sticking to his body, before I focused on what he had just said.
"That is a Kanima?" I asked, disbelieving. They were so rare that most believed they were only a myth.
"You knew the whole time." Scott accused, glaring at the older man. Stiles studied me curiously after my outburst.
"No." Derek replied, seemingly honest "Only when it was confused by it's own reflection."
"It doesn't know what it is." Scott said
"Or who." Derek said, glancing at me for the first time before doing a double take.
"What else do you know?" Stiles asked Derek, zeroing in on him.
"Just stories, rumors." Derek said, looking at me still and then nodding towards me "Probably nothing he hasn't already heard before."
"What do you mean?" Stiles asked, frowning as he looked between the two of us distrustfully.
"He's a sidhe." Derek said, as though it explained everything. I honestly doubted that these two even knew what they were.
"Is the Kanima like us?" Scott asked, redirecting the conversation.
"A shapeshifter - yes." Derek replied, looking disturbed "but it's - it's not right. It's.."
"An abomination." Stiles finished thoughtfully.
"Derek, we have to work together on this." Scott said, pleading with his eyes "Maybe even tell the Argents."
"You trust them?" Derek asked angrily, nostrils flaring in outrage
"Nobody trusts anyone! That's the problem! While we're here, arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier, faster, and stronger than all of us, and it's killing people and we still don't even know anything about it!" Scott exclaimed, just as angry
"I know one thing." Derek said, staring Scott down. "When I find it? I'm going to kill it."
Derek walked away right after that, leaving Scott simmering in anger behind with Stiles and myself. I turned and started to walk away, limping with my bag clutched tightly to my side. I just needed to get home and sleep, hopefully I would be healed in the morning. I was only a couple of miles away.
"Hey! Where are you going?" I heard Stiles yell as I got a couple feet away. I turned around with a confused expression on my face before I answered.
"Home?"
"I'm driving you. And don't argue with me, because otherwise I will follow you all the way in my Jeep and bug you the entire time. I have been told that I can be extremely annoying, so don't think I won't." Stiles said determinedly
"Stiles, I have to go pick up my mom." Scott said, glancing at his cell phone to check the time.
"Yeah, go ahead. I'm fine. I'll drop him off and go straight home, skype when you make it back, kay?" Stiles said to his friend, doing some kind of weird handshake before waving him off. I was still standing a few feet away, not having moved, when Stiles turned to face me as Scott drove off. He gestured to his Jeep. "Get in."
I hesitated for a moment, not seeing a problem with it. My muscles were aching and the prospect of not having to walk all the way home was looking better every second I tried to keep standing. I hobbled over to the passenger door of the Jeep, climbing up into the seat, and buckling in. Stiles started the engine and I told him my address. He let me know he knew where it was, and so I kept quiet deciding no directions were needed. I closed my eyes partially, but I could feel Stiles eyes burning a hole into the side of my head every few seconds. I knew he must be dying of curiosity, he seemed like the type, and since he offered to give me a ride home I figured I could put up with a few questions.
"Go ahead." I said, opening my eyes and looking at him.
"Go ahea-? With what?" Stiles asked, I could hear his heartbeat increasing slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Obviously, you are dying to know something." I explained, raising an eyebrow "Unless you just enjoy looking at my face that much."
"Obviously." Stiles muttered, a flush creeping up his neck. "What are you? Derek said a sidhe? What is that?"
"I am Sidhe." I confirmed, nodding before the action caused me to be dizzy so I abruptly stopped. "We are the unfading. Immortal."
"Immortal?" Stiles repeated, his voice breaking over the word. "Like Elves in Lord of the Rings? You have the pointed ears too. So how old are you?"
"That is considered a rude question among my people." I said sharply, and I frowned as he winced slightly at the tone I used. There was a brief awkward silence.
"Does that mean you won't answer?"
"That means I will not answer." I confirmed, not showing the small bit of humor I felt at his boldness. "I have a question as well."
"A question? For me?" Stiles asked, surprised and veering off the road slightly before cursing and correcting the path of the vehicle.
"If that is alright."
"Yeah! Sure, ask." Stiles said, rambling as he continued. "Ask away, I'm an open book. A totally honest, open book. Flip through my pages."
I raised an eyebrow and smirked a little as I saw the flush begin to creep up his neck once again. "What are elves? And who is the lord of the rings?"
"What?" Stiles said, before groaning "You don't know.. Of course you don't know Lord of the Rings. Elves are immortal beings in these books and movies with pointy ears that are really beautiful, and the lord of the rings is the name of the series."
"It sounds a lot like my own people." I mused, thinking "I would very much like to watch these movies."
"Do you have a TV?" Stiles asked, grinning a little and I nodded in response, wincing as I felt my head hurt once again from where I bashed it into a wall earlier. That was the box with moving pictures; I had been introduced at Sean's house and I saw one in my house still in the new box that he must have gotten Deaton to purchase for me. I frowned, remembering all the wires and things coming out of the box to make it work. "I'll let you borrow them."
"Um, I do not know how to set up the television." I admitted, glaring when he shot me what I thought may have been a look of fond exasperation.
"What are you doing tomorrow?" Stiles asked, and I stopped to think before responding. I had planned to just unpack and relax a little, so nothing really.
"Healing." I said, pointedly looking at my side.
"Right." He said, laughing a little nervously. "Well, I can come over tomorrow and set up the TV for you. I'll bring the movies, we can watch one together?"
I awkwardly reached into my wet jeans pocket and fumbled with the now ruined bill fold, extracting a twenty dollar bill from my pocket and unsurely holding it out towards him. "Is this enough or..?"
"What?" Stiles asked, looking flabbergasted before laughing loudly. "Why would I want money?"
"You are setting up my television. I suppose we could trade?" I explained, once again unsure and feeling my face heat up in frustration. I did not know how the world works now, Sean said people paid for services. I was getting a migraine. I saw Stiles flush a little as well, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed almost nervously? Why would he be nervous?
"Uh, no. No trading." Stiles stammered, before clearing his throat and sounding more sure of himself. "No money either. We're friends. Friends set up TVs for friends without asking for anything."
"Why?"
"Why?" Stiles repeated, looking confused. "I mean, it's just nice, I guess. Friends do nice things for friends."
I narrowed my eyes at him. I know what a friend was. "Why do you consider me a friend." I clarified, trying not to snap at him. "You do not even know me."
"You came to the pool to help me." Stiles said, his eyes softening a little as we pulled up to my house and he parked in the driveway before he turned to face me. "I can get to know you."
I frowned but did not say anything in response for awhile. I guess we could be friends. I climbed out of the vehicle stiffly, trying not to jar my wounds, and I stopped to look into his whiskey eyes one more time before I closed the door and walked into my house.
"Thanks." I said with a small smile, before heading inside to my house. I barely got out of my wet clothes and got onto my bed before my eyes were closing, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Maybe Beacon Hills would not be so bad. Definitely not boring, at least.
A/N: Please, please review!
