Chapter Two
Ablaze
Stiles spent most of the day preparing himself, mentally and otherwise.
His mother had warned him against his fondness for the sight. The sight can take a person over, making them always fret over what might be.
That's why Stiles didn't scry often. He knew too well what could happen if that gift controlled the witch, rather than the witch controlling it.
This would be the first time he'd tried looking into the future since his mother's death, a fact that kept darkening his mood throughout the day.
He could meditate pretty deeply if he actually managed to still his thoughts, something made more difficult by his ADHD. Knowing that he needed his mind clear for the scrying was pretty good motivation.
He tried to remember Kira's words: 'focus on just breathing'.
Kira was his best friend Scott's girlfriend and employed a lot of Zen practice.
Stiles tried her advice, forcing his focus to stay fixed on his inhale and exhale.
After meditating for about thirty minutes his mind was calm and focused. He went to retrieve the Book of Shadows from the guest bedroom where he and Alyssa had agreed to keep it.
A glowing, pulsating protection field was kept up around the book, but it allowed his hands in with no resistence.
Book in hand, he went back to his room and did the usual preparations for spell work, beginning with casting the circle.
He pointed to the candles on his dresser, feeling the spark within him surge as the wicks ignited of their own accord. The thrill he recieved from this simple trick never got old.
Next he placed a candle on the circle's edge for each cardinal direction.
After this he remained silent for several moments simply standing, thoughts turned inward.
He didn't have anything belonging to one of the Hales, but he didn't need a vivid vision, just an accurate one.
He decided to focus on Cora Hale, the youngest member of the family who he sometimes saw around town.
He fixed Cora in his mental eye, but he wasn't seeing anything.
Didn't Cora have an older brother? Yes, he'd seen her with him once. It was hard to forget his stern features.
Stiles tried focusing on him- tall, brooding expression, hint of a scowl...
WHAM!
Stiles felt like he was jerked forward hard, though he was also aware of still standing.
He saw a heavily wooded area in monochrome like an old movie reel. He was still being pulled- or was he flying?
The world suddenly became orange and red in his sight. Furious flames were licking at a vaguely familiar house- slowly engulfing the structure.
Stiles willed his eyes to open. He was back in his bedroom.
House on fire? Surely that wasn't right! Maybe he'd better use the phone number still kept in his mother's old bureau.
His dad was still at work, so he met no resistence going into his bedroom to retrieve the little scrap of paper with a number scribbled on it in his mom's all too familiar hand.
It was like being on pins and needles after punching the numbers into his phone.
"Hale residence, Derek speaking."
Derek Hale! He was Cora's brother.
"Yeah, this is Stiles Stilinski... "
There was a notable few second silence.
"Yes?" Derek asked, voice slightly disguised.
"I was making sure we were still on for tomorrow night."
"Far as I know," Derek replied tersely. "You know how to get here?"
"More or less, so anyway- see ya!"
Stiles didn't wait for a reply to hang up. Something about Derek definitely set him on edge- but what did his vision of a house on fire mean?
To be continued