"Are you getting up today?" Stiles blearily opened his eyes at the sound of Erica's voice and immediately squinted as she threw the curtains open wide. He buried himself under the covers pulling them tightly about him as he shivered. His bones and his head ached and he curled himself into a tighter ball.

"You won't get breakfast until you get up," Erica poked him in the back and Stiles groaned.

"Am I causing you a problem?" He peered out of his blanket nest and saw her eye him carefully.

"Not at the moment," She shrugged.

"Then go away," He groaned as he felt her bounce on the side of the bed.

"Are you still ill?" He expected her to try and pry the covers from him but no attack came. The smell of food filtered through to him and his stomach felt like it cringed and rolled at the prospect.

"Maybe,"

"Are you contagious?"

"You don't get ill,"

"But the staff might, they don't need demon plagues," He felt another prod in his side.

"You're not funny," He groaned, one arm waving haphazardly over the covers to bat her away. The action only served to raise his hairs along his arm in the cold.

"You're ill, you know nothing,"

"Leave me alone," He groaned and pulled the covers back over his head.

"Fine, I have work to do but I'll be back when I can. If you think you're going to die call for someone,"

He heard the door shut with a thump and vaguely heard footsteps heading down the hall. He shut his eyes and tried to wish his aches away.

He felt himself doze in and out of consciousness but couldn't find the energy to overcome his headache to move from beneath the covers. His nose was full of mucus and his throat was dry and coarse. He rolled over to face the door and wondered if he could make it out the door and to the library where the fire would be a blessed comfort. Between one long blink and the next, Stiles heard his name called.

"What?"

The faint voice called again and Stiles pulled the covers from around his head and glanced around the room. He couldn't see anyone and the door was still shut tight.

"Great Stiles you're going mad now too. You had everything to live for and now you're shivering from a chill and hearing voices. Mother nature hates you,"

"Come on little demon out you come," His eyes shot open at the voice. Kate Argent. In the hallways and searching for him if his hearing was to be believed.

"Please let this be a delusion, It's not real it's not real," He muttered into the pillow until he heard a scream that could only have come from Erica. With a concentrated effort he gathered his bedclothes up together and threw them away out of his way.

He carefully moved across the room and pressed his ear against the door. He cringed as he heard a loud slap and Kate's nauseating voice.

"If you don't bring me the demon, I'll have you transferred to my staff. I can assure you girl it won't be the cushy lifestyle you're used to. Loyalties are not as honourable as you think,"

Stiles heard Erica yelp and a muffled gasp from someone nearby. He heard Kate tut.

"Uh-uh, i don't think so,"

Stiles couldn't listen to it any longer and threw open the door. He took three steps into the middle of the corridor before looking up and facing Kate who had Erica held against the wall. Kate had a knife in her hand only just visible where it was plunged into Erica's stomach. Erica's eyes were aglow and staring down the corridor towards Stiles, her nails extended into the plaster but she wasn't fighting back. Erica was slowly shaking her head and silently mouthing something to Stiles that was either no or run repeated over and over.

"You want me, you got me. Leave her alone,"

"Ah, does the demon have a conscience?"

"More than you do," Kate yanked the knife from Erica and Erica fell to her knees. Kate kicked Erica out of her way as she stepped over her. As Kate and her close guard moved towards Stiles, Boyd stepped from behind them, escorted by a force of two guards with their swords held in readiness. Boyd dropped to Erica's side and slowly helped her to her feet. His own left arm looked limp at his side as he helped Erica with the other.

Kate closed in on Stiles and he kept his eyes on her, standing his ground as two guards circled behind him.

"First things first," Without warning her blade shot out and cut him across the arm, "You bleed well too. Well done,"

"Speciality of mine," He sneered, clutching his hand across the cut. If his healing was at it's best he'd need to remember a few more human healing tricks. His head already throbbed but he concentrated on the way Kate was holding herself adn where she was likley to strike out from.

.

"I guess we'll have to take advantage of of it if it's a speciality," Her knife darted out again and Stiles jumped back out of it's way. Kate smirked, "You learn fast, good,"

"What do you want?"

"Someone to play a little game with, I've been ever so bored these last few days, well no, just this morning in fact. And then I remembered that I haven't really had a chance to take advantage of of you," She took a step to his right and he took another in the opposite direction. Just like a dance he kept just out of her reach. Just enough time to avoid if she decided to strike.

"Pity, but you know I hear patience is Godly," He smiled as sweetly as he could manage and in his periphery saw another set of soldiers close in on the other end of the corridor.

"And which book was that in? Another you've stolen from our library?" She asked, her head cocked to one side.

"Didn't think you were appreciating them," Stiles shrugged and as he stepped back as Kate encroached forwards and rough shove from behind kept him within her reach. "Then again illiteracy is a hard family curse to beat,"

"Stiles!" Erica called out to him down the hall and Kate shot her a glare and with a slicing wave the guards stood beside them moved to tie a gag around their mouths. Stiles shook his head and tore his gaze away from them and back to Kate.

"Talking of families," She started, "You've met my father, I'd love to meet your little hoard of demons,"

"Sorry, you're out of luck. No fae magic means no connection to other fae. Can't help you," He said bluntly. Kate huffed and twisted the knife around her fingers before pointing it directly towards his chest.

"That seems so final. I'm merely curious what makes a demon tick," Stiles felt an up-tick in his breathing and heart rate.

"Depends on the demon, us fae are all nature and her wills,"

"And other demons? Anything interesting I could get to know better? I do love a good chase," Stiles eyes darted over to his right where Boyd and Erica could do little more than watch on.

"What you want to catch them is a chimera, powerful creatures are chimeras, fast, hate to be chased but make for good excitement,"

"They're a myth," Kate said, unimpressed.

"But a myth you've heard of right? Gives it more credit, right?"

"You want to send my chasing my tail," She glared down at him and waved her knife ever closer

"No, That would be an ouroborus," He smiled at the thought of a giant snake eating Kate whole.

"Cocky little demon aren't you,"

"Only when I'm being threatened," He knew he was trapped. To keep Kate talking was the only thing that kept her relatively safe. She could either torture Stiles, or torture Erica and Boyd, if he could Stiles would give her ever reason to stay focussed on him.

"Threatened? I'm not threatening you Stiles," Stiles raised an eyebrow and Kate smiled, "We're just having a bit of fun," She cooed.

"I wonder how I ever mistook the two," He waved his fingers over the cut on his arm, " Nice love bite there," He glared up at her

"Ah yes, Derek will be jealous won't he. Can get awfully jealous that boy. Viciously so," Without warning Kate slapped him across the face so hard he went down, his hands barely coming up in time to catch him. Her boot caught his shoulder and as he rolled to lessen the impact it pressed down on his throat "I don't suppose you've been in contact with any of your other little demon friends have you?"

"Wouldn't know how," He gasped.

"But I'm sure there is a way and you made sure to convince my father you'd have all the answers since you're still alive and not currently cut up in an apothecary somewhere. I guess you just need to think a little harder," She pressed down hard momentarily and then pulled back and Stiles rolled onto his stomach heaving to catch his breath. "What do you think demon? Do you need to be incentivised?"

"Nope, i'm good," He pushed himself up so he could sit leaning against the wall, " 'm as incentivised as they come. There's no way to contact other fae without having a connection to the faes or magic. Magic which I haven't been able to use since you bonded me with that potion. Unless they're right in front of you. Which yes, you're communicating with me right now, well done," Kate twirled the knife in her hand and raised an eyebrow. She leaned in and Stiles panicked leaning away from the blade as far as he could

"I swear I don't know how to. I've never had to without my fae magic. I would have done it already if I thought I could,"

"Do you want to know something," Kate leaned in close and her voice dropped to a whisper, "I don't believe you, and I'm just getting started," She straightened and backed away from him circling round to the opposite side of the corridor and running her knife along through the wall leaving a crumbling line in her wake.

"You know I think I've missed the horses here. Shall we take a ride demon?"

"Can't leave the house, sorry," He shrugged and offered her his sweetest smile.

"That's hardly a problem," she turned to her guards and motioned the closest over. "Bring a horse in here,"

"Yes ma'am," Two guards nodded and left. The remaining guards were still too many for the odds being on Stiles' side.

"Well demon, you have maybe five minutes to come up with something I might like to hear. Think fast," She stepped away to talked in hushed voices to her guards and Stiles pushed himself up against the wall to keep himself from throwing up.

Stiles took more than a minute to simply catch his breath and take stock of where hurt. He glanced over to Erica and Boyd who were stood facing the wall as instructed had their head bowed towards each other. Boyd looked up at their guards and then over to him but Stiles couldn't read anything from his expression.

Stiles looked up to his own guards and Kate who was leering at him from the opposite wall. He tightened his fingers around the cut on his arm and convinced himself that the bleeding would stop by the time he had to move again. His stomach and ribs felt heavily bruised and his neck still felt constricted where her foot had cut off his air supply.

Everyone's eyes shot up when a single guard returned. He looked sheepish and barely looked up from the floor for a moment. He didn't step any closer than a few feet from Kate when he glanced up briefly and cleared his throat. Kate stood to meet him like a predator catching the scent of fear and injury.

"Uh Ma'am, all the horse are gone from the stables" He said, his eyes trained to the floor.

"What?" She snapped stepping close so he had no choice but to look up at her.

"They're all gone ma'am, they must have been let out," His fists were clenched at his sides.

"And our own?" She asked slowly.

"They wouldn't set a foot closer to the house ma'am. They're not bred to be used to the scents of..." His eyes darted to Stiles but the words supernatural, demon or werewolf never came

"And you can't convince them," She asked with an edge in her voice that made Stiles wonder how this guard would pay. Stiles then decided he didn't care.

"I,-" Kate waved a hand and the man soon went silent.

"How disappointing," She turned to face the betas and though Stiles couldn't see her face he could picture the twisted glare as she thought up her next method of entertainment.

"Maybe you should just write Derek a letter," He suggested and graced her with a half smile when she turned back to him, "We'll be sure to pass along a message that you dropped by,"

"You know you might be right." She snapped her fingers in the guard's direction and smirk growing, "Since you can't fetch a horse can you at least fetch a pen?"

"Yes ma'am,"

"Turn around demon, remove you're shirt," She said looking back to Stiles.

"You know my back isn't my best feature," He hunched his shoulders and leant away as she approached.

"I'm sure I can improve the look of it," She flicked two fingers towards a pair of guards to Stiles. "Boys hold him down. Nice and steady for me,"

The pen was sharp and Kate made sure it cut deeply with each letter. The ink stung and Stiles could do little more than bite his lip and try desperately not to call out. Kate was monologuing and Stiles tried to instead focus on breathing and staying a steady as he could. He'd realised pretty quickly if he strained when the pain cut through him Kate would only press harder.

"What do you think of my prose? Do you think Derek will appreciate it?" She asked sweetly, as if she was writing in gold ink not blood.

"Don't know why you didn't think of it sooner," He said through gritted teeth and he heard Kate hum in reply.

"You sound so charming when you're gasping in pain,"

"Charming is my second name," He said, swallowing the blood where he'd bitten the inside of his own cheek.

"Well in the name of all things charming I suppose I should sign off. Love Kate, Oh and kisses," He felt the pen dig in at the base of his back,"Well I'm sure you won't hesitate to pass on my regards," She sighed and he heard her stand shortly followed by the guards holding him down releasing their grip. Stiles couldn't bring himself to look up at her and for the moment relished in the feel of the carpet on the side of his face.

"So sorry I can't stay longer but I had a wonderful time,"

"Likewise," Stiles grunted. He could only breath in shallow breaths so as not to stretch the tears across his back and fluff from the carpet tickled his throat and made his eyes water further.

"Say hi to Derek for me," He heard her say to the betas as her footfalls sounded away as she left. Stiles tried to turn his head to look but couldn't move quickly enough and just heard a yell from both Erica and Boyd, "I'll show myself out, you seem a little indisposed,"

By the time he could shift his position to see the betas Kate was disappearing at the end of the hallway. Erica was pulling Boyd to his feet and both look to have their clothes covered in blood. Stiles watched them through half lidded eyes as they checked each other over. Between one blink and the next they were suddenly kneeling at his side

"Stiles, are you okay?" Erica asked and he felt her hand reach for his own.

"She gone?" He asked

"Yeah," Boyd nodded.

"Then we're good aren't we, right?"

"One of the stable boys has ridden out to bring Derek home," Erica said trying to lift him to a sitting position and Stiles cried out as blood and pain rushed across his back.

"No, he- he needs to,-" At which point Stiles promptly passed out.

Stiles woke and was dimly aware of something cool being pressed onto his lower back. It stung but it still took him a moment to pull himself to consciousness. His own breath was warm on the pillow he was lying face down onto but he had to concentrate hard to even turn his head.

"Why isn't it working? I swear this is what he used when I was all torn up," Isaac said

"What if it doesn't work for Fae, or maybe he's not Fae anymore," Erica was there too

"Maybe he still has magic and was just pretending this whole time," Boyd sounded further off across the room.

"Then why won't he use it. Why won't he heal himself?" Stiles opened his eyes a slit as Erica dropped onto the bed to sit beside him. She gasped when she noticed and leant in, her fingers running through his hair.

"Hey, how're you feeling?" She asked and Stiles tried to push himself up, "No don't move," He stopped immediately and instead rolled onto his side, his back felt twisted and burnt and it took him a couple of moments to breathe through the pain and tear his gaze up to Isaac who'd stepped into view. He looked equally rough and cuts were scattered across his arms and face. He coughed deeply and nearly doubled over before looking back apologetically In his hands were indeed a clump of the plant he'd pulled from the stream.

"Crush the leaves in water," Stiles said at barely above a whisper, "Releases the oils," His voice was raspy as he spoke but Isaac nodded and immediately plunged the leaves into a bloodied bowl of water Stiles assumed they're been using to clean him up.

"You've been out a couple of hours, we've tried to clean up the cuts on your back. Boyd stitched up your arm," Erica said. She continued to run her fingers through his hair and gently over his scalp. She didn't miss the bruises but the action was soothing enough that the didn't care.

"Hurts," He groaned as Isaac pressed the damp leaves to his back. He tried to open his eyes more but even the low candlelight seemed too bright.

"Yeah, I know. We'd take your pain but we're still healing ourselves,"

"S'ok. 'S everyone safe?"

"Yeah, most of the staff got out of the house while she was fixated on you. Didn't I tell you to hide when she was here?"

"You were getting hurt," He reached out and pinched her and then glanced up through half lidded eyes to see if she'd retaliate.

"We can heal," Erica emphasised as she glared down at him.

"So can I, just takes longer," He said the words out of stubbornness but in some way he thought he probably deserved this for something.

"You're an idiot," Erica said as she pressed her hand over his arm

"You sound like Lydia, or my dad. They'd both call me an idiot for that,"

"Shut up Stiles," "Are those leaves working?" She asked Issac and when Stiles squinted to look at her she was looking over his head with a sympathetic expression.

"Uh, maybe. I think they look clearer, like they're not oozing any more," Isaac replied as he wiped the leaves deep into a cut which made him wince.

"You guys don't have a great bedside manner,"

"Shut up Stiles," Erica was lying down next to him facing him and keeping her hand on his shoulder, " We'll get some bandages wrapped round you when the cuts have dried up a little. Go back to sleep, it'll probably do you good,"

"Don't tell me what to do," Stiles muttered back and he felt her pinch him back in retaliation

"Should make you sleep on the floor again," He said as he was already drifting into unconsciousness, "The cold, hard, dirty,-"

"Shut up Stiles," He felt the bed dip behind him at the foot of the bed. He could still feel Isaac pressing the damp leaves to his back so the new presence behind him must have been Boyd.