A/N:
We are nearing the end my friends, hold on tight because it does not get any easier.
Also, also, GREAT news, A) I am now posting my Halloween themed AU on my tumblr (my blog is dystopiiann, and it's tagged under writing:poltergeist.) B) The name of the third sequel is Who We Are, and the series has been finally named The Resurrection Series.
I'm so excited because things are about to get great! If you think you've seen dark, you're way wrong.
Anyways, enjoy!
Eva didn't have time to read the journal or check out what could possibly help her inside it. Her heart was beating fast inside her chest, her mind running a million miles per minute and she could barely focus on anything. She didn't know whether to think about the poison running in her father's and now her boyfriend's veins, or about how exactly Cole had gotten control of the oni, whether Kira and her mother were okay, whether all of her friends were okay, and then there was Malia, and there was Daniel. The thoughts jumped within the confines of her skull, making it sound like a pinball machine was going on and on inside her head and she couldn't stop it.
Her hands gripped the wheel of the Jeep tightly, her eyes watching the road intently, her hazel hues flickering frantically across the darkened road until she had finally reached the animal clinic and parked the car. She felt the breath get caught in her chest when she saw the door open, the light inside flickering. Eva wasted no time, running towards the clinic's door, clutching the journal in her free hand.
When she walked in, she saw Kira and her mother kneeling down beside Deaton, slowly helping him up. Her eyes flickered to the gash on his leg before she let out a broken whisper, "How can he do that? Control the Oni?"
"He took the last kaiken." Noshiko whispered, "he showed up here and I summoned the Oni to protect us…but he took control…" Noshiko's eyes flickered down to the remnants of the kaiken on the floor, as did Eva's eyes, before she turned to Deaton, "I got the journal." She whispered hesitantly, and the man nodded as he slowly got onto his one good leg and let the Yukimura ladies help him to the nearest seat, "Open it." He whispered, and Eva looked down at it as she stepped into the clinic and close the door.
"Kira, we have to fix the sword." Noshiko told her hurriedly as she stepped back towards the counter, the pieces of the katana scattered on it but not too scattered that it couldn't be rearranged. Eva watched as her friend turned to her, "What about Stiles?"
"The sword got him too….and my dad, Stiles stayed with him." Eva whispered shakily, before she hurried to sit down beside Deaton and opened the journal. But when she looked down at the withered pages, the pads of her fingers moving over the uneven texture, the uneven, clear paper. "It's empty." She whispered as she glanced sideways at Deaton, who shook his head once. "It can only be revealed by blood." He whispered, "Some…of the oldest families do that, to keep their secrets away from the curious eye, especially one that would have wanted to destroy this to keep itself safe."
Eva nodded slowly as she looked down at the open journal, before she leaned down to pick up a shard of glass from the ground to press it into her palm. Eva held up her hand over the page and curled her fingers into a tight fist, until the single drop fell onto the page, a ripple effect revealing the words to Eva. She watched as the words etched themselves on the paper as if they were being rewritten, and swallowed thickly as she used her clean hand to flip through the pages – the many pages with different dates.
"I don't have time to search through all of this." Eva whispered as she turned to Deaton, the despair beginning to grip at her and made her chest tighten. Deaton shook his head slowly, "If you know what you're looking for, you'll find it."
Eva looked down at the journal, before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The name Cole Rhys rung inside her mind as her hand moved effortlessly, turning over the pages until she finally stopped, and when she opened her eyes and looked down, the first thing she saw was the name Cole Rhys.
"Read." Deaton whispered, and Eva nodded slowly as she swallowed down the lump in her throat and started, "Cole Rhys was another vengeful soul I could draw upon – vengeance, a very underestimated human emotion. One that could fuel an army of a thousand men, and I had him in the palm of my hands." Eva frowned, her eyes flickering across the page, before she focused back where she stopped. Her eyes flickered down to the sketch of a pendant. No, a locket. It had a Celtic symbol on it, one Eva didn't recognize but was told exactly what by the scribbles beside it.
"She used him." Eva whispered as she read on and looked up at Deaton, "She drew on his vengeance, on his life. And he died because she took too much." Eva whispered, as she handed the journal to Deaton to read it, "It seems," He started, his voice heavy, exhausted, "That the locket kept him linked to the nemeton."
"Then that's what we need to destroy." Eva deduced quietly, before she shook her head slowly. "That sounds way too easy."
"If the Oni are protecting him then getting close to him would be the furthest thing from easy." Noshiko whispered as she stepped back, as did Kira, from the counter. Eva rose to her feet slowly, closing the journal to tuck it inside her jacket. "Kira." Her mother whispered, and Eva blinked slowly as she watched her friend hover her palm above the pieces of the katana. The static electricity turned into one that Eva could see with her own eyes, one that became too bright for her to keep her eyes open. Eva could feel the power radiating off the kitsunes before her.
When Eva opened her eyes, Kira was holding a perfectly welded sword in her grip, her eyes staring at it in awe as well as alarm, and she turned to her mother and Eva as well. Eva watched Kira step back and take a swing with it, the sword moving gracefully as if Kira didn't even need to control it – as if it knew what Kira wanted to do.
"It will give you balance, and it will be indestructible against the Oni's strikes." Noshiko whispered, and Eva felt the word indestructible run a tremor of worry through her body. If she had effortlessly destroyed one of the 'indestructible' Oni, was Kira's sword really going to hold up against them, or was it going to fail her, possibly put her in danger?
Eva couldn't think of that right now. "We have to find that locket." Eva whispered, just as her phone started ringing. Eva frowned as she pulled it out of her heart jumping at the possibility that it could be Stiles, but it wasn't – it was Lydia.
"Lydia?" Eva whispered into the phone, and she herd her friend's ragged breath on the other end, "Lydia, what is it?"
"Eva don't go anywhere. Just stay where you are." Lydia gasped, and Eva frowned as she looked up at Kira, whose phone began ringing too.
"Lydia? Why do you say that? What did you hear?" Eva whispered into the phone hurriedly, trying to hear Kira's conversation as well. "Eva, you have to trust me. Do not go—" And the line got cut off. Eva's eyes widened as she turned to Kira, who hung up and shook her head slowly. "The Oni are attacking Scott and Allison, the twins and Derek are on their way there." Kira whispered, and Eva nodded as she looked down at her phone again – not texts, no other call. Eva shook her head, "Let's go." Eva whispered as she hurried past Kira to get into the jeep.
Eva dialed Stiles' number as soon as she pulled away from the parking lot and onto the road, "Stiles," She breathed out in relief when he finally picked up.
"Are you okay? What's happening?" Stiles whispered, though his voice held a gruff tone to it, a tone that was only an inkling to exhaustion.
"We know what we need to do now. There's a pendant that links Cole to the nemeton. If we destroy it, he's gone." Eva whispered, "So what is he like a ghost?" Stiles asked, and that's when it hit Eva. "A ghost…"
"Scáth-níos." Eva recalled one of the words she'd read online when she researched Celtic Mythology.
"What?" Stiles whispered, "Shadow-less. The Shadow-less. It's a creature in Celtic Mythology. It's…a trickster, sometimes it brings good fortune if it was born of a sacrifice, and if it was born out of murder, it brings bad fortune. It strives on chaos. A lot like a nogitsune." Eva shook her head slowly, incapable of believing how she didn't remember that, "It's also called the Ghost. A Púca."
"Yeah, the first name sounds way cooler than that." Stiles breathed out tiredly, and Eva felt a weak laugh her lips before she licked her lips, "The way it was born is what decides how it can be destroyed." She finally finished, glancing sideways at Kira who tapped her shoulder and told her to turn left.
"Be careful, okay? Vengeful born spirits are not something I want around you, or apparently the Oni that it controls." Stiles whispered, and Eva smiled a bit as she held the phone up with her shoulder, using bot her hands to turn again when Kira told her to. "How's my dad?" Eva whispered, her voice dropping to a more morose tone.
"Your dad gave me the don't hurt my daughter speech, so I would say he's doing well too." Stiles joked, trying to make Eva smiled, and he succeeded. "He's holding up. But I'm thinking doctors would be able to help him better than I can. Keep him stable, you know?"
Eva chewed on the inside of her cheek before she let out a small huff, "Do what you know you can do." She muttered, "I trust you."
"I promise I won't screw up." Stiles whispered hurriedly, and Eva shook her head slowly, "You won't. I have as much faith in you as you do in me. You don't give yourself enough credit, Stiles." Eva found herself blurting out, "You don't screw up. You're too smart." She smiled a bit, not really knowing why she was saying those words, but she couldn't help it – especially after the call Lydia gave her. This could really be the last time she ever talked to Stiles.
"Look, whatever happens, you promise me you'll be okay. You're worth so much more than to let yourself think that you're so much lesser than who you really are. Promise, okay?" Eva whispered into the phone hurriedly as Kira told Eva to slow down. "Eva, don't talk like that." Stiles whispered into the phone, and Eva felt her eyes well up, "No, Stiles, promise me."
"I promise." He eventually sighed reluctantly, and Eva nodded once as stopped the car, "I have to go."
"Eva," Stiles started quickly, "I'll see you later." He whispered hopefully into the phone, and Eva frowned as she closed her eyes, letting the tears trickle down her face, "Yeah." She whispered before she hung up, knowing if she stayed on the line any longer, she'd say something she knows would probably hurt him.
"Are you okay?" Kira whispered, and Eva nodded quickly, "Yeah, I'm fine." Eva muttered as she hastily wiped away her tears and shoved her phone back into her jacket. "Let's go."
Eva glanced sideways at Kira as they stepped out of the Jeep, before her eyes drifted to the sign that said, Beacon County Social Services Building. She moved around the jeep and opened the trunk, grabbing Stiles' metal bat, before she shut the trunk and went to stand beside Kira.
"Do you hear them?" Eva glanced sideways at Kira, who nodded slowly, "Yes." Kira stepped forward, making her way first with her sword held in front of her. Eva gripped the bat with both hands and moved after her slowly.
The feeling of death that loomed in the place hit her before the sight, mostly because the lights above them were flickering frantically and quickly, so fast they started to give Eva a headache. She glanced sideways as she walked, and for a moment, the light came back on, and Eva had to suppress the shriek that almost left her lips.
Bodies – dead bodies, lying across the ground. People whose abdomen's were slain, people with their throats slit. Works of a sword. Eva turned her gaze forward quickly, "We have to move faster." Eva whispered as she followed Kira towards the elevator. "Are you sure this will work?" Eva whispered as they got into it. "Rooftop." Kira whispered, and Eva nodded as she pressed the button.
"What did Lydia say, Eva?" Kira asked quietly as she turned to her, "Should I get ready to see my best friend die in front of me again?"
Eva glanced sideways at her, shaking her head slowly, "I don't know, Kira. She kept telling me not to go anywhere." Eva whispered as she looked down, before the elevator came to an abrupt stop, making both girls lose their balance. "What the-" Eva whispered and glanced around as the lights inside the elevator went out.
"Wait." Kira whispered as she glanced around, "Can you hold me up?" Kira glanced sideways at Eva, who lifted both brows and nodded slowly. "I can try, I guess." Eva muttered as she put her hands together for Kira to step up on. The girl rammed her hand against the emergency door at the top of the elevator, before she finally bent it, then broke it. Kira climbed up on top of the elevator, her eyes searching for the electricity box on top of the elevator.
"What are you doing?" Eva called out, her eyes flickering across the elevator nervously. Kira remained silent as she struck the lock with her sword and opened the box slowly. Her eyes flickered across the wires, finding herself helpless in what to do exactly. Eventually, the girl just hovered her palm above the box just like she'd done earlier – and just like that, the elevator came to life again.
Eva almost fell again when it started working, before she stepped sideways as Kira jumped back in. "What did you do?" Eva asked curiously, and Kira shrugged once as she glanced sideways at her friend. "Just gave it a little spark."
Eva lifted a brow before she let out a small laugh, a weak one that eased the tension momentarily, before the two girls held their breaths, standing tall, as the doors opened. Eva's eyes flickered across the mess on the last floor, people on the ground, people trying to help. Children crying somewhere inside one of the rooms.
"Stairs." Kira pointed forward and she took off in a sprint. Eva grabbed the bat and ran after her, both of them taking the stairs in two despite their short legs, until they opened the door to the roof.
"Kira!" Scott called out as he pushed off one of the Oni. The girl didn't hesitant, she took off to help. Eva's eyes flickered across the Oni – there were only three. One of them Allison was fighting, and behind Allison, Eva saw the baby girl in a car seat. Eva took off into a sprint to distract the Oni that was attacking Allison, "Hey!" She called out as she rammed the bat against the ground, "Demon warrior!"
The Oni turned to her as if offended, "Who needs a self-check now." Eva whispered as she took a deep breath, then held up her hand to flick her wrist once, watching as the Oni dissipated as if it had just been slashed through with a sword. Eva almost smiled, until Allison screamed, "Behind you!"
Eva quickly whirled around, holding up the bat to block the Oni's sword, before she jumped back quickly. Allison's arrow flew right by the Oni, and Eva watched as it turned towards her again. "Go!" Allison called out to Eva, who nodded quickly and ran towards the baby seat. Only she saw Cole standing right in front of it, "Step back!" She called out, holding out the bat ready to swing it at him as she drew closer.
Cole looked up at her and laughed, "Really? A baseball bat?"
Eva looked down at the sleeping baby, before she looked up at Cole, her chest rising and falling quickly, "Look at her, Cole." Eva whispered, shaking her head slowly, "She's an orphan. She's lost everything. Just like you. Isn't that enough? Isn't that better than just killing her?" Eva whispered, her eyes moving over him, searching frantically.
"You really think you can trick me with a few words, Druid?" He whispered, his eyes holding a scathing stare that burned into her head. "I'm a trickster. You cannot trick a trickster."
"You're not a trickster." Eva whispered, since the compromising approach didn't work, "You're just a pathetic, restless soul that is killing for no reason." Eva's eyes still searched for anything, the glint of a chain. Anything.
"No reason!" He roared, and Eva flinched, but held her ground. "My brother is dead because of those people!"
"Not these people!" Eva exclaimed, gesturing towards the baby, "She's a baby! What does she even know about any of this!" Eva yelled, with her indignation she gained courage, stepping forward towards Cole. Her eyes searched his neck again, his pockets – nothing. Eva realized that the pendant wasn't on him.
"She will die." Cole' voice dropped as he backhanded Eva to the ground – the strike made Eva's ear begin ringing, the pain rattling her skull and making her head spin momentarily. She quickly sat up, pushing herself back, "But it's you I have to get rid of, first, isn't it?" He whispered as he turned to Eva, and Eva saw the Oni appear in front of him, hovering above her. She lifted her hand in an attempt to whisper an incantation – anything, but it was as if the strike she received knocked all of what she knew out of her head.
But an arrow came flying into the Oni's chest as it lifted its sword, and Eva gasped as the sword dropped to the ground beside her. Eva's eyes flickered up to the Oni again as the yellow light seemed to come out of the wound the arrow made, and she watched it try to pull it out – but the ground shook beneath them as the Oni exploded into yellow, then disappeared.
Eva looked up, saw Cole' face change, and saw him disappear with the wind. Eva turned back quickly to see Allison lowering her bow slowly, a smile of disbelief on her face. But Eva saw something Allison didn't, and she screamed, "Allison!"
The girl turned to her just as the Oni stepped in front of her and pushed its sword into her body. Eva peeled herself off the ground, on instinct, just like before, she launched herself at the Oni, pushing her hand yet again into its chest to pull out the firefly and watch it disseminate into thin air as well as its sword did.
Eva turned back to Allison just as Scott hurried to catch her as she fell back, and she stepped back slowly as Scott cradled Allison into his arms. Eva watched her friend's face lose color faster than healthy, her brown eyes widened – not with fear, but with relief. "I killed it…it's dead…the arrows..." Allison whispered hurriedly, and Scott quickly brushed away her tears and pushed back her hair as his eyes welled up, "You did…You did. You're amazing…" He whispered as he took her hand, and Eva watched the veins on his arm blacken, and Allison's body relaxed in Scott's arms. "You have to tell my dad…"
That's when it hit Eva – what Lydia was saying. Eva wasn't supposed to go, because Allison saved her life and in turn… Eva stepped back slowly, drowning it all out. She couldn't look at this, she couldn't hear this. She couldn't bear it. Eva felt herself bump into Kira, who had let her sword drop to the ground. Their eyes met, and Eva knew Kira understood exactly what was going on in her head. Kira pulled her friend close, letting Eva rest her head on Kira's shoulder. Eva's body trembled, until she heard Scott's cry of agony and grief, something she couldn't drown out, and she shut her eyes tightly, letting the tears trickle down her face as a broken sob left her lips.