Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
It is extremely versatile in the culinary arts and is an excellent all-purpose herb as well. Basil is used for prosperity, success, peace, protection, happiness, purification, tranquility, and love.
My eyes narrowed at the older werewolf as he exited the classroom. A light smile lifting the corner of his lips upward and softening his expression. Could nothing remain free from the supernatural!
I had purposefully come to school early to check on our new English teacher only to find Derek slinking out of her room like a smitten teen. I knew he was probably just checking on her the same as I was but it just didn't sit right with me. He was always so cut off and distant that the idea of him playing the hero seemed a little odd. But then again here I was checking on a teacher I had only spoken to a handful of times.
Derek's expression hardened as he noticed me. The soft smile was quickly replaced with a grim line as he stalked past me. Suddenly eager to get off the school grounds. I'm not sure what the two had been talking about but I doubted it had been completely innocent. Ms Blake jumped around to face the door with such force I was surprised she didn't give herself whiplash. I eyed the pointer gripped tightly in her hands as I entered the room. Though I decided not to mention it.
"Didn't think bad boys would be your thing,"
She placed the stick down on her desk and began to sort her papers out. A little smile threatening to show as she took in my words. "Are you like this with all your teachers."
"I was under the impression they warned you about me."
"Oh they did." Though from her tone she didn't seem to hold the same animosity towards me as some of the staff. In fact if I was being completely honest I would go as far as saying she actually kind of liked me. I mean she was helping me keep the newspaper running, she hadn't given me detention for being here so late yesterday and she had yet to kick me out of her class room. Even after making a comment about her love life.
"Shame they've taken the mistletoe down you could have gotten a kiss."
"You should be careful about what you hang up. Mistletoe is not just a pretty bit of foliage."
I had perched myself on one of the front desk by this point. Interested to see what she had to say about the seemingly harmless plant. She had spoken with such confidence last night that it had been clear she knew her stuff. Who knew perhaps she would be more forthcoming with her knowledge then the current adults involved. Mr Argent had helped the boys yesterday but he had never thought much of us kids being involved with it all. Scott's boss often spoke in riddles and Ms Morrell was even worse. Allison had been quick to inform me about the school councillor's peculiar appearance at the bank last night.
"Is mistletoe poisonous then?"
"Only to dogs." If I had been paying attention I might have noticed the way her lips quirked upwards as if she found her words amusing. "The druids actually used it as a cure."
I stayed in her room until the first bell rang and freshmen began to filter in. We had spent the last twenty minutes discussing herbal remedies and Ms Blake had shared short cultural stories that related to each of the plants. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as she talked so openly about things that could someday be useful. She was the first adult to be so forth coming with this type of information. Maybe it was down to the fact she didn't know some of her students were creatures of the night.
As I turned to leave she handed me an old notebook. It had a torn leather cover and various paper clipped sheets hanging out from the edges. I turned the book in my hands and couldn't help but compare it to my own tatty notebook. Ms Blake explained that the book was full of her notes from college and she had found it earlier in the week while unpacking some of her work things. After seeing my bracelet last night she had thought I might find it useful. Plus she made an additional comment about needing to clear out space on her bookshelf but not having the heart to throw the old notebook away.
Armed with my new bible, I was ready to face the day. With last night's event playing on my mind I was slowly becoming more aware that avoiding the supernatural wasn't going to be as easy as I had hoped. So instead of avoiding it I decided that I just had to survive it. My eyes scanned the hall until I found someone who could help me do just that.
"I think I need a weapon." Allison peered around her locker and fixed me with a hard look. Her brows narrowed and her lips locked into a firm line.
"What?"
"I need a weapon of somesort."
"Why?" By this point Allison had shut her locker and was giving me her full attention. I'd chosen Allison for this very reason. I had known she would listen. The question was would she give me what I wanted.
"Why? Oh I don't know maybe because werewolves attacked the school last night. Look I'm not asking for a gun or anything maybe just a knife or like a tazer or something. It's not like I can just put it on my christmas list."
She let out a tired sigh, the same one exhausted parents gave when they didn't have the energy to fight back anymore. "Have you ever even used a knife?"
"I've buttered toast before."
Allison agreed that I needed a way of staying safe but she didn't think a weapon was the right choice. I had tried explaining to her that I'd spent the entire summer learning to fight and had even continued practicing. In the end she told me that if I wanted a weapon I needed to ask her dad. So begrudgingly I arranged to stop round hers later that evening.
I hadn't been lying when I'd told Allison I was still working on my fitness. With daily practice on the punching bag mum had reluctantly let into the spare room and a new running schedule, I felt physically better than ever. I'd even joined the cross country team as a way to push myself further. Because I think we all know I'd be more likely to use my new speed and endurance to run from a problem then fight it.
Following the rest of the cross country team to the edge of the reserve I spotted Isaac's hunched figure. The boy so busy tying his laces that he didn't seem to notice me until I pushed my knee into the small of his back. I'd like to think the only reason he didn't tumble over was his werewolf advantage but I might just be have been weak. I couldn't help but be annoyed as he stood, it was like I hadn't even touched him.
Unsurprisingly, I didn't hold my ground as well as he nudged me to the side with his shoulder. A playful smile lingering on his lips as he spoke, "you're really bad at avoiding werewolves."
"Maybe I'm not avoiding all werewolves." His smile twisted into a grin at my words. If the supernatural world was going to keep pulling me back in then I was going to have some fun before it killed me!
The light flirting came to an abrupt halt as two bodies stalked past us. Isaac's entire body tensed at the newcomers. I tried to grip his arm to calm him or at least steady his shaking limbs. However he was gone before I had moved. Shooting forward after the twins like a coiled spring. How were they staying ahead of him so easily? I couldn't stop myself from groaning as Scott darted past. Why hadn't anyone told me we had more wolves in the school!
I tried my best to stay near the front of the group. It was impossible to catch Scott once he got going but I made a point of following his path. It was only as a scream ripped through the tree line that I stopped attempting to follow the boys. It didn't take me long to find the source of the scream. A huddle of students circled a tree a few steps away from the path. Whatever they were looking at was holding their attention, an eerie stillness had fallen over the entire group. As I got closer realised the severity of the situation. Plucking my phone from my pocket I brought up the camera.
My phone was snatched from my hands. The force of the action making my fingers snap backwards. I could feel Stiles glaring at me as he held my phone hostage. His nose wrinkled and his eyebrows lowered. A look of disapproval covered his features as he chastised me, "Oh my god, seriously! You're taking photos. Don't you, I mean, come on seriously!"
I didn't bother explaining myself to him. I hadn't even managed to pull my eyes away from the body. The boy's body, Kyle's body hung limply against the tree. A dog lead cut deep into his neck. Bile clawed its way up my throat as I spotted the dried blood that had painted the dark leather. I only turned to face Stiles when I saw the gruesome bruise on Kyle's temple. I had heard from Lydia and Allison that other teenagers had been killed. I hadn't known the details though. My blood ran cold as my mind pieced together these new bits of information. "The other bodies were they, the other deaths, were they three fold as well?"
"Thought you didn't want anything to do with this."
"Just answer the question Stiles." He didn't though. Thrusting my phone back into my hands he marched off toward his father who had just arrived. He didn't even bother to look back.
It wasn't long until the sheriff department had herded us all back into school. It was strange being back in class after the last 24 hours but then again most of the student body were clueless. Half of them didn't even know a body of a student had been found moments ago strung up in the woods. Though I doubted it would take long for that news to spread.
I hadn't been giving today's lessons my full attention and the day seemed to glide past. It was only when Danny cornered me during my study period that I started paying attention. He had actively sort me out after finding Lydia in his music lesson. Her behaviour had worried him and after hearing about her most recent late night stroll it worried me as well.
"Lydia you alright?" I found the petite redhead in the music room were Danny had left her. She was bent over the piano. Every muscle in her body was tense as she strained to listen to the silent room. No the room wasn't silent. A faint chanting echoed off the walls.
"The teacher didn't show up, he's gone." Her voice hung ominously in the air.
Neither of us spoke. I was waiting for her to say something else. Something a little less terrifying. However she continued to stare vacantly at the phone, which was perched neatly on the piano. It was only now that I was closer to her that I could see the harsh nail marks in the pianos wood. For the second time in the day I gagged at the sight of dried blood. There had been a struggle and someone had been hurt. Swallowing my pride rang Stiles. "Hey. Yes it's me, yes I know, the tone isn't necessary, Stiles stop. We have a problem at school. The music teachers gone missing"
"Not just missing. Taken."
It hadn't taken long for the cavalry to arrive. Stiles and to my surprise Scott's boss had come to our aid. While Deaton and Lydia reexamined the sound file, Stiles began to riffle through the abandoned desk. My hands tighter around my camera as he neared me, something I'm fairly certain he noticed. Having already taken pictures of the nail marks and blood I had also begun looking at the desk. I just hadn't wanted to touch any of it.
The veterinarian shared his thoughts as he began to look around the empty room. "Each grouping of three would have its own purpose, its own type of power. Virgins, healers, philosophers, warriors…"
Stiles shot up straight at his words. "wait, wait, wait, wait. Warrior, could that also be like a soldier?" Stiles turned the photo he had found round for us to see. Two smiling faces beamed out at us. A beautiful blonde in a dress gown clung to a smiling man. A man dressed in full military uniform. Deaton nodded back. "Kyle was in R.O.T.C. with Boyd. That's got to be it. That's the pattern."
I noticed Lydia stilled at Stiles deduction. A pensive expression falling into place as she glanced at the door. I moved close and spoke softly trying my best not to startle her, "Lydia? Something wrong?"
"No, it was... I mean... I just thought of someone else with a military connection. It's sitting right on his desk... the west point honor code."
Without needing any more convincing, we followed Lydia into Mr Harris' room. Both Stiles and I were more than happy to follow Lydia's instincts. We had no idea how she did it but she knew things she shouldn't. Plus she had an uncanny knack for finding dead bodies. Deaton didn't seem to have the same faith in Lydia that we did. When we had first arrived in the empty class room he had suggested that our teacher could have merely left work early. Stiles had been quick to shoot that theory down after finding the man's car keys in his desk.
Following Stiles I had also begun to look around Mr Harris' desk. As I moved around the piece of furniture my eyes focus on a peculiar sight. Plucking the paper from table I inspected it closely before waving it at Stiles, "This test is graded 'R.'"
"This one's an 'H'," chimed Lydia as she joined us.
Deaton moved the papers we had found across the desk. His body tensed and his voice became grave, "Stiles, you remember I told you "druid" is the Gaelic word for "wise oak"? If a druid went down the wrong path, the wise oak was sometimes said to have become a dark oak. There's a Gaelic word for that as well... Darach."
A dark cloud hung over me as I stood outside Allison's new apartment. As if a new pack of werewolves wasn't enough we had a rogue Druid running round sacrificing virgins and soldiers.
With the new revelations my want for a weapon had only grown. Lift my hand to the door I prepared to knock but the door had swung open before my fist made contact with the wood.
Chris Argent pinned me with a disapproving look. I couldn't decide if he found my excessively ripped jeans and baggy crop top offensive or just simply didn't like me. Moving to the side he gestured for me to come in without a word. He didn't speak until we had reached a large office at the end of the hall. Ushering me in he finally spoke, "Allison said you needed a weapon."
"Hello to you to Mr Argent, I had a lovely summer thanks for asking. Did you enjoy France?"
"I'm not giving you a gun so you can get yourself killed." He didn't find my response funny. Instead he sent me a dry look as he circled his desk.
"I'm not asking for a gun. And I assure you I plan to stay well away from anything that can kill me."
"Can you fight?" I nodded. I tried to keep my nerves under control. Sure I had learnt a few moves over the summer but did that really measure up? He pulled a small knife from one of the desks draws. My eyes followed the reflective blade as he twisted it in his hand. "If you can get this from me, you can keep it."
"Dad!" It was only then that I realised Allison had been hovering in the doorway. Her protests didn't seem to discourage her father as he lifted his free hand to beckon me forward. Was he being serious?
As I edged toward him, he returned the knife back in its holder and placed it on the desk between us. I just had to get the knife? With a surge of false confidence I leapt forward. I knew it wouldn't be as easy as just taking it off the desk but I had to try. Mr Argent had predicted my first move and with a swift kick he sent one of the chairs between me and the desk out. The heavy wood collided with my stomach sending a sharp shot of pain through my entire body.
My knuckles turned white as I gripped the top of the chair. Pushing the chair out of the way I moved forward again. Carefully avoiding the second chair that was wedged under the desk in case he tried it again. My eyes darted from the hunter to knife and back again. This was going to take more than just speed.
I wasn't surprised that my hand was slapped away from the desk as I reached out for the blade. Mr Argent had used enough force to send my arm up into the air but I could tell he was holding back. We repeated this a few times our arms going back and forth over the desk. I could see the furrow between his brows deepening. His eyes narrowed. He was getting frustrated with me. Good. If he though all I could do was grab and snatch, unsuccessfully, he wouldn't expect anything else.
As my hand was hit away yet again, I let my foot hook around the leg of Mr Argent's chair. In a similar move to the move he had performed earlier, the back of the chair jutted out. He easily moved out of the way and was ready to block my arm as I swiped the desk. But the knife wasn't my intended target. Instead I grabbed a paper weight from the corner of the desk forcing him to change direction at the last moment. He had caught my free hand with ease. But he wasn't watching the other. With the few extra seconds I had gained I threw my new projectile towards the knife. The paper weight hit the covered blade at just the right angle, something that had even surprised me, sending the blade to the floor beside me. My foot had covered the knife the moment it hit the ground.
A light clapping sounded from the corner of the room. Allison had stayed and watched the entire interaction. After collecting my prize from the floor I turned to face her. She was beaming back at me like I'd just gotten excepted into Harvard. Mr Argent had a similar expression on his face as he watched me examine the blade. I had stayed at the Argent's apartment for the majority of the evening. Most of the time was spent on a brief but intensive explanation on how to use the weapon I had just acquired.
By the time the Mr Argent felt confidence enough to let me leave, the waning moon was high in the sky and the heavens had opened. I had intended to dry off and go straight to sleep once I returned home. After last night's events at the school I wasn't keen on the idea of another late night. But when did things ever go as planned. As I pulled into my drive I noticed a figure looming on my porch. Mum was still abroad and I'd dropped Josh off at a friend's house earlier in the evening.
Gripping my knife I removed it from its cover. My hands trembled at the thought of actually having to use it. Stepping from my car, I couldn't tell if the deafening noise was from my heart or the heavy rain. It was only as I got closer I realised the drench figure wasn't here to harm me.
"Isaac?"
The boy turned to face me. Something in me broke as he stared back, his eyes red and raw. His voice barely reached me over the storm, "I didn't know where to go."
Without another word I ushered him inside. I offered him towels and dry clothes. Which he silently accepted. His entire being screamed vulnerable. Maybe it was the way my dad's old clothes hung of his slender frame or his downcast expression. Whatever it was it stirred a protective side in me I had never known I had. Sure I had helped Josh out a few times over the years but he never needed me to protect him. If he found himself trouble he could more often or not find his way out of it.
Isaac didn't look like he could get himself out of this one alone. I sank into the sofa beside him pulling a blanket over the two of us. He lifted his arm let me curl up into his side. I didn't question him. I knew from personal experience that talking about things wasn't always the answer. Sometimes you just needed to know someone was there.
Whatever the problem was I would help him fix it or I'd at least find someone who could. I made a mental note to call Scott in the morning. He was much better at the hero stuff then I was.
….
Thank you to everyone who has followed and favourited! Also thank you to akagami-hime-chan and DemonSlayer76 for the reviews. Sorry I haven't had the chance to reply to you properly!