Bay (Laurus nobilis)
Bay is associated with success, wisdom, and divination. Write a wish on a bay leaf and burn it, or sleep with it under your pillow for dreams that offer some sort of guidance as to how to pursue your goal.
After our night on the sofa Issac told me about Derek kicking him out of the loft. The boy had calmed since yesterday but something in his eyes still made my heart ache. Isaac was officially homeless, parentless and could possibly be packless. I had toyed with the idea of letting him hide away in our spare room but that thought hadn't lasted long.
Josh had arrived home in the morning to find us perched in the kitchen discussing possible solutions over a burnt breakfast. My brother had been surprised at first though he hid it well. He was much better at reading social situation then I had ever been. Upon seeing Isaac's expression he had take some food and left us to plan alone. Though he had kindly reminded me of our mother's return.
I explained to Isaac that he wouldn't be able to stay as mum was home from her book tour tomorrow evening and she was bringing the media with her. She planned to show off our wonderful life to anyone who would listen. So a stowaway werewolf probably wouldn't go down well. That was how we ended up parked outside Scott's house. To me it made sense. Isaac needed somewhere to stay and he needed the stability of a pack mate. He wasn't as sold on the idea.
"Why can't I stay with you," he whined as we approached the door. I didn't bother turning my head as I sent him a bored look. We had been having this conversation the entire car ride how was he still asking that. He didn't take any notice of my annoyance and continued to complain, "it's not like you follow the rules away. I could just stay in your room until their gone."
He was right. I didn't often follow my mother's rules but this time I was going to. Not because she had told me to be on my best behaviour but because the idea of having a werewolf in my family home terrified me. However I wasn't about to tell Isaac that part. I merely knocked on the door and waited patiently for Scott to answer, we had purposely waited for his mum to leave for work.
I didn't bother responding to Scott's greeting as he opened the door. Instead I strolled past him into his house and told him matter of factor that Isaac needed a place to stay and that Scott should let him stay here.
"What?" Scott's eyes flickered between myself and Isaac as we made ourselves comfortable in his lounge.
"Derek kicked Isaac out," I started. Isaac looked horrified that I was sharing his predicament with Scott but it was necessary. The boy had a bleeding heart and if he knew Isaac was in trouble he wouldn't be able to say no. To be completely honest, he seemed more concerned with Isaac spending the night in my house than anything else.
Being right was always a lovely feeling particularly with everything that seemed to go wrong Beacon Hills. Scott had taken Isaac in with less persuasion than I had planned and he had even cleared it with his mum. She really seemed to be taking the supernatural element of her son's life well. Isaac has looked a little lost when I left him but there was nothing more for me to do. Him and Scott needed to settle and it wasn't like anything bad would happen between now and school on Monday.
Obviously I spoke to soon. When I arrived at school on Monday ready for our cross country meet I found a collection of worrying signs. A pale looking Scott was propped up in one of the backseats. Stiles fussing beside him. One of the twins was perched next to Danny near the centre of the bus. Looking strangely out of place without his brother at his side. It was only after I had settled into one of the front seats that I noticed Boyd and Isaac behind me. The pair were sat like statues. The only movement I could spot was a slight tremor in their clenched fists. Something had definitely happened.
Twisting in my seat I opened my mouth to ask the wolves what was wrong. However the words never made it out as Isaac caught my eye. The boy shook his head and I knew whatever had happened was serious. More serious than him losing his place at Derek's loft if the looks he was giving Boyd were anything to go by. Or the fact that Boyd's nails had shifted into claws and were now cutting deep into the upholstery of the seat beside me. Trusting that Isaac knew he could tell me about the problem if he needed to, I sunk down into my seat. I tried to use my headphones to drown out Coach's incisive shouting but his loud complaints still managed to make their way through.
"Jared, I'm warning you. I'm an empathetic vomiter. You throw up, I'm gonna throw up right back on you. And it will be profoundly disgusting," I couldn't help but look up as Coach's voice filled the bus. My eyes drifting toward Jared as he turned a sickly shade of green. I couldn't hear his response from my spot near the front but I could hear Coach as he continued, "I might throw up on you just to make a point, Jared. Now the rest of you, don't think we're gonna miss this meet because of a slight traffic jam, a minor tornado warning, Jared. We're gonna make this thing. Nothing is gonna stop us! Stilinski, put your hand down."
As usual Stiles didn't listen and now that he had the teacher attention he wasn't going to waste it. "You know, there's, like, a food exit about a half a mile up. I don't know if we stop and then maybe…"
Coach cut him off sharply, "We're not gonna stop."
"Okay, but if we stop…"
"Stilinski! Shut it! Seriously! It's a little bus! Stop asking me questions!"
Usually I would find Stiles frustration amusing but the desperation in his voice was clear. As my eyes shifted back to our mutual friend I realised just how bad things were getting. Scott had turned a ghoulish grey. He was barely able to keep his eyes open as he rested his head against the window beside him.
Stiles tried again, "Coach, it's five minutes for a bathroom break, okay? We've been on this thing for, like, three hours... It's 60 miles to the next rest stop…" a shrill whistle shot through the air, "Being cooped up for hours is not good…" it sounded again and I realised that our ever mature Coach was the source of the noise, "You know, our bladders aren't exactly... Coach, this is... Can you... Please... Let me talk! I'm... Every time…"
"Get back to your seat, Stilinski"
"Okay!" Stiles hollered back before the whistle could cut him off again. Down cast the boy began to make his way back to his best friend.
While Coach's back was still turned I stood and lent into the aisle. One hand raised as I tried to catch Stiles' attention. Ignoring Isaac's raised eyebrows and questioning looks, I continued to wave my arm. The uncharacteristic animation seemed to have everyone on the bus staring at me. Everyone but Stiles.
"King, sit down!"
I moved out of the aisle and went to sit back down when hazel eyes met mine. In an instant I as kneeling on my seat and gesturing toward Jared. Stiles merely stared back blankly before giving an unhelpful shrug. Part of me regretted ever thinking the idiot had a brain. Luckily by this point Coach had begun to berate another student who had the audacity to ask for a bathroom break and the other students in the bus had lost interest in the odd girl at the front. I started to make my movements larger and more exaggerated. Over the top mimes of throwing up only seemed to confuse him more. I was practically pointing at poor Jared by the end of it.
I tried mouthing the sickly boy's name but again Stiles stared back gormlessly. "Jared!" The word slipped from my mouth in frustration and had been a lot louder than expected.
Coach's entire body snapped round to the front as I sank down into my seat like a back of rocks. Just before I'd hidden I caught the look on Stiles face. It was as if the lights had finally been turned on and a mischievous smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Whatever Stiles had said to the poor boy had worked. We were pulling into the next turning without any protest from our Coach. The smell was unbearable and the moment the doors opened the entire bus was rushing to escape. Seeing Stiles struggle under the weight of his friend held back. As the boys left the vehicle I ducked under Scott's free arm and tried to help support his weight.
Coach's yells carried across the car park we had pulled into. A carpark that coincidentally Allison and Lydia just pulled into. I eyed the pair in confusion as they raced toward us. From the worry lines edged into Allison's face I could only assume she had know Scott has hurt. What the hell had happened? And why oh why did I feel so frustrated about being left out of it! That was what I wanted right. Shaking the thoughts from my head focused on Lydia who looked almost as lost as me as she tottered after Allison.
"Did you follow us all the way here?" Lydia nodded back as she fell into step beside me.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Scolded Allison as she appeared on the other side of Stiles. Scott mumbled something that sounded like an apology. While panic flashed in Allison's eyes. She had finally spotted the dark red stain growing on her ex boyfriend's side. "Okay. Just give us a second, okay? This shouldn't be happening. I've seen him heal from worse than this."
"Okay, what do we do then? Do we just call an ambulance?" Stiles suggested as we led the group towards a vacant bathroom.
It probably wasn't the most hygienic place to put our injured friend but with very little options left we prompted Scott up between the cracked basins. Thick layers of grim coated the tiles and even the floor was covered in bleak graffiti.
"What if it's too late? What if they can't help?" The panic had spread to her voice.
I could stop myself from quipping back, "and you call me a pessimist"
"You know, it could be psychological," chimed Lydia. At our blank stares she continued to explain. Something I sensed she was getting tired of having to do every time she spoke. "A physical illness from a psychogenic cause. it's all in his head."
"All in his head? Because of Derek. He's not letting himself heal 'cause Derek died." Derek was dead. Stiles' words made my stomach churn. Is that why Boyd and Isaac had looked so out of it earlier? Had Derek become the next victim to our town rampant monster problem. I am almost ashamed to admit that I was relieved. Derek and I hadn't ever been close. I didn't feel any great loss at the thought of his death. I'm all honesty if it was between him and one of the others I would happily make the trade.
"What are we going to do?" I eyed Allison as she spoke. Yes I wouldn't let anything happen to my friends.
"Stitch him up. I'm serious. Maybe all he needs to do is just believe it's healing." Was the wise wisdom given to use from our resident genius. Like any of us knew how to do stitches.
It seems I was wrong. I stayed with Allison as she began tread her needle. I shouldn't have been surprised when she declared that she knew how to stitch a wound. The Argents had done well to prep her for almost any situation. Lydia and Stiles had already left to try and stall the bus. So when tears began to well in Allison's eyes it was left to me to try and comfort her.
How did we always end up in such dire situations.
I took hold of her shaking hands. She was in no state to try and sew someone up. She couldn't even thread the needle. Instead I sent her away to collect a handful of herbs from the hedgerow that encased the car park. It was a shame really. Even in her fragile state she at least knew how to treat Scott's wounds. I on the other hand couldn't do much more offer apologies as I nestled onto the floor beside Scott.
The young wolf had turned a ghostly white. His eyes had glazed over and the wound had begun to ooze a gruesome tar like liquid. Part of me was tempted to wait for Allison to return with the herbs. To try and use in of the many ideas in Ms Blake's notebook but now wasn't the time for experiments. So instead I settled on plan B. Pulling the knife Mr Argent had given from my bag I eyed it carefully. In one swift movement I shoved the blade into the torn flesh that forked across Scott's chest. He barely flinched as the sharp metal cut deep into his skin.
A startled scream sounded from behind me. Allison was back. The herbs she had found lay forgotten on the floor as she lunged forward. Glaring down at me Allison dug her nails into my shoulder and pried me away from Scott. The movement forced me to take the knife with me. Ripping the wolf's skin further. Droplets if crimson blood hit the grim covered floor and Glowing amber eyes snapped open.
And in that moment Allison's fury melted away. Her eyes softened as she sank to the floor beside the groaning teen. "Stay with me, stay with me. Scott, look at me. It's okay," her voice had lost its earlier anxiety as she soothed Scott.
I hovered behind the pair. I wasn't sure if my plan would work but as Allison moved to the side I noticed the black ooze fading. The dark veins that had forked across his skin where retreating and the torn flesh was slowing knitting itself back together.
"Did you do that?" Scott questioned as he stared at the new cut running along his chest.
Allison gestured back to me with a nod, "Emma did."
"Nice," was the only response I got from Scott.
He was clearly feeling better. With a slight wobble he clambered to his feet. Colour finally returning to his cheeks. I went to help him up but stopped when Allison's dark eyes narrowed at me. She was pissed. I understood why but surely it was fine now that Scott was healed, or at least healing. Sure I hadn't shared my ideas with her and sure I had no concrete proof that it would work. But it had worked. Later she would ask where I go the Idea from and I know I would have to lie. No way would she accept the truth. She wouldn't like it if I told her it had just been a hunch. Something that I'd once seen Derek do to himself to kick start his own healing.
"They went after him. I told 'em what was happening with you and they just went after him," Stiles grabbed Scott the moment we left the building. Eyes wide with panic and his voice breaking slightly as the words tumbled from his mouth. What ever was happening back at the coach was clearly bad. we just hadn't expected it to that bad.
Chaos seemed to have infected the entire group. As we rejoined our classmates a buzz of confusion and fear hung in the air. Isaac had one of the twins by the throat. His free hand was raised ready to slam into his victims jaw. The first punch landed. A sickening crack rang out. As he pulled his arm back again we lunges forward. Yes you read that correctly, we. Scott barked a sharp order for Isaac to stop as he wedged himself between the two wolves. I on the other hand had curled myself around Isaac's raised arm trying to stop the next blow.
Everyone seemed to still as Scott glared down at Isaac. Once the teens had settled coach was able to regain control and usher the group back onto the freshly cleaned bus. I had pulled Isaac along beside me. I was eager to get him away from the situation while I could.
I had planned to sick beside Isaac but as I turned to sit in the seat he stopped me. My protests died in my throat as I found his vibrant amber eyes staring back at me. Why were his eyes glowing? Was he not in control? He kept his hands firmly on the chairs headrest. Blocking my way. Boyd was only a few students behind and Isaac didn't need to tell me that was who he wanted beside him. And I didn't need to tell him that his actions and glowing eyes were frightening. I was positive he could my heart pounding against my of standing and arguing I moved on.
Once I'd reach the back I turned in my seat to face Stiles and Lydia just in time to hear him begin to ramble, "All right. Let's go over this one more time. So it's the sacrifices, right? Everything has to do with them and someone who thinks he's, like, a dark druid of some kind."
"A Darach," I corrected. My eyes still watching Isaac's hunched form.
"You know... Some ancient cultures sacrificed people in preparation for battle," Lydia added.
Shifting my gaze toward the red head I smiled grimly at her. Trying my best to make light of our dire circumstances we found ourself in. "So we got Alpha werewolves against a dark druid. sounds like a regular Monday for us." Stiles let out a slight whine and sunk down into the seat. Part of me couldn't help but hope that Derek was going to be the only casualty this war caused.
Apologises for the super short chapter! I had hoped to get onto the motel by now but life has been manic. I'm going to do my best to keep on top of my updates but they might not be for a month or so. Been in hospital and have had to visit the doctors a lot lately (nothing major more an annoyance than anything!). But in more exciting news I got engaged!