Blood in the water

Dark Moon - 2

FEW WEEKS LATER

“Can we not?” I say with a shake of my head. “I’m not going to hurt him!” 

“He’ll heal.” Athena assured me, and Scott. He sits nervously in front of me. By now I had told the others about her. She’s been training me for a while. Teaching me witch history, that Stiles had already looked up on the internet. Most of it was surprisingly accurate. At least according to Athena. 

She’s taught me a few defense spells, which I had asked for first because given the crap we deal with. But right now, she wants to teach me a spell that basically inflicts mental pain to a person. And she wants to use Scott as an example. 

“It’s fine really.” Scott tried to assure me. I shake my head, “I’m not doing it.” 

"Is there gonna be blood?" Stiles asked nauseously as he faced the wall. "Because I'm not really good with blood." 

No he is not. "I'll do it." Malia offered as she shoved Scott to the side and sat in front of me. "I don't mind." She really doesn't mind the fact that I am about to inflict mental pain on her? "Thank you," Athena crossed her legs and turned to me.

"What you want to do is focus on the person. You can always aim at them if you like. You have to press hard, give them a sharp pain." Well that doesn't sound hard at all. 

I looked at Malia entirely unsure about this. Malia shrugs as she waits for me to do the spell. She was way too calm about all this. But I take a deep breath and point my hand at her, trying to focus on what Athena had said. 

It takes a second for the pain to start, but Malia obviously feels it instantly because she clutches her head and groans. The veins in her forehead were popping out. I lowered my hand quickly, “Yeah that’s enough for today.” 

Athena frowned, upset. We have our sessions every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school. But right now we were on break because of Christmas and New Years. That was over two days ago. We’ll be back in two days.

In a few more days it’ll be a year since Laura died. Athena knew this, she told me the one thing that I was at least trained for was my emotions. Because apparently emotions are tied to this sort of thing. Which I kind of already figured out myself plenty of times before. 

Malia groans, shaking her head. “That was horrible.” She nods impressively at me. “You're getting better at this.” Ha as if. I picked up my stuff and smiled a little at Athena. “Thank you for the lessons.” Athena nods.

I took Stiles’ hand as we began to exit the hotel room with the others. I paused at the door. Athena already hadn’t come over for Christmas or New Years because she was out of town. I feel bad not inviting her over.

“You know-“ I started, stopping before Stiles and I could fully exit the door.

“You’re more than welcome to come sometime for dinner.”

Dad hasn’t really talked about her, only when he asks how training sessions had gone. But that’s really it. I mean she was living in a hotel room, alone for the holidays. And no one should be alone for the holidays. 

Athena nods at the invitation. “I’ll think about it.” I can only nod, I give her a wave before leaving with Stiles and rushing down the hotel hallway after the others. 

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

“Derek!” I called as I knocked on the loft door. I haven’t seen Derek in weeks. Which was strange. I should be used to not seeing him often, having lived in separate states for years but he always called.

And he always texted. And lately he hasn’t been answering mine. Stiles was waiting in the car, because he does not feel the need to have his nose broken this close to the new year. 

My parents told me that Derek was probably just having a well deserved break. But I don’t believe that. I knocked again but received no answer. Okay that’s it, I took out my key to the loft and unlocked the door, sliding the door open.

The alarm beeps when I enter, so I quickly put in the code to shut it down. It was empty. Why was it so empty? 

Nothing looked out of order. Till I noticed the bullet casings on the ground. Oh dear god. I walked over and picked one up. It was cold. Not warm like if it had been recently fired. How long have these been here? There were several of them.

Golden casings. I turned them over in my hands, and my eyes went wide when I recognized the symbol carved on every single one of them. 

Why do hunters love to brand themselves? These markings were a skull. Or as they say in Spanish, a calavera. 

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

“Okay, how long has it been?” Stiles asked as he, Scott and Lydia followed me inside my room. I closed the door, locking it. Before I answered them I lit a red candle. I had gotten it from Athena, as long as the flame was lit no one with the supernatural ability to hear across far distances can listen to anything that goes on.

Which is a good thing, I don’t want my parents to know about this. 

“Weeks.” I told them as I crushed the match I had used under my heel. “He hasn’t called or returned any of my texts.” That wasn’t like him.

“Has Derek ever returned your texts?” Stiles said doubtful with a raised eyebrow. I nodded at my boyfriend.

“Yes. Always.” Dereks never not stayed out of touch. Stiles didn’t seem convinced and neither did Scott.

“Anyway, Stiles and I went to the loft. The alarm was on. Everything looked okay. But then, I found these.” I pulled out the bullet casings from my pocket and put them on my desk, the clatter as they were dropped. I take one of them to show them the insignia carved on it. 

“These belong to a family of hunters in Mexico.” I explained. “The calaveras."

These were the same hunters that held Derek and Peter captive once before. They went as far to actually cut Peters off. It was sewed back, obviously. But still.

They were also the ones in possession of my aunt Talia's claws before us for some reason. I don’t trust they haven’t done anything to him. 

“What would they want with Derek?” Lydia questioned. “You don't think they killed him, do you?” 

I shake my head. “I... I don't know.” That’s exactly what I don’t want to know but what I also want to know. I looked up at Lydia. “That's why you're here.”

Lydia sighs when she realizes what I meant but takes the casings anyway, closing them around her hand and focusing. I chewed my lip anxiously as we watched her work. Stiles takes my hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

I managed to crack a small thank you smile at him. Lydia dropped the casings on the table one by one. This frozen expression on her face as she listens to whatever she was listening to. She freezes. 

“Lydia, what? Is he dead?” I was terrified by her answer. “No,” she admits. “But I'm not sure he's alive, either.” 

“What does that mean?” Scott asked. Lydia shakes her head. “I don't know... There's something not right. I just…” she sighed and closed her eyes. “I don't know.”

“So, if the Calaveras have him, how do we find them?” Stiles questioned. 

I picked up the bullet casing and held it up to look at the Calaveras insignia one more time. So we had no idea if he was alive, or if he was dead either.

I don’t know why they took him, but they really picked a bad time to do this. I don’t know who they think they are thinking they can mess with this family and this pack. I looked at the others. 

“We’re going to Mexico.”