Artifice ♛ Scott McCall

Lunar Eclipse

Scott walked up to Stiles, Deaton, and I. We had finally gotten in contact with him and told him how we needed his help. We had met up with him in the forest. I felt his eyes linger on me for a moment, but I didn't meet his eyes. Instead, I looked out into the dark forest.

I don't know if what I'm feeling right now is anger or sadness. Maybe a little bit of both. I do know I don't want to feel like this, but I can't help it. I know he's doing what he thinks is right, but it still hurts. I wanted someone to comfort me over the kidnapping of my father. I also wanted someone to talk about what Jennifer told me. About me being an Elemental. I wanted that someone to be him, but he left. He left both Stiles and I crying on that roof as we watched him walk away.

"How'd you guys find out?" Scott asks us about the Nemeton.

Stiles shrugs. "Evan. Lydia. You?"

"Morrell." Scott answered. "None of the other alphas know where it is either."

"So if this works, are you gonna tell them?" I ask, still not making eye contact.

"I can't stop Jennifer without them." Scott replied making me nod slowly.

Deaton spoke up. "How about we concentrate on finding your parents first?"

"What's the plan?" Scott asks.

"Essentially, you, Allison, and Stiles need to be surrogate sacrifices for your parents." Deaton says making a chill go down my spine. I had offered to do it in place of Stiles but he threw a fit. He didn't want me getting hurt.

Scott looked at Stiles. "We die for them?"

"But he can bring us back." Stiles says. "You can... you can bring us back, right?"

"You remember the part where I said it was dangerous?" Deaton asks making us all nod. "If it goes right, the three of you will be dead for a few seconds, but there's something else you need to think about. This is a dangerous thing for more reasons than one. You'll be giving power back to the Nemeton, a place that hasn't had power for a long time. This kind of power is like a magnet. It attracts the supernatural, the kind of things that a family like the Argents can fill the pages of a bestiary with. It will draw them here, like a beacon."

"Doesn't sound any worse than anything we've already seen." I shrug. Deaton looks at me.

"You'd be surprised at what you have yet to see."

"Is that it?" Scott asked.

"No." Deaton answered. "It'll also have an effect on the three of you. You won't be able to see it, but you'll feel it every day for the rest of your lives. It'll be a kind of a darkness around your heart, and permanent, like a scar."

"Like a tattoo." Scott mumbled.

×××

I rip open the bag of ice with the knife Deaton gave me. I walk over to one the tubs and dump the ice in the water. Deaton and Lydia we're doing the other ones. Once we were done, I look down at the tubs. They were filled to the brim with ice and water. Deaton also put some sort of herbs in there because there are green leaves are mixed within the ice.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up to see Deaton looking at me. "They're going to be fine, Evan."

I try to let out a small smile, but I can't. I mean, we're essentially killing my brother, my boyfriend, and my best friend. I'm not going to be okay. Not until this is all over. So for now, I'm an anxiety ridden mess.