Gather The Ashes || Stilinski || Book Three

Forty-Nine

"HAYDEN!"

Liam yelled, trying to find where she disappeared.

The projector at Sinema only provided little light, and from the many hits he took to the head, Liam could hardly see straight.

Scott and Theo had appeared minutes before to help, but now they were even becoming drained. The dread doctors acted incredibly strong, blocking every swing or kick in their way. The teenagers were fighting a losing battle.

And it only got worse when Liam finally found Hayden.

Scott had been flipped onto his back, Theo knocked out of submission. The dread doctors surrounded Hayden before Liam could even blink.

He saw her face fill with fear. The needle being jammed into her neck. Silver clouding her eyes.

"NO!"

Liam screamed as Hayden collapsed to her knees. He sprinted over, as the dread doctors faded--glitching out of the room. Catching her as she fell, he worriedly placed his hand on her cheek. "Hayden?"

All the projectors shut down, the house lights slowly flickering to normal. Scott finally managed to get back up, and panicked from only seeing Theo groaning on the ground. "Where's Hayden?"

"I'm okay," Hayden whispered when Theo and Scott ran over, Liam staring at her in disbelief.

He couldn't believe it. Seeing her fall like she had, he was sure she had--Liam shook his head. He didn't even want to finish that idea.

"Really," Hayden forced a small smile to Liam, seeing his wide eyed. "I think I'm okay."

Liam turned to Scott. "I saw the needle go in," he said quietly, his voice breaking. "And her eyes just filled up with mercury. They turned completely silver."

"She looks okay," Theo observed, seeing Hayden stand up. However, she instantly leaned against a wall for support. He glanced at Scott. "Maybe she'll heal?"

"Or maybe she won't," Scott disagreed. He hated being the pessimistic one but after seeing Corey die, he didn't find it plausible that the dread doctors would leave her alive.

Liam stared at him...but he knew Scott was right. "What if something's happening to her on the inside?"

Instead of answering, Scott turned to Theo. "Get them to the animal clinic," he ordered. "I'll meet you there."

Quickly, Liam helped Hayden get into Theo's truck, while Scott climbed onto his motorbike. Then, they all took off.

Theo looked anxiously in the rear view mirror, the rain pounding against the windshield as he drove. He saw Hayden moments away from falling unconscious. "Keep her awake," he instructed sternly, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. "I don't think it's a good idea for her to fall asleep."

Liam nudged the girl in his arms. "Hayden." He held her up, concerned by how she kept closing her eyes. "Hayden, you've got to stay awake."

"I'm so tired," she mumbled drowsily, her words slurring. Every breath hurt and exhaustion clawed at every part of her body. All she wanted to do was make the pain go away.

"I know, but you can't go to sleep." Liam tried his best to stay calm as he looked back to Theo. "How do we help her?"

Theo answered honestly. "I don't know. If it was wolfsbane's poisoning you could just burn it out. But I don't know anything about mercury. Especially about a kind that's been altered by them."

"Is she going to heal?""

"Maybe, but the problem is she isn't really like us, Liam," Theo explained, glancing at him. "None of them are. They're more like...like cheap knock-offs. She might not be as strong as we are."