Wisdom's Daughter

27

Lydia sent Tessa a text to meet her at the school swimming pool.

Tessa grabbed Scott's bike, as she had permission, and made her way to the pool.

When she got there, Lydia was hovering over a dummy. Tessa glanced around, then up at the chair just as Lydia screamed.

"Lydia!" Tessa called, catching her attention. "Why are you here?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I was on my way to the store to get ibuprofen for a headache and I ended up here. Tessa, there's a dead body."

"It's okay, Lydia. Do me a favor and call the sheriff's station while I call Stiles. He can help."

She nodded and called the station. Stiles soon arrived. "Lydia? Tessa? Are you okay?"

Lydia glanced to Tessa. "I'm okay. Tessa's okay. That, over there..." She pointed to a lifeless boy in the lifeguard chair. "Not okay."

Stiles nodded. "Yeah, all right. I'm gonna call my dad."

"I already called 911," Lydia replied.

Stiles frowned. "You called the police before you called me?"

"I'm supposed to call you first when I find a dead body?"

"Yes!"

Tessa glanced Stiles. "I called you while she called 911. Knocking two birds out with one stone."

Stiles called Scott and relayed the information. He said after a moment, "Yep. Throat ripped out, blood everywhere. It's like the frickin' Shining over here. Two little twin girls come out of the woods, start askin' me to play with them forever and ever, I'm not gonna be surprised."

"Make sure it was them? Scott, who else is going around ripping throats out?"

Stiles hung up and Tessa asked, "The werewolves?"

He nodded. "Boyd and Cora. That's what Scott is thinking."

Tessa turned to Lydia. "You want some company tonight?"

Lydia nodded. "Please."

The police arrived and escorted Lydia home. Stiles insisted on following them. When they got inside, Lydia said, "I had a police escort, and I've got Tessa with me."

Stiles shot her an innocent look. "I know the inner workings of that force, all right? They're not as reliable as people think."

Lydia frowned. "Well, you also didn't have to follow us into my room."

Stiles glanced around the room. "Well, I... uh, yeah, I don't have an answer for that. I can leave."

Tessa crossed her arms. "What, Stiles? You look like you got a question."

Stiles shook his head. "Well, I'm not... I haven't been dying to ask anything. I... no questions here for Stiles. Nothing."

Lydia narrowed her eyes. "Tessa and I can see it on your face."

He shrugged. "Maybe my face just has, like, a naturally interrogatory exp... expression."

Tessa shook her head. "No, it really doesn't."

Lydia nodded. "The answer is, I have no clue how I ended up finding that body. I didn't even know where I was until I got out of the car."

Stiles frowned. "Yeah, but the last time something like this happened..."

Lydia let out a sigh. "I know. Derek's uncle."

"Peter," Tessa stated. "That was you?"

She shrugged. "I didn't know I was doing so."

Stiles turned to Tessa and said, "Melissa needs me at the hospital. Says she has to show me something. I'll call you. Or text you. Whichever."

Tessa nodded and Stiles waved goodbye.

When he left, Lydia turned to Tessa. "Did you see how he was looking at you?"

"How?" Tessa asked.

"Oh my God, you are so oblivious. Love, Tessa. He looks at you with doey-eyes."

"He does not."

"Yes, he does. And apparently everyone but you can see it."

"I really don't want to talk about my apparent love life. Did you take some ibuprofen?"

She nodded. "Yeah. My headache is starting to subside. Thanks for coming."

"What are friends for."

Lydia and Tessa sat in a reasonably comfortable silence and Tessa got a text from Stiles. Tessa bit her lip and sighed. "Heather, Stiles' friend, is dead. I couldn't help. Why couldn't I help?"

"You've helped me, Tessa. You came when I needed you. You told me I wasn't crazy."

"Well, you're definitely not crazy."

"How are you, Tessa? Really. Be honest."

Tessa sighed. "I've been better. I haven't talked to my stepmom since New York."

"Are you going to talk to her?"

"She killed my dad before I got there and has never cared for me. Why would I want to talk to her?"

"Because maybe she's got an explanation."

"I don't care about why she did it." Lydia tilted her head. "I don't!"

"Uh-huh. The tone of voice suggests otherwise, Tessa."

"Well, I don't. Case in point, Lydia." She glanced at the clock. "It's late and we have school tomorrow."

A honk outside sounded and Tessa looked out Lydia's window to see Stiles. Moments later, her phone buzzed. 'Tessa, you need to see this'.

Tessa huffed and glanced at her friend. "I'm being summoned to see a body. You gonna be okay here?"

Lydia nodded. "I'll be fine. Go."

Tessa made her way out to the Jeep and climbed into the back since the passenger's seat was taken by her cousin. "You okay, Stiles?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Sorry to take you from Lydia."

"It was kind of a relief, actually."

"Why, did something happen?"

"Words were spoken. I don't want to talk about it."

"Was it about your dad?"

"Stiles, I swear to gods I will stab you. I don't want to talk about my dad!"

They arrived and Stiles took his friends to the morgue and showed them Heather's body. Tessa noticed a dark line around her throat. Scott glanced up at his friend. "So Boyd and Cora might not have killed anyone?"

Stiles gave him a grim look. "You're gonna wish they did."

Tessa looked at Heather and asked, "Why?"

Stiles let out a sigh. "I'm not exactly sure yet. The other girl who was out in the woods. Emily? Eventually they're gonna find her. She's one of them. Emily, Heather... That guy Lydia found at the pool. All three were virgins... And they're all gonna have the same three injuries... strangled, throat slashed, head bashed in. It's called the threefold death."

Scott frowned. "So if these aren't random killings, then what are they?"

"Sacrifices. Human sacrifices."

"Oh, gods," Tessa whispered.