Destiny [D.H.]

66

Eliana's POV:

The sheriff placed an X through Tracy's picture and said, "Chimeras."

Stiles shrugged. "Well, yeah, two dead Chimeras."

"And new eight ones," I said grimly. "That's..." I thought for a moment, "ten."

Sheriff Stilinski didn't turn around, still focused on his board. He tacked up another picture. "Officer Hart and I are thinking 11." I noticed Stiles tensing up as his mouth opened. He was definitely hiding something. "Out station tech guys confirmed something for us." He turned around. "They said both the holding cell lock and cameras could have malfunctioned because of something electromagnetic. You two said that, uh, these guys..."

"Dread Doctors," I interrupted.

Dad frowned, turning to me. "Are we really calling them that?"

"Yeah, we are, Dad. You and the sheriff thinking they broke Donovan out?"

"It's how they got into Eichen, isn't it?"

Stiles nodded as he said, "Donovan's a Chimera."

The sheriff nodded. "Yeah. But is he a failure like Lucas and Tracy?"

"If he is, he's probably dead."

"Not until I've seen a body." He studied his son. "You're uncharacteristically quiet."

Stiles locked eyes with his dad. "Yeah. Sorry... I'm, uh, I'm just trying to think about it. Uh... these are are all strangers, right? So, now shouldn't we be trying to figure out why these teenagers? If the Dread Doctors, if they went through all that... burying them, killing them, breaking one of them out of jail..."

"They couldn't have been chosen at random."

I shook my head. I walked over to the board and looked at it. "There's something in common with them. There was something that made them right for this experiment, but I'm not sure what."

---

We made our way to Scott's and I sighed. "Lydia, there's no way I'll be able to read this. I don't like reading and this book being complete shit doesn't help."

Lydia ignored me. "My mom's book club usually has more wine."

Stiles let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Well, they also probably didn't read books that caused violent hallucinations."

"That's why Malia's here," Scott told him.

Kira frowned. "So none of us go running into traffic?"

"Or worse."

"Like what happened to Judy," Malia said. She must have noticed our confused looks because she added, "Chapter 14."

Lydia grabbed the only actual book and looked at it. "Maybe I should have my mother read it. She might remember a girl with a tail leaping off the ceiling and attacking everyone."

I was handed a stack of papers and sighed.

Stiles muttered, "Yeah, if it works."

"It has to," Lydia replied.

"What does that mean?" Scott asked Lydia.

Lydia met his eyes. "I think I saw them during surgery. When I look at the cover of the book, it's almost like..."

"A memory trying to surface," Theo finished.

Stiles tensed up and I looked curiously at him. There was definitely something going in with my friend and I intended to figure out what he was hiding.

Lydia looked at Theo and nodded. "Yeah."

"Isn't that what Valack wanted when he wrote it?" Kira questioned.

"If they did something to me, I want to know what it is."

Each of my friends, mostly, excluding me and Lydia, grabbed a stack of papers and scattered across the room. Stiles was on the couch, Malia near him. I sat in front of the couch. Scott and Kira were across from them, on the other couch. Theo and Lydia were both in a chair.

We started reading and after a couple minutes, I put her papers down because I couldn't stand to read another second. The book was complete garbage. Oh, my bad. It was complete shit.

"Anyone feel anything yet?" Scott asked.

"Bored. I hate this book," I said.

"Tired," Kira replied, trying to keep her eyes open.

"Hungry," Lydia answered.

Theo gave a small smile. "I think he meant the book."

I tried reading again, only to have it seem to drone on more and more.

Scott looked between me and Kira. "You two aren't giving up, are you?"

"Just resting my eyes," Kira told him.

I threw my papers to the ground. "Yeah, I am. Fuck this piece of shit."

"Ella-" Scott began.

"Don't."

---

The next day at school, Scott looked between the group. "We keep an eye out for each other today, okay?"

Stiles nodded. "Yes, and keep an eye out for eight other potentially homicidal Chimeras."

"And keep an eye out for the Dread Doctors," Kira added.

We separated and made our way to class.

Liam ran into my class and grabbed my wrist.

"Miss Hart," the teacher yelled. "Mr. Dunbar!"

I frowned. "Let go of me. What's wrong?"

Liam held up the inhaler. "Scott needs it. Come on!"

In Mrs. Finch's room, Scott was sitting against her desk.

I shook Scott's shoulder a few times, but he didn't respond. Liam and I showed our werewolf eyes and growled Scott's name.

Scott shook his inhaler and took a puff. "Thanks, Ella. Thanks, Liam."

As we made our way to the hospital, I was suddenly in a car. I was almost ten-years-old. The car had rolled and I was in tears. My brother wasn't answering my cries.

"Ev? Evan! No! Don't leave me!"

"Evan?!" Mom called. "Eric?! Oh God, please, no! Eliana, are you okay?"

"I'm okay. Is Evan gonna be okay?"

"I don't know. What did you do, Eliana? What did you do?!"

A voice called me back. "Ella, hey, are you okay?" Scott.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Let's go."

We got to the hospital and Theo left us alone to fight. Piece of shit.

Scott was attacked by one of the Dread Doctors. A device resembling a taser was pressed to him, causing him to groan in pain. I shifted and growled, causing the Dread Doctor to step back a moment.

The Doctor used the taser on me an I felt myself shifting back and groaned. I really hate electricity jolting through my body. I'm sorry, Derek. That was definitely out of my control.

"Eliana, Malia, come on! Run!" Melissa cried.

We ran into the elevator and after the doors closed, Scott turned to us. "We never should have read that book."

I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah, no fucking shit, Scott."