Chapter 15

Stiles climbed to consciousness slowly as he forced himself to wake up and finally, he managed to pry open his eyes and see the white ceiling above him washed in shadows cast by the warm light coming through the window. Turning his head he realizes that he is laying on top of a bed, fully dressed, in a pretty simple room. Sitting up he looks around and spots his shoes on the floor. Putting them on he walks out the door and discovers he is on the second floor so he starts down the stairs where he hears voices talking. Coming around the corner he is surprised by the scene in front of him. Allison is sitting on a couch with a cup of tea in her hand facing two people in chairs.

The man is wearing a police uniform and looks to be about his dad's age while the woman appears to be a little younger and is dressed…well, normal. They all turn to him and the man and woman both smile politely as Allie stands up. "You're awake. How are you feeling?" Allison asks as she pulls him over to sit beside her on the couch while the woman pours and hands him a cup of tea. Taking a sniff he is relieved that it isn't Wong's blend, that stuff is pretty terrible while this smells pretty good. Stiles watches the woman go into the kitchen and return with a tray.

"Fine, good actually. Little confused about exactly what happened or where we are" Stiles replies and then looks at the other two "or who you are" he adds and both of them smile.

"My name is Arthur" the man says pleasantly "and this is Lizzie and we are in her house where we brought you after your fight with the Piast. Thanks for that by the way, the beast had been causing problems all along the coast so thank you for dealing with it, we hadn't managed to get around to it" he says easily.

"You put a great deal of your energy into the arrow you enchanted so after it killed the beast, you collapsed and we brought you here to recover. We have been talking with Ms. Argent, your friend, for the hour or so that you have been asleep" Lizzie said with a smile as she sets down the tray that Stiles now sees is loaded with small sandwiches.

Stiles flushes in embarrassment at the loud growl his stomach gave off at that moment and he apologizes with a whisper that was overridden by Lizzie's loud laugh.

"Magical workings take a lot out of you, these should help you recover a bit quicker. I know what's best for someone who has strained themselves" she reassures him.

Stiles ate one quickly and nearly groaned in pleasure at the explosion of flavors he got from the first bite. It wasn't too heavy, but it was perfect somehow. "These are amazing!" he gushed and Arthur just chuckled.

"Eildria took quite a liking to you son" Arthur said and smiled when Stiles nearly choked. "She said that you were definitely something special" he said with a wink.

Stiles looked confused but Allison just smirked and shoved him gently. "Stiles, they are the people we came here to meet" she tells him with a smile and Stiles looks at the plain looking couple in surprise.

"You are the Merlin and the Morgaine?" he gasps and the both nod easily. Stiles is trying to recover but his brain and his mouth don't quite seem connected when he stares at Arthur and starts to giggle. "The Merlin's real name is Arthur?" he snorts and loses it at the man's groan and Lizzie's loud laugh. "Seriously?" he finally manages.

Arthur looks completely done with this. "Somedays I wonder if it was worth it" he mutters looking at Allison for understanding since the other two were laughing too much to give him any sympathy. "Perhaps we should focus on the reason for your visit?" he prompts looking annoyed.

After a few minutes of apologies by Stiles, broken up by a near crippling case of the giggles that Lizzie totally uses against him, they manage to explain everything to the two Druids with the occasional question for clarification. When they finish both of the druids are looking a lot more concerned and Stiles thinks that maybe his request should have given them more information to avoid the tests. "This is a very serious situation. Normally we would reach out to the nearest druid to assist you, but with him being compromised, anyone coming in to the area would probably alert the Darach" Arthur warns them.

"The good thing is that we do know the spell the Darach is using and how to break it, though it will not be easy" Lizzie tells them. "The herbal powder you will need to use is very unstable and must be used within a few hours of mixing it as its power rapidly fades. But the powder only weakens the spell" she says with a determined look "they will need to break free on their own."

"How can they do that? They don't even know they are under it" Allison complains looking at Stiles for support.

"The spell the Darach is using twists the person's mind to accept what she tells them. It creates a continuous whisper in their ear drowning out anything that contradicts it. The powder breaks that whisper allowing them to hear you, but you have to push them. You need to reach their core, their true self to find that part of them that is fighting the spell and push. The spirit knows it is being chained and wants its freedom" Arthur says seriously.

"Find the thing that is most important to the person and threaten it or make them face the thing they most fear. Their stress of dealing with that will make them fight the spell and if you push them hard enough, that should be enough to allow them to break free. Druidic magic is based on balance, the Darach upsets that balance. This spell drowns out their own loves and fears and makes them subject to the Darach's will. To break them free, you must restore that balance" Lizzie finishes.

Stiles thinks carefully about what they said and thinks he gets the idea and he eventually nods. "So you can help us with the powder?" he asks and gets nervous at the concerned look they share.

"That is where we have a problem. Anyone can mix the ingredients, but it takes druidic magic to empower it and your druid cannot be trusted as long they under the corrupting influence of the Darach" Lizzie says looking regretful. "We could try to get someone to do it out of the range of the Darach, but the next closest Druid is over a hundred miles from your home."

Allison looks unhappy but Stiles is just confused. "Why can't I do it?" he asks them and sees both of them sigh.

"This is Druidic magic and you are not a druid. Sorcery cannot be used in this spell" Arthur said looking like he was surprised Stiles was asking. He frowned at the boy before looking at the woman "From Wong's message, we were not certain whether you were a sorcerer or not but we did not detect any Mark when we examined you when you arrived, which considering your success with the Piast was very surprising."

"Oh, right. Sorry about that. Magical protections" Stiles tells them and reaches down and takes off his watch. Setting it aside he looks at them and sees the shock on both of their faces.

"Dangos i mi yn wir" Arthur chants and both Allison and Stiles are surprised when his eyes glow a soft golden light. "Tuatha de Danaan!" he exclaims and turns to Lizzie. "Mae'n cael ei ddawnus ym mhob un o'r chwe maes!"

Lizzie looks stunned and she turns to Stiles and whispers "Dangos i mi yn wir" and she gasps when her eyes glow. "You have all six marks!" she breathes barely above a whisper.

"Yeah. Sorry, I thought Wong told you. He has been teaching me Sorcery, but I have been studying the rest on my own" Stiles admits. He looks nervous as both of the people before him suddenly look a lot different. He thinks about what they both said and he acts before he thinks and he repeats it in a whisper "Dangos i mi yn wir" and Allie turns to look at him sharply as his eyes take on the same glow that Arthur and Lizzie had.

Stiles reels from the sudden rush of power he feels and when he looks over at Arthur he swallows his shock. He recognizes that this is a variation of the true-seeing spell, designed to let him look at someone and see that person's true nature. Stiles could feel the difference in the spell from the one he used before and knew that it wouldn't break past magical spells or illusions, but if someone wasn't trying to actively hide anything, it would give significant information.

He stares at Arthur and instead of the seemingly mild mannered man he had been talking to he sees a powerful figure that definitely is not human hovering over the man. Stiles can smell the rich aroma of ancient trees and old earth mixed with a sharp tang of ozone. There is a feeling of ancient wisdom that is just on the edge of the man's aura. Stiles somehow understands that that ancient shade is the collection of hundreds, maybe thousands, of druids whose knowledge, power, and wisdom is at his command and Stiles flinches at the power the man wields.

Glancing over at Lizzie is almost worse. The sweet and nice girl is overshadowed by the sense of ancient anger and pain. Where Merlin embodied the Druidic priests of the past, Morgaine was the incarnation of generations of Priestesses who served these islands before spreading across the world to serve the natural word. He senses that her heritage is far older than the Merlin's as her line stretches past humans to non-humans and Stiles can almost taste the Fae magic that rolls off of the woman.

"Wow" Stiles stammers and feels a strange disassociation as he sees the smiles on the human faces while the ancient shadows are…well they are not menacing, but he knows he is being weighed and judged. Stiles releases the spell and can't help but feel a lot more comfortable not seeing those ancient powers anymore.

"You are quite the surprise Stiles" Arthur says with a laugh. "We can show you how to prepare the powder now that we know that you have the ability to do so." He looks over at Lizzie who is sitting quietly looking at Stiles with a calculating look. "We will also be willing to assist in your training and will send the druid in your home some resources to assist you, once he is free of the Darach's spell of course" he qualifies.

Lizzie appears more reserved but she smiles in agreement so they proceeded to her kitchen where she wrote out the instructions. "Do you have everything?" Allison asks as Stiles and Lizzie go over the powder's ingredients.

"We should. I can probably get them from Deaton or Martinique's in San Francisco if I have to" he mumbles but Lizzie just shakes her head and starts pulling out jars from her cabinets. Once she pulls down the last one she starts packing them up.

Stiles tries to decline, but he really wants that stuff and avoiding Deaton is probably in their best interest. "Are you sure?" he finally asks weakly.

"Stiles, stopping the Darach is in our interests as well. A few ingredients, even the rare ones, would be well worth it to stop her" Lizzie assures him.

They finish up quickly and both of them exchange phone numbers with Stiles as he promises to keep them updated. Arthur reminds him that they are definitely willing to help teach him and he even extends an invitation to both of them to return to visit if they wish. They gather their things and Stiles opens the portal and Allison and he step back to the New York Sanctum where Wong is waiting for the entire story.

Ricardo ducked and tried to avoid the raging of the 'Alpha of Alphas' as the man roared in fury. Ennis had been missing for way too long to be anything other than a major problem. Personally Ricardo wondered if Hale and his pack had managed to catch the Alpha unaware and eliminate one of the threats to his territory. The annoying part was that all of their current betas were turned by Kali and himself so they could not even determine whether or not the man was even alive.

One of the biggest flaws in the whole Alpha Pack idea was that the traditional pack bonds were just not there. Werewolves were social creatures who preferred a hierarchy, but they also trusted and supported each other, something that definitely didn't describe Deucalion's pack. They were powerful true, but they didn't get the benefits of a true pack. He was certain that was why they had failed against the McAllister Pack in Colorado. That pack, even with a new Alpha, was old and the betas were fiercely loyal to their young leader. They fought and drove Deucalion and the rest from their territory at a high cost, but they managed to survive as a pack.

"Where is he?" Deucalion demanded of Lisa again but the Alpha managed to stand her ground without challenging him.

"I tracked him to the house, but I could not find where he left. I tracked his trail there and found a few spots where he obviously waited to watch, but he hadn't come back to any of them for some time" she told him.

"Did you go in the house?" Deucalion snarls and the alpha flinches at that and Ricardo can feel her humiliation.

"There is an ash barrier around the house" she admits with a small growl of frustration and sees their leader look even more furious but then he stops and smiles evilly.

"He protected his house from us, well then" he smirks "it is time he learns that his little trick isn't going to keep him as safe as he thinks it will. Kali, get Morrell and have her break the circle and finish Ennis' job that he was obviously incapable of handling." Kali nods stiffly and leaves while Ricardo watches everything and starts wondering if this is going to be Colorado all over again.

Kali didn't like the woman, especially since Deucalion had made her kill her own emissary as part of taking the pack's power for herself. The druid was not technically connected to any of them, not like Julia had been. Rather Morrell had sworn oaths only to Deucalion, just because she had to work with her didn't mean that she had to like the woman. The woman served as their emissary but Kali felt that if the opportunity presented itself she would be happy to be rid of all of them.

"That is the Stilinski house" Morrell said pointing to the rather plain looking home. "Can you catch any sign of Ennis?" she asked casually.

Kali growled at the woman's haughty demeanor but she didn't do anything that the Alpha could use to put her in her place. "Traces of his scent and Lisa's but nothing else" she finally admits and they moved to get closer to the house. Kali had barely stepped off the sidewalk when the familiar flash of blue showed a mountain ash barrier. Looking down she didn't see any trace of the cursed black powder. "Where is it?" she demands.

Morrell raises a single sculpted eyebrow at the woman and steps forward to look, figuring that maybe he buried the circle, though that should have severely limited its effectiveness. She was completely surprised when the barrier lit up and actually blocked her from crossing the line as effectively as the Alpha. Putting her hand out she felt the shield harden as she pushed against it. "This is unexpected" she murmurs.

Kali looks at the Druid in shock. "It's blocking you as well? How is that possible?" she demands with a snarl. She watches as the Druid tries in several places, walking along the edge of the field that obviously surrounds the entire house.

"This isn't mountain ash. It's something else" she finally decides. "I tested the boy at the school but his spark was weak, barely there, but even then I could tell that it wasn't druidic in nature." She whispers a small chant and the field sparks for a brief second. "This is something different and it appears to be attuned to the house."

"What do you mean? How did an untrained kid make something like this?" she asked seeing the unsettled look on the normally inscrutable woman's face.

"I honestly don't know" Marin finally confesses. "We should return and tell Deucalion."

Kali nods and they turn to leave when the Alpha spots a large rock, about the sign of her fist that she reaches down and grabs. Smiling at the rock she turns and throws it as hard as she can, aiming for the main window on the front of the house. Despite her reflexes she is caught completely off guard when the rock hits the barrier and reverses course and smashes into the Alpha's face breaking her nose and causing her to let out a roar in pain and shock.

"Fascinating" Marin marvels looking blandly at the Alpha and then back at the house "that is a very interesting shield." She schools her face to look only concerned and it's not until they are walking again, Kali in front of her, that Marin allows the small smile to finally touch her lips as she remembers the sound of the Alpha's nose cracking.

Stiles and Allison step back into the Stilinski house and collapse on the couch in two piles of exhausted teenager. Wong had them go over their trip in detail and then they had gone over and picked up two pizzas to bring back for dinner, Stiles getting one with carmelized onions, goat cheese, and prosciutto and the other with Mediterranean grilled chicken and roasted peppers. They had laid out the ingredients for the powder and were going over the preparations when the Sheriff came home.

"Stiles, Ms. Argent" he said looking tired. "You two look exhausted" he says before the aroma hits him and he starts sniffing. Following his nose he sees the two pizza boxes and smiles while rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He pauses "You went to New York today?" he asks looking at Allison in surprise.

Getting plates, Stiles updates his dad on everything they learned and how Allison found out as well as their trips to NY and England. By the time they finish eating, the Sheriff looks very concerned. "Stiles if she can bewitch the entire pack and Deaton, how can you stop her?" he asks worriedly.

Allison explains the powder and how Stiles can use it to break her spell one by one, they just have to figure out where to start. "Lizzie warned us that they would fight us, but I wonder if she didn't use different spells on different members of the pack" she says looking at Stiles.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"Well, Derek and Deaton are really critical right? So wouldn't she use more serious magic or at least 'power it up' versus say Issac or Jackson. She wouldn't really be concerned with everyone right?" she asks him and he frowns in thought.

"I don't think so. Based on how Arthur explained the spell, she just had to use more power for greater control or complexity. The more complicated it was, the more power it would take and Erica didn't react any near as badly as you said Deaton did even though I was direct and you weren't. But in case you are right, we should do Derek and Deaton last and try the others first. But who?"

Allison wants to say Scott but she hesitates. "We need someone who will have less magic on them, or at least less effective magic. Someone that can help us get to the others. Someone strong enough to help us break them free" Allison lists and then both of them look at each other.

"Lydia" they both say together. Stiles and Allison smile at that and the Sheriff asks about what they can do till they free the pack.

"I was thinking of that. I made your badge into a magical talisman. I could make something similar to protect everyone once the are free of her spell. I don't want to go through all this only to have her recast the damn thing" he says looking at Allie "If we had more time, I could create some protections for anyone who might be targeted by Blake, but some of them would take weeks. But as a singular purpose charm? They should work even though they won't be as strong as the protections that are on the house" he admits but Allison quickly agrees.

They discuss what they will need and Allison suggests using silver for the charms and asks if they need to be a particular shape. "We have silver at the house as well as the ability to melt it down. I could make rounds with the molds we have, say about twice the size of a quarter. Could you use those?" she asks.

Stiles thinks on it and nods happily. "Both sides could be inscribed with runes and we could put them on a chain for everyone to wear. Allison agrees to go home and work on them and says they will ready for Stiles to do his thing after school. Saying goodnight she heads out and drives home while Stiles and his dad discuss adding some wards to the station to protect the place. Stiles suggests putting special runes on one of the cells to make it supernatural proof which the Sheriff quickly agrees to once Stiles explains how he would do it. Now he just has to find the time!

Walking into his room Stiles realizes that he isn't going to be able to sleep quite yet after his 'nap' and decides to focus on making the next sigil. Sitting down he quiets himself before pulling up the images and feelings he has about Jackson Whittemore and tries not to let his own feelings about the guy affect his efforts but he quickly realizes that won't work as he is blocked. So he starts over and starts remembering every slight or cruel word over the years Stiles has heard for as long as he has known the guy. Every bullying moment, every taunt that he used against him and Scott over the years. He thinks of seeing him with Lydia and that moment where she 'cured' him, how fiercely protective he is of Danny, even if no one really sees that side of him, and how hard he really works at Lacrosse. The sigil starts to form and Stiles lets go and allows the image to unfold as he watches.

He sees a young boy feeling heartbroken when learning he was adopted and that his birth parents didn't want him. Stiles feels the desperate need for approval that Jackson carries with him every day and how it drives him to prove himself better than anyone else in order to prove those parents wrong, that he is worthy. Stiles also sees what Jackson doesn't, that his adoptive parent's love is not conditional, but constant despite Jackson's refusal to see it. He also can feel the severed lines of the boy's birth parents and knows somehow that they both died at the time Jackson was born. The teen was never abandoned by them, he was left behind unwillingly and then was chosen by the Whittemores.

Despite his best effort, Stiles starts to feel for the guy and understands that his ass-ness is just a desperate attempt to protect the child inside, the one that feels so unwanted, to keep it safe from the rest of the world. He also sees the fear that the guy has about Lydia is tied to that fear of abandonment. Jackson has always known how smart she is which is why he could never truly let himself be vulnerable with her, fearing that she would eventually leave him too. Her actions in the warehouse had cracked that shell and the guy was desperately trying to hold that wound together. The sigil finally formed and Stiles wiped his eyes at the rush of emotions that were overwhelming him. He inscribed Jackson onto the house stone before he finally ended his trance and got up to get ready for bed. Dammit! Now he was feeling nice things about Jackson Whittemore!

"What do you mean it wasn't mountain ash?" Deucalion asked the druid with a suspicious expression.

"Just that. The barrier isn't mountain ash, one there was no sign of it and two it also prevented me from crossing it. Mountain ash doesn't affect humans so it can't be ash that is protecting the house" she says simply.

Kali watches as their Alpha chews on this bit of information before turning back to the Emissary. "So what is it?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Alan said the boy was a spark, but that he didn't have the Druidic mark. I tried to identify his magic, but it was weak and I could barely detect it. It's possible that the boy doesn't even realize exactly how his magic is working or it may be working solely on an instinctive level" she muses.

"You are saying that he created that shield without knowing it?" Kali snorts disbelievingly.

"It's possible" Marin concedes and sees the female Alpha twitch. "If he has the gift of magecraft, he could have enchanted the house itself to protect his family. The protections may not be specific against werewolves, but rather simply preventing anyone who wishes harm to the occupants" she suggests.

"Then if you do not wish to harm the boy, you should be able to walk right in" Kali sneers and Marin just shakes her head.

"Not necessarily. Even though I was only there to remove the ring, the shield repelled me. Probably because I am tied to you" she says looking at Deucalion "and you do wish him harm. You cannot defeat magical protections by pretending and then 'changing your mind' afterwards. Something about the shield feels more…organic, almost alive. It tests you and if you fail, you don't get in" she concludes. "But this is all just conjecture, it is not Druidic magic and so I am afraid I may not be able to give you a better answer. You could reach out to other practitioners" she offers.

He frowns at that idea before moving on. "So then what happened to Ennis?" Deucalion asks curiously. "If he came to kill the boy's father and take him, if it stopped him from entering, where is he now?"

Marin frowns in thought. "I'm not sure. The shield, if it was there, would have prevented his entry or it could have reacted to Ennis' intention to attack and kill the sheriff. It may have been enough to cause the shield to destroy him or wipe his memories or send him away. Without knowing more about his magic, anything we guess is as likely as anything else" she tells him looking entirely unmoved about the possible end of the Alpha.

"Then it seems Mr. Stilinski may be significantly more valuable alive then dead. He may be weak but that shield is actually impressive. I wonder what else could he produce if properly 'motivated'?" the man smiles before turning to the twins.

"At school tomorrow, take him. Bring him to me and we will see exactly what the boy is and how we can use him" he instructs them. Both teens nod in agreement before Deucalion calls Morrell over to instruct the Emissary to prepare to more thoroughly examine the boy.

Ethan looks at his brother who seems unaffected by the Alpha's order but he is not so sure. If Stilinski somehow managed to defeat Ennis, even if just by leading him into a trap, then this might not be as easy as it sounds. Perhaps they could force his cooperation if the guy was protecting one of his friends. Instead of attacking when he was alone, maybe they should wait till there was an innocent bystander that could be threatened to get him to come quietly.

Stiles wakes early that morning and decides that he should have enough time to do another sigil and prepare his first batch of the powder. Sitting down on the floor, Stiles shifts into his trance state and realizes that it is getting easier and easier to reach this state. Guess practice does make perfect! Clearing his mind, Stiles focuses his thoughts on the blonde she-wolf of the pack, starting with his earliest memory: seeing her at the hospital when he was visiting his mother. He remembered seeing her around, always hovering on the edges of the popular crowd, desperate to belong. He moved through his memories rapidly and the sigil started forming. When he came to that time she had her seizure at school that must have been her last real one before Derek bit her, he remembered the pain in her eyes when she learned that their classmates had filmed her as she seized.

Stiles felt a wave of shame and a desire to just die wash over him as the anger and sorrow of the girl at the unfairness that was her life turned everything bitter. Then he watched as Derek arrived. Mysterious, dangerous Derek. The man came in almost glowing and offering her freedom from the chains of her broken brain. Stiles felt the girl's complete acceptance of his offer, knowing that she was totally willing to accept either fate, death or turning, to finally be free. He saw the bite and realized that her complete acceptance of what it represented translated into her transformation being so much easier and smoother than either Isaac, Scott or Jackson's were. He watched the strength and confidence and how her new state caused her to blossom.

The next part was hard for Stiles to experience as he saw the beta suddenly realize that her new found power wasn't always going to be enough to keep her safe. Being caught by Gerard and Allison had made her feel weak all over again and then watching the old man beat him in that basement had left a feeling of shame in the beta. Derek had stressed the importance of protecting the more vulnerable members of the pack, it was instinct with children, mates, and human members and she and Boyd had failed. He saw her shame at failing to do so and then how important it was to reassure herself that he was now safe and protected.

Finally Stiles watched the sigil finishing when he saw the beta's strong feelings towards…Boyd?! Stiles smirks as he realizes that their shared experiences had impacted the blonde more than any of them knew. Once the sigil is complete, Stiles sees her core fear: being weak and useless. He gives himself a moment to visualize different ways to make Gerard pay for what he did but then he refocuses and adds her to the house stone. Finally he is able to pull himself back to awareness and stands up and stretches. Checking the clock he realizes he has just enough time.

Gathering up the supplies, he takes them to the kitchen where he gets out several knives, a cutting board, and the mortar and pestle he bought on his last trip to San Francisco and begins preparing each ingredient in the powder. It takes him about fifteen minutes to get all of the ingredients in the mortar and he starts singing the chant that Lizzie had written out for him. As he does he reaches out with his magic and focuses on the mix in front of him.

He watches as the herbs and other ingredients in the mixture start glowing a soft, warm golden light before fading and then a flash and a puff of smoke and there is a fine green powder in the mortar that, to Stiles, feels almost like it's humming. Grabbing an empty glass jar, Stiles pours the powder into it and tightens the lid as he grabs his bag and heads to school.

Stepping into the hallway he sees Scott and Allison talking at her locker and when he catches her eye he nods and sees her acknowledgment. He walks up and Scott smiles at him, but Stiles can see there is a bit of a strain on his friend's face so he smiles brightly. "You ready for English class? Ms. Blake is going over some of Poe's works and how they relate to modern horror movies. Should be fun" he says easily.

Stiles sees Scott's expression clear as he smiles. "Really? You know she is a great teacher" he tells them and the tension seems to evaporate as they talk easily before splitting up. Right before they separate, Allison gives him a nod of encouragement and he rushes to put the powder in his locker and start figuring out how they are going to do this.

English is surprisingly fun. For an evil, homicidal psychopath, he has to admit that Ms. Blake is actually a good teacher. Gives him some mixed feelings until he remembers Heather and all the rest of the people she has killed and the smile slips away. As he heads out of class his phone goes off and he sees Lydia look down at hers as well. "Allison wants to see us in the library" she says looking at him with suspicious eyes.

"Did she tell you why? I just got an order to be there" he says with a big sigh but Lydia just glares at him. "Fine, alright, I'm not going to argue with the most armed woman in the school" he says with defensively which causes the redhead to roll her eyes. "I need to swing by my locker first, will meet you there" he tells her taking off before she can object.

Reaching his locker he grabs the jar and switches out his books before heading to the library. Allie and he had been texting all morning so if it's all going to plan, she will have Lydia alone in the library with her back to the door. Stepping inside the library he quickly looks around but thankfully doesn't see anyone here besides them and Allie has her in position, gesturing widely as she yells.

"I swear Scott is driving me crazy. He is hiding something, I know it" he hears her say as Stiles pulls out the jar and puts about half of the powder in his hand. Stepping up to the girls, he must make some noise because Lydia turns to look at him with what is probably disgust at Allison's rant just as he holds up his hand and blows the powder directly into her face.

"Stiles!" Lydia screeches as she inhales the cloud of particles and tries to rear back but Allison was waiting for it and she grabs Lydia's arms and holds her in place causing the redhead to struggle in shock. "Allison! What the hell are you two doing?" she yells trying to clear her face of the powder.

Stiles can see a slight glow around the girl which Lizzie had told him would show him that the powder is working so part one is done, on to part two! Praying that she will eventually forgive him Stiles looks directly at the girl he has been crushing on since third grade and sneers. "Awww, is widdle Lydia too stupid to figure it out?" he says his voice dripping with scorn.

Stiles watches as the blood drains from Lydia's face and he sees her eye twitch. "Not really a surprise Stiles" Allison says sounding just as disappointed. "I mean come on, all she really has going for her is her looks. No one actually likes her for her brain or her personality" she laughs cruelly and Lydia immediately starts fighting for real, but Allie has got her trapped.

Stiles looks at her and just shakes his head. "You know, I bet Jackson probably preferred the dumb Lydia, you know before she started acting all superior. She was so much more manageable then you know. But hey, maybe instead of being his first wife, you could be some old guy's trophy one" Stiles suggests and sees the blood flush her face as she turns red and her eyes burn with hate.

"You worthless, miserable, piece of shit!" she screeches. "I swear to God I will tear you into tiny pieces and feed you to Prada you miserable loser! You think I am going to be anyone's toy!? I am no one's trophy" she rages on for several moments until suddenly Stiles hears it, a sound like that of breaking glass and Lydia's eyes flash with white light for just a second. "I will end you!" she threatens.

"Lydia" Stiles voice is back to normal and he tries to catch her attention as she is struggling again. "Lydia, listen to me. Ms. Blake is the Darach" he tells her.

Lydia rolls her eyes. "You said that before Stiles and it is just as stupid now" she snarls as she struggles against Allison.

"Okay, say you are right. Then tell me why she can't be the Darach?" Stiles demands and he sees her face suddenly look confused. She takes several moments trying to talk but nothing is coming out.

"I mean she…it's doesn't make…how did…" Lydia keeps starting and stopping with her face screwed up in confusion.

"You can let her go Allie, the spell is broken" Stiles tells the brunette who lets her friend go and jumps back holding her hands up in the universal sign of 'no threat' as Lydia glares at her.

"She may be small, but she is really tough" Allie says with admiration. "How are you feeling Lydia?" she asks delicately.

Lydia glares at the huntress before looking back at Stiles with a murderous look. "Before I end both of you…what spell?" she growls out.

"Blake is the Darach. She put a spell on you to control your mind. It prevented you from seeing her as a threat or even figuring out that she was the one killing people. Your powers would have alerted you of the danger so she took over your mind to prevent you from seeing it. That's why you argued with me when I tried to explain before but now, without the spell affecting you, you are able to see all the pieces of evidence and figure it out for yourself" Stiles explained.

"What powers?" Lydia asks after a moment where she is clearly thinking over what he said.

Stiles looks between the girls and realizes he just made a mistake. He tries to backpedal but Lydia stomps up to him and pins him against a bookshelf and repeats her question in a low, deadly voice. Stiles sighs. "The reason Peter's bite didn't turn you into a werewolf is because you not entirely human. His bite wasn't able to turn you, but it did jump start your powers" Stiles said and Lydia turned to look at Allison who was obviously just as in the dark as Lydia was.

"You are dancing around Stiles. How do I have any powers and what do you mean I am not human?" she presses.

"You are a Banshee Lydia" Stiles finally says with a slight smirk and he sees her eyes widen. "A wailing woman, a being who bridges the gap between life and death. That was why you were able to save Jackson at the warehouse because your connection with the veil allowed you to bring his spirit back. It's also why you have been the one to keep finding the bodies. She is using them to gain power and the spirits on the other side are crying out, trying to warn you."

Lydia frowns but steps back. "Okay. I am going to need a bit of time to process all of that and we will be talking about it later, in detail, but what was all that with the powder and…what you said?" she asks her voice dangerous again.

"The powder stops the spell from actively working and prevents it from re-establishing its hold on you, but you still had to break free of her control yourself" Allison tells her.

"We had to push you where you were the most vulnerable, the thing you feared the most so that you would rebel the strongest against her control" Stiles said regretfully. "And we're really sorry about that, you know that none of what we said is true" he tells her sincerely.

Lydia frowns as she looks at him but then takes a deep breath. "But it is what I worry about." She frowns looking at Stiles "And I don't know how you know that much about me, but I guess I am glad you do" she finally admits. "Okay, tell me everything about Blake."

Stiles and Allie take turns explaining what they found out about Blake while leaving out the bits about Stiles' magic despite Allison's silent urging. "So how did you figure out how to break the spell?" Lydia finally asks.

"I made some friends when looking for ways to help the pack and they explained it to us and helped with getting everything to free all of you" Stiles rushes through the explanation to get to the next point. "We have to free everyone individually and that is the hardest part. Allie and I figured that you would be the best person to help us with freeing everyone else."

Lydia looks slightly mollified. "What about Deaton?" she asks cautiously.

"He's been affected too. And probably just as strong as Derek is. Getting those two under her thumb would have been her top priority" Allison tells her.

"Jackson" Lydia says simply causing both of them to look uncertain. "Jackson isn't completely pack yet so he is still on the edges. He will also come if I call without raising any suspicions. You two can be out of sight and then you can do what you have to in order to free him. You do have more of that powder?" she asks with an arched eyebrow.

Stiles nods and pulls out the jar with about half of his original amount. "Enough for one person before I have to make more, and I even have some mountain ash that we can use to hold him until he is free, but Scott…" he starts.

"No. Scott is not a good choice, Jackson is too vain and angry and less likely to work with the pack. If she is targeting threats, then Scott would be a bigger one. Also, having Jackson free gives us some brute strength when we have to physically take another wolf down, and we will probably need it. Trust me" she assures them sounding certain.

"She's got a point" Allison says looking as unhappy as Stiles. "Scott is probably going to be watched closer than Jackson would be as well."

Stiles nods and before he has a chance to rethink it Lydia sends her text and takes the jar. "Wait till he gets in and use the ash. Once he is trapped I will use the powder. Then what?" she asks.

Stiles frowns but he tells the girls Jackson's fears and weak points. His fear of abandonment and not being good enough. Lydia stares at him with a deeply troubled expression especially when he tells her what she will need to do to break the spell and she almost backs out but she can't leave him under that woman's control. Allison and Stiles both move out of the way and step behind a bookshelf. Smiling Stiles pulls out a sharpie and draws a rune on Allison's hand and smirks. "So he can't hear or smell you" he says with a wink and then he closes his eyes and concentrates. Allison's eyes widen in surprise as she watches him fade away leaving the huntress standing there apparently alone.

"Stiles!" she whispers halfway between mad and impressed. His soft laughter reaches her ears and she pulls her dagger out and waits. It won't be long knowing Lydia, she pretty much has Jackson wrapped around her finger.

"Lydia?" Jackson's voice calls out as he enters the library and huffs as the redhead steps out. "Are you serious with this message?" he says with a smirk, his voice getting low.

"Actually no" Lydia says with a sniff and he suddenly stops looking so smug. She sees a movement and then a sudden stream of black dust flies out from behind her boyfriend to land around him forming a perfect circle barely three feet across.

"What the hell?" Jackson says looking at the ring around him and he reaches out with one hand and presses against the blue field, preventing the werewolf from moving. He spins around and suddenly sees Allison and Stiles standing behind him and he growls. He didn't hear or smell them when he walked in! "Stilinski? Allison? What are you doing?" he demands.

"You are under the Darach's spell. She is controlling you" Allison tells him and Jackson sneers.

"Seriously? This is what you come up with. I expect something this lame from Stilinski, but you?" Jackson shakes his head looking sadly at Allison and turns around just in time for Lydia to blow the dust into his face. Jackson starts coughing, his eyes watering. "Dammit Lydia!" he growls.

Stiles sees the subtle glow cover the teen and nods to the others. "You know, I never really got why Derek bothered with you. I mean you were not really that impressive as a person and even as a werewolf, you are basically pathetic. No wonder you turned into a little bitch for Matt and Gerard the first chance you got" Stiles taunts and Jackson's eyes flash blue as he roars at the teen.

"Overcompensating probably" Allison says sounding bored. "God knows his desperate attempts to get my attention last year were pitiful. As if he could even have a chance with me compared to Scott" she scoffs.

"McCall? He's a joke" Jackson rages but his voice trembles just a bit. Lydia's laughter cuts through him like a knife. He spins around to see her looking at him, her disdain on full display.

"That's funny. You think McCall is the one who's the joke?" she sniffs and stares at her nails for a second before looking back up at the teen. "At least his parents wanted him. Though why anyone would want you is beyond me" she says coldly and Stiles again hears that glass-shattering sound again as the teen reels back as if he had been slapped. Lydia opens her mouth to speak again.

"That's enough Lyds" Stiles cuts her off. "I think that did it." Lydia stops and looks at Jackson with narrow eyes.

"But he didn't react like Lydia did, how do you know" Allison says looking at the teen who is standing in the circle, his hands trembling.

"I could hear it. I don't think that they have to actually lash out like she did, but rather they just have to face what they fear most and reject it. Jackson's fear is that no one will love or care for him, no matter what he does to prove himself worthy" Stiles voice is remarkably gently and he knows that he is correct when he sees Jackson look at him with haunted eyes. "Like Lydia's fear that she was seen and dismissed by people as nothing but a vapid and shallow idiot, Jackson fears he isn't worthy of being loved. Facing the idea that Lydia didn't really love him broke Blake's spell" Stiles explained softly.

"So is he okay to free yet?" Allison asks cautiously.

"Blake's spell?" Jackson snarls at Allison who tightens her grip on the knife in her hand as Stiles coughs causing the werewolf to look at him. Stiles can see that the boy is moving into full asshole mode, his automatic defense.

"Ms. Blake is the Darach. She's the one sacrificing all those people" he tells Jackson who looks at him in disbelief.

"The mousey little English teacher?" Jackson scoffs at Stiles and Lydia starts to reach out but stops when Jackson flinches away.

"Jackson!" Stiles yells causing him to shift his attention back to himself. "You've been in her class all year. What does she smell like?" he asks and Jackson's wariness drops off face replaced by a look of utter confusion.

"I…I…I don't remember" Jackson stammers and he looks even more confused by that fact than anything else so far. He has been dealing with scents since he turned last year and he knows he is actually fairly good at recognizing them.

"Jackson you are a werewolf. You can probably remember the scent of anyone in the school you have met more than twice. How come you don't remember the scent of one of your teachers?" Allison asks him and sees him looking more and more confused.

"Jackson" Lydia's voice is soft and gentle and Jackson glances at her nervously. "Think back. You were in her class not two hours ago. What did you smell? You were there. Remember!" Lydia urges.

Jackson seems to be struggling when all of a sudden he turns green and bends over right before vomiting on the floor causing Lydia to scream and jump back while Allison and Stiles step back quickly. Jackson heaves several times before he looks up at Lydia, eyes glowing, and looking terrible. She doesn't pause but reaches out and grabs him, breaking the circle as she does.

Stiles and Allison just watch as Lydia and Jackson hold on to each other. Stiles pulls out the jar for his mountain ash and focusing, summons it all back to the jar, except the part now covered in upchuck. Ewww!

"Blood, rot, decay. She smells like death itself" Jackson finally manages to get out. Lydia looks furious and Stiles feels sad for anyone in her crosshairs at this moment. "How did I miss that?" he demands.

"The spell she used took your free will and twisted it. Instead of sensing her, you became her protector, you would even strike out to defend her if someone suggested her. She has spelled all the wolves and Deaton. We only just freed Lydia" Allison told him sounding concerned. "We got the counter spell which was the powder we used but we had to hit you where you were most vulnerable to get you to break yourself free."

"So you said…" his voice trailed off.

"We said the worst, most cruel things possible so we could force you to free yourself" Stiles told him and saw the anger still lurking there. "If it helps, Lydia pretty much threatened to chop both Allie and I into dog food when we did it to her" he added and saw the slight flicker of understanding and acceptance as Jackson looked back at the redhead with a hint of admiration.

Lydia sighed heavily and leaned against Jackson. "It's true. Allie and Stiles were brutal, horrible, and said some things that, if Allie didn't have me in a choke hold, I would have cheerfully cut them both into little pieces. The cruelest part? It was all things I had said to myself at one time or another" she admitted looking very vulnerable. "When Stiles told me what we were going to have to say to you, it nearly broke me knowing that I would have to hurt you like that" she confessed looking at the werewolf, her regal demeanor missing for the moment. "I'm so sorry" she whispered.

Jackson grabbed and hugged her fiercely for several minutes before they finally broke apart. Taking a few breaths he turned to the others. "So if she has everyone else under her spell, what do we do?" he asks looking determined.

"Allison and I have a plan" Stiles said confidently. "Jackson, can you go with Allie after school to her house to pick up the stuff she has been preparing?" The teen nods. "Lydia, you can ride with me to my house, I will come get you at your last class. All of us need to avoid Ms. Blake like the plague. I don't know if she will be able to tell what we did, but I would rather not risk it. Once we get to my house, we will plan the next step, I also need to make more powder" he tells them.

"Stiles what's going to stop her from casting the spell on us again tomorrow?" Lydia asks looking worried.

Stiles smiles. "That's what Allison has been working on. I am sure that we will be able to protect the pack as well as our families from her magic. She is going to regret ever setting foot in Beacon Hills!"