Chapter 29

Stiles' POV

"She's dead kiddo". I heard someone shout back but I couldn't decipher whom it was.

Dead?. No she couldn't be dead.

My guardian couldn't be dead. She was immortal for Pete's sake!. Or could immortals die?.

I tried to stand up but with the rain pouring down and the ship hanging on one air balloon, it was slippery and so standing in an upright posture couldn't be supported.

I panted hard as I tried to support myself and not to fall over in the sea below similar to the some of the stuff that had fallen over.

I couldn't stop thinking of my father. His life was in danger and I was here busy thinking about Lux whom I wasn't sure if she was still or alive or not.

I could hear Mazu's helpers shout but whatever they said, I couldn't decipher even though they used English.

The ship shook some more and Lily could have fallen in the sea below if it weren't for Mazu who air flew and held her up. Pants of struggles could be heard.. Hell, I was struggling as well.

"Why don't we just cut the fucking air balloon and sail on the sea below?. That's what ships do, right?. They sail huh?". Peter shouted through his pants so that he could be heard through the rain and the gust wind.

He was right. We were all struggling here not to fall over and yet all these could be avoided if we sailed!.

"What about the devil's pot?". Lydia asked.

"Whatever it is, we shall prevail through it". Derek addressed.

"Hell yeah! We've gone through a lot and this too, we shall persevere as well". Isaac commented.

Isaac?.

I had even forgotten that he was around.

"We've gone through a lot as well and a sea storm is nothing compared to the devil's pot. As I said, nothing passes above nor through it". Mazu explained once more. I couldn't see her clearly due to the thick darkness taking over, not even the small fire heating up the air balloon to float was enough to light up for us to see... Well, us the mere mortals like Pops, Lydia and I.

"What are we going to do then?". I asked. I didn't want to die especially now that we were miles away from home.. Beacon Hills.

Right after I had asked that questioned. Lightning struck again, this time, it hit the side of the ship that was hanging.. The upper side that was unsupported thus shaking up the ship even more and I lost my grip on the rope that I was holding on.

I screamed as I fell off. I heard Pops and Derek shout my name but they were not close to me so as to hold me up.

This was it. I was finally meeting my abyss.

But then, I felt strong arms grip on my waist and... I wasn't falling anymore. A great white light covered the ship thus illuminating the darkness for me to see what was going on. The ship was being supported by the light so it wasn't hanging on one side like before. I couldn't make out what was holding the ship up though.

Could it be Lux?. Then that meant that she wasn't dead after all.

I could hear flapping of wings behind me. So whomever was holding me had wings, right?. I turned my head to see whom it was.

Israel?.

"Israel? What are you doing here?". I questioned. He was supposed to be keeping watch of the Nemeton.

"Saving you of course". He responded, looking down at where he was holding me. I looked down at his hands as well.

Okay, yeah I can see that.

"I mean how did you come here?". I questioned.

"That's not important, or is it?". He questioned back as he flew higher following the white bright light that was holding up the ship which started to lift it higher and higher.

"You better close your eyes". He suggested. It was still raining hard but the rain drops didn't seem to bother Israel.

My feet landed on the ship's floor. Israel stood behind me all the time but he had let go of my waist. The light still lingered around the ship, enough for one to clearly see what was going on.

Pops stood up from where he had been and rushed towards me, engulfing me by surprise into a tight embrace in the process.

"Oh my son!". He exclaimed. "Oh my God... I thought I had lost you!. I couldn't bear that thought". He sobbed out. "I couldn't son".

I held him as tightly as well. Hot and fresh tears streamed down my cheeks as I thought of Lux and the thought of Pops ending up alone. He had lost my mom and now the thought of losing me as well would have been unbearable for him. I was also glad that he was fine at least the ship didn't seem to be landing on the sea and so the devil's pot wouldn't affect us... Maybe!.

"I'm here Dad. I'm here and that is what matters most". I whispered in his ear, trying to sound as comforting as possible. "I'm glad you are okay". I added as I ran my hand a little on his back.

Pops pulled off of the embrace and looked at Israel over my shoulder, "Thank you for saving my son".

"It's my duty to protect him". Israel replied in his deep voice and Pops nodded in accordance.

"Is everyone okay?". I questioned.

"Yes". Pops replied with a nod, "Yes they are".

"Where's Mazu and her helpers?". I inquired as I looked around not having a sight of any of them. Where were they?.

"I don't know. The light came and they had... Vanished!". Pops responded with a bit of hesitation laced in his voice not quite sure of what had transition had taken place in my absence.

"Vanished?". I echoed. He nodded. How was that even possible?.

Israel turned as he looked around as well.

"Stiles?". I turned upon hearing someone call my name. It was Malia and Lydia who came and engulfed me in a group hug.

"Don't scare us like that again". Lydia mumbled as she broke off of the group hug.

"You're okay, right?". Malia asked. I nodded.

The ship shook a little as it continued to rise higher and higher making us stumble a little before regaining our balance again, we were almost on the same level as the nimbus clouds and being on this level made the rain drops even bitter.

The rain suddenly stopped and the sky cleared. The nimbus clouds were gone and the stars and gibbous moon were visible.

The light surrounding the ship faded away revealing a very different looking ... Lux?.

"Lux?". I called. The others were silent, none spoke a word and it made me feel nervous that perhaps I was mistaken maybe this wasn't Lux but her lookalike. But were lookalikes a reality or just on TV?.

"Goddess Mazu and her helpers are fighting the demons of the sea, they were behind the makings of the storm". She explained... What the hell!. She was acting as if nothing ever happened.

Had she forgotten that she had been hit by lightning?. Didn't she know that I had been worried sick about her?. I thought that I had lost her but here she comes and acts as if nothing ever happened!.

"Oh we didn't know!". Derek said.

Lux's large white wings that were on her back flattered a little.

"Derek, Peter, I leave you in charge take care of them, Israel will help you out". She instructed as she rose from the ship's floor by a few inches.

"Lux?". I called her again. She turned and looked at me, her lips curling up into a small smile.

"I'm fine nothing to worry about". She said. Yeah I could see that but that's it?. No other word?. Was she really fine?.

"Where were you?. What happened?. I thought that I had lost you!". I exclaimed, tears forming up in my eyes threatening to fall again. Lux looked away from me. She didn't bother answering my questions as she tried to make an attempt of flying away before I stopped her.

"If you don't want to answer my questions, then at least tell me where you are going!". I remarked, this time I couldn't stop the tear that streamed down my left cheek.

This time, she looked at me, her smile long gone. All I could see was longing on her eyes and something else unreadable. Something within her had changed, her feelings had spiked into something else that I couldn't point out what it was exactly but I was so sure that this wasn't the same Lux that I knew... That we all knew!.

Lux quickly looked away from me, the longing in her eyes gone as quickly as it had appeared.. As if it hadn't been there before.

"The devil's pot!". She exclaimed. With that, she was gone.

We all gasped. The devil's pot?. The same devil's pot that nothing passed through or over it?. The same thing that when one went in never came out?.

Was she on a suicide mission or what?.

"Stiles". Israel started but stopped when I turned to look at him pleadingly to give me answers of what was going on. He gave out an exasperated sigh and shook his head.

Pops laid a hand on my shoulder before squeezing it a little.

"What is she thinking?". Sebastian asked.

"Was that really Lux?". Lydia asked, her brows furrowed together in worry. Jackson has his arm on her shoulder in a comforting way. Well at least she had Jackson by her side to give her comfort.

"The devil's pot?. Is she crazy?". Malia asked.

"She... She l-looked different!". Malachi said. Yeah thanks for pointing that out, I had also noticed.

"What just happened?. Why is she going to the devil's pot?". Pops asked, worry lacing his features as well.

"Why... Why would she go to the devil's pot of all places?". I whispered as I swallowed hard the lump that was forming up in my throat.

"What do we do?". Peter asked, he looked exhausted and worried under the moon's light.

"We wait for her". Israel replied.

Peter scoffed, "Wait?". He questioned. "Didn't you hear what she said?. She's going to a suicide mission and she's not coming back".

"Shut up. The ship doesn't move until she comes back. Or at least until Keeper says so". Israel said.

How?. Keeper had been hit by lightning as well and was unconscious, only the heavens knew if she'd ever wake up or not.

"They are the only ones who know where you're going. Where to find the right clues to finding the origins and if you think you can do this all by yourself then you're free to leave the ship but one thing clear, this ship doesn't move without their orders!". Israel said.

That was actually the most that I had heard him speak ever since we met. But if he was confident that Lux was coming back, then all I had to do was wait for her.

"One more thing. I know you have a lot of questions as of what happened, but you can ask her all those when she comes back!". Israel added.

"If she comes back". Isaac muttered.

Israel looked at him then left for the captain's deck. If only I knew what was going on in his mind then perhaps I wouldn't be in such a devastating state.

I wiped my cheeks using the back of my hand. Pop's hand was still on my shoulder which i didn't mind at all. At least admist it all I still had someone who was there for me.

Like a stubborn rush, I felt my back itch and a lot of pain on my shoulder blades. At first, I thought it was my imagination since I felt exhausted with all that I had just happened but then, the pain almost knocking out the air off my lungs sent me to the ship's floor, desperate for it stop.

I heard Pops call my name but I couldn't answer, his hand on my shoulder while the other was on the small of my back. The pain was increasing by the second making it unbearable for me. All I want was for it to stop... All I wanted was to see Lux and get answers to my questions running through my mind.