Stiles's Arc

Chapter 19 of 20

Stiles gripped the gilded arrowhead and climbed onto the top bench. Below, the Acheron slid from puddle to puddle, too fast for Scott, Derek, or the shifted Malik to pin. Every claw swipe passed through dark water. Every roar bounced off the gym walls. Stiles tracked it with his arm cocked back. He had never thrown anything like this. His fingers shook around the hot metal. Miss, and the creature flowed out a vent and the storm carried it away forever. The Acheron split again, surging behind the bleachers. Stiles lost the shot. "Hold still," he whispered. "Please just hold still." Thunder cracked. A bolt of lightning punched through the gym roof and slammed into the Acheron's chest. The creature froze, pinned by white fire. Stiles spun. Kira stood three rows down, her curved blade raised, smoke curling off the steel. She had called the strike. "Now, Stiles!" she shouted. He threw. The gilded arrowhead spun once and buried itself in the frozen water of the Acheron's chest. The creature roared, a long ragged sound, then collapsed into a wave that splashed flat across the gym floor and soaked into nothing. Stiles dropped to his knees, hands empty, breathing hard. It was done.