Love Lines

38: Remain Nameless

"I look nothing like you."

"Sure you do. We have the same eye color. That's why Chris thought you were me. You know how the Elite were created, don't you? Gods bled a little, chanted a little more, and poof. Your genetic mutation popped up like weeds. Granted the power that was bestowed upon the Elite has been diluted because of time but our essence is still there. If it wasn't, none of you would be what you are." She picked up a lock of my hair and looked it over before dropping it. "This hair color is definitely not mine. I believe it comes from your father's side."

"Are you trying to tell me something?"

She smiled. "You've got a little of me in you. The ritual happened before my little mistake with Hades so the part of magic that was given is untouched by what happened. Another reason why I need you. We're going to borrow some of that magic to make this all work."

That's just fantastic.

"Let me guess...the Valens line..."

Her smile got bigger. "The Valens patriarch was a good looking man and I was more than happy to fuel his mutation." This girl...knew no bounds. "So what'll it be, precious? Some strong arming or..."

"Can you just...give me a second?" I whispered. "And possibly turn around?"

"I can do that." She faced away from me but not before flashing me a smile. I got the chance to look around again, in hopes of finding an avenue of escape. "Oh and if you're thinking about running off, don't bother. My pet is out there, ready to chomp into you if you so much as step out of this clearing without someone leading you." She looked over her shoulder at me. "He's already had a taste of you and he wants more. He's been begging, actually. So get changed before I let him eat you out of principle."

She walked out of the clearing without saying anything else, using a cleared pathway that looked to be the gap between rows. I was left alone to my thoughts, the night sky, and the crickets. This was just...I didn't want to be here. I didn't want this to happen but from everything I saw...it was going to. There was no point in fighting it but I couldn't help it.

So in testing Persephone's words, I put the dress down and stood up. My legs were a little shaky and after a brief bout of vertigo, I was able to compose myself enough to move closer to the corn stalks. The little clearing I was in was made like someone would create a crop circle. The stalks were bent at the base and smashed down. The little hay stack I'd been laying on was located in the middle. The untouched stalks surrounding me were tall, way taller than I was, and affectively blocking out any other detail besides the sky. There was no ambiance other than the crickets so I knew I had to be out in the middle of nowhere.

As I grew closer to the edge, a deep growling started from behind the stalks. I knew that growl. It was the same one from the other night in the empty house. I turned slowly, facing the far side of the circle where Persephone had disappeared. The beast stepped out of the corn rows, growling more at me as I looked him over.

Even though my bite had healed after a good night's rest next to Cecil, my arm started to ache as if it was only moments ago that he'd sunk his teeth into my flesh. He was pure black, his fur was short not long like Andrzej's was, and his eyes were still that freaky yellow.

What I didn't understand, though, was how he was a werewolf on this night. It wasn't new moon anymore. He shouldn't be in wolf form. Andrzej wasn't and he was from the original line. From what I learned, all the other lines were a bit gentler in their curse.

When I took a step away from the stalks, and in his direction, the growling died down just a decibel. I see how this would work. Interesting that she had a guard dog though. Wonder where she got him. After I was back to my little platform of straw, the wolf disappeared back into the corn rows after huffing contently. I got changed as quickly as possible and folded up my clothes, stacking them on the straw in a pile. Persephone hadn't given me shoes so I moved around carefully so I wouldn't slice open my feet on the broken stalks. The only thing left to do was wait for midnight.