by L G Rollins
A chill ran down Elise’s back, whether from the cold night air or from William’s tone, she wasn’t sure.
“But, I worry the only way to truly hide is to bury the past and leave.”
She didn’t like the ice in his voice. Elise had no doubt that William’s volatile anger would cause serious problems someday, but this . . . this seemed far darker. “Sounds drastic.”
He turned toward her suddenly. “That’s why you have to succeed. You will be the one who finds a viable method for me to safely hide, here, among society.”
Elise slowly shook her head. “The point isn’t to help anyone hide. The end goal is to find a cure.”
He guffawed. “Only a bloody idiot puts their faith in a cure.”
Elise’s face heated. There it was again. His constant need to remind her he believed her no more than a simpleton. Why did she ever agree to accompany him during a new moon? She opened and closed her fists a couple times to help her calm down. Disagreeing with William only ever led to him growing angrier. She chose, instead, to lift her chin and meet his gaze.
“I believe in a cure.” She kept her voice flat.
He gave her a smarmy smile and a side hug. “And that’s why I’m here; to keep you grounded in reality.”
Elise pushed him away. She had no need for William or anyone to shrink her ambitions with the claim that they were keeping her grounded. “Pardon me, but—”
A twig crunched, bringing Elise’s head around. Three dark figures strode out from behind the trees, two women and a man. Silently, William lifted the lantern high, the orange light spilling in a wide circle around them. Elise took a deep breath, set aside her frustrations with William, and focused on the people approaching. One of the womens’ hair was streaked with gray and the man’s eyes were lined with wrinkles.
The other woman was younger, thinner, and her clothing hung around her like draping fabric of a deflated hot air balloon. Her hair was cropped short, her jaw set hard as her head hung low and her gaze darted from one thing to the next. The orange lantern light landed on her neck, revealing several dark bruises. Elise tried to keep her sympathy for the thin woman from appearing like harsh judgment. She’d seen so many bruised and draped in cast-off rags—not all werewolves were as lucky as William purported.
The gray-haired woman spoke first. “Are you the one willing to pay for a werewolf?”
Elise was slightly taken aback at the brash insinuation. “I am looking for werewolves willing to take part in a research experiment.” Elise looked quickly at the thin woman, who was also studying her. “And yes, I am willing to compensate those who to participate.”
“Good.” The gray-haired woman’s words were clipped. “Then you can take this one off my hands.” She motioned toward the thin woman.
The thin woman’s eyes shrunk to angry slits.
Elise’s hands came up, palms together, as she tried to explain. “I believe you may have misunderstood, Mrs. . . . ”
“My name is of no concern to you. All I need to know is are you willing to pay for her.” She jerked a thumb toward the thin woman.
Elise spoke firmly. “I am looking for those willing to participate in my experiment.” She turned and addressed the thin woman directly. “If you are interested, I will give you all the details. When we are ready to begin the experiment, my associate”—she motioned toward William—“will inform you where and when to meet us. We will be traveling for about a month and when we return, I will pay you for your time and return you back home.”
“Unacceptable,” the gray-haired woman interjected. “You will pay us now and take her off our hands tonight. Do with her what you will after the experiment, just don’t bring her back to us.”
Elise stood, momentarily silent. This wasn’t how it worked. What did these people mean by expecting her to take the woman tonight? She wasn’t running an adoption agency. This wasn’t a werewolf relocation program. Beside her William shifted his weight. She glanced his way. His hand holding up the light was knuckle-white.
Was he angered at the woman’s calloused manner of casting off a human being she no longer cared for? Or was he simply upset over the miscommunication regarding the parameters of this experiment? With William, it was always hard to tell. He reached boiling point over the most random of things. Either way, his anger would only aggravate this situation and she didn’t want him engaging the woman. Not that he was likely to.
“Ma’am,” Elise said. “That is far beyond the scope of this experiment. I am only asking for someone willing to travel with me for a month’s time. I’m sorry if there was any confusion—”
“Then we will leave you to your high-handed experiment.”
High-handed? Elise blinked twice. Why were people always seeing her research in the worst light possible? The Committee thought she was wasting limited resources; William thought she was his personal physician; and now this woman thought she was buying werewolves. Elise wanted to swear. Did no one understand scientific experiments any more?
The older two spun to leave. The man grabbed hold of the thin woman’s arm, tugging her along roughly.
Elise let out a silent sigh. She needed a woman among the test subjects, and who knew what would happen to the battered woman if she was left with the other two? “I would have to verify that she truly was a werewolf first.”
The gray-haired woman’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “I have seen the devil change her. What more is needed than that?”
Elise’s stomach soured at the woman’s statement. She chose to address the thin woman directly. “I have an elixir with me that, when injected into your arm, will cause you to partially shift.”
“Heaven help us,” the gray-haired woman took a step back, eying Elise with the same open revulsion that she’d directed toward the thin woman moments ago.
“I will be honest,” Elise continued before any one could say more. “This will be painful. But I will give you a very small dose, and you will shift back to human form almost immediately.”
For the first time, the thin woman spoke. “If I agree to the injection, will you take me away”—her eyes darted to the man who kept an iron grip on her arm—“and include me in your experiment?”
The voice only further emphasized her young age. Elise’s heart hurt for her; she couldn’t be older than twenty. This woman wasn’t a monster. She was hurting and needed help. Why could so few people see that?
“Yes,” Elise reassured the thin woman. “If you allow me to inject you, and you shift, I will take you with me tonight and you can be part of my experiment.”
The thin woman nodded as the gray-haired one stepped forward once more. “Well, then, lets get on with it.”
Elise reached deep into her pocket and pulled out the thin syringe. This was always her least favorite part. Even though she mixed her BLU Elixir with enough saline that it wouldn’t cause a werewolf to fully shift, the agony, while short lived, was no less intense.
She moved up close to the thin woman, who was pointedly looking at a nearby tree, and stuck her. The clear liquid hissed as it flowed into her arm. Removing the needle, a couple drops of blood dripped to the half-frozen ground.
Every individual reacted slightly different to being injected. Screaming, flailing, attacking anybody nearby were all common reactions. Elise took several steps back. It was always best to give the individual plenty of space.
The gray-haired woman and man, seeing Elise retreat, did so as well. The thin woman doubled over, arms wrapped around her stomach. She dropped to one knee. With the orange light from William’s lantern flickering across her face, the thin woman’s jaw clenched, and she bit back a cry. Her face hardened, eyes shut tight against the pain.
Fur bristled out across her arms and jaw. Drawing in deep breaths, her body shook. She fell to the ground. Hands clenched into fists, then fused into paws. Arms lengthened while legs shortened. An anguished gasp broke through and she opened her eyes to the black sky.
Her eyes were no longer bl
ue, but amber.
The thin woman blinked, and her eyes were blue once more. Her arms and legs returned to their normal size and fists broke out into fingers and human palms. The fur seemed to pull itself back into her skin and vanish. She pulled a large breath in, her chest expanding fully, and when it settled she was calm once more.
Elise hurried over to her and placed a hand under the thin woman’s head. Slowly, carefully, Elise lifted her up into a sitting position. The thin woman was drenched with sweat and several sticks and blades of yellow grass caught in her hair.
The gray-haired woman swore, and Elise was surprised to find the man had drawn a knife.
“I did say she would shift back almost immediately.” Elise looked pointedly at the blade.
He only shrugged, but didn’t seem in the least bit repentant. Who were these people that they would turn so wholly against a family member simply because she’d become a werewolf? The sad truth was, most all of England would act exactly as these two had in the a similar situation. Elise closed her eyes momentarily. Her science was so necessary. Otherwise, nothing would stand between those who were hurting and needing help, and those who would kill them mercilessly.
“Alright,” Elise said before he could take hold of the thin woman once more. “I’ll allow her to live with me until the experiment begins and I’ll pay you in full right now.” Good thing she’d brought her small purse along. She helped the thin woman to her feet.
The gray-haired woman lifted her nose and smirked, though it didn’t cover all the fear in her eyes. “Deal.”
Elise drew out several coins and handed them to the thin woman. She wasn’t about to pay the gray-haired woman. She wasn’t buying people like one would a dress. Still, the moment the coins fell into the thin woman’s open hand, the gray-haired woman snatched them away. Then she and the man hurried off, slipping into the night.
Elise stood, watching the thin woman, who silently watched her in return. Let the others keep the money. At least this woman was safe now. Elise would be sure to pay her after the experiment, just as she would all the other werewolves.
“May I ask your name?” It seemed like the best place to start. Apparently, the thin woman would be staying with Elise for a time. She hadn’t planned on any house guests, but in research you had to always be willing to roll with what came.
The thin woman remained silent for bit. Then her gaze darted to William and back to Elise. “Pearl.”
Elise kept her mouth from dropping open just in time. Pearl was the last name she ever would have assigned to this woman who looked ready to fight at the drop of a hat.
“That is beautiful. And your surname?”
She shook her head. “It’s just Pearl.”
Strange, that. They turned to move toward the carriage, and Elise didn’t miss the hard glare William was giving Pearl.
Had Lord Chauncey began convincing Captain Hopkins to accept their proposition? He’d promised her he would handle the captain. Gears above, he had better well come through on this, or who knew how long Pearl would be living with her. Not that she minded helping others when she could, but sharing her townhome with a complete stranger was guaranteed to be awkward for both of them.
She was, after all, the head scientist on the experiment. Being overly friendly would only complicate things further. Perhaps they could try for a cordial acquaintance.
“Well, Pearl,” she said as William opened the carriage door. “For the next few weeks, you shall be my house guest.”
“lise . . . ? Are you even listening to me?”
Elise Sterling looked up from her cup of tea. Addie Dubois sat across from her in a red, heirloom chair. Her hair was curled and hung loose, encircling her displeased expression.
“Sorry. I truly am listening.” Addie had been saying something about her wedding plans. Her dress wasn’t the right shade of white, or the flowers weren’t vibrant enough, or some such.
“No, you’re not, mon amie.” Addie gave Elise an understanding smile as she leaned back in the chair. “But if there’s something bothering you, I want to help. Tell me what’s occupying you so this morning.”
Elise reached past a small cake and instead picked up a bright kumquat from the knee-high table between them. She and Addie first made their acquaintance less than a year prior, but Elise already considered Addie one of her closest friends. “Captain Hopkins owns a submarine, the Gearhound, which would be absolutely perfect for the experiment I promised the committee. However, he is determined not to leave England just now. Lord Chauncey keeps saying he’ll handle it.”
Elise ran her fingertips across the elegantly embroidered pillow beside her. Mother had made it not long before she met Father, so Elise had been told. It was a miracle the pillow survived her older brothers’ destructive young years, it was so soft and delicate.
She, on the other hand, didn’t have the option of being either soft or delicate—only the steadfast and resolute survived the scientific field.
“I’ve written several letters as has Lord Chauncey. But thus far the captain has proved unmovable.” If only she could do more. “Have you ever met Captain Hopkins?”
“Not the Captain, but I know his mother and daughter somewhat.”
Elise struggled to keep her mouth from dropping open. “His daughter?” She had done a very thorough job of investigating any reasons the captain might have for not wanting to be hired. She’d checked with the docks, even spoken with a couple of his crew. But, Elise hadn’t thought to ask about his family. Her shoulders dropped. How could she have overlooked something so fundamental?
Addie’s eyes glinted with mirth. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know.”
A daughter? Elise returned to stirring her tea. Her own blindness burned like a large “dunce” scrawled upon her forehead. The head scientist of an experiment was responsible for seeing what others could not, for understanding the problem better than anyone else. That’s how one solved a problem.
Addie laughed lightly.
Elise only raised an eyebrow. “You know, for one who claims to be my ‘dear friend’, you are taking quite a bit of pleasure in my discomfort.”
“How many times have I told you? You are too much time in your head, and not enough time with young men exploring what could be.” She gave her lips the smallest pucker and rolled her shoulder suggestively, in the way only a French mademoiselle could get away with.
Apparently, Matthew’s shoulder mechanism gave Addie full movement.
Elise blushed on Addie’s behalf. “There isn’t time for . . .” There weren’t words in her vocabulary to express what Addie had intimated. Instead, she waved a hand toward her friend’s shoulder, causing Addie to laugh more.
“Come now,” Addie started. “Not even time for a particular gentleman?”
Captain Hopkin’s easy smile came instantly to mind. But Elise pushed it away as she lifted the tea cup to her mouth. “Exactly who, pray tell, are you insinuating I have an eye for?”
Addie put on a nonchalant air. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe one William Cunningham?”
Elise sputtered on her tea. “William? You can’t be serious. He is a good friend, but certainly nothing more.”
“I think the lady doth protest too much.”
Addie truly thought Elise would ever consider William? First off, William certainly had no intentions toward her. Then again, he had acted rather strange a few nights ago. But no, it was undoubtedly only the brandy talking. More important, Elise could not see herself living with a man who called her an idiot as often as not. But she kept her objections to herself. William was still a good friend, and she hated to speak ill of him to anyone.
“Well, if not him, who else?” Addie must not have picked up on Elise’s sincerity in objecting. “There must be someone you who’s tugged a strand of interest from you.”
Elise was done with this topic. “I’m serious about not having time. There is far too much work to be done, and far too few people working on it. Science has yet
to ascertain even the most basic aspects of a werewolf. We don’t even know why one person becomes a werewolf, while another does not. How does one begin to understand the truth when it’s buried under medieval lore?”
Elise stood and began pacing the opulent parlor, ticking false beliefs off on her fingers. “One doesn’t change by being bit. It doesn’t matter what one’s parentage is, or if one was born during the full moon. Nearly every commonly held belief is wrong. Werewolves can’t smell other werewolves, and while they are stronger than other men, they certainly aren’t equal to that of a Greek god.” Standing near the hearth, Elise turned toward Addie once more. “All we know, is what isn’t true . . .”
Addie was pale, and her hands were grabbing the arms of the chair in tight fists.
Elise’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh, Addie, I am so sorry.” How could she be such a dunderhead? Ranting on and on about what, for her friend, was a very sensitive topic. Elise mentally kicked herself. Since when had she been so wholly wrapped up in her own life, that she stopped thinking of others?
For Addie, werewolves wasn’t a topic of science, it was personal.
Elise hurried to her friend’s side, her gaze momentarily jumping to the shinning, new gears that now made up the side of Addie’s neck and shoulder. “Addie, I am sorry. I shouldn’t have gone on so.”
Addie smiled, but it was thin and didn’t bring color back to her face. “It’s quite alright.” Her voice was strained, which made Elise’s stomach twist with guilt. “Your work is important to you.”
“I only meant to explain how far science still has to go and why I haven’t time for . . . you know.” Addie had been attacked by a werewolf only a few months prior. After all Elise had studied and seen, it seemed she was becoming far too blasѐ. “I apologize for being so unfeeling.”
Blast that Captain Hopkins and his refusal. Didn’t he understand the importance of researching werewolves? If he had been there that night, seen Addie in Matthew’s arms, both covered in blood, and Addie’s arm half detached, he certainly wouldn’t be shoving her proposition under the proverbial rug.
