The Blood Talisman

by Kim Culpepper

  They were quickly back onto the highway. Marcus waved goodbye and Selene watched him in the rearview mirror until he was out of sight.

  “Well, that was strange.” Alex broke the silence between them.

  “What’s strange? The fact that I have a friend or that he’s a werewolf like you?”

  Alex looked at her confused. He still hadn’t gotten used to the idea that he was a werewolf or that these creatures were even real.

  “How can any of this be real?” he groaned.

  “People walk around all the time with diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart disease but you’d never guess to look at them. Most people read a book by its cover. Vampires and werewolves, they walk around in broad daylight and you never would know that they are any different from anyone else. Until one of them wolfs out or bleeds you dry, that is.”

  “I never thought of this as a disease. How did you get involved and caught up in all of this?”

  “My reclusive parents were witches. I know a thing or two. Witches are the reason these diseased creatures were created. Well, one particular witch anyway. A long time ago there was a witch considered to be a necromancer or a master of death. He got bored with the normal herbs and curses and decided to experiment. The experiments weren’t successful, obviously. Instead of creating cures and conducting peace-loving health spells, they turned darker. Most witches believe it was nature’s way of saying ‘you shouldn’t mess with what’s already perfect’. I try to stay out of witchcraft these days. Sometimes I find myself drifting back though, for one reason or another.”

  “You mean me being the reason this time?”

  “Something like that, yeah,” she said, punching him in the arm, playfully.

  “Hey, hey. Don’t want me wolfing out now, do you?”

  “Speaking of that, are you not ‘feeling the need to feed’, as they say?”

  “Yes, but I’m avoiding it.”

  “You can’t do that. It makes you unstable.”

  “You don’t understand. It’s not exactly pleasurable to change. It feels like every bone in my body is breaking and fire is running through my veins. It’s not something I really want to do.”

  “Do you think people who take chemo for cancer want to do that either? No, but it treats the disease. You don’t have a choice. You could die, Alex. Then you wouldn’t be any good to Amalia or me. Pull over here at the edge of the road. Right near those trees.”

  “We don’t have time for this.”

  “No arguments or I will pull us over myself,” Selene warned, reaching for the steering wheel.

  Alex grabbed her hand just shy of the leather-bound wheel.

  “I’m stopping, calm down.”

  The Toyota pulled slowly to the edge of the road as the cars that were following behind them zipped past in hurried fury. They both got out of the car and approached the woods a short way from the road. Selene walked a few steps ahead of him and Alex grabbed her arm forcefully.

  “Your not going in there, are you? It’s getting dark and there’s no telling where we are,” Alex said, stopping them both by the first big pine tree.

  “We’re only going in a little way so nobody can see you change.”

  “I don’t want to do this, Selene. What if I hurt you?”

  “Just trust me, okay?”

  They walked a short distance into the woods until they were elbow to elbow in trees. The dry grass below them crunched under their feet and the only dim light came from the setting sun which shone from where they entered from the road. They stood looking out into darkness.

  “We’re here, but what am I supposed to feed on? Are the forest animals supposed to just walk right up to me?” Alex whispered.

  Selene turned to look at him. She smiled and put one finger over her lips. Alex sighed and reluctantly complied with the request to be quiet.

  She sat on the grass, moving her hands up and down along it, as if she were calming it. The wind began to blow softly at first and then harder from within the forest. Selene’s long hair whipped Alex’s face behind her. He started to worry from not understanding what was happening. Suddenly the wind stopped and she stood and whistled. The whistle carried throughout the forest in the opposite direction of the wind. There was a moment of silence and then the sounds of tiny footsteps filled the forest. Alex took hold of Selene’s arm once again in a protective manner, and pulled her closer to him. He watched the forest and she watched him.

  “You can have your pick now,” she whispered into his ear.

  He stared in amazement as animals appeared in the distance. There were deer and rabbits and birds and squirrels, all out in the open for them to see. Selene leaned closer to his lips. His breathing was heavy against hers. The wolf began to take over his body slowly. He laid his head on her shoulder but she pushed him away so that he would turn quicker. He stumbled back into the leaves and grass. Bushes hid his change from her. She backed away slowly, waiting for him to appear and jump out at any moment. Her heart was racing and her pores were bucketing her with sweat.

  She walked backwards into a tree and rubbed her hands up the bark. The soft moss covering it made a nice contrast from the dark, hard tree bark. She rounded the tree, never turning her back or eyes away from the bushes that Alex had fallen into. With a quick leap, he was released from his human bonds and the wolf ran free, chasing the animals that she had summoned for him. She watched until she couldn’t see him anymore. A few moments passed, and she finally felt comfortable enough to leave the tree that was hiding her.

  She stroked the tall grass through her fingers, feeling their need for darkness as the sun set completely behind her. She thought about Alex, and felt pity for him and what he was going through. She wanted to make things easier for him and wished that she could make it all go away, but knew that would never happen. She could only teach him to deal with his circumstances and embrace who he now was. She’d such a hard time embracing who she was when she was younger that it only made sense to pay it forward to someone that she had admired for years.

  She heard a rustling in the distant dark forest. Alex showed himself, still in wolf form. Selene gasped. She didn’t have time to scatter back to the big, mossy tree. She ducked behind a small dying bush that didn’t hide much of her.

  He stopped and sniffed the air, taking in the sweet, human scent of Selene. He inched closer to the smell, not seeing her yet. She was hidden to him until he got to the dying bush and there she stood suddenly, surprising him. He stumbled back, the blood of the animals he had chased and fed upon, clung to him.

  “Alex, it’s me… Selene,” she said.

  The voice sounded familiar and he lunged towards her. Her hands were out in front of her to try and stop him. He fell over on top of her, throwing her flat onto the grass and dead leaves. His paw-like hands held her arms down on the dirty ground. He could feel her bones begin to weaken beneath him as she stopped struggling. He watched as tears streamed from her mesmerizing eyes. They sparkled in the moonlight and he admired their glow. The tears made them look glassy and dead. Then he could feel himself changing back into the real him. He howled from the pain and eventually collapsed on top of her, back in human form.

  She breathed in and out deeply from the fear and pain and emotion as he lay there naked atop of her. His hands encased her arms, still holding her flush to the ground. His nose nestled into her neck. She reveled in the moment briefly. She stared at the moon as it judged her. She had wished for a moment like this, but under different circumstances. His breathing finally calmed and hers fell into unison with his. She looked down at his face and noticed his lips were just inches from her collarbone. She could feel his breath and it felt moist and warm. She closed her eyes and made a few unspoken wishes.

  “Selene?” he said shakily.

  The movement of his lips on her clavicle sent shivers down her spine.

  “Yes?” she answered, full of hope.

  He leaned up, hands still on her arms. He looked into her eyes.
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  “Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes flitting anxiously across her face.

  “Yea, except my arms. They kinda hurt.”

  “Oh!” he said suddenly, removing his hands from her arms. He slid them to either side of her on the ground, supporting his body.

  She reached up to rub his face with both free hands and asked, “Are you okay?”

  “Never better,” he said and smiled.

  She pulled his face gently down to kiss him but he rolled away reluctantly and sat steady on the ground beside her. She sighed resentfully. Her wishes hadn’t come true.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Please, don’t be. You have helped me more today than some people have my whole life. You have absolutely nothing to apologize for.” He grabbed her hand and caressed it in his. His eyes pierced hers, looking for answers.

  “I care about you. More than I think you know.”

  “What you’ve done for me, I can never thank you enough. I felt so alone when this first happened. I only wanted Amalia. I needed her to care for me in the way that she only could. I want to thank you for being there for me when she couldn’t be.”

  “Here’s your shirt.” she said, handing it to him.

  She stood up and began to walk away. He put it on in a hurry and followed her.

  “I spill my heart out and all you say is ‘here’s your shirt’?”

  She continued walking, not speaking to him. He caught up with her. She stopped and looked down at her feet. She felt embarrassed for even thinking anything about him romantically, again. She became frustrated with herself. He was completely clueless. He stood in front of her and lifted her chin with his fingertips. He had a questioning look on his face and she chuckled like a schoolgirl. She pushed him away and now he was even more confused. She wondered, “Did he want me or not?”

  The flirtatious banter was too much for her to tolerate anymore.

  “We really need to stop this.”

  “Stop what?”

  “This,” she said, motioning her hands between Alex and herself.

  “You want to go back home?” he said, confused.

  “No, Alex. Jeez, are you that clueless? I want you. Obviously more than you want me. I can’t keep up with this teasing and these misleading messages from you.”

  “From me? I’m simply trying to cope with this situation and be a little more grounded. I thought you would understand and that you were helping me to get through this. If it’s too much then maybe we should part ways.”

  He started to track back to the car and she yelled, “STOP!”

  Birds flew from the trees behind her and he halted suddenly. She ran to catch up with him, and said, “I am here for you. I’m way too involved to abandon you. That’s my point. I care too much for you. I need you to understand that when you touch me lovingly on my face or when you… I don’t know. I guess I’m just saying I want you to know these things and respect me enough to keep me from being tempted.”

  He seized her by the shoulders, and looking down into her eyes he said, “I understand and it won’t happen again.”

  She wanted it to happen again, though. Again and again and again. She smiled up at him and sighed an apparently approving sigh. He let go of her and they finally made their way up to the side of the road, where their car waited patiently for their return.

  Soon they were back on the road and silence once again plagued the interior. She watched as the trees passed them by and he attempted to focus on Amalia, but what Selene had said crept into his mind. She wanted him and it was nice to be wanted again.

  Chapter 11

  Ram fished his cell phone out of his pants pocket. The time read 11:30 p.m. He chucked it down on his mahogany desk and began tapping his fingers nervously. His patience was growing thin. It was imperative that John bring Alex back to him. The Immortal had been waiting for Alex to turn for years and figuring out his purpose in this game would be daunting. The werewolves were all that stood in his way of finding the Immortal and obtaining the blood talisman. The Immortal’s team of witches and werewolves would rather see his people die in the streets than grant them eternal life. Why one man would be so selfish with immortality when he could save a whole race of people puzzled Ram.

  He pushed the little silver balls of the Newton’s cradle that sat on his desk. They clacked back and forth together. The ticking was rather soothing. He closed his eyes for a few moments until he thought to go and check on the asset motivators. He gathered himself up from his desk and walked along a corridor from his office. The florescent lights in the hall annoyingly flickered on and off. He had needed to get someone to fix that but he had more important matters to attend to at this very pressing time.

  His heels tapped on the white and grey tiled floor. They could hear him coming as he rounded the corner. His keys jingled as he opened the door to the area and he could hear them whispering and rustling to get to the farthest corner of their cells. He turned and locked the door behind him. He approached the first cell to his left and peeked in through the bars at the top of the door.

  Amalia lay there in her cot, facing the wall away from the door. Blood stained her clothes and she hugged herself, not understanding where she was or why she was there. She picked at the peeling paint on the concrete wall. Her neck hurt but she had an uncaring attitude about it.

  “Why am I here?” she asked, voice shaking.

  She turned to face the rust brown door with bars at the top. The face on the other side of the door was a dark one. She couldn’t make out the color of his skin, only the darkness in his eyes. He seemed tired and irritated.

  “You’re here for me to obtain your husband. He put you in danger. You did not have to be included in this. This is his entire fault.”

  She rose up from her bed and slowly walked over to the door. She could see his face in a better light. He was a beautiful man but, he seemed gloomy.

  “Am I in danger here?” she asked.

  “You will be fine as long as your husband complies,” he answered.

  “Then why are you here? Just leave me to be miserable then.”

  “I like to check on all of my prisoners,” he lied.

  “Well, I’m fine, so you can go now.” She backed away from the door, not turning her eyes off of him.

  “Would you like a change of clothes? I think those have seen better days,” he said as he brushed the sleeves of his button down shirt as to iron out any wrinkles. The unkempt look of her bothered him and no female in here would look as such.

  “You have female clothes in your prison?”

  “I have a wife, so yes.”

  “How would you like it if your wife were held captive here?”

  “My wife was held captive here. For a while.”

  “Oh. Yes, I will take a change of clothes. Maybe your wife has good taste. I obviously can’t say the same for her taste in men.”

  “Don’t be angry with me, my dear. I always treat well behaved women with the utmost of respect. You can’t expect any less than that.”

  She quietly sat back down on her cot, still eyeing the dark soul behind the rusted door.

  “I will return with your clothes in a moment,” he said.

  “Wait! Can you look at my neck then? It really hurts,” she said suddenly, stopping him.

  He unlocked the rusty door. Leaving it cracked open for light, he walked over to her bed and sat down next to her. She never took her eyes off him, distrustful as she was. He brushed her brown hair off of her shoulders and she leaned away from him. He grabbed her by the arm and she looked intensely into his eyes. His hands felt soft against her arm. It was a nice contrast, compared to her current living arrangements.

  “I won’t hurt you,” he promised.

  She reluctantly complied and he leaned in closer, looking at the gash that his moronic associate had made on her neck. It was red and pulsing. The blood had stopped and clotted on her neck. It was healing, but slowly.

  “You will be fine.” He
rubbed the other side of her neck to bring it in even closer. His lips were inches from the healing wound. She looked at him, in fear. He noticed and released her from his grasp. “Forgive me. You’re very beautiful.”

  She scrunched her forehead up at him. “Is this how you got your imprisoned wife to fall for you? If it is, then you need to find a different strategy.”

  She angrily stood up and walked to the other side of the room. She turned at stared at him. He was an attractive man and he obviously felt an attraction to her, but she wasn’t buying his bullshit.

  “You will be going through some changes in the next few days. Being in prison tends to alter people. Hopefully, it will improve your attitude.”

  He walked back over to the rusty door and stood at it, looking back at her. He had pulled a dainty white handkerchief out of his pants pocket and was rubbing the little bit of grime he got on his manicured hands onto the clean cloth. She was rubbing her neck and wishing he would leave. He stepped out and locked the door. She breathed a sigh of relief and returned to her cot. She noticed him looking through the bars again at her. He watched her with his dark, probing eyes. She ignored him and turned back to the peeling paint on her concrete wall. She picked at it until she heard his footsteps leaving her.

  Chapter 12

  They were getting uncomfortably close to Blearney. Alex was nervous and Selene was, well, just Selene. Her laid-back attitude helped him to not be so anxious. Their gas hog was getting low again as they pulled into an almost-deserted gas station. A big rig hummed near the diesel refueling post. There seemed to be nobody at the truck and the gas station itself was eerily empty.

  Alex turned off the car engine and said, “Stay here.”

  Selene complied graciously and he stepped out of the car. His heart was racing with every footstep. He could feel something was not right. He also felt a kinship in the air. It was a warm edginess. He made it up to the double glass doors, inundated with beer stickers and candy advertisements. Nobody was to be seen at first glance. He heard muffled sounds coming from the back and a tanned blonde emerged.