Love Lines

31: Decision Made

Chapter Thirty-One

"This many gods are making me nervous."

I was alone with Shaw in a very sterile looking room. He told me it was the infirmary when he opened the door and I have to say it certainly looked like one. There weren't many beds, actually there wasn't much of anything. Do gods even get hurt? Maybe their...subjects did? Was that even the right word?

"They all want the same thing from you. You should feel nervous."

He picked up a rather ordinary bottle off the tray he'd put together and uncorked it. I didn't like his tone or the way he said that. I didn't do anything wrong, no one had. They should be thanking us for saving the goddess's life. But I had a feeling, gratitude was far from what they'd be sharing.

"What about Andrzej? They won't hurt him, will they?"

"So concerned about the wolf." He chuckled and his tone was lighter now. "When we last spoke you were also concerned about him. It worked out then..."

"It might not work out this time. Neptune didn't seem too happy to have a wolf running around unchecked. Not that he was running..."

Shaw poured the liquid out of the bottle and into his hand. "Let me tell you a little known fact about your wolf, Epiphany Valens." He looked at me, pausing until I nodded. He rubbed his hands together. "He's a survivor. He's been tested to his limits and has come out on top every time. You shouldn't worry so much about him. He's a fit custodian for you and you shouldn't doubt him."

"I don't doubt him and you make it sound like he's going to mop my floors and take out my trash."

"When the virgin oracle was housed at Delphi, Lycaon wolves were used as guardians. They were often priests, devoting their whole lives to guide, train, and protect the oracles. That is why the wolf is more humane around you. Why he reacts well to you." He squinted at the wound for a moment before continuing. "Sometimes the oracles would be surrounded by false ones for extra protection. I believe you have that, do you not?"

I frowned. "I don't...no one I know pretends to see the future. And even if they did it's mostly about fashion trends and who will be dating who."

"All that doesn't matter. They neither have to pretend or predict correctly, they just have to be. You have a group of friends that surround you. You're never alone. They help mask your identity and keep you safe, even if they are unaware of what they are doing. There is a reason why your friends are your friends."

"It's all predestined, isn't it?"

He nodded as he rubbed the solution into the bite, numbing the pain and swelling. He'd already flushed out the venom and cleaned it up. It was definitely not a pretty sight. There were punctures and tears. From what I could tell he was just prepping it to sew some of the deeper ones up.

"When it comes to virgin oracles, everything must be planned down to the littlest details. No one in particular plans it out, everything just falls into place like dominos. Such as; who her parents will be, where she will live, who her influences will be before she comes into her powers. Even you being Assarion was predestined even though you were given the choice. You must be able to protect yourself at all costs and your ability to mask your Elite lines is a strategic advantage. You're the copulation of two very powerful Elite families and even though they are on opposite sides, your potential is greater than that of any virgin oracle of the past and coming future."

What he was saying rang true for the most part, at least it made sense. But I didn't like to think I was a product of careful planning by someone else. Even if it was multiple someone else's, I didn't like the idea that I wouldn't be the master of my own destiny.