Love Lines

40: Death Becomes Her

Chapter Forty

The main clearing was much bigger than the other. It had to be at least the size of a two bedroom house. The area was lit up by three torches, the goddesses alternating between them. They were tied to poles that were sunk deep in the ground, sitting on bales of hay, and they weren't fighting which surprised me. In fact, they seemed pretty out of it almost as if they were sleeping with their eyes open. The only one who knew what was going on was Persephone and she actually had the audacity to smile at me when I looked at her.

"Well don't you look lovely!" she said as we paused at the mouth of the path.

Yeah, because that's what mattered.

Both Chris and I ignored her as he led me to the center. The second we crossed into the circle, fire sparked high and then died down instantly. "Lay down," Chris directed. Unlike the rather convenient use of a hay bale, they actually had a stone alter in the center of the circle for me. It looked more like a bench than anything else and there was no way I wanted to lay on it. "Now."

"I would rather stand, thank you very much."

"Then at least sit." He put a hand on my shoulder and shoved me down so I was sitting. Guess the gentleness he was using before was over now. "This'll only take a second as long as you cooperate." He pulled out a wicked looking knife and held it over my shoulder so I could see it. "If you ever see the wolf again, thank him for giving me my knife back. Couldn't have completed this ritual without it."

Tears pooled in my eyes as he moved around so he was standing in front of me.

"He didn't mention that part, did he? Huh. Well, I guess he couldn't. He didn't know he was betraying you at the time. Actually, he thought it would get Allie back. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. At least that's what they say. Wouldn't know personally since I've never been there. Let's get started."

He picked up a tin cup that was sitting next to me and walked over to Salacia first.

"Blood from Poseidon." He untied her wrists from behind her back and cut a line across her palm, letting a good amount of golden blood fill the cup before dropping her hand to her lap. He went over to stand in front of Persephone with a really strange smile on his face.

"Blood from Hades."

She put her hand in his, the look on her face mirroring his. She didn't even flinch when he sliced open her palm. He let the same amount of blood fill the cup and he kissed her on the forehead before moving away. As he situated himself in front of Juno, Persephone smiled over at me and held up the hand he'd cut. There was no wound on her palm and she wiggled her fingers at me.

That instant healing cut...I wouldn't be as lucky.

"Blood from Zeus."

He untied Juno's wrists and slit open her palm. By the time he stood in front of me, the cup was a good two thirds full. He handed it to me with a casual smile. "Hold this for me for a second, would you?"

I wanted to say something rhetorical, something mean, but I knew it wouldn't help. He'd reverted back to the asshole who beat the crap out of me outside the wolf pen.

"Blood from the Elite."

He cut open his own palm and let just a little blood drop into the cup. He took a cloth out of his pocket and wiped off the blade before tying it around his hand. Before he started to mutter in Latin, he took the cup from me and put it down on the bench next to me. The language was tongue twisty but Chris managed it like a pro, almost as if he'd been speaking it his whole life. It was just a reminder that my friend was a lot more than I thought he was. He took one of my arms and drew a series of symbols down the inside of my forearm before taking the other and doing the same. The life lines came flooding back with a sting as the last symbol was drawn on my wrist and I almost winced at how intense the feeling was.