The Lost Heir

Breaking New Ground

3 Breaking New Ground

While in the room with Zuri, I was glued to my bed with no words to say. The bomb he had dropped on my head was just too enormous and for once in my life, I was confused and had no idea what I’ll do. I was being torn right in the middle as I struggled to understand who I really was. On one hand, I was the heir to an empire that wanted to eradicate my father’s family even without having to meet him. Zuri was confident and it didn’t look like he was joking in any way, and part of me believed him that I was a werewolf awaiting transition.

“I’ll die? Are you sure?”

“Ha ha” teased Zuri with a laugh before his serious face forcibly robbed him of the little grin he had, “Yes you’ll die and I want you to listen to me carefully thr…”

“The f**k! This can’t be! Can it be taken away? Can I not become a wereworlf? I’ve read stories and watched many movies where people have to kill or something before they become werewolves. What if I don’t kill anyone, I should be okay right?”

“Wait what? Where do you hear that?”

“Is that right? Just answer me Zuri,” by this time, my voice was shaking and I could feel sweat trickling down my forehead as I thought of the possibility of saying and I had even celebrated my eighteenth birthday yet. I still hadn’t done so many things in my life I wasn’t sure I wanted o die months from now. I had so many things I needed to do. “I can’t die now.”

Zuri, who had his gaze locked on me started being worried because even for him, my reaction was totally unexpected. Perhaps he thought that I would receive the information with open arms because, who wouldn’t want to be a werewolf? I mean, it’s a powerful thing and I also thought that myself but it’s the dying part that made me not want anything to do with it. All my life, I had been shy of things that assure my demise and being a werewolf topped the list. I just couldn’t come to terms with death and that was definite.

“Don’t worry, that’s why I’m here for you, I’ve been here for you a while now and I would make sure you don’t die.”

“Make sure? What does that mean? Can someone just die even after following the protocols of being a werewolf? Are there protocols to begin with? what are you not telling me Zuri? Have you been sent to kidnap me with this werewolf bullshit?”

“Calm down Meridian. You are going to be okay. I don’t know anyone like you who died during the transition. You’ll be okay and remember that your life is linked with mine. If you die, I die too and I don’t look like anyone who wants to leave this world, do I?”

“Wait what? Someone like me? How? Why? And what do you mean your life is linked with mine? Like the witchy thing or what are there witches?”

“You have a lot of questions Meridian and I want you to listen to me. all the answers you seek shall have answers soon. Not today. As for now, I’m going to give you something that will help with the headaches, and the vision thing you got going there before we start preparing you for the transition. Do you understand what I have just said?”

“No! Are you a werewolf doctor or something? Are you their healer?”

“Keep quiet!” ordered Zuri with more command on his voice which to my ears felt like a deafening vibrating sound that lasted for more than thirty seconds. I couldn’t help myself from covering my dears as I felt everything in me vibrating as I heard his voice echo in my brain. Consequently, I started feeling fear creeping out of the shadows, aimed for my consciousness and out of the blue, all the turmoil in my head halted. I could only focus on one thing but I wasn’t sure what, it was as if my mind was blank and my thoughts had been scrambled.

“What are you doing to me?” I cried while lying on the bed, squirming.

“You’ll learn that when you compete your transition and training,” consoled Zuri while removing a small bottle with a wooden seal at the top. “Take only 10ml of this, and when it dies out, I’ll give you another, at least until you turn eighteen.”

Zuri then placed the elixir on my desk and left. As for me, I could still hear the ringing in my ears and all I wanted to focus on was making the strange sound stop. Zuri then looked at me while shrieking on the bed and told me it would wear off after five minutes, and I should not worry about it. Even though he didn’t tell me directly, I knew it was a trick used by werewolves and I needed to know how to counter that, now that I was sure I wasn’t going anywhere but be a werewolf. Soon after he left, I started to feel Zuri’s partial hypnosis wear off and in my mind, recounted the conversation we just had. All that time, Zuri had done nothing but give me ultimatums and bullshit theories that only served the purpose of giving me hope—hope that I might finally get to know something about my father and my origins. However, it seemed scary though, having to be one of them. Werewolfs? Wrapping my head around this reality seemed complicated and unthinkable. And what did he just do? Is he a werewolf too?

Then I started thinking about how my grandfather might take in the information that I may be a werewolf, a beast as he would put it. One day while watching movies in the Theatre room, he walked in on me and found out I was watching ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and all he said was, “The things you watch are abominations to this world if all they exist.” I knew there was no way he would take it lightly and silence was the best policy for me at the moment – perhaps forever. This had to be my secret from anyone affiliated to the Benedetti family. While seated there, pondering how I would hide my secret from everyone, I heard footsteps approaching my room. then, the door opened with force and I knew it must be my grandfather. He always opened doors with brutal force as if he wanted to break them.

“I saw Zuri coming from here. It seems you needed his help after all. What did he say was the problem?” asked my grandfather who was overly concerned with my condition. This is going to be a problem! I wondered if he was watching me because Zuri had just left the room and he came shortly after, and with his question, I needed to come up with something that Zuri might say so that we can all keep our little secret.

“Yes, he helped a bit. I hope I will feel better by the end of the day. And what’s with the guys I saw leaving?”

“Oh don’t worry about that. it’s something I should have taken care of a long time ago. But since you’re fine, that’s good. That’s good. Have some rest and come to my study later. There is something I want to show you.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t think you did rest or did you?”

“Oh, a condition I see.”

“See you later kiddo!”

What does he want to show me? Is it another lesson he wants to teach? Like any mentor, apprentice, or trainer, my grandfather always saw an opportunity to teach someone about anything whenever he perceived they are free.as for me, I had missed school and thus an opportunity for more lessons of being a leader and not taking s**t from my enemies. All this weighed heavy on my shoulders sometimes because I always wondered if that would be my life once I took over; fighting enemies and solving problems. I was still young and I wanted to live and enjoy life, at least just as my mother did. Everyone who told me about her, including Zuri said she was a free spirit and never cared about much but satisfaction in life. I wanted to be like her and agonize less about the prosperity of the empire. Is my father a free spirit too? Is he like my mother? More unanswered questions flooded my mind as I sat on y bed thinking about what’s next.my life was about to turn upside down, and it worried me. I wasn’t sure if I would manage with the double life I was so eager to embrace; hide my true identity and that of Zuri with the hopes of finding y biological father. They say blood is thicker than water, but my blood is divided into two and wasn’t sure which side was thicker, better, and more understanding.