The hybrid: Medusa’s eyes

Chapter Three

Old Josie was in his favourite spot when I got into first street but as he looked up and saw me with the satchel, he hurriedly closed his window and locked it. I rushed over and knocked.

“ Old Jo, it’s me.”

“ Get away from here, girl. I don’t want any trouble.”

“ I just want to ask you a few questions, please.”

“ Andre says never come here but you don’t listen. Andre will chop me hand off, me will not be able to read Gracias.” He panicked.

“ He won’t do anything to you, I already left him.”

“ You did what?” He exclaimed and opened the window abit.

“ We are no longer together.” He didn’t reply. “ Old Josie?” I heard the lock snap and the door was open wide.

“ Get in here, quickly.” I went in and he locked the door again. I stepped into a very dark spacious room.

It took a few seconds before my eyes could adjust to the darkness, there was a stream of sunlight at the corner but no other source of light. Old Josie went to a cupboard and brought a lamp, he lit it and placed it on a table at the far end of the room. I was able to finally see where I was, the room was strangely sparse except for an old bookcase at the side and a coffee table and two chairs in the middle of the room. The old Gracias was open on the table with a mug steaming from something dark beside it. Old Josie sat by the table and eyed me nervously.

“ You are very foolish you know. Leaving Andre? What got into you?” He grumbled. “ Come sit and stop standing like a mushroom.”

“ Things are not as it seems.” I said as I sat down.

“ Of course, they aren’t!” He banged on the table so hard that I flinched.

“ I just want to know what happened to my parents and why my eyes are like that.”

“ Why can’t you just agree that they died in a car accident?”

“ Because they didn’t?” I shrugged.

“ No, because they truly did die in a car accident. I understand your plight but that’s just the truth.” I sucked in a breath so quick that I almost choked.

“ Just a car accident?”

“ You want more? Like what?”

“ I want to know everything.” Old Josie sighed and picked up his newspaper, flipping through it hastily. “ Please, Old Jo.”

“ Read this.” He placed the newspaper in front of me.

“ Oh no!” I sobbed as I read the newspaper.

“ This is exactly why we kept it away from you. You don’t have to revisit the past, put it behind you and go back home, Britts.” Old Josie advised.

“ I have an Aunt? My surname is Diamandis? Old Jo, can’t you see? My Aunt was looking for me!.” I squealed. “ But who took me from the scene of the accident?”

“ That’s all I can tell you, Andre is in the position to tell you everything else you need to know.” He stood up and went to the door. “ Time to go home girl.”

“ What about you? You were saying something about the moon the last time.” I said as I walked towards the door.

“ It doesn’t matter now girl. When Andre tells you everything, then I will tell you more.” He opened the door and I stepped into the street. I turned to say goodbye but he had already locked the door. I sighed and walked back in the direction I came from.

I walked up to the porch and hesitated before knocking, dreading the look on his face. I heard footsteps from inside as he neared the door, a lock snapped and the door swung open. Andre was shirtless and his trousers hung low on his waist, my eyes scanned the tiny hairs which disappeared into his pants. I swallowed heavily when I saw the outlines of his manhood straining against his pants.

“ I didn’t assume you came back to check me out.” I snapped my head up, looking away ashamed.

“ I found something out, that’s why I am back.” I cleared my throat and raised my head to face him.

“ Hmm, really?” He left the door open and went to seat on the couch. I followed and sat as far from him as possible, I didn’t trust my hands to stay.

“ I accept that my parents died in a car crash with my brother.” He raised an eyebrow warily.

“ Who did you meet? Who told you that?”

“ It doesn’t matter. I have an Aunt, did you know that?” He didn’t reply and just stared at me. “ She was looking for me after the car accident. Did you take me that night?” He sighed.

“ You want to know the truth? Fine, I will tell you the truth.” Andre stood up and went to the kitchen. He came back with a glass cup and a bottle of vodka, placing it on the table before sitting.

“ You need a bottle of vodka before telling me?”

“ No, it’s for you.” He said. “ You will need it soon. Ask your questions.”

“ Did you take me away from scene of the accident that year?”

“ Yes.”

“ Why?” A short silence.

“Your father was a werewolf and your mother, a part vampire and Medusa’s cousin.....”

“ What the hell are you talking about? Vampire? Werewolf? Medusa?” I asked.

" Yes."

" Did you really expect me to believe a c**k and bull story? Am I really that stupid?"

“ Haven’t you ever wondered why you always wear sunglasses?”

“ So you are saying I have Medusa’s eyes?” He nodded. “ But Silas didn’t turn to stone, did he?”

“ No, he didn’t. Your ability to turn something to stone is by will, you have to want it. You are not like Medusa, you only inherited her eyes so the curse doesn’t affect you, much.” He explained. I poured vodka into the glass and downed it.

“ Why then do I have to wear sunglasses then?”

“ Because its unpredictable, I only know all this because I have allowed you to remove them and it didn’t work except on few occasions when your emotions are on the high side.”

“ So I am a what? Vampire? But I can walk in the sun. I don’t have claws too.” I examined my nails.

“ You are a special kind of hybrid with three abilities. You can’t turn into a wolf but you can summon claws when you truly need them and the fangs too. You heal fast too, to avoid questions like this, that’s why you do limited chores.” I gasped as it all downed on me.

“ The signs were there, I didn’t just read more meaning to it. And I thought you just loved my skin. But...” I looked at him suspiciously. “ What are you?”

“ I am a guardian. Your parents were killed by members of their faction who considered their union an abomination and you as well. I was chosen to protect you by the moon goddess, I searched for months until I came to the scene of the accident. If I were abit too late, you will be dead.”

“ What about The Saus?”

“ I had no idea how to take care of you so I told them I found you and since they were childless, they were so eager to have you. The betrothal was just a formality Old Saus made when he was on his deathbed but now we are both free from it.”

“ But you just let me leave.”

“ You can’t leave, there is something on you that alerts me when you are in danger.” I looked at him suspiciously.

“ So what do we do now?”

“ We continue our lives, you can have any male of your choice. You can also decide to train your eyes but that might draw unwanted attention from their color and the slit inbetween so I suggest you leave the sunglasses on.”

“ What about my Aunt?” I asked.

“ I don’t trust her. She is not the only one looking for you, infact, six people have written to the newspapers about you. They need your blood, Brittany, they don’t care if you are alive.”

" What do they need it for?"

" Mutation. You are the most powerful of both kinds, a special hybrid. If anybody gets a tiny taste of your blood, they will begin to manifest your abilities, you will be connected to them, soul to soul. They won't stop until they leech you of all your blood, laying low is your best option." I shivered at the thought of dying horribly.

“ What about you?” I asked solemnly.

“ I pledged my life to you. We are inseparable." The butterflies in my tummy fluttered abit.

“ And Daphne?” He went silent for awhile. “ Will you reject her?”

“ I think that’s enough for today. Get some rest.” He took the bottle from me and went into the kitchen, I sat there in a daze, too shaken to move.