For Love of Evil - [Roman Godfrey/Hemlock Grove]

-23-

The sun was beginning to set by the time Lyra made it to the Godfrey Mansion. She had been stalling; pushing the task at hand as far back as she possibly could. She roamed around town for a while, window shopping and stopping for a bite to eat.

As she creeped up the driveway of the mansion, the butterflies in her stomach she had managed to ease had come back with a vengeance.

Her hands became clammy, her arms trembling as she held the steering wheel with both hands. She put the car in park, killing the engine with a dreaded sigh.

"Here goes nothing..." Lyra whispered to herself, climbing out of the car.

She folded her arms as she walked up the steps, the chill in the air raising the fine hairs on her flesh. Despite the cold, she was sweating in nearly every crevice.

She extended her arm, pressing the doorbell. Her arms immediately folded again, trying desperately to hide the involuntary tremors.

If it hadn't been for the cold of the weather, she would have noticed the lightheadedness and growing nausea as she stood at Roman's front door. Her knees were beginning to wobble as she stood awkwardly, thinking of what she would say to him when he finally opened the door.

Her eyes trailed down to her feet, noticing that her usually flat tummy was now bulging ever so slightly. It was impossible to be showing this early; paranoia was beginning to sink in as she reminded herself that she had just consumed a large portion of food.

The door opened, revealing an attractively tall woman wearing nearly all white. A black belt clung tightly to her waistline, showcasing her thin frame. Her brunette hair matched the darkness of her eyes; her stance intimidating, more so than Roman's ever could be. She was beautiful - but under that beauty, Lyra could sense an ugliness inside.

"May I help you?" The woman spoke poshly, the sound annoying and false to Lyra's ears.

"I need to speak with Roman, is he here?" Lyra asked, quickly uncrossing her arms to pick at the cuticles of her nails.

The woman smiled - Olivia; Roman's mother. Lyra knew exactly who she was, she had seen her in her father's mind when he confessed to his sinister ploy. There was something about the woman Lyra couldn't quite figure out, but it wasn't good. In the few moments of their first meeting, Lyra could feel a wicked hatred spewing out of the woman like venom - looking for anything (anyone) to sink her teeth into to expel it.

"I'm afraid he's not here." Olivia started to close the door.

Something came over Lyra, causing her to sprint to the closing door, stopping it with her foot. Olivia turned, her expression full of shock; she couldn't believe the audacity of the petite girl.

"It's important that I speak with him... my name's Lyra." She said, thinking that revealing her identity would somehow make Olivia come to her senses. Perhaps Roman had talked about her, or maybe his sister, Shelley. A smile began to spread across Olivia's lips as she opened the door a little wider, staring into Lyra's eyes.

"Lyra..." Olivia mumbled to herself with a pause, as if trying to think if Roman had ever mentioned the name. Staring into the darkening abyss of Olivia's eyes, Lyra saw Roman; she saw the memory.

*
"We need to talk about you skipping school." Olivia pressed. By the look on Roman's face, Lyra could tell this wasn't the first time it had been brought up. There was a flicker of annoyance in his eyes; the way his lips pursed and his jaw clenched. "Lyra Cambion, I met her father today. Interesting fellow, to say the least."

"What about her?" Roman asked, keeping his eyes straight head as he stood before the fridge with his back turned to his mother.

"Roman," Olivia sighed. "You know I don't care who you fuck, but this girl... you need to stop sleeping with her. I've got a feeling about her father. Johann simply refuses to see it, but her father is terrible news for our company; your company, someday. I've tried to play nice about your little... promiscuous friend, but I'm done playing. I don't want you around that whore anymore."

"Fine." Roman said, trailing out of the kitchen with his head to the floor. He chose his battles wisely with his mother, and this one wasn't one he could win at the moment.
*

"I'm sorry, I don't believe he's ever mentioned you." Olivia lied with a smile. The bluff was so effortless, her demeanor remaining the same - cold and blunt. The lie angered Lyra; her mouth opened, saying the first dumb thing that came to mind.

"It doesn't surprise me, considering we skipped school together. He probably wanted to keep me out of trouble, in case he decided to tell you about us. He didn't want what we did to sway your opinion of me." Lyra smiled smugly, her grin causing Olivia's to turn into a snarl. It was gratifying to see the rise she had stirred in Olivia's expression - she couldn't contain her dislike for the girl any longer.

Like lightning, a flicker of rage twinkled in Olivia's eyes. Lyra saw images flash through her mind - her mouth opening wide and consuming her exposed throat, ripping it open as blood spewed in all directions.

She was watching Olivia kill her; Roman's mother wanted Lyra dead. She saw others too - dying at the hands of the angelic looking woman harboring thirsty bloodlust. She saw the fright in their others eyes, still alive as she split open their flesh with her teeth.

In that moment, Lyra realized Roman and Peter had been chasing the wrong kind of monster. She had made the connection - Olivia had been trying to frame Peter for the murders, as if making him the town pariah wasn't good enough. Olivia had been feasting under a full moon, all the while looking inconspicuous - framing an innocent boy; the only friend her son had, Peter.

"On second thought, I believe I overheard Roman talking to his friend earlier about meeting at the steel mill." Olivia spoke through her teeth, the fake smile hiding a dark thought Lyra didn't want to accept.

Lyra nodded, backing off the porch slowly. She knew Roman wasn't there, and that it was all a trap to get Lyra alone. The steel mill was abandoned, no one around for miles; it was the perfect place to carry out the murder.

Olivia's plan was to lure Lyra to the vacant lot, and to get rid of her new problem. She wouldn't even go through the trouble of trying to frame Roman's friend, she would just do it. Ares and her mother would relocate after burying their daughter - she'd be killing two birds with one stone; three if she counted Peter.

Lyra nodded again, turning on her heels, walking back to the car. She heard the door close behind her, but felt Olivia's eyes on her the whole way. Lyra climbed into the car, putting on her seatbelt. Sitting behind the wheel, tears began to fall from her eyes uncontrollably. There was no way around her inevitable death - Olivia had forced Lyra with her mind to get in the car and drive to the old steel mill where she would be faced with her fatal demise come sun down.

Lyra couldn't stop herself as she turned the key in the ignition, the sound of the car purring to life. She backed out of the driveway, wanting more than anything to turn right instead of left. She and Roman had never exchanged numbers. She had no one to call; no one to help save her from her fate.

There was only one other person who could control Lyra like this, her father Ares. Lyra had never been in the presence of anyone so powerful before - she could swear that Olivia Godfrey was stronger than even her father.

As if on autopilot, Lyra reluctantly turned left, making her way to the steel mill with tears in her eyes, the road nothing but a blur.