PANDORA

by Rebecca Hamilton

  “I’m not!” I laughed, knowing exactly what I was doing, but continuing anyway. “I don’t mind staying home. Cookouts aren’t really my thing.”

  “You’re going to that party, and you’ll have a good time. I don’t want to hear another thing about it.”

  ***

  The driveway at the Magliaro house was twice as full as it had been for the last cookout. There were even cars parked down the street. Nicole had warned me that in addition to family and co-workers, several of the Magliaro’s clients would be there too, networking opportunity that it was. She saved a spot for me right on the lawn in front of Jeff’s Jeep, though, so I scooted past the parked cars toward the house.

  There were people of all ages everywhere I looked, kids running around the enormous yard, elderly women sitting in the shade of an ancient oak tree. As I walked by the floor-to-ceiling living room window, I could see that inside was just as crowded. Climbing the steps of the deck, I heard my name being called.

  “Allison!” Joanne waved at me from one of the French doors leading inside. I smiled and went to say hello. As I approached, she opened the screen door and ushered me inside.

  “Hello, sweetheart. I’m so glad you made it. Let me get that for you,” she said warmly, taking the salad out of my hands.

  I followed her through the mass of people into the kitchen. She put the salad down on the center island, which was already crowded with similar dishes.

  “How’s your mom?”

  “Pretty good today. The nurse came yesterday to take out her stitches.”

  “Good. That’s good, honey. I really am glad you could come today.” Her expression turned mischievous. “Ethan told me you two went to DeeDee’s the other night. I always knew he had—”

  “What did you always know, Mom?” Ethan appeared from nowhere, poking my side and making me jump.

  “Ethan! It’s not polite to eavesdrop!” Joanne laughed as she smacked him.

  “Hey, now—no hitting!” He rubbed his chest. “And I wasn’t eavesdropping, I just wanted to come greet our guest.”

  “All right, all right. I get the hint,” Joanna said. “Have a good time, Allison. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Ethan looked down at me then. His eyes skimmed over my tank top and then back up to my face. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” I mumbled, embarrassed at the smoldering look in his eyes.

  That was as much of a greeting as I would get, though, because Nicole and Jeff walked over then.

  “There you are, Al!” Nic wrapped me in a hug. “Did you have anything to eat yet?”

  “Um, no. I just got here,” I said, extricating myself from her grip.

  “You’ve got to try the scallops Jeff’s dad is grilling. Oh, and we made these amazing cookies, too. Come on!” She tugged my arm, leading us all out onto the back deck. As Nicole went on about the food and what I needed to try, I felt the strangest sensation in the back of my head, like someone was tickling my brain with a feather.

  Allison . . .

  A enchanting, musical voice, unlike any I’d heard before, whispered my name. I looked around.

  Allison, it said again.

  I couldn’t pinpoint who was speaking. It sounded like it was coming from inside my head. But that didn’t make any sense . . .

  “I’d just love to try some of your cookies, Jeffrey,” I heard Ethan tease. He hadn’t heard it, I guess.

  “Make fun of me all you want, pal. But, I make some mean peanut butter cookies.” Jeff lightly punched Ethan in the shoulder.

  Allison . . .

  There it was again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two people standing far away from the crowd. You’ve got to be kidding. Liam and a blonde woman I’d never seen before stood close together. I blinked, and they were gone.

  Four guys, as tall and as built as Ethan, approached us, each with a beer and a plate of food balanced in their hands. They greeted Ethan and Jeff, and it was obvious they knew each other well.

  Ethan stiffened a tiny bit and put his arm around my shoulder. Surprised, I looked up at him.

  “Oh, guys. This is Allison, Nicole’s cousin. Al, these are the guys on our crew—Ted, Jack, Vinny, and Rich.”

  I tried to be polite and smile, but my eyes scanned the yard, trying to track down Liam and the mystery woman.

  Allison.

  The soda can slipped out of my hand and crashed onto the deck, fizzing all over the legs of the men I’d just met. I dropped down onto my knees to grab the offending soda, horrified.

  Snippets of past conversations regarding my mother’s behavior seeped into my mind.

  Aunt Jessie’s soft, concerned tone: “She’s always so tense.”

  The deep, baritone of the psychologist: “It’s paranoid schizophrenia.”

  Gram talking quietly with Pop: “The voices in her head.”

  Hands trembling visibly, I looked up, and my eyes locked on Liam and the blonde, who were across the yard from me. Liam looked uncomfortable; the woman just looked amused.

  “Let me just get some napkins,” I muttered, searching for anything to clean up the spill.

  Ethan frowned at me and followed me to the table that held napkins. “It’s okay, Al. It’s just a soda, no big deal.”

  I huffed out a breath, realizing what a fool I was making of myself. I pursed my lips and nodded.

  “Hey, where should I put the fireworks?” Sean asked as he and Rachel joined us. I was grateful for their arrival, hoping my embarrassing overreaction would be forgotten. Sean’s arm was wrapped loosely around her waist. Apparently they were on-again today. It didn’t stop her from batting her eyelashes at the guys, though, and of course, she sneered over at me. Then as if I didn’t exist, she turned her back on me and launched into conversation with Nicole.

  I tried to relax, listen to the conversations around me, and have a good time. Just before twilight, the guys went out to the fire pit to get the fireworks ready. Nicole and Rachel were at the picnic table near the pool chatting with a group of friends. I saw my chance to take a minute alone so I headed to get another drink.

  “This is some party,” a familiar voice said from behind me. I turned to see Liam standing in the shadow of the pool house.

  “What are you even doing here?” I asked, looking around for the blonde woman he’d been with earlier.

  Liam smiled, and his eyes flickered to Ethan. “My new contractor invited me, of course.”

  “Where is...where is the blonde you were with before?” I ground out. Not exactly the way to convince me he really still loved my mother as he’d claimed.

  Liam looked tense and ignored my question. “You have every reason to hate me, Allison. I know that. But I’m here to help your mother, not harm her. There were circumstances that kept me away until now.”

  “They must have been some circumstances.”

  “I know that’s vague.” He coughed a little and looked down. “But it’s the most I can tell you at the moment.”

  I laughed, surprised at how cold it sounded. “No comment.”

  “I know that I’m responsible for your mother’s current state. But I really believe I can help her recover.”

  I twisted to look him in the eye. “I told you I don’t want you near her.”

  “Please, allow me to finish. Helping your mother isn’t the only thing I wanted to talk to you about today.”

  I frowned at him.

  “I believe she’s in danger.”

  “My mother is schizophrenic. There is no chance she can, as you say, recover.” I shook my head in frustration. “And, as far as any danger she might be in, there is nothing more dangerous than having her see you again.”

  “I’m not able to explain further right now, but I’m begging you, please try to trust that I’m telling the truth.”

  “Trust you? That’s a joke, right?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “We’ll be watching to make sure your entire family stays safe,” he continued without missing a beat. “But if I
do contact you at your grandparents’ again, please understand that it's important.”

  “Wait, what do you mean ‘we’?”

  Liam looked away, and when he looked back at me, his eyes pleaded with me to understand. Ethan was walking across the lawn, looking from Liam to me with a concerned expression.

  “Ethan, your family's home is stunning,” Liam said. “Thank you so much for inviting me today, but I’m afraid I must be going.”

  “All right, man. Talk with you soon.” Ethan glanced down at me, a question still in his eyes.

  “Allison, lovely to see you again,” Liam added with a nod.

  I watched him walk away, every muscle in my body thrumming with tension.

  “You don’t like him much, do you?” Ethan asked, watching me as if gauging my reaction.

  “I don’t even know him,” I replied. Okay, I needed a change of subject. “Are they almost ready for the fireworks?”

  “I think so. Keep your fingers crossed that they know what they’re doing.”

  I laughed at Jeff and Sean across the yard, fighting over a box of matches. Ethan muttered something under his breath, and I turned to see Rachel sauntering over to us.

  “Such a great party, Ethan,” Rachel sputtered, taking a sip of her wine cooler.

  “I’m glad you’re having a good time, Rach.”

  Rachel giggled, batting her heavily made-up lashes at Ethan. “Is it just me, or is it starting to get a bit chilly?”

  “I brought a sweatshirt, so I’m fine,” I said, pointing to the sweatshirt I’d wrapped around my waist.

  “Oh, you’re so smart, All-i-son,” Rachel stammered. “Do you have a sweatshirt I could borrow, Ethan? I’m getting goose bumps all over.” She held her arm up to Ethan’s face.

  She was such an annoying drunk.

  “Yeah, sure. I’ll see what I can find,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me behind him.

  “You all right?” he asked, his eyes scanning my face. “You seem upset.”

  “I’m fine.” I tried to smile, but I knew my voice sounded shaky.

  “I think I have one of Sean’s old sweatshirts up in my room. She can have that,” he said as he led me through the house.

  “So, are they back together?” I asked him as we walked up the stairs to the second floor.

  Ethan snorted. “Sean and Rach? Who knows? Who cares?”

  He paused just inside his bedroom door and turned to look at me. His face was scrunched in concern. “What is it, Al?”

  “Nothing. I was just thinking about something Rachel said to my cousin the other day.”

  He waited for a moment. “Are you going to tell me what it was?” he asked.

  “Um, no. I don’t think I will,” I whispered. I tried to keep my voice from cracking as he moved closer to me.

  “Well,” he said, his gaze moving down to my lips. “How am I supposed to make you feel better if you don’t tell me what upset you?”

  I inhaled sharply as he kept moving forward. I took two steps backward before I bumped into the wall.

  “She might have said something about you only being interested in me because I’m no-man’s land,” I managed to squeak out.

  Ethan chuckled, and I could feel it vibrate through me. “No-man’s land, huh?”

  “That’s right. And she said I’m probably a lesbian, anyway.”

  His face was inches from mine now.

  “You’re not a lesbian, are you, Al?” he teased, trying to meet my eyes.

  “I don’t really have much to base my opinion on,” I said, the words just barely audible above the beating of my heart. “I’ll have to get back to you on that.”

  “For the sake of your own peace of mind,” he whispered, leaning in so that I could feel his breath on my lips. “I’d be willing to help you figure it out.”

  My pulse spiked, and I willed it to slow down so that I could form a witty reply. But, he didn’t give me a chance. His lips just brushed against mine, soft as a feather. He brought his hands up and cradled the back of my head. So gentle. His lips moved against mine—not taking, only asking.

  His fingertips trailed down my arm and made me shiver. I pulled back, needing to breath. He didn’t let go of me though.

  “We should go back outside, before we ruin this by fighting.” His smile was genuine, if the slightest bit wistful.

  I blushed. Yeah, he was probably right.

  ***

  Liam walks through a room lit by tiny glowing spheres suspended in the air. The round lights cast shadows on the high-curved walls. He keeps his head bowed as he nears a woman seated on a dais against the far wall. Her hair, as black as a moonless night, is gathered at her neck by a jeweled clip, and hangs in loose waves over one shoulder. Eyes as blue and cold as ice watch him approach.

  Liam kneels slowly at her feet, eyes trained on the floor. The woman smiles, and cocks her head to the side like a bird, grabbing his chin and pulling it upward until his eyes meet hers. As he speaks, the woman’s face contorts in rage. He winces and she loosens her fingers, leaving behind a bloody trail where her fingernails have cut him. The woman closes her eyes for a moment before shoving him roughly onto his back.

  I sat up in my bed, my lungs screaming for air. I pulled my legs up and rested my forehead against my knees as I attempted to catch my breath. Rain beat against my window, matching the drumming of my heart.

  For the past six months I’d dreamed about Liam almost every night. Most of the dreams involved blood and fear. They’d gotten more intense now that I’d actually met him too, more foreboding.

  The need to go for a run came upon me so suddenly that when I jumped from my bed, my head teetered. I counted backward from twenty as the dizziness subsided and changed into shorts and a tank top. A little rain never hurt anyone.

  I inhaled the smell of wet grass as I bound down the front steps. The air was misty, and a gray cloak hung over the trees and early-morning streetlights. It took all of my self-control to force myself to warm-up when all I could think of was launching into a mind-numbing sprint.

  The rain eased as I ran, leaving a dreary fog in its wake. After an hour, I looped back around to the bend in the road just before the path to what was now Liam’s property.

  Allison.

  The voice was the same as last night. It made my name sound like a song. But this time there was no one around.

  I stopped running, forgetting about cooling down or stretching. My stomach clenched with leftover panic as I looked around in the gloom. I approached the path when Liam stepped out of the trees. His expression was the same uncomfortable one he wore when I saw him last night, as though he dreaded speaking to me.

  The blonde materialized next to him, as if the mist had been hiding her body. She cocked her head to one side . . . reminding me of the woman in my dream. She looked nothing like that raven-haired woman, but she was equally beautiful. Her golden hair was sleek and smooth, cascading down past her shoulders, and her eyes were such a light gray they appeared nearly colorless.

  I stopped walking. Something about this woman made me nervous. She smiled at me, her icy eyes glinting, even though the sun hadn’t yet made an appearance today.

  “Allison,” she said out loud in the same voice I'd heard in my head. A shiver raced down my spine when she spoke. Why were they even here?

  “Liam? What’s going on?” I asked through clenched teeth.

  “I wasn’t prepared for this,” Liam said, his eyes focused on the ground. He was grinding his teeth, too.

  “I’m sure you weren’t,” the blonde said. “But too much time has passed already. You should have known you couldn’t put this off forever.”

  Liam looked at me then, his eyes filled with regret. My heart lurched, and I had the urge to bolt. I shouldn’t feel empathy for the man who left my mother pregnant and alone.

  “I would’ve liked to...” He broke off and turned to look at the blonde woman. “She knows nothing of your kind.”

  Anger and fru
stration instantly replaced any other emotions that may have been building. “What are you talking about?”

  Liam took a deep breath and cleared his throat. “The things I didn’t think I could explain to you last night”—he exchanged a look with the woman—“well, it appears I can explain them now.”

  “Okay,” I said, “So, explain.”

  The woman started walking toward me, her strange diamond eyes holding me captive. “If I may?” It came out as a question, but she didn’t appear to actually be asking permission.

  “Of course,” Liam replied, closing his eyes.

  “Your people often use the expression, ‘Things aren’t always as they appear.’” She paused and I raised my eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. “Whether you believe it or not, your father is here to help your mother.”

  “Wait.” I held my hands up to interrupt. “Who are you?”

  She smirked and glanced back at Liam. “My name is Niamh. I am one of the Tuatha de Danaan.”

  “What?”

  “A Danaan—a descendent of the Goddess Danu. You might recognize the term ‘fairy’ or ‘the people under hill’?”

  “Fairy,” I repeated, the word sounding disjointed from my lips. “Are you a fairy too, Liam?” I choked out a laugh, looking between the two of them. They just stared back at me.

  Liam cleared his throat. “Ah, well. I haven’t always been...”

  “Listen, I don’t know what kind of joke this is, but my mother is ill. Just stay away from her.”

  I started to turn around, but Liam held out his hand to stop me.

  “Please,” he said. “Let me explain.”

  I threw my hands up in exasperation.

  “I was raised in County Monaghan, north of Dublin. I was born the son of a farmer”—he paused and looked me in the eye—“in 1862.”

  “This just keeps getting better,” I said. Why am I even listening to this?

  “My Da passed away when I was nineteen. I took on many of his responsibilities. After supper I would sneak off to a little clearing in the woods and just play my fiddle until my arms ached.”

  He stopped and watched for my reaction. I just tapped my foot. “One day as I played, a lovely woman appeared. She told me she had heard the music and wanted to see where it came from. Her name was Aoife, and she was the most glorious creature I had ever seen, with raven hair and eyes like sapphires. I was completely enraptured by her. And the longer I played for her, the more I wanted to make her mine.”