PANDORA

by Rebecca Hamilton

  “That part I know. What’s so bad about falling asleep with the guys?” I shrug. It’s nothing really. I mean yea, Henry’s my brother and Barry is Barry, but they’re nice sometimes so it’s not like they’re write on her face or anything.

  She shakes her head and tosses the tissue paper in a growing trash pile on the floor. “It’s Henry,” she whispers. “He was so sweet.”

  I smile. “I’m not sure I understand the problem here.”

  Her electric blue eyes fly to mine. “I’m Amaranthine, I have a soul mate, just like Seth has you,” she points at me. “This is a problem because not only do I have a soul mate, but Henry has a mate. He might be Halfling, but he’s still got a mate somewhere out there.”

  I frown. “So, you can’t have a crush on someone because you have a mate that might take a hundred years to find?”

  She looks at me sadly. “He’s too hot, dammit,” she mutters, ignoring my question.

  I burst out laughing, then stop when pain radiates from my side. “I’ll just go tell him to be less hot.”

  She flips a gift card at me. “Shut up.”

  “I’m sorry,” I offer.

  “It’s not your fault.” She waves me off. “He can shift. Did you see his wolf?”

  “Not yet, I was sort of . . . ” I trail off, and she nods.

  “His wolf is even hot,” she mutters and addresses the finished thank you card.

  I drop my pen. “Explain that one.” She looks up to me shocked. “No really, how the hell is an animal hot?”

  “Jesus, Jaz, it’s a figure of speech.” She rolls her eyes. “Shut up and get back to work before I leave you and make you do all this by yourself,” she threatens.

  I glare at her. “You wouldn’t dare. You’d have to pass the guys to get to my room.”

  She sniffs. “Can I throw shit at them?”

  I wrinkle my nose. “Ew.”

  She sighs. “Trash?” she holds up a balled up piece of tissue paper.

  I laugh and gently palm my aching side. “I’d go for something harder.” We laugh and fill out a few more cards. The guys move from video games upstairs to the kitchen with us.

  “Mornin’,” Henry says, as he grabs an apple from the basket on the counter. “How’s it goin’?” He asks, coming over and looking over my shoulder.

  “Oh, just dandy, wanna help?” I ask hopefully.

  “Er, um, I’ve got someplace to be,” he mumbles and pushes Barry towards the stairway to the weight room. “See ya!”

  “Figures,” I mutter and sign my name for the tenth time.

  Skeeter presses her palms into her eyes and growls. “That image of him will forever be branded in my head.”

  I pause, mid-word. “What image?”

  “Of course you hadn’t noticed.” She shakes her head. “Your brother just waltzed in here, shirtless!”

  “Fuel for your dreams,” I tease and finish filling out the card. “It could’ve been worse,” I say.

  “How?” She shouts with rounded eyes.

  “It could’ve been Barry shirtless.” I wrinkle my nose and slide the card in the envelope.

  “He’s got rock hard abs,” she says like it’s nothing.

  “Who?” I ask.

  “Well, both of them, but I was talking about Barry. He’s a football player and after practice he’s notorious for walking around shirtless,” she explains. When she looks up at my blank face, she smiles. “You hadn’t noticed?”

  I shake my head. “I don’t see him like that.” I frown. “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve really noticed much of anyone since I started here,” I mutter and glare at the mountain of gifts.

  “Wait for it, I’m going to text bomb you with hundreds of hot-ass half-naked pictures of guys.” She laughs.

  My eyes widen. “I do not want half-naked pictures of my brother!”

  She snorts. “Not him, just, you know, some fitness models or something.”

  I shrug.

  She describes a few of her favorite fitness models she’s found on Pinterest as we finish up the thank you cards. When we’re done, Skeeter and I retreat to the backyard to enjoy some sun and we talk more about last night. She was scared for me, then angry and worried. That’s why she didn’t really talk much.

  “Henry says you talk in your sleep,” I say raising my head from the blanket to look at her.

  She snorts. “There’s nothing new there. I wonder what I said this time.”

  “I’m not sure. He wouldn’t say, but he smiled,” I shrug a shoulder.

  “Aw, man,” she groans and drops her head to blanket. “That can’t be good,” I laugh. “What do you think Charlotte wants to talk to you about?”

  “I have no idea,” I admit. “Think this bracelet means more than just protection?”

  “Sure, you’re now his slave,” she deadpans. “Avan isn’t like that. At least, not when it comes to protection from devuxen,” she says.

  I nod and look at the silver on my wrist. “How do we know it’s actually working?”

  “Don’t doubt Avan’s mad skills. He might pop in and hear you,” she giggles. “Avan isn’t a deceiver,” she says, getting serious again. “He may be a rat sorcerer, but he’s a damn good one and won’t be swayed like his sister. He’s lost so much, so he tries to save others from that fate,” she pauses and rolls to her stomach. “He can only do so much, and can’t be everywhere at once. He literally dropped what he was doing to be involved,” she shakes her head. “He’s been after Rhenata for nearly a century.” My eyes widen. “Don’t give me your shocked face, shit.” She rolls her eyes at me. “Did Seth explain nothing to you?” She groans and hops up to sit on her knees.

  “He explained some,” I defend.

  “Obviously not enough.” She picks at the thread on her shorts. “Sorcerers are humans, but they’re magic. As long as they keep their magic, they live. When they feel they’ve served their purpose, they stop using their magic, and eventually die. Having that kind of power comes with responsibility, obviously.”

  “So, basically they control how long they live?” I clarify.

  “Yep.” She nods. “That’s the short version.” She snorts. “I wish my grandma would’ve given me the short version when I asked.”

  I laugh and check the time on my phone. “Crap, I’ve gotta get dressed.” I jump up and grab my stuff.

  “You hungry?” She asks, and I nod. “I’ll go get the boys, and have them make us some sandwiches.” She winks and gathers her stuff and the blanket.

  After lunch, which Henry and Barry did indeed make us sandwiches, Seth shows up, and Henry offers to take Skeeter home, so that Seth and I could go straight to his house.

  At his house, we hang out with his parents for a little bit, and Claire gives me some really good medicine for pain. Then, we head up to Seth’s room to get a bit of privacy.

  “I have my first question,” I blurt, as I sit on his bed.

  “Spit it out.”

  “It’ll come out as more than one question,” I warn him. “I’m having a hard time with wording.” I shake my head and smile. “Do you remember the first night you stayed with me?”

  He nods. “Yeah, that’s when we found out your nightmares were attacks.”

  I nod. “When you woke me up from our little nap, you looked so amazingly awake, and happy. My question is what did you do that morning?”

  His cheeks flush adorably as he looks away from me. When he looks back, his face is composed. “I watched you sleep,” he says, a bit uncertain. “You held onto me for those two hours and didn’t have the urge to roll away or anything.” He shrugs, and I feel my face heat slightly.

  His eyes darken as he focuses on my pinked cheeks. “My question is . . . ” Sam chooses this moment to yell for us to come down. “Fine, we’ll finish this later,” Seth groans and helps me stand. We walk down the steps, following voices into the living room to see Avan and Charlotte.

  “Hello, Jasmine!” Charlotte practically squeals as she b
ounces on the balls of her feet. They both bow again. I’m still unsure if I’m supposed to bow back or do a little dance. I don’t know, so I just smile.

  “Sam, Seth, would you care to join us while the girls talk?” Luke asks, motioning to himself and Avan.

  They shrug and find a seat while Charlotte grabs my hand and pulls me out the back door to sit on the patio.

  She looks me over for a moment, and I’m careful not to look into her eyes. “Avan told me that you’re nervous to talk to me,” she blurts.

  I jolt slightly and fight a wince. “Well, yeah,” I admit.

  She smiles gently. “I guess no one told you about me.” I shake my head in a silent answer. “Well, I am Avan’s lifemate, a sorceress. Avan’s extra gift is that he can read minds, and mine is I see relationships.”

  I nod. “So, that was the freaky vortex eye thing?” I question, then wish I could gobble the words back up. That was rude.

  She blushes. “Yes. Sorry about that. It’s not that I can’t control it, but your pain was fresh and Rhenata’s mark drew my power to its greatest. You and Seth have a beautiful bond.” She smiles, and it’s my turn to blush. It sounds almost dirty the way she says it. Our bond is just that, ours. I’m not sure I like that she sees it, but there’s nothing I can do about that.

  “Is this why you wanted to talk to me?”

  “Not exactly, I wanted to talk to you because you and I have a friendship bond. You also have one with Avan. I’m sorry for throwing myself at you. I don’t mean to, we just haven’t been around new people in such a long time . . . ,” she trails off.

  After I get over the awkwardness, we just talk. She tells me that Fane and Barry are permanent fixtures in my life, definitely no getting rid of Barry. We talk about her and Avan’s adventures, they like hiking and rock climbing, very outdoorsy people. She was right. I really do like her, and want to keep contact with her.

  Two hours later, Seth, Sam, and Avan come out with water for us all and we talk some more. It’s really nice to just be. I’m pretty sure it’s a first that our main discussion wasn’t something about my protection or the demons after me.

  “You two are lifemates?” I ask, and Charlotte nods with a smile. “How is that different from a soul mate or a wolf’s mate?”

  Seth snorts. “That’s not a fair question for the Bond Seer.”

  I raise a brow. “You have a title?”

  Charlotte’s cheeks flush. “Yes,” she nods. “But it’s a fine question, boy.” She jokingly glares at Seth. He grins and nods back to her.

  “A lifemate is pretty much the same thing as a soul mate,” she says. “Different species have different terms for their destined,” she shrugs a shoulder. “If we were human, Avan would be my husband and if we were Amaranthine, Avan would be my soul mate.” She pauses for a sip of water. “It’s all relative to destiny. I could guess that there’s a scroll with the Ancients that have you and Seth paired, and it’s been there for centuries, if not longer.”

  ‘We don’t have future scrolls. That’s a crack-pot.’

  I snort at Seth’s thought. Charlotte looks at me, then to Seth and back again. “Do that again,” she breathes out. “I really wish you could see that.”

  I frown. “Do what? See what?”

  A wave of calm washes over me and my eyes flutter with the mental caress. The image of him and me, staring into each other’s eyes dances behind my lids. I open them and look to the faces surrounding us. I still don’t get it.

  “The way you two communicate through your bond is beautiful,” Charlotte says.

  I blush. “I . . . ” I stop talking when I feel Seth’s triumph at her words. He’s been trying to tell me that very thing for a while now. I glare at him playfully, and he smirks in return.

  As he reaches for his water, I remember the abandoned revenge list and my plan. He takes a drink, and I project the image of Turtle Barry. He snorts and water shoots out his nose. Avan and I laugh at the same time, and Sam and Charlotte look at us like we’ve all reached a new level of insanity.

  Avan delicately explains what I just did as I help Seth wipe off the table, then Avan surprises us all by magically drying Seth’s shirt.

  Charlotte and I exchange phone numbers before they leave. She said she’s addicted to texting, and if she annoys me I’m to tell her to “shut up.”

  “I’m going to shower and grab a few things for the night,” Seth says after Avan and Charlotte leave.

  “Okay, I’ll read or something.” I smile. He looks unconvinced. “I’ll be fine, don’t rush,” I promise and seal it with a kiss. I enter the living room as he heads up the stairs, and spy a book shelf. They’ve got to have something. I scan the shelf that’s eyelevel.

  “Hey, Jasmine,” Sam says and sits in the arm chair near the book shelf I’m standing in front of.

  I nod. “Hey.”

  “How are you adjusting?”

  “As good as I can, I guess.” I shrug and go back to looking at the books. “I’m still skeptical about this bracelet,” I say absent-mindedly. I rush to explain. “Skeeter told me as much as I need to know, and I know Avan is powerful, but I just don’t see how a bracelet can protect me.” I shrug and glance back at the bookshelf in hopes of something interesting.

  “I can see how you’d be skeptical,” he agrees.

  In shock, I ignore the books on the shelf, in favor of Sam. Usually, someone tries to explain to me how I’m being ignorant of the situation, or at least that’s how most explanations make me feel.

  “Can we talk for a minute?” He asks. I nod and walk to the couch to sit. He follows and sits a cushion away. “I think it would be a good idea to start your self-defense training soon.”

  I frown, wondering how he knew, but then I guess Seth, Avan or Luke probably mentioned it. “I want to, but I don’t know who would teach me,” I shrug.

  He smiles. “I could.”

  My eyebrows have probably vanished into my hair. “Is this one of those times where I should discuss this with Seth first?”

  He shrugs. “We can tell him when he comes down.” He smiles brightly.

  It feels almost awkward talking to Sam like this. There’s always been someone around. As the silence stretches, I begin to fidget.

  “Hey. You’re safe here,” he says. I nod. “If you don’t want to train with me, Athan and Fane can find someone else,” he offers.

  I shake my head. “No, no, it’s not that. That’s fine. I’m just, I don’t know. I think I’m messed up, is all,” I say carefully.

  He looks at me thoughtfully. “Can you talk to me about last night?”

  My chest heaves, heart clenches, and ribs burn. “Uh . . . No. I don’t really want to talk about it,” I tell him and look back over to the books.

  He nods and gives me an understanding look. “Judging from the bruises I believe . . . ,” he stops at seeing my icy glare. He sighs and looks away from me. “When I was in middle school, before thirteen, I was bullied terribly.” His eyes find mine. I have no idea where he’s going with this, but I can only hope there’s a purpose. “The jocks gave me swirlies, the punks would glue my books together, and the nerds gave me wedgies.” My mouth falls open. I never would’ve guessed that. He chuckles at my expression. “I had one friend, my science teacher.” He smiles. “She told me that everything happens for a reason, and one day things will fall into place and make sense. She said not to let my heart turn cold, not to shut down, because not everything in life is terrible, hurtful or evil.” He gives me a meaningful look. “Don’t take everything Derik is doing to heart. Things will be right one day, and you’ll be a stronger person for surviving this. The purpose doesn’t matter. It’s how you continue on that matters.”

  I sigh. “I get what you’re saying. I just don’t know how I can’t take this to heart.” I shrug and take a deep breath. “It seems like he’s either trying to wear me down or prepare me for what’s to come.” I look into Sam’s face. “I don’t care how we stop him. I just want it done,
soon.”

  He stares past me for a bit, eyes unfocused, looking like he’s in a trance.

  A huge smile begins to form, a smile that reaches his eyes, making the resemblance between him and Seth even stronger. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a genius?”

  He jumps up from the couch and begins to jog away. He comes to a sudden stop and darts back to kneel in front of me. “Jazzy, stay strong, and talk to Seth about everything. Allow him the chance to heal you the way only your soul mate can.” He smiles sadly, and I’m not sure if it’s because he doesn’t have his other half, or if it’s because of what I’m going through. “I have to go see a few people. Thank you so much. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He stands up, kisses the top of my head, and runs out the door.

  I’m too bewildered to resume looking for a book. I just stare at the spot Sam just vacated. What did I say to make him run off? All I said was I wasn’t sure I couldn’t stop myself from taking this bull shit to heart.

  Is there a reason for me being in this game of cat and mouse with a soul sucking demon? How can there be?

  “What’s all the confusion for?” Seth says as he sets down his bag.

  I jump slightly at his sudden appearance. “I was just having a conversation with your brother.” I must’ve paused too long because he pokes my arm. “It was kind of, I don’t know, a deep conversation. But then he just up and leaves without a reason. Like mid-conversation left... I don’t know what I said,” I shrug, and he chuckles.

  “He does that a lot,” he explains. “It’s the detective in him, I think. We’ll be talking about the weather and then, bam, he’s gone. It’s like, sometimes he’s working on something and can’t quite get it. A phrase, or a word, or a thought causes the missing puzzle piece to fall into place, and he has to take care of it right away.” He smiles.

  I sigh again and lean into his side. “Are you ready? I could use some relaxation and sleep.”

  “Let’s go get you some beauty rest,” he says with a smile.

  ***

  The cream works well enough that by Monday morning the bruise on my cheek is barely visible. Henry helped me explain to Mom that we were rough housing and reinjured my ribs, so she wrote me a note to get me out of gym. Luckily, she didn’t question it, but my guilt for lying is starting to skyrocket.