PANDORA

by Rebecca Hamilton

  “You never answered my original question. How exactly are you planning to keep Mason safe?”

  Her lips stretch tight into a smug smile. “You act like this is the first time Caretakers have ever had to hide an Aerling. We know how to protect them better than anyone.”

  “Is that why Mason’s in danger now?” I snap. “Because you’re all so great at keeping secrets and protecting people?”

  The skin around her eyes crinkles as she narrows her glare.

  “Answer the question,” I demand.

  “Mason will be moved every week from one Caretaker family to the next. Only the Caretakers he is with will know his location. He will be kept indoors at all times once he is transferred so there is no chance of a Sentinel spotting a door opening by itself or other strange occurrences. He will be monitored closely and allowed no contact with anyone outside the family he is with, ensuring he remains safe,” she says. “This will continue until his eighteenth birthday when the Caretakers he is with will contact us and make arrangements for you to join Mason and escort him home.”

  My family has been silent throughout this exchange, but now my dad unravels himself from Mom and Evie and storms up next to my bed. His hand slips into mine as his gaze travels to Robin’s parents. “What exactly happens then?” he demands. “You expect Olivia to waltz in to be Mason’s Escort, but no one has bothered to explain what will happen when she does. We need to know that our daughter will be safe before we agree to any of this.”

  Robin’s father, who should understand better than anyone a father’s love for his daughter, tightens his jaw angrily. The expression on his face makes me shiver. “Your daughter was born into this world to serve a purpose. What right do you have to deny her the opportunity to fulfill her purpose? If she is destined to die helping Mason return to his world, then she will die knowing she has done the right thing. It is not your place to determine her future.”

  Dad goes rigid next to me. “Not my place?” he growls. “I am her father! It is my purpose to love and protect her, from the Caretakers if necessary. You are fooling yourselves if you think we’ll hand her over to you blindly.”

  It is like an old western showdown between them. Robin’s parents look furious that my dad would question them, let alone threaten them. Dad looks ready to throw a punch. I love him for standing up for me, for loving me enough to stand up to these nutjobs, but he’s wrong about this. Robin’s parents are right about one thing. It isn’t his choice whether or not I will help Mason and possibly die in the process. I will save Mason’s life and take him home. That is not up for debate.

  “Dad,” I say quietly as I touch his arm, “it’s okay.”

  He peers down at me, confused.

  “Nothing has to be decided right now,” I lie. “Let’s just hear them out, okay?”

  Dad clenches his jaw. Mom looks like she is on the verge of tears while I fear Evie is about to tear into Robin and her parents. The room stays quiet, neither agreement nor dissent passing between us. It’s the best I can hope for right now. I look back at Robin’s parents and study them for a moment.

  I’m sure they are very dedicated Caretakers. Clearly, that’s their main priority, even over their own daughter. I get the impression that they only had a child to pass on their purpose. And she stripped them of that. Robin’s head dips down when her father deigns to glance in her direction. The look in his eyes echoes my own anger and frustration I feel toward Robin because of the problems she has caused us, but there is something even more intense in his expression. Hatred.

  I never thought I would pity Robin. I’ve been too busy despising her for that, but in this moment I feel sorry for her. My parents are standing beside me, protecting me because they love me. Robin’s parents would throw her to the wolves if they thought it would win them another chance to care for an Aerling and fulfill their purpose.

  A strange mixture of emotions crowds in on me, but I push them all back and refocus on Robin’s scary mother. “What happens to Escorts after they help their Aerlings return home?”

  “Their fate is . . . uncertain.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Mason demands, speaking up for the first time. His body is tight beside me and his fingers are strangling mine.

  “It means we don’t know,” she snaps. “Most Escorts never return. We have no idea whether they are able to cross into the Aerling world with their charge, or if their lives are the cost of sending the Aerling home. There is no way for us to know for sure.”

  “What about the ones who do return?” Dad asks. “Surely they have given the Caretakers some insight.”

  Robin’s father shakes his head. “The ones who do come back . . . they aren’t the same.”

  “What do you mean?” Evie demands, nearly yelling out her question. “Like she’ll be crazy? What kind of jacked up system is this?”

  Neither of Robin’s parents seems interested in answering. Their hard expressions stay fixed on me. I suppose to their minds, it shouldn’t matter what might happen to me. It’s my purpose. Surprisingly, it is Robin who answers.

  “The Escorts that have come back, they aren’t crazy, but there’s something wrong with them. Guilt maybe. None of them will ever talk about what happened. Most Caretakers believe they either failed to return their Aerlings and witnessed their deaths, or were too cowardly to follow through and abandoned their Aerling.” Robin twists her fingers around each other. “Not fulfilling our purpose is like treason to Caretakers. Escorts who come home are ostracized.”

  “Wait,” I say, “are most Escorts Caretakers?”

  The look that passes between Robin’s parents is irritating, like they’re debating whether or not I am worthy enough to receive whatever information they’re hoarding. Robin’s mother tilts her chin up snobbishly before speaking, “Yes, most Escorts are Caretakers. Only rarely do we find an Escort among the lay people.”

  Evie snorts, and I have the urge to do the same. Lay people? Like they’re better than everyone else just because they’re Caretakers? Mason shakes his head, which only serves to irritate Robin’s parents. Like I care at this point.

  “Escorts who are not Caretakers,” Robin’s mom continues, “are rare, and usually a sign of . . . ”

  When her voice trails off, it’s not easy to resist the urge to grab her and shake the answer, all the answers, out of her skinny little body.

  “It means,” Robin says as she steps forward, “that Mason is very important.”

  Evie laughs out loud. The mocking lilt to her laughter grates on Robin’s parents. My own smile is vicious as well, because I know why Evie is laughing. “So, the most important Aerlings can’t be trusted to the Caretakers.”

  “That’s not true,” Robin’s mother snaps.

  “Of course it’s true, yet you still want us to trust you to protect Mason until his birthday.” If both of my hands weren’t occupied holding onto Mason and my dad, I would throw something at her.

  Mason’s hand tightens around mine, and at first I think he is doing it to show his agreement. When he looks down at me I know I am wrong. My heart aches because it is the same look I gave my dad just a few minutes ago. Mason’s thumb grazes my knuckles lightly.

  “I know you don’t want to agree, Olivia, but it’s the only way I can be sure you’ll be safe. I have to go with them.”

  “No,” I beg. Tears spring to my eyes and begin rolling down my cheeks. The pain in my chest spreads to every part of me. “Please don’t go.”

  The agony in his expression kills me. His head shakes back and forth, breaking my heart. “I can’t stay. I have to leave. You know this is the only way.”

  “I don’t know, and neither do you! Please, Mason, don’t go,” I beg.

  His fingers brush away my tears. Dad’s hand slips out of mine as he steps back and let’s Mason take me in his arms. Everyone else disappears from my mind as I look up at Mason through tear-filled eyes. He blinks away tears, but they roll down his cheeks anyway. I shake my head back
and forth, refusing to believe our time together is over. I can’t do this without him. I can’t sit back wondering and waiting, not knowing where he is or if he’s safe. I can’t wake up every morning knowing he won’t be there.

  “Let me come with you,” I beg one last time.

  Mason crushes me against his chest. The pain in my shoulder flares, but I only grip him tighter. My frightened tears explode into a torrent. I only cry harder when Mason’s tears splash down on my skin.

  “I love you, Ollie,” Mason whispers. “This won’t be forever, I promise. We’ll be together again soon.”

  Squeezing my eyes shut tightly, I press my forehead into his chest. I can’t face him. I can’t say goodbye, even if it’s only for a few weeks. I can’t, because I don’t trust Robin’s parents. I am terrified that this will be the last time I ever see him. My head shakes back and forth until Mason forces my chin up so I have no choice but to meet his gaze. His red, swollen eyes send another shot of agony through me.

  “Ollie, please. Don’t make me leave you like this. You know I don’t want to go. I would never leave you if I had any choice.” His expression is pleading, begging me to tell him this is okay.

  I don’t want to, because it’s not. It’s not okay! But the pain in his eyes is too much. “I know,” I whisper hoarsely. “I know you don’t want to leave. I’m sorry, Mason. I want to be strong for you, but I don’t know if I can. I love you so much. I can’t imagine not being with you every day.”

  “I know,” he whispers, “I know.”

  His arms curl around me and we hold each other in silence. There is so much to say, but I am out of words. I lean up and pull Mason’s lips to mine. I don’t care who is watching or what my dad may think. Every ounce of my love flows into this one kiss. My fingers slide back into Mason’s hair as he cradles me against him. Heat grows between our bodies as our souls irrevocably connect, mixing in a way that will never let us drift apart. In the midst of this terrible pain, we are sheltered by this gift of joy. Mason is mine, and I am his, no matter what we are forced to face.

  Chapter 38

  Join the Club

  (Olivia)

  Sitting on Mason’s bed, alone, I stare out the window at the Caretaker cop parked outside our house. The Dewalts give it a strange look as they carry their luggage back into their house. One corner of my mouth turns up faintly at the sight of them. It’s the best I can manage, even though I am extremely relieved that they were in Florida visiting their daughter while the Sentinels invaded their house and are not actually dead, rotting in the basement.

  My phone buzzes, but I ignore it. No doubt it’s Haden again. It didn’t take long for him to hear the story Evie spread about what happened to me. Not the truth, of course, but part of our plan to make sure the Sentinels know Mason is gone. Evie told a few of her most gossip hungry friends about a creepy guy with a scar who has been stalking me. We blamed him for the knife attack and made sure everyone knew what he looked like. The school is even going to post pictures of the sketch the police did all around the school.

  It’s a good plan, but I refuse to give Robin’s parents any credit. They took Mason away from me, and I will never forgive them for that.

  A knock sounds at my door, and I look up expecting Evie, but finding Robin instead. A heavy breath flows out of me. I think this is the first time I have ever been relieved to see Robin. Not that I will admit it, but I turn around eagerly to face her.

  “He’s safe?” I ask desperately.

  She nods as she sits down on the bed with me. Part of me wants to push her off, but the other part clings to the pity I felt when I realized how badly her parents treat her. I know she’s made mistakes, but she doesn’t deserve to be hated by her own family.

  “How much can you tell me?” I ask.

  “Not much.” Her eyes stare at the blanket beneath her legs. She bites at her bottom lip as she squeezes her hands together. “All I know is that a Caretaker family met us out in the middle of nowhere late last night and hustled him into their car. They told my parents they’d pass my mom and dad’s contact info onto the next family so whoever has him on his birthday will be able to get in touch with us and set up the meeting.”

  I nod, treasuring even this tiny amount of information. At this point, I think I hate the Caretakers just as much as I hate the Sentinels, but I know they’ll protect Mason. From what Robin managed to tell me before they left last night, her parents aren’t even the worst of the Caretakers when it comes to their fanaticism with fulfilling their purpose. They’ll keep him safe.

  “Did Mason say anything before . . . before they took him?” I ask quietly.

  Robin’s mouth turns down at the corners. “He said he’d find a way to let you know he’s safe.”

  “How?” I ask.

  She shakes her head. “I don’t know, but I’ve learned not to doubt him.”

  I don’t doubt Mason either, but I don’t know how long it will take him to find a way to contact me. I don’t know how long I can bear waiting. The air in Mason’s bedroom seems thick. It’s almost claustrophobic, but I can’t bring myself to get up and leave it. An irrational part of me fears it will all disappear if I step out of his room, that every reminder I have of him will be stolen away like he was.

  “I hate your parents.”

  The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them. I wasn’t planning to say them, but once they are out, I don’t regret them even a little.

  Robin snorts. “Join the club.”

  “It’s not just about Mason,” I say. “Whatever you’ve done, it isn’t right that they treated you the way they did.”

  She shrugs slowly. “I don’t know. Maybe they’re right. I should have been able to live up to their expectations, but I haven’t.”

  “They shouldn’t hate you for that.”

  “But they do,” she says stiffly.

  A strange silence falls over us. It’s not awkward, because we are beyond that, but it isn’t comfortable. It feels charged, like we are both on the edge of doing something drastic, but don’t know where to start. We need each other’s help, I realize. I know what I want. I want to save Mason’s life, hopefully without losing mine if at all possible. To do that, I need to know as much about being an Escort as I can. I need Robin’s help.

  But what does she want? And why does she need my help? I stare at her, trying to figure it out, but everything about her is closed down right now. Robin is a Caretaker, and I have already decided that they are a group I should be wary to trust. I have no one else, though. Whatever Robin is after, I have no choice but to hope it is the same thing I want, or at the very least, that it won’t stop me from saving Mason.

  “Robin,” I say hesitantly, “how would you like to know the truth?”

  “The truth?” she asks. She voices the question, but I can see in her eyes that she knows exactly what I’m talking about. Her feigned ignorance only lasts a second longer before her hands tighten into fists. “You don’t believe them either?”

  I shake my head. “If there’s one thing Caretakers are good at, it’s keeping secrets.”

  “I knew they were lying when they said they didn’t know what happens to Escorts,” Robin says, “but I don’t know how to prove it. I know they’re lying about other things too, but where do I start trying to find the truth?”

  It’s a good question, one I don’t really have the answer to. I can only choose a direction and hope it is the right one. “They said that some Escorts have returned, right?”

  Robin nods.

  “Then we need to locate one of them and find out what really happened.”

  “How?” Robin asks.

  Another good question. Another answer I don’t have. “We’ll find a way.”

  For a moment, Robin looks skeptical, but then her resolve tightens. She nods, and the beaten down look in her eyes disappears. Robin might be the last person I want to form a secret alliance with, but Mason’s life is worth putting aside petty jealousy and anger
. She’s my only way into the secretive world of the Caretakers. Trusting her is still a huge risk, but doing nothing will cost Mason his life.

  Robin and I turn when Evie walks into the room. I know she has taken Mason’s leaving hard, but there is no evidence of weakness in her stance as she stops in front of the bed. Her hard eyes dart between the two of us. For a moment, I wonder where my silly, girly, jabbering little sister has gone. It’s a fleeting thought, though, because I have always known that under her prissy exterior is the kind of strength you never have to doubt.

  “So, have you two come up with a plan yet, or what?” Evie asks.

  “Are you offering to help?” Robin asks skeptically.

  I stand up and put my arm around Evie’s shoulder. “Did you ever doubt she would?”

  Robin doesn’t look entirely convinced of Evie, but she sighs and shakes her head. “We can start with my grandma. I don’t know if she’ll know where we can find an Escort who returned, but I don’t know who else to turn to. My parents are obviously out.”

  “Obviously,” Evie snaps.

  Gently, I push Evie back before she starts clawing Robin’s eyes out. “Why are you doing this?” I ask Robin.

  “Because I care about Mason,” she says, as if the answer should be obvious.

  I shake my head at her. “It’s more than that. If you want us to trust you, I want the real answer.”

  Robin pushes herself up from the bed slowly. Every movement is hard and jerky. There is a flame of determination in her eyes that startles me. “The real answer?” Her teeth grind together. “If you had to live every day with two people who despise you, wouldn’t you want to escape? Wouldn’t you do anything to get out from under their hateful eyes? I can’t spend the rest of my life with them.”

  “The rest of your life?” Evie snorts. “You’re almost eighteen. You’ll get to move out soon, and then you never have to see them again if you don’t want to.”