by Marie Hall
The ensuing silence was deafening, as if someone had stolen the life from the room. Then a deep, freezing cold swept through the place, causing the torches to flicker out, plunging everything into darkness.
I shoved my robe up, I needed to tell Luc. He needed to call Grace. We needed back up and we needed it now. I flicked on the box.
“Pandora! Pandora!” he screamed into my ear and I winced. “Are you okay? Where were you? Are you okay?” he asked again.
I couldn’t answer him for fear of exposing myself.
“Come to us, Molech. Hear the cries of your faithful.” And with those words the torches flared back to life, revealing a black robed figure sitting upon the throne.
Muted cries of ooh’s and ahh echoed throughout the chamber.
“Molech?” Luc’s tone had gone from desperate anger to laced with something akin to worry.
I couldn’t get a fix on the sitting stranger, which meant it was either human—I doubted it—or something bigger and badder than me.
The worshippers jumped to their feet, started throwing their robes off and began clapping and singing loudly at the tops of their lungs. They danced nude. Holding hands and circling the statue of the ancient god.
The cries of the sheep grew louder. I glanced to my right and saw a group of ten each carrying a bound lamb. I licked my lips.
“Billy,” I said, turning to him, but he was gone. Where was he?
“Pandora, answer me now. What's going on? My monitor is a nightmare of blue’s and red. Where are you?”
“Luc, oh my God, I’m in over my head.”
“Where are you?”
I scooted out from my position behind the wall. “I’m in some underground cave behind the club. Listen, Luc, I think I’ve stumbled on a lair.”
A cry, the likes of which I hadn’t heard in centuries, seared my skull. One of the lambs had been placed on the glowing arms. The room filled with the sick odor of burnt wool and sizzling skin.
“What was that?”
Blood started seeping between the metal hands, humans and vamp alike ran toward the alter, throwing up their hands as they bathed in it. Pure, unmasked erotic pleasure scrawled on their faces. Then the vampires started grabbing the humans. They began slicing deep groves in their flesh, sucking on the blood like leeches.
“I don’t give a crap what Grace said, this is bigger than me, Luc. I can’t handle this on my own. We need backup.”
I didn’t know where Billy had run off to and frankly I no longer cared. I had to leave. I had to grab more weapons, more muscle.
“Pandora, I see a band of blue laced with purple.”
I snarled, as more bodies began pouring into the room from the hall behind me. “Where?” And that was the final confirmation. We were dealing with a rogue. Very likely the figure on the throne.
“Somewhere ahead of you.”
I looked but couldn’t see anything that stood out in the thick crush of the crowd. The black robed figure was obscured from my line of vision.
Couples started pairing off, orgies were happening all around me. Some of the men and women screamed and I knew they weren’t willing partners.
I started backtracking, increasing my glamour, knowing I took a risk of exposing myself by doing it.
“The children, Luc, the children. I have to get them out.”
“Children? What children? Pandora, come back. We’ll sort this out, but you need to leave now.”
“I know,” I said between clenched teeth, shoving bodies out of my way, trying in vain to ignore the terrified pleas of the children. Then I stopped and my blood ran cold.
There she was. The little girl from last night. Her beautiful pink dress caked in blood and dirt, her chubby cheeks streaked with lines of dried tears. She stared at me, saying nothing, but her beautiful brown eyes glittered with hope that her hero might still save her.
My breath trembled.
“Pandora, get out,” Luc warned, “I see heat signals everywhere. It’s like a bloody hive down there. Get out!”
I didn’t stop to think, I could no longer ignore this. I ran up to the cage, grabbed the door and pulled. I warped the metal in my haste to get her out of there.
She jumped back. Ducked her head and started to cry.
“Ssh, baby,” I cooed, “come to me. Come on, sweet girl.”
She sniffled and wiped her nose off with her fist. I looked over my shoulder and saw no one.
“Pandora, please, you’re giving me a heart attack,” Luc pleaded.
I ignored him. I wouldn’t leave her.
“What’s your name, honey?”
“Brianna,” she said around a hiccup, her teeny voice girlish soft.
“Brianna, I’m gonna take you back to your mommy, but I need you to come with me now.”
My heart clenched when she put on a brave face and stepped into my arms. I hugged her tight, trying to ease the spasming muscles in her body. “Just relax, little one. I’m gonna take you home. Ssh.”
I was so focused on her; I never saw the blade that tore through my midsection. Disemboweling me.
Brianna screamed and I cried out, nearly dropping her as the pain exploded through my brain.
“Pandora!” Luc yelled.
I blocked everything out but my desperate desire to leave and save her.
Quickly I set her down. Adrenaline began to burn through me. I turned and came face to face with the black robed figure. I grabbed the cloak’s arm and torqued it, snapping the bone at the elbow and shoulder.
It roared. Then it punched me in the gut and I gagged. Black spots swam in my vision.
“Don’t hurt her,” Brianna cried.
Every breath hurt. But I couldn’t let it touch her. I swept its legs out from under it. Knocking it to the ground. Then I kicked it in the thigh hard enough to feel the bone give way. It doubled over, howling.
I ignored Luc. I ignored my pain. With one hand I grabbed the little girl. She hugged me around the neck. So tight it almost cut off my airway.
I ran on unsteady legs, holding my organs inside the best I could. The cloak started after me. I was never gonna make it out.
Brianna cried, burying her face in my neck.
“Ssh, baby. Ssh, I’m gonna get you home.”
I stumbled. Each step I took, each little movement jostled my insides. I had to bite down on my tongue to keep from screaming. I tasted blood and knew I’d bit through.
I ran through the empty halls. I got lost and disoriented. The footsteps were gaining on me.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Sweat trickled down my back. I was gonna have to port. It was dangerous with me so injured. But if I didn’t, we’d both die.
I ported and it was like every cell in my body had been bathed in acid. I traveled the breeze, held onto Brianna with the last of my flagging strength and fought unconsciousness. I’d never be able to find her home. I wouldn’t make it.
Consciousness grew fuzzy.
There was a police station downtown. I headed in that direction, slipping in and out. I made it. But barely. I fell on the blacktop and had to roll to prevent myself from crushing Brianna’s tiny body.
She screamed, her tiny hands scrabbling over my face in her panic. Porting was terrifying. Especially if you didn’t know it was coming.
I heaved, the air felt thick. I couldn’t take a good breath. I looked at her. “You’re safe. You’re safe.” It was like I’d run a fifty-mile marathon. Every muscle ached. Screamed at me.
After several seconds of me petting her hair, she finally calmed down.
We were in the alley behind the station. “Brianna, honey, do you think you can walk?” I asked, my voice a mere thread of sound.
She swallowed hard, and then gave a swift nod.
“This is the back of the police station, walk inside and tell them your name, they will call your mommy and daddy.”
“No,” she cried, grabbing my hand and hugging it tight to her chest, “not without you.”
I hisse
d, the sudden movement had caused me to jerk, blackness was seconds away. I was running on nothing but adrenaline now.
“Listen, honey. I can’t walk. I can’t follow you inside. But I’ll watch you and make sure you get in okay.” I nodded, forcing her to look me in the eyes.
She took several quick breaths. I brushed hair out of her eyes. There was one last thing that needed to be done.
“Now come here and give me a hug,” I said in a hard whisper, body trembling.
Her chubby arms wrapped around my neck and I took a deep breath, pulling as much glamour out of my fatigued body as I possibly could and sank it into her brain.
“You will no longer remember what happened to you.” I rested my cheek against hers. “There was no torture, there were no bad guys. You were lost, but now you’re fine. You woke up in the woods, alone and scared, but safe. Safe. Always safe.” I kissed her and felt the tension drain from her body as my words rewrote her version of history.
I’d always thought screwing with the mind was little more than rape, but in this situation it was the best I could do. She’d never remember what actually happened. There’d be nothing but a vague memory of darkness and fear, but little more. I could only hope she’d be strong enough not to dwell in that empty space of time.
“Now go.” I patted her. She gave me a smile and it was beautiful, it warmed a part of me I’d thought long dead. Then she walked away.
I stayed, long enough to sense she’d gone inside. It took me a second to work up enough strength. I gritted my teeth and ported back to the rooftop where Billy had found me earlier.
I screamed when I reappeared, the stench of my own sweat and blood making me nauseous. I coughed. The grate with my precious book inside, inches away. I lifted my arm, but it felt weighted down and too heavy. Inches might as well have been miles.
I rested my cheek against the cold concrete, my eyes refusing to stay open. “Luc,” I said weakly.
“We’re coming, Pandora.”
Who’s we, I wanted to ask, but my mouth wouldn’t move. Fuzzy. Everything had grown fuzzy.
Billy. He left me. Left me to die.
Then it was black. I don’t know how long I was out when I felt a pair of strong arms scoop me up and hug me tight. I tried to open my eyes, to speak, but there was so much pain. I moaned.
“Sleep, precious one.”
“Billy?” I tried to shove the hands away, tried to move. But couldn’t. He’d set me up and now I was weak and exposed.
“No,” he said, “not Billy.”
There was gentle reassurance in his voice.
“Sleep,” he said again.
And this time I slid down into the liquid silk of his command.
Chapter 22
Someone was touching me. I tried to shove the hands away. No, I slurred, not sure if I’d spoken it, or thought it. I wanted to go back to the dream. To the place where there was no time, no fear, or pain, to the peaceful solitude of nothing.
“Pandora, can you hear me?”
The words echoed like a steel drum in my skull. I winced.
I can hear you.
“I don’t think she can hear me.”
Luc?
“Who brought her here?”
Another voice. Deeper. More gritty.
Bubba?
“I don’t know, okay. I don’t know.” I could just picture Luc yanking on his hair in frustration.
“Look at her, she’s a wreck.” Soft voice, gentle, soothing. Hands on my forehead. Cool scent of spice and man. Sleepy. So sleepy.
Kemen. I smiled.
Sandman, come cuddle me.
“Can you heal her?” Kemen asked.
“Not like this.” Luc growled, I could picture him scrubbing a hand down his jaw in frustration.
Too loud. I wanted sleep. Needed sleep.
Go away.
“Where’s Vyxyn? I sent her with you guys.” Hands on my shoulder. “Pandora, wake up.” Luc again. I moaned. “Come on, Dora, wake the piss up. You need to heal. Open your eyes. Show me you’re there.”
I cried out when he shook me, my lashes fluttered. Please stop shaking me. Go away.
“Dammit,” he snapped. “I can’t heal her. Kemen, you’re gonna have to put her deep. If she can’t have sex then she’ll need to sleep.”
A warm body pressed to mine. I sighed, and then groaned. Stomach hurt so bad.
“Ssh, I got you.” Kemen rubbed my back. “Sandman’s got you, Dora.”
Ke...men, then I was out again.
~*~
Bright light woke me. I frowned, where was I? I rolled over and grimaced as a sharp pain sluiced through my lower abdomen. A gentle snore sounded in my ear.
Heart beating, I turned. Kemen had his arm draped over his face, mouth agape.
What the hell? I sat up and looked around. I was home. But how? Pulse thundering, I licked my lips as the memory of the night came back with choking clarity.
Molech. The worshippers. Brianna. The knife.
“Oh my God.” I pulled the sheets down. I was naked, there was no blood. Someone had cleaned me off. There was a large, angry welt crossing the length of my abdomen. I traced the wide line, the wound so freshly mended it was almost clear. I could make out the lines of muscle; see the faint bump of organs still shifting back into place.
I winced.
I dropped my head into my hands and tried to remember. It was there, like little flashes of memory but disjointed. A soft breeze fluttered the curtains in my bedroom and a small piece of paper flew off my nightstand. It was gray, rumpled. Odd, because I didn’t remember that sheet of paper.
I stood on rubbery legs, grabbing onto the nightstand for support until the room stopped spinning long enough that I could go grab the paper. I picked it up. There were two lines.
Don’t trust anyone.
~G.M.
I cocked my head. “G.M.?” My eyes widened. The Gray Man. What the hell? How’d he get into my trailer? I ambled to my window and peeked outside. It was a somber October morning, gray, overcast, and promising more rain. But there was neither sight nor sound of the Gray Man.
When had he come? While Kemen and I had slept? Who exactly couldn’t I trust? Everybody? The Gray Man himself? What the hell?
“Pandora?”
I twirled and my abs screamed in protest at the sudden movement. I crumpled the sheet in my hand.
“You’re awake.” Kemen rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned. “You okay?” he asked, voice rough with sleep.
“Kemen, can you please go get Luc?”
He tunneled blunt fingers through his cropped hair and nodded. “Yeah sure.” He grabbed his black ribbed t-shirt and slipped it on.
“Hey,” I said, before he walked out.
“Yeah?”
“You come back too.”
He frowned, looking both curious and confused. “Alright.”
I walked slowly toward my bathroom.
“And, Pandora...”
I glanced at him.
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
I wasn’t sure that was true, but I smiled anyway. “Me too, Kem.”
I showered and ate, taking my time and trying not to move too fast or eat too much, even though I was starving. As I was slipping on a pair of socks there was a knock at my door. “Come in.”
Luc and Kemen entered. Kemen had changed into a flannel sweater and black jeans, his hair looked scrubbed. Luc was in an old pair of tattered jeans and black leather jacket. The hard lines of his jaw more telling than words just how pissed he was.
I sighed.
“You turned off your mic, Pandora.”
“Okay, I deserve that.” I held up my hands and sat on the edge of my couch.
“You could have died.” Luc gripped my shoulders and gave me a hard shake. My stomach burned from the abuse.
I licked my teeth. First insult was free, but now he was angering me.
“That was my business.” I wasn’t even going to admit that in hindsig
ht it was the dumbest thing I’d ever done. I’d slipped, trusted Billy too much when I shouldn’t have. I’d said I wouldn’t, but I had. Which convinced me more than ever that somehow he was thralling me. I was too smart to be so stupid. But I’d die before I admitted it to the glowering neph standing in front of me with balled fists.
Luc’s eyes started to swirl. The room grew heavy, the air thick with the rise of his power. “You could have died and I would never have known.” His words were clipped and terse.
“Luc,” Kemen drawled, clapping him on the shoulder, “ease off, man.”
I shot Kemen a look and wondered what he knew. I’d slept with him the entire night. Had I muttered something in my sleep? Had Luc told him?
I caressed Luc’s cheek. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. He blinked as I continued to pet him and mutter wordless nothings. Finally some of his power began to drain from the room.
“We need to talk, Luc.”
He narrowed his eyes. "You're right we do.”
I glanced at Kemen. “Alone. For just a second.”
He nodded, looked at Luc then back at me. “You gonna be okay?” he asked me, and I knew he worried that Luc might snap.
“She’ll be fine,” he said, never taking his eyes off my face. “Now go,” he all but snarled.
I gave Kemen a weak smile. “Just stand outside for a second, Kem, I’ll call you when I’m ready.”
He did not want to go, I could see it clearly in his face, but he listened and left anyway.
I tugged on Luc’s hand forcing him to sit next to me. He sat, but snatched his hand out of mine and looked to the side.
“I’m sorry, but there were things I needed to do and I couldn’t have you listening.”
“He was there.” It wasn’t a question and I wasn’t going to pretend like it was. “He tried to kill you.”
I couldn’t be sure it had been Billy, but I also couldn’t be sure it hadn’t. Only he had power enough to locate me. Vamps couldn’t draw the necessary amount of magic to be able to track a neph. So it left Billy, or the Rogue.
Luc was visibly shaking. I touched his back and he jerked. “Don’t touch me right now, Pandora. I don’t trust myself,” he growled.
I remembered that voice, that look of hate. I’d seen it the night he’d knifed me. I held up my hands in a placating manner and scooted back on the couch. “Not touching, see.”