Pandora
The Omega Group Series
Book 3
Andrea Domanski
www.AndreaDomanski.com
Copyright © 2015 by Andrea Domanski
Cover Art Copyright © 2015 by Rebecca Sterling
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Send all inquiries to www.AndreaDomanski.com
First Printing, 2015
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The Omega Group Series
Crossfire (Book 1)
Greco (Book 1.5)
Rogue (Book 2)
Pandora (Book 3)
Chaos (Book 4)
Table of Contents
Introduction / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3
Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7
Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11
Chapter 12 / Chapter 13 / Chapter 14 / Chapter 15
Chapter 16 / Chapter 17 / Chapter 18 / Chapter 19
Chapter 20 / Chapter 21 / Chapter 22 / Chapter 23
Chapter 24 / Chapter 25 / Chapter 26 / Chapter 27
Chapter 28 / Chapter 29 / Chapter 30 / Chapter 31
Chapter 32 / Chapter 33 / Chapter 34 / Chapter 35
Chapter 36 / Chapter 37 / Chapter 38 / Chapter 39
Epilogue
A Note from the Author
About the Author
Introduction
The legend of Pandora’s Box predates recorded history and, as with all ancient legends, there have been many incarnations. A creation story, eerily similar to that of Eve in Genesis, it depicts man’s fall from grace at the hands of an overly curious woman.
It is said that Zeus, angered when Prometheus gave the gift of fire to mortal man against his wishes, created the first woman as a punishment. Her name was Pandora, and the leader of the gods sent her to earth with a chest full of all the evils which had yet to plague mankind. Zeus gave her instructions to never open the box, but also endowed her with great curiosity, which he knew would cause her to disobey him.
When she did so, the evils imprisoned in the box escaped, spreading disease, hardship, death, and a myriad of other suffering upon the earth. Gone was the utopian perfection that was once mankind.
This story, over thousands of years, has been told almost as a cautionary tale for children. It is also only a fraction of the truth.
Chapter 1
Daedric coughed up another lungful of dust as his archeologist companions slowly chiseled away at the rock separating them from their prize. It took a great deal of self-restraint to not scream at them to move faster. They were so intent on preserving every Greek symbol carved into the wall, it had taken them more than a month just to uncover the entrance.
All Daedric could think about was getting the box he knew sat on the other side of the wall and delivering it to his father. Dear old Dad, Ares, had saved him from Mirissa and the Omega Group team a few months prior, and Daedric needed to prove himself worth the effort. The only problem, aside from the incessant banter from the mongrel sent to keep an eye on him, was the utter disdain Daedric felt for the peons with whom he’d been forced to work.
Humans annoyed him at the best of times, but having to pretend he was one of them—laughing at their ridiculous jokes, feigning weaknesses he didn’t have and, worst of all, not using his demi-god powers—became almost unbearable. Although he detested every second of living as a human, he also felt grateful to have the ability to do so. It was the only reason Ares, the Greek god of war, created him by impregnating his human mother. Ares needed him for this.
No god could enter the chamber holding the infamous Pandora’s Box. Daedric’s human half allowed him to get close, but even that wasn’t enough to get him inside. His two recently acquired archeologist colleagues would have to bring the box to him, assuming they were able to get to it at some point in this lifetime.
“Any chance we’re going to get into that chamber today?” Daedric asked them with as much kindness forced into his voice as possible.
“For an archeologist, Rick, you are really impatient,” Jonathon, the boss, quipped in his usual condescending tone. The two men laughed. It was their standard line when discussing the colleague they knew only as Rick Aresson.
“I was just asking.” Daedric’s jaw ached from clenching every time he had the urge to kill one, or both, of them. “Yesterday, you said it would be today.”
“You did say that.” The whiny voice of his appointed chaperone echoed down the rock corridor. Flip, the little troll Ares insisted Daedric keep at his side, pretended to study the ancient Greek symbols carved into the stone at the other end of the corridor. The real reason for his distance, currently thirty feet away from them, was his aversion to pain. He was, after all, a full-blooded Greek god, and couldn’t get anywhere near the chamber.
“I don’t know how you two got through all those digs listed on your resumes. We’ve only been at this for a month, and you’re already chomping at the bit. Relax a little, Rick, and tell your strange friend to do the same. We’ll get through when we get through.”
The tap, tap, tap of the tiny hammers in their hands came to an unexpected stop. “Jonathon, I think we’ve done it,” the one named Luke whispered.
Daedric leaned forward as they stood to admire their work. The last piece of the seal, which had kept the chamber’s door in place for five thousand years, fell to the floor. Even Jonathon looked excited to finally be through. His excitement, however, didn’t move him to speed up.
Daedric spent another painstaking hour photographing every inch of the rectangular crevice that once held an ancient version of cement sealant. He didn’t miss any angle with the camera while he waited for the others to catalogue every chip and chunk they’d removed.
When he felt sure he would tear Jonathon’s head from his shoulders if he spent one more second cataloging, Daedric’s temporary boss held up one of the long metal tools they would be using to dislodge the small door and handed it over.
They each took their positions, tools at the ready, and waited for Jonathon to give the go-ahead.
“The discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb has, for decades, been considered the greatest archeological find of our era. We are about to change that,” Jonathon said. He broadcast the obviously rehearsed speech in the self-important tone Daedric had come to despise. “From this moment forward, Jonathon Stapleton will be remembered as the man who discovered the oldest intact tomb in existence.” He looked to his two companions and continued. “Of course, your names will be added as contributors to all published works on the matter.”
Daedric forced a smile he hoped matched Luke’s. He didn’t yet want to express his true feelings about the man who had delusions of grandeur even the best psychiatrist in the world couldn’t cure. As soon as they brought the box across the entrance’s threshold, the enchantment protecting it would be no more. Then, he would show Jonathon exactly how little the man meant to the world, in the most painful way possible.
“Are you guys through yet?” Flip yelled from the safety of his faraway spot.
Jonathon raised his eyebrows at Daedric. “Why doesn’t he just come down here?”
The door stood a mere five feet tall and two feet wide, but its weight was formidable. The three of them would never have been able to pull it free had Daedric not used his telekinesis. Although str
ictly forbidden to use his powers while in the men’s company, waiting for Jonathon to find enough people he trusted with his secret dig to help them was unthinkable. Ares would forgive his transgression when he presented him with the box.
When they’d pulled back the door enough for them to slip through, Jonathon pushed Luke aside to make sure he gained entry first. “One small step for man, one huge leap for mankind,” he said, misquoting Neil Armstrong’s famous line from when he stepped onto the moon.
Daedric felt the protective power of the small chamber pushing against him, and he struggled to remain in place. A high-pitched yelp from down the corridor said Flip felt something, too. “That space is a little small for my liking,” Daedric said. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll take photos from out here.”
Luke’s jaw dropped and Jonathon turned to him, astonished. “Are you kidding? All of your impatience and you’re going to let a little claustrophobia stop you? You two are the strangest archeologists I’ve ever worked with.”
When the two men crossed into the chamber, their flashlight beams illuminated the room’s sole occupant. The box, a chest made of dark metal, sat unadorned on the cold stone floor. It radiated a force Daedric couldn’t identify but instinctively feared.
“This is amazing,” Luke said. “I’ve never seen a chamber lacking in all decoration. I can’t imagine why a people would put so much effort into concealing something they didn’t even think was worthy of ornamentation.”
“It is odd.” Jonathon couldn’t conceal his obvious disappointment at the lack of riches. “Perhaps the real treasure is inside the chest.” He reached for the lid.
“Stop!” Daedric bellowed. “You can’t open it here. What about the integrity of whatever’s inside?” Ares had been very clear in his instructions. Under no circumstances was the box to be opened. Daedric had to bring it to his father for safekeeping until they were able to locate, and eliminate, the key-holder.
“Who are you, and what have you done with Rick Aresson?” Jonathon said as he examined the edges of the chest’s lid. “This lid isn’t even sealed, which means the contents have already been exposed to the air.”
“You don’t know that for sure. At least bring it out here so I can take a look. This is, after all, why you brought me in on this expedition.” Daedric watched as his pseudo-boss weighed his options, then added, “Tell you what, we have more light hooked up out here than your flashlights can produce. Bring the chest out, we’ll take another look, and if we all agree it’s safe, we’ll open it.”
Both Jonathon and Luke nodded their agreement, and Daedric let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. They each grabbed one of the thick metal handles jutting out of the side of the chest and lifted.
A rare genuine smile crept across Daedric’s face as the unsuspecting men inched the heavy box forward. A few more feet and they would be outside the chamber, the power protecting the box would disappear, and he could take it to his father. Perhaps then Ares would see that he didn’t need Flip’s help.
When the men crossed the threshold, Daedric felt the air pressure drop as the enchantment dissipated. Luke raised one hand to shield his eyes from the bright artificial light, letting the weight of the chest rest in his other. His pathetically weak muscles were no match for the box, and it crashed to the floor. The sudden movement pulled Jonathon off balance and he tumbled ahead, still gripping the handle.
For Daedric, everything seemed to move in slow motion: Luke dropping the box, Jonathon’s misstep, the chest toppling forward. Then the unthinkable happened. The lid of the box rose, and a stench so foul as to make him gag filled his nostrils.
“Jesus, what is that?” Jonathon asked, covering his mouth and nose with his sweat-stained shirt.
Daedric knew the answer. It was Eris, the Greek goddess of chaos, strife, and discord. She also happened to be Ares’s sister. “I’m guessing you’re about to find out.”
Black tendrils of smoke exploded from the chest and swirled around the room. Mist the color of blood rose upward, choking out the breathable air. The chest itself glowed a deep purple, and the once-smooth metal transformed into a patchwork of hieroglyphics.
“Oh, this is bad. Really, really bad.” Flip peeked his misshapen head into the antechamber and grimaced. “Ares said to keep the box closed. We don’t have the key yet. We don’t even know who the key-holder is.”
Daedric’s anger flourished. “It wasn’t me, you moron. It was these two idiots.”
“Hey!” Jonathon and Luke said in unison.
A hole emerged in the front of the chest as the metal pulled back, forming a grotesque ring of warped and twisted shapes. Another mist, golden and shimmering, oozed out of the new orifice. It didn’t join the black tendrils and red clouds dancing in the air. Instead, it formed a column in front of the box, swirling and thickening until it finally took a solid shape.
A beautiful woman, nothing short of exquisite, appeared in front of Daedric. Although she stood only slightly taller than him, her powerful presence inspired awe. She had flawless pale skin, and her black hair flowed in waves down her back. She wore a white tunic, cinched at her waist with a golden rope, which cascaded to the floor. Although she was glorious from head to toe, Daedric couldn’t tear his gaze away from her eyes. They were black as coal with a sliver of white around the edges.
A whimper from the floor drew her attention. She looked down at Luke, who cowered in fear at her feet. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but a flick of her finger ignited a flame that engulfed him instantly. His screams were short-lived as the incredible heat turned him to a small pile of ash.
She turned toward Jonathon before being interrupted.
“Please, allow me,” Daedric said, lowering his gaze to show respect.
Her perfect lips curled up in a macabre smile as she nodded her agreement.
“Rick?” Jonathon’s voice trembled as he spoke.
“My name is Daedric, and I’ve been waiting for this moment since the day I met you.” Raising his arm, Daedric squeezed his empty hand into a fist as though choking the air. Jonathon grabbed at his throat as his airway instantly constricted. His eyes bulged and his cheeks turned red.
Daedric felt the familiar warmth fill his chest as he used telekinesis to drain the life out of the sniveling little runt at his feet. It had been far too long since he’d last watched the essence leave a man’s body, and he relished every second of it until Jonathon lay crumpled and lifeless on the stone floor.
Eris looked at Flip with disgust, and his small frame shrank under the scrutiny. “Still playing with horses, Flip?” When she turned to Daedric with what could only be described as curiosity, her voice vibrated throughout his chest. “And you are?”
“I’m your nephew. Ares sent me to bring you home.”
Chapter 2
Mirissa watched the sky through the picture window of the conference room. What started a few hours ago as a couple of red clouds, had stretched past the horizon and, according to CNN reports, affected the entire globe. It was almost beautiful in its artistry—deep red orbs pierced by swirling black tendrils of smoke against the crisp blue summer sky.
She instinctively grabbed the key that had been hanging on a chain around her neck for more than three months. It had been passed down through generations of her Amazon ancestors with the sole purpose of ending up in Mirissa’s possession. She’d been told it was meant for her, and that she would know when the time came for her to use it.
And she definitely knew that time had come.
Earlier today, on their flight back from Arizona, the Omega Group’s pilot had been forced to make an emergency landing fifty miles short of their Jacksonville airstrip. He didn’t want to risk flying through the unusual cloud-like formations he called an atmospheric disturbance. But it wasn’t the clouds that grabbed Mirissa’s attention. It was her key, glowing red-hot against her chest.
Once they arrived at their headquarters, a seven thousand square foot building surrounded
by six acres of wooded land just north of Jacksonville, the key underwent a thorough inspection by Julian, the team’s computer genius. He found several etchings that hadn’t been there before and was currently researching their origins and meaning.
Mirissa not-so-patiently awaited instructions from her mother, the leader of the Omega Group. Her mom, currently on a conference call with CIA Director Finley and his counterparts worldwide, would hopefully produce a plan of attack for whatever might be causing these clouds. For now, all Mirissa could do was wait.
“You doing all right?” Greco stood behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder.
Leaning into his chest, Mirissa felt the tension drain from her body. Greco had been her guardian for over a year, but her boyfriend for less than a week. The dichotomy of their relationship still proved difficult for her to make sense of, but the comfort and support he provided more than made up for any confusion. She’d never been one to need a man to make her feel whole or protected. She was the most powerful Amazon warrior to ever walk the earth. But she couldn’t deny the feeling of safety he gave her, as though his presence would keep all the world’s ills at bay. “I’m fine. Really. Just a little anxious.”
“I know the feeling. We went straight from Savannah to Arizona and now this. It’s like someone’s trying to wear us out.”
Mirissa turned to face him and planted a light kiss on his lips. “Promise me that when all of this is over, we’ll take a few days off. Just you, me, and Henry.”
Greco laughed. “Henry? You want to take your pet turtle on vacation with us?”
“Why not?” she asked with a coy grin. “He’s been stuck in Julian’s office since we left for the Grand Canyon. He probably needs a break more than we do.”
Behind them, the door to the conference room opened and Mirissa’s parents walked in, followed by the rest of the team. “We have a possible lead in Greece,” Myrine, Mirissa’s mother, said. “The first reports of the clouds came from the ancient city of Pella. It looks like that might be ground zero. We’re still waiting on confirmation.”
Pandora (Book 3) (The Omega Group) Page 1
