PANDORA

by Rebecca Hamilton

  Fane shakes Athan’s hand and walks over to where Barry stopped, about three feet away from me. “Son, where’s the Coven location?”

  “I don’t know that yet, I haven’t had enough time to get that information.” He drops to one knee and turns his head to the left. I’ve never seen anyone do that. Maybe it’s a pack thing?

  “Stand,” Fane says in a stern, authoritative tone.

  It makes me want to cower.

  “Could I please have everyone’s attention?” Fane’s voice booms. Immediately, silence fills the room. “Devuxen have made themselves known in this area, again. For whatever reason, they have targeted Miss Williams here.” He points me out, and a few gasps fill the silence. I slink into Seth’s side in an attempt to hide. “Whoever the attacker is, he has made it perfectly clear that he will hurt anyone to get to her. There have been three attacks against her. Fortunately, someone was around to wake her. Our night patrolling is helping as well, but it does not stop these types of attacks. Barry has witnessed two attacks just last night.”

  Henry bristles beside me. Holy shit! I can’t believe it took me this long! I’m such a fool. Henry doesn’t know anything! I bring my hand to my mouth and start chewing the cuticles.

  I want to groan or smack my head into a wall a few times. I have a lot of explaining to do.

  Glancing at Henry from the corner of my eye, he still looks furious, but I’m pretty sure a lot of that anger is towards me.

  Fane gave the floor to Barry, who filled every single person in on the name of the devux that’s after me, and why I am being attacked. It’s Barry, funny, sarcastic Barry, the fact that he’s not cracking jokes or swearing and is being completely respectful, has me slack jawed.

  A question from somewhere in the back, pulls me from my thoughts. “How did a devux attack her, if we were patrolling?”

  Sam steps forward. “The devuxen doesn’t fear anyone, but they do not like to be hunted or threatened. With shifters or amaranthine around, they tend to stay away from this particular form of attack, because they can be easily found. He’s attacking Jasmine in the forms of shadow stalking and nightmares.”

  I think shadow stalking is what happens when I’m alone in the halls at school, but I could be wrong. My theory makes sense, so that’s what I’m going with.

  “She should always have someone with her, even when she’s awake, too,” someone hollers from the back.

  I want to shout, I already have someone with me as much as possible! Do I need supervision in the bathroom, too? But I don’t think it would be wise to speak right now.

  “How is the nightmare attack different from any other bad dream?” someone else shouts out another question.

  I don’t blame her for asking. I didn’t know there was a difference. Hell, I didn’t know that I was being attacked, or hunted. The dreams felt real, looked real, and left me feeling like I was knocking on Death’s door, but I just thought they were dreams.

  Barry answers by explaining what the attacks can do to my physical body in dream state. Fane suggests he tell everyone what happened when I was attacked the night before. Barry catches my gaze, looking apprehensive about it. I nod to tell him that it’s okay. He takes a few deep breaths and nods.

  “Last night she had two attacks, almost back to back.” He pauses. “A bloodcurdling scream woke me. I could hear her screaming, crying, and gasping for air through her door. Henry and I tried the knob and Leland tried pounding on the door, but it was locked, and she couldn’t hear us. I kicked it in and when I saw her, I just froze. Her skin lacked color except for her cheeks. At one point she stopped breathing, and tried to fight off something, which ended up being Leland on one occasion.” He takes a deep breath. “In the attacks, she’s always with someone, and whoever it is, gets killed in front of her. So far that has been, her cousin, brother, mother, uncle, best friend and her soul mate,” he says in a solemn voice.

  Fane puts a hand on Barry’s shoulder. “I don’t believe Derik is working alone. He has guidance. In the attack, Seth, her soul mate, was decapitated and later torn to pieces.” He nods to us as Seth squeezes my side, offering me comfort. “We weren’t positive he was Amaranthine,” he shakes his head, like he should’ve known from the start that Seth was different. “So, for Delilah’s safety, we must keep her secret. The less Derik knows, the better things will turn out.”

  The Elders and shifters all start discussing my protection schedule and hunts for finding Derik’s coven, or whoever it is that’s helping him. Seth is still holding onto me, but he’s listening intently to what people are saying around us, especially Athan and Fane. Henry has his arms crossed over his chest, glaring towards Barry and Flynn.

  Sam comes over just as I’m about to try talking to Henry.

  “You know, for someone so little, you sure stir up a lot of trouble,” he winks. I nod, showing I agree with that statement. “Hey, I’m joking.”

  “Sam, it’s been a long few days, or even months for her. Leave her be,” Seth comes to my aid, unneeded.

  “He’s fine, Seth,” I say, but they pretend not to hear me.

  “Hey, I’m not the enemy here little brother,” Sam growls. “I just want to see her smile. You two are too young to be dealing with this. Right now is a happy time for the two of you. You should be smiling and sneaking off into the woods.”

  Seth’s jaw clenches and he glares at Sam. “I can’t. I won’t allow her to be put in danger,” he says, his expression changing to almost a plea. “This devux is messing with everything inside of me.”

  I try to project to him that I’m okay, and he’s not doing anything wrong as I rub my thumb across his knuckles.

  Seth looks down into my eyes. “Jazzy, why don’t you go talk to Henry for a few minutes?”

  I nod and turn my head to where I saw Henry last. He gives me a dirty look and squeezes through the throng of bodies, towards the door.

  I groan. “Do me a favor. Please?” I ask him.

  “What’s that?”

  “Go easy on your brother. Sam was just being nice. He’s trying, so maybe this is your chance to help strengthen your relationship with him,” I give him a pointed look.

  “Fine, I’ll agree, if you wouldn’t mind me sending a shifter out to keep an eye on you guys, just in case.”

  My eyes bulge and my mouth pops open. He wants me to be okay with having a shifter up my ass, while having a private conversation with my brother, who just found out way too much about the supernatural world?

  I glare at him. “No matter what you think, my brother would never hurt me. I don’t need a bodyguard for a conversation with him!”

  “No, Sweetheart. Not protection from him, protection for the both of you. Please?” his hands cup my face and he stares into my eyes.

  I mull his words over and feel him through our bond. His honesty and worry for not just me, but my brother as well, shines. I regret jumping to conclusions. “I guess that’s okay. Tell Flynn or Tony to back off, and not to listen,” I say, knowing it will be one of the two he sends for guard duty.

  “I . . . I’ll see you in a few,” he says with a small sigh.

  I wink and turn towards Sam. “Behave.”

  “Me?” he feigns hurt. “I’ll be good,” he winks and leans towards me. “Your boyfriend might be in a headlock in a few minutes though.”

  I laugh and start walking towards the door, shaking my head. Brothers. Speaking of, after a few minutes of searching, I spot mine through the window, sitting on the hood of the Jeep.

  I might as well get this over with.

  Flynn comes around the corner. “I’ll stay up here on the porch,” he smiles.

  “Thanks.” I walk outside and up to the Jeep. Henry doesn’t look at me. “Hey, Stud. How you holdin’ up?”

  “Dunno,” he shrugs. Then he takes a deep breath and pins me with his intense gray-green eyes. “Actually, pissed off.”

  I nod. “You can talk to me. Ask me anything, I’ll answer what I can, and what I can’t
answer, I’m sure someone inside can.” I lean over the hood and rest on my elbows.

  “I really don’t wanna talk to you right now, Jaz,” he says.

  With a sigh, I hop up on the hood next to him. I grab his chin in my hand and force him to look at me. It’s now or never, and he needs to understand that I couldn’t tell him or I would have.

  Chapter 12

  Kitty or Turtle?

  “You don’t have to talk, you just have to listen.” I wait for him to acknowledge me. He gives a slight nod, and I let go of his chin. “I’m sorry, okay? I know I usually don’t keep things from you. I’m actually kind of glad the guys told you, now I can tell you everything,” I sigh and start again.

  “I had no idea anything like this existed, at least, not until Saturday, when Seth took me to the lake.” I tell him everything, what happened at the lake, the footsteps that had me paranoid enough to talk to Miss Jaynie, and I told him about how I fainted when I found out the giants were shifters. It felt so good, freeing almost, to have no secrets with him again. Through it all, Henry’s face is like stone, leaving no indication that he’s actually listening.

  As I try stressing why I couldn’t tell him and that he can’t tell anyone the truth about any of this, I get panicky trying to explain it all. He’s not dense, I know he understands me, I just wish he would respond to me.

  Henry starts smirking as I ramble on. Finally, he interrupts me. “I get it, okay.” He offers a small smile and bumps into my shoulder. “I understand. You weren’t in the position to tell me,” his words relax me some. “I do understand things now, like your insane need for Seth, those dreams, the guys and their craziness,” he pauses and glances towards the porch, where Flynn is sitting. “Seth is alright, I guess. I just couldn’t understand why he was so important to you, even before you guys were dating,” he shrugs. “I do feel like beating the shit out of him for getting you involved with a demon. I know he doesn’t want you to get hurt or be in any danger, but he had to know this would happen,” Henry says, disgust and rage masking his features.

  I grab his hand. “You can’t blame Seth for this. It’s not his fault I mouthed off to a demon in disguise, and then associated myself with Seth and three shifters.” I laugh a little at myself. “Seth said devuxen hunt anyone and everyone, for little or no reason. No one is truly safe from them,” I shrug. “Fane assured me that even in those attacks, their pack is protection. In every single one, once the wolves show up, the shadow goes away. Derik twists their image somehow though. I’m not sure what the guys actually look like in their other form,” I glance away from Henry nervously, and try to think of something to change the subject. “Did you hear what they were all saying about the shadow stalking thing?”

  “Yeah, what is that anyway?” he asks.

  “I’m not positive, but I think that it’s what I feel when I’m alone in the halls at school,” I shrug. “I thought it was a ghost at first,” I snort. “The night I told Miss Jaynie, they had a meeting with the Elders, Skeeter’s family, and Seth’s family.” I go back to my original point, and repeat, “You can’t blame Seth for this. I pissed off the wrong person on our first day at the Birth Control Academy.” I try to laugh to lighten the mood, but my joke falls flat.

  Henry pins me with a hard stare. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t ask to be put into supernatural, demonic danger,” he spits and stares at the trees for a few minutes. “I don’t blame you and I am still proud of you for putting Derik in his place.” He glances at me, and when I smile at him, his eyes travel back to the trees. “So are you really not going to change your looks at all? Did you stop aging?”

  I feel self-conscious, it’s weird but I don’t want Henry to look at me any differently just because of the Ichor. “I’ll age, my body will grow, and my looks will change like they’re supposed to,” I say quietly. “It’ll just be a slower rate than you or any of your little fan club members.” That reminds me to ask about Gretchen, but now isn’t the time. “I don’t really know how it’ll be for me. I don’t know if I’ll look this way for fifteen years or something,” I shake my head. I still hate not knowing, but there’s nothing I can do to solve that mystery. “Did you know Miss Jaynie is one hundred and twenty years old?”

  Henry flips his head around to stare at me with huge eyes, and his jaw nearly on the hood. I chuckle.

  “I never would have guessed that.”

  “Yep,” I say, and emphasize the p. “There’s an Amaranthine in Greece, one of the Ancients, who’s over four thousand years old.”

  He looks at me like I just told him the grass is purple, complete disbelief and shock. “So . . . You’re gonna live for like . . . Ever, basically,” he stutters and glares at me. “All because you’re with that freak? How does this shit even work?” he practically yells.

  “It’s unlikely I’ll live forever, so don’t worry about that,” I say. I also tell him what Seth told me about the lifespan for Amaranthine.

  He sighs, “Okay, so how is that even possible?”

  I tell him everything I know about Ichor and how I would receive it, and the lesson and example Seth gave me of immortals with immortals, and immortals with humans. I also tell him that I will never be invincible. “It’s kind of like having a shelf life. I have the same worries as you, and any other human. I just have a longer shelf life, but I’m still me, your sister and best friend.” I glance at him wearily, while lightly tugging the ends of my hair.

  He’s clenching and unclenching his fists, and his jaw is locked tight. I sigh and look away. He asked and I answered. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him right away. The whole, your-baby-sister-has-a-supernatural-soul-mate, and she’ll-live-longer-than-you-by-two-hundred-years, must be too much for him.

  He blows out a breath and hops off the Jeep. “I’m kinda hungry,” he glances to his watch. “We should probably go get Barry and grab food.”

  I nod slowly and worry my lip as I slide off the Jeep. He obviously needs time.

  What if he never accepts the fact that I’m different? What if our relationship just sputters and dies, right here and now? Tears pool in my eyes and I suck in a deep breath through my nose to try and calm down.

  Henry slows his walk and waits for me catch up. When I do, he puts his arm around my shoulders. I smile and squeeze his side.

  Henry stops in front of Flynn. “Can I see your wolf?” he blurts.

  I gasp and stare up at him with wide eyes.

  “What? I’m curious.” He shrugs.

  “Jazzy, you got about a minute before I shift, you ready for this?” Flynn says, with a challenging smile.

  “Rain check,” I squeak and shake my head before darting into the house.

  I search the faces until spotting Skeeter leaning against the far wall, and weave through the crowd to get to her.

  “You and Henry okay?” she asks.

  “I think so,” I shrug. “He’s outside, with a wolfy Flynn at the moment.” I pull a face, and she laughs.

  “They aren’t that bad, kind of cuddly in a wild way,” she laughs and bumps my shoulder.

  “One day, when I know for sure I won’t pass out, I’ll find out.” I laugh this time.

  I look around and see Seth with Sam, Barry, and Tony, so I pull Skeeter in that direction. We’re almost to the little group when Seth looks at me questioningly and meets us a few feet away.

  He looks around, “Umm . . . I thought you and Henry were good?”

  “He’s with Flynn, being curious, like a cat,” I shrug. Skeeter elbows me and grins wickedly.

  She walks to the window and opens it. “Here kitty, kitty, kitty!” she yells before nearly falling over in a fit of laughter.

  Several people give her dirty looks.

  Barry comes over to us, looking mighty evil himself. “Ya know, Skeeter, making us dinner won’t strain your voice,” he laughs. “And contrary to popular belief, I don’t eat that kind of kitty,” he winks.

  Pervert number one has made his presence known. Henry
and Flynn walk in bumping fists.

  “I’m glad to be surrounded by self-appointed, standup comedians but seriously, I am kind of hungry,” I say.

  “Princess,” Tony says coming over to us. “Would you want to eat with all of us or would you rather some alone time with Pretty Boy?” Tony asks with a grin.

  “Ya know what, my furry friend? I don’t really care where I eat or who I am eating with, I just want food,” I pin him with a glare. “And if you ever call me “Princess” again, I will figure out that whole neutering thing, and you’ll be my guinea mutt,” I can’t hold onto my glare and end up laughing with the rest of our group.

  “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Princess. He was just messin’,” Barry says, and crosses his thick arms over his chest.

  He wants to play like that?

  “Turtle, you don’t get to discuss my panties,” I copy his stance and raise my eyebrow.

  Seth, Henry, and Skeeter lose it and start laughing hysterically. Barry’s face is red with anger.

  “Uh, Jaz? Wrong animal . . . He’s a bit too big to be considered a turtle. Are you feeling okay?” Sam asks in concern.

  “You told Skeeter?!” Barry shouts.

  “I may have mentioned it to her, by accident,” I bite my cheek to stop my laughter.

  “Whoa, what did we miss?” Tony asks in confusion.

  “If you tell anyone else, I’ll . . . ” Barry starts.

  Fane comes over and interrupts. “You’ll do nothing, isn’t that right, Barry?” Fane says as he claps Barry’s shoulder.

  “Dad, you don’t know what happened,” Barry glares at me.

  “You’re right. I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t care. Now, why don’t you all go get yourselves some grub and head home?” Fane says, dismissing all of us.

  We all say our goodbyes and then head outside to the cars.

  “I’ll come over around 9:30 or so,” Seth whispers in my ear as he wraps his arms around my waist. I hook my fingers into the collar of his shirt, and pull his face closer to mine. He leans down and kisses me on the lips. I throw my arms around his neck and hold on tight, not wanting this kiss to end.