PANDORA

by Rebecca Hamilton

  “Most monsters would say that,” Adrian said.

  “I’m not a monster,” I said.

  “Well, you’re certainly not human,” he said.

  My face burned. I stared down at my hands. I should have felt angry, a part of me did. But it didn’t account for nausea that rose in my stomach nor the tightness that restricted my chest. I grabbed my bag and the ink.

  “Excuse me, I have the rest of the house to finish.” I pushed past him and into the hallway.

  Tres followed me into the next room. “I’m sorry. Adrian is an ass, he always has been.”

  I looked into the hall. If Adrian heard, the argument would just be moved into here. I was finished listening to any more insults for the day. I jangled the knob and waited for him to show his face so I could slam the door in it.

  “Don’t worry. He’s gone to the garage. Most likely working on a new weapon and brooding.”

  “He’s entitled to his opinion.” If only he could keep that opinion to himself. “I’ll leave once I’ve finished protecting your house.”

  “No, we want you here. He’s going to have to come around.”

  “You don’t seem to get along with him,” I said.

  Tres shook his head, throwing his hand up. “He’s always been this way. He complained about having to take the Oath, though he ended up doing it. Then he and Papa had a big fight about going to America for college.”

  “College?”

  “He was offered a full scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology when he was sixteen. Something for robotics, I think.”

  “He’s two years older than you, right?”

  “Four, not that it really matters. He’s never acted like my brother.” He gritted his teeth and looked at my vial of ink. “So can you explain these traps to me?”

  “Sure,” I said. He didn’t want to take this any deeper. I’d have to be patient.

  “So, what is the ink?”

  “It’s an alchemical compound with crushed agate. Good for repelling hostile spirits.”

  “Did you make it?”

  I chuckled. “No, alchemy is too involved for me. I tend to dabble in the other areas of magic.”

  “Other areas?”

  “The magic that we humans can do comes in five forms, alchemy, talismans or charms, incantations, symbols, and rituals. Anyone can do them, but the magic is precise. One incorrect word or symbol and . . . ” I trailed off as the banishing of Ose flashed through my mind.

  I’d been unused to doing such rites then. Now, however, he wasn’t leaving this town alive, and there would be no exorcism for him to come back from. He would meet the sharp side of my sword.

  “So what are we doing now?” Tres interrupted my thoughts.

  “It’s a symbol, the counter-clockwise spiral of the words blocks demons and their energies from entering this space.”

  “How long does it last?”

  “Until the symbol is destroyed.”

  “I’ll watch you do it for a while, then. We want to make sure they’re perfect right?”

  I smiled at him and moved to the left corner of the room. He came to stand over my shoulder as I painted. We spent the afternoon working on the traps. Adrian came in and watched from a distance. Tres managed to grasp the concept quickly, and he finished a room with the help of a journal I kept.

  I flopped on the bed of my new room with a sigh. My eyelids drooped and the pillow never looked so inviting, but I still had work to do. I wasn’t going near the carnival without a protection against madness. That yellow cloud meant the area was ripe with it. I emptied out a small bag into my hand. I had five pieces of jet, one for each of us. Carving the Hebrew symbols would take my complete concentration, so I plugged my ears and prepared for a long night.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Why is it you have decided we need to waste a day standing in lines?” Adrian asked.

  He stared at the family in front of us with his nostrils flared and his mouth pressed in a thin line. The small ticket booth and metal gate of the carnival entrance remained a good twenty people away. The smell of exhaust wafted on the air from the street behind us. I stepped back under the shade of a nearby tree and fanned myself with my hand. A girl of four or five clenched her fists and stomped her feet, her red face upturned to her offender, her mother. I rubbed my ear at the wail that emitted from such a tiny person. The mother put a hand in front of her, rubbing her temple with the tips of her fingers. When the line moved forward, she yanked the screaming child forward by her arm. I smiled. My own child hadn’t been old enough to throw a tantrum, but he’d had some lungs on him.

  “What, you don’t like children?” I asked.

  “Adrian has never been a family man,” Tres said.

  The middle brother turned his one-eyed scrutiny to the younger one. Tres’s grin faltered. He cleared his throat and shifted closer to Marge, who stood with her arms crossed and one foot tapping a steady rhythm on the sidewalk.

  “I wanna know why I was dragged here, too,” she said.

  “Didn’t Esais explain this?” I asked.

  Esais nodded. “Though I think they were too busy arguing to pay attention.”

  “I get it. Devil’s hiding place, blah, blah, blah. But why do we have to do this with them?” Marge waved her hand at the crowd surrounding us.

  “It is easier for us to move unnoticed,” I said.

  “And we have to wear these ugly necklaces because?”

  “So you don’t go mad. But if you hate it that much, by all means.” I held my hand out to her. “I can always use the spare.”

  “Tres,” a woman’s voice called behind us.

  “What was that about not attracting attention?” Adrian asked.

  The woman crossed the street from the parking lot and jogged up to us. She pushed the tiny red braids out of her face and nodded to us before turning her attention back to Tres. She smiled at him, her amber eyes gleaming under her sooty lashes. Her espresso colored skin glistened in the sun and pulled at the collar of her button up shirt. She leaned her head to one side as she panted a little.

  “You didn’t mention coming here,” she said.

  “I didn’t know when we met.” Tres turned to the rest of us. “Everyone, this is Charlotte Dixon.”

  Esais held his hand out to her. “It’s a pleasure, Ms. Dixon. I’m Tres’s brother, Esais.”

  I moved up once he finished and introduced myself. Adrian gave her a nod, and Marge looked her up and down before going back to her foot tapping.

  She waved her hand to them. “Is this your first time here?”

  Officer Parkins crossed the street and walked to us. “Don’t run off like that,” she said to Charlotte. Her gaze moved to me. “We meet again, I see.”

  “Officer,” I said.

  “Oh, she’s off duty now. Call her Nancy.” Charlotte tilted her head in Nancy’s direction with her eyebrows raised. “And she promised me she would leave work behind.”

  “Right, a day filled with fun.” Nancy put on an exaggerated smile, eliciting a laugh from Charlotte. She gave the group a once-over. “So, this is the rest of your family?”

  Marge scowled. “This is boring. I’m off.” She stalked off into the entrance of the fair.

  “She’s not. Just met her.” I nodded between Charlotte and Nancy. “What about the two of you?”

  “Cousins,” Nancy said.

  “How about we show you around?” Charlotte asked the rest of us.

  “Well, I believe my brother Adrian and Gabby wanted to have some time to themselves. But Tres and I would be delighted,” Esais said.

  “You have to be joking.” I pushed my thought to him.

  Tres held out his arm to Charlotte. “Now, I can get to know two beautiful ladies.”

  “I don’t want my brother anywhere near the police and she’s already suspicious of you. Go scout the carnival.”

  “We’ll meet up later.” Esais nodded to both of us before turning to Nancy. “So, what
can you tell me about the carnival?”

  Nancy gave me one last look before turning back to Esais. The group walked through the gates, leaving me alone with Adrian. I could think of worse ways to spend time, like torture or the forced guest of a demon, but this came close. I closed my eyes and inhaled, letting the warmth of the sun bathe my face. I could do this. I would not lose to the arrogant prick. I had already overcome many in my lifetime. I shifted my mind to the pleasant thoughts of Shakespeare’s sonnets. I exhaled and imagined my anxiety and annoyance floating away in small puffs of smoke. Adrian watched me with an unreadable expression, his hands clasped behind his back. I showed him my pearly whites.

  “Ready?” I asked.

  “Your sudden lightheartedness is suspicious,” he said with a raised brow.

  “I’ve decided I’m not going to let you affect me. We have a job to do.”

  I headed into the crowd before he could get another word in. I spun to the side, avoiding two children as they ran by laughing and covered in ice cream. The scent of roasted corn and fried foods wafted past me on a breeze. My stomach growled, reminding me I should have eaten breakfast before we left the house. I bought a sausage-on-a-stick and leaned against the stand, waiting for Adrian to catch up to me. I took my first bite. The hot grease burnt the roof of my mouth, and I sucked in air to cool it. I savored the spiced meat as I chewed.

  “This is work?” Adrian asked as he approached.

  “No, this is breakfast that can be eaten while we work,” I said.

  He studied me as if I was some small reptile he wanted to dissect. “You eat, you sleep, and you get hurt. You certainly play well at being human.”

  “Because I am human. How many times do I have to say it?”

  “Just because you say it, doesn’t make it true.”

  I rubbed my eyes with my thumb and forefinger and sighed. This man would never believe my words without proof. If I didn’t gain even a small amount of this man’s trust, our animosity could get us killed. I needed to be the bigger woman.

  “What will it take for you to believe me? Do you want Tres to perform a full physical on me?” I asked.

  He opened his mouth to make another comment and stopped when he met my gaze. He must have read the earnestness in my face. He tilted his head and furrowed his brow like he couldn’t quite figure me out. I kept my face straight. I still had a few surprises in me.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Because one of us needs to call a truce. Hell, if you want I’ll tell you my life’s story, but not here and not now.”

  The muscles in his jaw moved as he debated taking my offer. My breath caught in my throat, and my heart pounded. I wanted him to accept me. I’d never admit it aloud, but the opinions of Dimitri’s descendants meant more to me than anyone else. The other two would be easier, I hoped. This one, however, remained the exception to everything I knew about the Van Helsings. He always wanted to go on his own.

  “I suppose that is acceptable,” he said.

  I clapped my hands. “He can be reasoned with! All right, let’s get to work.”

  “And how do you propose we do this search?” he asked.

  I finished my sausage and tossed the stick in the trash. I moved close enough to murmur to him without being overheard, touching his shoulder. He stiffened. Though we made a semi-truce, trust would be a long time coming. Still, we couldn’t act as strangers.

  “First, we need to pretend we’re friends. Otherwise, they’ll see us coming,” I said.

  He nodded and relaxed. “How are we going to find them?”

  “Leave that to me.”

  I tucked my arm in the crook of his elbow and pulled him forward. As we walked, I inhaled and let my senses expand, once again activating my astral sight. A rainbow of colors greeted me. Bright reds and light yellows emanated from happy fair goers and mixed with the grays and muddy browns of others of a more downhearted nature. All human as far as my eye could see. The yellow cloud funneled in several directions. I followed it to its closest source.

  “What are you doing?” Adrian asked.

  “Searching auras for demons,” I said.

  “What you’re doing now disproves your claim.”

  Funny he should say that, considering his brothers’ and his own situation.

  “We are called emissaries and we are still born as a human,” I said.

  “So are vampires.”

  “Vampires are undead,” I said, holding a finger up.

  “Demons, then.”

  “Possess a body. If it is still alive, the person they ride is human.”

  “Interesting. There is still a human in there.”

  I nodded. “Most aren’t willing.”

  “What about what you did yesterday?”

  “Ritual magic? Anyone can do it as long as they have the formula.”

  He refrained from replying for a while, absorbing what I said. It hadn’t won him over, but he’d gained information. I continued to scan the carnival. Between the glow of pink and green. I saw the red black. The boy wore a leather jacket with the head of a demon on its back. He turned his head, flashing his pocked face.

  “We need to move,” I said, darting in the direction before I lost my mark.

  “What?” Adrian asked, as he was yanked behind me.

  “I found someone.”

  I pushed aside a tall man, standing in the middle of the walkway. I didn’t stop to apologize. I quickened my steps, my eyes never leaving the black tendrils as they floated past the roller coaster. Adrian caught my arm. I couldn’t hear what he said over the roaring whoosh of the cars as they passed us on the ride. I shook my head and pulled away. Had to keep moving.

  The yellow I’d been looking for filled my vision as I passed a building. I closed my eyes against the moment of vertigo. The second man I ran into pushed back and I stumbled but regained my balance before I fell. The man looked down at the remains of the chili pie dripping down his Metallica T-shirt then back to me. His face twisted in a scowl.

  “Watch where you’re going, bitch!” he yelled.

  I peered past him, but my quarry had vanished. Damn. I let out a huff and turned my attention to the mullet head in front of me.

  “Sorry,” I said, not meaning it.

  “You’re just gonna say sorry? You owe me a new pie!” He towered over me, his belly peeking out from under his shirt.

  “I believe we can compensate you,” Adrian said from behind me.

  He pulled a twenty out of his wallet and held it out. The other man stared at it with a look of confusion.

  “I’m sure this is more than enough to help widen your girth,” Adrian said, keeping his voice cordial.

  The man walked off after shooting me one last glare, unaware of the insult. He didn’t matter. I turned my attention to the building that had surprised me and covered my mouth, fighting to keep the bile down. The outside of the building looked like a wooden caravan, but the putrid yellow infected everyone who passed it. Traces of black mixed in with the yellow and spiraled up into the air. My funnel. The gypsy woman painted on the wall leered at me; her grin seemed to divide her face.

  “What is wrong with you?” Adrian asked, his voice filled with cold annoyance.

  Before I could reply, the door swung open and a group of teenagers flooded out. They chattered with each other, passing us by without a glance, unaware their happy auras were marred by tiny pea green spots. The spots spread to people they passed like a virus.

  “This place,” I said.

  “I’m not going to rely on cards and tea leaves to find a demon,” he said with a snort.

  “No,” I said.

  I kneeled down, putting my head between my legs. I sucked in several breaths of air and let my vision return to normal. It was too much. I could feel the slimy yellow tendrils reaching out to me. They wanted to touch in a place I could not heal. My mind.

  “This place, it’s demon touched,” I said once I could speak again.

  He studied th
e building, as if memorizing every inch of the place. His lip turned with disgust as his gaze reached the gypsy woman.

  “Then perhaps a reading would be useful,” he said.

  I grabbed his arm before he moved too far. “We need the others.”

  “I believe we can deal with one fortune teller.” His voice was filled with confidence.

  A flash of leather disappeared behind the roller coaster. Marge followed, hot on his trail, with a wild grin on her face.

  “That will have to wait. Marge has found something to entertain her, which means trouble,” I said.

  CHAPTER TEN

  I pulled Adrian through the crowd as I kept sight of Marge’s back. She slipped behind one of the wooden fences at the edge of the carnival. Beyond it stood a copse of trees. The carnival workers were busy dealing with customers. I slid halfway through the fence.

  “Coming?” I asked Adrian.

  He waved me along and pushed himself through the fence. I scanned the trees and saw a flash of blonde heading farther into the woods. I grabbed Adrian’s arm, pulling him along. A man’s yell echoed through the tree line. I broke into a run. The branches cracked under my feet and my heart pounded in my ears.

  Maybe she’d found the demon. I didn’t have my sword, but I had my knives and a vial of holy water in my pocket. If Marge could keep him busy, I could exorcise him. I preferred Solomon’s words to the standard Catholic practice, mostly because the latter required a priest. As a woman, I could never be a priest. Besides, the Church and I hadn’t parted on the best of terms.

  I stopped short as I came upon Marge holding the biker hostage against a tree. She pressed her foot into the throat of the biker as he lay on the ground with his head propped against the trunk. He struggled to knock her off balance, but she just pushed harder.

  “You’re pretty weak without your gun,” she said. “Now where’s your boss?”

  He coughed and gagged, wrapping his fingers around her boot.

  “I don’t think he can answer your questions like that,” I said.

  Marge spun around, her hair ruffled in the slight breeze. The snarl on her lips lessened as she saw who spoke.

  “What do you suggest?” she asked.