PANDORA

by Rebecca Hamilton

  “This is how it is, Flynn. Sight, but no vision. A gift wasted by the selfish desires of an immortal who should be a guardian of people. A guardian of his brother.” The voice paused. It shifted location. I turned to follow it, but did not yet see its owner. “You think it’s about power, and I’m sure Sabrina fed you that line of bull, but it’s about purpose. Be careful you don’t learn that lesson the hard way.”

  “Come out!” I said, baring fangs. “Stop playing games and face me.”

  “Not yet. Consider this warning the last one you’ll receive.” Her presence drifted away just as quickly as it had surfaced, leaving the quiet to surround me in an eerie manner with her words yet resonating in the stillness of the night. I frowned.

  The encounter bore the earmarks of a sorceress and as I only had one alive in my life at the moment, I sneered while looking toward the last place she had been speaking. “Come now, witch. Teach me my lesson. I wish to toy with your body and slit your throat.” My hand rested on the hilt of my sword, but it became apparent before long that Monica had delivered her message and departed.

  “Coward,” I muttered, and resumed my walk back to the coven.

  Little did I know that Monica remained hidden on a roof, sitting on the hard concrete while holding her breath. She exhaled slowly, peering over the side of the ledge that had shielded her from view. “Everything is the hard way with you,” she said, watching me leave. “It’s time for you to get a heavy dose of the truth.”

  Monica brought herself to her feet, her eyes taking on a solemn look. “Don’t worry, Peter. This isn’t over yet. One way or another, we’re going to get you back to where you belong.”

  ***

  The next evening arrived much the same as every other setting of the sun, only this time I opened my eyes knowing the single most daunting assassination I had ever orchestrated laid before me. Rising, I stretched and surveyed my room, realizing I would need to be heavily armed. Walls and shelves arrayed with weapons ensured this would not be a problem. As such, I began my ritual.

  I showered and plucked a fresh suit from the closet. The act of dressing took on methodical undertones; I meditated on each button and studied every article of clothing with calm focus before moving on to the next. The shirt, pants, and shoes were the simplest elements to assemble. Equipping my weapons became the meticulous part.

  Fetching my shoulder holster, I threaded my arms into their respective holes and secured it into place. Three knives found their way into three different slots, each positioned with the utmost care after being cradled for a moment in my palm. I slipped a sheathed knife into the waistband of my pants and strapped my katana to my side. A shorter sword found itself fastened to my back. I procured a trench coat to cover my collection of weapons after settling everything into place, and nodded with approval.

  My fingers caressed the hilt of my katana before I wrapped them around the red and black braiding. I drew it seamlessly and swung it around once before snapping it back into its sheath. A cold, sinister grin crept across my face. Armed to the teeth, the assassin was ready for battle.

  A knock ripped me from my thoughts.

  I turned and strode for the entryway. Twisting the knob, I opened the door and perked an eyebrow once I spied Rose standing on the other side. Her eyes ran over me, fear distilled in her gaze. “The council is about to convene,” she said. “Sabrina and Robin have departed and Timothy left just behind them.”

  “Very well.” I stepped out of my room and secured the door closed. Gesturing a command that she should proceed first, we began to stroll down the corridor. I reached into my coat pocket for my black, leather gloves and slid them over my fingers in the same methodical manner as I had my other accouterments. “Have any concerns or changes cropped up?”

  “All is as planned.” Walking ahead of me, Rose’s posture stiffened as she summoned some form of backbone to continue the conversation with less fear in her voice. “We will wait until the meeting convenes before dealing with Matthew’s guards. Sabrina asks that you kill them quickly before we sneak into the meeting room.”

  I scoffed as we started down the stairs. “This is not my first kill.”

  “You seem to have problems keeping your focus. Especially when strange sorceresses come calling.”

  Her comment provoked a sneer. “Keep careful watch over your words, Rose. When I am your master, I might collect tenfold for your disrespect.”

  She motioned to speak again, but quickly shut her mouth. Rethinking her response, however, opened her mind to me without any effort on my part. I read the curses issued in thought as though they had been painted on the walls. She could be a fiery vixen when she wished to be and her temper was evident in every ill word she conjured. We reached the bottom of the stairs in silence, but she stopped and turned to face me. I held an even gaze. “Walk ahead of me,” I said. “Unless you are waiting for some fanfare to precede you.”

  “I do not trust your eyes on me from behind.” Rose pointed toward the main entrance. “You first, please.”

  I laughed. “That would hardly be wise, Pet. To see me coming ahead of you would arouse suspicion.”

  “Until we arrive, then.”

  In a flash of anger, I took her by the chin and shoved her body against mine. “Rose, do I need to be crass and insulting in order to make a point with you? After tonight, looking at me means gazing upon Sabrina’s right hand. More than a mere assassin, I shall be the lord of this manor and the second most powerful vampire to grace your presence. Now . . . ” I leaned closer, my face hovering centimeters from hers. “If I were you, I would learn more about respect. Or else, I shall chain you in shackles for the rest of your days with only the blood of rats to sustain you. And my new ritual, before I retire every morning, shall be to beat you and fuck you until you forget there ever was a being named Rose inside the shell of your body.” My expression conveyed the seriousness of my threat, and she quaked against me. I smirked. “Are we crystal clear or must I offer you a demonstration?”

  Rose regained a modicum of defiance. “Sabrina wouldn’t let you. I mean too much to her.”

  “Sweet Rose, have you not figured out by now you are just as expendable as every other immortal in this coven?” I grinned in a sinister manner. “Remember, I own your thoughts now, woman. The moment you think anything ill toward either me, or Sabrina, I will eliminate you.”

  Rose pushed herself away and I laughed as she stormed ahead of me. “Good girl.” The guards at the entryway held the doors open for us to pass as we made our way out to the streets.

  The excursion to Matthew’s coven took a matter of minutes. I spent the time focusing on my litany of weapons, assessing each one’s functionality and versatility. Soon my training would be put to the test as never before and I relished such a challenge. Rather than dampening my confidence, knowing success hinged entirely on my precision and capability fueled my arrogance.

  Once we arrived, though, an ill wind blew past, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand aloft. I ignored it as much as possible while we approached the exterior gate. Rose slowed her pace and asked, “Now, how do we go about this?”

  I stole a moment to glance around the empty, landscaped yard, listening for any sign of movement. “The guards must be protecting the meeting room,” I said, speaking in a hushed tone.

  Rose nodded and together we walked further up the walkway to Matthew’s coven house. The disquieting sensation that had greeted me became more pronounced, but I pushed it aside again in favor of further assessing our surroundings. The entire path was lined by dimly-lit sconces interspersed between trimmed hedges, and opened up to a columned entryway. I crouched upon reaching the bend in the path that would put us in full view of the front door. That is when I heard them.

  Cautiously peering around small amount of cover afforded by the shrubs, I spied two male vampires standing watch outside a set of sturdy wooden doors. Neither caught sight of me before I ducked back behind the bush.

  M
y eyes shifted to Rose and a chilling, sinister grin surfaced on my face. ‘Sweet Rose,’ I thought at her, not wanting to risk any volume of speech, ‘I believe I have found meaning to your useless existence.’

  She swallowed hard, her eyes widening with fear.

  With that, the first phase of my mission commenced.

  ***

  I recognized the guards as being James and Martin, two of Matthew’s immortal children, and savored their reaction when the sight of a blonde-haired vampiress running toward them shattered the peace. Rose cried blood tears, clutching herself as though she had been violated and acting every bit the part of a damsel in distress. I slipped into the shadow afforded by one of the columns while they directed their attention to her.

  “Please help me!” she said, her voice shaky as she threw herself at them. James clutched onto her and she, in turn, grabbed fistfuls of his shirt. “He’s gone insane! He’ll kill me alongside of you if you don’t stop him.”

  James blinked at Rose as I slithered behind his partner, baring fangs in anticipation. She tilted her head so her eyes met his and James spoke just as I ran Martin through with my sword. “What is it, Miss? Who did this to you?” he asked as, unbeknownst to him, ash flaked to the ground. I stalked forward, just out of his periphery, and readied my weapon.

  Rose motioned to answer, but I interrupted by thrusting my sword through James’s back, far enough for the tip to protrude from his stomach. Rose yelped and jumped backward; the sharp steel stuck out far enough that it cut across her abdomen, almost impaling her as well. Smiling, I snaked an arm around James’s neck while holding the sword steady with my other hand. “I believe that would be me,” I said pressing my face against his head while speaking harshly into his ear. “You know who this is, right, James?”

  “Flynn,” James managed, grunting through the pain.

  “Very good. And that is Rose. She is a good actress, is she not?”

  Rose eyed me in an apprehensive manner. I flashed fangs at her and winked before turning my attention back to James. “She is a skittish thing, I must say. Very easily frightened. I believe I shall have to educate her on how to properly conduct herself in my presence, what do you think?”

  James grunted. “What the fuck do you want, Flynn? If you’ve come to kill me, do it and get it over with.”

  “Now, let us not be too hasty, James. You are going to tell me a little story and if I am amused enough, I might allow you to crawl away on your hands and knees.” My hand slid around to his neck, fingers pressing hard into his throat. He winced again, trembling with pain. “Now, there is a meeting of importance convening inside this house and I intend to crash it. The last thing I wish is to waltz into the soirÉe blind, though. As such, you are going to tell me how many people are inside.”

  “I don’t know the full number.”

  Twisting the blade inside James, I provoked a moan of agony from him. “Do not toy with me. I want a number,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “I’m not going to help you,” he managed, nearly choking on the words. I watched his mouth continue to move, but focused on the thoughts crossing his mind, plucking them out with absurd ease. ‘The master of each coven. Their second-in-commands. A handful of bodyguards.’

  “About twenty,” I said, offering up a quick estimation.

  James shuddered. “What? How did you ?”

  “Silence.” Lips pursed, I slid the sword in further, ignoring the wails of agony the action provoked and stilling myself when he ceased yelling. Eyebrow perked, I continued. “You said bodyguards. Where are they positioned?”

  “I didn’t say ,” poured from his lips, but gradually, I saw the answer to my question unfurl. The interior map of Matthew’s coven transferred from his mind to mine, showing two pages stationed between the front door and along the corridor to the meeting room in the back. Another guard stood in front of those doors, but if any others were gathered anywhere else, James did not know about it.

  “Very good.” A cold grin spread across my lips. “Two final questions. Is there only one set of doors leading into the meeting room or are there other methods of escape? And where are the others in your coven? The house seems quite barren and I dislike surprises.”

  James trembled, glancing down at the bloodstained metal protruding from his body before clenching his eyes shut. “You’re a fucking lunatic.”

  “I have been called worse.”

  “Why the fuck do you think I’ll actually answer your questions?”

  I scowled. “Because I have a sword in your stomach which says you should. Is this enough incentive for you?”

  “Go to hell . . . ”

  ‘ . . . One other method of escape. Side entrance leading to the back exit . . . ’

  “ . . . sadistic, crazy prick . . . ”

  ‘ . . . Nobody else here. Matthew demanded they stay safe. He didn’t want them eavesdropping on the meeting . . . ’

  “ . . . burn in hell when somebody finally catches up to you.”

  “Thank you, James.” Raising my foot, I pushed him from the blade and sent him tumbling face-first onto the ground. “I hope you shall understand when I say, appreciative as I am for your cooperation, you still must die.”

  “Just fucking kill me then, you bastard.” James moaned, rolling onto his back. He clutched at his stomach, his gaze meeting mine. “Robin believed in you. He told us you would be his brother and stand by him.”

  “Which makes him a fool, does it not?” I raised my katana, both hands wrapped around the hilt. A sinister grin crept across my face. With one, quick swipe of my sword, I rid James of his head and after flicking the blade to the side, I snapped it back into its sheath. “Death has come to this house tonight and he has come to collect.”

  Lifting my eyes to meet Rose’s, I saw them flash with fear before she composed herself again. Her gaze shot to the door, both needing something else to focus on and moving to the next logical step in our journey. “Well, you managed your information, Flynn. So help me if you ever”

  “Shut up, Rose.” I straightened my coat, allowing the folds to conceal the hilt of my sword again. Turning for the door, I crouched low before twisting the knob and pushing it inward. A dark foyer greeted me, with nobody in my immediate line of vision when I peeked inside. “Follow me and be quiet about it,” I said as I crept into the house. Once she entered, I shut the door behind us, listening for the soft click of the lock engaging while pivoting to face the estate’s interior.

  The house appeared as barren as James had stated, with nary a soul anywhere in our vicinity. I moved further inward, avoiding the moonlit corners of the entryway and seeking the shadows away from the sparse amount of light provided by one lamp lit near the stairs. Plush carpet muffled the sound of my steps, yet I still moved cautiously, approaching a wall and pressing myself against it while slithering closer to an adjoining corridor. Voices filtered from the other end of the hallway, no doubt belonging to the two pages about whom I had been warned. I risked a quick glance around the corner and spotted them standing far too close to the intersecting path leading, I assumed, to the meeting room.

  Ducking back, I frowned pensively and surveyed my surroundings. Dark wood accented lighter-colored walls where a host of framed portraits and landscapes hung. Other decorations were sparse, and scattered amongst a small collection of tables and chairs situated closer to the windows. My eyes found Rose again, who blinked at me and motioned to walk closer.

  I held up a hand to stop her. ‘Stay there,’ I said, speaking within the confines of our thoughts. ‘You have one last task to complete before I send you on your way.’

  Rose opened her mouth, hesitated, and finally narrowed her eyes. ‘How does this mental communication of yours work?’

  ‘Precisely like that, my dear sister.’ A condescending smirk curled the corner of my mouth. ‘You had a question?’

  ‘More like a directive.’ Her hands settled on her hips. ‘I agree to help under the condition you not scare m
e like that again.’

  ‘Which shows you how much you know about this sort of thing. And how attentive you truly were when I spoke of my assignments. Had you been more of a listener and less of an empty-headed whore, you would know the very wrong thing to do at this moment is cause a panic. Now, order me again, and I will slip and slaughter you with the two pages we are to murder.’

  Rose tilted her chin in defiance, but wisely did not respond. I nodded, stealing a quick glance down the corridor again before peering back at Rose. ‘You are to step outside again, then enter and shut the door more audibly. I wish you to call into the house to get their attention and ensure both pages make it into this room so I can dispose of them without arousing further suspicion.’

  ‘What should I tell them?’

  ‘That you have a message you need to hand deliver. Tell them the front guards permitted you entrance.’ If they did not fall for the ruse, I would have to move quickly, but the chance at secrecy was worth the risk.

  ‘Very well.’ She sighed and turned toward the entrance again, stepping forward and opening the door. When she peered back at me, I nodded, and moved closer to the stairs as quickly and soundlessly as possible. She shut the door more forcefully while I ascended the first few steps and crouched behind the banister. “Hello?” she said, calling toward the corridor, adding to the charade by craning her neck as if looking for someone.

  Footsteps sounded down the hallway, although as they approached, I discovered she had managed to attract only one of the pages. A blond-haired man, he appeared confused when he caught sight of her. “Miss? Can I help you?”

  She attempted an agreeable smile. I could have murdered her on principle alone when she glanced in my direction, but she recovered before the page noticed. “I have a message. It’s rather urgent and needs to be hand delivered to my mistress.”