PANDORA

by Rebecca Hamilton

  Robin pushed me from him and swung his sword again. I crouched and raised my katana to block. “Damn you!” he shouted. “You don’t understand, she is manipulating you. These are not your actions, they are hers. She has been controlling you far longer than you could dare realize.”

  “Did you just swear, dear brother?” I freed one hand to waggle a finger at him. “Language, Robin.”

  He gritted his teeth and thrust the sword for me. I turned out of the way at the last minute and laughed. “I think you underestimate me,” I said, clutching my katana with both hands again. “I am more than capable of my own evil intentions.”

  Robin held his sword steady, but made no further motion with it. He frowned at me. “She made you what you are, Flynn.” The expression in his eyes turned pained. “Stop this nonsense for a moment, and let me tell you more about your rebirth.”

  He began to speak, “I know why you killed your mortal lover . . . ,” but the words came too late. I was already in motion, thrusting my blade forward when he dropped his defenses. The oversight on his part left him unable to block me in time. Cold steel ran through his chest. A thousand thoughts assailed me, forming a picture, which turned into a movie playing in my mind. An entire ocean of explanation impacted me who I was, what I had been. With vivid color, a landscape opened up before my eyes.

  I saw Lydia. I saw the night she was murdered.

  And finally, I understood who it was that killed my beloved.

  At once, my humanity rose up from some distant corner of my psyche, but did so just in time to stare into the eyes of the demon’s final victim. My sword had impaled Robin through the heart; the deluge of truth had been his final lesson. With his last breath he said, “I loved you as a brother, Flynn.”

  Then he turned to dust. Robin was no more.

  The room turned deathly quiet. Nothing but ash surrounded me as Peter glanced around the room for the first time, beholding the crypt he had fashioned. I clutched my sword, but my hands began to shake and once more, I recalled the feeling that had ushered me into immortality. Bare before the world, the foolish man who had slaughtered the last thing left which meant something to him in this world. The katana dropped to the ground, falling to my feet with a clank echoing all about me. My knees became weak. My legs caved in and I crumpled to a kneeling position, bringing both hands to my head.

  “What have I done?” I asked, as though the ash surrounding me could answer. “How could I have been so blinded for so long? How . . . ” Blood tears formed in my eyes. “How could I have let this happen?”

  I broke down into sobs, greeted only by the cold embrace of every atrocity I had committed. Finally, I understood what had been done inside me, after five years of failing to see it.

  Yes, I was a vampire. This much was true and could not be denied. Peter Dawes, however, was no willful murderer, a fact that resonated as images from Robin began to play again.

  Part Five

  Humanity Restored

  “A man cannot do good before he is made good.”

  Martin Luther

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  In my thoughts, I saw Robin, back when his name was still Michael and he knew no such being as Flynn. He stood before Sabrina, his brow furrowed. “What do you mean you spared the mortal?” he asked. “That seems out of character for you.”

  Sabrina’s penthouse materialized around me, with my body situated in the center of the room as though I had been present for these events myself. I wore no sunglasses and possessed no fangs, once again the human to witness the path toward my demise, but only a specter. I frowned, watching Sabrina pace by me, completely unaware of the fact I even stood there.

  She folded her arms behind her back, an air of amusement following her as she walked. “Oh, dear Michael,” she said. “There is a method to my madness.” Pausing by her liquor cabinet, she produced a glass and proceeded to fill it two-fingers full with brandy. Sabrina swirled around its contents once, and then sniffed it before allowing the amber-colored liquid to slide down her throat. Her eyes met Robin’s again. “The boy is no mere boy. I looked into his eyes and knew what sort of creature I gazed upon, even without the emerald green irises.”

  Robin raised an eyebrow. “I don’t understand.”

  Sabrina’s grin widened. “The mortal is a seer. One who has not yet recognized his abilities.”

  My brother scoffed, slipping his hands into the pockets of his pants. “Sabrina, the Order themselves cannot pinpoint the seers before their time. How did you suddenly gain the ability to do so?”

  “Oh, I know.” She chuckled and polished off the rest of her drink. “If you saw him, you would know what I meant. His eyes are blue as the clearest ocean, the same shade as the green they become. The way he holds himself and even the contents of his thoughts scream of it. They are centered on change. Mortality.” Sabrina shook her head. “He is one of them. I just know it.”

  “I think you’re merely infatuated and want to turn him.”

  “Oh, I want him immortal, I won’t argue that point, darling Michael.” Her gaze met his measure for measure. She set the glass down, and then settled her hands on her hips. “Think about it, if I am right. We could possess the gift. Finally, those bastards could pay for what they did in San Francisco.”

  Robin frowned, sitting on the arm of one of her couches. “Sabrina, don’t start this again. San Francisco was a long time ago and I will tell you now what I told you before I left you in Boston. Your fixation will be the death of you someday, and all the more if you are even thinking of turning a seer. The Fates themselves could strike you down where you stand.”

  She flicked her hand in a dismissive manner. “I fear no Fates. What are they anyway, but mortal deities? Besides, how would they strike at us if we possessed one of their own?”

  “Don’t.” He sighed, bringing his hand to his forehead. “You know damn well I’ll be no accomplice to you if this is the path you have chosen.”

  “Why not?”

  “Why not?!” Robin laughed. “Sabrina, words haven’t been invented to express my opposition to this idea. If you want to retaliate against the seers, then kill him and be done with it. Let us continue living as we have been without upsetting the balance of the natural order.”

  Sabrina gritted her teeth. “The mortals filled your head with nonsense during those years we were apart.”

  Robin came to his feet. “I seem to recall you being the one who instructed me on the natural order before you lost your mind to ambition.”

  “Which you lack to your detriment.” She scowled. “If you wish to continue being my second, then you will do as I ask. Find out about him. Find out about his lover and whether she is one of the Order’s puppets. If I could see the gift in him, I know I’m not the only one who could.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “You will do as I order. I am your maker.”

  “Sabrina, I’ve followed you to the ends of the earth. I refuse to do this.”

  Abruptly, Sabrina raised her fist and pounded down on the surface of her liquor cabinet hard enough to splinter wood. Even I jumped at the action, which spurred Robin back into a seated position. His eyes widened as she pointed a finger at him. “You ungrateful Irish bastard, do not make me regret the day I offered you my wrist. I don’t care whether or not you think this is a bad idea, he will be mine and you are going to help me.” Her gaze turned wild, her fangs descending. “Fuck The Fates. Fuck the Supernatural Order. I will become the Supernatural Order.”

  As Robin regarded Sabrina, I saw a pain in his eyes I had never witnessed before. He indulged in a deep breath, shoulders straightening as it seemed he exhaled past whatever knife had pierced his heart. I frowned on impulse. “This man,” he said, his tone of voice turning cold. “This healer, as you described him . . . How do you propose to lure him? Supposing you are right and he is a would-be seer, his natural inclination will be to resist being turned. You know this is the truth.”

  “Then we shall mak
e it all the more desirable to him.” Sabrina grinned again, something unholy taking up residence on her face, replete with wicked glint and fanged sneer. In it, I saw the mirror image of Flynn. “He flirts with the darkness and has a pliable mind. I’ve already begun wrapping my fingers around his subconscious without him realizing it. By the time we are ready to turn him, he’ll fall willingly into our arms.” She lifted a perfectly manicured fingernail and tapped her chin. “In fact, I think I know the best way to begin working on him.”

  Robin raised an eyebrow. “And how is that?”

  “The girl,” Sabrina said. “The pathway to our young seer will be this woman he calls Lydia.”

  ***

  The scene changed, and once more, I found myself playing the spectator. This time, Robin’s old room materialized around me, along with all his past furniture and possessions. I watched him converse with Rose as she lounged on his couch.

  “It’s just as Sabrina suspected,” he said, pacing the room. “The girl is a member of the Supernatural Order. She cares for him, I know this much is true, but I don’t think her care for him is simple emotional attachment.” He paused and turned to look at her. “I fear we’re getting in over our heads.”

  Rose arched an eyebrow. “So, the mortal is indeed a seer?”

  “I am not sure, but the presence of one of her kind seems to suggest this might be the case.” He shook his head. “Going any further down this path will result in nothing but trouble, but Sabrina fails to see the severity of her actions. If she doesn’t leave him alone, the girl might catch on.”

  “And you think she would cause trouble?”

  “The girl is a watcher, Rose. A sorceress. It seems in their very natures to cause trouble.”

  Rose shrugged. “So what could she do? Scare him off?”

  Robin sighed. “They’re capable of worse things than this, sister. And when he realizes his abilities, his anger at our coven would be severe. He would collect our ashes as punishment if he suspects for one moment what our mistress has planned.” He glanced away, folding his arms across his chest. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the girl has already sensed us. If she is a watcher worth her salt, then she has to know something is amiss. This is all wrong.”

  “Then we must do away with the woman.”

  His eyes returned to Rose, an intense scowl surfacing on his face. “No, Rose. We must stop playing this game.”

  She chuckled. “Oh, Michael. You get so worked up over nothing. If the watcher is gone, we can strike. He will be ours without any interference.”

  “I can’t believe I am listening to this.” Robin paced closer to Rose. “Turning a seer a seer for the love of all things. We might as well all sign our death warrants.”

  “Sabrina knows what she’s doing. She always has.” Rose stood, flashing a disarming smile at Robin. “I believe we should inform her of this news and see what she has to say about it.”

  “Rose!” Robin called out, as she turned for his door and opened it. Not to be deterred, Rose dashed from his room and left him to chase after her. I turned and motioned to follow them as well, but the room transformed again before I could, and one step forward only placed me back in the middle of Sabrina’s penthouse. I whipped around and regarded the sitting area, stopping my examination at once when I caught sight of Robin again.

  He laid on one of the couches, hollering in pain as the coven’s physician removed his shirt. Slashed to ribbons, the fabric fell away to reveal several deep gashes across Robin’s chest, as though he narrowly escaped being cut in half. “The wretched mortals attacked me,” he said, his breaths labored in the throes of agony and his fangs down. “Damn you, Sabrina. Damn this plan of yours. You nearly had me murdered.”

  “You bloody idiot,” Sabrina said as regarded my wounded brother with annoyance. “The whole point of surveillance is not to be caught. Now, you’ve left us in a terrible position.” She scoffed. “If you expect sympathy from me, you have come to the wrong place. Perhaps you should seek it from that man you bedded last night when you were supposed to be minding our prodigy.”

  Robin sneered. “That was a one night encounter, Sabrina. And the mortals knew I was coming! How could I have been any more careful?”

  “Listen to me, Michael. I will say this once and only once before I lose my patience and have you killed.” Sabrina shoved the physician aside and dug her fingernails into Robin’s neck. “I am this close, do you hear me?! This close to having the seer in my pocket and now, not only does his watcher know we’re stalking him, the other members of their council do as well.”

  “And don’t you see what I am telling you?” Robin’s voice strained through the added insult of Sabrina’s grip. “They already knew. She’ll do what I warned you she would do and we’ll all be dead because of it.”

  “Then we must kill her. Before she has a chance to bring the seer into enlightenment.” Sabrina shoved Robin’s head back against the pillows of her couch and smoothed out the wrinkles in her form-fitting pants suit. “The girl is little more than a petty nuisance. My guards could be done with her in short order.”

  The physician inched toward Robin again. Robin scoffed, closing his eyes. “Her people would expect us to strike right now. It would be a massacre.” Slowly, his lids lifted again. “Sabrina, it would take turning the seer against her for us to have a chance. That’s how long of a shot you have.”

  Sabrina turned to face Robin again. She furrowed her brow. “Turning the seer against her?”

  “Which I assure you is impossible.” He indulged in another labored breath, his gaze turning severe. “Sabrina, I beg of you . . . Kill him. Have us relocate the coven before the Order sends someone else after us.”

  “Never!” Sabrina shouted, her fangs beginning to emerge. “I will not bend a knee to them and I refuse to cower on their account ever again. Never. I swear to you, Michael, I fought tooth and nail to establish this coven before I called you here to be my second. I will not give it up now that our security looms imminent.”

  “Security?” Robin laughed. “There is nothing secure about any of this! You are going to have. us. slaughtered.”

  “Oh yes, there is. There most certainly is.” Sabrina relaxed enough for her fangs to slip back into place. “Inside this mortal lies the will of a killer and the talent to execute. We will help him discover enough of that for him to use it against his lover.”

  “How do we go about doing that?” asked another female voice from the far corner of the room. I turned to find Rose standing against the wall.

  Sabrina tilted her head in Rose’s direction. “What is the one thing that can turn one lover against another, my dear? Betrayal. She will betray him and he will murder her. When he has finished this task, we will reward him with immortality.”

  “You’d sooner part the ocean than to get the watcher to betray him,” Robin said, interrupting.

  Sabrina turned her focus back to my injured brother. “We don’t need the act, only the appearance of it.” She pointed a finger at Robin. “Heal. Feed. Do whatever you must to get back in top condition and we will strike while we have a chance. I will get inside his mind and twist his thoughts. You will set his bitch up for the fall exactly as I tell you to. When these two events converge, then we will have a new vampire in this coven.”

  I released a breath I did not know I was holding. Suddenly, it all made sense. I never doubted Lydia’s fidelity until I met Sabrina and everything I feared grew with exponential gravity almost overnight. The darkness present in me amplified; my paranoia mounted and the anger and aggression became its own being manifest within me. “Flynn,” I whispered, bringing a shaky hand to my head as my thoughts drifted to that fateful night again. Only this time, Robin’s memories helped me fill in the final, missing pieces.

  My mind’s eye transported me to Lydia’s living room while Robin stood outside, silently observing the events that unfolded. I glanced his way, seeing him stare through the parted curtains leading to Lydia’s balcony and
read the resignation in his eyes clear as day. My brother may have been a participant, but he did so despite every instinct within him screaming to force Sabrina to understand. I knew, though, such a task was impossible. I swallowed hard and whispered, “I forgive you, dear brother.”

  If only I could have asked him to do the same for me.

  Turning my focus back to the apartment’s interior, I found Lydia sitting at her dining room table and had to draw a shaky breath as I recognized the clothing she wore. Her glasses were affixed on her face and her eyes scanned the pages of an open book while she raised a coffee mug to her lips. I studied the spines of each tome piled around her and felt tears well in my eyes. They all had something to do with dark magic and witchcraft. The gesture eclipsed even her typical interest in the occult and now, I knew why. There was a threat surrounding me I neither saw, nor believed in, and she had to try and save me from myself.

  I frowned. “Lydia,” I said, even though I knew she could not hear me. “I am so very sorry for never believing you. I should have known you were right, but I ”

  A knock interrupted me. Lydia and I both looked up. She removed her glasses and placed them atop one of the books before rising to answer the door. Walking closer to the other side of the apartment, I glanced down at the volumes on her table once before lifting my eyes to regard the entry. I did so in time to hear Lydia gasp. “Liam!” she said, speaking a name I instantly recognized. “Oh no, Liam. What happened?”

  The man hobbled into her house, looking as beaten as Robin had in the previous scene. Robin’s wounds were minor in comparison, though, because this man was mortal. Mortal and still existing in the realm of the living, yet only for a few minutes longer. The realization forced me to sit where Lydia had just been.

  Lydia examined the tall, middle-aged man, her eyes fraught with panic. “I was attacked,” he said, revealing a British accent as he spoke. “That vampire we found mucking about the Council on Monday ambushed me on my way over.”