The Pandora Principle

“I wanted to see how skilled ya were.” She shook her head with a grimace of disgust. “We’re gonna have to start all over with yer trainin’.”

 

 

My hand shot out and slammed into her face. Her head flew back with a look of astonishment coming over her face, and the wheelchair toppled to the side as he whole body jerked from the force of my blow. My rage overcame the flash of guilt that bit at me for hitting a disabled woman. Fuck her. She deserved this one.

 

“My friends have died, I have been followed, and this is all one big test to you?” My voice broke in the middle, taking on a higher pitch.

 

“If you were doing what you were supposed to, this wouldn’t have happened.”

 

“So, it’s okay for you to just sit back and not even warn me.”

 

“I been warnin’ ya, girl. Ya just ain’t listenin’.”

 

“You warned me about Hermes, who doesn’t seem to have anything to do with this,” I snapped. “All your other warnings have been vague, and you said nothing about the ker.”

 

“How am I supposed to see if ya been keepin’ with yer trainin’ if I tell ya?”

 

“What about when you realized that I couldn’t sense them?”

 

“I worked with ya to fix it. Ya still didn’t think about the ker. Ya were too caught up in that god and his kid.”

 

“That god just saved my life,” I said. “And his kid has acted more like family than you or the Pyrrha have. All you ever do is throw me into danger.”

 

Aunt Jo’s whole face paled and took on a green tint. “Yer gonna go there after what it cost me to save ya as a kid?”

 

Heat flushed my face, and I tightened my still clenched fists. “I wouldn’t have needed saving in the first place if you and Aunt Dahlia hadn’t pushed my mom into going after Hecate in the first place.”

 

She crossed her arms as a vein ticked at the side of the temple. “So this is what it’s about? Yer ma was the Pyrrha then. It was her responsibility.”

 

“To go alone?” My bitter laugh echoed through the night. “Y’all knew it was a goddess she was taking on, way more powerful than a daimon. That should have been a group effort. More to divide the power.”

 

“She wouldn’t let us,” Aunt Jo said in a strangled voice. “We tried to tell her, but she wanted to protect us. She thought she could handle it.”

 

I swallowed the lump in my throat as the heat traveled through my body, leaving goose bumps in its wake. “I doubt Aunt Dahlia tried so hard. She always wanted mother’s position.”

 

“And she had to fight for it. Ya know it’s not passed down.” She sighed and shook her head. “I think it hit yer aunt harder than ya think. She just don’t show it.”

 

I glared. “Please. She never gave a damn. She was all too happy to hop into Mom’s place.”

 

Aunt Jo sighed, rubbing her eyes. “Cassi …”

 

“Don’t,” I said. “I’m tired of hearing your lies. I’m tired of all of it.”

 

I turned and walked into the darkness, letting her voice die on the wind. She would have to pick herself up from this one.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 26

 

 

 

The sun beat down on my head, and I shifted from one foot to another as the pastor’s voice echoed through the cemetery. Sheridan should’ve been put into the ground with gray clouds and the sky’s tears. Mother Nature had a different ideas, and greeted us with a bright blue day. I bit my lip and rubbed my wrist at the slight tingle.

 

I’d reported to my insurance company that I’d rolled my car into a ditch. They’d questioned how I’d manage to escape without any injuries. Just lucky I guess. I snorted. At least I didn’t have to explain why it had been in the University parking lot. Yesterday morning, I’d found my car in usual parking spot at my apartment with a note from Hermes. Once again, he’d looked out for me despite the whole thing about us being enemies.

 

I stared at his head close to the front of the mourners. He’d given me a quiet nod when we’d seen each other before this started. His eyes had promised words and so much more later and had sent my heart racing.

 

I shook my head and bit the inside of my cheek softly. Besides hiding stuff that almost got me killed, my aunt may have had a point about a few things. Was I letting this attraction to Hermes get in the way of my duty? I still wanted him, even though he was a god and Serenity’s father. And when had I started thinking of this as my duty?

 

When people started dying, a tiny voice whispered in my head.

 

With a sigh, I turned away from the funeral and wrapped my arms around myself. Serenity stood under a tree several yards away with her head bowed. I gave a quick glance behind me and headed in her direction. She kept her gaze averted as she traced her fingers over the rough bark.

 

I cleared my throat. “Hey.”

 

“Hey,” she said.

 

“You don’t want to join everyone else?” I nodded to the crowd of mourners standing in front of the open grave and polished wood casket.

 

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