Pandora's Key (24 page)

The heart-rate monitor showed a steady, flat neon-green line, making a dull, monotone sound that echoed sharply in the room. It remained that way for several minutes until finally Dr. Sullivan said, “I’m sorry, Evangeline, it’s over.” The room was heavy with silence.

“I’m so sorry, E,” Raphe said, his face pinched and miserable.

Samantha walked to Evangeline’s side and put a hand on her shoulder. Evangeline didn’t shrug it off—she could hardly even feel it. Her body was an empty husk, burned out by the magic that had scorched her but utterly failed to save her mom’s life.
So stupid. Just because I healed a butterfly and then Raphe, doesn’t mean I’m capable of saving my dying mother. Who do I think I am, anyway?

“You tried,” Dr. Sullivan said. He reached up to turn off the monitor, but at the moment it beeped and the flat line on the screen formed a small peak, and then another one, and another, until the line settled into a rhythm. Olivia Theopolis was breathing. She was breathing on her own. Dr. Sullivan stared down at his patient and then over at Evangeline, at a complete loss for words.

Stacy walked into the room carrying medical supplies. She almost dropped them when she saw Evangeline and Dr. Sullivan in the room. “Jeez—you scared me. Visiting hours—”

“I told her it was okay to visit early,” Dr. Sullivan interrupted.

Stacy glanced at the other people in the room. “They’re from Social Services and the kid is her friend,” Dr. Sullivan said quickly.

“Oh, okay. Holy crap—the ventilator!” Stacy rushed to the bed. “It’s been turned off!” Stacy looked at Dr. Sullivan in confusion.

“Evangeline opted to shut off her mother’s life support.”

“She’s breathing on her own! Look!” Grinning, Evangeline kissed her mother and then leapt up to hug Stacy. “Thanks for taking such great care of my mom.”

“But…how?” Stacy asked, completely floored.

“Medicine is ninety percent science and ten percent mystery,” Dr. Sullivan said solemnly. “It’s nice to be surprised once in a while, isn’t it?” He turned back to Evangeline. “You realize this doesn’t mean—”

“I understand,” Evangeline interrupted. “It’s just a start.”

But it
did
mean something. If what Samantha and her Pandora women believed was actually true, then Zeus’ Curse could be fought. The descendants of Pandora didn’t have to die in the prime of their lives. Evangeline looked at her mother breathing on her own.
Am I starting to accept it all? Can I really believe in sects and curses and gifts from the Gods? I don’t know…

Suddenly the room felt too small, the air too warm, the eyes watching her too intrusive. “I need to get some air.” Evangeline walked to the door. “Stay with my mom, okay?”

“One of us should go with you,” Samantha said.

“I’ll go,” Raphe offered, slipping off the windowsill.

“No,” Evangeline said, holding up her hands. “I really need to be alone for a few minutes, okay? I’m just going to walk around the block to get some air. Please.”

Samantha nodded, but she didn’t look happy about it.

Evangeline walked down the hallway, her sneakers squeaking on the linoleum. The hallway clock read 6:32
AM
and she wondered how many hours had passed since she’d last slept. It felt like forever. She pressed the elevator button and a car opened. It was empty. Once the doors closed, she felt an immense rush of relief. She was finally completely alone.

“What am I?” Evangeline asked the empty space.
Do I have one foot on the steps to Mount Olympus and the other in the mortal world?
She pressed the “Lobby” button and the elevator descended.

When the doors opened, a woman wearing a headscarf and over-sized sunglasses and a young man with a square of gauze taped to his cheek and wearing a green University of Oregon baseball cap stepped in.

“
Pardonez-moi
,” the woman said, side-stepping Evangeline.

“That’s okay,” Evangeline said. The young guy stood right in her way and by the time they were done jostling to get around each other, the elevator doors had closed.

“Shoot—that was my stop.”

“No, it wasn’t,” the guy said, looking up at Evangeline from beneath the brim of his cap.

The woman pushed the Emergency Stop button.

It’s not
possible. He’s dead!
“Tristin?”

“I told you, my name is Malledy,” Malledy replied with a smile.

Evangeline wasn’t screaming in the halted elevator. But Malledy trusted her about as far as he could throw her. To throw her, however, would require touching her and he was
not
going to make that mistake again. Somehow when they’d been in the woods, she’d been able to slow his heartbeat down to the point that he’d lost consciousness. When his body had fallen away from her touch, her murderous connection was severed or else he would’ve actually died. Luckily, it was Juliette who’d found his body in the woods. Any other member of Pandora would’ve likely slit his throat.

Juliette had been extremely angry with Malledy. He’d broken his promises that he would only use her weapon if he was in mortal danger and that he’d never harm the descendant. So, as a consolation, he’d agreed to her plan. Malledy and Juliette would give Pandora’s Box back to the Sect if Evangeline agreed to heal him. That meant the slippery freak would have to touch him again. But, this time, if she started humming and pulling that backward song crap she’d pulled on him in the forest, Juliette would be standing by to force Evangeline’s hands off him and instantly break the connection. Malledy was confident that the newly converted Evangeline, with her newfound power and purpose, would not risk losing the box. She’d heal Malledy. She had to. He was quite literally betting his life on it.

Once Malledy was cured of Huntington’s disease, Juliette believed that they’d race to the airport, take a flight they’d already booked from Portland to Amsterdam, and then fly on to Milan. They’d return to Castle Aertz and to their lives as Archivists, safe inside their ancient, opulent home, surrounded by the knowledge they both craved. But there were a few things she didn’t know.

Malledy had been outside Melodie Hopkins’ house with his remaining team member, Ivan, when Evangeline had turned the revolver on herself. He’d sent Ivan in to stop her—if she was dead she couldn’t cure him. Unfortunately, stupid Ivan had ended up shooting Raphe and getting himself gutted, but Malledy had remained safe, watching the rest of the drama unfold. He’d heard Samantha’s words of explanation—the secret about Zeus’ curse that only the leaders of Pandora knew and had never written down—and that final secret had truly set him free.

“What do you want?” Evangeline’s voice belied her fear.

“Malledy has a fatal illness,” Juliette said. “He’s got Huntington’s disease. It’s killing him and we need you to stop its progression and heal him.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t know how to do that.”

“Liar,” Malledy said with a sneer. “You healed your little boyfriend.” A tremor tore into his left hand and clawed up his arm. With some effort, he pinned his arm against the elevator wall. The spasms were getting much more brutal and his right eye had begun to water and twitch.

Evangeline crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know how it works.”

“You don’t need to. I know how it works. I saw it all. Just hum your little song and put your hands on me like you did for Raphe. But if you try to hurt me, like you did before, then we’ll take Pandora’s Box and sell it to the highest bidder.”

“You don’t have the box,” Evangeline challenged.

“Show her,” Malledy said. Juliette held open her purse. Evangeline’s eyes grew wide when she saw the golden box inside.

“If you don’t heal me, we’ll tell the very dangerous men who purchase the box from us exactly where to find you and your friends. Believe me, they won’t be as gentle as we’re being to you.”

“
Arrête,
Malledy,” Juliette said, her brow furrowed. “We don’t want to hurt you, Evangeline. I have spent my entire life working to protect you for Pandora, but Malledy is my adopted son.
Vous comprenez?
”

“Yes, I think so,” Evangeline said.

“Then do it,” Malledy demanded.

Malledy felt the tremors leave his body instantly. His right eye stopped twitching and the dreadful fatigue—that had made him feel like he was slogging through mud carrying one hundred pounds of sand on his back—vanished. It was like he’d been swirling inside a horrendous cyclone and the winds instantly subsided. A white light had enveloped and seeped into him, washing clean his insides which had been so filled with disease and chemicals and stink.

Evangeline was still humming, but Malledy managed to break away from her touch.

“Screw you, Huntington’s!” he cried, spinning in a circle, arms raised in triumph. “It’s gone, Juliette! It’s gone!” He hugged her tightly. “It’s gone!”

“Are you truly well?” Juliette asked, pulling back to look into his face.

“Yes,” Malledy said. “Yes I am. I’m healed.”

“Praise the Gods!” Juliette brushed tears from her eyes. And then she reached over to release the emergency stop button.

Malledy grabbed Juliette’s hand. “
Non, ma chere.
” He snatched the purse off her shoulder and pulled out Pandora’s Box.

“Evangeline,” he said, “open the box for me.”

“What?” Evangeline backed away from him, wary as a wildcat. “No way! I made you well—now you’re supposed to give
me
the box and leave.” She looked to Juliette for confirmation, but the woman was staring at Malledy.

“Are you sure you won’t open it for me?” Malledy asked.

“I’m sure,” Evangeline said.

Malledy pulled a cruel-looking hunting knife from his jacket pocket. He held it at his side and narrowed his eyes. She’d served her purpose and there was no reason for this girl to suffer too much—he would take her down by cutting the jugular vein. She would be dead in minutes.
I can be benevolent.

“Malledy, no!” Juliette shrieked. “This is not what we agreed to!”

“That deal was made from a position of weakness. Now I’m strong, so I’m changing the terms. You heard me. I gave Evangeline a chance to open Pandora’s Box and live. I am a fair and generous God!”

Juliette’s face blanched. “God?”

Malledy smiled. “I realized when we were in the woods that there’s no longer any difference between me and the Gods and Goddesses whose talismans I’ve discovered and bent to my will.”

“Malledy, I don’t understand what you’re saying! If you kill Evangeline the box can never be opened.
She’s
the key.”

Malledy shook his head. “I know the truth—I heard it with my own ears. Samantha told Evangeline that if she died without having a child, anyone could take the key and open Pandora’s Box.”

“Maybe that’s true,” Juliette said in a voice that didn’t hide her dread. “I honestly don’t know. But if you open the box, Annihilation will be released and people, cities—entire populations will be destroyed. Is that what you really want?”

“Juliette, I’m not just
anyone,
you know. I can use my genius to command the fifth Fury. Controlling Annihilation is the final step in my becoming a modern day God.”

“
Mon fils
, I don’t understand!” Juliette sounded frightened now. “What’s wrong with you?!”

Malledy forced himself to take a calming breath. It wasn’t Juliette’s fault that she didn’t comprehend yet. She was an intellectual, but she wasn’t brilliant like him.
She’s given me so much and deserves an explanation.

“At first,” Malledy began in a soothing tone, “I thought I’d use the fifth Fury like a scalpel to excise my disease—to literally
annihilate
it. But, now that I’m well, I know that I can do so much more with the final Fury. So much more!”

Malledy took a step toward Evangeline, raising the knife. “Have you watched the news lately, Juliette?”

“
Non
. Malledy, please don’t hurt—”

“Shhh. Let me finish explaining,” Malledy said gently. “The world is filled with violence, brutality, suicide bombers, massive chemical spills, and nuclear weapons. People are doing exactly what the Gods knew they’d do—destroying each other and destroying their planet without a thought or care. Mankind has no morals and they don’t deserve their freedom. Someone needs to control them. Try to understand, Juliette, I didn’t ask for this, but it’s my destiny. I’m meant to wield Annihilation, the final and most devastating Fury, like a weapon and become the world’s tangible God of Knowledge—fair but also too powerful to defy! You see?”