Return To Pandora: Book 1 in The Pandora Series (12 page)

It wasn’t necessarily empty, I had him and his family as well as my mom, but that was it. I had no real friends here and the more I think about starting over where people will respect me from the moment they realize who I am, the more it makes me want to stay there. But we still have the little problem hanging over our heads, am I going to die if I use too much of my powers at once?

“We can practice, using a little bit at a time each day using more and more until you think you can handle them all at once. Maybe using the carbon copy everyday will help you tap into your abilities and help you use them more and more. We should figure out before we leave for Pandora if your powers will kill you or not. We will monitor them,” he said turning to look at me. He reached up to turn my face towards him. “You are all I want in this life. We will conquer this and we will live a life full of happiness. I promise you, we will get through this together.”

Taking his right hand he cupped my left cheek and I leaned into his touch. He is my comfort and I cherish every bit of him. Having him with me and a part of my new and confusing world has made it a lot easier to deal with all the craziness.

“I will try harder and work on everything a little at time, for you!” I said letting him know it isn’t for any other reason than to have him in my life. “And my dad, we need to get him back.” I wasn’t going to let him suffer under the hands of that woman any longer than he has to.

His blue eyes lit up at me confessing we need to save my dad. I was happy we were on the same page and I wasn’t doing this for anyone else. We are going to do this on my terms and no one else’s. If they don’t like how I want to do things, then that’s too bad for them, it’s my way or no way.

He got up and held out his hand for me. I took it and let him lead me home. I dreaded what was to happen when I walked through the door, but I had Zack and I could get through anything with him by my side.

“What do we tell them when we get back? Should I tell them that I can hear you in my head? Should we wait and play it out as it goes? I know them needing to know is important, but I feel like it will just put more of a burden on my shoulders. Can we wait?”

He stopped me halfway across the street and lifted my face so my eyes would meet his. His blue eyes bore into my own and made me feel a little uncomfortable with this level of intensity. “We can do whatever you want. If you want to keep that a secret for now, that’s fine, but pretty soon they will find out and when they do I will be there with you, to help you through it.”

He leaned down and kissed me before I had the chance to answer him. His kiss made my body shiver with delight and my mind went all muddy, making me forget what I was going to say. Me and Zack? Yeah that is how I always pictured it. 

When he pulled away I was a little disappointed, but I didn’t show it. I lead the rest of the way to my house, which seemed to be more like the destination for all of our meetings involving our next steps and finding answers for unnatural circumstances, such as my many new gifts. I knew I was supposed to be strong, but all these added abilities are turning out to be a curse more than a benefit. I stopped myself from thinking that and opened the door to my house. I was surprised, to say the least, when I spotted Leah there. All of the adult’s faces looked horrified and I was scared to find out why.

Friend or Foe

“What is she doing here?” I asked my mother. Then I directed my question towards her. “What are
you
doing here?”

She looked shaken and upset. I wondered what could have upset her so much that would make her turn to me.

“I… I had an encounter with Joshua,” she said looking at anything but me.

“What is that supposed to mean? You are always with Joshua how is this time any different?” I meant to hold in my bite but it came out and she flinched at how much hatred I put into my words.

She looked towards my mother and then back at me. My mother gave me and evil looking glare that told me I better behave, or else.

“I’m sorry. I’ve had a long day and I wasn’t expecting you, that’s all.” I tried to sound as sweet and innocent as possible. I’m not sure it came out that way, but she continued on in her story.

“I was practicing with him. You know our powers, like we do when we’re at the field. Anyway he looked furious, like he was upset with me for something I did and I didn’t know what I had done. So I asked him. He told me I was supposed to be a vessel for the Queen like he was. I didn’t know what he was talking about. We aren’t vessels for your mother and I didn’t think he meant the Evil Queen, so I ignored it and walked away. He took me and flung me across the yard and had me pinned up against the trees. He wouldn’t let me down and I tried to fight him but he was too strong. I trained with him every day and he never once let out that much power. I don’t know where it came from. He told me I needed to side with him and the Queen or I would die with everyone that went against her. He let me fall and told me I had until before training tomorrow to let him know what I wanted to do. I can’t be evil, I want no part of that. I don’t know what I am supposed to do.” She sounded spooked and I knew she wasn’t on the evil Queen’s side and I was happy for the advantage we had.

If she only knew that she really could be evil. Whether it was due to her being a vessel or not, she could be evil and I can’t trust her to act any differently around him and us. She is a wild card and we can’t afford to use that wild card.

“What exactly is he going to do if you decline his offer?” I asked her as I took a seat beside her.

She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure, I have never seen him look like that before. I was hoping you could, you know get him to stop being a vessel. I’m not sure how you could do that, but you’re the savior! You are supposed to save us, so I was hoping you could save him!”

“This ungrateful Bitch!”
I said to Zack in my mind. I wanted to yell at the top of my lungs but I was trying to be nice for my mother.

“I know. At least she wasn’t persuaded by him to join the Queen. We may have an advantage if we can control how she acts around him. I don’t want to have her accept to be the vessel, but maybe she says she would like to see what he does before she accepts and we can gain intel?”
He was such a nerd. Always watching those damn television shows with that weird spy lingo.

“I don’t know how to save him. He accepted the evil Queen and turned against us. But
you
could help save the rest of us,” I said and that got her attention.

“Me? How am I supposed to do that? I could barely fight against you how can I fight him, or anyone else for that matter?”

“Not fight him. Pretend to want to learn more about his deal with Queen and what it takes to become a vessel for her.”

I sounded as if I knew what I was talking about. Maybe Zackary and I sharing our thoughts together would come in very handy.

“I’m no good at faking things,” she said.

I had to hold back my laugh. Did she just say she’s not a faker? I want to tell her off, but I reigned in my anger once again and slowly let out the breath I hadn’t realized I inhaled.

“It’s not that hard. You just have to pretend to be interested in learning more about what it means to be a vessel for the Queen. Tell him after you have learned more and figured out if it is something you want or not you will let him know. Be sure you tell him you won’t tell anyone about what he said and what you learn. You just want to observe and learn.” Zack, my savior, said to her calmly.

I owed him for that. I have no patience for her bull.

“Well I guess that doesn’t sound so bad. I could try. How long do I have to keep up my interest into that deal?” She asked us.

“As long as you want to. You can’t tell him you told us and you have to try and hide your time here. If you need us to come to you we can arrange that,” I said.

She nodded her head agreeing with me and got up to leave. I walked her to the door and she said, “Thank you, Jackie. I know I haven’t been the best of a friend lately and I hope you understand that I didn’t do it on purpose. I was just, I felt like I was forced to be your friend and I wanted my own friends and my own life. I know I hurt you, but at the time I was trying to hurt my mom and dad, not you. After it was said and done, I realized I hurt you too, but I didn’t know how to go back and fix it, so I ignored it.” She hugged me and I tensed in her arms.

I didn’t know if I should hug her back or not so I tensed and she didn’t hide the hurt from her face fast enough. I felt bad, but not bad enough.

“It’s done. We can move on from here and one day maybe we could be close again, but that day is not today. You’re right, you did hurt me and you didn’t think about anyone but yourself. I’m all grown up now and I have my own friends and my own life. I hope one day we get a chance to look back on those days and not feel guilt or pain. But I feel pain. I’m sorry you have to go through what you are going through. I will help you as best as I can, but it doesn’t mean you have my forgiveness, yet.”

“I understand and I don’t expect you to forgive me right away either. This is a start though.” She closed the door behind her, taking the awkward conversation with her, without me having to reply to it.

I leaned my back against the door waiting to hear her leave. She was a jumbled mess inside her head. Mad, sad, jealous and envious? Who is she envious of? When her chaotic thoughts disappeared with her I allowed myself to take in everything that happened.

I never thought I would receive an apology from Leah. But I did and I don’t know how I feel about that. I mean, I’m happy, but what brought that on? I banged my head on the door and let out a growl of frustration.

Ba
ng.

I can’t believe I have to deal with all of this.

Bang
.

What the heck was my mother thinking sending six sixteen year olds to fight a battle she wasn’t strong enough to win?

Bang
.

I have enough power to kill Christina, but it is also enough to kill me if I don’t know how to control it.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

“Jackie, are you trying to give yourself a concussion?” Zack asked as he pulled me away from the door, preventing me from any further head banging.

I put my face in my palms and shook my head. “No. I just have so much going on. I don’t want the burden of having to watch out for Leah too. And then she got all weird on me. That made it worse. She was actually being,
nice
.”

He laughed at the way I said it. I know I sounded like her being nice was something she couldn’t do, but I didn’t find it funny.

“Jackie you have to understand that she is looking up to you now. You are the Princess and her rightful leader. You are the savior. You’re going to lead our people into a new life free of being ruled by Christina. On top of that you have what she wants, a real friendship, she may have felt forced to be your friend, but she misses you being her friend.”

“How do you know that?” I asked as we made our way back to kitchen.

“I read it in her mind, didn’t you?” He asked curious.

“No! All I got from her was her feelings, confusing to say the least, but nothing more than that.”

“Maybe it’s because you haven’t practice that enough, but her thoughts were all over the place. She regrets leaving you and it isn’t a new feeling. She pushes it down to hide how she really feels.”

I didn’t respond to that because we were now in the kitchen and my mom looked pleased?

“I think you handled that situation very well. I love how you took care of her without actually taking care of her. She seemed pleased with your idea as well, so at least you can try and find a way to get into the mind of Christina.”

Did she just compliment me? In front of everyone?

“Am I dead?” I asked aloud and I earned an evil glare from my mom. Laughing I said, “I know momma, you have nothing to worry about I will act like the Princess you want me to be, but only in front of others. With you guys I will act as myself. I was not raised to be a Princess, I was raised to be a normal human.”

“Do you think we can trust her?” Isabel asked anyone who might have an answer.

Olivia answered her, but it was not what I wanted to hear. “I think she was truthful when she came to us. But throwing her into the lion’s den is going to prove to be a bad idea. I’ve seen her two times now want to kill us and until my “dreams” change I will not trust her fully.” She had a point, but I was hoping they would agree to trust her.

“Hopefully we don’t lose her, but even if we do, I refuse to lose, so it will mean her death.”

Everyone looked at me with concern. I mean a few hours ago I was hell bent on not helping them win this war and now here I am telling them I refuse to lose and someone is going to die because of it. They obviously weren’t expecting that.

“I’m glad you had a change of heart. We will help you gain control of your powers and figure out which ones make you weaker,” John said looking at me with a fatherly love

I want to see that from my father, but he was the only father figure I had growing up, so I took what I could get.

“Ok, but the ones that make me weak will be the ones that I will not use.”

“That sounds good to me,” Olivia said.

A knock at the door startled us. I wasn’t expecting anyone and I’m sure they weren’t either.

“It’s Derek, he came to pick me up, with all this crap going on I didn’t want to be left alone.”

She went to get the door as I made a cup of tea. I was tired and the hot chocolate would only keep me awake longer than I wanted to be.

I served the adults some tea as well as Zack and left enough hot water for Olivia and Derek. I have no idea if he liked tea, but it’s all he’s going to get.

“I’m going to bed now,” I said to them all after Olivia and Derek took their seats at the table.

“Good night honey,” my mother said as she gave me a tight hug and a kiss.

Isabel and John gave me a hug as well and then Olivia gave me a hug and a kiss.

“Try not to dream tonight,” she said as she held me in her arms.

“I can’t promise anything, but if it does happen, it better be good,” I whispered back.

Zack walked me to my room. I went into the bathroom and changed, while I brushed my teeth. These pajamas where the oldest ones I had and I still loved wearing them, the shirt was an old worn out blue t-shirt. It used to say book geek on it but the letters had peeled off. The shorts were just as worn out and the same color blue with a gray stipe down the sides. I had a little hole on my right thigh, but other than that they didn’t look that bad. They were the most comfortable ones I had and I wore them often.

Walking out of my bathroom with them on, made me a little embarrassed with Zack in the room, but I reminded myself that he has seen me in these before. I climbed into my bed and snuggled up against Zack.

“Thank you,” I said looking into those bright, glowing, blue eyes.

“For what?” He asked, caressing my cheek with his thumb.

“For directing me on the right path. I would have quit if it weren’t for you.”

“You just needed a reminder of what you want to fight for. I’ll choose your side, even if it means my death.”

I hit him in the shoulder.

“What was that for?” He asked, clutching his shoulder as if I actually hurt him.

“For reminding me that we may die!”

“I wasn’t reminding you, I was just stating the truth. I will follow you to my death. I love you, I will always love you. True love concurs all in Pandora, we love each other, we will win together or we will die together.”

He just told me he loved me! I know I love him, but he said it out loud, so I could hear his masculine voice telling me he loved me. Oh my God, I’m going to have a heart attack.

“How do you know that I love you? I never said it, I never even thought it around you!”

He smiled at me. “I told you, true love. We love each other. I can feel it with every fiber of my being. You were meant for me, just as I was meant for you. We are bound together with our love. Do you remember when I said that if we fight together we will conquer together? Well I knew even then. We will be able to beat everything they throw at us, if we do it together.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” I said to him and pulled my blanket up over my head to hide from his intense gaze.

He put his fingers under the blanket in the right spots to tickle me. I couldn’t help but laugh and rip the blanket off of my head to breath. “Stop!” I said in between my giggles. “Ok. Ok. I give.”