Page 5 of Blaze of Our Lives

“Not possible,” I told him with a sad smile.

“Let’s call it even,” he replied.

“Deal.”

The Keeper of Fate placed her hands on our shoulders. “You ready?”

“No, I’m not ready, but that won’t stop me,” I said. “Let’s get this party started.”

Candy nodded. My people cheered and applauded. Pandora’s former followers did as well.

Then, in a blast of orange crystals, the three of us exited stage left, so to speak. We were on to the next show. I had no clue how the episode would end, but I was determined to get Pandora out of me. The alternative was unacceptable.

I had three choices. Do it. Don’t do it. Or, do the fuck out of it.

I chose the last one. And I played to win.

In a burst of silver, orange and glistening black mist we disappeared.

CHAPTER TWO

The transport was fine. The destination… not so much.

“Umm… we made a detour?” I asked, glancing around the familiar house warily.

If this was where the Higher Power resided, consider me completely freaked out. We were at my place in California—a beautiful Craftsman bungalow next to my brother Sean’s almost identical home on a quaint and quiet street in Venice Beach. The lemon trees and twisting hot-pink bougainvillea vines along with the orange and avocado trees made my soul happy. Right now, my soul was on the verge of having a seizure.

The house was empty except for the three of us.

“We did,” Candy announced, pacing the living room and chewing on a few toothpicks. “Need a fuckin’ meeting first.”

Abaddon stood by the bay window with his arms crossed over his muscular chest and watched the Keeper of Fate closely.

While I wanted to crumple into Abaddon’s arms and weep, I didn’t. I was the Goddess of the Darkness and I had a problem that needed to be solved. Granted, it was the most fucked up problem imaginable, but it was mine. Longing for the good old days, where all I had to worry about was getting to my auditions on time and knowing my lines, was a waste. Those days were gone.

With a small shudder, I centered myself and stood tall. The need to do property damage was seriously tempting. However, I’d hold that impulse for later since I might have double the magic due to the hideous fact that my worst enemy had taken up residence in my body. It felt incredibly uncomfortable to know that Pandora was inside me. My mind raced with the most absurd scenarios. Part of me wondered if I stabbed myself would she would feel it? Logically—if that word could even be used in this situation—I knew it wasn’t her physical body that was taking a sabbatical in my gut. It was more her spirit and essence. The complexities didn’t matter. It all just sucked. Hard.

“Question,” I ground out as unsettling thoughts blasted through my frontal lobe. “Pandora can’t make me evil, or force me to do evil things. Right?”

Abaddon didn’t say a word.

Candy Vargo didn’t say a word.

Pandora didn’t say a word.

That didn’t bode well.

I wasn’t sure if the deplorable woman hanging out inside me could hear everything going on, but it was very possible she could. Of course, I could inquire, but I wasn’t sure I could handle the answer without losing my shit.

Candy sighed and handed me a box of toothpicks. I took them, popped two into my mouth and bit down hard.

“That fucked up question right there is one of the reasons we need to have a little meeting,” she admitted, sounding cagey to my ears.

Freaking out wasn’t going to help. I refused to cry. If Pandora was aware of what I did, I wasn’t about to show weakness. She was a horrid Demon. I wanted her out of me as much as she wanted to get out. However, I’d give her no ammunition to use at a later date.

“I’d suggest we get this party started,” I said flatly.

Candy checked her watch. “In five, four, three, two…”

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