Page 24 of Waste
“Like you are on Shelley? Maybe.”
“Does everyone know?” Drew demanded, swivelling on his chair to peer at her.
“No. This is your business, Drew. I may witness a lot, but I’m not one to start gossip. Of course, I love a good chinwag, but I never spread rumours. And neither does Pandora.”
“Something is wrong with her,” Drew stated as his gaze slowly moved back to his mirror, and he began watching Shelley.
“Pandora? Yes, there is. I’d say her Sins are acting up, but there is more to it. I’m worried about her. She looks so ill—in both forms,” Marie agreed.
“And she won’t talk to the board?” Drew asked.
“No. Until Vladimir found Emmaline, Andie shied away from her Pandora form. However, she now seems to embrace it more. I am greatly concerned. And then there’s this huge secret Andie is keeping from us. Why, after thousands of years, has Pandora admitted it? I agree with Vladimir; something is brewing.”
“But the question of what is hard to determine, as there’s little evidence to formulate an idea,” Drew said, his gaze flicking back to Marie.
He studied her calm visage. Was she hiding stuff from the rest of them? Marie had information at her fingertips. She couldspy into anyone’s home and listen in on private conversations. As much as he wished to accuse Marie of withholding knowledge, Drew witnessed the concern in her eyes. Marie didn’t know.
“This mystery person, that Pandora is protecting…” Drew mused and trailed off.
“Again, no idea. Pandora was never fully open when first arriving here. Thousands of years of distrust are hard to overcome. None of us, apart from Kraken, gave Pandora a chance after The Betrayal. That’s how she came to absorb Lust. She was with him when he was attacked. Pandora was badly scarred by how Kraken died; it harmed her deeply,” Marie said, considering.
“Which means Pandora might be frightened of losing someone else she loves or cares about,” Drew agreed.
“Yes. And trust me, Pandora knows more about what happened and is coming than she admits. Yet, I don’t believe she intends us harm. I doubt she did initially.”
“Was Pandora forced to open the Jar of Fate?”
“What was the Jar of Fate? Think, Drew. It was a vessel that held all the negatives humankind had created. God removed them to make the humans better. Why would Pandora, a human, willingly unlock something that would curse mankind? Pandora was a curious girl, but not evil or cruel. She was kind, gentle, and joyful. Somebody made her open that jar; it wasn’t of her free will,” Marie said, and Drew gazed at her.
“What do we know of Pandora?” he mused.
“She was beloved of God and us. Pandora was the true epitome of what the human race could become. Until she released the Sins.”
“That’s it?” Drew questioned, wracking his own brain for some other knowledge.
“Yes.”
“Well, damn,” Drew muttered. He honestly couldn’t think of anything either. There were things he understood concerning Pandora after The Betrayal, but not before.
“But the question that bugs me is who had the power to hide Pandora from us. Because Pandora was purely human, she had no magic,” Marie said.
Drew blinked. “That is something I’ve considered many times. Pandora couldn’t have snuck past us the way she did. Someone either made her or helped her. I’m unsure which.”
“Knowing Pandora like I do now, I would consider it forced.”
“That is likely, but she wouldn’t be protecting that individual today. Why would she?”
“It could be Stockholm’s. Pandora might be covering for her abuser because that’s what she was conditioned to do.”
“I’d agree except Pandora’s nearly rabid about it. One could almost say she loves this person.”
“What is true? It’s a mystery for another day. What are you planning to do about Shelley?” Marie inquired, changing the subject.
“I don’t know. Pandora came to me and told me to watch over Shelley. She claimed that Shelley had raised a marker with the Hunters. And quite frankly, Marie, I don’t want an innocent death on me. There’s been enough of them…” Drew’s voice trailed off.
“Drew, those were the early days when we weren’t in control of the Sins. You cannot be blamed for them,” Marie said, sitting up, looking worried.
“Can’t I? It was my hands that killed them,” Drew retorted and wiped a palm over his brow.
