Page 116 of Surrendering Hope (The Hope Legacy)

All four men snap their attention towards her. “I don’t think that’s wise,” Jed says. Zee grunts his agreement.

“It’s time for girl talk. Either we stay here and chat, and you guys go investigate the wealth of entertainment, or you stay here and Natia and I will go,” Emi says, quirking an eyebrow at the guys.

Duncan stands. “Fine, it’s better we know where you are.” He gestures with his head. “Come on, we can prop up the bar and keep an eye on our girls.”

They make a slow exit down the stairs, as if they expect me to disappear into the bowels of hell. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Emi swaps sofas, sitting close to me. “So…” I say.

“So, what do you want to know?”

I fold my arms, my breasts gaining precarious height in the corset. “Let’s start with how you know me, why I was reborn and why I can’t remember who I am?”

She huffs out a breath. “In other words, everything.”

I grin. “I’m curious by nature.”

She rolls her eyes. “Okay, for starters, I was there when you were made, I gifted you with your righteous sense of justice, your morals.”

“That was your contribution?”

She nods. “It’s why you’re drawn to your role of protecting humans. When your time in the human world came to an end, your sacrifice was noted and they granted you eternal life in Eden.”

I screw up my face. “But I thought I was the first human woman? How can I be that twice?”

“You were the first human woman made by the gods, not the first human woman ever.”

I blink. “So I was Pandora, unleashed Hell on Earth… then what?”

“Then you relentlessly tried to fix your mistake. It was part of Zeus’ punishment, you were ridden with guilt.”

“But when I died I went to Eden and was known as Eve?”

She nods. “Yes, and you screwed up, again. You already know that you embody hope, but you kept making the wrong choices. You were guided by a potent mix of curiosity and sin. The darkness appealed to your nature. As punishment for your transgression in Eden, they sent you to live once again with the mortals. But they cursed you to never be part of them. You inspired lust and craving from men, but never love.”

“That seems kind of cruel.”

“That’s what you thought back then, that cruelty turned you to hate. You became disillusioned with mankind, having never experienced the positive aspects of that life, you began to believe all humans were evil and cruel and they didn’t deserve your protection or love. There are only so many times you can have your heart broken and it not deeply affect you.”

“So I turned into a bitch who had her heart broken one too many times. Is that what fueled Archan to believe I was some evil creature hell bent on wiping out humanity?”

She nods and takes a big swig of her drink. “You were a bitch, but The Creator had one last card to play. He won’t interfere too much in humanity’s destiny, he gifted them with free will for a reason. He scarcely interferes with the gods. But he has a soft spot for the first human woman created by a ruthless, jealous god. He feels responsible for you.”

“So what did he do?”

“He felt guilty for the harsh punishment you received for a sin that you couldn’t have resisted, so he offered you a choice. You could continue down the path of destruction, knowing full well you held hope in your being and it was unlikely you would ever give it to a race that persecuted and tortured you.”

“Or?”

“Or you could start again, sacrifice yourself for a chance of love, and be what mankind needed. You would only be reborn when The Creator knew the world was at a tipping point. This way with your inherent gift for justice and reasoning would assess mankind on their current merit. Your judgement would either be their salvation or destruction. But we cleared you of all memories, preconceptions and understanding of your origins.”

“And I chose the second option?”

She nods. “But before you left the life you knew as Pandora, you asked of me a few favors.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Go on.”

“First, I took you to a place where you could hide the Jar.”

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