Page 89 of Surrendering Hope (The Hope Legacy)

“Who the hell says shenanigans?” I ask, as we hit the bottom step and enter the living space. Duncan, Emi and Aaden are sat on one sofa by the roaring fire. Nathan and Barney sit opposite. There are empty mugs on the coffee table between them. Guess I’d lost track of time. Emi shoots up when she spots Archan. I spin around as Zac scowls at her like she is an unwanted pest. Archan pulls Emi into a hug. I blink at the affection, I’ve not seen that from him towards anybody but, well, me. She embraces him, before leaning back and smacking him across the face. His head whips to the side. He releases her and rubs his cheek.

She plants her hands on her hips. “Why on Earth did you think opening the Jar would result in something good?”

He grimaces. “We had been led to believe Pandora had turned evil,” he glances at me, “so if she wanted the Jar closed, we wanted the opposite.”

Emi shakes her head. “Didn’t you stop to think of the intelligent, conniving god behind this complete mess?”

“Zeus?” I check.

She nods and sighs. “You weren’t off base with the evil thing, but it’s a long story I need to share with Natia before any of you hear it.”

It wasn’t like I’d forgotten she knew me before this life, and she had an insight into why I’d been reborn as I am now. I hadn’t asked her, because the revelations kept coming and there was only so much I could deal with. I’m Pandora, yes, but I’m also Eve. I was psyching myself up for my origins story because deep down I knew there was something I would not like. You didn’t end up being reborn because you’re a super pleasant person who farted sparkly rainbows. Whenever I thought about it, my heart beat double time, my soul screamed that I needed to know, but when I found out I would be forever altered. I wasn’t perfect or without faults, and I was without a doubt scarred from emotional heartbreak. But I liked the person I was now. I plonk myself next to Nathan, taking the last place on this sofa hoping to gain some space from Primordials, protectors and War. Archan perches on the arm of the sofa next to me. Epic fail.

Zee and Zac sit on the final sofa, I frown at Archan and glance at the space next to Zac. He cocks an eyebrow as he tugs on my mental shields.

“Every moment I am free of the beast, will be spent as close to you as possible.”

I roll my eyes.“Doesn’t mean you have to be on top of me.”

“I think we can both agree, you like it when I’m on top of you.”

Emi snaps her fingers in front of my face as she slides between Duncan and Aaden. “Hey love birds, enough with the mental fucking. We have an apocalypse to prevent and a god to save.”

“Who are you?” I ask Archan, tilting my head.

His lip twitches. “You haven’t figured it out?”

“We have it narrowed to three possibilities,” Aaden says, sitting forward with his elbows on his knees.

“Well, when you have narrowed to one, you will have your answer,” Archan says.

“In the scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. You are a Primordial god, with rules governing who can interfere with your future. Which is why saving your ass falls to me,” I say, meeting his gaze with one of determination.

“We’ve been briefed about your time in hell,” Nathan says, tugging my attention away from the gold eyes I could get lost in.

I swallow the lump in my throat as Archan clutches my hand and squeezes it. “I saw everything, but it was never me.”

“I know,” I whisper.

“Who saved you?” Zac asks.

“Ant, my demon contact who is acting as a liaison to Lucifer.”

Archan’s hand tightens on mine and a frown forms on his face. “What?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “Nothing, it was good he came to save you. They would have turned to more traditional methods of torture had you continued to resist the emotional tear down they had engineered.”

“The question is,” Zac says, “what did they want from you?”

I glance around at all the people in the room, friends and family I can rely on, but I must also protect them. “Ty wants me to change sides. He believes wherever I direct my loyalties to, that side will have hope backing them, and therefore be able to defeat the other side with ease.”

“He wants you to rip away hope from mankind and offer it to the occupants of Tartarus,” Nathan checks.

I nod. “Yes, and help rule at his side. I assume to keep them in line.”

Zac laughs and shakes his head. “He’s delusional if he thinks he could ever rule the worst of the worst. They answer to no one.”

Archan cocks his head. “But if the being who is enabling them to feel like they are on the winning side is at his side, they will worship her so she feeds them more hope to keep them happy.”

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