Chained Souls: Night Two {Book Two of the Chained Duet}
Night Two
“You want me to what?”
Pain gave me an incredulous look, shrinking away from me. It was, actually, really funny to look at—if you saw it from my standpoint of things.
“I want you to go to school,” I repeated. “I have to go to seeing as I was kidnapped by evils and Gods for several months. I actually want to finish my senior year.”
Pain looked at me like I was crazy and I turned to Death.
We were currently in the middle of nowhere in a log cabin that had one room, a bathroom, and random, miscellaneous things like chairs.
Death was seat in a Victorian-Era looking chair. There was another like it that I sat in and then a similar-era couch that Pain was lounging on.
“Is it okay if you come with us?” I asked with a smile. “It might make things easier. And I highly doubt Helios will be there so…”
“I’ll go,” he said softly, closing the book he’d been reading. “It should be…fun.”
I frowned. I kept forgetting that Death was an evil—he’d never gone to school. He’d grown up in a lab, being studied and tested on all of his life. He probably even had the scars to prove it.
“Pain?”
My attention returned to the other evil who, in turn, stiffened and then winced away from the look Death gave him.
“I’ll…go,” he said finally.
But don’t think that changes anything.
I could practically hear him saying that. But, it had never occurred to me until now.
Why wasn’t he asking about Cal—Selene? Shouldn’t he wonder about his sister? Yet, he hadn’t said anything. He hadn’t even tried to leave—yet.
I’d have to ask him about that later, when we had more time.
“Well, todays Sunday,” I said, adding the days up in my head. “And school starts at seven-thirty…Death, could you fly us?”
He nodded and smiled slightly and I felt the breath rush from my lungs.
“I-I need some air,” I said, standing. “I’ll…I’ll be outside if you two need anything.”
I half ran out of the room and onto the terrace-like porch.
The porch was much like the house—barren. Apparently, Death knew somebody who used to live here. Well, apparently that person died a few years ago and no one had claimed the house.
I sat on the lone swing that hung from the cover of the porch and let myself sway back and forth.
The motion was relaxing. And the water running nearby was calming…until memories came. Memories of Helios covered in blood after protecting me.
How could I have betrayed him after everything he’d done for me?
A pain swelled in my right leg and I knew what it was even though I hadn’t looked at it. It was my tattoo of the dragon and wolf-head. Naturally it was a silver-white.
I knew it would be black—because of the evils wanting to gain freedom.
“Are you alright?”
I jumped and turned to see Death. He was frowning, his eyebrows pulled together while his emerald eyes watched me with concern.
“Perfectly fine, why do you ask?” I managed, forcing a smile.
In the next second Death was in front of me, jerking me into his arms to hold me tightly.
“Don’t act like this,” he said in his whispery voice. “If you want to cry, cry. If you want to scream, scream. Just don’t hide it.”
If only he knew…
I pushed away and smiled. It was probably the cruelest thing I could ever do to him—push him away.
“Don’t worry,” I said, smiling. “I’ll be fine. The evils are just acting up and I needed some air—that’s it.”
It was partially the truth. The real reason I ran was because of the weird butterflies in my stomach that fluttered when he’d smiled.
But…why did I have to run? What was Death to me? He…He seemed more human than anything. Maybe he was the most human-like than any of us.
“Can you do me a favor?” I said gently, stepping back towards him. “Can I ask you something?”
He nodded, slightly confused and I continued.
“Just what am I to you?”
I watched as a mix of emotions crossed his face—as if he couldn’t decide what emotion to be. Finally, he settled on a look of resolve.
“You’re everything,” he said finally. “You’re the thing I care the most about but will never have. The thing I want the most but, at the same time, the very thing I can never truly possess—in any way.”
He half-smiled—more of a smirk, really—and a lightness came into his eyes. I’d never seen him so…light.
“Will that answer do?”
The thing I want the most but, at the same time, the very thing I can never truly possess—in any way.
I nodded and smiled.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “And I’m sorry.”
Death’s smiled disappeared and he turned, nodding, before walking back into the cabin.
What was I supposed to do now?
“Are you serious?!”
The voice was annoying and, unfortunately, very familiar.
The perfect, skinny, blonde cheerleader was standing next to one of her ‘friends’ while they talked about Pain and Death.
Death had chosen to use his real name but change his last name to fit mine. Pain was doing the same—courtesy of me.
They were going to be my brothers. It would make things very…awkward if Pain were to randomly—suddenly—retain his memories.
The cheerleader just happened to be the head clique girl, Accea Montgomery. Her little follower was Lattice Alley. Honestly, the two were annoying.
And I had a feeling neither of them would bother me seeing as I’d attacked Accea a few months ago when Jealousy took over me.
“So she has brothers?” Lattice asked, confused. “Or are they cousins?”
“Oh, Latty—keep up!!!” Accea groaned. “It’s brothers.”
“Oh…”
I kind of felt bad for Lattice—but, then again, it was her fault seeing as she willing stood by Accea’s side. What some people would do to be popular.
“Already scaring people, Pandora?” a familiar voice asked coldly from behind me. “Or is it just killing them, now?”
I turned and felt Death flank me, ready to move and attack if he was needed.
“Hello, Calleah,” I said calmly, smiling. “I didn’t know you were still going to school.”
“Yes, I am,” she said curtly. “So, now it’s screwing evils?”
I tensed and reach instinctively for my stomach. Pain took a step forward. The look in his eyes was lethal and deadly and I was very glad it wasn’t meant for me.
“Ah, Celfior,” she said with a smile. “So you’re the father? Then again, you wouldn’t remember. Isn’t Mnemosyne a wonderful, wonderful girl?”
Mnemosyne sounded very familiar…and then I finally placed it.
Mnemosyne was the goddess of memories. She could remember anything that ever happened. And she could also erase memories.
“So it was you,” I whispered. “I should’ve guessed.”
“Pandora, you are way out of your league in this,” Selene laughed. “I’m hundreds of thousands of years old. And you’re only a mere seventeen years—not even a century!”
“Just stay away from us,” I growled, jerking around and stalking off.
“Oh, but don’t you want to know how to get Celfior’s memories back?”
I tensed, rooting in place. Getting his memories back…that one thing would change everything.
Selene replied with a laugh.
“You are so easy to play, Pandora,” she said with a satisfied smile in her voice.
I moved forward and didn’t turn back. I didn’t even turn to see if Pain and Death were following.
All I knew was that if I didn’t get out of there, there would’ve been a blood bath—and hundreds of innocent people would be the cost.
