Chained Souls: Night Four {Book Two of the Chained Duet}

**Katherynn** · 11-03-2011 02:47 PM

Night Four
The three of us woke up early, getting ready for school, when it happened.
“What on Earth are you doing?” I asked, confused as Pain stared at a toaster.
He glared at it before looking at me.
“I think it’s broken,” he said, frowning. He sounded like a child. “It won’t work.”
He pulled down the two levers. Instead of staying down they popped back up.
I eyed the plug in and forced myself not to laugh. He didn’t have it plugged in.
“Like this,” I said, pointing at the cord. I lifted it and held it out to him. “You have to plug it in here or it won’t work.”
I pointed to the outlet and he struggled with it at first but got the hang of it and lined it up.
“Now push down.”
He did and, this time, they stayed. He smiled, proud of himself I guessed.
Pain was so much like a child that it was almost insane. Thankfully I knew better.
“Do you need help using a knife?” I asked curiously, glancing at the tub of butter and the knife on the counter beside the table. “Or can you do it yourself.”
“I can do it myself!” he growled, sounding even more like a child.
I laughed and walked out of the room—to one of the guest bedrooms—and was slapped in the face by what I saw.
The door to Death’s room was slightly ajar and light filtered in from it. Given the sun had just risen it was probably leaking into the room and then to the hallway.
But that wasn’t what had startled me.
Death stood, his hair dripping wet, as he had a towel draped on his shoulders.
He was listening to some rock-ish type music that I couldn’t define as he walked around the room in nothing but a pair of dark denim jeans that were, currently, unbuttoned.
He turned and I saw the scars, wincing, before my breathing stopped altogether as my eyes met his.
The moment his eyes met mine I knew two things. One—I was caught. Two—there was no way I could get away.
“Pandora,” he said cordially, turning away from me. It was almost like he was…ashamed. “Did you need something?”
I snapped back into place like a puzzle piece finding its match and opened the door.
“Just that, um…” I stumbled over my words as I tried to speak. “Well…you see…I…”
He chuckled and I felt my cheeks heat as I kept my eyes trained on the ground.
“It’s just that…well…I…” I sighed and met his gaze as he looked at me from over his shoulder, eyes watching my every move. It was almost intimidating. “We need to talk.”
He leaned over and grabbed a white shirt, examining it as he nodded.
“What about?”
How he asked the question made me immediately think he knew what I was talking about.
“Last night,” I clarified. “How you almost…”
I cut off, the words choking.
“Kissed you?” he finished. “It was a mistake. I apologize for that.”
It was a mistake.
A mistake? A mistake? He called almost kissing me a mistake?
It shouldn’t have hurt, but it did. More than I cared to admit.
Caring meant I was growing closer to him. If I got to close, I’d be deathly close to falling for him.
If I wasn’t falling already.
What if I was falling but I was falling into Death’s arms, in truth? Not Pain’s or Helios’ or even Epimetheus’, but Death’s.
“So my caring about you is a mistake?” I asked quietly. I chuckled. “Then I guess me being here is a mistake.”
I turned and stalked off, feeling the tears forming in my eyes.
“Pandora,” he called out, catching my arm. I hadn’t even heard him running. “Don’t walk off like that—please.”
I kept my head down and away from him. The last thing I wanted anyone to see where my tears.
God, I was such a hypocrite! I said I loved Helios yet I “fell in love” with Pain. I said I loved Pain yet here I was “falling in love” with Death!
In the end I was no better than Accea!
Yes, know that, someone said softly inside of my mind. You’re no better. No one is, really. You said you were in love with one but betrayed them. Did you even love them at all?
“Pandora…”
You shouldn’t even be alive, now, someone else pointed out. Look how much pain it’s caused.
So many people’s lives were ruined because of me. Epim’s…Helios…Pain…Death…Calleah…all the gods and goddesses…everyone. It was my fault.
I felt a burn caress my thigh and I glanced down. I could almost see my tattoo glow black through my jeans.
My gaze rose to Death’s, pleading, before I felt my body gave up and rushed to the ground.

I opened my eyes to a completely different scene than I’d had when I’d passed out. The last thing I’d remembered was Death’s eyes and his voice, calling to me.
And then I had opened my eyes here. Wherever “here” was.
The place was a small grotto. I couldn’t see through the thick overgrowth. The sky was only visible if you were on the edge of the water or in it.
And I was in it. Drenched, to be exact.
“Is anyone there?” I called out, hugging myself as a full moon bleached the world around me.
I heard nothing and frowned, looking around.
Something about this place seemed familiar but I couldn’t place it. And it was bothering me.
“Jennifer?”
I looked up and met emotionless brown eyes that watched me, confused.
The man—about my age—stood at about five nine with silver hair that was in a braid falling halfway down his back.
He was pale and all he wore were a set of loose-fitting bottoms and a loose, tan shirt with sleeves falling just past his wrists but exposing his fingers. He didn’t wear shoes, either.
The mix of silver, brown, pale, and tan should have been a very warped, very bad-looking combination but it suited the man perfectly.
“What?” I heard myself say as a familiar look passed across his eyes.
“Jennifer Avalon, is that you?”
I blinked and stood straighter. Jennifer Avalon…that was my mother’s name.
“No,” I managed. “My name is Pandora…I’m her daughter.”
“But…you look…” He paused. “But she wasn’t more than sixteen when I last saw her…you look at least her age…”
I blinked again.
When I last saw her…
“I’m sorry to tell you this but…she died,” I said slowly. “A long time ago.”
“I just saw her the day before yesterday,” the man said calmly, annoyance flashing in his hardened, chocolate eyes. “She was perfectly fine.”
“Who are you?” I growled. “And how do you know my mother?”
The man relaxed, dropping the subject immediately of my mother as he replied.
“Talisen,” he said calmly. “Talisen Oullette.”