The Pandora Curse (Greek Myth Series Book 4) (15 page)

Twelve

Nikolai rolled over in bed, very satisfied with the way things went with Vara last night. Eyes still closed, he could feel the heat of the sun beating against his face. Today would be a good day. Today was the day Vara would give up her vice of gluttony. He would collect it in the vial, and one fifth of his job would be completed.

The sun grew hotter and hotter against his face, and he popped open his eyes feeling as if he were burned. There stood the infamous green blob holding out his hand, flames leaping from his fingertips. He pushed Baruch’s hand away and sat up in bed.

“What’s the matter with you?” He rubbed his jaw. He was sure it was burned. “What are you trying to do, scorch me?”

“Just trying to wake you. You are a very sound sleeper.” Baruch closed his palm and the flames disappeared.

“Well next time try something a little more subtle. I don’t care to be baked while trying to relax in my own bed.”

“Sorry about that, Niko. I was just testing out my new gift from Hera.” Baruch pulled a chair forward, climbed up and sat down, resting his scrawny little green legs atop the bed. “So tell me what happened last night.”

“What makes you think anything happened?” Nikolai rubbed his hands over his weary face, feeling the weight of his crystal against his bare chest.

“Well, from the looks of it, I’d say ya got in a fight with the mirror, and it won.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” He got out of  bed and pulled on his hose. Then he went and washed in the basin.

“It had something to do with Vara, didn’t it?” Baruch kept looking toward the demolished mirror.

Nikolai wiped his face in a towel and threw it over his shoulder. “Yes, it did. I forced her to look at herself and she didn’t like what she saw.”

The minion slowly moved his feet off the bed. “So are you saying she is ready to give up her vices?” The excitement showed on his face.

“She’s ready to change, though I am not sure it will be an easy task. I am meeting with her for breakfast, and today we are going to conquer gluttony.”

He put on his tunic and then sat on the bed to don his boots. That’s when the room grew suddenly bright behind him. He squinted and turned to see Hera standing there, peacock feathers dangling from her ears. Her nails were long and painted blue. Her gown was green and made of velvet.

“Mother.” He dropped the second boot and got to his feet.

“Oh yeah, Niko,” said Baruch nonchalantly. “I forgot to tell ya Hera is going to pay ya a little visit today.”

Nikolai scowled at the minion who smiled at him mischievously. He had no doubt in his mind that he had not forgotten, but was doing this in spite for the things Nikolai had put him through lately.

“Nikolai,” said Hera, the power of her voice making the furniture shake. “I am not happy with what I’m hearing from Baruch. He says you have not even managed to collect one vice from the girl yet. He also said you were putting him through cruel and unusual punishments. How dare you be mean to my minion.”

He looked back at Baruch who was enjoying every minute of this. He wondered what else the minion had told Hera. Whatever it was, he certainly hadn’t put in a good word for him.

“It’s true I have not yet collected any vices, but I assure you I have done nothing to harm your minion.”

“Is this true, Baruch?” Hera’s dark eyes settled on the little green man.

Baruch’s smile disappeared, and he stood up, holding on to the back of the chair. “Well, what I meant was that he told me to shapeshift and the girl was the one who hurt me. You saw for yourself how battered I was.”

“
Vara
,” Nikolai stressed, “not
the girl
, hurt you only because she didn’t know you were in shapeshifting form. She would not hurt you on purpose.”

“Such an odd thing to say, considering she’s Vara the Conqueror,” commented Hera. “She is the woman who recently had no qualms of taking lives just so she could gain the kingdom of Corinth, is she not?”

“It was the curse that made her do it,” replied Nikolai. “I, myself, saw goodness in her when she did not kill the king.”

“What?” asked Hera in surprise. “She takes over a kingdom and does not kill the ruler?”

“She imprisoned him,” explained Nikolai. “I am sure it is only a matter of time before she sets him free.”

Hera laughed at that. “And then what?” she asked. “Do you think she’ll hand his kingdom back to him and give herself up to the noose? Do be serious, Nikolai. You do not really think she is going to free him? I believe she likes her wealth and power too much to become a martyr.”

Nikolai did not want to even consider his mother’s words. “The Furies have been haunting her head. They’ve been getting stronger.”

“How strong?”

“Very.”

“Well, then I’m afraid it is too late to do anything to help her.”

Hera’s words were so final that Nikolai almost believed her. But then he thought of last night and what Vara had been through. She would change. She wanted to, he was sure of it. No one could go through what she’d been through without it affecting them in some way.

“No, that’s not true,” he protested. “I do not believe it’s too late for her. She is strong. She can fight the Furies. She will be able to break the curse. I know she will.”

“Is this something you saw in your gazing crystal?” asked Hera curiously.

“No,” he admitted. “It is something I feel in my heart.”

“You sound as if you’ve become smitten with the warrior girl.”

“Mother, you don’t understand. I can see a goodness deep within her. She has admitted just last night that she wants to change.”

“Hmmm.” Hera flicked her long nails together and considered the consequences. “All right, I will give you a little more time. But just remember, you cannot tell her you’re collecting her vices. She must give them up because she decides she no longer needs them. She has to really want to change.”

“I understand.” Nikolai didn’t have a chance to say more. With a twist of her wrist and in a blue flash his mother was gone from the room.

“I wish I could do that,” said Baruch. “A wave of the hand and poof, she disappears and then reappears wherever she wants instantly. No turning to fog, no having to float out windows. Wouldn’t that be nice?” Baruch waved his hand in the air, repeating the movement he’d seen Hera do.

Nikolai sat down on the bed and continued to don his boots. All the while, Baruch occupied himself with flicking his wrist and saying poof.

“Don’t bother trying,” explained Nikolai. “You don’t have it.”

“Have what?” came Vara’s voice from his door.

Nikolai jumped up in surprise and cringed when Vara looked in Baruch’s direction.

“What’s that ugly thing?” She walked into the room and headed right for Baruch standing frozen atop the chair.

“I’d appreciate it if you knocked before you enter from now on,” Nikolai said in frustration. He looked back to Baruch who was in his normal hideous form, frozen like a statue with his hand waving in the air and his lips pursed together in the beginning of a poof. He couldn’t let her know about Hera’s minion. If she at all suspected what he was up to, then his task could never be completed successfully. But how was he going to explain having a minion? Only gods had minions, not demi-gods. This was only going to make her suspicious.

“Where did you get that gargoyle statue?” She roamed over and reached out to touch it. He dove across the bed and grabbed her hand to stop her.

“It was very expensive,” he said. “I would rather not have anyone touch it.”

“It’s absolutely hideous,” she said, laughing so hard she had to bend over and hold her sides.

Nikolai noticed Baruch’s lips go from a pursed p to a mad snarl.

“Come, let’s go to breakfast,” he said, steering her away from Baruch. He reached for his tunic, and as he did, her eyes shifted direction and settled on his bare chest. He felt the heat of her gaze seer him almost as hot as the fire Baruch had held to his face earlier. He had to get her out of the chamber immediately or he would be tempted to make love to her like she wanted.

He pulled the tunic over his head quickly, not bothering with the belt. He hurried her to the door and as he closed it, he heard Baruch growling from within at Vara’s last comment.

“What was that noise?” She looked back to the door.

“What noise?”

“That noise from inside your chamber. It sounded almost like a growl.” She reached for the door handle, but Nikolai scooped up her hand and held it in his.

“I’m sure it’s only my stomach grumbling, as I am very hungry. Shall we go eat?”

Her eyes lit up and she forgot all about the noise.

“Yes, I am famished. Though it was gruesome, I did as instructed and locked myself within my room and did not eat a single thing last night.”

“I am so proud of you, Vara.” He reached over and pecked her on her cheek, making her face glow.

He escorted her down to the great hall where everyone awaited their presence. All eyes were on them as they seated themselves at the dais. Agatha was sitting with her nursemaid across the room, and it bothered Vara that the little girl no longer spoke to her or gave her dandelions. The room went quiet and they waited for Vara’s word to start the feast.

“Let’s eat,” she called. “Bring me my food.”

A servant laid down a huge platter of food which included roasted pork, boiled eggs, two loaves of bread, and a large pile of fruit. Vara reached out to grab a hunk of meat, but Nikolai cleared his throat.

“What?” she asked. “I thought you said we could eat?”

“I did.” He reached over and slid the platter to him. Then he slowly took one small piece of pork, laid it atop his own trencher, and added one boiled egg and a small cluster of grapes. Then he slid the trencher in front of her. “This is your breakfast.”

“You have to be jesting.” She shook her head, unable to believe what he’d just done. “Give me the platter and stop this nonsense. I want to hurry and eat this so they can bring the second course.”

She reached for it, but he lightly slapped her on the hand.

“No, no, no,” he said. “You are in training to be a lady, and this is what a lady eats. There will be no second, third or fourth helpings, and you will not eat the trencher.”

“I can’t eat the trencher?” She spoke out loudly, and some of the occupants of the room started looking their way.

“I suggest you keep your voice down, unless you’d like the entire establishment to know what we’re doing.”

He watched as her face turned red and her jaw jutted out in defiance. “You never told me I had to starve to rid myself of this vice.”

“You don’t have to,” he told her, digging into the platter of food. “You just have to eat less.”

“No!” she said defiantly, grabbing the platter and pulling it back towards her. “I don’t want to do it.” Her eyes shifted into the color of weathered acorns again.

“Yes!” he answered, sliding the platter back in front of him. “You told me you wanted to change, and I told you that in order to do so, you’re going to have to obey my word.”

“Well, you never said anything about having to starve.”

“I assure you, you will not starve. Now, are you fighting me?”

He saw the struggle within her and also the way her eyes devoured the food in front of him. She wanted it badly. Now he only hoped she wanted to rid herself of that monster within her more than she wanted the food.

“I don’t like you tempting me by eating so much food in front of me when I am being denied it,” she sniffed.

“I am not trying to tempt you,” he answered, raising a large piece of pork to his mouth.

She reached out and grabbed him by the wrist.

“Then prove it,” she challenged him. “If you truly mean to help me and not hurt me, then eat only what I eat.”

“What?” He lowered his hand. “I can’t do that. I’ll starve.”

“Aha! So you admit you are trying to starve me. I knew this was all just a trick.”

She reached for the platter again, but Nikolai held it in place.

“All right,” he finally agreed. “If that is what it takes, then I’ll do it. I will eat only what you eat to prove to you I am only trying to help you.”

“Good,” she said with a satisfied smile. She took another trencher from the table and put exactly the same amount of food on it as he had given her. It looked so empty. So scant. He didn’t know how he could ever do what he’d just agreed to do.

“Take the rest away,” she ordered her servant.

The servant picked it up, looking confused. “Oh, you are ready for the next course, my lady? The cook has made your favorite: grape leaves stuffed with leeks and squid.”

Nikolai watched as her dark brown eyes grew larger and she swallowed several times.

“No,” he broke in. “She wants no more food. Just bring her a little wine.”

“My lady?” The servant girl looked to Vara. “Is this true?”

Vara looked to Nikolai in despair. “That is one of my favorites. Mayhap just a taste?”