The Pandora Curse (Greek Myth Series Book 4) (23 page)

“Then you tell me, Agatha. You know the secret, don’t you?”

“Shhhh.” Agatha put her finger to her lips again. Then she smiled and skipped out the door.

Normally, Vara would have been angry. She would have wanted everything - every answer, and would have thrown a tantrum or broken everything in sight until she got it.

Things were different now. Now, she felt trust in her heart. She felt as if Nikolai had done her a great service by collecting her vices, even if he had done it in deceit and secrecy.

“There is just one thing I want to know, Nikolai, then I will leave so you can complete your task, and I won’t ask any more questions.”

He looked up to her with sad eyes, waiting for her question.

“Do you really love me? Or did you just say that to keep me from touching the vials?” Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, and her mouth went dry as she anticipated his answer. She feared he would say no. She prayed he would say yes. Either way, she just had to know.

“Yes, Vara, I meant what I said. I really love you.” He walked over to her and gathered her up into his arms. She lay her head against his chest.

“I never had anyone tell me that before.”

“I’ve never loved anyone in this way before,” he responded.

“Do you know why I don’t like snakes, Nikolai?”

“Does it have something to do with that day your father died?”

“It does. He saved me from a snake, and because of it he lost his life. Every time I see a snake, I feel as if I’ve lost my father once more. Sometimes I wish that I had died that day instead of him.”

“Don’t say that, Vara. You don’t mean it.” He gathered her closer.

“I do mean it, Nikolai. I remember the awful anger and jealousy coming from my mother, making her kill the one she loved. I fear that I, too, may someday hurt or kill someone I really care for.”

“Well, as soon as I finish my task, you’ll never have to worry about that again. I am sorry I teased you about the snakes, Vara.”

“Why do you love me, Nikolai?” she asked. She looked up to him and he smiled down at her.

“I thought you were not going to ask any more questions.”

“I did say that, didn’t I? I meant no more questions about the vials.”

He placed a kiss on her lips and she felt her world explode. With closed eyes, she saw showers of vibrant, beautiful colors. Without her vices, everything seemed so good, so alive, so full of love. “Is the reason you love me because I lost so much weight?”

“No, Vara. I would love you even if you were three times the size of me. I saw a spark of goodness within you the first day I met you. That’s what attracted me to you. Now that the vices are gone, I see it shining forth even more.”

“It is not easy to love someone who is gluttonous, greedy, lustful, jealous, and angry all the time, I suppose.”

“I suppose not,” he said with a wink.

“Then make love to me, Nikolai. You said you would not do it if you did not truly love me. If you really love me, then do it now.”

She kissed him again, and his hands wandered up and down her back. Her hands roamed as well, but then he pulled away.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

He looked over to the bed.

“Oh,” she replied. “I suppose we shouldn’t do it with your father in the room.”

“It would feel a bit uncomfortable,” he told her. “I want to make love with you, Vara, but this is not the right time. I promise you we will have a special day all to ourselves soon. But until I complete my task, I won’t be able to give myself to you fully.”

She felt very disappointed, but surprisingly, she understood. There were no vices, no Furies to convince her otherwise anymore.

“Tell me what you need to do to complete the task. Tell me and I can help you.”

“No, I don’t think so.” He escorted her to the door. “I will come to you soon and we will have our time together. Just be patient, I beg you. Time is of the essence and I must finish my task quickly to ensure your vices stay locked away forever.”

Vara kissed him once again, and Nikolai said goodbye and closed the door. He lay his head against it, feeling the aching need within him to make love to her. To spend the time with her he wanted to, so desperately. But he knew now that he had all the vices, this was the riskiest time. The Furies would not be happy about their dismissal. He didn’t know what to expect now that he’d come this far.

“Ohhhhhh, my achin’ head.”

“Baruch?” He looked around the room, wondering what Baruch had shifted into this time. Two bony hands reached up for the bed and he pulled himself upright from the other side.

“Baruch, what happened?”

The minion plopped down on the bed next to Nikolai’s father and moaned again.

“I tried to stop her from touching the vials,” he said. “I turned into a bat, but the mean wench swatted me to the floor. If she hadn’t been so intent to look inside the pouch, I am sure she would have crushed me under her foot.”

Nikolai laughed and sat on the bed, fastening the pouch to his side.

“I am sorry, Baruch, I was so excited about finding my father that I was careless in leaving the vials here in the first place.” He held up the last vice. “But you don’t have to worry about her hurting you any more.”

Baruch’s eyes opened wide and he sat upright. “You did it? You got the last vice?”

“I did,” said Nikolai, slipping it into the pouch. “Vara is no longer Vara the Conqueror. She has given up all her vices willingly and that spark of goodness within her has grown enormously.”

“Congratulations, Niko.” Baruch held out his hand, and when Nikolai went to grab it, the minion pulled him down on the bed. He was very strong for such a little thing.

“Whoa, Baruch, what are you doing?”

“You promised to dance the happy dance with me after you collected the last vice.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.”

“You promised.” He looked at the snake. “He promised, and now he’s going back on his word.”

The snake actually hissed at him and stuck out its tongue.

“All right,” he said, feeling very embarrassed. “I’ll do the happy dance if I have to.” He stood on the floor and held Baruch’s hands as the minion stood on the bed. Then he jumped around like the court fool, just to make the little minion happy. Baruch sang off key and cheered aloud, raising his legs and arms, flailing them back and forth.

“Oh, Nikolai, I forgot to tell you something.” Vara entered and Baruch stopped in mid-motion. Nikolai turned around, feeling very foolish indeed.

“Yes?” he asked, leaning nonchalantly against the bedpost. Her brows dipped down and she looked from Baruch to Nikolai and then back again.

“There is going to be a festival in the courtyard tomorrow to honor the goddess Demeter, since it is the end of the summer. There will be many festivities and competitions and even games for the children. I wondered if you would attend with me?”

“Yes. Yes, of course.” He picked at a speck on his tunic and tried to remain calm and collective.

“All right. Then I will count on spending the day with you.”

“That sounds delightful. Goodnight, Vara.”

She started to close the door, then opened it and looked over again. “I thought you got rid of that gargoyle.”

“No. No, I still have it,” he said with a nod of the head. “I’ve grown rather fond of the thing.”

“Oh.” Once again, she turned to leave and then stopped and asked one more question.

“Did I hear singing when I came in? And did I see you dancing?”

“Who me?” He scratched the back of his neck. “I may have been humming a little as I brought my gargoyle out from behind the tapestry.”

She squinted her eyes and surveyed him. Then she nodded slowly. “I will be looking forward to spending the day with you tomorrow.”

“As will I.” He did a half-wave and once the door was closed, he rushed over and barred it from the inside.

“Phew!” said Baruch, coming out of his frozen pose.

Nikolai held up a halting finger and then put it to his mouth. He unbarred the door and flung it open. Vara fell into his arms.

“Good night, Vara,” he said, and this time he watched until she’d gone down the corridor and entered her room. Once again he barred the door and headed back to Baruch. “She may have given up all her vices, but she still holds the power of insatiable curiosity. I’m afraid that is something she will live with forever.”

“Perhaps we should just tell her about me,” suggested Baruch. “If she truly is harmless without her vices, then I don’t have to worry about her harming me anymore.”

“No,” instructed Nikolai, fixing a home for his father in the trough at the other side of the room. “Hera said I was not to tell Vara, so I won’t. Hera will already be angry when she finds out I know what she’s done to my father. I can’t take the chance of angering her more. We need to keep you a secret at least until we find Pandora’s box and lock the vices safely inside.”

“All right,” Baruch said in agreement. “But this may not be easy. I have no idea where it is.”

“Neither do I,” admitted Nikolai. “I’ve tried to find it by using my gazing crystal, but like Hera said, Zeus put a protective spell on the chest that stops one from locating it. Wherever it is, it is hidden. Or possibly lost forever. For all we know, it could be located so far from here that it’ll take us a lifetime to find it.”

Twenty

Vara looked in the mirror and brushed her long hair, liking the way she felt - pretty. Not just from the outside, but from the inside too. Since her vices were gone, she was a new woman.

Life took on a whole new meaning, and the small things she’d overlooked while she was Vara the Conqueror did not go unnoticed any more. Today she would spend the day with Nikolai, and she could hardly wait. She couldn’t stop thinking that he truly loved her.

“Love,” she said, sighing, thinking of all the years she’d lived without it.
The Pandora Curse
had almost killed her, and she had Nikolai to thank that she had a second chance. She liked her new life and her newfound talents. She put down the brush and walked over to the large trunk at the foot of her bed and pulled out the newly completed tapestry she’d woven for Nikolai. On it was the image of her great-grandmother Pandora, opening the chest with the vices swarming about.

She knew it was a sad image, in a way, but this was her history. This was the story of
The
Pandora Curse
and how it all began. In the background was Prometheus chained to the rock, and far off in the distance, representing the future, was the image of her and Nikolai, hand in hand, crossing a rainbow together.

She heard the commotion down in the courtyard and put away the tapestry and ran to the window. People swarmed to and fro below her. The competitors rode their horses toward the competition field, and small children ran behind them, scurrying after the coins they threw out to the crowd. Villagers hurried into the castle gates, carrying their babies and their baskets of bread. Smiles crossed their faces, and this made Vara happy to think they were no longer living in fear and hatred of her. They’d proved their acceptance of her by coming to the celebration.

She’d told them she would be releasing the prisoners today. Her soldiers were not happy, but the commoners and the people who served her from the original Corinth were ecstatic. She caught the eye of her soldier, Zetes, down below and nodded. He then made a motion to the rest of the guards to bring out the prisoners.

Excited to start her new life, she picked up the hem of her gown and descended the stairs. Nikolai stood at the bottom waiting for her. He wore his purple peacock feathered cape over his clothes for this grand event.

“I am so excited,” she admitted to him as she took his hand and he escorted her out to the courtyard. “I understand Demeter herself shows up for the festival since it is in her honor.”

“You will like Demeter,” he told her. “She is the most loving, kind goddess there is. She is like a mother to me. I would like to introduce you to her personally.”

She felt her stomach flopping around, and though she was excited to meet the goddess, she didn’t feel worthy of it.

“I don’t know,” she told him. “Demeter is the image of mothering. She presides over new life and blesses the rites of marriage.”

Nikolai escorted her over the cobbled stones and up to the dais reserved for the king and queen.

“And all the more reason I want you to meet her,” he said. “So she can bless our marriage as well.”

“Nikolai?” She looked up to him anxiously. “Does this mean what I think it does?”

“I want you to marry me, Vara. I want you to be my wife.”

“Nikolai, I am so excited. But can a demi-god marry a mortal?”

“As long as the union is blessed by a god or goddess, it is permitted.”

“Then I hope the goddess Demeter is forgiving,” said Vara. “If not, she will never be able to overlook the evil I’ve done while under the curse.”

“We will let her make that decision. You need not worry yourself with it. Right now, you have prisoners to set free.”

He nodded, and she turned to see Zetes leading the guards, who held on to half-naked, chained prisoners who could barely walk. They were thin and dirty and barely alive. The crowd shouted their disapproval of this, and Vara stood, not able to believe what she saw.

“Zetes, what is this?” She walked down the dais steps and rushed forward. “Why are these men is such disrepair?”

“They are prisoners, my queen. Did you not order us to place them in the dungeon?”

“I did. But I also ordered you to feed and clothe them while they were there. And to tend to their wounds.”

Nikolai rushed down the stairs after her, laying a hand on her shoulder. “By the gods, they are walking skeletons.”

“Where is the king?” she asked, looking from face to face. “Bring him to me.”

Zetes nodded slightly to a guard and a wooden pallet was dragged forward. On it was the broken, battered body of the king.

“Father!” Agatha pushed through the crowd and threw herself atop the man. One bony hand came forward and wrapped around her.

“Agatha,” came his soft whisper, and Vara realized the man was near death.

“Please don’t die,” Agatha said, and for the first time Vara saw tears streaming from the little girl’s eyes.

“Get her away,” Zetes ordered the guards, but Vara held up a halting hand.

“No! Leave her be.” Vara rushed forward and knelt next to the king. “I am so sorry,” she said to him. “I never meant to do this.”

The king looked up with his tired eyes and used the last bit of strength he had to answer.

“I would have done the same if I had captured you. To the victor goes the spoils. Will you take care of my daughter once I’m gone?”

“No, father, don’t die,” cried Agatha.

“Vara?” Nikolai joined them. He nodded, and motioned with his eyes to the king.

“I can’t,” she told Nikolai. “I know nothing of raising children. This is all my fault and I cannot allow this to happen.”

“Promise me,” the king said, reaching out a hand to Vara. She didn’t want to make promises she didn’t know if she could carry out. She didn’t deserve anyone as good as Agatha after all the pain, suffering, and dying she’d caused. But then her own fears left her as Agatha looked up to her and held out her hand to Vara.

“Please,” she said. “I want you to be my new mother.”

“Why?” she asked, feeling very frightened. “Why would you want someone as horrible as me to be your mother after all I’ve done?”

“Because I know your monsters made you do those bad things. But now your monsters are gone. Please, don’t leave me all alone.”

Vara looked up to Nikolai and he smiled down at her.

“It’s your choice, Vara. This is your new life. I would be happy to help you care for Agatha, but you have to want it too.”

Vara looked back to the little girl and then down to the dying man. She wished someone would have taken her in when she lost both her parents. She wanted to make amends, and she would do anything to make Agatha smile.

She took the girl’s hand in one of hers, and the king’s in the other.

“I have done horrible things in my life. I have been greedy, lustful, gluttonous, jealous, and hateful. But now the curse is gone and I want to start over. If you can forgive me, then I would love to make amends and give Agatha a home. A family. And most of all love.”

The king smiled at her, then at his daughter. And then he closed his eyes forever.

The courtyard went silent, and only the soft cries of Agatha were heard. Vara got to her feet and raised a hand for everyone’s attention.

“I command my guards to set these prisoners free.” The crowd cheered. “And I will allow any Corinthian who serves me to leave without trouble if they so wish.” More cheers.

“My queen,” warned Zetes. “You cannot do that. They will attack us. They will take back Corinth.”

“As some of you close by have heard, the king has asked me to take care of his daughter. I have accepted.”

Negative shouting and cheers went up simultaneously.

“She will one day be queen of Corinth,” said Vara. “And at that time, things will be as they should be. But until then, I will act as reigning queen, but only as advisor to Princess Agatha.”

“Queen Vara, you don’t know what you’re saying.” Zetes pushed forward in the crowd. “We need to keep control. We can’t give Corinth back.”

“We?” she asked, and Zetes fell silent. “Agatha, come here please.” The girl came to her side. “Tell me, why were you sneaking food to your father? Is it because my guards were not taking care of the prisoners as they should?” She nodded. “Zetes, you and the rest of the dungeon guards are to leave the premises at once.”

“But Queen Vara - ” Zetes protested.

“It may be my fault they were imprisoned,” she continued, “but it was not by my doings that these men starved to death. Now leave or I will have you escorted away.”

Angry, Zetes mounted his horse and rode furiously out the gates, with the other dungeon guards behind him. Calanthra called to him, but he did not turn back. The crowd applauded Vara’s decision, shouting approval. A few of the original Corinthians chose to leave, but most decided to stay. Families of the remaining prisoners rushed forward in elated reunion.

“Well done,” said Nikolai with a nod.

Agatha clung to Vara’s leg while the king’s body was removed.

“This is a celebration,” she reminded the people. “The funeral for the king will be held tomorrow, but today I ask that you all join together as one to celebrate a new Corinth.”

The long trumpets sounded loudly and people moved through the courtyard, cheering as the army of men rode out on their horses, holding their shiny weaponry high in the air. They paraded around in circles, then dismounted and paid ode to the sun and the earth and all that grows, giving their praise to the goddess Demeter.

“Do you think Demeter will really come to the festival?” Vara asked anxiously.

“She may,” said Nikolai. “Then again, she may not. Gods and goddesses are very unpredictable.”

“I wish your father could be here, in human form, to join us,” said Vara.

“As do I.”

Vara could see the sadness in Nikolai’s eyes. There had to be something she could do to help him. She would devise a plan to get Hera to change his father back. Then Nikolai would be happy and they could get married. It was the least she could do after all he’d done for her.

“Let’s go watch the competition,” she suggested. “I think you should compete today as well.”

“No, Vara,” he said with a shake of his head. “I am not a skilled warrior like the rest. I am a seer, and know nothing about archery or swordsmanship.”

“I know,” she agreed. “But you are an excellent horseman. I know because I’ve seen you ride. There is a competition that involves racing on horseback. I think you would be quite good at it. Now come, and I will guide you. I think you need a day to relax and clear your mind.”

“All right,” he agreed with a smile and a kiss to her forehead. “Let’s go.”

*  *  *

The Furies were three very ugly old hags with evil in their hearts. Their hair was much like the Gorgans’ writhing with snakes, and their bodies were much like a Harpy’s with leathery skin and wings upon their backs similar to a bat.

They stood before Zeus, complaining as usual, and Zeus paid them no attention, having more important things on his mind.

“Zeus, did you hear what they said?” asked Hermes, the messenger god, sitting atop the back of Zeus’s highback throne. “They are troubled, and it is all because of Nikolai the soothsayer.”

“What is it you say?” asked Zeus, suddenly interested. “Are you speaking of Nikolai, the demi-god? The son of Hera and that mortal Tiomoid? Is he the one who has caused you all this trouble?”

“He is,” hissed Alecto, the meanest of the three Furies. “He has helped a descendent of Pandora, and thrown us out of her head.”

“What? This is preposterous. He is a demi-god. He has no power to move a Fury. Tell me how he did this?” Zeus sat straighter on his throne, feeling as if some god were behind this.

“We were haunting the head of Vara the Conqueror just like you’d instructed,” said the least ugly of the three named Megaera. “But we no longer have a home in her head. Nikolai has gotten her to give up her vices of her own will.”

“I’ll hear none of this!” roared Zeus, causing the sky to tremble with his anger. Hermes fell from the back of the chair, but used his winged shoes to keep him from hitting the ground.

“He should be punished,” came Hermes’ suggestion.

“
The Pandora Curse
is undefeated,” snapped Zeus. “No one can change that.”

“Well Nikolai has,” said the last of three, Tisiphone. “He has collected each of her vices in a separate vial. A vial that I am sure has been concocted by a god. He has forced us out of her head and we are not happy.”

“Neither am I,” said Zeus.

“He should be punished,” came Hermes’ suggestion again.

Zeus rose from his chair and raised a large hand to his chin in thought.

“If Nikolai manages to find Pandora’s chest, things could get worse. This whole thing must be the work of Hera. She does this just to spite me.”

“Shall we break the vials?” asked Alecto. “That should spread the vices back amongst the earth.”