Pandora(complete)

Decision

There were twenty of them indeed, Yamkelwe have been sitting in his study. He was stuck between the rock and the hard place. Bongeka was stubborn, unfortunately, he had no power to control her. But his people were not safe from rogues. As cool as it may sound that Bongeka would protect them but it was not her duty to protect his coterie. It was not about ego but it was about leadership. A true leader never puts his people in danger, a true leader always puts his people first before his happiness. A true leader makes tough decisions. He had to choose, his mate or his people... The ball was in his court.

He made his way to Bongeka who was sitting with his father by the garden.
"We need to talk,"  He said completely ignoring Bongeka's father.

"She is spending time with her father," Bongeka's father commented. So he can talk?

"Bongeka Dlamini, I said we need to talk!"

"Mchunu, not Dlamini"  The father corrected. Yamkelwe ignored him.

"Bongeka, should I repeat the same thing for the third time?" Yamkelwe was getting impatient

"No, remember you don't order me around, you are not my lord," Bongeka said.

"So much for a mate. Since you don't want us to talk, you will have to listen while I do all the talking. You want to spend time with your father, right? Then spend with it elsewhere"

"Are you chasing me out?"

"No, I'm chasing your rogue friends. Since I know you will choose them, you might as well tag along"

"Are really making me choose between you and my father"

"No sweets, I'd never make you choose. Unlike you made me choose between my happiness and my people. You are my happiness but I'm choosing the well-being of my kind. So now butt out"  with that, he left.
Bongeka didn't think Yamkelwe would resort to chasing her out.

"What are we going to do?" Bongeka asked her father

"Master will make a plan"

"Master? are you referring to the one who just chased us out"

"Nicholas"
.
.
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Just as Mchunu said,  their 'master' made a plan. Mchunu, Bongeka, Nicholas, and the rest of the rogues made their way to some creepy dark, otherworldly forest. The tree branches were so close to each other, one could barely see the sky.

"Where are we going, Nicholas?"
Bongeka asked as they kept going without reaching any destination, she realized they had been going around in circles. She was tired of walking and the place was nauseating and spooky from the dense shadows, spiderwebs that were shimmered like meshed steel. Not to mention an acrid odour that hung up everything. She hoped this wasn't a plan that Nicholas had.

"I have a friend around here. I think her house is cloaked" Nicholas explained looking confused himself. The last time he was in the forest, there were quite a few cottages.

"How do we find her then?"  - Bongeka

Nicholas ignored Bongeka and spoke to Mchunu.
"I think you and our team should make your way out of here until I tell you it's safe to come back"

"Yes, Master," All the rogues said in unison like they were programmed.

"I will keep in touch" after that, they were long gone. Bongeka observed that they barely said anything. They didn't speak unless Nicholas instructed them to do so. When he made a command they'd respond like robots as if they couldn't think of themselves. She attempted to ask about the behavior but decided against the idea. It was not like she knew much about these creatures. Maybe that's how they behave...
Maybe not. Judging by  Marco's book she once read, rogues are said to be lonely creatures who wouldn't hesitate to kill their kind, which made her re-think about her father. Lonely —which meant, they make no teams, no families, no friends, and no leaders. But these were a team with Nicholas as their master?

"Earth to you Pandora" Nicholas snapped his fingers startling Bongeka.

"I'm so sorry, what were you saying?" Bongeka said getting herself together.

"Gloria will show herself when she discovers you are with me"

"Oh?" She didn't understand.

"Show her some sign, your magic or something"
He was getting frustrated, could it happen that Gloria chickened out of their plan? She wouldn't dare!

"What! No, I don't have magic"

"Pandora, work with me please"

"Fine, let me think of something. '' Bongeka tried to think of something that wouldn't endanger anyone. She closed her eyes connecting with nature. She slowly swung her hand sideways, it became a little windy, the trees started moving following the rhythm of her hand. 
For the first time, she took control of Pandora. Nature obeyed him. No one was hurt in the process. That was a victory for Bongeka, the feeling was priceless.

On the other side, Nicholas was restless. He could see Bongeka was enjoying herself but he was running out of time. He couldn't have just stopped her but he wouldn't dare anger the mighty Pandora who could finish his existence just by snapping her fingers.
After what seemed like forever, Bongeka opened her eyes. The wind stopped, the trees also stopped moving. It was silent for a while before Bongeka complained.

"It didn't work"

"You did nothing!" Nicholas snapped

"What the hell was I supposed to do?" she snapped back.

"Something powerful, you could have created something that we could offer, something tangible"

"I'm not God or an Illusionist. I told you I don't practice magic!"

Nicholas was about to respond when they both heard some shuffling of the trees. A gate appeared just before them. They glanced at each other before they opened the gate and followed the walker-way that slowly appeared as they continued walking. Bongeka gazed behind her only to realize that the gate had disappeared.
Could it happen that they are trapped? Could it happen that Nicholas had trapped her?

For his own good, it better be not true!
She thought to herself. She was fed up with gommers who thought they could yank her as they wanted.

After a few minutes, a big house appeared.%
Just before they knocked. Gloria opened the door.
"William, I see you kept your word. Hello Pandora"

Bongeka looked at the woman who was wide-smiled, but her voice was obviously honeyed.
Gloria welcomed them in and offered them tea.

"I'm the man of my world, now it's time you keep your end of the deal," Nicholas said uninterested in drinking a witch's tea.

"So I'm the deal, Nicholas" Bongeka commented, calmer than she should

"Life is a game, Bongeka, I'm sorry. I needed powers to form my own coterie. This lady granted me those powers. She promised me that if I gave you to her, she'd give me riches and grow my coterie"

He wanted to out rule normal vampires and let rogues rule. It doesn't make sense but Nicholas is power-hungry, he'd do anything to feel superior.
Gloria helped him in taking control of Mchunu, Bongeka's father. He could do anything he said.
So he used him to lure Bongeka. He knew Bongeka would be naive and Yamkelwe would do anything to protect his coterie. He figured if he brought rogues to live with Yamkelwe. The vampires would feel threatened and Bongeka would have to choose between Yamkelwe and her father. Just like he anticipated, Bongeka chose her father.

"Life is indeed a game, Nicholas William" Bongeka smiled before shifting her attention to Gloria. "How can I help you, ma'am?"