Anachronistic: Endless Masquerade

26 | For Your Safety

- 26 -

A frantic rattle echoed through the small room. Lilith turned to find the door's handle shaking nearly as bad as she was. It must be Pandora, but why would she be in such a hurry to get inside? If anything, the door would have opened faster had she taken her time, a fact proved by Lilith having time to think it before the door swung open.

        Pandora stood sweaty and panting in the doorway. She wheezed out, "Is it true?" between heavy breaths.

        The words, Yes, I'm a youkai, flooded Lilith's head, but she swallowed them back down before they could fall out. If Pandora knew, then she had known for two days now. Besides, she wouldn't ask about that directly. This had to be about her encounter with the youkai.

        Lilith stared down into her lap. "Who told you?"

        Pandora's hand pressed down over her own, squeezing it gently. The hunter's palm was hard and rough but the warmth was calming.

        "What are—"

        "You must have been so scared," Pandora said. "Tell me what happened."

        Lilith hesitated, then told her everything. Pandora's thumb stroked her skin as she spoke. There was a comfort in the action that Lilith wanted to hold onto. Like a weight lifted from her heart. She had to remind herself that it was all a trick. At least, it could be a trick, so until she knew for sure she would treat it like one.

        "I'm sorry." Pandora's voice carried an air of melancholy that caught Lilith off guard.

        "You don't need to be."

        Pandora wrapped her arms around Lilith and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I don't want to be, but you almost died. If that gorilla hadn't been there—"

        Lilith pushed herself free. The whole thing was stupid. Why was Pandora so worried about someone like her, anyway? Maybe she really didn't know.

        "None of that is your fault."

        Lilith wanted to add, I can take care of myself, but didn't think it was true, so instead she said, "I can't expect you to be there every time I get myself into trouble."

        Pandora fell silent. "What if I could be?" she finally said. "At least in spirit. Where's your pistol?"

        Lilith's eyes flicked to the bedside table but she didn't let her head turn. Why was Pandora asking?

        She knows I'm a youkai and wants to be sure I can't defend myself before she executes me. Lilith fought back the paranoia. No, why would she act so concerned that a youkai nearly killed me if she wanted me dead?

        "Do you need it for something?"

        Pandora crossed the room and slipped her bag across her shoulder, then grabbed her shotgun. "No, but you'll need it. It's time for me to keep my promise."

        Lilith didn't know what Pandora had planned and didn't want to find out. She was tired, frightened, and stressed out. All she wanted was to go back to sleep. Lilith prepared to refuse the request, but something occurred to her. The source of that fatigue, fear, and stress was her uncertainty around Pandora. 

        So far, helping the hunter look through a bunch of books for monster trivia hadn't gotten her any closer to the answer she sought. But maybe this was the chance she needed to find out what the hunter knew. The opportunity to talk about something other than work.