This Is My Town

Chapter Eight ~ Pandora

She heard the doors open to her throne room. She didn't flinch, or even acknowledge that she heard it at all. She knew who was here, and she knew that she had succeeded once again.

Turning in her long, satin red dress, Pandora opened her bright red eyes and studied the figure that stood in front of the doors.

"We have a guest, my lady," Jaspar mused, and Pandora nodded in his direction, her eyes never leaving their target.

"Thank you Lakin," she murmured. "You may leave us now."

She didn't hear Jaspar leave, but that was why she appreciated having him around. He was quiet when he needed to be, he didn't fear her like the others did and he was just so... smooth, with carrying out orders, like he knew that he wasn't going to disappoint her. She liked him.

"The Vampire Prince," Pandora murmured after a few moments of silently staring into the Prince's sparkling gold eyes. He flinched at that name.

"I would prefer it if you could refrain from using that phrase, thank you my lady," he said instead of replying with a compliment for her like she was expecting, so she was quite surprised at the tone of his voice, and at its contents.

"Oh," she said.

"Am I allowed to know why you summoned me here for a 'conference' or did you just want to hear good things about yourself?"

Pandora's gaze hardened and she took a step forward.

"Dare you mock me in my own palace," she hissed, her eyes brightening. "I could kill you, right here and right now for your foul mouth. Your royal bones would make a lovely addition to my throne, so do not test me, boy."

The Prince glanced at the throne and grimaced.

"I think I will have to take a pass on that one," he admitted. "Maybe next time? When you have not got a death threat over my father? But I believe we have more... pressing matters, to deal with. Am I correct?"

Pandora composed herself before she nodded tightly.

"You are," she answered. "I need you to do something for me. A favour for a favour."

"What do you need done?" the Prince asked, and Pandora felt a cunning smile fade its way onto her cherry red lips.

"I need you to 'track' someone down for me," she told him. "I know her location, I just need you to go get her and bring her to me."

"You're legs do not work?" Enzo asked curiously, and Pandora's eyes flared at him before she recollected herself and met his gaze with a cold stare.

"I cannot leave this palace," she told him. "I have lived too long. It will melt my flesh and crumble my bones. You do not understand; you have not lived as long as I."

"Okay, what does she look like?" the Prince asked, but Pandora could see that he wasn't asking this out of curiosity for the task. He had obviously heard the news from Dred, and now Pandora was starting to regret letting her live. But it was all part of the plan; everything she told this Prince, he would deliver to Kiara. He would either wait until she was in black out before he took her back to Pandora, or he would forget about their deal and side with Kiara. Which was why Pandora needed to make the Prince's side of the bargain irresistible.

"Brown hair, straight," Pandora began. "Pale red eyes; wearing tight pants and a loose shirt. She has one pair of boots and her right leg with be injured. She's been stabbed and I think it is getting infected. The infirmary did a terrible job of healing her."

"You know that I know this person," the Prince observed, and Pandora looked at him.

"My, you are smart," she mused. "Her name is Kiara. Bring her back to me alive and I will grant you the wish that you have wanted for a lifetime."

"What, you could give me freedom?" the Prince scoffed. "Yeah, I do not think so."

"You do not wish to be Prince anymore, yes?" she pressed, and the Prince lifted his golden gaze to meet hers.

"You could do that?" he asked hesitantly. "Without... without killing anyone? Because I know what you are like, and I do not have to live in Montilo to know this. You are evil and cunning, but I know when I am being tricked."

"I have lied to many a person," Pandora admitted. "Kiara included. She thinks she knows what is going on, but she truly has no idea. But you... I know better than to tell you something that is not to be. I am not lying to you. This is something I need. I need Kiara here, alive and well."

"You want her to kill the King?" the Prince questioned, and Pandora sighed.

"I really should not have let her live," she muttered, putting a delicate hand over her forehead as if she had a headache. Of course, she didn't, but it felt as though she needed one.

"What, you let Kallee Dred go?" the Prince asked, sounding surprised, and Pandora looked at him.

"Of course," she said. "If Kiara knows she can trust me, she will come willingly."

"Because you did not kill the woman that tried to kill her?" the Prince asked bitterly. "Look, this is all new to me. I am sitting at my dining room table, a woman walks in and says that you have been using a girl to seek out traitors. I do not know why, but I get the feeling that I should not trust you."

Pandora narrowed her eyes.

"I can make you free of your duties, boy," she hissed. "I can make you whatever you want to be. In return, I simply ask for you to 'escort' a young woman to my palace. She is in Longreach, with the blacksmith. She is hiding from me, but I see her." She paused. "Will you help me?"

The Prince looked at Pandora, straight in the eyes, and he narrowed them.

"Why will you not get Jaspar to do this?" he asked eventually, and Pandora shrugged.

"You ask a reasonable question," she admitted. "I have another job for Jaspar, and he will not be able to do what I need you to do. You see, you have a 'connection' to these two; to the girl and the blacksmith. They will trust you, and you will betray them for your freedom. Do what you must, just bring her to me alive. Do we have a deal?"

The Prince studied Pandora for a long time, then parted his lips to speak.

"Anything you want me to tell her?" he asked, sounding defeat, and Pandora hid the smug smile that had threatened to show. She had succeeded, once again.

"Tell her that she cannot hide," she murmured. "No matter what she does, or where she goes, she cannot hide from me."

The Prince simply nodded his head, turned around and walked out.