The Pandora Curse (Greek Myth Series Book 4) by Elizabeth Rose Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Rose
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scraped the ceiling as he straightened the crystal orb around his neck.
“She wouldn’t,” he said. “But she would listen to her dear, departed mother.” He grinned at Baruch, but the minion was not smiling back.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Baruch raised his hands and backed toward the door of the tent. “I told you there is no way - I repeat, no way - I am changing myself into anything female again.”
“Okay. Have it your way.” Nikolai rolled up his thin sleeping pallet. “If you don’t want to help, then I’ll be forced to tell Hera you refused to cooperate.”
“No. You do that and she’ll send me down to serve Hades for a month. I don’t like it in the Underworld. Too depressing.”
“Then will you help me or not?”
Baruch let out an exasperated sigh. “I suppose. But if she lays one hand on me, I swear I’ll bite her.”
“I knew I could count on you, Baruch. Now here’s my plan.”
* * *
Vara tossed and turned, sleeping restlessly all night long. She couldn’t get Nikolai’s words out of her mind. First he’d referred to her as an ogre, and now he called her a man. She wanted him to like her. She liked him. But every time he stared at her when she ate, she felt a wicked knot forming in her stomach. Perhaps she did eat vulgarly, but she really couldn’t control herself around food. Didn’t he understand that?
She just wished they could be together and not always be aggravating each other. She saw how upset he was about the way she’d treated his old nag. She supposed she had been a bit aggressive, but she’d done it for a good reason.
She had needed to prove her point. She had wanted to show him that she was an efficient warrior and could even make an old horse obey her. But for some reason, it no longer seemed important. She treasured the conversation they’d shared by the creek. Nikolai was the only one she had ever told about her childhood. She found it easy to talk to him about it, and liked the way he had confided in her about his past as well. No one had ever done that with her before.
But still, she could not tolerate the way he insulted her in front of her men. She had to tell him to leave, although her heart already ached from the thought of never seeing him again. Still, she could not go back on her word. She’d already done that yesterday with the king, and because of it, she’d lost respect and power. This time, she would show everyone she carried out her plans and was not easily swayed to change her mind.
She would be better off without him. He brought out things in her she’d learned to ignore these past five and twenty years. He served as a human mirror, and she had no use for mirrors. With him blatantly pointing out her vices, she was constantly being reminded of how horrible she really was. The way he looked at her when she ate probably hurt her the most. She knew if she had been thin and curvy, Nikolai would have taken her to his bed of his own free will by now.
She could only wish she was thin and appealing like the other ladies she’d seen. She also knew they more or less starved themselves to look that way. What she ate in one meal would probably be enough food for one of them for an entire week.
You don’t want to be like them, Vara.
You are a warrior. You need to eat to be strong.
The more you eat, the stronger you’ll be.
“I don’t care what Nikolai thinks!” She threw off the coverlet and sat upright, gasping in surprise when she saw the silhouette of her dear, departed mother standing in the doorway of the tent.
“M . . . Mother?” Her voice shook. “Is that really you?”
Her mother stepped forward, pulling an old blanket around her tighter. A ghastly green tinted her skin. Vara reached out to touch her, but her mother held up a warning hand.
“Do not try to touch me, Vara. I have come from the Underworld only long enough to give you a warning.”
She did not remember her mother’s voice sounding so high and scratchy.
“She wouldn’t,” he said. “But she would listen to her dear, departed mother.” He grinned at Baruch, but the minion was not smiling back.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Baruch raised his hands and backed toward the door of the tent. “I told you there is no way - I repeat, no way - I am changing myself into anything female again.”
“Okay. Have it your way.” Nikolai rolled up his thin sleeping pallet. “If you don’t want to help, then I’ll be forced to tell Hera you refused to cooperate.”
“No. You do that and she’ll send me down to serve Hades for a month. I don’t like it in the Underworld. Too depressing.”
“Then will you help me or not?”
Baruch let out an exasperated sigh. “I suppose. But if she lays one hand on me, I swear I’ll bite her.”
“I knew I could count on you, Baruch. Now here’s my plan.”
* * *
Vara tossed and turned, sleeping restlessly all night long. She couldn’t get Nikolai’s words out of her mind. First he’d referred to her as an ogre, and now he called her a man. She wanted him to like her. She liked him. But every time he stared at her when she ate, she felt a wicked knot forming in her stomach. Perhaps she did eat vulgarly, but she really couldn’t control herself around food. Didn’t he understand that?
She just wished they could be together and not always be aggravating each other. She saw how upset he was about the way she’d treated his old nag. She supposed she had been a bit aggressive, but she’d done it for a good reason.
She had needed to prove her point. She had wanted to show him that she was an efficient warrior and could even make an old horse obey her. But for some reason, it no longer seemed important. She treasured the conversation they’d shared by the creek. Nikolai was the only one she had ever told about her childhood. She found it easy to talk to him about it, and liked the way he had confided in her about his past as well. No one had ever done that with her before.
But still, she could not tolerate the way he insulted her in front of her men. She had to tell him to leave, although her heart already ached from the thought of never seeing him again. Still, she could not go back on her word. She’d already done that yesterday with the king, and because of it, she’d lost respect and power. This time, she would show everyone she carried out her plans and was not easily swayed to change her mind.
She would be better off without him. He brought out things in her she’d learned to ignore these past five and twenty years. He served as a human mirror, and she had no use for mirrors. With him blatantly pointing out her vices, she was constantly being reminded of how horrible she really was. The way he looked at her when she ate probably hurt her the most. She knew if she had been thin and curvy, Nikolai would have taken her to his bed of his own free will by now.
She could only wish she was thin and appealing like the other ladies she’d seen. She also knew they more or less starved themselves to look that way. What she ate in one meal would probably be enough food for one of them for an entire week.
You don’t want to be like them, Vara.
You are a warrior. You need to eat to be strong.
The more you eat, the stronger you’ll be.
“I don’t care what Nikolai thinks!” She threw off the coverlet and sat upright, gasping in surprise when she saw the silhouette of her dear, departed mother standing in the doorway of the tent.
“M . . . Mother?” Her voice shook. “Is that really you?”
Her mother stepped forward, pulling an old blanket around her tighter. A ghastly green tinted her skin. Vara reached out to touch her, but her mother held up a warning hand.
“Do not try to touch me, Vara. I have come from the Underworld only long enough to give you a warning.”
She did not remember her mother’s voice sounding so high and scratchy.
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