The Pandora Curse (Greek Myth Series Book 4) (11 page)

A dragonfly whizzed past his head and landed on his shoulder. He was about to shoo it off when he recognized a foul stench. “Baruch, is that you?”

A little voice came from the dragonfly. “It is. Did I just hear you tell Vara she was about to win the archery event?”

“I did,” he admitted. “But it was only because we made an agreement. She takes care of Agatha, and I tell her what she wants to know.”

“And why exactly did you agree to this?”

“Because she can learn from a child what she will never be able to learn by herself.”

“And that will make her want to change?”

“I’m hoping so.”

“But I thought you said she needs to lose the competitions. How is that going to happen now that you used your powers and saw that she would win?”

The horns sounded, signaling the beginning of the archery competition. Nikolai headed toward the field with Baruch on his shoulder.

“I guess we’re just going to have to change the future, fast. And I think I know just the way to do it.”

*  *  *

Vara never felt better in her life. She’d scored very high in the first two rounds of archery, and if she did so in the last one, she would be acclaimed the winner and receive the arrow made of pure gold. She had no doubt she would do it. After all, Nikolai had seen the future. She would win this event. She was already celebrating in her mind.

“Here is your arrow, my lady.” Zetes handed her one of the last three arrows she needed to shoot to win the game.

“I want to give it to her,” exclaimed Agatha, jumping up and down atop a barrel. She grabbed onto the arrow.

“No. Let go,” said Zetes, trying to pull it out of her hand. “You’re going to break it.”

Between them tugging, Agatha fell off the barrel to the ground. Vara lurched forward and helped the girl to her feet. “Are you all right, Agatha?” she asked, once again feeling the warmth inside her chest.

“I broke your arrow.” Agatha pointed to the broken arrow beneath her.

“Punish the girl for what she did,” instructed Zetes.

Vara felt anger welling within her. “You broke my arrow?”

Fear was evident within Agatha’s eyes, and instantly a coldness replaced the warmth within Vara’s chest. She didn’t like that. She thought of Nikolai and what he would do, and took a deep breath. “Give me another arrow, Zetes.”

He handed one to her, but instead of taking it, she said, “Let Agatha hand it to me.”

The girl’s eyes changed. The fear was gone.

“My lady?” questioned Zetes, still holding on to the arrow.

“You heard me. Now give the arrow to the girl.”

He reluctantly did as instructed, and the smile returned to Agatha’s face. The coldness in Vara’s heart once again changed to warmth.

“I put my good luck on it,” Agatha explained, handing it to her. “I’m going to help you win.”

“You just do that.” Vara took the arrow from her, scanning the grounds for Nikolai. Where was he? It was one thing to be admired by a child, but she wanted him to see her win. She wanted to prove to him she was an excellently skilled archer, not just a gluttonous, greedy ogre like he thought.

“Is something wrong, Queen Vara?” Zetes looked at her with concern.

“No. Not at all.” She nocked the arrow as the announcer called out her name. “I was just looking for Nikolai. Have you seen him?”

“No, I haven’t.”

She pulled back the bowstring, eyeing the target. Releasing the arrow, it whizzed through the air and made a perfect mark directly in the center. Agatha squealed and clapped, and jumped up and down. Cheers went up from the crowd and Vara felt an overwhelming pride consume her. Her sense of undying greed filled her senses, and she could already feel the prize in her grasp. The golden arrow would be hers at any moment.

“Zetes,” came Nikolai’s voice from behind her as he approached. “Zetes, your horse has pulled loose and is roaming the grounds. You had better see to him before he disrupts the games.”

“My lady,” Zetes said anxiously. “I need to go find my steed.”

“No,” she said heartlessly. “I need you here to assist me. Find your horse later.”

“But you said the child was to hand you the arrows.”

She looked down to Agatha who was smiling and holding her flower again. Her head went up and down in a big nod.

“So you think to leave me here with naught more than a child? That will never do.”

“I can help you,” offered Nikolai. This surprised her, but she liked the idea of him by her side. Agatha seemed to like the idea too, as she reached out and touched his hand.

“All right, Zetes. Go to your horse. The seer - ” she saw him frown, “I mean, Nikolai will stay in your place.”

Zetes bowed his head quickly and handed the quiver to Nikolai.

“Attention please,” called the announcer of the games. “Queen Vara of Corinth will now shoot her second arrow. She is in the lead, but one wrong shot could lose this lead, as well as the prize to Harold of Corinth. Queen Vara, take your shot.”

The crowd became quiet, all eyes on Vara. Nikolai gave the arrow to Agatha who in turn handed it to Vara. She carefully lined up the shot, pulled back the string, and just before she let loose, Nikolai let out a shout. Startled, her aim wavered as she released the arrow and it landed just aside the center of the target. The crowd ooo’d and Vara’s heart dropped. She turned back to Nikolai.

“What was that all about?” she snapped. She noticed Agatha giggling.

“I am sorry, Vara, but I seem to have been stung by a hornet.”

“Oh.” She saw him rubbing his arm. Agatha ran over and helped him rub it. “Are you all right?”

“I believe so.”

“Good. This time be quiet, or I will miss my mark and lose the game,” she commanded. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you wanted me to miss.”

“Now why would I want a thing like that?”

She took the arrow he handed her this time, and prepared to shoot. “Sometimes, I wonder, Nikolai. And you know if I ever found you were purposely trying to make me lose, I would not be very happy.”

“I want you to be happy,” he said reassuringly. “We all do, don’t we Agatha?”

“We do,” the little girl announced.

“Now then,” continued Nikolai, “take your last shot. I promise this time I will be quiet.”

Vara nocked the arrow, but something didn’t feel right. This wasn’t her arrow. This one had green feathers. Hers were brown.

“This is not mine,” she said, looking back toward Nikolai.

“No, it is not,” he admitted, holding out her quiver. “It seems I was not paying attention and someone has walked away with your arrows. Your quiver is empty.”

“Impossible. Let me see that.” She grabbed the quiver from him, to see that what he said was true.

“Queen Vara, take your last shot or forfeit the game,” warned the announcer.

He is trying to deceive you.

Do not trust the seer.

The Furies were back, but this time they were only echoing her own thoughts. Something wasn’t right here. Something to do with the secret she was sure Nikolai was keeping from her. Still, she had no time to explore it further now.

“I don’t like this.” Anxiety welled inside her. “This doesn’t feel right.”

“Please shoot, my lady, or you will forfeit the game,” Nikolai reminded her.

“Shoot, shoot, shoot,” echoed little Agatha.

Vara’s mother’s words came to mind. She had told her to trust Nikolai, even if the Furies or her own free mind told her not to. She had always listened to the Furies. To go against their words only made things worse. Then Nikolai’s words came to mind, asking her if she wanted to change. Her life had become even more confusing since he’d walked into it. She no longer knew what to think. The crowd kept cheering her on, and there was no way she would forfeit the game. Even if this arrow felt wrong, she had nothing to fear. After all, Nikolai had seen her winning the competition. All she had to do was shoot the arrow and the prize and glory were hers.

“All right,” she finally agreed. “I’ll do it.”

Vara released the string and let the arrow fly. She swore she heard someone in the crowd moaning in pain as she did so. The green feathered arrow flew straight at first, but then as if it had a mind of its own, it veered, just before it hit the target. To her utter surprise and horror, it missed the target completely and lodged into a tree.

Vara watched with wide eyes, unable to believe she could have missed the entire target. This had never, ever, happened to her in a competition before. Matter of fact, she hadn’t missed the target completely since she was eight years old.

“Queen Vara misses the target,” said the announcer. “What a pity. Her mistake makes Harold of Corinth the winner of this event. Harold, step forward to receive the golden arrow.”

“Harold of Corinth?” she repeated. “I am queen of Corinth. He is nothing. He must have escaped my attack. He’s a traitor who ran from his king to save his life. He is not a winner. He’s a loser.” She rambled on, but no one was listening.

The crowd cheered and rushed forward to see Harold receive his prize. They pushed past Vara, almost knocking her to the ground.

“No,” she shouted. “This is not right. I am supposed to win.” No one paid her any attention, as they were too busy congratulating the winner.

Zetes joined them just then, holding up his hands in question. “My queen, you didn’t win?”

“No,” she said, feeling as if it were all a bad dream.

“I don’t understand,” replied Zetes.

“She missed the target,” Agatha so generously relayed.

“You missed the target?” Zetes looked to the little girl and then back to Vara. “Did she say you missed the target?”

“Don’t say that so loud,” she warned him, handing him her bow and empty quiver. “I don’t want to be reminded, and I don’t want it mentioned again.”

“But I thought the seer foresaw your success in his gazing crystal.”

“Yes. So did I.” She sneered at Nikolai, but he just smiled. “It seems the seer has lied to me.” She strode past Nikolai and he followed, along with Zetes and Agatha.

“No.” Nikolai shook his head. “I did not lie. I told you what I saw in the gazing crystal. I saw you winning the competition.”

She stopped in her tracks and turned around.

“Then if you saw the future, and in the future I won the archery competition - why in the name of Hades did I just lose?”

“I see the future as it would be if all stayed the same,” Nikolai told her. “What you do not realize is that circumstances can always change results. I guess that’s what happened.”

“I don’t understand,” said Zetes. “Your arrows have never failed you before, Queen Vara.”

“No, they haven’t. But then again, that last arrow was not mine. I lost because of that green arrow,” she said, looking off into the distance.

“What green arrow?” Zetes followed her gaze.

“I had to use an arrow that wasn’t mine, because mine were stolen.”

“Stolen?” Zetes examined the empty quiver.

“And it didn’t help that I missed the center target when Nikolai shouted.”

“Shouted?” asked Zetes, confused.

“Let me see where the hornet bit you.” Vara stepped forward and pulled up Nikolai’s sleeve. “I don’t see a sting mark anywhere.”

“I am a demi-god,” he reminded her, pushing his sleeve back into place. “We are different than humans.”

“Oh.” She supposed demi-gods did heal faster than humans. “Where did you find that replacement arrow?”

“I just found it lying at my feet,” he said. “You needed an arrow, and there it was. I didn’t see any harm in using it.”

“I’m not happy with you, seer. I’m not happy with any of this. Let’s go get something to eat, and you can explain to me about these outside circumstances that caused me to lose. Afterward, I want you to look into your crystal and tell me how I’ll do at the sword fight.” She looked to her steward. “Zetes, go get my arrows. And take the girl with you.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Make sure you get that green arrow embedded in the tree. I want to take a closer look at it.”

Nikolai wasn’t smiling anymore. But then again, neither was she.

Nine

Nikolai ate his food, trying not to stare at Vara as she shoveled her third helping into her mouth.

“So tell me,” she said, still chewing. “How is it that you can see the future but you cannot see outside circumstances that may affect your vision?”

“Well, sometimes it is the work of the gods,” he replied. “Or the Fates.”

“So, you are telling me that they don’t want me to win?”

“I am saying nothing of the kind. I see the future as it will be at the time I gaze into my crystal. But things can change. Even a minute could make a difference in my prediction.”

“So, then even if your crystal says I will win, during the second round of the event things may change and I might lose?”

“It is possible.”

“I don’t like that.”

“Well, I would not worry about it, my lady. It is only on rare occasions that these kind of things actually happen. Usually, what I see holds true until the result is manifested.”

“Good.” She took a swig of her ale, seeming satisfied with his answer. “Then let’s try this again. Will I win the sword fight this afternoon?”

Nikolai didn’t want to deceive her, but had to now because his plan was in motion. He picked up his gazing sphere and looked within. Sure enough, he saw Vara holding up her sword and a crown being placed upon her head as she was proclaimed winner.

“Aye. I see you being crowned as winner of the sword fight.”

“Are you certain?” She picked up her tankard and drank heartily. Putting it down, she wiped her mouth in her sleeve. “After all, that’s what you said last time, and look what happened.”

“It is what I see.”

“Well, look for outside circumstances. Do you see any of those occurring during this event?”

He pretended to look again. “Not at this time.”

“Excellent.” She smiled from ear to ear, and Nikolai felt like such a traitor knowing her happiness would not last. But she would thank him in the end for what he did. He was helping her, whether she knew it or not. Still, he would never get used to deceit. This was not the way he normally acted. None of this felt good at all.

Zetes joined them then, with Agatha at his side, and Vara’s quiver of arrows flung over his shoulder.

“Did you collect all my arrows?” Vara asked him.

“I did, my queen.” He put down the quiver and sat beside her on the outdoor bench. Agatha squeezed in between them. “I also found your stolen ones stuffed under a bench right next to where you were competing.”

“How odd.” She glared at Nikolai.

“Probably just some child playing a game,” Nikolai said.

She then glared at Agatha. Nikolai didn’t want her to blame Agatha for what he’d done, so he tried another excuse. “Or now that I think about it, there was an odd man idling nearby.” Once one lied to start with, he had to keep lying. This was not at all to Nikolai’s liking.

“Let me see the green one that was embedded in the tree,” Vara told Zetes.

Nikolai’s heart jumped to his throat. He couldn’t let her see it. Still, he didn’t know how to stop Zetes from showing it to her.

Zetes reached his hand into the quiver, digging around for the green arrow. Nikolai held his breath, his mind racing furiously in his head trying to think of a way to stop him without making himself look suspicious.

“Well, hand it over.” Vara impatiently held out her hand.

“I can’t seem to find it now.” Zetes reached deeper into the bag. He pulled his hand back and shouted. “Ouch!” He sprang to his feet and dropped the quiver onto the ground. A hornet buzzed out and flew away. With it went a familiar stench.

“Was that a hornet?” Vara got to her feet.

“It was,” said Zetes. “It stung me.”

Nikolai used this to his advantage. “Nasty, isn’t it?” He got to his feet and rubbed his own arm, making sure Vara noticed.

“Sit,” Vara told Nikolai. “I have yet to have my fourth helping.” She sat back down on the bench.

“I told you, I don’t take commands.”

She stopped chewing, but only for a moment. “Please sit?”

“I cannot,” he told her, feeling the need to check on Baruch. “I need to rest for a while in my tent. Scrying makes me very tired.”

“Fine,” she said, though he knew she didn’t mean it. “Join me at the sword competition in one hour.”

“What?”

Vara looked up, obviously not realizing what she’d just said. Nikolai waited, and finally she remembered. “I mean . . . I would like you to join me at the sword competition.”

He still waited. She threw down her bread and wiped her hands on her clothes. “Will you?” she said, almost shouting.

“Ah,” he said, stroking his chin. “I will be there. But I want you to remember, I have a name.”

“Yes, Nikolai,” she said, and he was sure it was just to please him.

“Don’t forget to give Agatha something to eat,” he reminded her.

A woman put a platter of food in front of Vara. Vara looked at the food and then to Nikolai. He nodded. She then looked to Agatha. Finally, she scowled and pushed the platter between them. “We can share,” she spat.

Nikolai hurried off before she could question him further. He headed toward his tent and slipped inside. There he found Baruch, laying atop the sleeping pallet in his normal blob form, moaning and rocking back and forth.

“Baruch, are you all right?” Nikolai kneeled down and touched him on the shoulder. That’s when he noticed the big bump atop the little minion’s head.

“Ohhhh, owwww, I hate this,” Baruch complained. “Niko, ya just got to let me rest. That wench is gonna kill me yet.”

“You did a good job, Baruch.” He reached out to touch the wound, but pulled back as the minion flinched. “You kept her from hitting center target and winning the game. I am only sorry you had to get hurt in the process.”

“If I woulda seen the tree earlier, I could have managed to dodge it. But it’s not that easy when you’re an arrow whizzing through the air and everything’s a blur.”

“The sword fight is coming up next,” said Nikolai. “I am going to need your help once again.”

“No.” Baruch continued to moan.

“Baruch, you know Hera will have your head if you don’t stay by my side and help me collect Vara’s vices.”

“She’s already mad,” Baruch admitted. “She said if you don’t manage to collect a vice in the vial soon, she’s going to stop healing my broken body.”

“Well, then we’ll have to move faster. I’ve seen in my gazing crystal she is going to win the sword fight. We have to make sure she loses.”

Baruch pushed himself up on the sleeping pallet, his eyes half-closed from being so tired. “Tell me again. Why am I doing this? Why does it matter if she wins or loses?”

“Because, if she wins, her vices will only get stronger. If she keeps losing, she’s going to doubt herself. That’s what we want.”

“That’s what we want,” echoed the little minion.

“Yes. Once she starts doubting her abilities, she is going to start questioning the way she lives. Once she does that, she’ll come to me for help. She will want to succeed. She hates to lose. If she can’t be a successful warrior anymore, then she’ll want to be a successful lady. You said this yourself earlier.”

“I said it myself,” he repeated in a trance-like, weary tone.

“She must give up her vices to me willingly,” Nikolai reminded him. “She will never do that if she keeps getting everything she wants out of life. She has to fail in order to succeed.”

“Fail in order to succeed,” Baruch mumbled, then shook his head. “But don’t you think she’s going to figure out your plan? After all, Vara is not a stupid wench. She’s already looking at you suspiciously.”

“That reminds me. Thanks for turning into a hornet. That should help her believe at least part of my story.”

“I just hope she doesn’t find out.”

“I’m counting on the fact she’ll be too distracted taking care of Agatha to have time to think the matter through. Or at least until after the games are over.”

“I don’t know, Niko. This is awfully risky.”

“Just trust me, Baruch. This plan will work. But she needs to lose a few more competitions first. Now are you willing to help me? We are so close to succeeding with our plan.”

Baruch groaned and lay back down. “No more turning into arrows,” he said.

“Of course not,” agreed Nikolai. “Now come on, the game is about to start.”

*  *  *

Vara sat on a rock polishing her sword, feeling a little shaken. Agatha sat on the ground in front of her, watching her every move. Vara didn’t like losing. Especially in front of Nikolai. She didn’t know how she could have lost the archery event. To miss the target completely was the most humiliating thing she’d ever done.

She’d almost suspected Nikolai of trying to sabotage her until she saw that hornet in the quiver. And she figured he was trying to cover for Agatha hiding her arrows. She should be angry with the girl, but she didn’t want to see fear in her eyes again by scaring her. Vara’s own anger scared her. She only wished she could be more like Nikolai.

He was a good man. She could tell that. She could feel it every time he was near. He was kind to children and animals. That was something she could not credit herself for doing. And he was always thinking of others before himself.

“What do you think of Nikolai?” she asked Agatha.

“I like him,” the little girl answered. “He’s funny. He makes me laugh.”

She wished she could make Agatha laugh. Or at least smile more often.

“I suppose you think I am an awful archer, after that competition, don’t you?”

“No,” said Agatha, putting down her rose to pick at a dandelion in the grass. “I know you’re a good archer. I saw you hit my father’s men.”

Her hand stopped polishing the sword and her body froze. She felt a churning in her stomach at the little girl’s words.

“I suppose you hate me for that, don’t you?” Vara was almost afraid to look up.

“I don’t hate you,” said Agatha, handing her the dandelion. Without thinking, Vara reached out and took it.

“You should hate me. I am evil. I’ve done many things in my life that are not good.”

“I heard Nikolai say you have
The Panoora Curse
.”

“
Pandora Curse
,” she corrected her. “Do you know what that is?”

“Uh huh.” She nodded her head vigorously. “It’s monsters that make people die. The monsters make them do really bad things even though there is a good people locked inside here.” She pointed to her chest.

Vara twirled the dandelion between her fingers.

“I have had this curse for a long time, Agatha. That’s why I did bad things to your father’s people and put him in the dungeon. I am evil.”

“I saw your good people inside you the day you didn’t kill my father. That’s why I like you.”

“You like me? Really?”

“I do. And so does Nikolai.”

Vara’s hand stilled, and so did her heart. Did she hear the girl correctly?

“What do you mean? I don’t think Nikolai likes me at all.”

“He does. I know it.”

“Did he tell you this?”

“No. But he watches you when you don’t know he’s looking. He smiles at you too.”

“I don’t think you understand. If he’s smiling it is only because he enjoys making me angry.”

“No, no. He smiles at the good people inside there.” This time she pointed to Vara’s chest.

“It’s person, not people,” Vara corrected her. “And I only wish what you said is true.”

Vara took Agatha’s hand in hers and stared into her eyes. It felt so good. She wanted to talk more to Agatha, but Zetes approached them and interrupted.

“My lady, the announcer has just called your name. You are to go up against Harold of Corinth.”

“What?” She let go of Agatha’s hand and threw the dandelion to the ground. “Not him.”

She cursed under her breath. There was nothing she wanted less than to be paired up with the man who had just beat her at archery. She wouldn’t be beaten by the same man twice.

“Tell the judges I want to fight someone else. And explain to them that I am from Corinth, not him. He is a traitor to his king and no longer resides there. Tell them I will fight anyone but him.”

“I am afraid it’s too late, my queen. You two are the last to compete in this event. Harold of Corinth has already beaten everyone else. If you can beat him, you will win.”

“I won’t fight him. I refuse.” She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.

“Then forfeit, and you won’t have to.” She spun around to see Nikolai standing there, his face solemn, his words solid.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m only saying that if you doubt your skills, drop out of the competition.”

Don’t listen to him, Vara.

He wants you to lose.

You are a winner. You can beat anyone.