Return To Pandora: Book 1 in The Pandora Series (5 page)

She looked at me and wiped her tears away before responding, “Your father, this week has been so hard without him, it makes what Olivia said sound better. That I could have my husband back is something that I have long since tried to forget. But now, with you and your powers and his twin telling me he’s alive, it’s too much.”

When she was done she didn’t even give me time to react, she got up and called Zack’s parents before we went into the kitchen. Zack made tea and cocoa for everyone while I twiddled my thumbs impatiently waiting for their arrival.

A New Power

“I have never heard of this,” my mother told us an hour ago. Now it was one in the morning and we were crowded around the table with his parents and my mother trying to figure out what was happening to him.

He explained that he was asleep when he heard what I was thinking and thankfully he left all of that out. Perhaps it’s because he heard me beg him not to tell them the details of my thoughts. I felt his reassurance that he wouldn’t say anything rather than him telling me he wouldn’t. I have no idea how we became so in tuned to each other, but I was happy for it.

“Can you hear us?” His father asked for about the hundredth time since hearing our story

Mind you none of them found it a bit weird that he was sleeping in my bed. Which caused me to become suspicious as to why, but I left it as it was, if they didn’t pay any mind to it because of our bigger issue then I wouldn’t bring it back up.

“I wasn’t trying when it happened. I was half asleep. At first I thought she was talking to me, but it sounded different, sort of louder than it was intended to be,” he told them sounding frustrated. “I think it has to do with her thinking about me to me,” he said. “I don’t know how to explain it, it just happened.”

I have never seen him like this. I wished I could take a picture of this exact moment and remember it forever, but that was a no go.

“I know he is telling the truth because I honestly thought he was a sleep and I was thinking about the day we had and how many more days we have before we can rest without the worry of someone barging in trying to kill us,” I told them when they looked as if they didn’t believe his story. I had to give them something to go on. I turned to Zack and said, “What if you concentrate on one of them. Try to clear your mind as if you were asleep. That may help since that is how you were when you heard me.”

He nodded his head in understanding and looked as if to be clearing his head. He must have been focusing on his father since he looked right him and nodded his head once. Then a big smirk spread across his face, quickly replaced with a frown.

“I heard him!” He exclaimed and looked at me. “He said that he can’t wait until the day he watches you defeat Christina.”

I looked at him and he smiled at me sweetly and gave me a slight nod. I smiled back and looked back to Zack.

“How can I control this and use it to our advantage?” He asked anyone who might have an idea. “I mean it would be good to know what the enemy is thinking without them knowing we can hear them. If you have never heard of this then maybe I’m the first case with this ability. Maybe we can outsmart them and defeat them,” he said sounding very confident in himself.

I envied that. I don’t feel that confident and the only time I did was when Olivia and Derek were trying to kill us. My powers gave me the advantage and now they know about it, which means Christina might find out about them too.

“Don’t think like that. We will defeat her and you are very confident you just don’t put it out there for all to see. It’s a good thing, because if you look too confident it makes your opponent think their attacks through more carefully. Looking less confident means they won’t know what’s coming for them.”

I looked at him shocked. “I didn’t say that out loud.”

He gave me a knowing smile.

“Were you even trying to read her mind?” My mother asked him. She didn’t sound upset and yet I had a feeling that she was, but she was keeping it under control. “You didn’t look as if you had to try very hard to do it.”

“I didn’t. Her thoughts are louder than the rest of yours. It’s as if I have a direct line to her thoughts. That’s why I want to learn to control it. How do you think she would feel if I could read her mind all the time? There would be no secrets, no mystery, I would know everything and she would know only what I want to share with her, that doesn’t seem fair.”

He spoke as if he was older and wiser than he actually was. It made me admire him more.

“For now you guys will have to train with your new talents. Jackie you will train trying to toss him around and do so without him being able to get into your head. Zack you will learn to try and get in as much as possible no matter how difficult it is. If she is blocking you, try to get in harder,” my mother said to us.

I nodded, keeping my thoughts quick and simple. No time like the present to keep him out.

After we were done discussing things, Zack and I made breakfast for everyone and after that we cleaned up while everyone apart from us went to rest for a few hours.

We went to train and we were done going to the warehouse until we could get it protected better. So for now we went to his back yard. His yard was already set up as a sort of training space anyway. I never realized that was what it could be used for. They always said, “The home came this way, and why change it if it looked so nice this way?” I guess I couldn’t complain. It was completely surrounded by bushes tall enough to hide any view from neighbors or a passerby. On the ground there was a square half the length of a football field. It had circles marked on the ground surrounding the square that were wide enough to hold two people at a time while they battled. I should have guessed that they kept repainting this since it should have faded by now, but I was naïve.

So we did what they said and we practiced. Him trying to get in while I tried to keep him out. We didn’t try to fight though we were just trying to get a good grasp on how to handle his mind thing. We tried this for a few hours until we just gave up and started to use our physical powers, like moving people and things. To my surprise I was able to get him and hold him to the only tree in the yard. I held him there and tried calling on my power to control the elements. I felt the wind come and swirl around me waiting for my command on where to go next. I saw his face go from being cocky to completely surprised, as he watched me make the wind carry him away. I made it swirl around the yard and I took him high to the tops of the bushes and back down, almost touching the ground. Just when he thought I was done I made it spin superfast like he was caught in a tornado. I watched it swirl around with the leaves from the bushes and the only tree swirling around with it. I made it flatten out so he would slide down it and he landed with a giant grin plastered on his face.

“That was incredible!” He exclaimed as he landed right beside me.

I let the wind go and everything that was caught in it came crashing down. Like a few twigs and apparently a branch. I swiped my hands in the air and watched as it fell on the sides of us as opposed to landing on us.

“Does that mean you didn’t see it coming?” I asked, hoping I had done well at blocking him out.

“I watched as you tried calling the wind and I didn’t think it was going to work, but when I felt it on my face as if I was riding a bike on a very windy day I knew you had it. I just didn’t know what you planned on doing after that. You successfully blocked me out,” he finished still looking impressed with me.

“We will do this,” I said looking him in the eyes and allowing him complete access to my thoughts, if he so wished to have. Even though I felt venerable like this, it felt a little intimate, like we shared something that no one else did. Although I couldn’t look into his mind, he could see how I thought and felt. “We can figure out a plan, a way to keep us on equal ground,” I said as I took his hand in mine. Boldly getting his attention in a way I never thought I would.

He leaned down just then and caressed my cheek gently with his thumb. It felt so right, him and me, like we were born for each other. I can’t explain it, but it’s like he makes me stronger and I am scared to find out what it means if we ever separate. He gently kisses me and pulls me flush against his body, which has him deepening the kiss.

When we finally pull apart we are both panting for breath. He smiles down at me and I can’t help but smile back up at him. Heaven. I am in Heaven. I found the person I want to spend eternity with and he has been in my life since I was a baby. He knows me inside and out and I know him inside and out. We are meant for each other, because if there is someone out there better for me than him, then I would have to see it to believe it. Zackary is etched deep into my soul. I can’t even explain how it feels. He is a part of me as much as I am a part of him.

We walked to my house to get cleaned up and eat. After we were done eating we told our parents what we had accomplished.

Birthday Party

Finally, after a long week of training and relaying our results back to our parents every day, we have arrived at my sixteenth birthday party. Apparently turning sixteen in Pandora is a big deal because I’m supposed to wear this ridiculous fluffy dress and all the guests are supposed to dress up formally as well. I tried to fight my mom against the dress, I mean seriously I look hideous in this thing.

The dress I’m wearing is ball gown style that is too poufy for my taste with pink and blue flowing evenly around it. It’s also a halter so, on top of me not having any boobs, I now have to use what little I have to keep the dress up. My hair is done in a half up half down style with curls hanging all around my head. I feel like I should be doing this for a wedding not my damn birthday party, but what mother wants, she gets.

It’s four o’clock and we have several people coming in and out of my room while they hurriedly finish my make up so I can make my appearance. Although I know everyone who will be attending my party I’m nervous beyond belief, mostly because all eyes will be on me while I walk into the hall.

My mother rented this big hall and she has caterers coming and it really is like a wedding, I don’t understand what the fuss is about. When they were finished with me, I got up and looked into the mirror. I couldn’t believe my eyes, I looked like, well like a Princess. This has to be the first time I actually feel like one since being told I was one. On top of my head is a tiara and if it was before all of this chaos I would have thought it wasn’t real, but now I believe it is real, this is my coming out party. The day I’m supposed to come into my powers and start learning how to be Queen one day. Well I guess I’ve figured out why this is such a big deal.

My mom came in as I was admiring my view in the mirror and I caught her eyes moistening with tears before she could stop herself.

“Wow, Princess Jacquelyn,” she said to me and I could see and sense how proud she was of me at that moment in time.

I could feel my cheeks flush, but I wasn’t sure she could see it with all this make up on my face.

I curtsied to her and she smiled at me sweetly before saying, “It’s time. You are to be announced to everyone out there as Princess Jacquelyn of Pandora. You are going to lead our people to Pandora and get our Kingdom back. You are the one they are all going to look towards for guidance and you need to give it to them. Even if you have lost faith, don’t ever let them see you falter. Stay strong and only cry in private, because from here on out, you will be looked upon by our followers.”

All I could do was nod my head. Holy cow mother, way to make me more nervous than I already was.

“Zackary?” I asked her. “Can he at least walk in there with me? I don’t want to trip in front of everyone, he’s my anchor.”

She knew exactly what I meant and she nodded her head. “He will be addressed as your personal solider and don’t correct them,” she said sternly.

I didn’t care as long as he was walking with me and helping in case I was to trip.

She left me alone while she went to get Zack and I was relieved to be completely alone even if it was only for a minute. I heard a knock on the door and he opened it slightly and walked in.

He eyed me and his mouth hung open as if he’d never seen me before. “If I didn’t know any better I would think you were replaced by another version of yourself. You look hot!” He said stating what he was thinking. “You are starting to look the part of a Princess.” He said sounding a little upset about it.

“I’m still me! Just because they dressed me up and made me up with all this makeup doesn’t mean that I’m not in here anymore,” I said to him a little angrier than I intended.

I knew my anger was coming out when I saw the table beside the mirror floating up into the air. I dropped the table and took a deep breath trying to calm my nerves. I relaxed more when I felt his arms come around me as he took me into a hug.

“I’m sorry,” I said after I calmed down.

“Don’t be. But you do look like a Princess even if you’re not ready to admit it, you are and your people are waiting for you to make a grand entrance,” he said and grabbed my hand as we made our way for the hall.

My heart dropped into my gut as I looked into the hall and saw more than the five families my mother had told me were here in this world. How the heck did all these people get here? I don’t even know more than a quarter of them. I felt Zack squeeze my hand in support as I heard my name be called with his.

Together we walked into the hall and a fake smile plastered on my face as I tried to calm myself down before I sent people flying across the room. I heard an applause as I took the last step to reach my mother. I turned around and faced everyone in the room, some shocked and some happy to have me there.

We went about the night eating, dancing and talking with everyone in the room. By the time I finished dancing with the last person I was relieved to feel the surge of electricity that came when Zackary touched me. I turned to find him smiling down at me and I relaxed as I shared the last dance of the night with him.

“So your mother tells me that we have a few people here who are going to train each child from our five families to gain control of their powers. We will train in the same place, but have one trainer per person. The rest of them will go back to Pandora, to get the others geared up for battle.”

I don’t know if that was supposed to help me, but it didn’t. They expected a bunch of sixteen year olds to go off into battle and risk their lives for them. I don’t think I will ever be able to bear the thought of losing any of them.

Like he read my thoughts and chances are he did, he said, “you and me together are much stronger than apart, we fight together and we will not lose any of their lives.”

I just nodded as I enjoyed a quiet last dance with him.

Of course before I could leave and get out of the dress I had to greet everyone at the door and say my goodbyes to them all. After the one hundred or more people left I sighed a long needed sigh of relief. That was finally over. Now to train until the day I either die or kill Christina.

The cleanup was pretty quick because I used my powers to throw things in the trash and take down the decorations. My mother took the dishes and had them stacked all on one table that was cleaned off already. By the time we had it cleaned out completely I successfully had a day’s worth of training done, because I needed to focus on taking one thing off while lifting others into the air.

When we got home I didn’t even go upstairs before I stripped out of my dress. “Ahhh,” I said loving the feel of being in my shorts and tank top and not being weighed down by that big dress.

My mother just shook her head and laughed at me. 

I left my dress down stairs expecting my mom to do whatever she saw fit to do with it and I went up to shower and get ready for bed. Tomorrow will be our first official day of training. Well not for me but for the others, so I want to be well rested as my first official day as being a “Princess.”

As I am getting out of the shower and getting dressed in my bathroom, I hear a noise. I figure it’s my mom so I don’t bother saying anything. Instead half-dressed I walk out into my room to find Zack sitting on my bed.

His eyes go wide when he sees me and he says, “Well if I knew you were going to dress like that, I would have dressed the part too.”

I slapped him on his arm and quickly threw my shirt over my head.

“Cut it out. What the heck are you doing here anyway?” I asked him as I brushed out my knotted hair.

“I came to see you, see how you’re holding up and to give you this,” he said as he pulled out a box from under my bed.

I looked at him warily and then took the gift from him. This is my first gift from him as a couple, this means more than getting them from him while we were just friends. What am I supposed to think?

I opened the box and couldn’t believe what was inside, a butterfly necklace. The butterfly is purple with blue gems in the wings. I love butterflies and the color purple. He remembered me telling him that I really wanted this necklace. It’s so beautiful.

“Thank you.” Was all I could manage to get out before I started sobbing.

He quickly grabbed my chin and made me look at him.

“You know me better than that, to think that I would forget anything you tell me. I knew you wanted to get it and I told your mom that I was going to get it for you. That’s what I planned on getting you for your birthday even before you told me you liked it,” he said looking me in the eyes. “Why are you crying?” He asked when I didn’t stop.

“I just wasn’t expecting it and it means so much that you got me this. It’s been a long day. I don’t mean to be a cry baby,” I said wiping tears out of my eyes.

He chuckled at my attempt to sound exhausted and took me into his arms for a hug. “Tomorrow everything changes. The one thing I don’t want to change is the way you and I are together,” he said after we pulled away.

“Me neither,” I said

He kissed me goodnight and after my shower I pulled out my journal.
My Birthday
was written across the top of the page as I started my entry about a long, but good day. Explaining how the morning was uneventful, breakfast with my mother and then getting to the hall to get ready and all the people I never knew existed. I made sure to include that my last dance I shared with Zack because hello, he is the reason I breathe lately. Then I ended it with the present I received from the best boyfriend ever.

Then, with Nsync playing low, I drifted off to sleep.