IM03 - Pandora's Box by Katie Salidas Read Free Book Online Page A

voice snap them back into reality. “Get in. We’ll explain on the way.”
    Without another word, Fallon, Crystal, Drew, and I all squished into the back seats while Nicholas collapsed into the front passenger spot. Pain radiated so sharply from him it was hard not to feel it. I reached out to squeeze his shoulder, and he jerked away from me with a growl. “We’ll get our revenge on that ghost,” I said, trying to sound reassuring though I couldn’t help but feel that we were completely screwed. I didn’t have the slightest inkling of how to fight off a spirit.
    “Ghost?” Crystal asked.
    “Fallon and Alyssa unknowingly opened a Pandora’s box,” Lysander replied, his voice still rough with anger, or maybe sadness? Rozaline had been his long-time friend too. He’d been her maker, turning her to save her life when Nicholas couldn’t. I could only imagine how much her death affected him, but he was an expert at holding back emotions.
    “I see,” Drew said.
    I couldn’t tell by his tone if he was angry or intrigued.
    “That body in the back, please tell me it’s not…” Crystal choked up, as if she couldn’t say the word.
    “Sadly… yes,” Lysander responded as he backed us out of the driveway. Tires screeching, he took off down the street.
    “No! It can’t be. Rozaline. Please tell me it was at least quick and painless.” Crystal’s voice rose a few octaves. She sounded as if she was fighting back tears. I dropped my head. I didn’t want to look at her and see the pain in her eyes or the tears I knew would soon follow. Guilt churned in my stomach. Heat rushed to my face, tears again welled in my eyes. My throat burned. The dam broke and I crumpled over in the seat, bawling like a little child. “It was all my fault. It should have been me, not Rozaline.”
    “It wasn’t just you, Alyssa,” Fallon said somberly. “If I hadn’t opened the box...”
    “But I should have stopped you,” I wailed.
    “Enough blaming ourselves,” Lysander said. “What is done is done. We have to find out what it is and how to stop it, before it does any more damage.”
    “Okay,” Fallon said. “Take me to a hotel with an Internet connection, and I can start some research with my laptop.” She sounded sad, but she hadn’t known Rozaline like I had. She couldn’t possibly be feeling the weight of guilt as strongly as I was. It appeared she was in “fix it” mode, which was helpful. We needed someone with a clear head to help figure things out.

CHAPTER 6
     
     
    After settling into a cheap, extended-stay motel, Fallon, Crystal and I decided to stay behind while the men went to take care of the sad business of burning Rozaline’s body. I was glad when they didn’t argue about us staying. I just couldn’t bear to see her like that.
    I wondered what life would be like without her calming influence in the clan, and on Nicholas. Just the thought of her not being around caused a fresh downpour of tears. I couldn’t shake the terrible memory. Over and over it played in my mind. I watched her struggle, heard the echoes of her moans, and then, in slow motion, saw her head crashing to the ground. She had died so needlessly, and I had helped to cause it. The guilt was a soul-crushing weight on my shoulders.
    Crystal, it seemed, was feeling Rozaline’s loss just as deeply as I was. She sat balled up on one of the queen-sized beds, sobbing into a pillow.
    On the other bed, Fallon sat rigidly, still hugging her laptop bag as if it could give her comfort.
    I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes. “I have to get my mind onto something else, before I became a useless emotional mess. Fallon, you want to get back to research?”
    “Yeah… sure.” Her voice was weak, but she looked eager to have something to do.  She walked over to the small table and chairs and pulled out her laptop.
    More than just “something to do” to keep my mind occupied, research would help us all get vengeance for Rozaline’s death. I