Read Online Pandora's Key by Nancy Richardson Fischer - Free Book Online Page A

frank gaze, Juliette stared out the bay window into the darkness. “
Oui.
”
    “There’s no cure for Huntington’s disease—period.” Malledy’s voice cracked, but he cleared his throat and continued. “I’m most probably going to die a horrible death—paralyzed and demented.”
    “Malledy—”
    “Please let me finish
.” If you won’t be the grown-up, then I have to be.
“Promise me that if it happens—if I lose my mind—you’ll kill me.” It felt horrible to ask Juliette to end his life; horrible that he needed to ask; horrible that if he did indeed fail to find the talisman and descended into madness he would have no control and be at his mentor’s mercy.
What if she couldn’t do it? What if she left him to live like that?
    Juliette was trying not to cry but her shoulders were shaking from suppressed sobs. Malledy gripped her upper arms. “Look at me,” he said. Slowly Juliette met his gaze. “Promise me,” he demanded, hearing the plaintive note of begging in his voice and hating both of them for it. “Promise!”
    Something changed in Juliette’s eyes and they lost their softness, instead replaced with a steely resolve Malledy had seen countless times when she was on the trail of an artifact and allowed nothing to stand in her way. “I promise. But it won’t come to that.”
    Malledy felt a wave of frustration crash over him. Juliette was not accepting reality. “Modern medicine has no—”
    “We don’t
need
modern medicine,” Juliette interrupted, all trace of emotion drained from her tone. “We need something very much older and infinitely more powerful. But before I tell you a secret I’ve pledged my life to protect, promise me that what we do next is on
my
terms.”
    Malledy felt his heart skip a beat.
What secret?
“I promise.” And then he hung on every word of Juliette’s incredible story. She was a member of Pandora! Malledy knew from his research that Pandora was a deadly Sect created originally by the Goddess Hera.
    “The Sect’s main function is to protect every descendant of the original Pandora,” Juliette continued.
    “There’s a living descendant?!” Malledy blurted. He could barely control a massive surge of adrenalin coursing through his body.
    Juliette hesitated, biting down on her lower lip.
    “Please, Juliette!”
    “Yes…she’s here in Portland. And she might be just the healer you need to survive your disease.”
    “Why?
    Juliette fell silent. “Because,” she finally said, “one of the gifts given to the original Pandora was the power to heal. Some of Her descendants have that power, too.”
    “Please,” he said with forced calm, “tell me more.” Malledy had hoped to find the Sect because throughout history they had a connection to Pandora’s Box. He’d unearthed information about Pandora and knew there was a cell in Portland, but he’d been unable to pinpoint the cell’s location, so he’d been focused on locating a secondary talisman that was tied by ancient writings he’d unearthed to Pandora’s Box.
    How could I have been so blind?
In the last few months he had been so engaged trying to locate the other talisman that he’d missed what was right beneath his own nose!
    “What’s the girl’s name,” Malledy asked, testing Juliette’s commitment to saving him, “and where can we find her?”
    Juliette shook her head. Her cheeks burned red and sweat beaded on her upper lip. “I’ve already said too much. I can’t tell you that. I’ll go to Pandora and ask for help, but you need to understand that they may not allow the girl to save you.”
    “Why wouldn’t they?”
    “She doesn’t know who she is. She has no idea of her powers.”
    “How is that possible?” Malledy was shocked.
    “Over the years, her ancestors lost the thread of their own existence. It’s easier for Pandora that way. Don’t worry, though. I’ll ask for their help. There’s still a chance for you.” She strode to his bedroom door and then turned