“But happiness is delicate, Helen. I’m trying to tell you—these people will take it from you. That’s why they’re here. They’ve found you and now they’ll try to drain you dry.”
A pause. Helen’s voice was small. “Drain me?”
“Yes,” Fran pressed. “Your job—the one you don’t even realize you’ve been doing—is to maintain all this happiness. But if they get to you, if they use you the way they plan to, it will be gone. Like a water main break. You’ll be left in darkness once more. Do you really want that?”
Pandora hesitated. “I—I don’t want to go back to the darkness.”
There was the creak of a chair as someone stood.
“I see how this is,” Mo’s voice said from a few feet behind Aida. “You fickle cow.”
Aida thought her heart might stop. Sophie’s aegis calmed her in the presence of all the gods, but it did not stop her internal horror at the idea of the rest of MODA showing up and forcing Pandora’s hand.
“Who’s there?” Pandora’s voice spiked in alarm. “Someone’s in my kitchen!”
“Momus, you bastard,” Fran cursed under her breath.
A few seconds later, Pandora appeared in the doorway, her face tight with fear at the sight of so many people in her kitchen. The tension hung thick for a moment, but then Pandora’s eyes landed on Luciano and Aida. Recognition flickered across her face.
“How... how did all of you get in here?”
Effie held out her hand to the automaton, but the goddess of deceit pulled Pandora back. Her voice sharpened, full of fear that sounded too practiced. “That’s the scam artist,” Fran cried. “They’ve come to deceive you—to take everything from you. You have to trust me!”
Pandora shook Fran’s hands off her. “Don’t touch me!”
Aida caught the flicker of real panic on Fran’s face. She hadn’t expected that. If Pandora’s happiness made her powerful, then her choices mattered. If she refused Fran’s influence, it could weaken her.
Fran held out her hands, trying to regain control. “Helen, you must believe me. They’re going to take everything. You need to leave now.”
Pandora stood taller. “My name isn’t Helen.”
“Oh, you silly woman,” Mo said, striding toward her. “You should have gone with her while you could have because she’s right. We’re going to take it all away from you.” He indicated Effie and the rest of them as though they were all part of some merry band.
“He’s lying to you! He’s not with us. He’s with her.” Luciano indicated Fran. “They’ve been using you to steal all the happiness from the world.”
Felix nudged Aida. “Show her the meander.”
Aida felt around in her pocket for her phone. “Oh dear god,” she breathed. “It’s in my pack.”
“In your pack?” Felix asked.
Aida nodded, picturing her pack at the doorway to the skeleton-filled room of black marble. “In the catacombs.” Tears came to her eyes.
They had lost, after all. After the catacombs, after everything...
Fran straightened, her panic shifting to a look of resolve when she saw that Aida didn’t have the key. “Helen, think about it. How did they get into your kitchen? Not by any normal means. Run! Come on!”
Pandora’s mouth fell open with this new revelation. She hesitated, then began to turn toward Fran.
“While we’re all being dramatic,” Yumi said, “Pandora, let me show youthis.” She held out her phone toward the automaton.
Pandora’s expression changed. “You still have the key.”
“And we brought Euphrosyne,” Aida said, indicating the beautiful goddess beside her.
Pandora smiled at Aida and Luciano. “You fulfilled your promise.” She squinted at Fran. “Who are you? I mean, who are you really?”
“She’s Fraus, or Apate to many. The goddess of deceit,” Aida said.
