She felt a little uneasy, but she walked over to the door and yanked it open.
She saw a row of suits hanging from a rod – rocking gently, because somebody had just moved them. And she saw a pair of pointy-heeled shoes sticking out from behind an overcoat in the corner. The closet was the size of a large bedroom, and she saw that a chest of drawers had been rifled through, with all the drawers pulled out.
Someone else was searching his room? How dare they?
“I can see you, you idiot!” she yelled.
The overcoat was shoved aside – and Pandora stepped out. She was wearing a red stretchy lycra dress with a neckline so low it was flirting with her belly button.
“Come on, Pandora – come out of the closet. I mean, nobody’s judging you – it’s the twenty-first century,” Kelly said snidely, and walked out of the closet back into Gabriel’s bedroom. Pandora stormed out, her high heels clacking on the floor.
“Who the hell are you? Are you that bitch who took my place?” Pandora advanced on her, fists clenched. Her face was red with fury.
“I’m sorry, skanky cat burglar says what?” Kelly scoffed.
Pandora began slapping and punching at her, forcing Kelly back as she kept raising her arms to ward off the blows.
“This is my room, not yours! He’s mine! Mine, mine, mine!”
Kelly blocked her again and Pandora tried to bite her arm. Kelly shrieked and dodged out of the way. Was Pandora completely insane? Some of her spit had splattered her arm. Was she going to need a rabies shot?
“Get your hands off my uncle’s fiancée, you ho-bag!” Evangeline came charging through the room’s open door and raised her fist.
“You little brat! You’re crazy! You’re just as crazy as— Ouch!” Pandora let out a scream as Evangeline’s eyes went red and reptilian and she shot a stream of flame at her. It singed off some of her hair on the right side of her head.
“All of you! Stop it!” Gabriel bellowed from the doorway. He hurried into the room. “Pandora, what the hell are you doing here?”
“My family was invited to the celebration,” she snapped. “Since we assumed it would bemycelebration. So we have every right to be here.”
Gabriel shrugged, looking annoyed. “Yes, I knew you were on the grounds, but that doesn’t give you the right to be in my bedroom.”
“Or searching his closet,” Kelly added.
At Gabriel’s startled look, Pandora said quickly, in a wheedling tone, “I caught her going through your closet. She pulled out all of your drawers. Go see for yourself! She’s a thief!”
“Oh, good, then she’ll fit right in.” Gabriel bared big white teeth in a grin as Kelly spluttered a protest. “Now run along, Pandora. There’s an open bar at the wedding celebration; I hear you like those.”
Apparently Pandora’s reputation preceded her.
Pandora stood right where she was, her hands on her hips. “This is my wedding celebration! I know dragon law! This is my room, you are my fiancé, and I am not leaving.” Her eyes glittered with rage.
Gabriel snorted. “You’ll leave, all right. I don’t care if I have to throw you out.”
“She tried to set me on fire! I’ll have her arrested!” Pandora pointed at Evangeline, hand shaking.
“She called me crazy.” Evangeline’s face was flushed with anger.
“She is crazy,” Pandora hissed. She jabbed her finger right in Evangeline’s face. “She should have a straitjacket on her and be locked up like— Owww!” Evangeline shot flame at her fingers, and Pandora yanked her injured digits back and shook her hand hard.
“Excuse me while I call for the guards.” Gabriel walked over to an intercom on the wall, and glanced back at Pandora. “Of course, this is going to be quite embarrassing for you, being hauled out of here in front of everyone. I’ll make sure you’re carried past all of the guests.”
“Fine,” she spat at him. “I’ll leave for now, but don’t think you’ve gotten away with anything. We’re appealing to the Dragon Elders and they’llmakeyou marry me.”
“How romantic…I mean pathetic,” Evangeline sneered, and Pandora lunged at her, and there was another brief interchange of screaming and slapping and very unladylike swearing before Pandora stormed out.
“Thank you,” Kelly said to Evangeline.
Evangeline scowled at her. “I didn’t do it because I like you. I did it because I hate Pandora,” she said stiffly, and marched towards the door.
