Pandora's Box (30 page)

“Mina, do you love me?” He gazed patiently into her eyes.

“Oh, Riordan.” She broke off on a sob she couldn’t quite hold back. “You know I love you. But I can’t let you do this.”

“Then it’s settled.” He turned back to the High Druid. “I choose—”

“Wait!” Mina shouted, briefly meeting the High Druid’s eyes before turning to Riordan. “Before you go. Before you return to
the cornerstone. Could I have something from you?”

Hearing her voice catch again, Riordan caught her hand and pulled her closer. “Anything within my power.”

“It’s nothing all that difficult.” She offered him a wavering smile, trying to memorize his face, the gold-flecked green of
his eyes. The feel of his hands on her. Think of nothing but those. Nothing of the future, nothing of intentions and consequences.

Mina mine, you are still keeping something from me.

Only my pain, my love. “May I have a good-bye kiss?” She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her eyes of tears and free her mind
of anything but anticipation of his lips.

“Can you—!” On a wordless groan, Riordan pulled her into his arms, lowering his face until all she could see was the gold-flecked
green of his eyes. They filled her entire world. Threading his fingers through her hair, he lowered his mouth to hers. As
his lips softly caressed hers, Mina fought back more tears, tried to concentrate, to memorize.

Then steeled herself.

Tightening her grip on the cornerstone, her mind determinedly clear, she raised it high overhead and slammed it down, with
all her might. On her lover’s head.

Torn free of her, Riordan stumbled under the blow, a sphere of light settling like a dim halo around his body. He raised his
head, managed to focus a disbelieving, almost comically annoyed gaze on Mina—“You
tricked
me?”—just before his eyes rolled back in his head. He crumpled to the ground. The glow began to dim, just as the letter had
said it would.

Mina dropped to her knees, feeling the reality of what she’d done and what she’d lost crash in on her. “Oh, god.” She let
her hands flutter over his beautiful face, slackened now in unconsciousness. She traced his jaw, his cheekbones, her gaze
going again and again to the pulse, throbbing so visibly in his throat. It seemed to be slowing already.

“No.” He was leaving her. Soon, he’d be free and whole—Teague and Riordan rejoined at last—but lost to her. She’d be alone
again. It had to be this way. But
why
did it have to be? Why was she forced to sacrifice a future with the man she loved in order to save him? Never see him, hear
him, feel his presence and his love for her. Never again see the flash—

—
shimmer
—in her peripheral vision . . . ?

But she couldn’t lift her gaze. She didn’t even care who or what—

Riordan’s eyelids twitched, then opened. Dazed green eyes finally focused on Mina, then darkened in annoyance. “Damn it, that
hurt
.”

Mina fell back onto her rump, feeling a little dazed herself. “It didn’t work. But why? The letter said one firm blow with
that cornerstone—not even a killing blow—would be enough to . . .” She broke off. “Damn it. Can’t I do anything right?” she
wailed, feeling as juvenile as she knew she sounded. “I’m so sorry, Riordan. Your body was supposed to die instantly.”

“Um, darn?” He gave her a sarcastic look, already up on one elbow as he rubbed his scalp with the other hand. “I’m so sorry
you didn’t club me hard enough to kill me?”

“Oh,
there’s
gratitude for you.” She sobbed openly at him, uncaring of the swollen, mucus-ridden mess she was probably presenting. “There
I was, thinking about you and not me, and you can’t even cooperate, so now I’m going to have to do it all over again.” Angry
and feeling mildly unstable, she patted the ground around her, looking for the cornerstone. She tried to gather herself for
another round of violence and trauma.

“Looking for this?” The voice came from behind Mina, drawing Riordan’s immediate attention.

Riordan looked first surprised, then cautious. “Robin?”

Mina rolled to a knee, her attention drawn upward. The man, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Riordan and held the cornerstone
in one hand, offered her the other hand in assistance. Warily, she took it and let him pull her to her feet. Then she snatched
her hand free and stepped backward, protectively, toward Riordan.

“Hello, baby brother.” Robin studied Riordan as the latter fumbled his way to his feet.

Groaning softly and pinching Mina’s backside—
you
tricked me!
—until she jumped, Riordan straightened and squinted past his pain at his brother. “You came for the sentencing?”

“I attended the proceedings.”

“Why? To ensure that I was punished?”

Robin looked at the brick he still held in his hand. An innocuous brick, really, but such an integral part of Riordan’s fate.
“I attended to ensure justice.”

Riordan sighed, long and hard. “I guess I can understand that.” He studied Mina for long moments before returning his attention
to his brother. “If I found out Mina and you had been together . . . like they’re saying I was with your fiancée . . . I can’t
say I’d be above tossing your ass inside a cornerstone for eternity either. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

Robin continued to study the rock, tipping it to the side and eyeing up the measurements of the hollowed interior. “You spent
a long time in here.”

Riordan winced, his gaze drawn once more to the cornerstone his brother held. “Yeah. And it looks like I’m not done, either.”

Robin studied the brick so intently the Druids found enough courage to move closer, the better to listen in on the conversation.
Finally he raised his gaze and focused squarely on Riordan. “Yes, brother. You
are
done with this. You won’t be condemned to this stone ever again.”

Riordan frowned, confused, as his brother turned back to the assemblage. Robin raised his voice. “My brother is innocent of
all Pandemina Dorothy Avery says he is. Of all of us—Maegth, Akker, Riordan and myself—Riordan is the most innocent party.
Maegth was engaged to me when she slept with my brother . . . fully knowing he was not me, although she claimed otherwise
to save herself from her father’s wrath. Our engagement was still secret from my family, so my brother was unaware that I
was even engaged and I know full well Maegth never told him.

“Akker, I suspect, doubted his daughter’s word but feared me and his loss of face enough to condemn my brother in his daughter’s
name. My brother’s betrayal of me was unintentional.” He turned to Riordan. “And now forgiven. I only hope he can forgive
me, too.”

“What are you saying, Robin?”

“I’m saying Maegth accepted my ring, but then later, out of spite for some imagined slight, refused my bed and slept with
you. She betrayed me. You did not. However, your violation of your
geas
, plus the karma infraction of committing the act even in ignorance, left you vulnerable to Akker. And to me. In my pain,
rage and jealousy, I allowed your crimes to be exaggerated beyond truth.”

Robin stared at the ground a moment. “We also misled you as to the nature of your
geas
. I foresaw the betrayal at your birth and later suggested to Akker that he place a
geas
on the puca christened as Rioghbardon to never have sexual relations outside of wedlock with a descendant of Akker. I thought
the geas, plus my foreknowledge, would prevent the betrayal. It did not. I retaliated in rage.”

While Riordan just stared at his brother, obviously trying to comprehend two thousand years of sentence based on an exaggeration,
Mina stepped forward. Her tears had turned to fury. “Why, you Neanderthal, impulsive, grudge-holding coward. Just because
you proposed to a woman who was sleazy enough to sleep with another man while engaged to you . . . you have to go and mete
out this kind of torture? To your own brother? What kind of animal are you?”

“Mina.” Riordan grabbed her arm and tugged her backward.

“I have no excuse. Other than jealousy and a passion that I realize now was shallow at best.” Robin lowered his voice. “I’ve
watched the two of you these past weeks.”

“That was
you
out there? All those times I felt eyes on me, that was you?” Mina eyed him incredulously before slanting an annoyed look at
Riordan. “You didn’t tell me voyeurism was a family trait. Or maybe you did. Perverted pucas.”

“Why?” Riordan asked Robin. “You didn’t trust the strength of the curse to hold me?”

His brother shrugged. “I was curious, given the prophecy about your lady here, so I watched. I listened. And I wit nessed.
If anything, little brother . . .” Robin eyed his brother briefly, then studied Mina. “I’m more jealous now than I ever was
over Maegth, God rest her shallow heart. Riordan, you have a treasure in this woman, and you should not be parted from her.
You’ve proven worthy of her and she’s proven her commitment and love to you. You have my blessing—if that matters at all to
you.”

Mina frowned at him. “Are you the one behind the brochure on my coffee table?”

He nodded.

“And the one who stole, at least temporarily, the letter from Riordan’s last guardian?”

“Guilty as charged. I wish to rectify everything now.”

“But why?” Mina gave him a baffled look. “I mean I’m not complaining, but you did kind of take your time here. Two millennia
pass and suddenly now is the time to come clean? Why now?”

Robin gazed past her shoulder, his focus faraway and his expression brooding. Then he shook it off, resuming his former arrogance.
“The why is . . . rather complicated. Just know that I’m sincere.”

After one long, measuring look at his younger brother, Robin turned back to the hovering Druids. Most fell back a step. Expressionless,
Robin offered a shallow bow in their direction. “As you can see, my brother’s innocent of most of the accusations against
him. I have pardoned him. What say the descendents of Akker and his like?”

A shuffling and then the leader slowly stepped forward. “I say we’d like nothing more than to give his life and powers back
to him free and clear—”

Mina whooped.

“
But
—”

Mina froze in mid-celebration, then dropped her arms with an angry smack against her thighs. “Oh, come on. Why is there always
a ‘but’ on the end of your statements? What is it with you guys? Just give him his get-out-of-jail card and let us live in
peace.”

A long sigh. “I’d really like to do that, but it’s not within my power. Frankly, it’s not within anyone’s power that I know
of. However, I can make his choices more attractive.”

Mina folded her arms. “This is completely outrageous.”

“
Mi
-na.” Riordan grabbed her arm again. “Patience.”

“Each of these choices will, effectively, free you from your
geas
for different reasons. Your choices: One remains mostly unchanged. You get your powers back, your freedom back, even your
soul returned to you intact. But—”

“Here it comes again.” Mina muttered it to Riordan, who pinched her.

“
But
, you can’t achieve human form any longer. You can see anyone you want, but the human form will not be substantial and you
will be incapable of intimate relations with anyone, let alone a descendant of Akker. I’m sorry. The option of shifting to
human form has already been taken from you. Remember the cornerstone? Hitting your head?” The Druid glanced at Mina.

She stared at him in horror. “You’ve got to be kidding me.
I
did this to him? But you’re the one who told me to do it.”

“Now, I never told you to do anything. I just reminded you of the existence of another option.”

“For the record, your options truly suck.” She scowled at him. “So what’s his other choice? I’m assuming that’s changed at
least? The cornerstone is
not
an option.”

“No, of course it’s not an option. His other choice is a simple one and yet difficult, too.” The Druid lowered his voice and
glanced between Riordan and Mina. “You can choose to assume the human form only. You can be Teague again, if you wish. You
will no longer be puca—and therefore not subject to the
geas
placed upon the puca christened Rioghbardon. However, your soul and your memories will be intact, and you may keep everything
material and abstract that you’ve built as Jonathon Riordan Teague in this particular human lifetime.”

Confused, Mina frowned. “Yeah, but what about the rock hitting his skull? I thought his human half was eliminated.”

“No. The permanent separation was made between his magical and human halves. That’s why, as your letter instructed, you had
to use the enchanted cornerstone to deliver the blow.” He paused delicately. “I’m guessing you didn’t read the rest of the
instructions regarding the loophole? Nothing about separating the head from the—”

“Oh, yech!
No
. No way. We thought the rest was just garbled and . . . I mean, it was stained with saliva and all thanks to a certain mutt
I know and—Beheading? Seriously?” She eyed him with disbelief.

Phil shrugged. “So you didn’t kill his human self. Just achieved the ceremonial separation by striking him with the cornerstone.
The soul can reconnect, but the magic and the mortal cannot.”

Meanwhile, Riordan was eyeing Mina with some ire. “That brings up an interesting point, though. Just what exactly did you
plan to do to me after I regained consciousness? You know, to kill me dead. Were you going to bludgeon me to death with that
cornerstone? And how would that work exactly? You say ‘stand still, honey’ and so I calmly stand there like an idiot while
you clobber me repeatedly?”

“Shut. Up.” She turned to Phil. “Please. Continue. You’re telling us that if he made this choice, he would be Teague. Human.
But also Riordan. Just, with no access to his powers?”

“Right. No access to his powers.
And no longer immortal
. He would live as a human and die after a normal human lifespan expires. A normal, completely whole, human being with no
unnatural limitations on his life and relationships as this human.” He focused entirely on Riordan. “This way, you could have
your Mina and build a life with her if you choose.”