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Message-ID: <54938asstr$1164953403@assm.asstr-mirror.org>
From: Shalon Wood <dstar@pele.cx>
Subject: {ASSM} Pandora's Box 30 (Mf Mff MMf rom ws exhib bdsm)
Lines: 861
Date: Fri, 01 Dec 2006 01:10:03 -0500
Path: assm.asstr-mirror.org!not-for-mail
Approved: <assm@asstr-mirror.org>
Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories
Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d

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SPECIAL NOTE FOR READERS OF _Jason and Kylie, Naked In School_: 

You may or may not be aware, but Shalon broke his arm in two places three
weeks ago; Jason and Kylie is temporarily on hold (he had a nice cushion
built up on Pandora's Box, which is why he switched to that.  Please see
http://playground.pele.cx for details, including news on when Jason and
Kylie will return.
   

If you have any questions, please email us, or visit our forums at
http://playground.pele.cx/forums and ask.  
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SPECIAL NOTE FOR READERS WHO DON'T LIKE M/M SCENES:

You want to either make it through the upcoming M/M scene (next chapter,
IIRC) or skip to the end, because the scene after that involves Pandora, a
bottle of lube, and a latex catsuit that fits perfectly.  

Meow.

And a blindfold.

(And I promise, not all of our stories are MM; we've only got three, in
fact, which are.  It's just that somehow those three (Pandora's Box,
Prudence, and Jason and Kylie (to a very small degree -- two scenes) ended
up being some of the first ones we posted.  

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Standard disclaimers apply; this story may or may not contain, in any
given part, graphic depictions of lesbianism, homosexuality, group sex,
bdsm, underage (teen) sex, magic, occultism, violence, and biting 
sarcasm.  If you're underage, or if for any other reason it's illegal 
for you to read this, or you're disturbed by the content, please don't 
read it.

Archived at http://pandora.pele.cx, and we've got a web-forum at
http://playground.pele.cx/forums as well, for discussion of both
Pandora and our other stories. 

Comments *greatly* appreciated.

Enjoy,

Velvet
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Pandora stiffened, then shook her head. "No. Gabriel, it's not worth it.
Let's go."

Gabriel shook his head. "No, love. It's reasonable. He's giving us a
weapon, which makes him responsible if we misuse it."

Pandora shook her head. "He's threatening you."

"Not really. He's warning me of the consequences if I misuse this
information," Gabriel said.

"And of course _he_ defines misuse!" she said.

"He's giving me the choice, love. That's the price I'm paying for the
information: I can't use it against those he serves. That's not
unreasonable."

She looked away. "I just don't think there's anything that could be worth
dealing with someone who's threatening you."

"I do, love," Gabriel said.

She hunched her shoulders and looked down at her lap. "It's your choice, of
course," she murmured.

"Love, if you were about to tell someone something they could use to hurt
Tandi, wouldn't you want them to know you'd come after them if they did?"
Gabriel asked.

"It isn't _worth_ it, Gabriel. It can't be."

"How do you know?"

"Because I would _know_," she insisted. "Something would show in my
parents, or something. If it was important, I'd know."

Gabriel looked at her. "It does, love. It's already caused you problems
once. What if it could get worse? What if it started happening all the
time?"

Pandora kept her eyes down and sighed. "Maybe... maybe it's not something I
can look at rationally. So maybe it's good that it's your decision, not
mine."

Gabriel touched her hand. "Maybe so." He looked up at Lucien. "Okay."

Lucien said, addressing Pandora, "If it makes you feel better, likely the
trait doesn't exist in either parent. It's rare that it's even present, and
even more so that it manifests itself. Just from the scent of you, I can
tell you that it's from far back, not just a generation or two."

She shrugged, looking unhappily into her glass.

He sighed. "It's not a bad thing. It's likely what made you irresistible to
him, in fact."

Pandora stiffened, her jaw clenching, and refused to look up. Gabriel could
feel the surge of fear and uncertainty coming from her.

Gabriel squeezed her hand. "Love, if it's a part of you... why does it
bother you so much? Is there any reason it's different from your looks, or
your mind?"

"I... I want you to want _me_, not some mystical thing that I don't know
anything about and don't want," she whispered.

"I do, love. I love _all_ of you."

Lucien said, "I was perhaps misleading. It wasn't the cause of his
attraction, child. It was... something that made you not just an excellent
match, but a perfect match. He's not a normal sidhe, you have to
understand. Even among the Unseelie who delight in the unique, he's
unusual. He's what's called a lhiannan sith, or 'fairy sweetheart'. It's a
harmless, playful sounding name, isn't it? Literally, it translates to 'the
love of one's soul or spirit', or soul-mate, to put it in modern terms.
They're rare, as I said, and will always seek out a mortal whose soul is
that of an artist: a painter, a writer, a poet, or, as in your case, a
musician. Once they've tasted the beauty of the creative soul, they cannot
exist without it, and so bind themselves to their chosen one irrevocably.
From the bond, they get the beauty they crave, and the chosen gets...
energy, inspiration, a massive boost to their talent, and a love almost
unknown to any other."

"That... that makes sense, I think," Gabriel said.

"There are numerous legends about them, of course," Lucien said. "Many
think that the lover of the lhiannan sidhe burns bright and fast, and dies
young, drained by the needs of their otherworldly mate. In actuality, it is
the mortal who holds the power, for if he or she rejects the bond, the
sidhe will sicken and die. As long as they are together, though, both are
healthier, happier, and stronger than they ever could be alone."

"Alright," Pandora said, cautiously. "That makes sense, I guess. Music
is... very important to me. And I know that I have some talent for it,
though how much of that is just that I love it so much, I don't know. And I
won't _ever_ reject him, so he doesn't have to worry about that. But why do
you think it's more? That I'm different than any other, ah, artist?"

"Because, to be blunt, I can See you. And I can smell you. And I can hear
your heritage in your voice." Lucien smiled and shook his head. "You can
deny it to humans, and you can deny it to yourself, but to the inhuman,
you're as obviously inhuman as he is. Perhaps moreso, for the Sidhe are
very good at hiding and your kind are not."

Pandora closed her eyes, then sighed with resignation. "Fine. Then what, in
your expert opinion, am I?"

"You're a Siren. In myths, your ancestresses lured ships into rocks with
the power of their songs. In truth, that rarely happened, but those who
lived near the surface did beguile the occasional fisherman or sailor.
Usually, any offspring resulting from their playfulness was born to the
sea, and no different from the mother... though the siren talent is a rare
one, even among pure-blood merfolk, and often skips many generations. But
sometimes one would be born who could not live beneath the water, and while
they usually died, on rare occasions the mother found some way to deposit
her child with its kin on land, so that it was raised human. I can only
assume that one of your ancestors was such a child."

Gabriel nodded, slowly. "I could see that, love."

"I... I... okay," she said weakly. "S-so what? So I sing well, and it makes
people want to touch me... so? It's not useful, unless I'm being... I don't
know... _bait_ or something. And I'm not going to do that..." She looked up
at Gabriel uncertainly, "a-am I?"

Gabriel shook his head firmly. "_No._"

"You have far, far more potential than simply 'bait'. The way your talent
has manifested up to now is merely the simplest, most uncontrolled form.
With practice, you can control how people respond to you when you play or
dance, and through singing, well..." Lucien smiled. "You can wield power
that only comes to one in a thousand of the greatest Bards, and even then
only after a lifetime of dedication. Your songs can change the hearts and
minds of all who hear them. The riches of the world will be laid at your
feet."

Pandora sat there, speechless, looking stunned.

"You're saying she could be a star. A super-star," Gabriel said.

"She can be whatever she wants," Lucien said. "Have whatever she wants.
Kings would fight for the opportunity to lay their wealth at her feet on
the off chance that she might choose to sing just for them."

Gabriel looked at him. "Could she? I mean, in this day and age?"

"In this day and age, more than in any other. Her full power will not carry
over a recording, but a hint of it will. Enough to intrigue, to make the
listener want more. Enough for them to become fixated on getting more, and
to generate a subconscious desire to please her," Lucien said.

Gabriel set his glass down on the table. "Just... how powerful is she? I
mean, a stadium full of people..." he said slowly.

"There are goddesses who don't have so much power," Lucien said seriously.

Pandora shook her head, coming out of her daze. "No. I've never seen
anything like that. Not anything even close. That just isn't possible."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Have you ever seen an elf before? Does that
make me impossible? Have you ever seen a ghost before? Does that make--" He
broke off suddenly, staring at her, but clearly not seeing her.

Pandora paled and went silent, looking down at her lap.

"Love," Gabriel said, reaching for her. "I'm _not_ going to leave you, even
if-- if Meshael could bring her back. But..." He hesitated. "Well, what she
said earlier... her suggestion... if you were interested..."

She leaned against him, shaking, her fear and confusion almost making him
physically ill. "I... I don't know. But I wouldn't have any right... I want
you to be h-happy, I couldn't tell you you couldn't."

Gabriel slipped his arm around her. "Love, I think you're making a mistake.
It wouldn't be you sharing me with her so much as me sharing _you_ with
her."

She hid her face against his shoulder. "It... it would be your choice.
Whatever you wanted. That's what I promised."

"I'm not going to leave you, love. I promise. Even if he can bring her
back," Gabriel said.

"Gabriel," Lucien said hesitantly, "No one can bring back the dead. Not
even Meshael or my Lord. Meshael can strengthen a spirit that straddles the
doorway, give them more substance, more... reality, and he can help people
to find souls that have been born again, and my Lord can give a loose
spirit a home in His realm, where they will be as 'real' as anyone else,
but no one can bring someone back and allow them to walk as flesh. I'm
sorry."

"Damn," Gabriel said, sitting back. "Damn, damn, _damn_. It's not fair."

She looked up at him, confused as to what, exactly, he considered unfair,
since she could tell it wasn't the obvious.

"She killed herself to save me, love. It's not fair she's stuck in our
dungeon, unable to even touch, but still able to watch," he said.

She reached for his hand, threading her fingers through his. "He said...
that they could be strengthened. Maybe that would be enough? At least for
sometimes? Or...or maybe there are spells..." She frowned thoughtfully,
then her eyes went wide, and he felt a sudden surge of fear shoot through
her.

"What, love?"

"I... I've read about... um... 'channeling'. If it works, then, well, if
you wanted, she could... I would let her... I..." Pandora stumbled over the
words, scared and nervous.

Gabriel laughed. "Love, that would be kind of pointless, don't you think?"

She shook her head, not looking at him. "N-no. You could still do things
together. With... someone else."

Gabriel shook his head. "No, love. I can tell you right now _none_ of us
would like that."

"But it would be fair," Pandora said quietly. "She'd get the chances she
didn't have, and you c-could be there for her."

"No. It wouldn't be fair to _you_," Gabriel said. "No."

"It... it wouldn't do any harm to me. Probably I wouldn't even know wh-what
happened."

"That's the point. If you're going to be involved, love, you should get to
be _involved_. It's a bad idea," he said.

"I just... I feel bad for her, too," she admitted quietly. "I wish... I
don't know. The idea of her always there scares me. A lot. But sometimes...
I could do that, if it were possible. Maybe if there were somebody who
wouldn't mind... you know... 'sharing'? I don't know, I'm sorry."

Gabriel looked at Lucien. "My ex-wife killed herself to save me. She's a
ghost, stuck in my dungeon. What could they do for her?"

Lucien shook his head. "Not much more than I already mentioned. They could
help her cross over. Or give her the strength to do more as she is. Lucifer
could take her into hell, and promise that you could be together there,
someday. None of them would order one of their people to allow another soul
to possess them. They might be willing to ask for volunteers, but it would
be unlikely, to be honest, that they'd find someone."

"Wait," Gabriel said, slowly. "This sounds kind of, um, ghoulish, but...
what about a body that didn't have a soul?"

Lucien blinked, actually looking surprised. "I... ah. Hmm. That's an
interesting idea," he said slowly. "I personally know of at least one demon
who is walking around as a human due to something like that, but it was a
very special case. I'm... not really sure about that. It would take the
intervention of divinity to make the body her own, but I don't see any
reason it _couldn't_ be done. If an appropriate body could be come by
ethically, of course."

"Well, don't souls end up in Hell, at least some of them?" Gabriel asked.

"Souls do, sometimes. Souls of people who have joined us and wish to remain
in Hell rather than reincarnate, and..." Lucien sighed, "Souls of people
who believe that they deserve the traditional Hell, as well."

Gabriel nodded. "So... couldn't we find one of them and ask them if we can
have their body?"

"It wouldn't be that simple," Lucien said, "Even if they did still have a
living body, and were aware that it _was_ living, there'd be no guarantee
that it would be a young, mature, female body suitable to the soul. And
even if it were, there would be mundane legal aspects...what if the body
were married? What if it were that of a criminal due for sentencing? I'm
not saying it's impossible, but the logistics are... complex."

"Point. But it's _doable_, at least in theory," Gabriel said.

"In theory," Lucien said. "In practice, it might take quite some time, but
there's nothing to make it _impossible_."

Gabriel nodded, slowly. "And the cost?"

"If you are one of ours, then we will try to help you, and the same goes
for the soul you speak of," Lucien said. "If she would support us, then
we'll try to help her...a soul strong enough to form a visible, audible
ghost is someone whose belief we'd value. But there'd also be, possibly, a
cost to the soul whose body it was, if the soul still exists. They may have
some task that they can't bear to leave undone, some final request that
went unfulfilled. That would be between you, and them."

Gabriel licked his lips. "I... I could live with that, I think."

Pandora sat quietly beside him, her emotions a confusing swirl of fear,
hope, sadness, and tender concern.

"You've told us what Pandora could do for you, but... what can you offer
_her_?" Gabriel asked.

Lucien smiled. "Most people find eternal life to be a rather attractive
offer," he said. "But, if it truly doesn't appeal, there are other things.
Support. Backing-- financial, legal, and emotional. Training. Protection,
until her powers are under her control. Protection, also, from the other
beings who are going to want her so very badly. She's safe here in Dallas,
and she'd be safe in New Orleans, but outside of those two places, any
vampire who sees her will covet her, as will many of your own people and
numerous deities."

Lucien leaned forward on the table, his eyes glowing gold. "Do you
understand? She can make people _believe_. That makes her invaluable to
gods. She can control people en masse. Vampires will want that as much as
they want her beauty and vitality. And the sidhe... they like pretty
things, and they cherish musicians."

"You're saying we can't just sit back and not take sides. Not if we ever
want to leave Dallas," Gabriel said.

Lucien ran a hand through his hair, long golden nails flashing, and sighed,
seeming truly regretful. "I'm sorry. But no. They'll want her, and they'll
try to take her. And the ones I mentioned aren't the only ones, just the
most likely. She'd make a marvelous mate for some Pack-leader. There are
spells that require a Siren's blood that could grant a human mage amazing
power." He shook his head. "She could even arouse the temptation of a
dragon when her powers start to grow. You can't protect her alone. You'll
need allies. If not us, then _someone_ powerful. Some strong Clan, or Pack,
or a god powerful enough to keep you safe. All that's kept her safe this
long is the fact that her powers aren't fully developed yet, and she hasn't
used them much."

Pandora shook her head, eyes wide in mute denial.

Gabriel bit his lip, and looked down at Pandora. "Love? This choice you
_have_ to make yourself."

"I don't _want_ it!" she blurted. "I don't want any power! There's got to
be some way to stop it, to get rid of it!" She looked up into Gabriel's
eyes, pleading.

"Why not, love?" he asked, taking her hands. "I don't understand."

She shook her head violently. "It's not _worth_ it! I don't want to be
anyone's... anyone's prize, or tool, or... or whatever! I just want to be
with you." Her eyes were glassy, glittering in the black-lit club. "I just
want everyone to leave us alone. I want to be normal."

"I don't think that's an option, love. But you'll be with me. I'll never
leave you, ever," he said.

Her shoulders shook, and she held his hand tightly between hers. "I just
want to be yours," she whispered. "I th-thought I'd finally f-found a way
out of all the other cages." A hot tear fell on the back of his hand.

"Love, it doesn't have to be a cage. It can be _freedom_," Gabriel said.
"Freedom to be what you've always wanted to be."

She shuddered. "Being someone's tool, their little wind-up propaganda
machine. Smile, sing, be pretty, make people like them... That's what my
mother wants, too. What's the difference?"

Gabriel shook his head. "I don't think that's what they want." He looked at
Lucien. "Is it?"

"If it's something that would hurt her, or damage her, then it's not what
_we_ want, no," Lucien said, firmly. "That sort of slavery is everything
we're fighting against. We want her to do only what comes from her heart...
anything else would be anathema."

Gabriel looked at Pandora. "Tell me the truth, love... wouldn't you like to
make a difference? Help people?"

She nodded, hesitantly, without looking up. "Yes, but... I'm so tired of
being somebody's doll," she whispered. "I'm so tired of performing for a
purpose, of being told what to do, how to look, what to say... it takes all
the joy from it."

"Who said anything about telling you what to do, love?" Gabriel asked. "If
it's going to be really _effective_, it'd have to be what _you_ believe.
Oh, I'm sure he's right," Gabriel waved a hand at Lucien. "You could
probably control them no matter what. But if it's what you really
_believe_, well... how much better would it be. So I guess the question
would be whether or not you believed in Freedom."

She was quiet for a long moment, then, without looking up at him,
whispered, "I thought I did. But when I had a chance at it, I gave it
away."

"Look at me, love."

Reluctantly, she turned her eyes up to meet his.

"Is it really freedom if you don't have that choice?" he asked.

"No," she said, quietly, after another long pause. "But making that choice
does mean, though, that maybe I'm not really qualified to talk about
Freedom."

"I'd think it would mean you were _well_ qualified to talk about freedom,
love," Gabriel said. "Think about it."

She nibbled her lower lip. "I... maybe. But it's all so strange, and so
_sudden_. I mean, I never even really knew if I believed in _any_ god, much
less a whole gang of them. It's... surreal."

"I know." Gabriel sat up slightly. "Although, you know, we could always ask
to meet them."

"_Meet_ them? Gods?" She laughed. "Oh come on..."

"Actually," Lucien said slowly, "It wouldn't be entirely impossible. If you
chose Meshael, it's fairly common. And Celesti prefers to meet her
priestesses, too. Michael is more formal, and my Lord Lucifer doesn't have
the luxury of a physical body, but it's still not _impossible_."

"You're kidding," Pandora said. "That's... that's... I don't even know what
that is, but it's bizarre."

Gabriel smiled. "Love, I was a computer geek during the dot-com bubble,
remember?"

She shook her head, not seeing the connection, her confusion obvious.

"You're in the same position I was. They need you, badly, and they're quite
willing to do what it takes to convince you to join them." His smile
broadened. "Personally, though, I'd advise against taking any stock
options."

She laughed for the first time since they'd entered the club, and rubbed
her cheek against his arm. "God, I love you." She looked up at him, her
eyes sobering. "You could just tell me what to do, you know. What you think
I should do."

Gabriel nodded. "I could. But that would be wrong. I'd be abusing your
trust."

"Maybe. Or maybe you'd just be taking care of me, like you promised," she
said thoughtfully. "Will you tell me what you think, though? Honestly? What
you want? I won't just do it because you want it, I promise, but I want to
know."

"Well..." Gabriel's voice trailed off. "I think you should at least meet
them, and if you decide you like and trust one of them.... Love, they're
offering you more than protection, did you realize that?"

"I'm not convinced that I would _need_ protection, if I just stayed out of
everyone's business," she said. "But what do you mean?"

"They're offering you the chance to make music your life."

She reached up and touched his cheek, soft fingertips trembling against his
skin. Her eyes were almost sad, a touch lost, and confused. "It always has
been. But now... you're my life," she said quietly.

Gabriel shook his head. "No, love. Music is a part of you. It always has
been, and it always will be. Just because you're mine doesn't change that."

Her thumb traced his lips softly. "You don't understand how much _time_
that would take, Gabriel. How much energy. How much of _me_. I'm afraid it
wouldn't leave anything for you that would be worth having."

"If I took that away from you, there wouldn't be _anything_ left," he said.
"I know that.

She shook her head. "I don't have to perform. I don't have to be like that.
I have to have music, yes. I have to play, and sing. But it doesn't have to
_be_ for anyone, other than for me. I never wanted a spotlight, just to be
allowed to play and sing."

"But you'd love it, if you had it, so how can I keep it from you?" He
smiled. "Besides, that way you can support me in the manner in which I'd
like to become accustomed."

She laughed. "You have money of your own, you've already admitted it," she
said. "So don't try to feed me that line. You know I'd whore myself out for
you if you really wanted it, or needed it." The words were spoken with an
almost frighteningly casual tone, so matter of fact that it was a jarring
shock to him.

Gabriel stared at her, shocked. "No. _Never_."

She looked puzzled. "I'm yours. I've done it for my mother all my life, why
not you? I love you. If you wanted the money and social shit that comes
from being with a model, I'd do it. But you did say you didn't need the
money, and I didn't think you cared about 'society'."

"Pandora," Gabriel said, his voice low and tight, "Listen to me. I will
_never_ ask you to do that, _ever_, and if you do I would be extremely
hurt."

She flinched and looked down. "I won't. You know I didn't like it. But...
it's not like it _hurt_ me," she said, sounding more confused. "It's
just... a job, that's all. Lots of people have jobs they don't like."

"There's a difference between doing a job you don't like, and prostituting
yourself, love. And I don't ever want you to cross that line." He sighed.
"Maybe I'm using the wrong words. If you _wanted_ to be a whore, if it was
a job you'd enjoy, I'd be fine with that. What I don't want is for you to
think that... that you mean less to me than whatever you're doing. If you
ever think that... don't do it."

"I just wanted you to know I'd be willing to do that sort of thing _for
you_," she said. "Whether it's modeling or singing or whatever, if there's
something I can do that can give you what you want, if you really want it,
then it's okay, I'll do it. I want to be... be valuable to you, I guess.
However I can."

"You are valuable to me, love, just because you _are_. You don't have to
earn it. We talked about that, remember?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, "But... you seemed to want me to perform, anyway. I just
wanted you to know that if it really _was_ the money, you could have it
anytime."

Gabriel sighed. "I was joking, love. I just thought you'd enjoy performing,
if you could do so safely. You sounded like you enjoyed it when you did it
before."

She looked down, biting her lip. "I... I don't know. I like people
listening to me, but... it's scary. I haven't sung anywhere but a studio
since I was 12. People started looking at me like... like I was dinner.
Trying to touch me."

"I think that was because you don't have control, love," Gabriel said. "If
they can help you control it...."

Lucien said quietly, "We can. Once it's controlled, the reaction you get is
the reaction you _want_ to get. And the energy from the crowd will go to
_you_, not to working them up further unless you send it there."

"Energy from the crowd," she repeated thoughtfully. "Like...like they fill
you up, make you feel strong, beautiful, sexy, powerful, like you can do
anything, be anyone you want... Like flying, sort of... I remember feeling
that way, right before they grabbed me."

"It's part of your power," Lucien said. "You're supposed to be able to take
energy from your audience, to feed on their emotions, on the response you
create in them. It doesn't hurt them, and it strengthens you, and so means
that you give them even more, but if it's not controlled, if you're not,
ah, draining it off, then it builds into an uncontrollable reaction in
them, and that's when they can't help themselves, they just have to touch
you. You can learn to shape that energy, to take what you need and direct
the rest how you wish. Vampires can do something similar, and Succubi as
well."

"It... doesn't hurt them?" she asked. "I thought maybe it... damaged their
minds somehow."

Lucien shook his head. "No. Your power isn't harmful. It isn't damaging. At
worst, if you wanted it to be, it could be addictive, but that's all."

"Addictive?" she asked.

"If you choose."

"But I can choose not to?" she asked, frowning.

Lucien nodded. "You can. Though the addiction doesn't harm them... it just
makes them want to hear more."

"Is it addictive for _me_? The... energy, I mean?"

Lucien frowned. "I'm not sure how to answer that, honestly. What you're
asking is akin to a human asking 'is food addictive?'  It's something
you're _meant_ to have. Something you're made to use. Of course you'll want
it. And if you don't get it... probably soon... you'll find yourself
looking for other ways to get something similar."

Gabriel's eyes widened. "That would explain the sudden exhibitionistic
streak, love."

She blushed and ducked her head, but nodded.

Without looking up, she asked, "Would it be, um, stronger with more
people?"

Lucien laughed. "_Oh_ yes. Much."

Pandora swallowed hard. "O-oh."

"What exactly could she _do_ with the energy?" Gabriel asked.

"The possibilities are extensive," Lucien said. "She could feed it back
into her performance, strengthening the effect, her message. She could use
it to physically and mentally strengthen herself. Depending on where her
other talents lie, she could use it for spell-casting, or for healing, or
for any number of things, or she could just enjoy it."

The idea was frightening her. Gabriel could feel the fear, but he could
also feel what he could only think of as a growing hunger for it, as well,
as she sat there, silent and trembling slightly, her emotions a whirling,
conflicted chaos.

"Love?" Gabriel said.

She looked up at him, all of her confusion and fear in her eyes.

"Imagine a stadium with eighty thousand people in it. Now imagine
influencing them against domestic violence...."

"But... if I'm not doing it for the right reasons... if the real reason I'm
doing it is because it feels so good, then I really _am_ a whore," she
said.

Gabriel blinked looking puzzled. "Huh?"

She looks guiltily down at her lap. "I wouldn't be doing it because it's
the right thing to do. That would be... a side effect. I'd do it because it
made me feel... amazing. I... I'd be hooked on it. That energy. That
feeling."

"O...kay. I'm not sure how that would make you a whore, though."

"Maybe not a whore. Maybe just a slut," she said. "Or a junkie."

"I've eaten Tandi's food. I didn't care how nutritious it was, just that it
tasted good. Does that make me a junkie?" Gabriel asked.

"It would if you were willing to... to manipulate hundreds of people to get
it," she said.

She shook her head. "I don't know. I wasn't willing to be on display for
the rest of my life _before_ I found out all of this. Now, I might be, and
the way it would make me feel is one of the big differences. So that makes
that feeling something dangerous, if it's capable of changing me that much,
see?"

Gabriel shook his head. "There's a big difference between being forced to
do something you don't like, and doing something that's... that's _part_ of
you. How bad did it hurt when you had to give up performing?"

She frowned. "Bad," she admitted. "But it'd got to be scary, like I said,
with people behaving unpredictably, so it was a relief, too. But it still
hurt bad that I _had_ to."

"And if it's not scary anymore?" he asked.

She was silent for a while, frowning thoughtfully. "I guess... hmm. I've
associated the bad with the good for so long, that it's kind of hard to
think about, honestly. It gets all mixed up in my memory. But if my mother
wasn't involved, and it was _safe_, well... I'd be scared for a while, I
think, just until I was sure of things again, but then... then it could be
really, really good."

Gabriel smiled. "So...."

She smiled back at him. "So... if it _really_ doesn't hurt people, I
probably would like it. But I'd have to have some proof that it didn't,
because being able to control them like that is kinda creepy. Someone could
do a whole lot of harm that way, you know?"

Gabriel nodded. "Yeah."

"You'd really be okay with it?" she asked him. "It _would_ take a lot from
me. And so a lot of me from you. And... I don't _have_ to have it, even if
I do decide I want it. I'm happy now, just as things are."

"I'd be okay with it, love. I want to see you happy, and I want to see you
_fulfilled_," he said.

She stretched up, rubbing her cheek against his chest. "I _am_ fulfilled.
But you're right... there's a lot of good I could do. A lot of people we
could help."

"Yeah," Gabriel said quietly. He looked up at Lucien. "So. When do you
think you could arrange for us to meet them?"

"Meshael cannot come to Dallas. That's something that's not likely to
change anytime soon. And Michael is staying near him, at the moment. My
Lord could visit you any night you wished, in a Dream, but for His actual,
physical presence, some safeguards would have to be put into place that
would, once I had His approval, take a few days. Celesti..." Lucien
hesitated. "For her safety, it's best you not visit her in person until
after you're completely protected. But her website is available to all,
and, as I said, she answers her email," he offered with a smile.

"Why not?" Gabriel asked. "I mean, how could we be a threat?"

"You're not, not directly," the demon said, "But you're a target, and being
seen to visit her could possibly draw an attack that she's not ready for."

Gabriel pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Where are Meshael and Michael? Not
in the same place, I assume."

"Fairly close, actually. Michael is usually in the territory of Meshael's
Clan, in southern Louisiana. Meshael is based in New Orleans," Lucien said.
"And his territory is strongly defended."

"Ah-- that's why Pandora would be safe in New Orleans. Okay, how about
this-- how about a meeting in New Orleans, with all of them? I assume it'd
be safe for Celesti to come there..." Gabriel said.

Lucien shook his head. "Right now, she's staying away from her brothers.
Publicly, there is no connection between them. This keeps their enemies
from targeting her."

"Mmm. Okay, what about the other three, though?"

"You could easily meet with Michael and Meshael, and it would be safer for
my Lord to appear in the safety of His brother's territory, if He agrees to
it," Lucien agreed.

Gabriel nodded, slowly. "Okay. We'd need you to handle transportation, and
it'd have to be a charter flight-- we can't risk having Pandora's name show
up on any documents. And we'd only have, um... Love? What's the longest you
think you could get away with being out of town for this week?"

"Um..." Pandora frowned. "Not long. A couple of days."

Gabriel blinked. "That long? I was figuring less than a day."

"Tandi can cover for me. But it'd have to be soon," she said.

Gabriel looked at Lucien. "When could it happen?"

Lucien shook his head. "That's not something I'm authorized to give you a
definite answer on. I'd have to contact my Lord, see about arranging
things. I don't foresee any difficulties in arranging it, or in doing so
quickly, but I cannot make a guarantee."

"Sorry, I just meant a general time-frame, not an exact schedule," Gabriel
said. "We have to do it before Pandora's parents get back... when is that,
love?"

"We should have at least another week, probably two," she said.

"We can do that, if we can do it at all," Lucien said.

"Okay, good," Gabriel said.

Lucien reached into his jacket and pulled out a business card, passing it
to Gabriel. "Call me tomorrow evening. I should know something by then."

Gabriel nodded. "Okay."

A dark, deadly presence suddenly seemed to fill the club, sending a chill
down Gabriel's spine. The feeling was masculine, dark and sensual, and
strong enough that he instinctively tightened his arm around Pandora,
pulling her close against his side, and his claws slid out. Lucien cocked
his head, as if listening to something, and looked up, smiling into the
shadowy back of the club. He raised one hand, a cheerful gesture, and the
foreboding presence seemed to fade back, though the feel of it lingered in
Gabriel's mind.

Pandora looked up at Gabriel questioningly.

"What... was that?" Gabriel asked.

Lucien smiled. "Nothing to worry about. My brother's Child wasn't happy to
see an elf walk in. I saw her leave as you came in. Anything that upsets
her soon draws his attention. He came to make sure you were no threat."

"Brother's child?" Gabriel looked puzzled. "Demons can have children?"

"Yes, they can, actually, but he's no demon. 'Child' is a term frequently
used for a fledgling vampire," Lucien explained.

"I... see." He clearly didn't.

"My father sired two sons, one with a demoness, my mother, and one with a
human woman. Long, long ago, his human son became a vampire. Thus, happily,
my brother was still alive for me to find this past year." Lucien smiled
brightly. "He's a bit angsty, though, and quite anti-social. I'm working on
it."

Gabriel chuckled. "I see. Do we get to meet him?"

Lucien grinned. "You'd find that... highly unpleasant. He's very... unfond
of elves. But since I've vouched for you, you're in no danger."

Gabriel looked thoughtful. "Mmm. You probably have a point. On the other
hand, the only way he'll ever get over that is to meet elves who _aren't_
assholes."

"Oh, he has," Lucien said cheerfully. "That's part of why he hates them. If
they were evil, he could simply kill them and... Well. That's not honestly
my story to tell. Suffice to say, his antipathy towards elves isn't likely
to diminish anytime soon, but he rules the city fairly, nonetheless."

"He... rules the city?" Gabriel asked.

"He does. It's a remarkably safe place, mystically speaking. He doesn't
like company, so nothing that hunts is allowed." Lucien smiled again. "So
humans here are far safer than almost anywhere else."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't have any trouble enforcing that?"

Lucien laughed. "You felt his attention. What do you think? And his Child
is almost as strong."

"Okay. You've got a definite point there," Gabriel said.

Lucien stood, stretching, muscles rippling. "Feel free to enjoy the club.
No one will challenge your right to be here."

Gabriel smiled. "Thank you."

Lucien bowed, then raised a hand in summons, and a pair of pretty young
women were practically glued to his side before he'd gone five feet.

<!--  LocalWords:  Hmm-->

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reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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