Chapter 59

"I assume that someone is going to let me in on who Pandora is?" Asked Mike, a harsh note in his voice. He really did not seem impressed with my revelation, but who could blame him? No one wanted to see something like this on the streets of their home, especially not a cop.

"Pandora is, for all intents and purposes, a monster that comes back every 50 years or so to lead a group of psychopaths on a murderous rampage until they can catch the one that they are looking for," I said as calmly and concisely as possible.

"And who is she looking for?" Mike returned, folding his hand on his desk in front of him. The paperwork for my retirement a long-forgotten issue.

"Me," I sighed and watched as Mike sat back on his chair, seemingly non-cholent.

"And this Red Moon Rising thing?"

"The aforementioned group of psychos that obey Pandora's every word as if it were law," I replied with a deep sigh. Noting was scarier than a fanatic psychopath... unless it was a fanatic psychopath led by a narcissistic psychopath.

"Well, that's not going to happen. They are not going to get you and they are not going to keep doing whatever they want in my city," he said before turning his look over the Viktor. "And I can only assume that because Pandora is a monster, then this is monster business and you will be wrapping it up before I get any more of these files on my desk?"

Viktor shook his head but never looked away from Mike. "I will set some Knights out on it, but honestly, this has evaded our radar for at least a hundred years, if not longer. I think we are going to need to cooperate on this one." He turned to look at me, "And you might want to hold off on that retirement," he added.

I shook my head. "Nope, I want nothing to do with this. I will leave it in your capable hands now that you know what you are looking for, but I am keeping as far away from all this as I can. Pandora is not my problem. Dealing with the House Gypsy… is," I said. I was adamant that I was not going to get in my mother's way. She was not my problem. I knew now that I could kill her and stop her from reincarnating, but there was a small part of me that just wanted my mom to look at me and be proud. I would not, could not, kill her.

As far as I was concerned, that was a problem for House Van Helsing. I'd leave it up to the Boogeyman to handle, thank you very much.

"So let's hurry up with the paperwork for my retirement because I am pretty sure that Mathew is going to come in here and tell you about all the new bodies he found out in the middle of nowhere," I said, smiling at Mike. The glare he gave me let me know just how much that man did not appreciate my sense of humor.

I quickly signed the papers that would mark the end of Nadezda Sokol and Viktor and I quickly left the precinct before something else would require my attention.

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The door to one of the most luxurious penthouse condos ever to be sold in Manhattan opened, allowing a lone figure to step into the fully furnished home. Looking around, she removed her black, wide-brimmed hat from her head and casually threw it onto the white couch that was positioned in front of a gas fireplace.

Walking towards the window, the woman started to remove her long black gloves one finger at a time while looking out upon the majesty of Central Park. Scoffing at the sight, she threw the gloves next to the hat and continued to make her way around the condo. Seemingly unimpressed by what she saw, she returned to the living room, only to watch a small, thin man frantically picking up her hat and gloves and rushing toward the master bedroom to put them away.

"George," the woman called out, her voice soft and crisp like a bell.

"Yes, My Queen?" Replied George and he hurried back to her side, already bowing before his feet could even come to a stop.

"Any word, George?" Asked the woman referred to as Queen as she picked a single wingback chair to sit down on. Crossing her legs, she rearranged her black dress to fall effortlessly around her. Her brown eyes looked at George as he tried to think about what she had asked him.

"Not as of yet," came the stuttered reply. "We know that there is officially a House Tesalor that has been set up by a Nadezda Sokol and that Jenny from the House Gypsy has been found dead in her house along with 17 others. Apparently, they had been practicing dark magic and the spell rebounded on them, killing them all."

"Let's hope that is what happened," the woman hummed.

"My Queen?" Asked George confused.

"Let's hope that it is simply a matter of a spell rebounding and not Natalia learning more about her heritage. We must find a way to kill her and keep her dead before she finds out the full scope of her powers." The woman smiled down at George, who was kneeling now in front of her. Her gentle demeanor belied her harsh words, her soft smile belied her killing intent.

"Yes, My Queen," replied George, not once looking at the woman in front of him.

"And George?"

"Yes, My Queen?"

"Please inform my men that I am here and there are things to be discussed."

"Of course, My Queen, I shall let them know right this instant."

"Thank you, George," the woman purred, placing her hand on George's head as he bowed so far forward that he was practically kissing her feet.

"Of course, Your Majesty. And may I say… long live Queen Pandora," he simpered as he crawled backward and out of the living room, still on his knees.

The woman hummed with a smile, "Yes, long live Queen Pandora."

Getting up from her seat and walking back to the floor-to-ceiling window, she glanced down at Manhattan, Central Park, and across the horizon. "Yes, long live Queen Pandora, long live me."