41

Max walked briskly toward his room. Felicia was sitting down calmly on the couch. She stood up abruptly when she sighed Max.

"Did you find anything?" she asked.

Max dropped the file on the table and sighed.

"We can't do this here. Let's go to my place," he announced.

"Why? But she's here and it'll be easier since Adrian gave you this room anytime you want to stay in the palace," Felicia pouted.

"I know. But I think Mila must have seen her name in one of the files as I dropped it," he explained.

"You dropped the file?" Felicia's eyes widened in shock.

"She bumped into me and it dropped on the floor. She wanted to help me pick it up when her eyes must have glanced briefly at it," he said.

"She might have not seen it. Maybe you're paranoid," she reasoned.

Max shook his head in nagation.

"I don't think so. The way she looked at me confused, I think she might have seen it," he answered.

Felicia seemed to think for a while before sighing

"I guess we don't have a choice then. We should probably go. After all, none of us live here. We both have our respective homes," she declared and shrugged her shoulders.

"It's settled then. Let's go to my place then," Max declared and started packing the files.

*

Mila entered the royal library. It wasn't as she had pictured it to be. She had imagined it was going to be something small with few books as the history of this pack isn't going to be something really big. She had expected to see little or no space for reading tables. Maybe she had underestimated the pack's wealth a little bit.

The library was so big it could fit ten of the King's chambers. It had thousands of books that were nearly arranged from bottom to top shelf. There were five shelves in each roll and a ladder to go up if needed. She opened her mouth wide as she drooled at the sight before her. She walked farther, lost and mesmerized while basking in its beauty.

Its walls were painted ash, and some ancient paintings were plastered on the wall. Flower vases and a few maids were hovering around, cleaning the place. Some were dusting the bookshelves, while others picked up books from the table and stacked them nearly among the rest.

Mila wondered if she had come at the wrong time as everyone seemed to be busy. She walked up to one of the maids and tapped her.

"Excuse me," Mila said

The maid turned toward her and gave her a curious look.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Well, sorry for bothering you while you're busy," Mila apologized.

"How can I help you?" she replied as a matter of fact.

Mila sensed the maid wasn't welcoming at all.

"Why is everyone so busy?" she asked.

"Today is cleaning day. Isn't it obvious what we are doing?" she questioned rudely

Mila mouthed an oh at her rudeness.

"But I can go ahead and check out for books right?" she asked.

"Are you new around here?" the maid questioned, anger evident in her tone of voice.

"Umm...kind of. I haven't been in the library before," she replied, forming her lips in a thin line.

The maid assessed her from head to toe and clicked her tongue

"Who are you exactly?" the maid queried.

"Oh. I'm a friend of Adrian," Mila answered, not thinking much of it.

The maid's eyes widened as she immediately smiled sweetly

"Of course. What would you like to read?" she asked, coming closer to Mila and taking her arm.

Mila was wmrajen by surprise as the maid took her arms and led her around the library.

"The section on Mythical creatures," she answered

The maid paused and gave her a strange look.

"Why would you want to go there?" she asked.

"Well, I am quite interested in things," Mila replied.

"Well, the section is at the west wing. You need help in finding the exact book you're looking for?" she asked.

"Not really. I'll manage. Thank you though," Mila replied, not comfortable with the way the maid held her arm tightly.

"Recommend me to the king, would you? My name is Erica," she said and smiled, showing off her set of white teeth.

Mila nodded awkwardly and started walking away. Was Adrian so powerful that at the mention of his name, people changed their attitude? She should use that more often so she could get more respect and not be treated like crap by anyone.

She walked toward the west wing and she felt the atmosphere change. It felt more chill down there and she shivered. She walked slowly as she checked out different books on different species of mythical creatures. She glanced through books as she tried to find some sort of information leading to the creature she was. She picked up books she thought would probably be of help. Once she had had enough of those books, she strolled to one of the reading tables that was set across the room. She placed the boos as she sat down. She opened one of the books that had earlier caught her attention.

THE PANDORA BOX

She opened from page to page hoping to get something she didn't know before. But all she saw were the things Adrian had explained to her. There wasn't something unusual. She paused as she entered the last chapter.

DOUBLE PANDORA

IN RARE CASES, THERE MAY BE TWO PANDORA BOXES. THE FIRST ONE CAN BE OPENED BY THE CHOSEN ONE, WHILE THE OTHER ONE COULD BE OPENED ONLY WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE CHOSEN ONE.

Mila paused. What does it mean it could only be opened by the permission of the chosen one? Does that mean there is another Pandora box and she had unknowingly permitted someone to open it and that one was responsible for all the murders that have been happening in the pack? Mila felt her head spinning a

s she tried to figure out where this was leading.