Free Broken Souls by Jade M. Phillips

Like what it was about the old vampire that allowed
her to look past my lies and accept me as one of her own. Was it because he was
in love with her sister and Pandora was a part of the scandal that happened so
long ago? The scandal where Nora died because of Wilson’s bond to her, because
she was a human? But instead of asking more questions, I kept my silence,
thinking I’d already pushed the bar too high and if I wasn’t careful it just
might break.
    “We will discuss this no longer,” Pandora said flatly, and I
was glad I hadn’t asked anything else. The earlier sorrow I saw on her face was
gone like it never existed, replaced with placid aloofness. “Your secret is
safe with me and I will do what I can to protect you. I assume that was
Wilson’s intention, anyway. But do not tell anyone else and don’t make me
regret my decision.”
    I nodded enthusiastically, thinking the last thing I wanted
was her to regret saving me from permanent death. Pandora took in a deep breath
and leaned back in her chair. She exhaled through pursed lips.
    “Moving on,” she said, flipping through the papers on her
desk. Silence fell as she rifled through the documents and I took the
opportunity to survey the little office. Butter yellow paint covered the walls
and the dark brown molding encased the boarded-up windows. A sign on the door I’d
missed before read, ‘New Recruit Job Placement.’ I took it as a symbol I was no
longer a prisoner, but a new recruit in the city of Tombstone. Thanks to
Wilson. Even in death, he’d helped me more than he knew, and the thought
squeezed my heart; joy and sorrow combined.
    Pandora’s cherry-red hair hung long over her shoulders and
she wore a long green dress indicative of the eighteen hundreds. I looked down
at myself in comparison, wondering if I would be made to wear the same style
clothing. She leaned back, the chair creaking as she studied me.
    “First, we need to address your lodging here in Tombstone.”
Pandora tapped the stack of papers on the desk to straighten them. “Seeing as
you are under a period of probation, you will need to be placed with one of the
legion leaders.”
    A fearful lump formed in my chest. Please not Horus.
Please not Horus.
    Pandora made a thoughtful tsking sound with her tongue and
slid me a glance. “Honestly, the best fit for you right now would be Jax, the
werewolf leader.”
    I exhaled loudly, thankful it wasn’t Horus. I had hoped for
the nice witch lady, Morin, but at this point beggars could not be choosers. Pandora
continued, ignoring my outward relief.
    “And if, after your trial period, you are deemed fit to live
on your own, you will be placed in your own residence, barring anything unforeseen
happening until then.”
    I nodded eagerly, but Pandora cleared her throat, tapping
the papers with her finger.
    “Now for job placement. Tell me a little about yourself,
Ruby. What did you do in life? Before becoming a vampire, that is.”
    “Oh. Um…” 
    I was lost for words. Though it was only a short while since
I’d been human, it felt like an eternity ago. The memories of my human life
were faded and blurry. But the memory which stayed most fresh was the car
accident, and the moments leading up to my death. The moments causing me to
make such a rash decision by driving into the storm.
    The night before my eighteenth birthday, my parents had
revealed a long-kept secret that my real father had abandoned me and my mother
before I was born, the father who’d raised me not being my blood relative after
all. It had hurt me beyond words, and when I called John, my former boyfriend,
to relay the news, he’d broken up with me. Under the influence of anger and
pain, I’d recklessly driven into a monsoon, crashing my car and well… dying. To
say I’d had a bad day was a huge understatement. My hands trembled just at the
thought of it, but not wanting to dredge up the painful memories, I started on
a lighter note.
    “I was supposed to start