The Pandora Principle: A Paranormal Romance Novel (Divine Resonanace Book 1) Read online

  The Pandora Principle

  Divine Resonance Book 1

  Noree Cosper

  Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Untitled

  About the Author

  Also by Noree Cosper

  Copyright © 2015 Noree Cosper

  Editing by Rebecca Hamilton and Jonathon Brown

  The book may not be reproduced in whole or part, by mimeograph or any other means, without the permission of the author. Making or distributing electronic copies of this book constitutes copyright infringement and could subject the infringer to criminal and civil liability. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Created with Vellum

  For my wonderful husband Cody. You are still my rock.

  Introduction

  THE PANDORA PRINCIPLE

  Kissed by Fire. Bound by Fate.

  The moment Cassi's gaze locks with Mercer Chaplin's she knows she has to have him. She scoffs when her best friend warns her to stay away. But maybe she should listen. When her aunt comes to reclaim her for the legacy of Pandora to hunt down the evils released by her troublesome ancestor, Cassi rebels. She’s determined to get as much from her last year of college as possible, including Mercer. But he's got secrets of his own. And as she falls deeper down the rabbit hole, signs begin to suggest that Mercer could be one of those evils she's fated to hunt. Too bad Cassi can’t put her heart in a box.

  1

  “I’m not going."

  I carefully lowered the mascara brush from near my eye lash to avoid a black nose and glanced at my roommate Serenity, now leaning against the bathroom door. Her tanned legs were bare except for a pair of pajama shorts, and she stood with her arms crossed in over her Dallas Cowboys t-shirt. Despite the fact the team hadn't won a Super Bowl in almost two decades, she still clung to her fandom. She always did love an underdog.

  "You have to." I widened my eyes and gave her a pleading expression. "You can't just abandon me with all those tech heads. I'll have no idea what they are talking about."

  Her rich, husky chuckle bounced off the blue tile walls. "You'll be fine, Cassi."

  "No, I won't. This project is a chance that we can have something classish together."

  "Classish? Is that even a word?" She shook her head, and mahogany hair cascaded over her shoulders in a tumbled mess.

  "I'm a writer. I can make words up." I waved my hand dismissively. "Besides, you're avoiding. Why now? You were so excited about this."

  Her brown eyes narrowed at me, and her jaw was set with her pouty lips pressed together. "That's before I realized Mercer Chaplin would be overseeing this."

  I sighed, and my insides tingled at the thought of his picture. "That was a surprise. A good one. You can get some guidance from one of the Social Media geniuses of our age."

  "That's what you want," Serenity said. "I'd be fine without anything from him."

  "Why not? He's fascinating. Only twenty-nine and he's one of the biggest names in the industry. We can get some bonus points with his company before we get thrown out into the world."

  "I don't want bonus points from him."

  "What about the Anima Inc. or Halestar Games?" I tugged on her arm. "Come on, this is your chance to show the world your talent. I bet you'll be running this project by the end."

  Serenity smirked. "Not with Mercer there. He doesn't let anyone steal the spotlight. Probably why he's the only representative for all three companies."

  "What do you have against him?"

  She shrugged one shoulder. "You've seen the interviews. He's an arrogant asshole."

  "So is the football team. They don't stop you from doing what you want."

  "If they were in charge, they might."

  I sighed and let my head droop. "I was looking forward to this. It won't be the same without you. Would you really leave me alone?"

  Serenity raised an eyebrow. "This won't work."

  "I don't see what you are worried about. This thing is so big; I doubt Mercer will have much time to spare more than a few words for either of us."

  "You have no idea."

  "Are you willing to give up the intern credit just because you hate him? This is something you've been dreaming of since our sophomore year." I crossed my arms. "Seems kind of stupid to me."

  Serenity chewed at her bottom lip. Got her. I kept the triumphant smile from my face and gazed at her with the question hanging in the air between us. If there was anything Serenity hated in the world, it was being called stupid.

  "Fine," she grumbled.

  I grinned and bounced on the balls of my feet. "Good. Now hurry up and put some clothes on. We're going to be late."

  "You better be done getting ready before I am. You have a head start," she as she hurried to her bedroom.

  I finished applying my mascara and took a brush to my mass of red hair until it hung in a silky sheet down my back. A kiss of fire, an old boyfriend had called me. Little had he known how much of a role fire had played in my life.

  I set the brush down on the granite counter with a click that echoed through the bathroom. No, it had played with my old life, not here and not now. Once I graduated, my family would swoop in to pull me back into their world filled with flame and myth. Until then, I planned to enjoy every minute of college life I had left.

  My hazel eyes changed to amber as I smacked my lips, now glittery with gloss, and grinned into the mirror. Something was beginning today. I could feel it.

  Serenity stopped outside the door, now fully dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that read "Nerd Girls Are Sexy." "What are you doing still playing around in the bathroom?"

  I giggled at her and sprinted to the door, grabbing my keys along the way. We hopped into my car and took off to the University.

  The red microfiber seats in the multi-tiered auditorium had all but filled up by the time we arrived. We squeezed past a couple of guys behind the last row. I sighed and leaned back against the scratchy cloth that covered the wall. It looked as though we would have to stand for the presentation. I waved my hand over my damp neck from the beads of sweat that formed as the heat thickened the air.

  The overhead lights dimmed around us, and the hum of hundreds of voices died away. A girl walked a
cross the stage in a tan pencil skirt and high pumps. I blinked in surprise. I knew Sheridan from a few of the classes we both attended. We'd gravitated on the edges of each other's social circles. Still, I would have thought she would have mentioned to everyone she knew that she'd been named spokesperson of this little project. She tossed her blonde hair off her shoulder and straightened the note cards on the podium.

  "Good morning, everyone." She leaned closer to the microphone and flashed a dazzling smile to the crowd. "This is an amazing turnout. I didn't even think we had this many people sign up."

  A chuckled traveled through the auditorium. The truth was, not even a quarter of the audience was participating. The application process had been stringent and lasted for almost two years when Nerida University had first announced it. The board had chosen only the brightest to represent the college. Luckily, I had been considered one of those. The rest had come to catch a glimpse of Mercer Chaplin.

  "I know all of you are looking forward to embarking on this adventure as much as I am," Sheridan continued. "So, without much further ado, I'll introduce our guest and head of the Proprius Project. As the CEO of the Instafriend network, Mr. Chaplin is an inspiration to all of us. Let's give him a round of applause."

  The music they played over the speakers mixed with the cheers that filled the room. He walked across the stage like he owned it. The gigantic screen above the podium pasted his face for even us in the nosebleed section to see. His black hair was pulled back into a neat pony tail that brushed the top of his shirt collar. The suit he wore sat on his athletic body in just the perfect way. He flashed his straight, white teeth at the audience as he took the podium.

  "Nerida University," he said. "This is quite a greeting."

  The cheers grew even more deafening, and he raised a hand. The noise settled to a low murmur. He cleared his throat and grinned as his gaze traveled up the tiers of the auditorium.

  "It's great to see you're all as excited about this project as I am."

  Serenity snorted and crossed her arms. I elbowed her. I didn't know what her problem with Mercer was, but she wasn't going to waste my ogling time with snide noises.

  "Imagine a world where people could travel the world, become anything they wanted, all from the convenience of their own homes." He chuckled. "Sounds like a wild dream, huh?"

  I laughed along with the crowd. That kind of talk usually belonged in science fiction stories. Then again, my family belonged in something out of fantasy.

  "What if I told you this is entirely possible, and you're going to create it?"

  Murmurs traveled through the auditorium. Serenity leaned forward, her rebellious posture gone. The screen shifted from his face to a two dimensional drawing of a visor connected to wires.

  "Virtual Reality is still an untapped resource, and what I believe is the next step in technology," he said. "For the next year, you will design and develop the first virtual reality device combined with a social media space that will allow users to connect across the Globe."

  The buzz of the audience echoed through the group. This was not what we had been expecting when we'd applied for the intern project. It was so much better.

  "Is this even possible?" I asked Serenity.

  She rubbed the back of her neck, but her eyes gleamed. "Oh yeah."

  I smirked at her. "Glad I dragged you here?"

  She cut her eyes at me but a smile hovered on her face. "Depends on if we're successful."

  I scanned the crowd. "I'm surprised he let people that aren't part of the project in here."

  "He wouldn't be announcing it if he wasn't already ages ahead of the competition with the development of the idea. I bet he wants news of this to get out—increase his stock market value." She shook her head. "In fact, he probably did some of it for the publicity."

  She had a point. Mercer never seemed to try to hide his life from the media. He constantly paraded his latest girlfriend out to different restaurants or shows. The reports had even filmed the entire first date with his last one. She hadn't seemed to mind, either. Was she here, lapping up luxury at some suite in the Omni while he promised us greatness?

  "In the lobby we have lists of the divided groups and your responsibilities. We officially begin next week, and the leaders of each group will meet for a Retrospective every two weeks." He pointed to a microphone at the edge of the stage near the stairs. "Before I leave you, the floor is open to a few questions."

  With several burning on my mind, I pushed past the others in the back, sprinted down the aisle to the stairs that lead to the stage and placed myself in front of the microphone. The other students began to fill in behind me with raised eyebrows at my speed. Yes, first!

  "Well, we have an eager one," Mercer's rich voice filled my ears.

  As I met his gaze and fell into the deepness of his green eyes, my heart dropped into my stomach, and everything I had planned to say blanked from my mind.

  It was from that moment on that I found myself forever lost.

  2

  Mercer chuckled. "I usually don't render women speechless at first sight. Let's start easy. What's your name?"

  The audience rippled with a smattering of laughter, probably from the people who knew me. Heat rushed to my cheeks, and my heart pounded in my ears. My mouth had dried up like the Sahara Desert. How could I, of all people, be tongue tied? I cleared my throat and tried to laugh it off as well.

  "Sorry about that. I'm Cassiopeia Wayne. I'll be covering the project journalistically," I said with a smile. "I actually have a few questions. How many do I get to ask?"

  He winked at me. "Two, and you're down one with that last one."

  I blinked as I tried to comprehend what he said. "Well, I better make this next one good."

  "That you had." His eyes glittered like gems as he held in his laughter.

  "I guess my main question is whether those participating will be credited if this project is successful and marketed?"

  "I assure everyone here that those responsible for the creation of Proprius will reap the benefits." His gaze lingered to the group standing in the back before turning back to me with a smile. "I was worried that you would start off with a hard one."

  I wagged my finger at him. "I save the really difficult ones for private interviews."

  The next person pushed past me and took my place in front of the microphone. Their voice blurred into the background as I walked back to Serenity. My heart thudded in my chest, and a shiver traveled through my body despite the heat building between my legs. What had that been? One look in his eyes, and I wanted to fling myself at him. I pressed my back against the wall and fanned my face with my hand.

  "Is it hot in here?" I leaned close to Serenity.

  She narrowed her eyes at me. "Mmm."

  "What?"

  "Nothing. Let's get out of here before the crowd clogs the exits."

  I shook my head. "I should stay and listen to the rest of the Q&A session."

  "Suit yourself. I'll be out in the lobby." She shrugged and pushed her way through the exit.

  The rest of the session passed in a blur. I tried to concentrate on the questions being asked but my attention wandered back to Mercer. He stood with his shoulders back but held himself with an easy confidence. He focused those intense eyes on the current speaker and was a hell of a lot more attentive than I was at the moment. What would those sculpted lips feel like against my own? Would they hotly trail down my neck? I cleared my throat and stood straight as heat flushed my face. Sheridan walked across the stage and whispered in his ear.

  He smiled apologetically at the last few people in line. "It looks like that’s all the time we have for questions. I look forward to achieving greatness with everyone this year."

  The chatter suffused the room as people stood and gathered their things. I made a beeline for the doors before they could move to the aisle. Now was my chance to check out who was who in the groups. I could even get a couple of preliminary interviews. In the lobby, sunlight fil
tered in through the tinted, floor to ceiling windows and on the beige tiled floor. Several students stood behind a group of tables with boxes on top of them. There was a sign on each table designating a set of letters in alphabetical order. I stepped up to the last table with my hands behind my back.

  "Hey, Cassi." The guy behind the table pulled out a small packet and handed it to me. "Looks like you're in a group all to yourself."

  I smiled. "Well, I get to interact with all the groups and report on it."

  "A one-woman journalistic army," he chuckled. "So, are you going to be at the Hopp's Revival this weekend? Maybe we can play a game of pool?"

  I shrugged. "I guess it depends on how much I have to prepare for this."

  "Good luck."

  People crowded in behind me. I waved at the boy and pushed my way through the mass of bodies in search of a nice place where I could inspect my goodies. Laugher and chatter bounced off the coffee colored walls and drifted up the vaulted ceiling. I'd been lucky enough to grab the only spot for media coverage. Strange that a media whore like Mercer would only allow one reporter, but I guess he wanted the group to focus on completion and not be hassled by an endless stream of questions. Of course, that made my job more difficult as I had to balance finding juicy stories with not being too much of a nuisance. Sheridan stepped out from one of the side rooms with a tablet gripped in her arms. I smiled. The perfect person to kick off an interview.

  I walked up to her. "Hey, Sheridan, everything seems to be going well."

  She glanced up at me with an excited smile. "It's going great so far."

  "I was surprised to see you. I didn't know you'd be the organizer for all this."

  "It was sort of last minute, after Tessa."

  The air took a grim turn, and my excitement faded with the mention of Tessa's name. "Oh, right."

  Sheridan shook her head with a sigh. "It's so sad. Whoever thought someone like Tessa would kill herself? She always acted like she would take on the world."