Page 19 of Thorn & Ash
Evander frowned and shook his head. “What do you hear?”
“I can’t—I don’t—” She broke off as the voice continued, growing stronger. She closed her eyes to focus on it.
It was a deep, male voice. Similar to Evander’s, but gruffer. The voice muttered something like a spell.
Mona stiffened, her eyes flying open. “Someone’s performing magic.”
“Are you perhaps hearing the mortal realm?” Evander asked. “Is it trying to pull you in?”
Mona shook her head. “There are no male witches in my coven. If this is the mortal realm, it’s not my home.” She paused when the voice went completely silent. “I think it’s—”
Something jerked her forward, and the world tilted. Mona’s head spun as her surroundings shifted, the river and forest vanishing from view.
She found herself standing on the beach of Krenia, the waves lapping toward her bare feet. Her toes were buried in the sand, and for a moment, she felt completely at home, as if she’d never died or gone to the Underworld.
Wait a moment. She shifted her legs, feeling each grain of sand. A gasp tore from her throat. She was corporeal! She had her body! Shuffling forward, she dipped her feet in the water, laughing at the brisk cold liquid rushing over her toes.
Stunned, she looked around, confusion taking over. The last time she’d come here, she was a ghost, and Prue had been next to her. But she was utterly alone.
“There you are,” murmured a voice.
Mona whirled and found an unfamiliar man approaching. He had inky black hair that curled at the nape of his neck. A single stripe of silver lined his hair. Two small black horns protruded from his head. And the look on his face was positively feral.
He was a prince of Hell. One of Evander’s brothers. He had to be. Mona’s insides went cold at the dangerous glint in his silver eyes.
“Who are you?” she asked. “And how are you here?”
The man glanced at the horizon and smirked. “Oh, we aren’t really on a beach. We are between worlds. The surroundings change based on the soul’s preference.” He waved a hand toward her. “That would be you.”
Mona’s chest tightened as she gazed at the rippling waves. This wasn’t real. She wasn’t really in Krenia.
She was between worlds.
She’d been in this middle realm before during seances with her coven. It was dangerous to linger, since the space between worlds wasn’t meant to be occupied for long.
“Send me back,” Mona said, her voice shaking. “Now!”
The man chuckled as he drew nearer. “Not until you tell me where your soul resides.”
Alarm pulsed inside her. “What? Why?”
“Because, my dear, your blood belongs to me.” A wide grin spread across his face. “As soon as I join your soul with your body, you will be my bride. And we will wield untold power.”
TRIVIA
PRUE
To Prue’s surprise, Lagos agreed to show her the palace and help her get situated in her rooms before they struck the blood bargain. She would’ve thought he would insist on doing it at once, just in case Cyrus discovered them and lashed out before Lagos was under Prue’s protection.
But Cyrus had left her in that cave for days at a time, so assuming he didn’t come back to check on her right away, they had a bit of time before her escape was discovered.
Apparently, forging a blood bond with a demon was a huge and meaningful occasion. No other god or goddess had done such a thing before. And Lagos insisted that a ceremony be held for it.
Prue couldn’t object. In fact, this was the perfect opportunity to establish herself as queen of this realm. If the other demons and subjects saw her as a ruler, Cyrus would have no choice but to treat her as such.
She was his prisoner no more. And that knowledge made her smile with satisfaction.
The winding caves were a labyrinth of twists and turns, but Lagos knew the way as he easily led Prue through narrow passages and chambers. Eventually, the cavern opened up to a wide expanse of rocky terrain about the size of a massive crater. And in its center stood the grandest castle Prue had ever seen.