Page 21 of Thorn & Ash
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After devouring every scrap of food on the tray, Prue took her time in the bath, allowing the soapy water to soak into her skin, removing days of grime and sweat and excrement. Her hair was a filthy, matted mess, and it took her the better part of an hour to finally scrub it clean.
When she emerged, she wrapped a towel around her body and strode into the bedroom, only to find someone already there.
She was a woman Prue had never seen before, with waist-length dark red hair and luminescent gold eyes that glowed with an otherworldly gleam. Prue scanned the newcomer for horns or fangs or a spiked tail of some sort, but aside from her eyes, she looked… human. She wore a blood-red dress that brought out the color of her hair, and she leaned casually against the wardrobe as if she belonged there.
“Can I help you?” Prue asked, trying to sound regal despite her nudity.
The woman smirked. “Well, Cyrus’s strange behavior makes more sense now. You certainly are something to behold.”
The casual way this woman said Cyrus’s name sent a bolt of fury through Prue’s chest. Was this one of the many demon women Cyrus had slept with?
Focus, Prue told herself. Now is not the time for petty jealousy.
Even so, if she found out this woman had shared Cyrus’s bed, Prue wouldn’t hesitate to rip out her spine.
“His strange behavior has nothing to do with me,” Prue muttered.
“Believe what you want. It’s true. He seems… conflicted about you.”
Prue met the woman’s stare. “How so?” What did this stranger know?
“He’s oddly protective of you, but he also seems to loathe you. Maybe even fear you.” The woman cocked her head, clearly puzzled. “And I can’t make out why. You clearly have no magic.” Her eyes fell to the pomegranate necklace still hanging around Prue’s neck. Something dark stirred in the woman’s gaze, but it was gone in a flash.
Prue’s eyes narrowed at the woman’s odd reaction to the necklace. She wound her fingers around it as she trailed closer. “Right. So, who are you?”
The woman grinned, revealing a smooth row of perfectly straight teeth. “Most call me Hecate. Goddess of the moon and protector of pathways and crossroads.”
Prue continued to stare at her as her thoughts slowly came together. Familiarity pricked at the corners of her mind until she finally placed where she’d heard that name before. “You’re Trivia. The goddess of three paths.” She could picture the book Mona used to shove under her nose depicting the various goddesses their coven prayed to. Trivia was one of the most revered because of her relation to the Triple Goddess. Anything that came in threes was sacred.
“Yes. The Underworld, the Realm of Gaia, and Elysium. I help shepherd souls to all three.” The woman’s mouth quirked into a surprised smile. “Trivia. Wow, I haven’t heard that name in ages.”
“I can call you Hecate, if you prefer.”
“No, please. I like Trivia.”
A faint clacking sound made Prue tense, searching for intruders. But Trivia only laughed.
“Pay no heed. That’s just Cerberus.”
This did nothing to soothe Prue’s fear. The legends of Cerberus painted a horrifying and bloodthirsty hound that guarded the gates of Hell.
But as the clacking drew nearer, accompanied by panting, a dark shape emerged from the other side of the bed. Prue blinked at the very ordinary black dog, his tongue lolling happily and his tail wagging to and fro. He drew closer and licked Prue thoroughly on the arm. She winced at the sticky moisture now coating her skin, but a smile pulled at her lips.
“Hello, Cerberus,” she said, scratching under his ears. Cerberus nuzzled closer, clearly pleased by the show of affection.
“He likes you,” Trivia said. “That’s pretty rare. He doesn’t take well to strangers.”
“Why are you here?” Prue said abruptly, tired of this woman avoiding her question. “These are my chambers. And you are clearly not a servant.”
“I came to pledge myself to your court,” Trivia said.
Prue’s eyes narrowed. This goddess wanted to serve her? This had to be a trick. “I don’t believe you.”
Trivia laughed. “I thought not. But you are the first female ruler this realm has ever seen. And lesser goddesses like me aren’t treated very kindly here. Given what Lagos has said about you, I thought serving you might benefit me more than serving Cyrus.”
“And what is it you do for Cyrus?” Prue couldn’t keep the bite out of her voice.