Page 23 of Thorn & Ash

“Some do. It depends on a lot of factors. One being the nature of the soul. The other being the soul’s choice. We do not force souls to go where they do not wish to go.”

Prue’s eyebrows lifted at that. Souls could choose? Surely, all of them would choose to go to Elysium rather than Tartarus, right?

Before Prue could ask another question, Trivia stepped back and heaved a breath. “Let’s have a look at you.”

Prue turned, her skirts swishing against the floor. Trivia smirked, her gaze drifting up and down as she scrutinized her. “Perfect. The king will leap out of his skin at the sight of you.”

Prue resisted the urge to fidget to ensure her dress didn’t expose one of her breasts. One swath of violet fabric draped over each breast, gathering together behind her neck and crisscrossing down her back in an elaborate pattern of lace. A chill swept over her, prickling along her skin. Instinctively, she reached for her magic, only to remember she couldn’t access it.

“Do you have magic?” Prue asked.

Trivia stilled, her expression sobering. “None of us do, except the royals.” She spat the word like a filthy curse.

Royals. Meaning the princes of Hell.

Trivia waved an idle hand at Prue. “By that, I mean, the royals born in this realm. Not you.”

“Why is that?” Prue asked.

Trivia eyed her as if trying to determine how much to reveal. “This realm is cursed. It has been ever since Aidoneus stole the realm from the gods of Elysium.”

Prue’s head was spinning. How had she not known any of this? Then again, the coven’s knowledge of gods and the afterlife was puny compared to the vast existence before her.

She remembered what Lagos had said: Something has been blocking the magic in this realm for a long, long time.

“Aidoneus,” Prue repeated, trying to keep up. “Cyrus’s father, right?”

“Yes. He’s here somewhere, licking his wounds.”

“Wounds from what?”

“Whatever war you and your husband invoked up there,” Trivia said, pointing to the ceiling, “spread to this realm, too. It stripped Aidoneus of his power and sent half the Underworld crumbling.”

Prue’s blood chilled. The devastation she’d thought would be waiting for her when she arrived here had actually happened when Prue and Cyrus had been fighting Vasileios. She thought of the souls screaming in the sky, the ground rumbling, the violent storm raging… Of course it would’ve spread to other realms. Especially with the way Cyrus’s magic had unleashed itself.

“Is everyone all right?” Prue asked, clutching at her necklace as concern rippled over her.

“The princes are fine, of course. Some of the demons took a beating. But the souls living here were protected by the enchantment in place, thank the Goddess.” Trivia straightened. “But enough talk. It’s time to present you to Cyrus.”

She took Prue’s elbow and led her forward. Before they could exit the chambers, however, hurried footsteps echoed nearby. Someone pounded fiercely on the door.

“Enter,” Prue said at once, too startled to consider ignoring it.

A female demon entered, panting. Her skin was wrinkled and brown, and small white horns protruded from her head. “Forgive the interruption,” she gasped, sketching a brief bow. “But the Lady Trivia is needed in Erebos.”

Prue looked at Trivia in alarm. The goddess’s eyes flashed, her expression hardening. Then, she sighed. “Apologies, my queen. It looks like we’ll have to make a quick detour before we see your king.” She flashed a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Would you like to meet some of your subjects?”

CAGED

EVANDER

Before Mona’s Resurrection

After sharing Mona’s song—and discovering one of his brothers sought her soul—Evander couldn’t stay away from her. He wasn’t sure if it was the urgency of it all or the power of her song that called to him. But he was determined to keep trying. After all, her hand had become corporeal after their shared song. That had to mean something.

And he couldn’t risk his brother finding Mona. Just the idea of her trapped with one of them made him so enraged he couldn’t see straight.

Days passed, and Evander was by her side almost nonstop. He asked her questions about her death, making note of anything that might have affected her transition. Her death had been tragic, a sacrifice at the hands of dark magic. That would certainly have caused issues if the magic was powerful enough.