Page 25 of Thorn & Ash

It was Vasileios. He was the one who sought Mona’s soul.

Rage filled him, making him see red. Whatever Vasileios was doing was causing Mona pain. And Evander would tear him to shreds. The beast roared inside him, thirsty for blood. He strode forward, prepared to rip Vasileios limb from limb, but what he saw next made him freeze.

It was… Mona. In the flesh. She stepped out of the river as if she had been born of the water. She was completely naked, her black hair flowing down her back. Her eyes, a luminescent green, shone brightly.

But it was her face… Her expression was eerily blank, devoid of any emotion. Even her transparent specter held more emotion than this echo of her.

Whoever this was, it wasn’t truly Mona. But it would certainly explain her unbound state; Mona’s body was here, and her soul was elsewhere.

“Ah, my beautiful queen.” Vasileios bent low, pressing a kiss to Mona’s hand. But the woman didn’t react. Her eyes remained fixed blankly ahead. She was nothing more than a doll. A statue.

What dark magic was Vasileios dabbling in?

A low rumble climbed up Evander’s throat, reminding him of his fury. The urge to slash his claws straight through Vasileios was too powerful to ignore.

Easy, he urged the beast, willing it to remain hidden. He couldn’t afford to unleash it here. None of his brothers knew of his secret, and he needed to keep it that way.

But it was hard to differentiate his own anger from the monster’s. In this moment, they were one and the same. Both wanted to tear Vasileios apart for what he was doing to Mona.

The calm, logical part of Evander had to know why. Why Mona? What was so special about her soul that a power-hungry being like Vasileios would be drawn to it?

She is special, Evander thought, remembering the song they shared, the way her eyes lit up when she spoke of her magic and her home in the mortal realm. But not to a creature like Vasileios.

Vasileios only knew power and battle strategy. He desired demon women for carnal pleasures and nothing more. Mona was a powerful witch, yes, but plenty of witches came through their rivers.

Vasileios cupped Mona’s face in his hands and smirked down at her, his eyes full of triumph. Evander’s blood turned hot, and he bared his teeth. If Vasileios didn’t get his hands off Mona’s body this instant, Evander wouldn’t be able to control himself.

Thankfully, Vasileios was pleased with the woman before him. He stepped back and nodded. “This will do perfectly. Come, my dear. We have plans to put in motion.” He strode away from the river, and, like an obedient pet, Mona’s body trailed after him, her long legs moving with ease.

Horror and despair roiled in Evander’s gut. This was unnatural. It was a violation of everything that fueled the Underworld’s power.

Whatever the cost, Evander had to get to the bottom of this. Or else Mona’s soul could be lost forever.

The thought sent a roar of pain ripping through him, tearing apart his flesh and bones. Before he could stop himself, the monster was unleashed once more, taking hold of Evander and smothering him in darkness.

AWAKENED

MONA

Before Mona’s Resurrection

For the next few hours, Mona found herself completely alone. With the threat of the dark-haired prince of Hell looming over her, as well as Evander’s strange disappearance and transformation, her solitude was no comfort. Especially since she couldn’t move.

She hadn’t missed the way Evander’s nails had lengthened to claws or the horns that grew from his forehead. Whatever magic he was caught up in was sinister. She remembered what he had said about the magic of the Underworld: We don't have much magic down here, but the powers that do exist are… dark. Unnatural. Demonic, even.

Was Evander’s magic turning him into some sort of monster?

The thought gripped Mona with fear, but not for her own safety—for Evander’s. She had seen what dark magic could do to a careless witch. She didn’t want Evander to suffer the same fate.

Or worse.

He’ll return soon, she told herself. He always does.

Was this why he often disappeared for hours at a time? Because this… thing took hold of him?

Mona huffed a sigh, knowing she had to shift her thoughts to something more pleasant, otherwise her mind would start spiraling. She missed her sister. Prue always knew how to lighten the mood, how to distract Mona from her woes.

Let’s go to the town square for dancing! Prue would say. Maybe you’ll catch someone’s eye…