Page 59 of Thorn & Ash

“I don’t know if Prue is in Tartarus,” he admitted. “I highly doubt it, but my… enhanced senses will be able to track her down. I can find her, and I can take you to her. But only if you’ll allow it. If I frighten you or if your magic is warning you away from me, then you are free to leave. I won’t chase you or follow you. But gods, Mona, all I want to do is keep you safe. If you’ll let me, I can protect you.” He took a solid step away from her to give her space to think. “But the decision is yours. I won’t force anything on you. I know I need to earn your trust once more.”

Mona’s mouth opened, her eyes wide with surprise. Her gaze roved over him again, but this time her expression changed into something thoughtful. “If my magic warns me away? You know about my magic?”

He nodded. “Earth magic. Your grace is roses. Or at least… it was. The last time you were here, you made thorns spring up from the ground.” His face heated at the reminder. It had been when they were both naked together, his body pressed up against hers, her hips writhing against him.

“Thorns? Really?” Mona lifted her hand, inspecting it thoroughly. “I feel something. But it’s like my powers are muted down here.”

“They are. All magic comes from the heart of this realm. Anything else is dampened, quelled by the powerful energies here. The magic of the Underworld is too potent for other magicks to thrive.”

“Which means Prue won’t have her magic, either,” Mona said, her eyes full of panic.

Evander frowned. “Prue is bound to Cyrus. They are connected, so his magic should protect her, too.” But he was uncertain of this, especially given Cyrus’s altered behavior.

Mona seemed to read the unease in his tone. “Take me to her. Please. I… I give you my permission, Evander.”

Relief spread through him, and he found himself smiling. “As you wish.” He drew closer to her, then paused. “May I?” He stretched his arms toward her, his wings flaring behind him.

Mona looked like she might faint, but she nodded slowly. Evander wrapped his arms around her, bringing her against his chest. He could feel her rapid heartbeat, the warmth of her skin, and oh gods, she was so solid and real in his arms.

She’s really here. She’s really alive.

“Hold on to me,” he whispered.

Her arms tightened around him, and with her gathered close to his chest, Evander took off into the sky.

FAMILIAR

MONA

Mona wasn’t sure what to make of this horned, winged prince of Hell next to her. Upon first meeting him, something warm and… familiar had sparked to life in her chest. But it faded so quickly, she couldn’t be certain if she was imagining it or not.

Immediately following that was fear and unease.

How could she not be afraid? Evander’s appearance was terrifying. He looked exactly like the kind of demon Mona had nightmares about.

And yet… when she looked at him, when she heard him speak, she found herself wondering why she should be afraid of him. His voice was smooth, soft, and gentle. His gaze, while intense, was careful and hesitant. He seemed almost… shy. Which was absurd for someone as powerful as him.

When he’d approached and wrapped his arms around her before taking flight, there had been a solid sense of rightness between them. As if Mona’s body belonged to him and yearned to touch him. His warmth, his strong arms around her…

She couldn’t forget the look of tormented longing in his eyes when he’d first seen her. Before he knew she’d lost her memories.

What had happened between them before? What was he to her? What was she to him?

Frustration crept into the corners of her mind as she wished for the hundredth time that she still had her memories. Her encounter with Trivia had proven that not everyone in this realm was honest. Trivia claimed to know Mona before. But Evander claimed the opposite.

One of them was lying. And for some reason, Mona was inclined to believe Evander. Was her instinct correct, or was he manipulating her, too?

A million dizzying thoughts circled Mona’s mind, but everything was silenced as soon as Evander took off into the sky. His great wings beat behind him, and Mona wrapped her arms more securely around him as the wind whipped at her, tossing her long hair wildly about them both. Her stomach dropped with each movement, and she forced her eyes open to witness the sights below her. As nauseating as it all was, how often would she get to see this?

Below her stood a great expanse of trees and shrubs. A wide, glistening river cut between the forest, winding as far as she could see. But as her gaze followed the river, an odd grayness took over the forest, creating a strange, hazy fog in the sky. Evander flew in the opposite direction of this murkiness, but Mona still squinted at it over his shoulder.

“What is that?” she asked.

Evander didn’t follow her gaze, but the darkening of his expression indicated he knew what she was referring to. “There are… decaying sections of this realm, where magic cannot exist. The enchantments do not work there.”

Mona frowned. “Why is it decaying?”

“Whatever happened in your realm at the time of your resurrection affected this realm as well. Something is… broken in the Underworld. It has been for a long time, even before your resurrection. There were small signs, mere hints of it. It’s why your soul was unbound when you first came here. And now, after the incident in your realm with my brother, things are so much worse.”