Page 62 of Thorn & Ash

Mona smiled. “You have the magic of the dead down here. But I have the magic of life. Whatever you destroy, I can bring back to life.” Her gaze turned to the void behind them. “Perhaps there’s more I can do here than just rescue my sister.”

Evander’s grip tightened on her shoulders. “Mona, listen to me. This realm has existed for millennia. You can’t alter the ancient powers here in just a day. You are powerful, yes, but your magic is no match for this. Even gods can be destroyed. It is more difficult to kill them, but it can still be done.”

Mona looked at him, registering the panic and fear in his eyes, the desperate need to keep her alive. The plea in his gaze was almost too much for her. It unraveled her completely, leaving her bare and vulnerable before him.

Naked. His gaze left her naked before him.

In an instant, an image bloomed to life in her mind: Mona and Evander, naked together in the forest, his body pressed up against hers as they both moaned with pleasure. Mona’s eyes closed, remembering the pure rapture and thrill of that moment. Her insides churned with an intoxicating heat that made her toes curl.

“Mona…” Something deep rumbled in Evander’s voice.

Her eyes flew open, and she found his nostrils flared and his gaze burning with desire.

“I can… smell your arousal.” His voice sounded pained. “What—what—” He seemed unable to form words. He swore under his breath and shook his head. “I think—”

A roar shook the ground. Mona stiffened, leaning into Evander and clinging to his tunic in alarm. Evander straightened, scanning the forest for the source of it.

“Evander!” Mona screamed, pointing at the void behind him. A tendril of black smoke emerged, curling like a large tentacle, before winding around Evander’s ankle. Mona dug her fingernails into him, gripping him tightly, determined to keep him with her.

He noticed when she did. He bent over, trying to extract himself from the darkness. The smoke tugged at him, yanking his feet out from under him.

“No!” Mona screamed, grabbing his arms as she tried to keep him from the dark magic’s grasp. “Let him go!”

But the dangerous presence kept pulling insistently, and Evander cried out, his face contorting. Mona’s hands were slippery with sweat. She was losing her grip on him…

With one final tug, the magic yanked Evander from her grasp, pulling him into the mist, the fog obscuring him. Mona gasped as his screams echoed before he vanished entirely.

PANDORA

PRUE

Prue’s magic swelled inside her as she made her way back to the palace. She felt alive for the first time in months. Every breath brought a renewal of energy to her body, a new awareness and clarity she didn’t realize she lacked.

Her first instinct was to find Cyrus, to use her magic to force Kronos out of him.

But no. If she lost, she would have nothing left.

And Kronos didn’t know she had her magic back. She needed the element of surprise. She needed to save her magic and use it to find whatever was hiding in Tartarus—the key to freeing Cyrus once and for all.

Prue found Lagos poring over maps in the throne room, a row of demon soldiers lining the wall behind him.

“Leave us,” she ordered the soldiers, who bowed and exited the room without hesitation.

Lagos looked up and straightened. “My queen.”

Prue hesitated, uncertain of how to approach this. Could she ask him questions about Tartarus without arousing his suspicions? Or should she be forthcoming and tell him everything?

The latter made her insides shrivel with terror. Could Lagos be trusted? He had pledged his blood to her, yes, but how much did Prue know about him? How much did she know about the laws of the blood bargain they had forged?

Even so, Lagos was a better option than Trivia, who had not sworn anything to Prue. And Prue still didn’t trust her completely.

“You know there’s something wrong with my husband,” Prue began slowly, fingering the edges of the map closest to her. “A dark presence has taken hold of him. I… I’ve heard rumors of a curse in Tartarus that could possibly rid us of this presence. Do you know anything about this?”

Lagos went perfectly still, his impassive face revealing nothing. Not for the first time, Prue wished he showed facial expressions like mortals. But his animal-like facade remained unreadable.

“You speak of Kronos,” he said in a hushed voice.

Prue nodded. Yes, let him put the pieces together himself. She wouldn’t reveal all the secrets she’d learned, but she knew Lagos would be able to guess many of them.