Page 63 of Thorn & Ash
Lagos took a step closer to her. “My queen, are you telling me Kronos has escaped Tartarus?”
No point in denying it. Lagos was too clever to see through any of her lies. “Yes.”
A shudder rippled over his form, and a low growl resonated in his throat. “I knew something had shifted in Tartarus. For ages, the air there has felt different. But I attributed it to the shift in power between Aidoneus and Cyrus.”
“How was Kronos trapped before?” Prue asked, her pulse racing. She resisted the urge to fidget or wring her hands together. Goddess, she was so desperate for answers… It took all of her restraint not to grab Lagos by the shoulders and beg him for a solution.
“He was overcome by the darkness in Pandora’s box,” Lagos said. “The only thing powerful enough to overcome Kronos’s power… is the magic inside that box.”
Prue froze, her blood chilling. Pandora’s box. She had heard of the legend from bedtime stories. Her mother had told her of the dangerous box that held all manner of horrors inside.
How much of that had been fiction? How much had been true? Knowing her mother was Gaia, did that mean all of her stories had been true?
“Pandora’s box resides in Tartarus,” Lagos went on. “No one has seen it since.”
Prue remembered what Aidoneus had said to her: Go ahead and venture down there. See what happens when you open it.
Aidoneus had been speaking of the box. He knew it was the solution to stopping Kronos.
If he wanted Prue to open it, then surely it did contain the horrors Prue had heard about as a child.
“What’s inside it?” Prue breathed.
But Lagos was shaking his head vehemently. “No one knows. The box draws in anything surrounding it. The last one to open it was trapped inside.”
Prue’s stomach dipped. Oh, Goddess. “Aidoneus didn’t open it himself?”
“No. He sent one of his soldiers to do the deed.”
Of course he had. Prue groaned and rubbed her forehead. What the hell was she supposed to do? Whatever could free Cyrus was inside that box, but if Prue opened it, who knew what would happen?
“My queen.” Lagos drew closer and gently touched her arm. “Please tell me you aren’t considering opening this box. It would require you to venture into Tartarus yourself, which is already a daunting task. But… the contents of that box could destroy this entire realm.”
“The realm is already dying,” Prue argued, letting her arms fall against her thighs. “Either I let Kronos take over completely, or I open this box and unleash an unknown darkness that could destroy everything.” She shrugged. “I’d rather take my chances. We know Kronos will destroy us. But we don’t know for sure what will happen if that box is opened.”
“In your realm, the unknown is far less terrifying,” Lagos said solemnly. “But down here, the unknown is the most frightening. The magicks that exist here are far more deadly and dangerous than you are accustomed to. There is a reason Pandora’s box can only be contained by Tartarus.”
“Yes, the same reason that Kronos was imprisoned there as well.”
Lagos said nothing.
Prue placed her palms against the maps on the table, bracing her weight and leaning against the sturdy piece of furniture. She felt like crumbling. Everything around her was falling apart.
With Cyrus possessed, she was all this realm had left. How could she decide the fate of the Underworld?
“What would you do?” Prue asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “You’ve lived in this realm for far longer than I have. What would you do?”
Lagos remained silent for a long moment as he considered this. After a moment, he said, “I would learn as much as I could about either option. Kronos and the box. Find out any information that could be of assistance. Observe them as closely as I can without endangering myself. Then, make a decision from there.”
Prue frowned at him. This was solid advice. But how could she learn more about the box without risking her own life? She was still half-mortal, after all.
Lagos bowed low, startling Prue from her thoughts. “It would be an honor to serve you and seek out the answers you need, my queen.”
Prue gaped at him. “No!” she cried, her voice much louder than she’d intended. More quietly, she went on, “Lagos, I would not ask you to do this. It’s far too dangerous.”
“You aren’t asking. I am offering. Besides, you cannot go yourself. You are the queen of this realm. If something happens to you, who will rule?”
Prue flinched. She still hadn’t adjusted to the idea of her being the sole ruler of this place. No, she thought firmly. It’s only temporary. Cyrus will join me on the throne soon.