Page 72 of Thorn & Ash
“Kronos?” Evander asked, his brow furrowing. “He’s behind the darkness spreading here?”
Cyrus nodded.
“I’ve read about him,” Mona said thoughtfully. “He was cast into Tartarus for betraying the gods. But… how did he escape?”
“Rumor has it he escaped when Cyrus bound himself to the Book of Eyes,” Evander said. “He’s been hiding, biding his time ever since.”
A stunned silence fell between them, and Prue sucked in a sharp breath. That had been ages ago. Long before she’d summoned Cyrus. Kronos had been free that entire time?
At long last, Romanos murmured, “Well, there is strength in numbers, I suppose. Perhaps we can help each other.”
“No,” Cyrus snarled. “My wife isn’t setting foot near Tartarus.”
“Excuse me?” Prue crossed her arms. “Who has been ruling the Underworld in your absence? I’m the queen of this realm, and I’m doing this with you. Whether you like it or not.”
Cyrus’s mouth twitched as if he were holding back a smile, but he sighed heavily.
“How are we to believe you are truly free of Kronos’s influence?” Evander said in a tight voice.
Cyrus straightened, his nostrils flaring from the challenge in his brother’s voice. “Look at my skin, brother. It has been marked by the very soul magic I used to push him out.”
Prue’s heart hammered painfully in her chest. Soul magic. He had used it once to save her life. The price was a piece of his own soul.
How much had he given in order to vanquish Kronos? How much of his soul was left?
“We aren’t accomplishing anything by standing here arguing,” Mona said firmly. “We’re all going to Tartarus. So, let’s do this before Kronos poisons more of this realm.”
Without waiting for a reply, she strode forward. Evander muttered a curse and hurried after her. Slowly, the group crept farther down the cave. Prue found Cyrus immediately, and his hand twined with hers. She exhaled in relief, relishing the warmth of his skin against hers, the solid rightness between them she had missed for so long.
Yes, this was truly him. Not Kronos. Her very soul could sense it.
“I missed you,” she whispered.
He squeezed her hand. “I missed you, too.” His words had an edge of anguish that twisted her heart. What manner of horrors had he endured while under Kronos’s control? Was he reliving those horrors right now?
“We’ll get through this,” she promised him. “Together.”
He nodded but said nothing, his gaze distant. Prue knew it would take time to get past whatever he’d gone through. But she vowed to stay by his side and help him through it. No matter what.
After a while, the tunnel opened up to a vast chamber. Nearby, the babbling waters of Styx echoed against the cave walls. But Lagos led them away from the river and toward the darker end of the chamber. Prue’s magic rioted inside her, rebelling against the darkness she felt seeping into her bones.
Tartarus. Its power was strong; strong enough to frighten her own magic. But Prue swallowed down her unease and pushed forward, relying on Cyrus’s steady grip on her hand to keep her grounded.
Lagos stopped short, and Prue glanced around him to find out why. Ahead of them was a large, gaping abyss, a well of darkness that resonated with power. But standing above it was a figure she recognized: Trivia.
Prue stepped forward, alarm rising inside her. “What are you doing here?”
Trivia turned, her eyes wide with concern. Beside her, a small creature bounded forward—Cerberus. His tongue lolled happily as he panted, his tail wagging behind him.
“Same as you, I’d wager,” said Trivia. “I’m trying to save this realm.”
Prue narrowed her eyes, doubting her words.
Trivia sighed. “I know you know about Pandora’s box. That’s why I’m here.”
Prue stiffened, and she felt the others shifting uncertainly behind her.
“I’ve been researching the palace archives,” Trivia went on, drawing closer. “The box is a magic repellant. It will drain all magic within seconds. That’s why it was trapped; the gods here wanted to keep their powers and their magic. But if the box is opened, all magic—whether of the gods or of Kronos—will be pulled in and caged inside that box.”