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Apollo laughed. “Yes, my dear. Quite a lot. Hestia and I worked tirelessly to create them. I was spent for half the day afterwards, and that never happens.”
Pandora nodded. “Well, that explains it, then.”
“Explains what? Speak plainly, Hecate.”
Pandora had to refrain from flinching at the degrading way he said Hecate. As if it were a foul curse. “The wards are the most powerful magic in this realm, aside from the gods themselves. No other enchantment holds as much magical energy as they do. And with the Underworld destroyed, all that’s left for Pandora’s magic to attack is Elysium and the mortal realm. There isn’t nearly as much magic in the mortal realm as there is here. What I’m suggesting is that your wards are a beacon alerting Pandora’s magic to your presence. I would be surprised if we made it through the night before another attack.”
Apollo’s expression had gone rigid, his dark eyes calculating as he considered her words. She held her breath, not moving, not daring to hope that he would believe her.
But he had to. This had to work.
She tucked her hands behind her back, fisting them, preparing to lash out with her earth magic if she needed to. It wouldn’t be powerful enough to defeat him if he attacked her, but perhaps it would be enough to buy her time so she could escape.
After a long moment, during which Pandora’s palms began to sweat, Apollo nodded slowly. “Yes, I have accrued much magic over the years. It would make sense that Pandora’s magic would be drawn to it.”
“Yes. You are extraordinarily powerful, Your Majesty. Even an ordinary attacker would thirst for such power. But this is no ordinary attacker. It is much, much worse.”
Apollo waved his hand. “I have dealt with Pandora before.”
Pandora’s fists began to tremble, and screams echoed in her ears. “Not like this. It has been a long time since that box was crafted. The darkness within has only grown. I’ve seen it for myself. It devoured an entire realm. Aidoneus’s realm.”
Apollo’s eyes flicked to hers, something unreadable stirring in his gaze. “He is dead, then?”
“Almost certainly. I saw for myself. There were no survivors.”
Not a complete truth, but he didn’t need to know that.
Apollo exhaled slowly and shook his head. “Gods above. This is a disaster. And with the solstice ball, too!” He ran his hands through his hair as if that damned ball was the most important thing on his mind.
“May I offer a suggestion, Your Highness?”
He waved a hand impatiently toward her. “That is why you’re here, Hecate.”
“We must take down the wards and infuse them with death magic.”
A grave silence filled the air, her words echoing in the space between them. Apollo’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I beg your pardon?” His voice was low and dangerous.
Come on, Pandora, she told herself. Convince him! You can do this. Her trembling fingers fisted the fabric of her dress, twisting it back and forth to soothe her agitated nerves. “The dark magic is lured by the power behind your wards because it is foreign. It is new. That’s what attracts it. But if we infuse my magic into the wards, the darkness will see it as familiar. Something born of the Underworld. Something it already has. It will lose interest, believing this is ordinary magic it already possesses, and it will move on to something else.”
Apollo’s eyes narrowed further, becoming tiny slits. “That is quite a hunch, Hecate. But I’m not sure I’m willing to wager the entire safety of my realm on it.”
“It is not a hunch,” Pandora said sharply. When Apollo’s eyes widened, she quickly added, “Your Majesty.” She stepped toward him, lifting her chin and projecting an air of confidence. “I saw the magic for myself. When it devoured the magic of the Underworld, it roared with satisfaction… but also greed. The more it feeds, the more it wants. And it wants something more. Something stronger.” She paused before she layered more flattery into her argument. “Your magic is far stronger than any magic of the Underworld, Your Majesty. But if we disguise it with death magic, something lesser, something inferior, then the darkness of Pandora will look for something else. It doesn’t want to feast on a lesser magic. Not anymore. It will only keep looking until it has found something to satisfy its appetite, which has grown significantly.
“Your Majesty, I know this will work. We can use my magic as camouflage. We can mask the power of Elysium with something unassuming. Something worthless and weak. If a predator is stalking through the forest, its prey would do well to pretend it was already dying. That it was weak and sickly and there was nothing to harvest from it. The predator will move on to something stronger and healthier.”
Apollo was stroking his beard again, his gaze distant as he mulled over her words. She waited with bated breath, giving him a moment to consider.
Please, please, please…
This had to work. It had to. The screams in her head demanded it.
Avenge me! the voices inside her roared. Destroy them all!
“Let me think on it,” Apollo said at last. “I will discuss with my council. If they agree, we will move forward with this after the solstice ball.” He turned to leave.
“No!” Pandora blurted, surging toward him.
Apollo faced her again, arching an eyebrow.
