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She tried to rein in her powers, but it was too much. She couldn’t stop it. A startled cry poured from her throat, and the vines only grew faster. It wouldn’t be long before her own plants suffocated her.
She had to act now before her magic swallowed her.
Blinking back tears from the strain of remaining upright, Mona took a deep breath and started singing.
Her voice was shaky at first, wobbling from the emotions coursing through her. But when she closed her eyes, she saw Cocytus, the river where she’d first met Evander. She saw the forest behind him, and the soothing sound of the river washed over her. In her mind, Evander stood with his hand outstretched, his silver eyes beckoning as he urged her to take his hand.
The melody flowed through her, her voice stronger as confidence filled her. She sang the song of her soul, the song she knew Evander would recognize. He would hear her call. He would come for her.
A pair of hands closed around her wrists, cutting off her song. Mona jerked, but whoever held her was much stronger. They grasped her arms tightly, dragging her from the dais. As they descended the steps, Mona’s earth magic flickered and vanished, leaving only cold fear in its wake.
Mona thrashed against whoever restrained her, whipping her head around to see who it was. A tall, burly man with curly brown hair and a navy blue uniform gripped her tightly. Another, with an identical uniform, stood behind him with a sword drawn. On the other side of the fulcrum, Hestia was shouting something, her hands pinned behind her by the dark-haired woman while the other held a magical white dome that encased the fire goddess.
Oh, Goddess, Mona thought, panic gripping her as forcefully as the hands that held her. She tried to summon her magic again, hoping that just being close to the dais would be enough. But something blocked her. It felt as if an invisible wall stood between her and her powers. She slammed against it over and over until the man holding her chuckled.
“It’s no use, I’m afraid. I’m a shield. You won’t be able to use your magic as long as I’m holding you.”
The other uniformed man approached, his dark eyes pinned on her and his face twisting into a sneer. “She isn’t Gaia. But she wields her magic. Apollo will want to question her.”
Mona continued jerking her arms, but it was no use. The man was much stronger. “You don’t understand!” she pleaded. “The realm is in danger. I’m trying to help!”
The man laughed again. “I’m sure you are. And, if what you say is true, then His Majesty will want to know about it. Either way, I’m taking you to him.”
Mona shook her head in disbelief. No, this couldn’t happen. Apollo was the one who had banished her mother. If he discovered Gaia’s daughter was here…
Her gaze slid to Hestia, who watched her with eyes wide and full of terror.
Mona unleashed a piercing scream, her voice ringing around her. The soldier elbowed her in the gut, and she fell to her knees, one wrist still in his grasp. But still she screamed.
“Evander!” she shrieked. “Evander, where are you?” Her voice continued to fill the air, echoing in the vast space. Surely, he could hear her. Surely, he would come, or this would all be for nothing.
Something heavy slammed into her skull, and then everything went dark.
FORGIVEN
PRUE
Still reeling from the revelation of who her father was, Prue wasn’t prepared for Gaia to thrust her into the next memory. The world shifted around her, and when her surroundings settled, she found herself in a wintry mountain village that reminded her of when she’d crossed the Emdale Mountains with Cyrus. That felt like an eternity ago.
Curled up by a crackling fire, Gaia held a newborn baby in each arm as she sat in a rocking chair, humming to herself as she coaxed the babies to sleep. In a tiny cradle opposite her chair was the third sister, and she had the faintest sheen of red in her hair.
Pandora.
Which must mean the babies in her arms were Prue and Mona.
Prue’s throat tightened at the sight of Gaia like this, her face the picture of relaxation as she sang to her babies. She was alone, and the cozy cottage gave Prue the impression that no one else lived here.
It was only Gaia and her three daughters.
“What is this?” Prue asked, her voice strained. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from Gaia, who smiled down at one of the babies, shushing her when she began to fuss in her arms.
“This was the life I was hoping to create for myself,” came Gaia’s voice. “For us.”
Prue blinked, her eyes hot with tears as she watched Gaia press a gentle kiss to the baby’s forehead. For just a moment, she allowed herself to envision what life would have been like if the memory ended here—if the three daughters had been raised together in these wintry mountains. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine herself growing up in such a climate. Krenia was always home for her.
Who would she have become if she had grown up like this? With two sisters instead of only one?
“Were you ever trying to harness the power of the Triple Goddess?” Prue asked, her voice a whisper. She’d been told Gaia had been punished for trying to recreate such powers. That Prue and Mona had been the product of her experimentation.
