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He had bared secrets to her. And she understood him now. The lazy, apathetic mask he wore was only a ruse to protect him from caring too much. Because the last time he had, his love had been taken from him.
But tonight, she had seen all of him. And in the heat of the moment, Pandora hadn’t cared that he’d known the goddess who inhabited her body. She had pushed aside any thoughts of that connection, ignoring the possibility that this might be the only reason they were drawn to each other.
But now, that truth hung heavy between them. In the end, he was haunted by the ghost of a woman long gone. And she was bound by the fate of that same woman, destined to destroy this realm and all its inhabitants.
A large part of her felt relief in knowing Sol would be safely in the mortal realm, away from all this destruction.
But once he knew what she’d done, he would never want to see her again.
Perhaps it was for the best that they took this no further. This would be the last they would ever see of each other.
So, she nodded in understanding. And he turned and left her there alone on the balcony, her skin still thrumming from what he’d done to her.
She would have remained out there for hours, processing her emotions and thoughts. But the excited babble of the guests behind her turned piercing and shrill.
Then several people screamed.
Pandora adjusted her skirts and impatiently pulled the largest pins free of her hair, letting it fall around her shoulders as she hurried into the ballroom. She almost ran into Sol, who stood rigid as he stared at the creature prowling forward.
It was a demon with large, leathery wings and gleaming red eyes that surveyed the guests with hungry delight. Elongated claws extended from his hands, and small horns protruded from his temples. Though his appearance was much more wild and animalistic than when she’d last seen him, she still recognized him.
It was Evander. And he was fully in his demon form.
A roar poured from his mouth as he pounced, diving straight for the crowd.
LIES
MONA
For the hundredth time, Mona tried summoning her magic, spreading her arms and calling upon the earth beneath her. But nothing happened. Her attempts at removing her restraints were no use. The shackles were clamped tightly around her wrists as she waited in the dank dungeon cell for someone to retrieve her. Her bones rattled with fear, and she paced the small space.
“Hello!” she cried out, shaking the bars of her cell. “Let me out!” The metal rattled from her frantic motions, and she let out a growl of frustration.
She was trapped down here, helpless, as she waited for Apollo to interrogate her.
She had no idea where Evander was. Or Hestia. She hoped the fire goddess wasn’t punished too severely for assisting her.
“Hestia, are you in here?” she called.
No answer. For all she knew, she was alone down here.
She crossed her arms over her chest, shivering from the chill that swept in. Terror gripped her chest in a tight vise, and she found it difficult to breathe. Her inhales turned into ragged gasps, and she doubled over, clutching her stomach.
“Goddess,” she moaned. “Can’t. Breathe. Can’t. Do this.” She wheezed, struggling to get air into her lungs.
More than anything, she wished Prue was here with her.
If my sister was here, what would she say?
That was easy. She would yell at Mona to get a grip and stop being a coward. She would say, You are brave, Mona. And you can do this.
Mona remembered what Hestia had told her: You have a quick mind. Use it. Do not fall prey to this fear. You are stronger than this.
“I am stronger than this,” she whispered, inhaling deeply through her nose and counting to ten with each breath.
Gradually, her pulse slowed and she could think straight.
“Trust your mind,” she told herself. “See through the fear.” She swallowed and gave herself a sure nod.
