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Fear wasn’t helpful. She had to see past it to reach her mind.
“What do I know of Elysium?” she thought aloud.
Home of the gods, yes. A powerful source of magic, yes. But what use was her magic if she couldn’t access it?
Her eyes suddenly grew wide. She was a witch, wasn’t she? While she couldn’t access Gaia’s earth magic, perhaps she could cast something with her blood. She recalled helping Prue do something similar when she was in a prison cell in the mortal realm. Runic magic was accessible to anyone, even those with very little magical blood.
She could do this.
She glanced down at her wrists, which were rubbed raw from her fruitless attempts to loosen her restraints. Raising a hand to her mouth, she dug her teeth deeper into one of the wounds until she drew blood. With a hiss of pain, she withdrew her hand to allow the blood to drop onto the stony ground.
“Excito,” she murmured.
A plume of smoke drifted from where her blood lay on the ground. That was a good sign. It meant some modicum of power was available down here, even if it wasn’t her full reserve of magic.
She dug her fingernails into the wound on her wrist, drawing more blood, and painted the bars of her cell with it. Angling her hands, she trickled blood on her chains as well.
“Aperta,” she whispered, gathering every ounce of energy within her. Though her wrists throbbed and her throat ached and her stomach growled, she inhaled deeply and drew from that well of power she knew so well. It was there, even if it was stifled. She had no doubt some anti-magic enchantments were built into these cells.
But Mona was more than just a prisoner. She was a powerful earth witch. The daughter of a goddess.
And she would not be contained.
With a snap, the chains on her wrists split open and clattered loudly as they fell at her feet. A louder sound cut through the air as the bars of her cell broke, and she staggered back in surprise. Another crack, and the bars clanged to the ground, leaving a small gap just wide enough for her to step through if she stooped.
With an excited gasp, Mona hurried through the gap before someone came to investigate the loud noises. She crept down the dark, narrow hallway until she found a set of stairs.
She was almost at the top when she heard the screams.
Oh, Goddess…
Her steps quickened, and she reached another long hallway. Following the screams, she raced down it, climbing another smaller flight of stairs that opened to a wide foyer. The gleaming windows built into the walls reflected the light of the setting sun. Several figures raced past her, muttering about demons and dark magic.
Evander.
Ignoring the strange looks cast her way, Mona elbowed her way through the crowd, fighting to get toward the chaos, toward whatever they were running from.
She reached the magnificent ballroom, still filled with people dressed in their finest attire. And in the center, hunched on all fours with his great wings spread wide behind him, was Evander.
But this wasn’t the Evander she knew. She had seen him when Typhon was in control—wings, horns, flashing red eyes. But this was more monstrous than that. His skin was like gray leather, and he was completely bald. He wore no clothes, but the wrinkles on his skin made him look more animal than human.
He was in a complete demon form right now. And Mona didn’t know if she could reach him.
But she had to try. Already, several gods and goddesses approached Evander with magic sparkling from their fingertips.
They would hurt him. Or kill him. She had to do something.
Without hesitating, her mouth opened, and the song of her soul poured from her lips, echoing in the vast space. Around her, people whipped their heads around to determine where the noise was coming from, but she didn’t acknowledge them. She kept her eyes pinned on Evander as she edged closer to him, her voice rising in volume as she sang. The shouts around her quieted in shock as the crowd gaped at her. But still, she sang.
And then, miraculously, a low voice joined in with hers. It wasn’t quite the singing she’d heard from Evander before—more like a low, gruff humming—but it was the harmony that matched her melody perfectly. Tears burned in her eyes as she continued to sing, slowly closing the distance between herself and Evander. He had turned to face her now, his red eyes drilling into hers. She did not flinch. She did not back away.
This was the man she loved. And she loved every part of him. The good and the bad. The beautiful and the ugly.
He was hers.
She raised her palm and found him lifting his hand to meet hers, his claws stretching for her.
“Enough!” bellowed a voice.
