AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes,” Apollo said, nodding vigorously. It seemed he believed if Trivia could rebuild the wards with him, then he could save face. But the glares from the crowd proved he had shattered the trust of his people. “Give me your death magic.” He stretched out his hand to Trivia, but she did not move. She looked at him with a mixture of loathing and triumph.
“I hope you burn, Apollo,” she said, her voice full of malice.
Apollo stilled, his eyes flaring wide.
Then Trivia turned to Sol, who remained crouched by Hestia’s body. He gazed up at Trivia with shock and disbelief, his eyes full of betrayal.
“I am sorry, Sol,” she whispered. Her eyes were so earnest that if Mona didn’t know better, she would think Trivia meant the words. “But there is no stopping this. I wish—I wish you had left for the mortal realm.”
Sol only gaped at her, his head shaking slightly, as if he was in denial.
Trivia stretched her arms wide, and a deafening boom quaked from beneath the ground. Black smoke poured in from the windows, filling the air with a churning storm that Mona had seen once before. Fear tightened in her chest, and she tried to scream, but Trivia’s bargain prevented her from doing so.
It was the dark magic from Pandora’s box. And it had come to destroy them all.
INEVITABLE
PANDORA
Pandora had known as soon as Apollo struck Hestia. She had known when Evander appeared in his full demon form.
She had known when Sol rushed to his dying mother’s side.
It was happening. And she couldn’t stop it, even if she wanted to.
She had forgotten Hestia was Sol’s mother. That was an unfortunate turn of events.
But the instant the chaos of Evander and Mona’s appearance broke through the crowd, she’d known it was too late to turn back.
The events were set in motion.
With Hestia’s death, the wards she helped create had fallen. And it was only a matter of time before the dark powers from the box came surging in, beckoned by the death magic Pandora had brought here.
She would never forget the look of anger and betrayal in Sol’s eyes when he looked at her. He had stared up at her with accusation and disbelief. Like he didn’t even know her.
And the truth was… he didn’t.
Pandora didn’t know why she’d tried to believe otherwise. Whatever feelings she had for him were doomed from the start.
She never wanted to care for him. She was perfectly content with loathing him for the rest of eternity.
But she did care for him. And the look he’d given her sliced far deeper than any magic.
Darkness swirled around her as the shadows from her box gathered and encircled her. She kept her arms outstretched, welcoming that magic home. Urging it onward.
Because it had to be done. She couldn’t go back now. She had to embrace the inevitable destruction of this world.
Apollo stumbled back a step, his mouth falling open in horror. He pointed a shaking finger at her. “You’re—You’re?—”
“Yes,” Pandora said, her mouth stretching wide in a cruel smile. “You thought you could be rid of me so easily? But her thirst for vengeance runs deep. And she cursed you, Apollo, so that you would suffer from her wrath. Now, she has returned to exact vengeance.”
“Who?” Sol barked, but his eyes weren’t on Pandora—they were fixed on Apollo. “Who is she talking about?”
Apollo’s mouth opened and closed. He seemed incapable of speech.
So Pandora answered for him.
“The soul of Pandora, the goddess, rests in my body,” she said loudly. “All thanks to Apollo. It was part of Gaia’s punishment, to imbue her third child with the soul and memories of the goddess.” She jabbed a finger toward Apollo. “You did this. You sentenced this realm to death when you ripped her apart! These people have no one to blame but you!”
