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Mona’s gaze shifted, and Evander followed it to find Pandora standing among two other gods, her red hair in tangles around her, and her frame hunched over as if in pain.
Good, Evander thought savagely. He hoped the deceitful goddess suffered for what she had done.
He turned back to Mona, only to find her glaring fiercely at the goddess.
Then, he understood.
“Pandora did this to you?” he asked quietly.
Another sob broke free from her lips, and Evander trailed his hands along her arms, trying to soothe her, to help her in some way. But her body was immovable as stone.
“Ah,” he said in realization. “Trivia’s bargain. The bargain she extracted from you when you came back to the Underworld.”
Mona blinked at him, her eyes filling with tears once more. Sorrow and pain flared in those green irises, and Evander wrapped his bloodied arms around her.
“It’s all right,” he whispered, stroking her hair. “It’s all right. I won’t leave you. I swear it.”
Mona sobbed again, her tears dripping onto his shoulder.
The ground rumbled, and Evander’s grip around her tightened. Mona made a strangled sound, and he withdrew to look at her. Her eyes flared wide with urgency. Even without her voice, Evander understood what she was conveying.
“I won’t leave you,” he repeated. “No matter what.”
Her eyes closed, her lips trembling as they pressed together against the fresh tears coursing down her cheeks.
Evander took several deep breaths, glancing around the broken ballroom to search for anything that could help her. He was too weak to carry her. And even if he could, he had no way to activate the portal and leave this realm.
They were both trapped here. Pandora had doomed them both.
But Evander would be damned if he would stand by and watch Mona sink into despair.
“Listen to me.” He pressed his palms against her cheeks, cradling her face and forcing her to meet his gaze. With the pad of his thumb, he swept away another tear. “You are fierce. And you are not helpless. We are in this together, but Mona, you are stronger than this bargain that binds you. Just as you were stronger than the broken bond between your body and soul in the Underworld. You are a warrior, my love, and nothing—not even this petty vengeance from Pandora herself—can stop you. Do you hear me?”
He fixed a fearsome stare at her, his eyes boring into hers with all the intensity of the emotions he felt for her. With his gaze, he channeled all that love and admiration, the longing and passion, the energy that flowed between them, powerful enough to shatter worlds.
Because she had to know. He would not leave this realm, this existence, without her knowing.
“You are my melody,” he whispered, bringing his forehead to hers. “My song cannot be sung without you.”
He closed his eyes and felt her inhale a shuddering breath, her chest against his, her rapid heartbeat thrumming against him. And with the rhythm of her heart, he began to hum the song of her soul. Ignoring the chaos around them, the darting figures and shouts and crashing pillars, Evander sang for her, pouring all his remaining strength into her song.
Because in the end, it was all for her. It was always for her.
He was nothing without her.
And then she was humming along with him. His eyes flew open to meet hers, and defiance blazed in those beautiful green eyes. She held his stare, her expression full of light and hope.
Pandora might have forbidden Mona from speaking, but she hadn’t said anything about singing.
Gradually, Mona’s voice grew in volume until her mouth opened and the song burst from her lips as if it had been caged for an eternity and now, finally, it was free. Evander took a step back, giving her the space she needed. Her song filled the ballroom, echoing off the vast walls and piercing through the storm of Pandora’s magic. Light bled through the dark clouds, and several people stopped to stare at Mona in shock and awe.
Through it all, Evander continued singing, falling back to the harmony that complemented her melody, letting her take the lead. It was, after all, the song of her soul.
And it was powerful.
Gold light flowed from her hands, shimmering and blazing as it illuminated the room, chasing away the shadows. It was glorious and breathtaking, and in that moment, Evander felt inadequate standing before her in his demon form, his wings shredded and his body covered in blood. He was not worthy of her. Not one bit.
From across the room, Pandora straightened, whirling to face Mona, her expression stricken. Evander wasn’t sure if it was fear or bewilderment that had her gaping at Mona, but it filled him with a savage sense of pleasure.
