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Prue’s mouth clamped shut at that, and he knew her answer. She would have done the same for him.
The thought should have softened the tight ball of rage in his chest. It should have left him warm with the thought of how much she loved him.
But it didn’t.
In the recesses of his mind, he knew he should feel affection for this woman before him. He remembered loving her. He knew who she was and what experiences they had shared together.
But in this moment, all he felt was fury.
It had to be this useless, weak mortal form. Somehow, it was stifling his thoughts and emotions.
“Why did you do it,” he bit out, his gaze shifting to Gaia.
Gaia’s chin lifted. “She’s my daughter.”
“That means nothing. It certainly meant nothing when you spent her entire life lying to her.”
“Cyrus,” Prue warned, but Gaia lifted a hand to silence her.
“It’s all right, Prudence. I deserved that. I helped her because, with her death, her true power has been unlocked. And she needed help accessing it.” Gaia offered him a cold smile.
Slowly, Cyrus turned to look at Prue, who fidgeted under his gaze. “Why?” he asked again.
Prue frowned. “Why what?”
“Why am I not dead? Why am I this—this wretched human?” He spat the word like a filthy curse.
Prue flinched. “I don’t know.”
“The price was an immortal soul,” Gaia said. “It looks as if the magic required was your immortality, not your entire being.”
Cyrus scoffed a harsh laugh at that. “Of course. Because death would have been too easy. Instead, I have to suffer.” He whirled on Prue. “You couldn’t have just let me die?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you dense? Of course I couldn’t. I love you, Cyrus, whether you’re a human or not.”
“You love me?” he sneered. “Well, that’s easy for you to say. I’m the one who made this sacrifice to bring you back. I’m the one condemned to live a mortal life. I’ve been shoved into this sad, pathetic form, forced to watch myself wither away while you access more power than you’ve ever known in your entire life.”
Prue’s face paled. “Cyrus…” She swallowed hard. “I’m just relieved you’re still alive. I was terrified that spell had killed you! Isn’t it better to be here with me, even if it’s without your magic?”
“Do you think I wanted this?” he seethed, gesturing to his trembling body. A tiny voice in his mind told him to stop before he hurt her, before he said something he could never take back. But the voice was drowned out by the chaotic anger roaring in his ears. “If you think I wanted to be reduced to this wretched shell of who I once was, then you don’t know me at all.”
Prue’s expression turned hard. “I don’t care what form you take. You could be a vile, three-horned, pus-filled demon, and I wouldn’t care. I need you, Cyrus.”
Cyrus jabbed a finger at her. “That’s what this is about. You just can’t bear to be alone. You don’t care about me at all.”
Prue’s head jerked back. “You are such an ass! We’re here together now! Aren’t you glad to be alive?”
“No,” Cyrus snapped. “Not like this. I sacrificed myself so you could live. So you could rule and protect this realm where I couldn’t. And now look at me!” He gestured to his body with a disgusted grimace. “This is your fault. If you hadn’t been so reckless with your magic during the cave-in, I wouldn’t have had to give up everything to bring you back!”
“You would have died in that cave-in, Cyrus!” Prue cried. “Are you saying you would rather be dead than here with me?”
Cyrus said nothing, still quivering with fury. But his silence answered her question.
Tears sparkled in her eyes as her expression shifted from shock to despair to rage. In a flash, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face. His cheek burned from the impact, his head swiveling.
“Prudence,” Gaia chided gently. “Remember, he is in a new form. Mortals experience a frightening array of emotions. It will take him time to adjust.”
“Do not speak as if I am not present,” Cyrus growled.
