Within seconds, they collided with a tall figure. Mona’s arms came around Trivia, clutching her tightly to keep her from falling.
“Trivia! Thank the Goddess!” Mona was laughing with relief, amazed that Trivia had been merely steps away. Her smile faltered when she withdrew and looked over her sister. Cuts and bruises marred her tan skin, and her leg wastwisted at an odd angle. Dark shadows lined her eyes, and streaks of dirt and tears stained her cheeks.
“What happened?” Mona breathed, touching Trivia’s cheek. Tears spilled from Trivia’s eyes, and she shook her head, her lower lip trembling.
“Gaia,” Trivia whimpered. “She—She?—”
“Gaia is alive,” Mona said quickly. “We revived her.”
Trivia blinked, then her eyes widened. “Are… are you certain? It isn’t some kind of trick from the Titans?”
Mona smiled softly. “Yes, I’m certain.”
Trivia closed her eyes, leaning heavily on Mona for support. An exhausted laugh burst from her lips, and she wept some more, sniffling loudly. “Thank the gods. Thank you, Mona.” She turned to Prue. “And thank you, Prue.”
Prue nodded stiffly, her mouth forming a tight line. Only then did Mona realize that the last time Prue had seen Trivia, the Underworld had been destroyed. Prue’s last memory of Trivia had been her treachery.
No wonder she was less than enthused to be reunited with her.
“Can you walk?” Mona asked, glancing at Trivia’s leg. “We need to?—”
She broke off as the ground shook and cracks split the earth. The three sisters darted out of the way as the fissures widened, forming gaping black holes all around them. With her arm around Trivia to keep her upright, Mona fled from the abyss, dodging more chasms and gaps in the ground. Her foot snagged on one of the cracks, and she was falling toward the ground?—
Prue grasped her by the elbow, hauling her upright beforeshe hit the hard earth. Arm-in-arm, the sisters raced through the mist, seeking shelter from the never-ending earthquake.
But there was no escaping it. The earth continued to break, dissolving into the gaping maw that would devour them completely.
That same fury from earlier swelled in Mona’s chest, making her see red.
She had hadenoughof these Titans toying with her. Their reign of death would endnow.
“We’re earth goddesses, dammit,” Mona snarled, standing her ground and stomping her foot. “We don’t have to put up with this any longer.” She knelt to the earth and closed her eyes, digging her fingers into the soil beneath her. The ground hummed and the air sang with energy. Power crackled through her, swift and volatile. Blades of grass sprang from the earth. Lush flowers and leaves surrounded her.
And the earth beneath her remained intact. All around her, the ground fell away, breaking and dissolving into nothingness until all that remained was a yawning abyss.
But Mona held on, her brows knitting together, sweat trickling down her brow. She felt Trivia and Prue clinging to her, huddling close to avoid falling into the pit.
At long last, the earthquake ceased, and the air grew eerily still.
Slowly, Mona opened her eyes and stifled a gasp.
They stood on a single patch of grass. An island amidst a sea of darkness.
And everything in sight had been consumed by the black void of nothingness.
“What—What have they done?” Trivia whispered in horror, her eyes wide. She stared into the distance, and her face paled. “How much is gone? Is—Iseverythinggone?” Panic edged her voice, and Mona knew she was thinking of Gaia. Or Sol. Perhaps both.
She wasn’t the only one. Terror cinched Mona’s chest, cutting off her breath.
Evander. Cyrus. Gaia.Everyoneleft in the realm… Had the Titans destroyed them all so easily?
Clearing her throat, Mona took a deep breath. “No matter what, we have to put an end to this. We have to believe that those we love are still alive and unharmed. But even if they aren’t, it doesn’t change what we’ve been tasked to do.”
She exchanged solemn looks with Prue and Trivia. They both looked equally horrified, but a spark of determination lit both their gazes.
They were afraid. But they were ready.
Mona extended her arms, taking her sisters’ hands and squeezing hard. The moment their palms met, heat seared through their joined hands, burning Mona straight to the core. She sucked in a sharp breath, hissing at the pain that coursed through her body.
