“I’ve got it!” Mona told her. “I can hold it. Thishasto end. Let go, now!”
Trivia was too weak to object. She released Mona’s hand, but Mona kept carrying the power, pushing harder than ever. Her flesh was on fire. Her insides were burning.
“Prue!” Mona wheezed. “Prue, you can let go now!”
“Dammit, Mona!” Prue wailed. “I—I can’t?—”
“I told you, I’ve got it! I promise you I can hold it! Nowgo!”
Prue’s voice broke on a sob, and then she, too, released her hold on Mona’s hand. Something exploded in Mona’s chest, bursting within her until she could no longer feel her heart, her organs, her skin… She was nothing and everything all at once. Shewaspower itself. Magic. Energy.
She was the earth. She was life.
And Mona gave up everything. Every last drop. Every last piece of herself.
All of it.
Until darkness consumed her.
LIGHT
CYRUS
From the momentPrue parted ways with him, Cyrus’s chest cinched tighter and tighter, making it difficult to breathe.
He forced himself to carry on. Prue needed to do this.
And he needed to trust her.
Despite the raging panic mounting within him, the desperation to get his wife back and carry her to safety.
Sirens continued squawking and shrieking, diving left and right alongside the spirits Evander had brought with him. Cyrus still wasn’t sure how his brother had not only managed to fulfill his bargain with the Wild Spirits but alsofreethem.
Cyrus had certainly underestimated Evander.
From within the mist, a shape barreled forward, colliding with Cyrus and jolting him from his thoughts. Cyrus barked out in pain as he landed hard on his back and elbows, grappling with a hairy mangy creature who seemed to be partcanine, part bear. Long, sharp teeth snapped at him as the creature snarled and spat.
Gritting his teeth, Cyrus conjured his lightning, igniting the air. His magic crackled, striking the creature. The beast howled and toppled off Cyrus with a low whine. Cyrus struck again, sending a full blast of his power directly into the creature’s chest. A moment later, it fell over, its charred corpse nothing more than a smoking husk.
“What the hell was that thing?” Cyrus growled, wiping dirt from his scraped and bleeding elbows.
“A hellhound,” said Evander, who was standing above a similar corpse. He held a sword dripping with black blood, and a long gash ran along his cheek. He exchanged a grim look with Cyrus. “The Titans are drawing out more dark creatures.”
“They’re desperate,” Cyrus said thoughtfully. “They’re worried Prue and Mona will succeed.” Hope bloomed in his chest, but it was short-lived as a loud and shrill screech pierced the air. It was similar to the sounds the sirens made, but this one was stronger and more guttural.
Cyrus went rigid as another dark shape emerged from the mist, hurtling toward him at breakneck speed. He ducked to avoid another collision, but long claws wrapped around his leg, dragging him in the dirt. His hands flew out, trying to grab something to slow him down, but all he managed to do was peel the flesh away from his palms as they scraped mercilessly on the hardened ground.
His lightning struck out blindly, but he missed the creature. He couldn’t evenseeit. He was dangling from one leg,his hair whipping around him as he struggled to detach himself from whatever had grabbed him.
Hot liquid gushed down his leg, spattering his face and burning his eyes. He groaned, crying out when the beast released him and he slammed into the ground. Bloodied cuts stung all over his hands and arms, and he was gasping for breath, his body numb from the pain.
“Harpies,” Evander hissed. A slicing wet sound echoed, and Cyrus knew his brother had killed the creature.
“Well, shit,” Cyrus muttered, rolling to his side and wincing. “Those are almost worse than the sirens.”
Evander gave him a flat look. “Yes, but the sirens are on our side.”
Unfortunately, the siren call did not work on creatures like harpies. A harpy, like a siren, had the face of a woman and the body of a bird. But harpies were much larger, their black-feathered forms the size of giant eagles as opposed to the raven-shaped bodies of sirens.
