Mona nodded, then closed her eyes, her brows knitting together in a look of concentration. “In all the books I’ve read, there were only two places described to be voids for the magic of the gods. One of them is the Manos Ocean.”
Prue’s heart lurched. “You mean the whirlpool you jumped into to get to the Underworld?”
Mona’s mouth quirked up in a half smile. Instead of making her blanch, the memory only seemed to empower her, as if reminding her of the courage she was capable of. “Yes. That one. The other void is located in the Rhea Desert. There are said to be ancient ruins there where raiders slaughtered a family beloved by the gods. As punishment, the gods removed all magic from the area and cursed it with an endless drought. To this day, no flora or magic can thrive there.” She paused and swallowed hard. “I think that’s where we are.”
The Ruins of Rhea.Prue had seen the landmark on a map once, back when she and Cyrus were attempting to sail across the sea to get to the tiny village of Faidon.
“The fire witch coven is somewhere in the desert,” Mona went on. “But I don’t know how far. The desert spans over fifty miles, so they could be anywhere.”
“And the place is warded by Titan magic, so it’s not as if we can sneak out and track them down,” Prue said grimly. She sighed. “I suppose our options are limited. We have to keep our heads down until Cyrus reaches out to negotiate.” Her chest twisted at the thought. What would Cyrus offer in exchange for herand Mona?
She wasn’t sure what she feared more—that Cyrus would give up his entire kingdom, or that he would refuse the Titans’ demands.
The Cyrus she had known would have torn apart every realm to get her back. But he had since changed. He had been reborn as a human, then become infused with Titan magic. He had won the right to his throne, and she knew in her heart that this time, things would be different.
He was not the king he once was. And she knew that he would be mindful of the needs of his people.
It only made her love him more.
But it also made her afraid for what she and Mona would have to endure.
“Perhaps not,” Mona said slowly, jerking Prue from her dismal thoughts. That familiar calculating look shone in her eyes.
Prue’s pulse quickened. “What do you mean?”
“Godmagic might not work here. But what about witch magic?”
Prue sucked in a breath. “Runes?”
Mona offered a smile and nodded.
“Damn.” Prue exhaled in a short burst, then huffed a laugh. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Runes are what saved me in that prison cell in the Thanassian Empire.”
Mona’s expression turned smug. “I know.”
Prue whacked her arm. “What rune are you thinking of?”
Mona’s face went blank, her eyes distant. Prue could tell her sister was mentally sifting through all the runes she had studied. Her lips moved wordlessly, as if she were whispering to herself.
Prue folded her arms over her chest as she waited. Eventually, Mona’s mouthing turned to muttering. “Theunlockrune wouldn’t be much help here. I don’t think dislodging a person’s spirit would help, either, since they are Titans and I have no idea if their souls are even accessible… It will likely only enrage them.” She started pacing the length of the tiny room, arms crossed as she chewed on her thumbnail.
“Commune with the dead,” Mona whispered, then shook her head. “Healing rune…” She froze, then straightened, her expression brightening. “I’ve got it! A fire rune.”
Prue arched an eyebrow. “A fire rune?”
“Yes. We send it straight up in the air. If it’s infused with enough witch magic, it should alert the fire witches.”
Prue didn’t like the wordshould.What if it didn’t work? What if the Titans caught them? “Don’t you think the Titans will be able to sense the magic?”
“Not witch magic,” Mona said. She sounded so confident that Prue almost believed her. “The only issue is… I have no idea how powerful the Titans’ wards are. If it’s a simple ward spell, it will only deflect sight and sound, and magic will be able to pierce through it.”
“I doubt it’s a simple ward,” Prue said with a grimace.
“So do I.” Mona tapped her chin in thought. “I wonder if there’s a rune that can destabilize a ward.” When Prue made a noise of protest, Mona added, “Only for a moment, I mean.”
Prue snorted. “You think they won’t notice if it’sonly for a moment?”
Mona winced. “You’re right. It’s too risky.”
