Evander coughed, his eyelids fluttering open as he gazed at Cyrus in confusion. “Bastard,” he muttered.
Cyrus couldn’t help but snort. “You started it. Can you stand up?”
Evander let out a grunt and pushed away Cyrus’s extended hand. Slowly, Evander stood. He teetered slightly, but after blinking a few times, clarity returned to his gaze.
“You’d better be careful,” Cyrus said. “Once we’ve rescued Prue and Mona, you might not be able to walk away from an injury like that.” His tone was half teasing, but in all honesty, it was a solid warning.
Evander would not be as indestructible for much longer.
The statement sobered Evander, who looked at Cyrus with a grim and almost haunted expression. There were certainly inner demons at work here, and they were tormenting Evander to no end.
Cyrus wished he could do something to help. But he had a feeling that the only one who could vanquish those demons was Evander himself.
“No matter what,” Cyrus said softly. “You’re still mybrother. You know that, right?” He placed a hand on Evander’s shoulder.
Evander’s lips grew thin, and his eyes swelled with emotion. He offered one stiff nod and started walking. He had a slight limp, but Cyrus knew it would heal quickly, thanks to their god blood.
God blood that Evander wouldn’t possess for much longer.
Lagos, Theo, and Maleck helped unearth several different maps buried in the castle vault. Cyrus had heard of Rhea before, and Evander confirmed that it was the same desert where the fire witches lived.
“Unfortunately, it’s huge,” Evander said as they pored over the maps on the throne room table. “I have no idea how to locate a spot without magic in a desert so vast.”
“Perhaps the fire witches can help?” Theo suggested. “They are powerful enough to assist in a fight against the Titans.”
Cyrus shook his head. “We can’t risk it. And they would be foolish to pick a fight with the Titans. It would mean war for their people. But they might be able to point us in the right direction.”
“They would likely know of a place where the Titans could be hiding,” Maleck mused, rubbing his chin. “If they’ve lived there for a long time, I’m sure they know the ins and outs of the desert.”
Cyrus nodded. “Yes, that’s what I’m counting on.” He cast a glance at Lagos. “Has the portal been repaired?”
“Yes,” said Lagos. “It just needs a dose of magic to power it.”
“We also repaired the reflection bowl, as you requested,” Theo said. He bent over to retrieve something under the table. When he resurfaced, he was holding the mended bowl. The cracks from the broken pieces were still stark, but they had been welded together.
Cyrus stared at it. “Have you tested it?”
Theo shook his head, then set the bowl down on the table. Lagos grabbed a pitcher of water from a servant in the hall, then poured it into the bowl. Cyrus expected the bowl to leak, but it held the contents perfectly.
Swallowing hard, Cyrus felt every pair of eyes watching him as he braced his hands on either side of the bowl. “Show me Prue,” he commanded.
The water rippled and swirled. To his surprise, an image appeared within the bowl. It was…Prue.
Gods above. The sight of her made his stomach lurch, and fresh longing coursed through him. His heart twisted painfully in his chest, and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. The world seemed to stop for a full moment as he stared at her.
Prue sat on a small cot alongside Mona. They were speaking with one another, their expressions serious and their heads bent together. It looked as if they were in a small room of some sort.
At least it wasn’t a cave or a dungeon.
“Where are they?” Evander murmured, leaning closer.
“I—I can’t tell,” Cyrus said. “Show me the Titans.”
The water rippled again, and a new image appeared. Two of the Titans—one of which was Hyperion—sat on a ragged sofa in a room similar to where Prue and Mona were. They seemed… comfortable. Unbothered.
The sight was unsettling. They clearly had no reservations about Cyrus attacking them. The thought made Cyrus feel part offended, and part nervous.
If they weren’t worried, then they obviously had a plan in place for when Cyrus came for Prue.
