Tears spilled down Trivia’s face. “Please. What do you want from me?”
“I want my life back,” Pandora said. “I want what you promised me:freedom.”
“How am I supposed to give you any of those things when you have me trapped here?” Trivia shouted, her voice echoing in the vast space around them.
“Ihaven’t trapped you. You did this yourself. My power only exists inside the darkness. I have no way out, just like you.” She pointed a long-nailed finger at Trivia. “You find me a way out of this box, and I’ll spare your little lover and your mother. I’ll spare everyone you love. But only if you give me what I ask.”
“How?” Trivia shrieked. She wanted to scream with frustration. “If you can’t get out, how am I supposed to?”
“You are an earth goddess. You possess power I nevercould access.” She smirked. “You’ll figure it out. Or else everyone you love will suffer.”
“You can’t?—”
“I’ve had enough of your blathering.” Pandora waved a hand, and in an instant, Trivia was back in that void of nothingness. Her body disappeared. Her voice vanished.
And she knew nothing but the agony swirling around her.
SCHEMES
CYRUS
Cyrus landeda punch in Evander’s gut, and he pushed his advantage. He struck him again and again until his brother hunched over with a low moan. Victory pulsed through Cyrus, but it was short-lived. In a flash, Evander’s ghostly wings shot outward. One of them knocked Cyrus sideways. He caught himself before he collapsed in the dirt.
Evander rammed his shoulder into Cyrus, then stomped on his toes. Cyrus howled in pain, gasping for breath. Evander’s elbow rammed into his stomach, knocking the breath out of him. His fist connected with Cyrus’s jaw. Cyrus tasted blood, and his body ached where his brother struck him.
But the ache was good. It was potent and strong and distracted him from the chaos of his thoughts.
From the agony of missing Prue.
Of being unable to help her. To find her.
With a growl, Cyrus attacked again, fists slamming intoEvander’s bare chest. Evander bellowed in part rage, part anguish as he met Cyrus blow for blow. Both of them were covered in sweat and blood.
It was like this every day. Cyrus would meet with his council of advisors to brainstorm on how to locate the Titans. And when they came up short—as they always did—Cyrus and Evander would beat out their frustration on each other, looking for an outlet for their fury.
It would only last so long. Each day, the tension within Cyrus wound tighter and tighter, ready to burst. He wanted to tear the realms apart to find his wife without a care of who he killed along the way.
But he had a kingdom to think about.
The old Cyrus would have destroyed everyone and everything in his path to get Prue back.
But he wasn’t that person anymore.
“Are you really just going to sit back and do nothing?” Evander hissed as he swung his fist and Cyrus blocked it.
“I’m doing everything I can,” Cyrus grunted.
“Are you? That Titan said,‘When you are ready to negotiate for her freedom, you know how to reach us.’ What did he mean? If you have a way to contact them, why haven’t you done it yet?”
Cyrus closed his eyes and pulled at his hair. “I don’t know! Don’t you think if I knew I would have done it already?”
“Have you checked the spell books? The Book of Eyes?”
Cyrus’s blood chilled, and his nostrils flared. “You know how dangerous thatbook is.”
“The CyrusIknow would have stopped at nothing to find Prue. Even if it meant diving into that godsforsaken book.”
“Prue wouldn’t want me to do that. Not for her.”
