Farah’s eyebrows flattened. “We do not interfere with the matters of Titans. It is too dangerous for my coven. We will point you in the direction of the beacon, but that is all. After that, you are on your own.”
Cyrus nodded. This wasn’t all that surprising. But he couldn’t pass up one last opportunity to try to sway her.
The blonde witch returned, then thrust several vials full of purple liquid into Evander and Cyrus’s hands. “Shatter these, and they will provide you with a brief burst of powerwhere you can access your magic,” she said, her voice faint compared to Farah’s firm timbre. “But anyone nearby will also be able to summon magic as well, so be wary.”
“Thank you,” Evander said, shoving the vials in his pockets. Cyrus did the same, then accepted three waterskins from Farah.
“Show them where the beacon came from,” Farah instructed the still breathless witches. To Cyrus’s surprise, the coven leader put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “May the Goddess bless you in your quest, death god. I sincerely hope you are able to free your wife and her sister.”
Cyrus offered a half smile that didn’t feel very genuine. “Thank you for your assistance. I… apologize for my behavior. And my threats. I am not at my best today.”
Farah hummed with amusement. “I have dealt with your kind before, death god. Behavior like that is not surprising. But an acknowledgment and an apologyis. So, for that, I am appreciative of you. And I wish you well.”
“Same to you.”
Cyrus, Evander, and Lagos followed the three witches toward the exit. A few steps later, Cyrus frowned and muttered to Evander, “Did you tell Farah that Prue was my wife?”
“No. Why?”
Cyrus glanced over his shoulder at Farah, who lifted her hand in farewell, her eyes glinting with amusement and an otherworldly look that made him believe she saw far more than he gave her credit for.
Cyrus shook his head and faced forward again. “No matter. Let’s focus on saving our goddesses.”
For the first time in days, they actually had a lead. And the prospect of being reunited with his wife was so real, so attainable, that Cyrus could almost feel her rushing into his arms.
Soon, my love,he thought.Soon, you will be free. Just hold on for a bit longer.
WITS
MONA
Mona huddledbehind the door as the Titan stormed into her room. He hadn’t noticed her yet, but he would soon.
Her mind was still clouded, churning, and muddled. She couldn’t think straight. And Goddess, she feltso weak.
He was here to kill her. Prue was right—they didn’t needbothof them alive.
Mona would never be able to fight him off. Not without magic.
Magic…
Mona glanced down at her still bleeding hand. Her heart pounded madly against her rib cage. Dizziness crept into her mind, threatening to drown her.
Without another thought, she shoved the door forward, making the Titan stumble. While he was down, Mona flexed her bleeding hand toward him and shouted, “Disjungo!” She shoved all her remaining energy into summoning the rune.The magic gathered around her, but it was slow, like molasses. The air here was so arid that it took a long moment for her rune to take effect.
During that moment, the Titan staggered to his feet, rage brimming in his dark gaze.
Mona let out a squeak of terror, backing away from him.
He took a menacing step, the floorboard creaking from his movement, then halted. A choked sound rose up his throat. His eyes bulged. He gripped his neck as if she were strangling him with an invisible rope.
Mona could only watch, wide-eyed, as the Titan’s face drained of color. He slumped to his knees, his body convulsing. Mona sidestepped before his massive form could crush her toes. She darted around him, hand at her chest, trying to control her breathing.
But a part of her was curious about how this rune affected a Titan. It was meant to dislodge a person’s soul from their body, but Titans weren’t entirely human…
Even so, it was clear her rune had donesomethingto him. And she didn’t want to wait around for him to awaken.
She raced toward the open door but hesitated at the top of the staircase. The sounds of scuffling reached her ears, followed by a sound that chilled her to the bone.
