Prue’s anguished whimper. Mona hadneverheard her sister utter that sound before.
Prue was always the strong one. Fearless and confident, even when facing the deadliest of horrors.
She made another sound, this one a tortured moan.
Then came Hyperion’s voice. “That’s it. Make her bleed.”
Oh, Goddess.Mona was going to be sick. She was going to vomit all over the stairs.
They were torturing Prue.
They weretorturingher sister. Her brave, beautiful sister.
Fear iced over Mona’s body, freezing her in place. But as Prue made another desperate sound—a plea mingled with a sob—something else rose up inside Mona.
Rage.
She gritted her teeth. Her vision tinted red as she thought of what those vile monsters were doing to her beloved sister. She had literally gone through Hell and back to save Prue, and she wasn’t about to stand by and do nothing while those beasts mutilated her.
But she had to be smart. To rush in without a plan would be something Prue would do.
Mona needed Prue’s strength right now… but she still had to keep her wits about her. She was vastly outnumbered, with little access to magic. She could cast another rune, but she was so drained that she wasn’t sure she could manage anything too powerful without fainting from exhaustion. Each one took so much of her energy because of how barren the air was.
But a lesser rune—that was something she could manage.
What she needed was a way to draw the Titans away from Prue. Something to divert their attention.
She almost laughed at the irony. Prue had volunteered for this very task—something Mona had been too terrified to do herself.
But, here she was.
Letting her rage fuel her, Mona dug her fingernail into the bleeding cut on her arm, drawing more droplets of blood. She hissed from the pain, but the sharp intensity of it sent a bolt of clarity in her mind. She crept back into her bedroom, checking to ensure the Titan was still down. His body twitched, but he was otherwise motionless.
With careful steps, Mona reached the open window, then slid her bleeding hand through the gap. Closing her eyes, she murmured, “Sono.”
Her skin prickled, and energy swirled around her. A tendril of magic flowed from her fingers, shooting toward the sky. But unlike the fire spell, this one was almost translucent against the murky gray surroundings.
After counting to ten, Mona opened her mouth and let out a shrill, piercing scream. The rune projected her voice somewhere above the cottage, circling the sky. Her shout rang out, reverberating through the forest as if she were floating high in the air.
Downstairs, the Titans shouted in alarm. Heavy footfalls indicated they were searching for the source of it. Mona’s scream increased in pitch and volume, allowing her anger and panic to flood her. She channeled all her emotions into that singular sound until it resembled a screeching, dying animal.
The Titans’ shouts turned into petrified yelps. Mona heard the front door open, and a few Titans exited. She noticed them sprinting toward the forest—toward her scream—as if to uncover who was making that noise.
The magic was fading. Any moment now, her rune would wear off and her voice would return to her body. She endedon one final, powerful note before she fell silent, her throat raw. Swallowing hard, she inched toward the staircase again, pausing to listen for any sounds.
Nothing. Then, a low, wet rasping sound.
Goddess above…Prue.
Mona was about to fly down the stairs before she heard someone move. Someone who was much heavier than Prue.
Dammit. Of course the Titans wouldn’t send everyone out to investigate Mona’s scream. Desperate for another diversion, Mona scanned her surroundings, finding nothing of use at the top of the stairs. Then, her gaze fell to her grubby shoes.
It would have to do.
She snatched one of her worn shoes off her feet, then launched it as far down the stairs as she could manage. It landed near the kitchen, and a clatter rang out. A Titan grunted, then lumbered off in the direction of where her shoe had fallen.
Then, Mona was moving, flying down the stairs. She didn’t pause to take in her surroundings or look for the Titans. All she focused on was the trembling form in the middle of the floor, covered in blood.
