Gaia can bring me back,Trivia thought, clinging to that hope.I know she can.
But a small fear crept into her mind. What if Gaia didn’tknow? What if Trivia died, but her mother never found out? If she didn’t realize Trivia needed to be brought back, then Gaia would do nothing.
Besides, Gaia mentioned there were certainconditions.And Trivia would bet she didn’t meet those conditions. She was not selfless like Mona and Prue. She did not deserve a second chance.
That’s all right,she thought, feeling a modicum of peace as she accepted her fate.If it brings down this wretched goddess and the darkness of her box, then I will do it.
So, Trivia kept pushing. She tugged on those memories, the sights and sounds she missed so much. Sol’s laughter. His moans of pleasure. His barbed insults.
She conjured more, digging into the far recesses of her mind. The affectionate look in Gaia’s eyes. Prue’s smile. The way Mona had forgiven her, standing by her side no matter the horrid things she’d done.
“Gods, stop it,stop it!” Pandora screamed.
Trivia fell to her knees. Hot liquid dripped down her face, and she realized her nose was bleeding. But she pushed on. She would not stop.
She would give it all up.
“If you don’t stop,” Pandora rasped, “then he dies.”
Trivia blinked, her vision blurry, as she raised her head. Pandora was on her knees, too, but Midas lay next to her. Pandora’s hand was wrapped around his throat.
Trivia went perfectly still. “You don’t… have the strength… to kill him,” she gasped.
“Are you willing to bet his life on that?” Pandora’s face was pale, but her arms did not shake like Trivia’s did. A small smile lit the goddess’s face.
Trivia swallowed hard, her body spasming from the intensity of her emotions. “He’s dead anyway,” she said. “Once you die… so does everything… in the box.”
Pandora’s smile widened, and she shook her head. “You’re wrong. Midas is an exception. He has power. Wards. Enough to protect himself when the box shatters.”
Trivia blinked. She was lying. She had to be.
But… it made sense. If anyone could shield himself from the fallout of the box’s destruction, it was Midas. He was certainly smart enough to figure out a way.
And he did have power. Trivia had seen it firsthand.
Trivia’s arms shook, and she collapsed, face-first onto the ground. Her breathing was shallow and harsh. She wouldn’t last much longer.
She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t save him.
“Such a shame,” Pandora whispered. “He worked andfoughtso hardto be free of his curse. I suppose he’ll never know what an uncursed life is like.”
A choked gurgling sound made Trivia lift her head, staring in horror as Pandora began to choke Midas. His face turned red. Then blue.
Trivia didn’t think. A sudden burst of strength coursed through her. With a roar of anger, she lunged for Pandora. They collided. Pandora’s grip loosened on Midas’s throat. Trivia rolled, taking the goddess with her. Her fingernails clawed at Pandora’s face. Pandora’s fist connected with Trivia’s jaw.
But Trivia had something more powerful. She had her magic. And she had Pandora’s, too.
With one last push, Trivia managed to shove Pandora into the concrete floor of the veranda, her hands pressing into her face. Pandora struggled fruitlessly, arms waving, hands scrambling.
Trivia called on her pain, projecting it onto Pandora until the goddess went limp.
Then, she summoned her earth magic.
The concrete floor cracked. Vines snaked forward, wrapping around Pandora’s wrists like chains.
Pandora screamed. “No! Stop it.No!”
Trivia tasted blood in her mouth. Her ears were also bleeding. Her heart seized in her chest, squeezing and squeezing. She felt faint. Darkness crept into her vision.
