A flash of brilliant white light burst in the air, burning against her eyes. She turned away from it, hissing. The sirens let out several shrill cries, using their wings to shield their eyes. The light only intensified, more brilliant than the sun itself.
“Sol,” Trivia breathed, recognizing his magic. She shut her eyes, barely strong enough to summon a canopy of leaves to cover her face before Sol’s magic scorched her.
The smell of burning flesh reached her nose. The sirens shrieked and screamed, then took to the skies. The beating of wings grew more and more distant before vanishing entirely.
After a moment, the light slowly faded. Trivia’s protective leaves disappeared, and Sol’s worried face appeared before her.
“Gods above, Trivia,” he murmured, tearing off strips of fabric from his tunic to bind the worst of her wounds. “I can’t leave you alone for a moment, can I?”
Trivia managed a hoarse laugh, her body still wracked with pain. “Seems you didn’t escape completely unscathed, either.” She gestured to a bleeding cut on his cheek, then another on his leg. She groaned when Sol tied the cloth around a particularly deep gash on her forearm. “How are we supposed to move forward with Gaia missing and sirens surrounding us?”
Sol flashed her a grin. “The sirens have always loathed sun magic. That’s how Apollo banished them the first time. Just stay with me, and you’ll be fine. Don’t go wandering off again.” He winked, as if she had merely made a clumsy misstep, not gotten herself nearly pecked to death.
“Are you powerful enough to send them back?” Trivia asked quietly.
Sol’s expression sobered. Doubt clouded his expression, and Trivia knew his answer.
Only Apollo was strong enough to eliminate the sirens.
And he was dead.
Trivia took a deep breath. “Help me up.”
Sol extended his hand and hoisted her to her feet. She wobbled slightly, and his arms came around her.
“Don’t you dare carry me,” she barked.
Sol snorted. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Trivia took a few moments to inhale and exhale, long and slow, trying to steady herself. After a moment, her legs felt strong enough, and she nodded wordlessly at Sol. He kept one arm wrapped around her waist and the other outstretched, a beam of sunlight pouring from his palm.
Their trek was slow at first. One of the sirens had torn into Trivia’s thigh, and each step sent needles of pain shooting through her. After several paces, she paused, then channeled her magic toward that specific wound. She closed her eyes, envisioning the healing earth magic sweeping through her, mending her, knitting her body back together…
She was gasping by the time her magic responded. But after testing her leg, she realized the wound was healed.
Sol raised his eyebrows. “Impressive.”
“Don’t ask me to do it again,” she panted, wiping sweat from her brow. “That took a lot out of me.”
“You’re still adjusting to your strengthened powers. It takes time.”
“Time we don’t have,” Trivia said bitterly.
Sol said nothing as they continued onward, their pace quicker with Trivia’s leg healed. It cost her, though—exhaustion pulled at every muscle and limb, threatening to drag her down into the crevices waiting for her.
But she pushed herself. She had to keep moving. For Gaia. For Prue. For Mona.
For Sol.
And for herself.
The occasional siren flew toward them, squawking loudly. Sol was quick to blast them with his sun magic, making them flee. Gaia’s voice echoed frequently through the mist, as the sirens no doubt learned not to get too close to the sun god. It was clear they were trying once more to lure Trivia in with their siren call.
Every time her mother’s voice called out to her, Sol’s grip tightened on Trivia’s waist.
“Can you hear it, too?” Trivia whispered.
Sol shook his head. “No. But every time they speak to you, you draw in a sharp breath, your eyes sparking with hope and longing.”
