“Cyclops,” Sol said in between the pounding.
“Not just any Cyclops,” said a cold, sinister voice. It echoed all around them, deep and resonant, like the voices of ten men. The sound made Trivia’s skin pebble, and a chill swept over her.
A massive figure took shape through the mist, towering over them. It stood as tall as the castle of Elysium, and Trivia had to crane her neck to stare at it in horror.
It wasn’t just a Cyclops, but agiant. Thick, meaty legs stood before them. Trivia only came up to its shins. As she gazed up and up andup, she found a one-eyed gray-skinned demon leering down at her. It wore nothing but loose leather trousers, its muscular chest left bare. Its singular eye was white and all-seeing. Jagged teeth spread into a wide, feral grin.
From what Trivia knew of them, Cyclopes were large, but notthisbig. And they certainly didn’t have demon flesh.
She swallowed hard, trying not to tremble as she stared up at this beast who could easily squash them with a single step. “What are you?” she called to it.
“I am calledAtlas,” the Cyclops said smugly.
Sol was shaking his head. “Impossible. Atlas is a Titan. And Titan magic can’t produce something like this.”
Leather shifted as the Cyclops leaned forward to closer inspect Sol. A droplet of saliva dribbled from his lips, largeenough to splatter over them both and drench them completely.
“Ah, little sun god,” Atlas crooned. “It is quite possible indeed. You see, Titan magic, when combined with death magic, can produceall mannerof abominations. And we’ve summoned them all as a welcome gift just for you and your little witch goddesses.”
FREE
EVANDER
“I don’t understand,”said Evander, trying to control the wild thumping of his heart. He glanced at the woman before him, noting howhumanshe looked. “Typhon was a demon. He had horns and wings and…”
His voice trailed off as the woman’s form began to change before his eyes. Her head and torso stayed the same, but the rest of her body elongated to form that of a massive serpent. Her long tail wriggled behind her, just as translucent as the rest of her.
“I am Echidna,” she said. “And Typhon was my mate.”
Evander’s mouth fell open, and he shook his head. He still couldn’t comprehend this. It didn’t makesense.
Behind Echidna, several other forms materialized. Some had wings like Typhon. Others had multiple heads or extra arms. Some had the head of a lion or a bull.
There were all manner of demons and beasts here. They had only taken the appearance of mortal souls.
“Where—Where did you all come from?” Evander breathed, awestruck by this revelation. “And how did Typhon possess me?”
“Typhon and I birthed many creatures,” Echidna explained, gesturing behind her. “The Wild Spirits are our family. But one day, Jupiter determined we were too dangerous to roam freely. He wanted to destroy our kind. Typhon resisted, challenging Jupiter for the throne. When they battled, Typhon was defeated and caged underneath a volcano for thousands of years. The rest of us were doomed to an eternity without peace. Without rest.”
“That doesn’t explain how Typhon found me,” Evander said.
“I do not know this, either,” Echidna said thoughtfully. “I have been trapped here ever since. When did you first notice his presence?”
“A witch cursed me in the mortal realm,” Evander said. “When I returned, he had taken over my body.”
Echidna cocked her head at him in consideration. “What was this witch’s name?”
“Clotho,” Evander said. “She had two sisters, but I never met them.”
Echidna went rigid, her eyes wide. “You speak of the Fates.”
Evander’s brow furrowed. “TheFates? No. They—They wouldn’t… Theycouldn’t… How were they in the mortal realm?”
“When Apollo sought power, he summoned the Fates to show him his destiny,” Echidna said. “He didn’t like what hesaw, so he cursed them to live out the rest of eternity in the mortal realm, cut off from Elysium.
“In retribution, the Fates made bargains with those who had been similarly punished. They could not help themselves—but theycouldhelp others.” She sucked in a rattling breath. “I thought my Typhon had perished under the volcano. But… if his soul lived on, and Clotho found him… it’s possible that she infused his soul into your body to help him escape.”
A knot formed in Evander’s throat. This entire time, he assumed the witch who had cursed him had merely tricked him, using him for her own amusement.
