Page 12 of Oak & Ember

The other side. So there were two entrances to Elysium: the shore, and the one that Trivia came through.

Evander was likely there. Possibly Romanos as well. Mona had to find this other portal.

But how? This was a strange new place, and she had no one to help her. She was on her own.

Her thoughts turned to Prue, and anguish ripped at her heart. She had no idea if her sister had survived. Last she’d seen, Prue and Cyrus had been in the caves of Tartarus when the dark magic had consumed everything.

She’s not dead, Mona assured herself. She’s a goddess. If anyone can survive, it’s her.

All Mona had to do was find Evander and Romanos, get back through the portal somehow, and then she could help Prue.

It all sounded impossible.

Oh Goddess, I can’t do this. Fear ate away at her chest, threatening to devour her. For a moment, her vision blurred, and she couldn’t breathe. Terror clutched at her throat, blocking her airway. Panic seized her limbs, freezing her in place.

I can’t do this I can’t do this I can’t do this.

In the deepest recesses of her mind, a song burned to life, warming her blood and bringing breath back to her lungs. She inhaled deeply, clinging to the melody, allowing it to wash over her, to soothe her, to chase away her fears…

Only when her vision returned and she was breathing normally did she realize she was humming her death song.

The song she used to sing with Evander.

“I’ve already died,” she whispered to herself. “I’ve endured the worst. I can endure this, too.”

What she didn’t say was that dying was far easier than watching the ones she loved die.

You are not a coward, she reminded herself. The voice in her head sounded like Prue, tinged with impatience and a ferocity she admired and often envied. Snap out of it, Mona. You can do this.

With a sure nod, Mona peered around the thick tree trunk one last time to ensure the people she’d overheard had vanished. Then she slipped out of her hiding spot, adjusting her dress and dusting sand off the fabric, hoping she would be able to blend in. She possessed god blood, after all. Gaia’s blood. And Gaia had once been a goddess of Elysium herself. Perhaps this would be easier than she thought.

Feeling more optimistic, Mona weaved through the trees, emerging to find a cobbled path that wound around the beach. She followed it, not quite knowing where she was going, just knowing that movement was progress.

Mona’s footsteps quickened, and she rounded a corner and collided with another figure. With an ungraceful grunt, Mona staggered backward, practically collapsing in a clumsy heap on the ground. Her feet slid on the walkway, and she caught herself just in time, prepared to cry out in indignation at whoever stood in her path.

The protest died on her lips as she took in a tall, regal figure with flaming red hair and identical crimson eyes. A shimmering golden gown was draped over one shoulder, accentuating the thick muscles in her arms. A sly smile spread across her full lips as she looked Mona over.

“Ah, now, what have we here?” she crooned. “You don’t belong here, do you, little witch?”

TALENTS

PANDORA

Pandora sat in the finest library she had ever beheld, sifting through her notes for the tenth time. The night before, she had painstakingly written out an elaborate outline that she intended to give to Sol to convince him her ideas were sound.

If she wanted the freedom to put her plan into motion, she first needed to gain his trust. And if anyone needed convincing that Pandora’s ideas were worth hearing, it was Sol, the nuisance who had belittled her for years.

“Bastard,” Pandora muttered, glancing out the massive floor-to-ceiling window once more. The sun was now high in the sky, leaving ripples of dancing light swirling among the ocean waves below. It was close to mid-morning. Where the hell was this sun god? She had sent him a clear message the day before that they were to get to work at sunrise. Wasn’t this important enough to warrant his attention? Regardless of how much he despised her, she would have thought that saving the realm actually meant something to him.

Pandora angrily shoved the table in front of her and jumped to her feet, seething. She had only been here a few days, and she had already had enough of these godsdamned idle gods and their lazy schedules and frivolous lifestyles. She rolled up her notes and tucked them into the bodice of her black dress, then ensured her ruby necklace was in place at her collarbone.

It was for more than just an accessory. It contained a fragment of death magic. Pandora always kept a few vials of pure, untainted death magic on her person, but since the Underworld was destroyed, she had limited access to it. Infusing it in a piece of jewelry had been inspired by Prue’s pomegranate necklace. Pandora had immediately known there was magic contained in the necklace, and it had been a genius idea, really.

If she hadn’t despised her sister, she might have complimented her on it.

But Prue was probably dead, so it didn’t matter.

Pandora tried to ignore the twinge of guilt that flared in her chest at the thought of her dead sister.

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