Page 53 of Queen of Serpents and Shadows

20

Ara

Nyx’s smile was a warning.I knew whatever she had coming was going to be far worse than a pegasus trying to kill me. I glanced over at Obsidian, wishing he could give me a clue as to what to expect. Or maybe information about how to survive.

“In there.” The goddess pointed to a cave, that same disturbing smile on her lips.

Reluctantly, I walked toward the small opening. Another cave. Another dark space. I was never going to allow myself to enter anything like this if I survived this war. I’d live in an open home with billowing curtains as my walls and the sound of the sea in my ears. A reminder of the wide expanse of freedom the water promised anyone brave enough to traverse her depths.

I watched Nyx, keeping my expression impassive. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of knowing how tightly wound my insides were.

The cave opening was lower than any I’d ventured in before, and it was shallow. I could see the entire thing by standing in the entrance. I looked around, noting that it was a completely typical cave. Dirt and rocks covered the floor, light entered through the mouth, walls were covered in moss. It didn’t seem to have any tunnels or crevices I could explore. I turned in a slow circle, certain I was missing something important.

When I returned to facing the cave entrance, I intended to ask Nyx for clarification, but she wasn’t there. Naxos wasn’t even there.

My heart leaped as I stepped out of the space to find myself standing in Athos.

How was this possible? The cave must have been a portal. But it didn’t look like the portal on Konos and I hadn’t even felt the magic. Maybe it was Nyx herself who sent me. I didn’t know the full scope of her power, but I knew it was great.

I was on the outskirts of the city, near the temple to Athena. It would take me some time to walk to the palace, but I wasn’t sure that was the best use of my time. There was no way Nyx had sent me here for a visit with my family. I hadn’t even been gone that long yet. If they saw me, they’d think I was finished and that I’d survived her tasks. I didn’t want to get their hopes up only to leave again.

If a visit wasn’t the reason for my return home, it had to be something else. What task would I need to complete in Athos?

I started walking toward the temple, looking around as I did in case there were any clues. I expected to see acolytes and priests walking around the grounds, tending to the garden. Or catch glimpses of them inside the marble building, completing their duties to the goddess. Instead, it was empty.

The lack of other people was making my fingers tingle in anticipation. Something wasn’t quite right. Though, nothing had been right for a long time. Had they evacuated the city in the time I’d been away?

I knew I wasn’t supposed to enter the temple, but I couldn’t help but take a few steps in to confirm that I was truly alone. Flames danced and flickered on vats of oil, burning faithfully despite the lack of attendants.

“Hello?” I called.

My echo was the only response.

A lump in my throat made swallowing harder. Even in times of battle, the priests usually stayed in the temples. They were sacred spaces, meant to be off limits in war. Where would they have gone?

I exited the space, then began walking toward town. If the temple wasn’t the destination for this task, maybe it was in the city. Or at the palace. Or maybe I was supposed to go to where Nyx’s new temple was being constructed. Did she want me to do something about making her more loved by the people?

What if I never figured it out? Would Nyx help me figure it out or was she going to let me wander forever unaided?

The city was as empty as the temple and everything looked more run-down than it had last time I’d walked through. Was this because I’d last seen it in the dark?

Paint was peeling on every surface. The blue roofs were chipped and had blotches of color that didn’t match. The roads seemed even more uneven and were littered with loose stones that I had to avoid. A group of stray cats peered from the darkness of an alleyway, their eyes glowing as they observed me.

It was so still. So quiet. So empty. Like death had already come for Athos.

Goosebumps rose on my arms, and I rubbed them to send away the sudden chill. I wasn’t sure if I should keep walking out in the open or if I should avoid being seen. I’d never felt this unsettled here.

When I reached the Black Opal, I was startled to see that the courtyard was exposed, the wall that used to block the entry was completely gone. The building itself was destroyed. The roof had caved in. The once pristine black top of the building had made it iconic among a sea of blue. Now, it was crumbled remnants. The entire structure sagging under its weight.

The people must have found out that Selena was fae. It was the only thing I could come up with to explain such complete destruction. It would have taken a massive group to do something like this.

Unless it was a monster or some other kind of attack. My pulse raced and I started to run. I no longer cared what my task was, I had to get to the palace and find my sisters. Things were very wrong in Athos.

There were no guards waiting for me. Nobody stood outside the palace gates. The gates themselves were parted, a gap between them indicating that they weren’t even closed, let alone locked. Anyone could access the palace.

My lungs were still burning from sprinting here, but I ignored the discomfort as I pushed the gates open and raced toward the front steps of the palace. The front door was missing, leaving a wide opening anyone could walk through. How had so much happened while I’d been away? What if I was on that island longer than I realized? What if the battle ended, and the fae won and everyone I loved was already dead?

“Lagina?” I yelled as I ran down the empty hall. “Cora? Sophia?” I went from room to room. Nobody in the breakfast room or the throne room. Nobody in the study or the library. Even their bedrooms were vacant.

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