Page 47 of Salt & Blood

Someone cried out, and the hydra’s head turned. Hovering in air, suspended by his strange, ghostly wings, Evander drove his sword into the monster’s eye. The beast reared back with a shriek, its body shifting just enough for Pandora to wriggle free. Gasping for air, her left thigh screaming in pain, Pandora hobbled away from the creature as quickly as she could manage, slamming into something hard.

Arms wrapped around her, stilling her. Pandora froze and looked up into Sol’s face. He seemed as startled as she was. She hadn’t realized she’d run straight into his arms. He looked over her with alarm and concern, taking in the inky blood staining her face and clothes.

“Are you—Are you hurt?” he asked. The desperation in his voice tugged at something within her.

Pandora shook her head, even though her leg throbbed in pain. She gazed up at Sol, running her hand along a deep gash above his eyebrow. He winced but did not flinch away from her touch. Warmth radiated from his chest as it lined up with hers. They hadn’t stood this close to one another since that night on the balcony. The night he had fully ravished her.

“Evander,no!” Mona screamed.

Panic burst in Pandora’s chest, jolting her from the hazy stupor of being so close to Sol. She whirled in time to see Evander’s sword slice through the neck of the hydra.

“Oh, shit,” she whispered.

The severed head fell with a resoundingthudon the earthy floor. Brief silence filled the space as black blood gushed from the open wound. Pandora gaped in horror as the flesh stretched and flexed, slowing the flow of blood. The skin split and elongated, forming two long necks. In an instant, two more heads appeared, red eyes gleaming with triumph.

Pandora hadn’t seen the blow, but now she wondered if the creature had intentionally placed itself in the path of Evander’s sword. He had blinded it; perhaps the hydra had decided it was worth the pain to grow back two fresh heads.

This creature was smart.Toosmart.

Evander’s face was ashen and stricken with horror. His translucent wings flapped harder as he withdrew, putting more space between himself and the hydra.

Mona was there, arms outstretched as vines and thorns sprang from the earth. A quick glance upward told Pandora the ceiling had been repaired. The monster was trapped.

But so were they.

The monster reared back as Mona’s vines encircled it, tying down its feet just like Pandora’s roots had. Screeches filled the air as the beast pulled at the vines, snapping them easily. It stomped backward, away from Mona—and toward Pandora and Sol.

Sol shoved Pandora behind him, her hands meeting the rocky wall as he shielded her from the beast. A serpentine head lunged for him, and his anguished shout made Pandora’s heart seize in her chest. Silver blood spurted—Sol’s blood.

A scream tore at her throat. She spread her hands, summoning every drop of power she possessed. The ground quaked and split, and this time, more than roots emerged. Vines and bushes, flowers and shrubs—all manner of foliage burst forth from the ground, seeping across the floor like oozing blood. Alarmed, the hydra drew back from Sol, who crumpled, cradling his right arm. It was so covered in blood that Pandora couldn’t even see the wound. Massive shrubs grew in size, trapping the creature in like a hedge maze.

“Midas!” Mona screamed. “Midas,now!”

Another jolt of energy filled the room, and Mona’s vines latched onto each of the creature’s necks, tying it down. It wouldn’t hold for long. But then Midas was there, sliding under the beast’s belly, eyes hard with determination and fire. He thrust his hands upward, fingers grasping the hydra’s chest. Gold light flowed from his fingertips, encasing the creature’s scales. The light shimmered and spread, bleeding across the hydra one scale at a time. The beast shrieked, heads thrashing, but part of its torso was already frozen, and it couldn’t move. Mona’s vines snapped, but she conjured more. Pandora added more of her magic to keep the beast at bay. Its chest might be turning to gold, but its long necks could still lash out at the others.

Pandora didn’t let herself glance down at Sol, though she felt him near her feet. He wasn’t moving.

He’s alive,she told herself.He has to be. He’s alive.

She pushed and pushed until she had nothing left, pouring all her magic into the earthy cage she had crafted. Midas’s hands moved to the beast’s legs, spreading more gold as the hydra slowly transformed into a gold statue. Each spot where the king touched brought more brilliant gold light that glistened and shimmered. Slowly, the hydra’s movements halted. Now, its torso and legs were transformed into gold. The light moved upward, creeping forward until the monster’s necks were contained.

One last desperate screech echoed in the air as the hydra struggled in vain to avoid its fate. And then, it fell completely silent as the gold encased it completely.

Gasping for breath and struggling to see through the dizzying fog of her mind, Pandora stared up at the frozen hydra, waiting for it to break free and attack once more.

But it didn’t. It was now nothing more than a gold statue, forever preserved in that one moment of fear and desperation.

When Pandora was certain the beast was dead, she dropped to her knees, her hands on Sol as she tried to rouse him.

“Sol!” she cried. “Gods above, Sol, please…Please.”

His eyes were closed and his face was ghostly pale. She gingerly touched his arm and choked back a sob.

Three of his fingers were missing. That damned monster had chewed off half his hand. Silver blood gushed from the stumps where his fingers had been. He was bleeding too much. Even a god could bleed out.

“Mona!” Pandora screamed. “Mona, I need you!” She wasn’t strong enough to heal him, but Mona was. Her sister could fix this.

He just had to hold on another minute. He had to make it.

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