Page 17 of Salt & Blood

Mona pressed a hand to her chest, tears filling her eyes. “Evander?” She hesitantly placed her other hand on his cheek.

Evander’s eyes flickered open, revealing the silver irises that marked him as a deity. Slowly, his eyes snapped to Mona.

A heartbeat passed. Then another.

Evander lunged for her, drawing his arms around her, sitting up to pull her to his chest. He clutched her so tightly, Pandora was certain it would crush her.

But Mona only laughed, the sound thick with her tears as she buried her face in his chest, muttering something unintelligible.

Pandora withdrew a few steps to give them privacy and found Romanos standing a few paces away. She made her way over to him and asked, “What did you do? And how?”

Romanos offered a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I called the death magic that festered inside him. And it came to me.”

“You—You took his magic?”

Gravely, Romanos nodded, then glanced at Evander, who had tears in his eyes as he pressed kisses along Mona’s cheeks and neck, his hand stroking her hair.

Pandora felt her chest tighten. Evander had no magic. He was powerless.

And he didn’t know it yet. He was too consumed with the joy of reuniting with his lover.

Unbidden, Pandora’s gaze flicked to Sol, only to find he was already watching her. His expression was hard, like a marble statue. Pain burned in his gaze, mixed with longing and desire.

Oh, gods. When he looked at her like that…

She shook her head, breaking eye contact. But she couldn’t stop the flood of memories that assaulted her.

His hands on her bare skin. His frantic breaths in her ear. The heat of him as he ravished her body, unraveling her completely.

I had never wanted anyone as much as I wanted you. Not since her.

Those were the words he’d told her on the balcony that night. When he had admitted she had rekindled something lost inside of him.

And now, she’d broken him. Shattered whatever they had shared together.

With a shaky breath, Pandora pushed the thoughts from her mind and approached Farah. “When do we leave for the Gorgon sisters?”

Before Farah could respond, Sol interjected. “If she is to accept punishment for my mother’s death, I insist on being there to witness it.”

Pandora stared at the determination in his gaze. Would he be relieved, or devastated if the Gorgon sisters called for her death?

“You have a whole realm of people to look after,” Pandora said. “You were Apollo’s apprentice. With him gone, they have no one to look to but you.”

“Apollo is not gone,” Sol said.

Pandora stiffened, and the darkness within her raged in response. “What?”

“He still lives. I can sense his power. He bound my sun magic to his. If he were dead, I would have felt it.”

Pandora’s eyes flared wide as she looked at Farah, then Mona and Evander, who were watching the exchange with solemn interest.

Apollo still lives.

The darkness did not destroy him.

And deeper within her, a voice hissed,I will have my revenge.

Pandora closed her eyes, hunching over from the agony of the fury churning inside her. Darkness. Screams. Blinding white light that seared into her skin…

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