Page 38 of Salt & Blood

He was momentarily jolted from his awe of the earth witch haven when both Mona and Pandora stiffened beside him, their wide eyes fixed on the king. Sol was bowing before him, but Midas rose and brought his gloved hands to Sol’s shoulders, his face splitting into a wide smile.

And he called himnephew.

Evander hadn’t known Hestia well, so her death hadn’t affected him nearly as much as Mona. But he did have a certain reverence for the fire goddess. She had stepped in the path of Apollo’s fury when Evander could not. Ultimately, she had made the sacrifice Evander intended to make himself.

He had been too weak to absorb the blow. And for that, he felt he owed Hestia—and her bloodline—his life.

He felt the sudden urge to lay himself at Midas’s feet, to beg his forgiveness, to offer his sincerest apologies that his sister was dead.

Did Midas even know? If Apollo had cursed him, Evander presumed this meant the god was unable to return to Elysium. Did he realize his sister had died? Had he somehow sensed it?

Midas and Sol were speaking in undertones, both of them grinning. The sun god looked unrecognizable. Evander had grown so accustomed to his scowl that to see his dark eyes light up and crinkle with delight was strange.

“And who have you brought with you?” Midas asked, approaching the rest of their party. Pandora inched behind Mona, the movement almost imperceptible. She looked as if she wished to melt away from the room entirely.

Evander couldn’t blame her. Sol clearly despised her. And if Midas was Sol’s uncle, then Pandora was right to fear him. Would the king seek retribution by punishing Pandora? Saffron had mentioned Midas’s word was final, which made it seem likeheheld the authority, not the Gorgon sisters.

When Midas stood before them, Mona curtsied low, and Evander followed suit with a bow. Pandora lowered herself as well, head bowed and hands trembling as she held her skirts.

“Greetings, Your Highness,” Mona said, her head still inclined politely toward the king. “We thank you for allowing us entry. We come with grave tidings from Elysium and have come to seek your aid.”

This wasn’t entirely true; technically, they were there to see the Gorgon sisters. But if Midas harbored ill will toward Apollo, it likely meant he could be their ally.

Evander found himself smiling at Mona’s wit. Instead of speaking of Hestia’s death, shifting the focus on the loss of Elysium and Apollo’s disappearance would hopefully inspire Midas to work alongside them.

Midas’s expression sobered. His brows lowered, and he nodded gravely. “Yes. I know all about what’s happened in Elysium.” His eyes shifted to Pandora and they seemed to darken with fury.

Evander straightened. “How?” he asked. “Your Highness,” he added quickly.

“I have a reflection bowl, courtesy of that damned sun god when he cursed me.” Midas’s voice lowered to a growl. “I think he enjoyed gloating, knowing I was watching him live the life of a beloved king while I wasted away here in the mortal realm.”

Something prickled in the back of Evander’s mind. If he recalled correctly, there were two reflection bowls in existence. One was in the Underworld, likely in Cyrus’s palace somewhere. The waters in the bowl allowed a person to observe any place in any realm whenever they wished.

“So, you saw what happened?” Sol asked. His gaze also flicked to Pandora, but there was no anger there. Evander could have sworn he saw concern in that expression, but it vanished almost immediately.

“I did,” Midas said. “I witnessed my sister’s death and the attack of that horrible darkness. Not only that, but I know where that asshole father of yours ended up.” He gestured to Mona, who went rigid.

“I—I beg your pardon?” Mona asked, her voice rising to a squeak.

The entire room seemed to grow still with awareness. Pandora’s eyes were round as saucers. Sol’s face had drained of color, and Evander felt his own blood chill.

Midas snorted, unaffected by the horrified reactions to his declaration. “You did not know? Well, my condolences. I would not wish that kind of father on anyone.”

Mona shook her head and raised a hand, stepping toward the king with a panicked expression on her face. “Forgive me, Your Highness, but… who are you referring to?”

“Apollo, of course,” Midas said, his face twisting into a sneer. “Such a coward, hiding in the Underworld. As if that place is worth anything anymore.”

Evander’s heart slammed wildly in his ribcage as his mind struggled to keep up with Midas’s words. “The Underworld?”

“No, hold on.” Pandora drew closer to the king, her eyes wild and full of terror. “You—You saidApollo? He’s—He’s her father?” She pointed to Mona with a shaking finger.

“Are you daft?” Midas snapped. “Yes, that’s what I said.”

Pandora inhaled a ragged breath and pressed a hand to her chest. Her eyes rolled back, and she sank to her knees, her breaths turning into sharp wheezes.

Mona rushed toward her, clutching her shoulders before she collapsed on the ground. “Trivia?Trivia! Look at me.”

Pandora’s head lolled backward, but Evander could tell this was no ordinary fainting spell. After a moment, her body began to twitch and thrash, her head jerking away from Mona.

---