Page 46 of Salt & Blood

It was the biggest creature she had ever seen. And while the demons of the Underworld were intelligent, sentient creatures, this monster was all animal. No awareness in those all-black eyes; only bloodlust.

The ground shook as the creature tried to rise. Beside Pandora, Mona was frantically working to knit the ceiling back together with her earth magic. Hand still clutched in hers, Pandora returned to the task at hand, summoning as much of her own magic as she could. As soon as they closed up the hole in the ceiling with their magic, they would be able to trap the creature here. It would not be able to escape.

Then they could kill it.

But with the presence of this dark being, her memories rose up, threatening to drown her. From inside her, the soul of the goddess thrashed and raged, desperate to be unleashed, to join in the powerful fury of the monster. She couldsenseits energy, its kinship to the Titan magic used to create the box and all the creatures inside.

No,Pandora thought, gritting her teeth.You will stay put. You are not in control.

A deep, resonant part of her laughed in response, and a chill swept over her body. Cold awareness seeped into her, clouding her mind and weakening her resolve.

She was a slave to the memories, to the past life harbored inside her. And she would never be free.

Pandora’s magic flickered, and her arms went slack. Her stomach sank, and she had the urge to drop to her knees and cry out in despair.

I can’t win this battle. She will always control me. I will never be rid of her.

The darkness continued to rage inside her, slamming against the walls of her mind, desperate to be free.

Pandora wanted to give in. She was just so damn tired of fighting…

A shout rang out nearby, and Pandora’s ears prickled with recognition. Her head snapped up, and she locked eyes with Sol across the room.

The hydra had cornered him, drawn in by the brilliant sun magic flowing from his fingertips. He provided a diversion while Mona finished repairing the ceiling, but the distraction wastooeffective. The hydra was fixated on him. Saliva dripped from its fangs, and its maws opened wide, prepared to devour the sun god.

Something snapped within Pandora. All darkness, all uncertainty and confusion fled her body, and she lunged without thinking. A bolt of clarity speared through her, silencing the fury mounting inside her.

Save Sol. I have to save him.

The goddess’s presence within her vanished. The memories faded. Pandora could see nothing but Sol before her, fear creeping into his features. He glanced behind him, suddenly realizing he’d been backed into a corner as the monster closed in on him. Blinding white light burned from his fingertips, luring the beast closer. When Sol realized he had nowhere to turn, he dropped his hands, dousing the light.

But the hydra had already decided on its target, and it would not be deterred.

Sol darted left, but one of the hydra’s five heads intercepted, gnashing its teeth. Sol ducked to avoid the full strike, but the creature’s fang caught on his elbow, drawing blood.

Pandora roared in anger, sprinting at full speed toward the hydra. Its back was to her, so it didn’t notice when she summoned her roots right next to its tail. Thick oak trees sprang forth, and Pandora caught a branch in her hands before thrusting it into the monster’s side.

The hydra screamed, the sound shrill and deafening, making Pandora’s ears throb. But she didn’t stop there. She shoved and twisted until the sharp branch had fully impaled the monster. Her roots kept moving, surrounding the creature, climbing over its legs and claws. One of the hydra’s heads turned to leer at her, eyes blazing and fangs bared, but Pandora glared right back at it, undeterred. Half its focus was still on Sol—the benefit of having multiple heads.

But it also meant its attention was divided. And Pandora could take advantage of that.

The underbelly is its blind spot,she reminded herself. She didn’t know where Midas was or what he was waiting for—the beast was plenty distracted, and this was the perfect opportunity. So, if he wouldn’t take it, she certainly would.

If it meant saving Sol’s life, she would do this.

More branches snapped as she gathered one in each hand, wielding their sharpened points at the hydra. Another head turned in her direction, and the creature tried stepping backward to draw closer to her.

Her roots tightened over the beast’s feet, restricting its movements. It stumbled, falling over as it struggled to right itself.

Taking advantage of its disorientation, Pandora dived forward, sliding underneath its torso and thrusting the branches into its scaly flesh.

The creature shifted, managing to free one foot and slide out of the way. One branch missed, but the other sank into its chest, drawing black blood that spattered on Pandora’s face. She choked and coughed, spitting it out of her mouth and struggling not to retch.

The hydra fell, and Pandora wasn’t quick enough. Before she could roll out of the way, its torso pinned her legs, trapping her underneath its massive weight.

Shit.This was bad. So very bad.

The monster sensed her writhing underneath it. It stretched its long, scaly necks, craning to inspect her with part curiosity, part hunger. Keen red eyes fixed on her, narrowing with intense fury.

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