Page 51 of Salt & Blood

Pandora flinched at the casual way Mona assumed she had been lying. But could she really blame her, after everything she had done? “No, that was the truth. I do prefer it. Thank you.”

Mona offered a tired smile, then gestured to Midas’s throne. Evander had joined the Gorgon sisters and was making polite conversation. Across the room, Romanos and Marina finally broke apart and made their way to the throne as well.

“I think they’re ready for us,” Mona said in a hushed, reverent tone.

Pandora’s heart lodged itself in her throat. Gods, she wasn’t ready for this. But she squared her shoulders and cast one remorseful look at Sowho still remained unconscious—before she followed her sister to the throne where Midas sat. She wrung her hands together, painfully aware of how every set of eyes fell on her, their gazes weighted with something heavy and final.

“We understand you were sent to us to be punished for your crimes,” Marina said in a somber tone.

Pandora nodded, her mouth turning dry. Marina opened her mouth to continue, but Pandora blurted, “Wait. Please.”

Marina’s eyes narrowed at the interruption, but she waved a hand for Pandora to continue.

“I—I think Sol should be present for this.” Pandora gestured to the figure lying on the opposite side of the room. “He—I—My actions brought about the death of his mother. I deceived him, more so than any other. He needs this closure.”

Marina’s keen eyes roved over Pandora, as if scanning her for any sign of deceit. After a moment, she offered a curt nod. “Very well. We will wait for the sun god to rise. In the meantime, we must discuss what is happening to the realms.”

“It’s the magic of Pandora,” said Pandora. “Not me, but the goddess who came before me. The one who dabbled in the power of the Titans and created these dark forces. Her box was opened, and now, the dark magic is devouring everything it can get its hands on.”

Marina nodded. “Yes, we were aware the box had been opened. We need to address two major issues: stopping the darkness from spreading, and repairing the realms that have been attacked.”

Attacked.Pandora frowned at this. Marina spoke as if the magic from the box had only wounded the realms, not destroyed them.

Mona seemed to share her confusion. “The Underworld and Elysium were completely destroyed,” she said slowly. “How?—”

“An entire realm cannot be destroyed,” Midas said. “There are fail-safes in place preventing them from being wiped from existence. The balance of our world hangs on it.”

Mona glanced at Evander, whose brows were furrowed. “B-But wesawit. The darkness devoured everything in its path. The Underworld was completely eaten away.”

“The basic enchantments surrounding the realm would have been destroyed, yes,” Midas said. “But the fabric that binds the realm together remains intact. I have seen it myself in the reflection bowl.”

Pandora’s heart lurched, and Mona uttered a soft gasp, her hands flying to her mouth. “You—You’ve seen the Underworld?” Mona breathed. “Were there survivors? Is my sister there?”

“Yes,” Romanos said. “Prue and Cyrus both survived. But Apollo is there as well. From what we can discern, he seeks the throne.”

Heat coiled in Pandora’s chest, a mixture of anger and indignation. What the hell was Apollo doing? He had no right to the crown. Did he believe Elysium was a lost cause? Was he so desperate for power that he would invade another kingdom to seize control?

“He can’t,” Pandora said, shaking her head. “Prue and Cyrus are too strong for him. And the citizens of the Underworld will follow their king and queen. Apollo has no chance.”

Her words were full of conviction, but Pandora wasn’t sure how much she believed them. Apollo was no fool; if he intended to take the throne, he likely had a scheme in place. He was not one to dive into a foolhardy plan on a whim unless he was certain he would prevail.

“The Underworld is not our greatest concern,” Marina said, cutting a sharp glance at Pandora. “With two contenders for the throne, the realm is in good hands. Whoever emerges as the victor will want to have a thriving kingdom to rule over, so they will almost certainly put forth the effort to rebuild the realm. No, our priority is protectingthisrealm from an attack, and rebuilding Elysium so the souls have a place to rest.”

“Good hands?” Pandora repeated, outraged. “Leaving my home at the mercy of Apollo is not what I would callgood hands.Do you know the things he’s done?”

She didn’t realize how harsh her tone was until it echoed around them. Marina’s eyes darkened, her chin lifting. Pandora could have sworn the Gorgon rose a few inches in height to tower over her.

“Do not question me,” Marina hissed, her eyes changing to the color of flames, her pupils narrowing into slits. “Believe me when I say that Apollowillanswer for his crimes as well.” She cast a quick glance at Midas, whose jaw was rigid, his gloved hand forming a tight fist on the arm of his throne. “But there are more pressing matters to attend to. Right now, we need to send someone to Elysium to rebuild it before the restless souls bleed into the mortal realm.”

“How do we do that?” Pandora asked. “My earth magic isn’t strong enough.” She glanced at Mona, who was frowning, her eyes distant. Pandora wondered what she was thinking.

“It is not just earth magic that’s required,” Midas said. “When Apollo designed the outer boundaries, he infused them with a fail-safe connected to both his and Gaia’s magic. Only with a combination of their magic can it be activated, and from there, the wards can be rebuilt.”

Pandora frowned. “We are daughters of Apollo and Gaia.” She waved a hand between herself and Mona. “Surely, we can do it.”

Before Midas could answer, Mona said, “No.”

Pandora blinked at her sister. “Mona, what’s wrong?”

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