Page 53 of Salt & Blood

A deafeningboomshook the ground and the walls, raining dust and dirt from above. For one horrible moment, Pandora thought another monster had come to attack. But a few servants darted forward, their eyes wide and full of excitement as they approached Midas and bowed deeply.

“What is it?” he demanded, glancing up at the ceiling with wary apprehension. “What has come?”

“My lord,” said the first servant, a smile tugging at his lips. “It is Gaia. Gaia has come.”

ADVANTAGE

PRUE

Prue’s nightmareswere plagued by Hyperion’s dark eyes as he choked the life from her, his fingers tightening around her throat as darkness pressed in. She woke with a start, her neck throbbing in pain as if the Titan’s hands had actually been wrapped around her. Light filtered into Cyrus’s bedchamber, and Prue was twisted up in his bedsheets. She didn’t remember falling asleep. Her face was sticky with tears.

And Cyrus had not returned.

Blinking sleepily, Prue sat up and surveyed the room, thinking perhaps he was dressing or bathing and she hadn’t seen him yet. After climbing out of bed, she padded across the chamber, then peered into the bathing room. When she turned, she found a tray of fruits, cheeses, sliced bread, and raspberry tarts waiting for her in the sitting area. She popped a few grapes in her mouth, her stomach growling, then followed it with a heel of bread.

It wasn’t until after she finished eating a generous helping of tarts that she realized a servant had been in here. Which meant someone had seen her in Cyrus’s room and could very likely report to Apollo.

But as she glanced to the door for the tenth time, her stomach hollowed, and she feared the worst. If Apollo had killed Cyrus, then it wouldn’t matterwhosaw Prue in this bedchamber.

She began pacing the room, wringing her hands together over and over as she deliberated what to do. Her instincts told her to charge after Apollo and demand to see her husband. But what if Hyperion was waiting for her? Would she survive another attack from him?

Besides, what if Cyrus’s negotiations with Apollo were going well? What if she ruined everything by storming in on their discussion?

But sheknewCyrus… Even if he claimed to be civil, she knew his temper would get the better of him. He would threaten Apollo. Possibly even attack him.

And if Hyperion was there…

Prue stilled, her eyes flaring wide as the food in her stomach churned with anxiety.Oh, Goddess…

Would Cyrus survive an attack from Hyperion? If the Titan siphoned energy from him, would it kill him?

Caution be damned.Prue strode to the door, purpose and resolve flooding her veins. She’d waited long enough.

She yanked on the door handle, only to come face-to-face with Cyrus.

Prue yelped, and Cyrus clamped a hand over her mouth, his eyes wide with warning. Wordlessly, he walked her backward into the room before shutting and locking the door once more. Only when he turned to face her did she realize he was panting, and his face was a shade paler than usual.

“Cyrus?” she asked hesitantly.

His hands were braced on the door, his head bowed as he sucked in gulps of air. Hesitantly, Prue placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t shake her off, so she tugged on him, pulling him to face her.

When he did, she almost staggered backward in alarm.

His eyes glowedsilver.

Prue’s blood chilled as she gaped at him, glancing over his form for any other sign of god power, like his tattoos or his horns or his silver hair.

But no. Only his eyes were different. And the longer she looked at them, the more the silver began to fade, slowly dimming to the blue of his human eyes.

“What—What happened?” she breathed.

“I attacked Apollo.” His voice was strained.

“Dammit, Cyrus,” Prue hissed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. She was torn between amusement—becauseof coursehe hadn’t been able to restrain himself around Apollo—and frustration that he would do something so stupid and reckless. “Did he hurt you?”

“No. In fact… when I put my hands on him, I—” Cyrus broke off, then cast her a wary look, as if afraid she wouldn’t believe him.

Prue’s expression softened. “What? You can tell me.”

---