Page 58 of Salt & Blood

“Why have you come?” Marina asked. “What brings you to us?”

“My daughter,” Gaia said. “I have come to face her, to accept whatever wrath she brings so her suffering may come to an end.”

A choked laugh bubbled up Pandora’s throat before she could stop herself. She kept her back to Gaia, afraid that same dark power would rise again, but she felt every pair of eyes shift to her.

“Nowyou’ve come?” Pandora called out, her voice ringing in the cavern. “I suppose you were too busy to visit over the past twenty years?” Beside her, Sol kept a firm grip on her arm, and she focused on the warmth of his skin on hers, using it to ground her and keep her present.

Gaia hesitated before responding with a defensive edge in her voice, “Apollo cursed me. I was confined to the mortal realm. There was no way for me to see you, unless you came here. But now, Prudence has freed me, and I sensed your presence here in my realm.”

“Prue freed you?” Mona asked with a gasp. “Have you seen her? Is she well?”

“She is well, but she will be facing Apollo soon,” Gaia said grimly. “I fear for her. For all three of you.”

Pandora scoffed and shook her head, crossing her arms as she glowered at the earth wall in front of her. “I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time believing anything you say. You’ve just liedso manytimes, it’s getting hard to keep track.”

“Trivia,” Mona hissed in warning.

Pandora ignored her, clinging to the anger she felt toward her mother. There was a strange comfort in knowing it belonged to her and not the memories of her other life.

“Didn’t she lie to you your entire life?” Pandora asked Mona. “She lied about who she was and whoyouwere, then did nothing when you died and your soul was disconnected from your body.”

“She couldn’t do anything,” Mona argued, but her voice sounded weak, as if she didn’t quite believe it.

“Bullshit,” Pandora growled, her arms quivering with rage. “She’s the Goddess of the Earth. And a powerful witch. I don’t believe she was completely powerless.”

Mona started to speak, but Gaia cut her off. “She’s right. I had the power to use my magic for the benefit of others, but not myself. I could have done more.”

The words should have satisfied Pandora, but they only made her angrier. “Is that supposed to be an apology?”

“I would love nothing more than to offer my heartfelt apologies, if you’ll let me,” Gaia said softly. “It’s all I’ve yearned to do for twenty years now. But I sense you have more to say to me first.”

“You abandoned me,” Pandora cried, tears burning in her eyes. “You let him take me to that wretched realm, surrounded by demons and death magic, to be raised by a god who didn’t give two shits about me. You could have cast spells, sent messages to the beyond, triedsomethingto reach me, but you never did! Not once did you send a messenger or a vision or a tendril of your power to comfort me. Not once did you bother to explain yourself or try to know me. Only now, whensheis ready to destroy you, when this soul inside me is close to taking over—nowis when you decide to finally face me and apologize? No. I don’t want to hear it. You’re twenty years too late, and I refuse to listen to your half-assed apologies and explanations.”

Silence rang in the throne room after her words, and Pandora hated herself for the tears that flowed freely down her cheeks.

Several minutes passed, but no one said a word. Gaia did not try to continue apologizing. Pandora had no words left in her. And the rest of the crowd could only stare, wide-eyed at the two of them as if wondering who would speak next.

To Pandora’s surprise, it was Marina who spoke first. Her voice was soft as she said, “I think we have decided on your punishment, Trivia.”

Forgetting to face the wall, Pandora whirled to the Gorgons, bewildered by this subject change. But the three sisters were nodding, as if communicating through thoughts.

“Yes,” said the sister with the partially shaved head. “A fitting sentence, I think.”

“What?” Pandora said in disbelief. “I—I don’t understand.”

“To pay for your crimes, we sentence you to live in Elysium, to work with this sun god to rebuild it.” Marina gestured to Sol, who straightened, eyebrows lifted in surprise. “You will also go with Gaia, who will train you to harness your earth magic so you can become powerful enough to activate the fail-safe within the wards. Once you do that, you are to rebuild the wards and the realm of Elysium so the souls can return to their resting place.”

Pandora felt the blood drain from her face. She shook her head, her hands trembling. “I—No. I can’t. I can’t do that!”

“We have witnessed the power of the soul inside you,” said the third sister, her green eyes vibrant as she looked at Pandora. “It is strong enough, if it can be harnessed. Gaia can help you with this. To work alongside the goddess who evokes such uncontrollable rage from you would be a fitting punishment for the crimes you have committed.”

“Please,” Pandora said hoarsely, glancing between the Gorgon sisters. “Pleasedon’t do this.”

“Our word is final,” said Marina, her face like stone. “You three will leave for Elysium immediately.”

DREAD

MONA

---