Page 73 of Salt & Blood

Used me.

She cares for nothing and no one.

Something exploded within her as if a volcano had erupted. With a roar, Pandora unleashed the strength of her power, letting loose her hatred and fury. The air shimmered with magic, the power tickling her nostrils.

When her eyes opened, they met a wall of ivy blocking the sea completely from view. The leaves shifted in the wind, but they were layered so thickly that not even a tiny breeze ruffled her hair.

A breathless laugh escaped her, and she couldn’t stop the disbelieving smile from spreading across her face.

“You are holding yourself back,” Gaia said.

Pandora turned to find Gaia watching her carefully, as if afraid of what she might do next.

Her smile fading, Pandora asked, “What do you mean?”

“You are so afraid of letting her free that you hold yourself back. I think you are having trouble discerning her thoughts from your own.”

“Of course I am,” Pandora snarled. “She lives inside my body. She takes over my thoughts. I question everything because of her.”

“But with each summoning of your earth power, you solidify your own intentions. You separate yourself from her. I believe youknowyour own emotions, Trivia. You just have to trust them.”

Pandora swallowed hard. “I can’t,” she whispered.

Gaia stepped closer. “Youcan. You can do this, daughter.”

Pandora’s eyes closed. She was too tired to demand that Gaia not call her that. She was too tired to argue. And above all, she was far too tired for this fight. She wasn’t strong enough to resist the goddess inside her. When her powers unlocked, she knew deep down that that was when the darkness would strike. It would try to take over in the very moment she felt confident enough to conjure the magic on her own.

Right now, it was merely biding its time, waiting for its opportunity.

“I… will try,” Pandora said at last. “But I have to rest.”

Gaia nodded once. “Of course. We will resume in the morning.” She turned to leave, then paused, glancing back, her eyes surveying the wall of ivy that separated them from the waters. “Do check on Sol, will you? If he is in pain, he could use a friend right now. And I don’t believe I qualify.” A small smile lit her face.

Pandora was about to say that she didn’t qualify either, but Gaia had already turned to leave, her feet gliding in the sand as she made her way back to the village.

Like the coward she was, Pandora stood on the threshold of the house she and Sol shared, unable to take that final step and open the door. She didn’t want to see him. She didn’t want to witness the pain on his face, the misery of losing the one love he’d ever known.

She didn’t want to know that he was mourning the loss of that despicable goddess.

And, more than anything, she didn’t want to see him yearn for another woman. A woman who was not her.

She wasn’t strong enough for it. Not tonight.

She turned, not sure where she was intending to go—perhaps she was crazy enough to ask Gaia if she could sleep in her house for the night—when the door opened.

Her heart lurched in her throat as she whirled to face Sol. His hair was mussed, as if he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly. His dark eyes were wide and a bit crazed. He wore a loose tunic that was open at the front, revealing a smattering of chest hair.

“Trivia,” he said softly.

Pandora’s throat closed, and she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t even breathe.

“Why are you just standing there? Come inside.” Sol stepped back to let her through.

As if of their own accord, her feet moved, and she stepped over the threshold. Sol closed the door and turned to face her, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You’re back,” he said awkwardly.

“I am.” Her voice was strained, and she kept her gaze fixed on the ceramic floors.

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