Page 81 of Salt & Blood

As much asPandora wanted to linger in bed all day with Sol, she knew they had an important duty to fulfill.

But that didn’t mean she had to rush out of the house that morning.

He woke her by kissing her shoulder, allowing his tongue to roam the expanse of her naked skin. After that, she was straddling him, hands pressed to his chest and her head thrown back as he thrust into her again and again, drawing out ragged moans from her.

Once they’d finished, she managed to get half dressed before Sol came up behind her. His arms snaked around her waist, and his fingers inched up her abdomen to massage her breasts.

The tunic she’d been trying to button had fallen in tatters to the floor as Sol pushed her up against the wall. Her legs wrapped around him, and he took her all over again, burying himself between her legs and crying out her name as he came a second time. Pandora had to admit his stamina was impressive; nothing at all like the feeble demons she’d tousled with in the Underworld.

Perhaps that was the benefit of tangling with a sun god.

“If you don’t stop, we’ll keep Gaia waiting all day,” Pandora panted as Sol withdrew from her. She retrieved a new tunic from the wardrobe.

“Well, if you would stop looking so damn enticing, it wouldn’t be so difficult to resist,” he quipped, shooting her a lazy smile over his shoulder.

She couldn’t help but grin back at him. It was hard to refuse, especially with how uncertain their future was. The darkness from her box could arrive at any moment, as could the Titans. Plus there was Apollo to deal with. There were too many threats, and Pandora had crossed too many lines to consider herself free.

With the voices and the rage inside her, she wouldneverbe free. And she refused to drag Sol down with her.

So, she would treasure these moments. Because they very well could be her last.

When they were both finally dressed and ready to leave, Sol drew her in for one last tantalizing kiss—ensuring his tongue ravished her mouth completely—before they left the house. Her skin and blood were still humming from their lovemaking, and despite the ache between her legs, all she wanted to do was drag Sol back to bed. Perhaps the day would be uneventful, and they could continue their exploits well into the night…

But, of course, she wasn’t so lucky.

As they approached the outer wards where Gaia waited for them, Pandora immediately knew something was wrong. The air felt thinner, and the winds were stronger. There was also a heady darkness swirling in the air that was all too familiar to Pandora.

“Shit,” she whispered, then broke into a run to reach Gaia’s side. Sol said nothing but followed suit.

When Gaia turned, her face was stricken with fear. “We are out of time.”

“The Titans?” Sol asked, looking around.

“No. The magic of Pandora’s box. It has found us.” Gaia turned to Pandora. “It doesn’t matter if you are ready or not. We need to try to reactivate the wards.Now.”

Pandora nodded, ignoring the spinning anxiety within her stomach. She should have been quicker to rise this morning. If the realm was destroyed all because she and Sol hadn’t been able to keep their hands off each other, she would never forgive herself.

“I need you to summon her,” Gaia said in a low voice.

Pandora’s heart lurched, and her eyes narrowed. “What?” That wasn’t part of their plan.

“Summon the goddess within you. Let her magic infuse this area.” Gaia spread her arms to indicate the grassy ground at their feet.

“Why?” Pandora snapped. “That’s a terrible idea.”

“We need to lure the darknesshere.Distract it from what we’ll be doing at the fulcrum.”

Pandora swallowed hard. They had not practiced this. The plan was for her and Sol to use their combined magic to activate the wards. But the darkness was here now; they hadn’t expected it to arrive so soon. “I’ve never summoned her at will before. And if she overtakes me…”

“I’ll be here.” Sol took her hand in his. “I’ll stay by your side the whole time.”

Pandora looked at him and found nothing but earnest determination on his face. The solid confidence in his eyes filled her with newfound bravery, and she found herself nodding. “All right.”

“It will be the opposite of our training,” Gaia said. “Close your eyes, and think ofheremotions.Hermemories. Not yours. Learning the difference will help you when we reach the fulcrum, so this exercise will be good for you.”

Sure it will,Pandora thought doubtfully, but she obediently closed her eyes. The fury inside her had ebbed, thanks to her training and Sol’s generous touches last night. Ignoring her instincts to leave the sleeping goddess be, Pandora mentally prodded her, summoning those old memories that had haunted her for most of her life.

The screams.

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