Page 82 of Salt & Blood

The burning bright light.

Her soul and body, ripped apart by Apollo’s magic.

Pandora slid her hand free from Sol’s grasp, and the absence of his warmth only coaxed the darkness forward. A roar built in her chest as the presence inside her stirred to life.

Pandora inwardly cringed at the swelling emotions that intruded on her thoughts.

Pain.

Agony.

Kill them all. Kill them now!

Pandora forced her eyes open and shifted her gaze to Gaia, knowing it would anger the darkness the most.

As expected, a shrill scream echoed in her mind, and Pandora lunged. At the last second, she reeled in those emotions, shutting her eyes again and taking Sol’s hand, squeezing his fingers tightly to block out the voices. With her other hand, she flexed her fingers, extending her arm toward the wards. Darkened shadows erupted from her fingertips, saturating the air and stinging her nostrils with the sharp smell of death magic.

“Gods, I never thought I would have to smell that again,” Sol muttered.

Pandora blinked. The sound of his voice jolted her from the haze of her memories, and she dropped her hand as the shadows dissipated. “What? Death magic?”

“Not just death magic. Titan magic.”

Pandora’s stomach soured, and she released his hand again, stung by the reminder that she possessed something inside her that was so foul to him.

Sol took both her hands this time, tugging her toward him so she was forced to meet his gaze. He ducked his head to look into her eyes. “I love you, Trivia. Not this soul inside you. Butyou. Never forget that.” He brushed his knuckle under her chin and brought his mouth to hers in a teasing, gentle kiss.

Pandora found herself trembling from his touch, and when he withdrew, she took a shuddering breath.

“I think that did it,” Gaia said. “Come. We must get to the fulcrum as quickly as possible.”

The air was roaring with turbulent wind by the time Pandora, Gaia, and Sol reached the courtyard that marked the peak of Elysium’s magic. In the center was a pedestal surrounded by pillars and braziers. A small copse of trees lined the courtyard, and at the edge of the fulcrum was a cliff facing the ocean.

Pandora’s hair billowed around her, and she stared up at the darkening sky with a sense of foreboding. The last time her magic had come to her, she had felt relief, fully believing her revenge was about to be complete. She had shattered her relationship with Sol and revealed her true nature to Apollo.

Oh, how naïve she had been.

“Trivia,” Gaia murmured, her blue eyes sharp as they fixed on her.

Pandora blinked away the memories and focused on her mother.

“You can do this,” Gaia whispered. “I know you can. You have always had the power within you. And you are stronger than you think.”

Pandora’s throat welled up with unexpected emotion at the intense look on Gaia’s face. The earth goddess truly believed in her. Even though they were essentially strangers and Pandora had sought her death for most of her life, Gaia still trusted her and believed she could do this.

Pandora’s eyes burned, and she knew if she spoke that she would start crying. So instead, she merely nodded.

“I will stay down here and warn you if the magic gets too close,” Gaia said, inclining her head toward the raised platform of the fulcrum. “But it must be you two on the fulcrum.”

Pandora looked at Sol. “Are you ready?”

He offered a grim smile. “Let’s rebuild the world, love.”

Hand-in-hand, they hurried across the courtyard and toward the dais. Energy hummed in the air with each step Pandora took, and by the time she reached the center, she felt like she was wading through water. Her grip on Sol’s hand tightened as they helped each other push through the swelling power around them. It burned against her skin, and Pandora could only assume the magic of Elysium could sense the approaching threat and was strengthening its defenses.

Please,she begged the magic.Please let us in. We can stop this. Just let us in!

As if the magic responded to her plea, the air cleared, and Pandora and Sol finally reached the top of the dais.

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