Page 47 of Thorn & Ash

I can’t do this, she thought numbly. Why did I ever think I could?

Lagos lingered, looking uncertainly toward Prue, but she nodded, unable to speak. Thankfully, he understood her dismissal and followed the others out the door.

Soon, it was only Prue and Trivia left. The goddess gave Prue a gentle smile and offered her arm. “Shall we?”

Prue knew the situation was dire because Trivia wasn’t smirking or cracking a joke. But she accepted Trivia’s arm and let her lead her from the throne room.

FREE

CYRUS

Cyrus’s vision kept shifting from darkness to light, confusion to clarity. One moment he saw nothing but the black void that normally consumed him, and the next he could see Prue’s frightened face with crisp precision, every tear clinging to her lashes, every freckle on her nose.

Kronos’s hold on him was altered by her presence.

No, by her command. She had used the magic of this realm to command Cyrus.

Clever witch. His clever witch. Pride and terror mingled in his chest. She could free him. But at what cost?

What would Kronos do to her? Already, he felt the dark presence inside him roaring with fury and indignation, plotting his revenge.

Cyrus wouldn’t allow it. As he staggered down the hallway toward the staircase, he gritted his teeth against the magic raging within him.

I will not let you have her, he thought. His fingers curled into fists.

He descended the staircase and burst through one of the side entrances, storming toward the labyrinth of caves. He intended to disappear, to plunge himself so deeply into the chambers and passages that no one could find him. It was better this way. Safer for everyone.

Including Cyrus.

His breathing turned ragged as he stumbled forward, intent on putting as much distance between himself and the palace as possible. He couldn’t risk that again. He couldn’t ever go there again.

I almost destroyed the castle and everyone inside it. Horror mingled with rage, making his insides twist.

He couldn’t take this anymore. He would not stand by while Kronos used his body to slowly destroy this realm, one piece at a time. Everything he loved… Kronos would turn it all to ash.

“I will stop you,” Cyrus snarled, darkness pressing in on him as he made his way through the caves.

A low laugh rumbled inside him. I’d like to see you try. Your attempts thus far have been pitiful. You are nothing compared to my power.

Cyrus’s anger rose like a tidal wave, becoming a tangible presence in his chest. He clung to it, letting it fuel him, letting it stoke the fire that had faded to mere coals. The burn of that anger felt foreign and familiar all at once. It had been so long since he had let fury drive him; he had relied on the death magic for what felt like an eternity.

No more. He would be a slave no more.

Cyrus retreated within himself, finding that hidden store of power he rarely touched. Soul magic. It gleamed, lighting his way, beckoning him closer. Gold light encompassed him, bleeding through the dark haze of Kronos’s power.

What are you doing? Kronos whispered.

“I’m ending you,” Cyrus growled. He crushed his reservations and fears, burying them until he felt nothing but his rage.

And then, he unleashed his soul magic on Kronos.

A scream filled the cave, bouncing off the walls and reverberating against Cyrus’s ears. The gold light scorched him, igniting amber flames that consumed his flesh and blood. A deep, slicing pain cut into Cyrus’s chest, carving through his heart and soul. The magic of the gods—the magic he rarely used—was tearing him apart.

He’d only used this particular brand of magic twice before. The most recent occasion was to save Prue’s life. To Cyrus, nothing warranted the usage of this power because it was directly linked to the mortal realm. It ate up his soul with every spell he used with it, draining his immortality one drop at a time.

But here and now, he would gladly sacrifice his own soul, his very existence, to end Kronos. If it meant keeping his realm—and his wife—safe, he would do it.

Without another thought, Cyrus succumbed to the pain and the light flowing from within him. The scream intensified, and Cyrus realized it was Kronos. The dark creature was being torn apart, just as Cyrus was.

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