Page 48 of Thorn & Ash

A savage satisfaction crept through Cyrus, bringing a weak smile to his face just before he lost himself to the soul magic.

MERGE

EVANDER

Before Mona’s Resurrection

Evander had changed.

Mona’s departure had ripped him to pieces, leaving nothing left. And now, Cyrus was gone, called to the mortal realm.

His younger brother’s plea still rang in his ears. I am begging you for help now. Please. Watch over Acheron in my absence and do what you can to keep Father and the others at bay.

Cyrus never begged. Never. He normally encouraged begging from others; relished it, really. But he never stooped so low himself.

If that wasn’t proof enough that something was wrong in the Underworld, Evander didn’t know what was. But he had long since suspected a strange darkness was taking over his home. Ever since Mona had arrived, something had been different. Off. Wrong.

It couldn’t be just Aidoneus and his brothers. They were cunning and devious, but even they didn’t have the foresight for such an intricate and lengthy plan. The changes in the realm had been happening for ages now.

No, Evander’s brothers didn’t have that kind of patience. Whatever means they would use to destroy the realm would be quicker. More violent.

Even so, Marcellus was a good place to start. He’d been plotting with Vasileios from the beginning. But no one had seen or heard from Vasileios in a long time, and Evander didn’t feel like tracking him down.

Marcellus’s presence was easier to track anyway. He was always obnoxious about showing off his skills in battle and looking down upon those weaker than himself.

Rage quivered inside Evander, igniting Typhon’s presence. For once, Evander didn’t resist it.

Go ahead, he urged. Tear my brother to pieces. I’ll be glad for it.

Typhon roared his assent, hungry for a fight.

Evander’s wings expanded behind him. A low growl rumbled in his throat.

And for the first time in his existence, he was not afraid of Typhon.

A searing heat scorched his collarbone. Something cracked and splintered, then shattered on the ground before him. He glanced down to find his moonstone necklace had fallen and broken into pieces.

The enchantment separating himself from Typhon had broken. By merging himself with the darkness, the moonstone necklace was no longer needed.

And he had never felt freer.

He crouched, stretched his wings, and took off into the sky. The brisk wind whipped at his face, awakening him to a new sense of himself. His magic. His darkness.

Typhon is a part of you, Mona had said. He is you.

Evander trusted in Typhon’s strong sense of smell, sniffing out his older brothers and recognizing their stench almost immediately. They were in Oceanus—Leonidas’s former domain. Currently, Leonidas was tasked with overseeing Acheron. But, given the state of Acheron, he was likely hiding elsewhere.

And with Cyrus gone, it made his scheming much easier.

Evander arced to the left, his wings beating with another burst of speed that sent him soaring. The euphoria of being in the air, surveying this great kingdom, was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. He had no fears. No anxieties.

It was just him and the sky.

Eventually, his keen ears picked up on low murmuring. He descended slowly, vanishing under the trees to avoid being spotted. When he landed, he treaded softly through the forest, his wings brushing against branches and leaves.

Let his brothers see how terrifying he could be. Let them stare in horror at his wings and his horns and his claws.

Let them fear him.

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