Page 54 of Thorn & Ash

“It does,” Prue said, before he could brush off her question. “Do you know who he is? What he’s capable of?”

Aidoneus swirled the contents of his glass before taking a sip. “Kronos was an ally who turned against me. Just like everyone else.”

“So you threw him in Tartarus.”

Aidoneus glared at her. “I did what I had to to save my home.”

“And now? Do you still want to save it? Or do you want to watch it burn?”

Aidoneus only scowled, refusing to answer.

“What happens to you if this realm perishes?” Prue drew closer to him.

“I don’t care,” he said bitterly. “I’ve lived long enough. My life has been nothing but sorrow and betrayal.”

“So that’s it? Since you’re done with your life, you’re going to subject all the lives in the Underworld to your destructive quest for revenge? All of your sons? All the souls that live here? Is your bitterness really worth that much?”

Anger flashed in his gaze. “Who are you to come in here and presume to know anything about me? All you know are the lies my son has fed you.”

“Your son hasn’t told me anything about you except that you despise him and want to destroy his home. Is that not the truth?”

Aidoneus’s jaw went rigid, but he said nothing.

“You may think you have nothing left,” Prue said. “But you have a choice. You can sit here and waste away, letting your home and everyone in it perish at Kronos’s hand. Or you can tell me how to defeat him and do one last decent thing before you wither away.”

Aidoneus’s dark eyes pinned her in place, his expression somber and surprisingly clear, given his inebriation. Something cold and calculating filled his eyes, and he smirked at her. “I can sense my son’s magic around you. Pity he has you so chained and docile.” His eyes fell on the pomegranate necklace around her throat.

“I am not chained.”

Aidoneus laughed, the sound harsh. “Don’t lie to me. I may be a shadow of the god I once was, but my magic is strong enough to sense that much. He’s caged your powers. It’s a shame, really. I sense there is great potential in your magic. Far greater than that of an ordinary witch.” He cocked his head at her, his eyes assessing. “What are you? You are not fully mortal.”

Prue’s blood ran cold. The last thing she wanted to do was give this man leverage and reveal her divine heritage. “Will you help me or not?”

Aidoneus chuckled again, finishing the contents of his drink before hurling the glass at the floor. Prue flinched as the glass shattered into thousands of pieces. “Here’s what I think.” He inched closer to Prue, and she found herself drawing away from him. “I think my son’s magic has tainted your perspective. It’s poisoned you, and you can’t see clearly.” His eyes darkened with fury. “Allow me to open your eyes.”

He lifted a hand, and Prue gasped as phantom fingers curled around her throat, tightening, cutting off her breath. She clawed at her neck, trying to free herself from his grip, but her fingers met nothing. It was like a ghost was strangling her.

“My magic may not be what it once was,” he hissed. “But I still have some power left. Much more than you.”

Aidoneus bared his teeth as he curled his fingers together, and the force on her throat tightened. Black spots floated in her vision, and she swayed on her feet. Desperation pulsed through her, and she tried to summon her magic, to unleash the fury of her power against him.

But the fire within her sputtered and died, a feeble attempt to free her powers. She was helpless. Defenseless. He would kill her right here.

No, she thought with renewed determination. She would not fall to this weak and pathetic man. She was more than some frail damsel with no power and no hope.

Aidoneus’s words rang in her mind. He’s caged your powers. I can sense his magic around you.

The bond. Aidoneus was referring to the bond between them.

The bond Prue had forged.

She thought of the way Trivia and Aidoneus had both looked at the pomegranate necklace with hunger in their eyes… as if they could sense the power emanating from it.

The necklace. The power of our bond is in the necklace. When Prue had first summoned Cyrus, she had bound him to her using the magic of the pomegranate seed.

Kronos’s control of Cyrus was stifling her magic. But if she severed her bond with him, her magic could return.

The realization broke through the haze of darkness clouding her mind. But with that realization came a tendril of uncertainty. If I break this bond, she thought, what happens to Cyrus? Will Kronos have complete control of him? Will Cyrus have anything to hold on to?

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