Page 71 of Thorn & Ash

He glanced at her over his shoulder but didn’t stop. “They already are, my queen. You may not realize it, but you are already changing things. Starting with me.”

A tendril of warmth worked its way into her chest, and she suppressed a smile as they continued walking.

After a moment, Lagos sniffed deeply, then grunted, his hand flying up to signal they should stop. Prue froze, her limbs rigid, as she listened carefully.

Then, she heard it. Footsteps. Low voices.

Alarm raced through her. Who could it be? Other demons? Or something else?

A whiff of something soft and flowery reached Prue’s nose, and she stiffened. She would know that sweet earthy scent anywhere.

“Mona?” she whispered.

But no, that was impossible. Prue had resurrected Mona and left her in the mortal realm. She was safe. Happy.

The scent of her sister’s magic grew stronger as the voices drew nearer. And Prue couldn’t stop herself from moving forward, hurrying toward those voices. Lagos hissed a protest, but Prue ignored him, following the sounds, her heart pounding with anticipation and dread and hope and longing.

She rounded a corner and nearly collided with a pair of figures. The first had great wings tucked behind him and silvery eyes that matched Cyrus’s—one of his brothers, no doubt. The second was—

“Mona!” Prue gasped, surging forward to crush her sister in a tight embrace.

Mona cried out in surprise and delight, clinging to Prue desperately, half sobbing and half laughing. “Goddess, Prue! I thought I’d never find you!”

Prue immediately withdrew and fixed a firm expression on her sister. “What are you doing here? I brought you back so you could avoid this place!”

“I’m here for you! This whole realm is in trouble, Prue. It isn’t safe.”

Prue blinked, stunned by this. Mona had come… to rescue her? “I made this bargain with Cyrus,” she said softly. “I knew what I was doing.”

Mona scoffed and crossed her arms, her doubtful expression so familiar to Prue that she couldn’t help but laugh.

“I guarantee you did not know what you were doing when you summoned Cyrus and bound yourself to him through marriage,” Mona said in a flat voice.

Prue snorted, then covered her mouth. “Okay, you’re right. But I knew what I was doing when I followed him here. I love him, Mona. I want to live with him in this realm.” It surprised her how much the words rang true. She had never given it much thought, having been so consumed with finding a way to free Cyrus. But now that she considered it carefully, she did want a life here with her husband. She wanted to be queen. She wanted to create a better place for the people of the Underworld.

“The realm is dying,” the winged man next to Mona said in a soft voice. “It isn’t safe for anyone, let alone a pair of mortals like you.”

His voice wasn’t at all accusing, but Prue still raised her eyebrows at him. “And who are you? What are you doing with my sister?”

“I’m Evander,” he said. “I’m… the guardian of your sister’s soul. I’ve been her guide in this realm.”

There was warmth and heat in his voice that made Prue shoot a dubious look Mona’s way. Indeed, her sister averted her gaze, her mouth thinning. It was too dark to see clearly, but Prue would wager her sister was blushing right now.

“And who’s your friend?” Mona asked, gesturing behind Prue.

Prue turned to find Lagos staring stoically at the pair of newcomers. She smiled and waved a hand in his direction. “This is Lagos. My advisor. And my guide to locating Tartarus.”

Mona sucked in a sharp breath. “So, you are going to Tartarus?”

“Yes.” Prue forced courage into her voice.

“No, you aren’t,” growled a familiar voice.

Prue’s blood heated at the sound. Slowly, she turned to see another pair of figures approaching from behind Lagos. The first was Romanos, the prince of Hell who guarded the River Styx. And the other was Cyrus, his eyes gleaming in the darkness. They were all silver. Not a trace of black.

“Goddess above, Cyrus!” Prue sidestepped Lagos to rush to her husband, pressing her hands against his cheeks to inspect him thoroughly. She frowned at the sight of the tattoos now covering his entire body. But in a way, it only made him more alluring. She had always liked his tattoos. “What happened to you? Are you—Is Kronos—”

“I’m free,” Cyrus said. “But so is Kronos. He’s taking over the realm.”

---