Page 84 of Thorn & Ash

So she did. Trusting in the light guiding her, she edged forward. Her hands met the rocky surface of the cave walls, and the light beckoned her to the left. Then to the right. Down a tunnel. Her footsteps echoed in the darkness.

Then, her fingers met something solid and warm. She grasped it and touched fabric. Her eyes flew open, and she found Cyrus standing in front of her, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Cyrus!” she breathed, crushing him in a tight embrace. “Goddess, I thought I’d lost you.”

“What happened?” He drew back to inspect her, his eyes fierce. He stroked the hair from her eyes and cupped her face in his hands. “Are you hurt?”

“No. But Pandora’s box, it’s… I opened it.” Sudden comprehension struck her: if Cyrus had been with her, the box would have destroyed him because he did not have Gaia’s magic. Just like it had destroyed Kronos.

Prue sent a prayer of gratitude to the Goddess for whatever force had pulled them apart earlier.

Cyrus’s grip on her tightened, his eyes darkening. “You opened the box?”

Prue bit her lip and nodded.

Cyrus closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled deeply. “I felt it. I felt something powerful strike the realm. What did it do? What was inside the box?”

Prue thought of what she had learned about Trivia, and Kronos disintegrating into a pile of ash… Goddess above, how could she tell him everything? “There isn’t time to explain it all, but it’s bad. It’s really bad. Cyrus, I’ve made a terrible mistake.” She broke off with a sob, unable to remain calm for much longer. Panic gripped her, seizing her limbs so tightly she thought she might faint.

Cyrus ran his thumb down her jaw before his hand slid behind her neck as he pressed his forehead to hers. “It’ll be all right. We’re together. We can figure this out.”

Prue swallowed hard and nodded. She had to keep herself from falling apart. Just for a little longer. “How do we get out of here?”

“Come on.” Cyrus took her hand and led her away, farther into the tunnel.

Prue followed him through the winding passage, realizing she hadn’t been down this one before. It grew darker and narrower, and Prue had to stay behind Cyrus because it wasn’t wide enough for them to stride side-by-side. He kept her hand clasped in his, tugging her forward.

“There!” Cyrus said, pointing.

A thin beam of light shone just ahead of them. As they drew closer, it grew in size, illuminating the tunnel. They hurried toward it, but the ground quaked. The walls shook, and dust and pebbles fell from above. Prue shrieked as heavier rocks began to fall.

“Almost there!” Cyrus shouted over the noise, pulling her more urgently.

A boulder crashed into the ground, and pain flared in Prue’s ankle. She released Cyrus’s hand, falling to the ground, her foot throbbing. She cried out, trying to free her foot, but the boulder was too big.

“Prue!” Cyrus hurried over to her and struggled to lift the boulder himself. It shifted, but not enough for her to free her foot.

“Just go!” she shouted. “You can get out and come back for me. Please, Cyrus!”

“Like hell,” he growled. “I’m not leaving you, Prue. Ever.”

Tears streamed down her face as more boulders rained from above. One of them would crush her skull—or Cyrus’s. They would both die down here.

She would never see Mona again. She would never be able to save this realm from the destruction of Pandora’s box.

“Hold me,” she said, her voice trembling.

Cyrus obeyed, kneeling next to her, wrapping his arms around her.

Prue clutched him against her, her fingers fisting the fabric of his tunic. She closed her eyes, weeping into his shirt, as she conjured all the force and fury of her magic. Every last drop. White light burned from within her, but she kept drawing more power. More magic. Her body sagged from the exhaustion of it, and still she fought.

I give it all up, she thought, her third eye quivering from the magnitude of her full power. Just spare his life. Please.

A scream ripped from her throat as white light exploded from her chest, ricocheting off the walls. A glowing dome surrounded her and Cyrus. The ceiling caved in above them, boulders slamming into her shield as the cave collapsed. Her scream went on, tearing through her, draining every last ounce of her power and her soul.

She gave up every piece of herself to keep that shield intact. And when the boulders stopped falling, she succumbed to the darkness completely.

PORTAL

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