Page 86 of Thorn & Ash

Trees lined the path, the sky a creamy white expanse above her. The air smelled sickly sweet, as if a garden had thrown up on her.

“Disgusting,” she muttered, shaking her head. But she would have to get used to it. Enduring a sickening smell was a small price to pay.

She strode forward, a satisfied smile spreading along her face. For the briefest of moments, she thought of her two sisters, now wasting away in the destruction of the Underworld. A shame, really. If they hadn’t clung so tightly to their fleeting affection for those princes of Hell, they could have joined Pandora here and risen with her.

Such a pity.

Her feet practically glided along the smooth stones of the path. Her magic flared to life inside her, but she quieted it. For now. She couldn’t unleash it yet and reveal her identity. She had to get inside first.

It was all part of the plan.

The Underworld was destroyed. Now, all that was left was to take down Elysium.

The gods would suffer for what they had done to her. Soon, every single one of them would pay.

The gates swung open, allowing her entrance. Pandora’s smile widened as she stepped through, prepared to enact the final step to her revenge.

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