Page 56 of Queen to the Sunless Court (Brides of Myth #2)

Burning Bright

Calliste

Amatheia—and Eris within her—waited for them as well.

With all illusions unraveling, the bleakness and desolation of the place felt familiar. Finally, it was the Roots as Calliste knew it.

Her body felt rigid and uncooperative, fear settling deep in her bones with a cold awareness of the inevitable.

She fed her sphere more energy.

Theron stood beside her, swinging his sword to rest flat against his shoulder. His jaw was clenched as he surveyed the body of his deceased wife with a careful, narrowed gaze.

Amatheia’s stare was as black as her funeral robes.

The golden laurel leaves of her ruined crown were scattered in her hair like helpless boats in a stormy sea; her body seemed even more emaciated.

Everything about her was pale, washed-out, and slightly unreal, except for the flinty viciousness in her eyes—a sign that the evil goddess had taken over.

“I suppose I should be impressed,” Amatheia said, though the voice was clearly Eris’: otherworldly, with a hissing note of malice. “And I am. It’s impressive that you’d embark on such a long, twisted journey to meet your end in the Underworld.”

Focus , Calliste reminded herself against the rising fury at the meddling immortal who’d caused Theron so much heartache. Even with her mask torn off, Eris persisted. But it ends now.

“Kalias’ tree…” Theron murmured beside her.

She blinked, shifting her attention from Eris to the tree. The red parasitic plant was gone, no longer holding it in the Roots. She had expected this after defeating all the Condemned, and it encouraged her. “We follow the plan, Theron,” she said quietly.

“So, what are you going to do, Calliste?” Eris sneered, approaching and circling the edge of the sphere. “You can’t harm me while you’re inside your protection.” Her hair floated, as if lifted by an updraft. “And the moment you collapse it, I’ll destroy your precious king.”

Theron fixed her with a stare.

Calliste took a deep breath, reached for her bag, and pulled out the Last Pact. “I know. That’s why I brought you something that might change your mind.”

Eris tilted her head, her eyes narrowing at the parchment Calliste passed through the orb’s wall. She unrolled it, her eyes widening.

“What’s that?” Theron asked.

“A divine document,” Calliste replied in an undertone. “It should get us what we need.”

Eris looked over the edge of the scroll directly at her. “Why do you think I want it?”

“I’d hate to presume,” Calliste said, putting on her best bland smile. “But this will allow you to continue what you’ve started, on a grander scale.”

For a while, Eris didn’t respond, her head tilted toward the parchment, and Calliste’s heart sank. Eventually, she asked, “And what do you want in exchange?”

“You leave the queen’s Shade and let us talk to her for a moment.”

Eris frowned, her eyes darting between the parchment with golden threads as her smile grew. “Why do you need her? I’m not giving her up. She’s part of my plan.”

“Her husband wants to speak to her one last time. That’s all we ask.”

“You came all this way just for her husband to speak to her again?” Eris mocked. “Haven’t you already talked to her before? What is your game, Priestess? It makes no sense to me.”

“If it doesn’t make sense to you, then there’s no point in explaining it, is there?” Calliste parried with a snort.

Eris watched her with an intensity that made her shiver, then glanced at the parchment.

Theron shot Calliste a puzzled look and opened his mouth, probably about to ask for an explanation. She shook her head.

“Trust me,” she whispered, a feeling of betrayal gnawing at her when he simply nodded—his implicit trust in her simply hurt now. Aloud, she asked, “Have you decided?”

“Not yet,” Eris scowled. “I don’t understand why you’d do this just for a chance to speak to her. What do you think you’ll gain?”

Calliste nodded at Theron. “He wants to ask for forgiveness, if you must know.”

“Forgiveness?” Eris snorted. “Can there even be forgiveness for what he’s done?

Your marriage was a true treat to watch.

I didn’t even have to do anything and it shattered two whole people—and you expect me to believe you traveled all this way.

..” She paused, her eyes narrowing as if seeing through the plan.

“You do realize there’s no way you can take her back to the Enclave, don’t you?

Unless... unless you somehow recovered her coin and brought her with you. ”

Calliste felt a trickle of cold sweat slide down her back, wondering if Eris could hear her pounding pulse.

“I told you it was pointless, Calliste.” Theron sighed, making her look at him in shock. “I told you she’d guess it.”

Calliste tensed up when he reached into the pocket of his belt, but when he pulled out the silver coin, she silently applauded his quick wits—because she had forgotten about it, and he had not.

“I knew it,” Eris growled. “Throw it over here.”

He tossed the coin at Eris’s feet.

She inspected it without picking it up and kicked it away with a sneer on her face, staring at him. “Of course I guessed it. Do you think your actions make sense otherwise? Of course you want to free her: you and Hades, both grasping at straws.”

“Let me talk to her,” Theron sounded distraught. “You might not understand it, but it’s important for me.”

“Important,” Eris mocked. “Now that she’s dead? You couldn’t find time for her when she was alive—why try to make up now?”

Theron stiffened, and it wasn’t a pretense. Then he said, “This is why I need to ask her forgiveness.”

“Mortals,” Eris snorted. “Sentimental and pathetic, as always.” She started laughing, louder and louder, until it turned into a shriek that stopped abruptly, leaving a vicious smile on her face.

“Fine. Speak to your beloved wife , but you’ll regret trying to trick me, I promise you that.

” Her hair lifted, the golden laurel leaves shivering and tumbling, her dark robe whipping about her—and then, in a breath, a silhouette appeared beside Amatheia, filling in with details until it shifted into a goddess in a bright-yellow robe, with black curls winding to her shoulders.

Her face was narrow but perfectly proportioned, her full lips twisted in a malicious smile.

Beside her, Amatheia drew a deep breath and blinked, her eyes gaining clarity.

“Allow her to step into the orb,” Calliste said.

“That won’t work,” Eris said with a shrug. “You can’t heal her. She’s been trapped here too long.”

“I know. We just want to talk to her.” And then she nodded at the Pact. “I’d like my request to be honored.”

Eris snarled, then stepped onto the coin, grinding it into the ground. “Speak to her, then.”

“Amatheia,” Theron said quietly. “Come.”

Calliste watched him, knowing he understood exactly what to do. She was shaking inside, praying everything worked out as she had hoped.

Amatheia looked at them. “My coin,” she said softly. “Where is my coin?”

“Your father took it at your funeral.” Theron’s voice was full of sorrow. “His mind was warped… by her. It had been her plan all along. He asks for your forgiveness.”

Calliste held her breath.

Theron swiftly reached to his belt. The golden coin glinted as he pressed it into Amatheia’s palm.

“What’s that?!” Eris shrieked behind the orb. “What did you give her?!”

“Oh.” Amatheia cradled the coin in her hands, her eyes wide.

For a moment, nothing happened, then the coin began to shine.

Faint at first, the light intensified into a blinding glow, saturating her shadowy form until she was radiant, her hair glossy and fluttering, and her ragged robe restored to pristine condition.

The ruined crown reassembled itself, now sitting atop her head.

“Thank you.” Amatheia straightened, pressing the coin to her chest. She exhaled, then smiled. Her body thinned, becoming gauzy until she vanished in a burst of golden light.

“You bitch!” Eris roared from behind the sphere.

Theron’s eyes were fixed on the spot where Amatheia had disappeared. He slowly reached out, as if to reassure himself she was truly gone. His hand trembled. “Gods.”

A blast of light from far behind them made the ground shake beneath their feet.

Theron pushed her behind him to shield her, but the blast dimmed as quickly as it had flared up.

All that remained was the shining white silhouette of Kalias’ tree.

It blazed like a sculpture of ice infused with moonlight.

White sparks rose into the darkness, shining like stars until the entire tree dissolved into particles and vanished.

Eris screamed, running to the tree to stop it, but by the time she got there, it was gone.

Calliste fell to her knees, the tension she had carried for so long suddenly leaving her. I was right. Thank all the gods, I didn’t get it wrong. Her eyes welled up, and she choked out a sob.

Theron knelt beside her. “By all the gods, Calliste—what just happened?”

“His tree must have returned to the Everlasting Enclave,” she replied, trembling. “The Condemned no longer held it captive, but Amatheia did, as Kalias’ mother. Now that she’s returned to the shore of Styx, everything should be restored to order.”

His eyes widened in shock, then in disbelief, and then… then he beamed at her. “We made it.”

“Yes. We did.” But she couldn’t smile back and he noticed.

His brows furrowed as he glanced over her shoulder at Eris, who pivoted on her heel, her face furious, her eyes glowing.

“I’ll rip you apart for this. You’ll regret being born.” She waved the parchment. “Get out of that orb. Now!”

“Calliste?” he asked flatly. “What is she talking about? What’s in that paper?”

She smoothed her thumb over his lower lip, to feel its softness for the last time—because the pull of the Fates, realigned by invoking the Last Pact, already drew her to Eris.

There was no escape, even if she used the moonstone pendant, because her blood was on that parchment, binding her.

She swallowed, sensing their moments together shrinking like ice in the midday sun.

She leaned closer. “Theron...” She moved to his lips and pressed a burning kiss, smoothing her hands down his neck, holding onto his taste, his surprised, fiery response, his scent—gods, his delightful scent.

She still searched for words to capture what ignited in her heart since their paths had crossed, but in the end, the kiss had to suffice.

Her hands found his moonstone.

In a swift, efficient move, she snapped it in half.