Page 1 of Salt & Blood (Ivy & Bone #4)

DAUGHTER

PRUE

Prue stared at Apollo as he lounged on the throne— Cyrus’s throne—while her heart flipped in her chest. Cyrus and Gaia stood behind her. The three of them had rushed into the throne room as soon as they had sensed the presence of another god. The chrome walls of the throne room were as immaculate as ever, a stark contrast to the ruins just outside the castle.

Apollo was here.

Her father was here. And he wanted to rule the Underworld.

How was she supposed to stop this man—this god ? Cyrus was human, and he despised her. She wasn’t sure if she could trust him to help her.

She was on her own.

“You have no authority here,” Gaia said from beside Prue, her voice sure and steady. The strength in her tone grounded Prue, reminding her she was not as alone as she thought.

Apollo’s dark eyes flashed as he fixed a venomous gaze on Gaia. “Hello, wife ,” he spat. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I’m sure you didn’t,” Gaia replied calmly. “But you don’t belong here, Apollo. You have made many enemies by isolating the people here. You should leave now. While you can.”

Apollo chuckled, sliding off the throne and striding toward Gaia, his movements lithe and graceful. Ever the king.

Prue went rigid, holding perfectly still as her father drew closer. Somehow, she could sense Cyrus behind her, though she didn’t dare look over her shoulder at him. The last thing she needed was a reminder of the hateful look in his eyes when he said those terrible things to her.

“I have more authority here than you do, Gaia,” Apollo said, his mouth curling into a smirk. “If anyone should stop me from taking the throne, it would certainly not be you.”

“The kingdom already has a king and a queen,” Prue said, finding her voice at last. “It does not need another.”

Apollo’s gaze slid to her with a keen interest that made her skin prickle with unease. “Ah. Prudence, is it? I’ve waited a long time to meet you.” A hungry gleam shone in his eyes, and Prue resisted the urge to step back.

Power, Gaia had told her. Apollo will do anything for power.

And he wanted hers.

“And why is that?” Cyrus asked loudly. Prue’s breath caught in her throat as her husband drew nearer, standing alongside her, as if the past hour hadn’t happened at all.

As if they were still a united front, protecting this realm as husband and wife.

“Why were you so anxious to meet my wife?” Cyrus asked, his voice lethal. In this moment, he might have been powerless, but his tone and his posture oozed authority.

He was bluffing. And Prue prayed to the Goddess that Apollo would fall for it.

Apollo looked over Cyrus with a slight frown. “You look different from when I last saw you.”

Cyrus only glared at him, refusing to offer an explanation.

If Apollo suspected anything about Cyrus’s loss of power, he didn’t mention it. Instead, he said, “Well, don’t worry, nephew. I won’t harm your witchling. At least, not yet.”

Cyrus made a low sound in his throat and bared his teeth at the sun god. “Don’t call me that,” he bit out.

“What? Nephew?”

Cyrus’s nostrils flared as he took a threatening step toward Apollo.

Apollo laughed. “Your father and I were comrades in arms. We grew up together. Fought together. He was my most trusted commander. Even if we were not brothers in the flesh, he was more a brother to me than anyone else.”

“I. Don’t. Care.” Cyrus enunciated each word. “I am not your friend or ally, and I am certainly not your family. Get out of my kingdom.”

“Ah, see, I can’t do that. Clearly, this realm is not fit to be ruled by the likes of you.” He gestured to Prue and Cyrus. “Look what happened under your rule! This entire kingdom is in shambles.”

Prue wanted to argue, to claim it wasn’t their fault… But she had been the one to open Pandora’s box.

She had done this. It was her fault.

Her response stuck in her throat, filling her mouth with a foul, bitter taste.

“Don’t you already have a throne?” Gaia asked. “Why do you need another?”

For a moment, Apollo’s expression froze, and a haunted look passed over his eyes. In a flash, his easy smile had returned, and he waved a hand. “Elysium is in good hands. I have left my apprentice in charge. But I’ve neglected this realm for far too long, and I’m here to set things right.”

“You cannot simply claim the throne,” Prue said, and she was relieved to find her voice did not shake. “The magic of the realm must choose you. It has already chosen me. And Cyrus. You are too late, Apollo.”

“Well, I think you’ll find, Prudence, that once a realm is as broken as this one, the magic that binds a ruler to the throne can be… reclaimed. The magic is reset. A clean slate.”

Prue’s heart lurched, and she shot a panicked look at Gaia. “Is this true?”

Gaia’s mouth grew thin, a telltale sign of her unease. “It is speculation. No one here has experienced the death of a realm before. We do not know what to expect.”

“Why do you even want the throne?” Cyrus asked. “You despise this place.”

“I was wrong to turn my nose up at it,” Apollo said with a sigh. “It is time I make amends.”

“By taking what doesn’t belong to you?” Prue asked incredulously. “By leading a people you know nothing about?” She shook her head. “You are insane, Apollo. It will never work. And if you dare to try, we outnumber you.” She lifted her chin, trying to project more confidence than she felt.

Apollo’s mouth stretched into a wide smile that Prue did not like one bit. Her stomach sank with dread as he said slowly, “I think you’ll find that no one here can match my power. But go ahead and try. It would be highly entertaining to see you fail.”

Prue’s breaths came in short spurts, and panic rose in her chest.

Gaia seemed to sense her distress, and she stepped forward. “You know the law, Apollo,” she barked. “Either make a formal challenge, or get out.”

“I’ll issue a challenge,” Apollo said, still smiling at Prue. “But not yet. I’d like to take a look around. Get to know my future subjects.” His gaze shifted from Prue to Cyrus, and at last to Gaia. Then, he clapped his hands together. “Well, I should be off. Lots to see, isn’t there?” He frowned in mock contemplation. “Or rather… I suppose there isn’t , is there? Not anymore.” He grinned, then bowed. “I shall see you all very soon.”

With that, he sauntered out the room, the heavy doors slamming with his departure.

Prue held perfectly still, waiting for him to come back, to assault them with his powerful magic. Surely, that was not all Apollo intended to do. Couldn’t he unleash his sun magic and burn them to ash? What was stopping him from obliterating them all? Gaia might be a match for his power now that her curse had been broken. But Prue wasn’t—and Cyrus certainly wasn’t either.

“What law?” Prue asked, turning to her mother, heart racing. “What did you mean by a formal challenge?”

“In the realms of the gods, a throne can only be acquired if the monarch dies, or if a formal challenge is issued,” Gaia said, her tone solemn.

“That isn’t true,” Cyrus said, his voice stiff. “I took the throne from Aidoneus without issuing a challenge.”

“You fought him, though, didn’t you?” Gaia asked. “That counts as a challenge. It might not have been a formal declaration, but the realm obviously recognized it as such. I was waiting for Apollo to strike one of you, to take the crown from you by force. But he didn’t.” She tapped her chin, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “What is he waiting for?”

“Apollo likes theatrics,” Cyrus said in a bored voice. “He’s dragging this out on purpose.”

“Perhaps.” But Gaia sounded doubtful.

Prue couldn’t keep her eyes off Cyrus. She recognized the despair darkening his features. But Goddess, he looked so different. Pale blue eyes. No tattoos. No horns. Inky black hair, instead of that otherworldly silver.

He was a stranger to her.

His gaze snapped to hers, locking onto her. Awareness rippled over her spine as she found herself pulled in by the intensity of that look. She wanted to draw closer to him. She wanted to feel his skin on hers, to see if their bodies still fit together like they did before.

All too soon, Cyrus broke the connection and turned away, heading for the door.

“Wait!” Prue blurted out.

Cyrus froze, then glanced over his shoulder, not quite meeting her eyes. “What?” The word was sharp and calloused.

“I—What are we going to do?” Prue sputtered, looking to Gaia for help. “We need a plan.”

“I have no part in this,” Cyrus said. “When Apollo challenges, I will be unable to stop him. To fight would be useless.”

He walked away.

“Cyrus!” Prue called, her voice strained and desperate.

But Cyrus kept walking until he disappeared through the same doors Apollo had gone through. As her husband left, something in Prue’s chest shattered, leaving nothing but a hollow ache, an abyss that threatened to drown everything in its wake. When Cyrus left, a piece of her very soul seemed to go with him.

This was her fault. This division between them was her doing. If she hadn’t been foolish enough to sacrifice her own life… If she had thought of him and what he might sacrifice to bring her back…

She should have found another way.

“Come, Prudence,” Gaia said, gently grasping her arm. “We must train.”

Prue blinked, and it took her mind a long moment to catch up to her mother’s words. “Train?”

“Your magic has been reborn. You are not yet powerful enough to face Apollo. But with some training, you can be. You are his daughter, after all. You have the potential to match his power and strength. Let me teach you.”

Prue was still staring after Cyrus, willing him to come back. But he didn’t. With a sigh, Prue met her mother’s gaze and nodded. “Very well.”

Gaia smiled, and Prue accepted this small mercy. At least the circumstances would bring her closer to her mother.

She only wished it was enough to heal the gaping hole in her chest from Cyrus’s absence.