Page 28 of Salt & Blood (Ivy & Bone #4)

COLLIDE

PANDORA

“More,” Gaia commanded.

Pandora didn’t bother stifling her irritation at the commanding tone ringing in her mother’s voice. “More please. ”

“I am not your subordinate. I do not owe you any manners or politeness.”

This had become the routine between them over the past two days. They stood on the shore near the edge of the wards, the ocean waves lapping around them.

Gaia was urging her to create a wall of vines that could completely block the wind. From the wind tousling Pandora’s red hair all over her face, it was clear she was failing.

Pandora flicked her wrists, clinging to the anger flaring within her, using it to fuel her power. Vines and brambles climbed from the ground, twining around her feet. But the foliage moved slowly, as if something were blocking its movements.

“More,” Gaia said again.

“I’m trying ,” Pandora snapped. “It won’t come.”

“It won’t come because you haven’t accessed your true powers. Pull on it more, Pandora.”

“It’s Trivia,” she bit out. “My name is Trivia.”

“Prove it. Prove you aren’t the goddess trapped inside you, but your own woman with your own magic. Show me.”

Pandora stifled a cry of frustration and flung her hands toward Gaia, envisioning her ivy coiling around the earth goddess’s throat until she choked.

Gaia’s blue eyes glinted, as if she knew exactly what Pandora was thinking. “You can’t do it without him, can you?” Gaia asked.

“What?” Pandora was too exhausted to decipher her words.

“You need Sol.”

A lump rose in Pandora’s throat, but she forced it down and shook her head. “He doesn’t need to be dragged into this.”

“You should send for him.”

“He’s been through enough,” Pandora said sharply. “And I will not send for him, as if he is some lackey to be ordered around.”

Gaia’s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized her. Pandora refused to meet her gaze, worried her mother would see more than she wanted her to.

In truth, Pandora was being a coward. Ever since Gaia had revealed that the passion between Sol and his former lover had been nothing more than a means to take down Apollo, Pandora feared what she would find when she finally confronted Sol once more. Would he despise her all over again? Would he resent her for what the goddess had done to him?

She didn’t want to look into those midnight blue eyes and see loathing again. Her heart wouldn’t be able to handle it.

If Gaia noticed this turmoil on her daughter’s face, she didn’t remark on it. Instead, she said, “Let’s try something else. Focus on the goddess. Pandora.”

Pandora stiffened, nostrils flaring. “I thought the whole point was to leave her out of this. I don’t want her growing stronger.”

“You won’t. I want you to focus on how much you despise her. Think about what she has done to you. To those you love. What has she taken from you?”

Pandora’s lips pressed together. “This won’t work.”

“Humor me.”

With a sigh, Pandora let her hands fall against her thighs. “And what if it gives her control, and she forces me to attack you?”

“I can defend myself.”

Pandora recalled how she’d lunged at Gaia in the Voiceless Jungle. The earth goddess had not fought back. Pandora had the distinct impression that Gaia refused to fight her. If it came down to it, would the darkness kill Gaia because she would not defend herself against it?

Pandora hated how the thought of killing her mother caused her so much pain. She held no affection for this woman. She loathed her, actually.

But she also didn’t want to be the cause of her death. She had caused enough suffering in her life. To add even one more casualty to that list would be too much. The weight of that grief, that shame, was unbearable, and she couldn’t possibly carry any more.

“Try it,” Gaia urged. She spread her hands, flexing her fingers toward Pandora as if preparing to summon her magic if she needed to.

“Fine.” Pandora’s eyes closed, and, reluctantly, she thought of the soul inside her. It had been quieted ever since Gaia had evoked Pandora’s own emotions. But as she prodded it, opening herself up to those thoughts and that darkness, the energy in her shifted and swirled.

“No,” Gaia said firmly. “Do not let her out. Think about your feelings toward her. You are still in control.”

Pandora’s fingers clenched into tight fists. She shut down the darkness, burying it deep, as she instead focused on her own thoughts.

She has taken everything from me.

She broke Sol’s heart.

Pandora’s fists began to tremble. A quivering intensity shook through her, boiling her blood and rattling her bones.

She cursed me to a life of misery.

She haunts me every day and night.

Pandora’s breaths came sharp and fast, and rage coursed through her, heating her body as it churned violently.

She lied to me.

Betrayed me.

Used me.

She cares for nothing and no one.

Something exploded within her as if a volcano had erupted. With a roar, Pandora unleashed the strength of her power, letting loose her hatred and fury. The air shimmered with magic, the power tickling her nostrils.

When her eyes opened, they met a wall of ivy blocking the sea completely from view. The leaves shifted in the wind, but they were layered so thickly that not even a tiny breeze ruffled her hair.

A breathless laugh escaped her, and she couldn’t stop the disbelieving smile from spreading across her face.

“You are holding yourself back,” Gaia said.

Pandora turned to find Gaia watching her carefully, as if afraid of what she might do next.

Her smile fading, Pandora asked, “What do you mean?”

“You are so afraid of letting her free that you hold yourself back. I think you are having trouble discerning her thoughts from your own.”

“Of course I am,” Pandora snarled. “She lives inside my body. She takes over my thoughts. I question everything because of her.”

“But with each summoning of your earth power, you solidify your own intentions. You separate yourself from her. I believe you know your own emotions, Trivia. You just have to trust them.”

Pandora swallowed hard. “I can’t,” she whispered.

Gaia stepped closer. “You can . You can do this, daughter.”

Pandora’s eyes closed. She was too tired to demand that Gaia not call her that. She was too tired to argue. And above all, she was far too tired for this fight. She wasn’t strong enough to resist the goddess inside her. When her powers unlocked, she knew deep down that that was when the darkness would strike. It would try to take over in the very moment she felt confident enough to conjure the magic on her own.

Right now, it was merely biding its time, waiting for its opportunity.

“I… will try,” Pandora said at last. “But I have to rest.”

Gaia nodded once. “Of course. We will resume in the morning.” She turned to leave, then paused, glancing back, her eyes surveying the wall of ivy that separated them from the waters. “Do check on Sol, will you? If he is in pain, he could use a friend right now. And I don’t believe I qualify.” A small smile lit her face.

Pandora was about to say that she didn’t qualify either, but Gaia had already turned to leave, her feet gliding in the sand as she made her way back to the village.

Like the coward she was, Pandora stood on the threshold of the house she and Sol shared, unable to take that final step and open the door. She didn’t want to see him. She didn’t want to witness the pain on his face, the misery of losing the one love he’d ever known.

She didn’t want to know that he was mourning the loss of that despicable goddess.

And, more than anything, she didn’t want to see him yearn for another woman. A woman who was not her.

She wasn’t strong enough for it. Not tonight.

She turned, not sure where she was intending to go—perhaps she was crazy enough to ask Gaia if she could sleep in her house for the night—when the door opened.

Her heart lurched in her throat as she whirled to face Sol. His hair was mussed, as if he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly. His dark eyes were wide and a bit crazed. He wore a loose tunic that was open at the front, revealing a smattering of chest hair.

“Trivia,” he said softly.

Pandora’s throat closed, and she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t even breathe.

“Why are you just standing there? Come inside.” Sol stepped back to let her through.

As if of their own accord, her feet moved, and she stepped over the threshold. Sol closed the door and turned to face her, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You’re back,” he said awkwardly.

“I am.” Her voice was strained, and she kept her gaze fixed on the ceramic floors.

“Did—Did she hurt you?”

Confused, Pandora looked up at Sol. His eyes were full of fear. “What?”

“Did Gaia hurt you?”

Pandora frowned. “No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

Sol shot her an incredulous look. “She was manipulating you. She was using me to hurt you. It’s why I stayed away.”

Realization dawned on her. Sol figured out that Gaia was provoking her emotions, trying to draw them out. “I—Well—No, she didn’t hurt me. Not physically. In fact, it actually worked. It helped me sift my emotions from…”

“From hers,” Sol finished.

The last thing Pandora wanted to do was remind Sol of the former goddess. She took a shaky breath and said, “Are you all right?”

He cocked his head at her. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“The things Gaia said…” Pandora trailed off and shook her head. “She shouldn’t have done that to you. You don’t deserve to suffer any more for this.”

“Well, I was upset at first,” Sol admitted. “But I wasn’t as upset with Pandora and her lies as I was with myself. I was angry I let myself cling to the idea of her. I let her torment me for years, even long after she’d died, only to find out that what we had wasn’t… well, it wasn’t real.” He shook his head. “I needed some time to think, but once I processed everything, I realized Gaia had been manipulating you . So, I thought it would be best if I stayed away.”

Pandora could only stare at him, her pulse racing from his admission. “So you—you’re all right?”

To her surprise, Sol offered her a crooked smile, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Were you worried about me, Trivia?”

“Of course I was! Gaia revealed that Pandora was using you to get to Apollo. You stormed off, enraged. I—I thought—” She broke off, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

I thought you were still in love with her.

I thought this changed everything for you.

I thought you hated me again.

Sol crossed his arms, which drew Pandora’s gaze to the hint of that muscular chest under his tunic. Her throat turned dry, and she found herself forgetting her thoughts entirely.

“You thought… what?” Sol prompted, eyebrows raised. The gleam in his eyes told Pandora he was thoroughly enjoying this.

Pandora was torn between fleeing the house and punching the smirk off his face. She wanted to yell at him for tormenting her like this, but… didn’t she deserve it? Hadn’t she done the same to him?

She was tired of hiding. She was tired of pretending. And above all, she was tired of fighting what she felt for him.

This would all be over soon. And she had a horrible feeling that the darkness inside her wouldn’t let her live through this. She only had right now, and she was determined to make it count.

With a deep breath, she said in a steady voice, “I was afraid for the longest time that you wanted me to be her. That you were disappointed that I wasn’t. I need you, Sol. You are my rock during all this, even though I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve any of this. I—I never meant to fall in love with you. But I did. And now, I couldn’t stop it even if I wanted to. I am hopelessly lost in my love for you, and I would do absolutely anything for you. Even if it means giving you the space to grieve a woman I could never be.”

The air was still after her confession, and Sol watched her with an unreadable expression. The humor in his face was gone, but the intense look in his eyes made her want to squirm. She forced herself to hold his gaze as he took slow and measured steps toward her. Her heartbeat thundered loudly in her chest until it was roaring in her ears by the time he stood before her.

“You would do anything for me?” he asked, his voice low and soft.

“Yes,” Pandora breathed, every ounce of her body coiled tightly by the warmth of his body so close to hers. Close enough to touch. Close enough to taste. She stared up at him, lips parted, knowing that if she stood on her tiptoes, her mouth would brush his.

He raised a hand, catching her hair and twining it around his finger. His knuckle grazed her cheek, and her breath caught in her throat. Then his mouth was at her ear, his whisper brushing her flesh and making her shiver with longing.

“I want to remove every layer of clothing on your body so I can worship you properly,” he murmured. “I want you on that bed, your legs spread for me so I can taste you like I did on that balcony. I want your mouth on my cock so we can finish what we started in the library. I want all of you, Trivia.”

Her skin pebbled, and her stomach turned molten from his words. Slowly, she drew back to gaze up at him, to see if he was teasing her. He couldn’t possibly be serious…

But that dark and sensuous look in his eyes… She’d only seen him like that once before: in the library, when she’d been sucking on him, unraveling him, making him come undone for her.

“Will you do that for me, Trivia?” he asked.

Gods above, she couldn’t speak. She completely forgot how to breathe. All she could do was stare at him, mesmerized by his midnight blue eyes and the look of yearning on his face.

“Why?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “Why don’t you hate me?”

He huffed a laugh at that. “I tried, darling. Believe me, I tried. But the moment that hydra came for you, as much as I wanted to deny it, I knew I couldn’t lose you. And I’m tired of fighting it. Aren’t you?”

Gods, she was. She really, truly was. She was torn between falling to her knees and sobbing at his feet for his forgiveness, and pulling him to her so she could kiss him fully.

Sol watched her expectantly, those blue eyes inviting and full of a dark seduction she was powerless to resist. Pandora couldn’t find any words, so instead she tugged on the corset strings of her bodice, pulling them loose. Sol’s eyes tracked the movement, and his pupils flared. When it was free, Pandora lifted the corset over her head and let it fall to the floor. Her loose tunic now billowed around her.

Sol swallowed, his throat bobbing. But she wasn’t finished. Her hands fumbled with the waistband of her trousers, tugging and wriggling until they slid from her hips and fell to her ankles. Her gaze held Sol’s as she carefully stepped out of them.

She had never completely bared herself to a man. With the lovers she had taken, it had been nothing more than a carnal need to fulfill. She had always lifted her skirts for whatever demon of the Underworld could satisfy her.

Her hands shook as she pulled the tunic over her arms and let it fall with the rest of her clothing. Then she stood there, letting Sol appraise her naked form, waiting for him to turn away in disgust. She was no divine beauty, and she knew he’d taken plenty of of lovers. But unlike her, his had been the most stunning goddesses of Elysium. How could she compare?

Sol drew closer, his eyes wide and his lips parted. His hands settled on her shoulders, and his skin was warm and smooth against hers. She closed her eyes as his fingers trailed down her arms, his touches ever so gentle. Her breathing turned unsteady as his palm skimmed over her navel, then traveled up to her breasts. He cupped one, and her stomach dipped, her head rolling back.

“I wish I could paint you,” Sol whispered, his thumb pressing against her nipple. A low moan poured from her lips. “You are magnificent, Trivia. Every part of you.”

She exhaled a strained chuckle. “Liar. You’ve seen plenty of naked women, I’m sure.”

“Oh, I have.”

She kicked his shin, and he laughed.

“Trivia, there’s no comparison. It’s not just your bronze skin and fiery hair and golden eyes… But your spirit and passion and temper. Gods, it drives me mad.”

Pandora snorted. “Is that good, or bad?”

He ducked his head and brought his mouth to her shoulder. “Both.” He dragged his tongue along her skin, and she gasped when his teeth clamped down on her. Her hands fisted his shirt, her hips rolling against his. “You have a fire like no other, Trivia. A fire I want to feed and fuel until it burns me. I want your flames to consume me entirely.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Pandora challenged. “I’m naked and ready for you, Sol. Or will you make me stand here like this for you all night?”

“Mmm,” he purred against her skin, his lips moving to her neck. “Well, you aren’t exactly suffering right now, are you?” His tongue glided along the column of her throat, and she jerked as pleasure rolled through her. “Besides, I enjoy having my way with you like this.”

Pandora shoved his shoulders until he stumbled away from her, his eyes flaring wide with surprise. She grabbed him by the shirt, then spun him around to pin him against the wall. With a growl, she ripped the shirt in two, then managed to tug it off his body.

He laughed again, his smile widening. “There’s that fire.”

She pressed her hands into his chest, relishing the feel of his hair and muscles. Her fingers trailed down his abdomen, over every ridge and curve.

“You toy with me,” she whispered, her fingers sliding underneath his trousers, “and I’ll toy with you.”

She gripped him firmly in her hand, and he jolted against her touch. His hands grasped her waist tight enough to bruise. “Shit, Trivia.”

“You said you wanted my mouth around your cock.” She knelt before him, then tugged his trousers all the way to the floor. She stared up at him. His eyes were closed, his head leaning against the wall. His arousal twitched, and she smiled.

Without warning, she brought her lips to his length, then ran her tongue along the tip.

Sol groaned, the sound low and hoarse. His hips bucked, and she took him deeper into her mouth.

“Oh, that mouth of yours,” Sol ground out, thrusting harder. “Gods, Trivia, that wicked mouth…”

Pandora couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she flicked her tongue against him once more, then dragged her teeth along the sensitive skin.

“Trivia, if you—” He broke off with another groan. “If you keep doing that, I’m—I’m?—”

She sucked and nipped at him, tasting him thoroughly.

All too suddenly, he withdrew from her mouth. She gasped, reeling backward in surprise. Before she fell rather ungracefully on her bare ass, Sol scooped her up, cradling her to his chest. She yelped in surprise, her arms coming around his neck. His eyes were wild and intense, but he managed a cocky half-smile.

“I told you I wanted your legs spread, my beautiful goddess. I don’t want to come until I’m between those glorious thighs of yours.”

She found herself laughing as he carried her to the bedroom. With ease, he deposited her onto the bed. She stared up at him with a smile, then spread her legs as he’d demanded.

A low sound rumbled from his throat as he climbed onto the bed, his body poised above hers. His golden hair hung from his head, tickling her shoulder and cheek. He kissed her, his mouth claiming hers with bruising intensity. She arched upward, leaning into his touch, craving him more and more. His tongue slid between her lips before colliding with hers. She moaned into his mouth, her arms coming around his neck to bring him closer.

His lips moved to her collarbone, dragging kisses along her neck until he stopped just above her breasts. He took her nipple in his mouth, then rolled his tongue over it again and again.

Pandora cried out, her head thrown back as lightning crackled in her veins. Gods above, she lost her mind when he licked her like that.

“Your—Your—” She broke off with a gasp when he caught her nipple between his teeth. Her mind emptied, and she lost all sense of where she was.

“My what?” he murmured against her breast.

Pandora blinked, dazed, struggling to recall what she’d been about to say. “Your tongue… is just as wicked.”

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through her. Much to her dismay, he withdrew from her breasts to look down at her, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “Ah, but how am I to resist such a perfect bosom?” His eyes held hers as he cupped a breast again, then squeezed the nipple between his two fingers.

Pandora’s hips rolled as a strangled sound poured from her mouth. “Gods, Sol…”

His other hand slid down her thigh before brushing between her legs. Her blood heated when he found the moisture gathered there. He dragged a finger along her center, then lifted that finger to his lips.

“Mmm.” He licked his finger, his eyes still on her. “So delicious.”

“Sol,” Pandora rasped. It was all she could manage; only his name.

“When I said you drive me mad,” he said, leaning in so his nose brushed hers, “I meant that from dawn until dusk, you consume my thoughts, my heart, my mind. You evoke my rage, my frustration, my desire. You draw out everything from me, even the pieces I want to keep buried forever.” He kissed her again, his lips moving urgently and hungrily over hers. “I love you, Trivia.” Another kiss. “And I want you to keep consuming me forever.”

Pandora’s hands threaded through his hair, tugging at the golden strands to pull him closer to her. Her mouth opened wider for him, letting his tongue ravish her completely. Gods, the smooth feel of that tongue as it explored every part of her mouth… It nearly shattered her completely.

“Take me, Sol,” she gasped. “Please.”

His hands were on her thighs again, and he hitched her legs upward before settling himself between them. “Well, as long as you said please …”

She didn’t have time to laugh or growl at him. In one swift movement, he slid inside her, and awareness exploded through her body. Her eyes closed, her head rolling back as pleasure built inside her, coiling tightly. Her legs wrapped around him, her heels digging into his back. He thrust deeper with a loud groan, his hands still on her thighs as he spread them wider. He filled her so completely, so fully and perfectly, that she could die right there.

They seemed suspended in time as he held himself still, letting them both feel this collision of their souls and bodies, this acceptance of the feelings they’d been fighting for so long. His dark eyes held hers, flaring wide with a wildness she wanted to explore. She wriggled her hips, demanding more. But he slid out of her instead, and she pulled on his hair, growling a string of expletives.

He laughed. “Patience, love.” Then, he drove into her again, and a ragged moan burst from her. He withdrew, then pushed into her again. Each time, he shoved inside her with more intensity, and his pace quickened. Harder and harder he slammed into her until her whole body jerked with each thrust, the bed frame shaking and creaking. His grunts matched the rhythm of his thrusts, and they turned feral and manic as he uttered sounds she had never heard him make before.

He shifted her hips, angling her legs higher in the air so he could drive into her even deeper. Her vision blurred as pleasure rocketed through her with violent fervor. Every nerve of hers was on fire as he pounded through her again and again. Her moans turned into shrieks and screams, her throat raw as each cry was wrenched from her by force. She no longer knew her name, and she no longer cared about anything but his frantic movements. She could feel him moving inside her, and gods, the friction of him thrusting into her over and over was enough to push her over the edge.

“Sol— Sol —” Her fingernails raked down his back as he buried his face in her neck.

Her hips rocked, matching his movements as she urged him onward, wanting more. She was so close to the edge. Fire coiled tightly inside her, ready to spring free. She wanted to tumble off the cliff with him.

Stars danced in her vision, and tears pricked her eyes. She gasped out his name again as release spiraled through her, colliding with the pent up desire burning inside her. It erupted like a volcano, cascading through her body and making her tremble. Soon after, Sol followed, roaring as he came, his body spasming with his own climax.

Pandora clutched him tighter, burying her face in his chest. She could feel his heartbeat racing along with her own. She clung to that, letting it ground her. He had fallen off the edge with her, and now they had both shattered.

For a long moment, they didn’t move. Their arms and legs were tangled, and Sol was still buried inside her. She wanted to cling to this moment forever, to preserve it and never let it go. She was still gasping for breath when he drew back to look at her, his eyes full of exhausted satisfaction.

“Damn, Trivia,” he panted, swiping the sweaty hair away from her face. “That fire of yours will be the death of me.”

She arched against him so she could kiss him, and he groaned when the movement shifted his cock inside her. “I hope not,” she murmured against his lips. “Because I want many more nights like this with you.”

He laced his fingers with hers, then brought them to his mouth, brushing kisses against each of her knuckles. “So do I.”