Page 32 of Salt & Blood (Ivy & Bone #4)

OFFERING

PANDORA

Pandora’s mind couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing. King Midas was… here? Even though he was supposed to have been cursed to never return to Elysium.

“Uncle, what is this?” Sol asked slowly, his brow furrowing. “How are you here?”

“I do apologize for the deception,” Midas said, bringing his hands together with a sigh. “But it was the only way to ensure you would do your part to free me.”

Pandora shook her head, finally finding her voice. “Explain yourself. What did you do?”

“I told you that in order to activate the fail-safe within the wards, you had to combine sun magic and earth magic,” Midas said, his eyes glinting with triumph. “But in truth, the combination of the two actually… summons me. ”

Alarm raced through Pandora. No. He couldn’t be serious. “You’re lying,” she said at once. “Gaia would have known.”

“Gaia knows nothing about the wards,” Midas snarled. “I was the one who put them there. I was the one who included the fail-safe in order to bring me back when the time was right. With sun and earth magic, my powers can be restored. And with the death of sun and earth, my curse will be lifted.”

Pandora’s blood ran cold at the word death. She stepped forward, placing herself between Midas and Sol.

Midas laughed. “Don’t fret, my dear. I don’t mean any harm to you or my nephew. It’s Gaia and Apollo I want. Your powers should have summoned them both. Gaia was already here, of course, but Apollo…” Midas frowned, then glanced behind them as if in search of the sun god. “Well, either he found a way around my fail-safe, or he’s already dead.” He laughed again. “I suppose I’ll have to kill Gaia and see what happens.”

He made for the steps leading to the courtyard, but Pandora stood in his path, glaring at him.

“You will not touch my mother.”

Midas’s eyebrows lifted. “That’s a bold claim coming from the woman who almost tore out Gaia’s throat merely days ago. Where is that bloodlust now, darling? I could use your help with this.”

Pandora shoved his shoulders so he staggered backward, but he was still chuckling. The sound of his laughter infuriated her, and she advanced, prepared to kick him down…

But then he removed his gloves, and his fingers shimmered with gold light.

“Trivia.” Sol grabbed her arms, tugging her away from Midas. “Don’t.”

Midas smiled and wiggled his fingers at her as he descended the steps to the courtyard.

Frantic, Pandora shoved away from Sol and followed after Midas. Instantly, her magic receded, and the dark storm of the box’s power roared in the sky above them. Funnel clouds formed as the power converged, and laughter and screams from within the darkness echoed around the fulcrum.

Gaia stood at the edge of the courtyard, her chin lifted as Midas advanced toward her. “Very clever deception,” she acknowledged. “But it is no good. My death will not free you.”

“Don’t try to weasel your way out of this one, Gaia,” Midas said. “You’ve lived in freedom for long enough. It’s my turn now.”

He lunged for her, but Gaia summoned a wall of tree bark to block him. Growling, Midas lunged again, but Gaia stopped him with a thick row of bushes.

Pandora was running for her mother without thinking. Sol shouted after her, but she ignored him. After everything, after years of suffering, she couldn’t just stand there and watch this man kill her mother.

She had to do something.

Gold light speared from Midas’s fingertips, slicing through branches and leaves as he made his way toward Gaia. All it would take was a single touch, and Gaia would be gone forever.

Thunder boomed in the distance, and Pandora froze, staring up at the darkening sky. Her heart lurched as the swirling shadows drew closer.

It would devour them all. It didn’t matter if she could stop Midas; the darkness would seek Gaia’s life first.

How could Pandora save her mother? Despair crashed through her, and she fell to her knees.

Titan magic, whispered a voice within her.

Blinking through tears, Pandora glanced up, recalling how she had begged Farah, the fire witch coven leader, to consider turning to Titan magic to stop the darkness. That magic isn’t to be trifled with, Farah had said.

But that magic was already here. It lived inside Pandora. If she could access it, perhaps she could use it to close up the box once more.

“Time to come out, Pandora,” she whispered, nudging that goddess’s presence once more. It didn’t take much to coax her out; the swirling shadows called to her.

Screams echoed in her ears, and she rose to her feet, making her way toward the dueling deities. Her eyes were fixed on Gaia, which she knew would infuriate the goddess.

Come for her, she taunted. She is right here. Come and claim her.

The goddess within her roared with fury, thrashing against Pandora’s restraints.

And Pandora let go. She dropped her defenses and let the soul’s anger and trauma and vengeance burst forth. Just like when she stood on the fulcrum, the dam burst, gushing forth. But this time, it was the darkness of Pandora. Inky black shadows spilled forth, pooling along the floor.

Gaia and Midas halted their fighting to stare at her, sensing the powerful presence of the Titan magic.

“No,” Gaia breathed.

“Sol, get her out of here!” Pandora shouted, but her voice was not her own. It was layered with another voice. Another soul.

“I’m not leaving you!” Sol cried.

“ Sol !” Pandora screamed, desperate to make him understand this was the only way. “I couldn’t save your mother for you. But you can save mine. Please, I am begging you!” Tears spilled from her eyes, but she kept her gazed fixed on that dark, swirling vortex that was coming for her.

Midas yelped and scrambled away, but Pandora gripped him firmly by the arm, careful not to touch his skin. She held him there, and when he reached for her, trying to use his powers to turn her to gold, she kicked him in the groin, and he crumpled. With her boot, she held him there, refusing to let him go.

“Now, Sol!” she shrieked.

To her relief, Sol obliged, taking Gaia’s arm and wrenching her away from the storm.

“No!” Gaia moaned, reaching for her daughter. “I will not lose you again, Trivia! No !”

A sob tore through Pandora as she aimed her black magic for the shadows in the sky. “Come for me!” she called. “Come for this power!”

The shadows released a cry of delight as they drew closer, swallowing up Pandora and Midas. When the tornado had enveloped them, Pandora unleashed it all with a roar of pain.

“ With the power of the Titans, I seal up this darkness. Let it be contained and controlled, sealed up by my essence. Let it forevermore be bottled up within the box from whence it came. ”

A harsh, grating screech reverberated from within her as the goddess realized what she was doing. Once more, Pandora saw that blinding light as Apollo destroyed her. The force of that power ripped her apart for a second time, and this time it truly was her. Not another person’s memories, but hers.

Pandora’s.

Trivia’s.

They were now one and the same.

Pandora fell to her knees. Beside her, Midas sobbed like a child as the darkness consumed them both. Walls closed in on them, trapping them alongside the darkness. As the box sealed them up, Pandora caught a glimpse of Sol struggling to pull Gaia away from the scene. But the two watched, horror-stricken, as the black shadows ripped Pandora’s soul from her body, using her aura to contain it all.

I love you, she thought to them just before she was yanked from eternity, doomed to drown in the box’s depths forevermore.