Schemes #2
Every muscle in Cyrus’s body went rigid. “She is not dead,” he bit out.
“I know,” said Lagos. “But the people loved her. And it’s been several days since the Titans took her. They… don’t know what else to do.”
Cyrus closed his eyes and ran a hand down his face. He was so tired. So godsdamned tired.
And all his efforts were just not enough.
When you are ready to negotiate for her freedom, you know how to reach us.
“Have you spoken to the people?” Theo asked Lagos.
“Yes. Many times. But it is hard to appease them when they saw firsthand how terrifying the Titans were.”
Cyrus was only half-listening, his eyes still closed as he recalled the way that Titan had taunted him, as if he’d known how difficult it would be for Cyrus to find them.
“It didn’t help that Apollo chose the Undead Wilds for the challenge,” said Maleck. “That place is horrifying enough, even without those beastly Titans.”
Cyrus’s eyes snapped open with sudden awareness.
The Undead Wilds.
A chill skittered down Cyrus’s spine as he thought of the ghostly wayward spirits of the Undead Wilds who had pledged their loyalty to him just after Prue and Mona had been taken.
For a moment, his mind returned to that scene. Right after the Titans’ portal had vanished, the spirits had appeared. They had knelt before him as a sign of respect; a sign that he had become a king who was worthy of their loyalty.
“I swear a solemn vow to you that if you help me rescue Prue and Mona, I will see to it that you are finally freed,” Cyrus had told them. “That your souls will find rest at last.”
The souls had been silent for a moment as they considered his offer. Then, with one collective voice, they replied, “We accept.”
But Cyrus’s relief from their acceptance was short-lived.
“Do you know how to find Prue and Mona?” Cyrus had asked. “Where do we start?”
One of the souls had chuckled lightly. “It is not that simple, my king. First, we need payment from you.”
Cyrus’s eyes narrowed. “Payment? We already struck a bargain.”
“Yes, and now we require a show of good faith. Give us a drop of your immortality to feed our starving souls. And we will tell you what we know.”
Unease swirled in Cyrus’s chest. A drop of his immortality?
His skin prickled, warning him of approaching danger.
“You pledged your loyalty to me,” Cyrus argued. “Does that mean nothing? Will you not serve your king?”
The spirits’ voices had raged, echoing loudly around him. “We are betraying our kind by revealing the mystic secrets of the past. Does that mean nothing to you? Will you not prove to us that your bargain was in earnest, and give us but a taste of freedom?”
Cyrus had gone perfectly still at that, his pulse thundering in his ears as he connected the pieces.
A drop of immortality.
A taste of freedom.
Gods above. The cost of freeing the Wild Spirits… was his own immortality. His very life.
They asked for one drop now, but they would keep asking for more until his immortal soul was gone.
He didn’t even know if he was still immortal. The price might kill him instantly, and he would never see Prue again.
And who would rule his people? Who would care for the kingdom? If he died, no one could rescue Prue, and the realm would have no leader. No one to protect them. No one to oversee the rivers of souls or the magic of the land.
How could he even trust these spirits to fulfill their end of the deal? They had been trapped in the Underworld for eons. How would they be able to locate someone in another realm?
“What is it?” Lagos asked, jolting Cyrus to the present. His dark eyes were fixed on Cyrus, missing nothing.
Cyrus quickly shook his head, ridding himself of that awful memory. The moment he knew he could never fulfill his promise to the spirits.
Not unless he wanted to die.
But… with the reflection bowl broken, what choice did he have? There were no other options.
“The Wild Spirits,” Cyrus said slowly, his chest knotting with dread. “What do you know of them?”
Theo shuddered. “They are ancient,” he said in a hushed voice. “They come from a time before dark magic. Before all of us. They come from an era that has long since been forgotten.”
Cyrus stared at his hands, which gripped the edge of the table so tightly his knuckles turned white. Could he reason with the souls? If he explained his lack of immortality, perhaps they would be understanding.
He almost laughed at the idea.
“Perhaps the spirits know of an ancient magic you can use to contact the Titans,” Maleck mused. Beside him, Cerberus whined softly and cocked his head to the side, likely noticing the tension in the room.
The Wild Spirits probably did know of all kinds of spells and magic that had been lost to time. What if they advised him to use a magic that would trap him in Tartarus forever? Or what if they urged him to use the Book of Eyes, binding his soul to the mortal realm once more?
Could he even trust anything they said? As soon as they knew he had no immortality to give him, they could easily deceive him with false information.
Or refuse to help at all.
Theo hissed in a sharp breath and shook his head. “That is far too dangerous. Magic has changed so much since those spirits were alive. And you, my king, are not… yourself.”
This was true. Cyrus was a human reborn, but infused with Titan magic. He had no idea what those ancient powers might do to him.
They could kill him.
Cyrus rubbed his chin, his thoughts spinning.
“Now it is your turn to speak plainly, Cyrus,” Lagos said, his voice gentle. “What are you thinking?”
In another lifetime, Cyrus would have snapped at him, perhaps ordered him to leave the throne room. He might have even had him punished for speaking to him in such a cavalier way.
But those days were long gone. And what had once seemed like a weakness to him now gave him strength.
Lagos was here to support him. So were Theo and Maleck.
He was not alone.
He inhaled deeply and said, “The Wild Spirits require my immortality to be freed.”
All three demons gasped, their eyes wide with fear.
“I have already sworn an oath to do what I can to free them from whatever magic has trapped them here. I cannot go back on that.”
“Cyrus, that will kill you,” Lagos said softly. “The realm needs you.”
Cyrus closed his eyes. He had been foolish to strike this bargain without considering the consequences. Without thinking it through.
But Prue’s life was at stake. So was Mona’s. How could he stand by and do nothing? Evander’s accusations from earlier rang in his mind. You’re the king of the Underworld. And you’re doing nothing.
Cyrus took a deep breath. “The Wild Spirits are ancient. Which is exactly why I am wary of trusting them. We know nothing about them or where they came from. For all we know, they could be wayward souls from Tartarus that got trapped amidst an escape attempt.
“But… Apollo chose the Undead Wilds as the location of the challenge for a reason. What if Hyperion encouraged him to do it? What if the Titans have a connection to the Wild Spirits?”
Lagos inhaled deeply. “It is… certainly plausible. But if they have connections to the Titans, I don’t think that is a good thing. What if they are allies of the Titans?”
“Regardless of any former alliances they might have held, they swore their loyalty to me,” Cyrus said.
“And you believe them?” Lagos asked.
“I don’t know,” Cyrus said. “But I don’t have any other options.” Straightening, he said firmly, “I need to speak with them.” He had half-turned to the door when Lagos gripped his arm.
“Cyrus…”
“I will not give up my immortality,” Cyrus promised. “Not without consulting you three first. But, I must see what information they are willing to give before I offer the payment I promised.”
Lagos nodded grimly. “Very well. But I’m coming with you.”
Cyrus shook his head. “They need something from me. I don’t believe they will hurt me. But I can’t say the same for you, and I’m not willing to risk it.” He looked at Lagos with a mixture of gratitude and regret.
He would actually feel much more comfortable if Lagos did accompany him. His stomach roiled with uncertainty at the thought of facing those spirits alone.
When they had pledged their loyalty to him, he’d felt powerful and exuberant, like he could conquer anything and anyone.
But since that moment, a part of him was terrified that he couldn’t measure up to the ruler everyone expected him to be. What if he returned to his old ways? What if he made a horrible mistake? So many people were depending on him.
He had made so many missteps as king, so many grievous errors all for the sake of power. How could he be certain not to follow that same path once again? It had become instinct for him, and now he had to start anew.
For a god as old as he was, it was a daunting prospect.
For Prue, he reminded himself. This is for Prue.
He nodded once, resolve coursing through him.
“I’ll leave for the Wilds at once. Thank you for your counsel.
” He gestured to the shattered reflection bowl.
“In the meantime, repair the bowl and let me know when it’s finished.
If the spirits can’t provide us with any answers, that’s the only lead we have. ”
The demons muttered their assent and began scooping up the broken pieces of the bowl. Cyrus turned and left the room, agitation burning inside him as he wondered if perhaps Evander had been right.
Perhaps he wasn’t doing enough. Perhaps none of it would be enough to bring back his wife.