Chapter Planning
PLANNING
PRUE
The cottage had two bedrooms upstairs. Atlas showed them to the one on the left, which consisted of two dirty and stained cots and a table in between. The shutters over the window were cracked, and the air smelled like mold.
Atlas offered a cold smile before shutting the door with his departure. Prue checked the handle—no locks.
That would have been far too easy. Already, she was shocked the Titans were giving them privacy.
Assuming their magic couldn’t enable them to listen in on the sisters’ conversations.
We’ll have to risk it, Prue thought, turning to Mona and taking her hands. “What do you know about this place?” She kept her voice low, just in case.
Mona bit her lip as she glanced around the dismal bedroom.
“I know,” Prue said, squeezing her sister’s hands. “It’s bleak. Better than a prison cell, though.”
Mona nodded, then closed her eyes, her brows knitting together in a look of concentration. “In all the books I’ve read, there were only two places described to be voids for the magic of the gods. One of them is the Manos Ocean.”
Prue’s heart lurched. “You mean the whirlpool you jumped into to get to the Underworld?”
Mona’s mouth quirked up in a half smile.
Instead of making her blanch, the memory only seemed to empower her, as if reminding her of the courage she was capable of.
“Yes. That one. The other void is located in the Rhea Desert. There are said to be ancient ruins there where raiders slaughtered a family beloved by the gods. As punishment, the gods removed all magic from the area and cursed it with an endless drought. To this day, no flora or magic can thrive there.” She paused and swallowed hard. “I think that’s where we are.”
The Ruins of Rhea. Prue had seen the landmark on a map once, back when she and Cyrus were attempting to sail across the sea to get to the tiny village of Faidon.
“The fire witch coven is somewhere in the desert,” Mona went on. “But I don’t know how far. The desert spans over fifty miles, so they could be anywhere.”
“And the place is warded by Titan magic, so it’s not as if we can sneak out and track them down,” Prue said grimly.
She sighed. “I suppose our options are limited. We have to keep our heads down until Cyrus reaches out to negotiate.” Her chest twisted at the thought.
What would Cyrus offer in exchange for her and Mona?
She wasn’t sure what she feared more—that Cyrus would give up his entire kingdom, or that he would refuse the Titans’ demands.
The Cyrus she had known would have torn apart every realm to get her back. But he had since changed. He had been reborn as a human, then become infused with Titan magic. He had won the right to his throne, and she knew in her heart that this time, things would be different.
He was not the king he once was. And she knew that he would be mindful of the needs of his people.
It only made her love him more.
But it also made her afraid for what she and Mona would have to endure.
“Perhaps not,” Mona said slowly, jerking Prue from her dismal thoughts. That familiar calculating look shone in her eyes.
Prue’s pulse quickened. “What do you mean?”
“God magic might not work here. But what about witch magic?”
Prue sucked in a breath. “Runes?”
Mona offered a smile and nodded.
“Damn.” Prue exhaled in a short burst, then huffed a laugh. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Runes are what saved me in that prison cell in the Thanassian Empire.”
Mona’s expression turned smug. “I know.”
Prue whacked her arm. “What rune are you thinking of?”
Mona’s face went blank, her eyes distant. Prue could tell her sister was mentally sifting through all the runes she had studied. Her lips moved wordlessly, as if she were whispering to herself.
Prue folded her arms over her chest as she waited.
Eventually, Mona’s mouthing turned to muttering.
“The unlock rune wouldn’t be much help here.
I don’t think dislodging a person’s spirit would help, either, since they are Titans and I have no idea if their souls are even accessible…
It will likely only enrage them.” She started pacing the length of the tiny room, arms crossed as she chewed on her thumbnail.
“Commune with the dead,” Mona whispered, then shook her head. “Healing rune…” She froze, then straightened, her expression brightening. “I’ve got it! A fire rune.”
Prue arched an eyebrow. “A fire rune?”
“Yes. We send it straight up in the air. If it’s infused with enough witch magic, it should alert the fire witches.”
Prue didn’t like the word should. What if it didn’t work? What if the Titans caught them? “Don’t you think the Titans will be able to sense the magic?”
“Not witch magic,” Mona said. She sounded so confident that Prue almost believed her. “The only issue is… I have no idea how powerful the Titans’ wards are. If it’s a simple ward spell, it will only deflect sight and sound, and magic will be able to pierce through it.”
“I doubt it’s a simple ward,” Prue said with a grimace.
“So do I.” Mona tapped her chin in thought. “I wonder if there’s a rune that can destabilize a ward.” When Prue made a noise of protest, Mona added, “Only for a moment, I mean.”
Prue snorted. “You think they won’t notice if it’s only for a moment?”
Mona winced. “You’re right. It’s too risky.”
Prue frowned, then lifted one finger. “Hold on.” She glanced at the door, half expecting to see Atlas leering in the doorway, listening to their entire conversation.
But the door was still shut.
Prue drew closer to Mona and whispered, “There’s only five of them. If you can think of a rune that can dismantle their wards for long enough for us to send fire into the sky, then I can come up with a distraction that will draw the Titans’ attention. They won’t notice the wards coming down.”
Mona’s eyes grew wide. “Prue, you can’t be serious.”
Prue nodded slowly. “Can you do it?”
Mona’s face paled. That same far-off look appeared on her face. After a moment, she muttered, “Yes. There’s one rune powerful enough to do it—the spell-breaker rune. But it’ll drain me.”
“Shit. Can you still send the fire signal?”
Mona’s hesitation was answer enough.
“Dammit.” Prue sank to the edge of the nearest cot and rested her head in her hands. They were so close to coming up with a plausible plan.
“I can do it… if you give me some of your blood,” said Mona.
Prue’s head snapped up, her eyebrows lifting. “Really?”
“I think so. If I have your blood available, I can cast the rune spell as if it’s coming from you. You can distract them. Then I’ll use my own blood for the fire rune.”
“How much blood do you need?”
“For the spell-breaker?” Mona hesitated. “A full cup.”
Prue’s stomach flipped. “An entire cup of my blood? Mona, how the hell are we supposed to manage that?” She spread her hands, gesturing to the bare room around them. No sharp objects. No containers for collecting blood.
This plan was doomed from the start.
All Prue could think of was the many things that could go wrong. Mona not getting enough blood, or passing out from exhaustion after the first rune. Prue’s diversion going wrong, or the Titans discovering what she was up to. The fire signal not alerting the fire witches.
It was Mona’s turn to take her sister’s hands. Prue didn’t realize she was trembling until Mona held her.
“Prue.” Mona’s voice was firm. “Do you trust me?”
Prue nodded, finding comfort in her sister’s confidence. Mona was often ruled by fear, but right now, she was perfectly calm.
“Then trust that this will work. We just have to time everything perfectly.”
Prue chuckled nervously. “Easy, right?”
“We can do this. Are you with me?”
“Of course.” She had complete faith in her sister. Mona was the smartest woman she knew.
If anyone could come up with a way to accomplish this, it was her.
Mona smiled, and the sight loosened something in Prue’s chest. “Good. Then, let’s start planning.”