Free
EVANDER
“I don’t understand,” said Evander, trying to control the wild thumping of his heart. He glanced at the woman before him, noting how human she looked. “Typhon was a demon. He had horns and wings and…”
His voice trailed off as the woman’s form began to change before his eyes. Her head and torso stayed the same, but the rest of her body elongated to form that of a massive serpent. Her long tail wriggled behind her, just as translucent as the rest of her.
“I am Echidna,” she said. “And Typhon was my mate.”
Evander’s mouth fell open, and he shook his head. He still couldn’t comprehend this. It didn’t make sense.
Behind Echidna, several other forms materialized. Some had wings like Typhon. Others had multiple heads or extra arms. Some had the head of a lion or a bull.
There were all manner of demons and beasts here. They had only taken the appearance of mortal souls.
“Where—Where did you all come from?” Evander breathed, awestruck by this revelation. “And how did Typhon possess me?”
“Typhon and I birthed many creatures,” Echidna explained, gesturing behind her.
“The Wild Spirits are our family. But one day, Jupiter determined we were too dangerous to roam freely. He wanted to destroy our kind. Typhon resisted, challenging Jupiter for the throne. When they battled, Typhon was defeated and caged underneath a volcano for thousands of years. The rest of us were doomed to an eternity without peace. Without rest.”
“That doesn’t explain how Typhon found me,” Evander said.
“I do not know this, either,” Echidna said thoughtfully. “I have been trapped here ever since. When did you first notice his presence?”
“A witch cursed me in the mortal realm,” Evander said. “When I returned, he had taken over my body.”
Echidna cocked her head at him in consideration. “What was this witch’s name?”
“Clotho,” Evander said. “She had two sisters, but I never met them.”
Echidna went rigid, her eyes wide. “You speak of the Fates.”
Evander’s brow furrowed. “The Fates? No. They—They wouldn’t… They couldn’t… How were they in the mortal realm?”
“When Apollo sought power, he summoned the Fates to show him his destiny,” Echidna said. “He didn’t like what he saw, so he cursed them to live out the rest of eternity in the mortal realm, cut off from Elysium.
“In retribution, the Fates made bargains with those who had been similarly punished. They could not help themselves—but they could help others.” She sucked in a rattling breath.
“I thought my Typhon had perished under the volcano. But… if his soul lived on, and Clotho found him… it’s possible that she infused his soul into your body to help him escape. ”
A knot formed in Evander’s throat. This entire time, he assumed the witch who had cursed him had merely tricked him, using him for her own amusement.
But she had been trying to free Typhon. She had been trying to free so many others who had suffered because of power-hungry gods like Apollo and Jupiter.
Evander stared at Echidna, his heart wrenching at the look of hope on her face. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “But Typhon is gone.”
Echidna’s face fell, her brows drawing together in confusion. “I saw you summon him earlier. He is still a part of you.”
“It’s temporary. When I was taken to Elysium, the part of my soul that he inhabits was dying. My brother siphoned Typhon’s magic out of me, and I have not been able to bring him back since. Not fully.”
Echidna fell silent. Behind her, the other Wild Spirits murmured with one another, their whispers echoing in the woods.
“He lingers,” Echidna mused, her voice distant.
“He waits for me. For us.” When Evander shook his head, not following her line of thought, she went on, “Typhon and I are still bound. Even through his banishment and his connection with you, he is still bound to his family here. It’s why his wings appear ghost-like.
” She gestured to her own body. “Just like us. He is waiting for us before he finds peace.”
“But how can you be freed?” Evander asked. “My immortality—”
“Your immortality would have done nothing for us except grant us one moment of freedom,” Echidna said sadly.
“There is nothing in all the realms powerful enough to undo Jupiter’s curse.
Unless…” She faltered, then frowned. “Our curse was linked to Typhon’s entrapment.
I assumed that, with him dead, we were doomed to an eternity of roaming these woods.
But… if he still lives—if he can be freed—perhaps we can, too. ”
“I don’t know how to free him,” Evander admitted.
Echidna slithered closer to him, coiling lower to the ground so she could look him in the eye. “You already did. Or, you started to. When you unleashed those wings, that was Typhon trying to get out.”
“I release him all the time,” Evander said. “It never lasts very long. Perhaps an hour or two, depending on how much energy I’m using. Then, he vanishes.”
“Have you ever released him here in the Wilds?”
“Yes. During Apollo’s challenge with my brother.”
Echidna gasped, then turned to the souls behind her. “How—How did we not know?” Then, her eyes widened. “The Titans. Their magic is potent enough to hide Typhon’s essence from us.”
“And we remained hidden during that battle,” said a soul behind her with six arms. “We did not want to be discovered, if you recall.”
Echidna nodded. She turned to Evander. “Can you try to release him now? Perhaps if I touch him…” She extended a hand to Evander, who instinctively scrambled away from her touch.
Echidna froze, her eyes narrowing.
“You tried to kill me,” Evander said. “I haven’t forgotten.”
“Don’t be a fool,” Echidna hissed. “Everything has changed now! Can’t you see?”
“And what will you do, once Typhon is freed? Will you simply let me go?”
“Of course,” she said at once.
Evander huffed a dry laugh. “I don’t believe you. You also claimed that losing my immortality would be painless. That I would be nothing more than a mortal. You lied.”
Echidna’s nostrils flared. “Don’t you want to free Typhon? I thought he meant something to you.”
“He did. But I value my life now—more than I ever did before. I want to live. And if freeing Typhon endangers my life, then I won’t do it.”
“We could just kill you, death god,” Echidna snarled. “Nothing is stopping us. We could tie you down and finish what we started.”
“You could,” Evander agreed. “But if you do, Typhon will never be freed. And you’ll never know if you and your family can find peace.”
Echidna froze at that, her body rigid. Her lips curled back, baring her teeth. “What do you want, death god? Name your price.”
“Swear by your blood,” Evander said. “Swear that you will not harm or kill me. And, if by freeing Typhon I am able to set your souls free, I need you to help me and my brother before you cross over.”
“Help you?” Echidna laughed harshly. “We would never help the gods. Not after what we have suffered.”
“It’s a small price to pay for your freedom,” Evander said. “You have proven you can still touch, even as ghosts.” He gestured to her hand, which still clutched the translucent dagger from before. “You can wield a weapon.”
“It takes immense concentration to do this,” Echidna argued. “We cannot maintain this for long.”
“I don’t need you to. We only need the element of surprise. If you are free to come with me to the Realm of Gaia, I need you to help us against the Titans. Just for a moment. For long enough for my brother to overpower them. Please.”
Echidna was shaking her head. “You ask too much of us, death god.” Behind her, the spirits began to fade.
Evander stood up quickly. “Wait!”
Echidna watched him, eyebrows raised.
“What if I swore to try to free those who were unfairly punished by the gods? To continue Clotho’s work?”
“You would offer such a thing to us monsters?”
“You aren’t monsters,” Evander said softly.
“I knew Typhon for a long time. He was vicious and demonic. But he was not a monster. He saved me many times. He saved the woman I love. I would do anything for him. And if there are others out there who were dealt unjust fates, then I want to free them as well.”
Echidna tilted her head thoughtfully. “This would require you to travel to the mortal realm.”
“I understand.”
Echidna glanced over her shoulder at the few souls who lingered. They exchanged whispers with one another. Evander strained to listen, but he couldn’t make out any words.
At long last, she turned to face him once more, her chin lifting. “Very well, death god. If you also agree to swear in blood, then we will do the same.” She lifted the dagger, then dragged it across her other hand. Pearly droplets fell to the ground, sizzling when they met the earth.
It wasn’t real blood—Evander knew this. But it was still her essence. Her soul. She was offering it freely to him.
Evander stood, then offered his own hand. With one sharp movement, Echidna sliced into his palm. His own silver blood oozed and dribbled to the ground.
“You first, death god,” Echidna said, her eyes flashing with a warning. The threat on her face was evident: if he refused to speak first, the deal was off.
Evander swallowed hard, hoping he was making the right choice.
“I, Evander, death god of the Underworld, swear by my blood and soul to exert every effort to free Typhon and his family, provided it does not endanger my own life. I also swear that, if the Wild Spirits are freed and they fulfill their end of the bargain, I will dedicate the rest of my life to freeing those who have been unfairly punished by the gods.”
Echidna nodded stiffly to demonstrate her approval.
Then, she said, “I, Echidna, Wild Spirit and mate of Typhon, swear by the essence of my soul that neither I, nor my kin, shall harm or kill Evander the death god. I swear that, if we are freed, we shall do battle against the Titans in the mortal realm. And, once our bargain is fulfilled, we vow never to harm Evander or his kin.”