Everything
MONA
Mona stared at her mother in horror as her words sank in.
The mortals of the Thanassian Empire have been slaughtered.
The Titans devoured their souls.
So many lives lost… and for what? Power? Domination? What would the Titans do when there were no souls left to feast on?
They would never be satisfied. Never be content.
Unfettered rage roared within her. The sight of her mother’s broken and mangled body had altered Mona, twisting her into something feral and savage.
These Titans had waged war on her people. Her family.
And Mona vowed to do everything in her power to destroy them.
Gaia’s brilliant blue eyes shifted to Mona’s, as if her mother could sense the rage rippling from her body. Gaia squeezed her hand.
“You are strong enough for this, my darling,” she murmured.
Mona swallowed hard, her nostrils flaring and her breaths coming in short spurts. She was so full of energy and chaos that she felt she might explode. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or scream… or both.
But she had to do something.
Prue was climbing to her feet, wiping tears from her eyes. She looked at Mona expectantly.
Mona faltered, casting a worried look toward Gaia. “I don’t want to leave you.” There were still so many unspoken words between them. So many things she needed to say.
“You have saved my life,” Gaia whispered, her eyes sparkling with tears. “And I will never forget that. End this war, and I swear we will spend an eternity catching up. I vow to withhold nothing from you ever again. You will always get the truth from me. I promise you that.”
A knot formed in Mona’s throat, and she found it difficult to swallow.
What if you die?
What if I die?
What if all the realms perish?
There was so much that could go wrong. So much that could come between Mona and her mother. What if this was it? What if this was the last time they would see each other?
Gaia leaned closer, her eyes full of intensity and fire. “My daughters are the strongest forces I have ever met. It was foretold that your power could save the realms. I believe in you. And I know you can do this. This is not goodbye.”
The words were spoken with such conviction that Mona’s breath hitched. She believed her. The fierce determination in Gaia’s gaze left no room for question or argument.
This would end today.
But this was not the end of Mona’s story.
After a quick nod, Mona climbed to her feet, standing next to Prue.
“Can you sense her?” Prue asked. “You know Trivia’s magic better than I do.”
Mona closed her eyes, trusting her earth magic. But as the powers inside her stretched forward, she went perfectly still.
Something was shifting toward them. Something that scuffled in the dirt.
Mona’s eyes flew open. “Do you feel that?”
Prue froze, holding her breath. “What is that? A creature?”
Mona inhaled deeply, then uttered a soft gasp. Without warning, she sprinted into the fog with Prue right behind her.
Within seconds, they collided with a tall figure. Mona’s arms came around Trivia, clutching her tightly to keep her from falling.
“Trivia! Thank the Goddess!” Mona was laughing with relief, amazed that Trivia had been merely steps away.
Her smile faltered when she withdrew and looked over her sister.
Cuts and bruises marred her tan skin, and her leg was twisted at an odd angle.
Dark shadows lined her eyes, and streaks of dirt and tears stained her cheeks.
“What happened?” Mona breathed, touching Trivia’s cheek. Tears spilled from Trivia’s eyes, and she shook her head, her lower lip trembling.
“Gaia,” Trivia whimpered. “She—She—”
“Gaia is alive,” Mona said quickly. “We revived her.”
Trivia blinked, then her eyes widened. “Are… are you certain? It isn’t some kind of trick from the Titans?”
Mona smiled softly. “Yes, I’m certain.”
Trivia closed her eyes, leaning heavily on Mona for support. An exhausted laugh burst from her lips, and she wept some more, sniffling loudly. “Thank the gods. Thank you, Mona.” She turned to Prue. “And thank you, Prue.”
Prue nodded stiffly, her mouth forming a tight line. Only then did Mona realize that the last time Prue had seen Trivia, the Underworld had been destroyed. Prue’s last memory of Trivia had been her treachery.
No wonder she was less than enthused to be reunited with her.
“Can you walk?” Mona asked, glancing at Trivia’s leg. “We need to—”
She broke off as the ground shook and cracks split the earth.
The three sisters darted out of the way as the fissures widened, forming gaping black holes all around them.
With her arm around Trivia to keep her upright, Mona fled from the abyss, dodging more chasms and gaps in the ground.
Her foot snagged on one of the cracks, and she was falling toward the ground—
Prue grasped her by the elbow, hauling her upright before she hit the hard earth. Arm-in-arm, the sisters raced through the mist, seeking shelter from the never-ending earthquake.
But there was no escaping it. The earth continued to break, dissolving into the gaping maw that would devour them completely.
That same fury from earlier swelled in Mona’s chest, making her see red.
She had had enough of these Titans toying with her. Their reign of death would end now.
“We’re earth goddesses, dammit,” Mona snarled, standing her ground and stomping her foot.
“We don’t have to put up with this any longer.
” She knelt to the earth and closed her eyes, digging her fingers into the soil beneath her.
The ground hummed and the air sang with energy.
Power crackled through her, swift and volatile.
Blades of grass sprang from the earth. Lush flowers and leaves surrounded her.
And the earth beneath her remained intact. All around her, the ground fell away, breaking and dissolving into nothingness until all that remained was a yawning abyss.
But Mona held on, her brows knitting together, sweat trickling down her brow. She felt Trivia and Prue clinging to her, huddling close to avoid falling into the pit.
At long last, the earthquake ceased, and the air grew eerily still.
Slowly, Mona opened her eyes and stifled a gasp.
They stood on a single patch of grass. An island amidst a sea of darkness.
And everything in sight had been consumed by the black void of nothingness.
“What—What have they done?” Trivia whispered in horror, her eyes wide. She stared into the distance, and her face paled. “How much is gone? Is—Is everything gone?” Panic edged her voice, and Mona knew she was thinking of Gaia. Or Sol. Perhaps both.
She wasn’t the only one. Terror cinched Mona’s chest, cutting off her breath.
Evander. Cyrus. Gaia. Everyone left in the realm… Had the Titans destroyed them all so easily?
Clearing her throat, Mona took a deep breath. “No matter what, we have to put an end to this. We have to believe that those we love are still alive and unharmed. But even if they aren’t, it doesn’t change what we’ve been tasked to do.”
She exchanged solemn looks with Prue and Trivia. They both looked equally horrified, but a spark of determination lit both their gazes.
They were afraid. But they were ready.
Mona extended her arms, taking her sisters’ hands and squeezing hard. The moment their palms met, heat seared through their joined hands, burning Mona straight to the core. She sucked in a sharp breath, hissing at the pain that coursed through her body.
From within the darkness below, something unleashed a deep, bellowing roar.
Mona’s blood ran cold, her heart stuttering in her chest. Flames rose up from the pit, warming her flesh and making her skin flush.
“What the hell is that?” Trivia cried.
Prue’s grip on Mona’s hand tightened. “Summon your magic. Now!”
Mona nodded in agreement, closing her eyes to call upon her power. The earth magic inside her rose up, but the beast in the darkness roared again, the sound louder than before. Mona’s ears rattled, and her eyes flew open. She couldn’t stifle the fear flooding her body, clouding her concentration.
“Mona!” Prue shouted, clearly sensing her hesitation.
With a loud whoosh, two large wings raised from within the abyss.
They pumped, drawing a massive emerald creature into the air, hovering right in front of them.
It was easily as tall as the castle of Elysium, with a long, scaly and serpentine body.
It coiled into a twisted shape, its large red eyes fixating on Prue, Mona, and Trivia.
Several jagged teeth leered at them, and sparks emitted from its mouth.
“The Colchian dragon,” Mona breathed, half awestruck and half consumed with terror. This was the great beast that had guarded the Golden Fleece. The monster so large and powerful that it had to be put to sleep by witches.
And here it was, hovering in front of them, teeth dripping with saliva. It inhaled deeply, the sound loud and rattling…
“Down!” Mona screamed, tugging hard on her sisters’ arms. They dropped to the ground, barely avoiding getting scorched by the dragon’s flames. The top of Mona’s head burned, and her back felt singed.
A protective dome appeared around them, shrouding them in tree branches. Mona wasn’t sure which of her sisters conjured it, but it, too, was lit up in flames. They screamed, trying to turn away from the flames, but there was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.
They were trapped.
Thinking fast, Mona buried herself deeper into the ground, envisioning a cavern of dirt. Then, she lifted a hand and doused the flamed with rich soil. It smothered the fire, quickly putting it out.
But the dragon had cornered them, and it wouldn’t stop there.
“We have to get off this!” Mona cried, looking down at the tiny patch of earth they occupied.
“No, we have to kill it!” Trivia shouted, gesturing to the dragon, who was rearing its head, eyes burning with rage. Trivia lifted her hand, conjuring a long, jagged branch. She grasped it tightly, wielding it like a spear.
“Trivia, don’t!” Mona shouted.