Until then, I needed to be patient.
Skylar returned her focus to the grapes, examining them like she was searching for the perfect one.
“I’m glad we got to talk,” I said, since she clearly didn’t want to continue this conversation. “I’ll see you around, I guess.”
I spun around and hurried away. That was awkward. But luckily, it didn’t take me long to find Julian. He was standing with his mom and sister, listening as Vita explained every detail of what she’d helped Iris design in the room.
I walked straight into his open arms. “Hi,” I said, brushing my lips softly against his.
“Hi, yourself.” He smiled. “Vita did an incredible job with all of this, didn’t she?”
Vita straightened and beamed at her brother.
“She did,” I said. “It’s perfect.”
Vita and her mom went to refill their drinks, leaving me and Julian alone. A heavy silence hung over us.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here with them while I’m in the Otherworld?” I asked. “Vita looks up to you so much. And you haven’t seen them in so long…” I glanced over at them, surprised to see that Vita had marched off on her own to chat with the Queen of Swords’s mate, Noah.
From the way Vita was looking at him, she was clearly interested. But of course, the Queen of Swords—Raven, as she’d asked me to call her—rushed to his side to stake her territory.
Vita frowned and stepped backward. Then she quickly scanned the room, stopped on the leader of one of the other packs, pulled down the neckline of her pink dress, and strutted over to him.
He faced Vita straight on, seeming open to her advances.
She’s a bigger flirt than Torrence.
My heart dropped, like it always did when I thought about my best friend.
Trust Skylar, trust Reed, and trust the Supreme Mages, I reminded myself. Torrence will be home soon.
“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Julian said, pulling me out of my looping thoughts about Torrence. “I’m going wherever you go. Even the Queen of Wands isn’t indestructible. Who knows when she’ll need a chosen champion of Mars to keep her safe?”
“You certainly did your fair share of that in the Otherworld.” I smiled. Because if it weren’t for Julian, there was no way I’d be here—alive—right now. He was the anchor that held me steady in rough seas, and the lighthouse that illuminated my path in a storm. He’d pulled me out of my lowest lows and believed in me when I didn’t have faith in myself. “Even though we’re both strong individually, we’re always stronger together.”
“You know it,” he said. “Which is why I’m staying by your side, even if you venture into Hell itself.”
My heart raced like it had the first time I’d laid eyes on him. “I love you,” I said.
“And I love you.”
We moved closer to kiss again, but then someone screamed, and glass shattered on the hardwood floor.
I spun around to see what had happened, ready to strike at the first sight of a threat.
A woman in a purple dress who hadn’t been there when I’d entered stood in the center of the room. Her brown, wavy hair that reached her waist blew around her, and a colorful flower crown sat on her head. The flower petals in the room moved toward her feet like a magnet and bloomed into a small garden around her.
She stood at human height, but I could feel the godly essence pouring off her in waves. “Selena Pearce.” She smiled, her earth-green eyes warm and welcoming. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”
I stood there, dumbstruck. Everyone else in the room had quieted, too.
Which god is she?
Ceres, perhaps? The flowers and earthly presence would make sense.
Or else, maybe…
“I’m sorry,” she said with a warm smile. “I suppose I should have introduced myself. I’m Persephone. The Queen of the Underworld.”
50
SELENA
THE QUEEN of the Underworld was here. In Avalon. In our dining room.
She was Ceres’s daughter, so my guess of her identity hadn’t been too far off. And I had a hope about why she’d dropped by… but I immediately squelched it. Because she was alone.
So what was she doing here?
“Don’t you mean Proserpina?” Julian was the first to speak.
She smiled again, like she found him amusing. A few more flowers bloomed at her feet. “Proserpina is the name I go by while in my Roman form,” she said. “But different aspects of our personalities are stronger depending on the realm we’re in. In the Otherworld, I’m Proserpina. On Earth, I go by my Greek name. Persephone.”
Realizing that I was still on guard, I relaxed my grip around the Holy Wand. No need to look like I was about to attack a goddess. “So you’re two different people in one body?” I asked.
“No.” Her laugh was musical, like chirping birds. “Our Roman sides are strong in the Otherworld because that’s what the majority of that realm knows us as. On Earth, our Greek forms are more well known, so that side of us is stronger while we’re here.”
My mother was instantly by my side, and she lowered herself into a curtsy. “Your Highness,” she said. “Thank you for joining our celebration.”
“Please, rise,” Persephone said, and my mom did as requested. “And call me Persephone. Gods don’t need nor require formal titles of address.”
I’d definitely told my mom that when I’d recounted everything that had happened in the Otherworld. But after all of my etiquette lessons on Avalon, I knew it took some time to get used to it.
“How did you get here?” someone asked from my mom’s other side. The Queen of Swords, Raven. She had her hand wrapped around the handle of the Holy Sword, Excalibur, although luckily, she didn’t draw the weapon. “Did you go through the Trials?”
I watched the goddess and waited for her response, since I was curious as well.
“I did go through the Trials,” she said. “And, as you can see, I passed.”
People shuffled around and whispered to one another, apparently more comfortable now that they knew Persephone wasn’t a threat. If she wished us harm, she wouldn’t have gotten through the Trials.
Their questions filled the room.
Why’s she here?
Is she really a goddess?
What type of magic does she have?
“What brings you to Avalon?” I asked, and everyone quieted once again.
“I can’t stay for long, but I’ve stopped by to surprise you,” she said, and hope took hold once again.
I held my breath, waiting and praying that I might be right. “Surprise me with what?” I asked, and then I cursed inwardly. Persephone was a goddess. The surprise could simply be her presence at my party.
But I hoped it was more than that.
“After you left the Underworld, I received an invitation to dine with Gloriana,” the goddess continued. “I accepted, of course. I do love spending time in Elysium. When I’m there, I can sometimes even pretend I’m back in the realm of the living.” She glanced out the nearest window and smiled, as if thinking of a happy memory. Then, she refocused on me. “During the meal, Gloriana had a request. And I’ve come here to grant it.”
I reached for Julian’s hand and squeezed it so tightly that I was probably cutting off his circulation.
Persephone stepped out of the garden blooming at her feet. She held out her hand, and green magic poured out of her palm, toward the flowers.
A floral, earthy scent filled the room. It felt like breathing in the essence of life itself. From the deep breaths and sighs of pleasure sounding all around me, everyone else was having a similar experience, too.
The flowers sparkled, and they grew and grew, until they were around the same height as me. The magic glowed brighter—so bright that I nearly had to look away. But I didn’t. Instead, I watched as the vines swirled around each other, shimmering and sparkling as they settled into the form of a person.
The light
disappeared, and I looked into forest green eyes I didn’t think I’d ever see again.
“Cassia?” I said her name, as if that would be enough to prove I wasn’t imagining she were here.
She looked like a goddess in a purple dress the same color as Persephone’s, and she had a dainty flower crown on her head. She touched her face and ran her fingers through her hair, as if checking to see if she were real. “Selena.” Her voice cracked—like she hadn’t used it for a long time—and her eyes filled with tears as she gazed around the dining hall. “Where are we?”
I returned the Holy Wand to the ether, ran toward her, and smothered her in a hug.
My fingers didn’t slip through her, like they had in the Underworld.
She was real.
“This is Avalon,” I said after finally pulling away. “My home.”
My mom and dad were by my side in an instant. Julian, too. My heart felt fuller than it had since returning to Earth, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
I looked back at Persephone to ask if this was permanent. But the goddess was gone.
And she hadn’t taken Cassia with her.
“Cassia,” my mom said her name warmly, and she placed her hand on my friend’s forearm. “We’ve heard so many wonderful things about you. I’m Annika—the Earth Angel, the Queen of Cups, and, most importantly, Selena’s mom. And it’s my pleasure to welcome you to Avalon.”
EPILOGUE: TORRENCE
A FEW WEEKS LATER
SUNLIGHT SPILLED THROUGH THE WINDOWS, warming my face and waking me up. All of the bedrooms in Circe’s house faced east, since she insisted on rising with the sun.
I groaned and pulled the covers over my head. They didn’t help much, but I rolled over and closed my eyes anyway to try going back to sleep.
“Torrence,” Circe chirped from outside my door. “Are you dressed?”
“Do you care?”
“Of course I care.” She flung the door open and smirked down at me. “I hope the answer is no.”
Anger boiled deep within me, and my dark magic filled me, protecting me. My magic was the only thing that kept me sane. It was crazy to think about how helpless I’d been before embracing it. How weak I’d been.
The person I’d been before coming here was a distant memory, and I never wanted to be that vulnerable ever again. Nothing hurt me anymore. Anger, yes. But hurt? I had ghost-like memories of feeling that way, especially around Reed. But I didn’t remember the actual feeling itself.
I preferred it this way.
“Then you’re going to be disappointed.” I threw off the blanket and stretched, my strappy pink silk nightgown rising to the top of my thighs. It didn’t cover much, but it was better than nothing.
Not that I cared if Circe saw me naked or not. But I did care if I angered her. I loved angering her. Every time I did, victory rushed through me, strengthening my magic.
“That’s no fun.” She walked forward to stand at the end of my bed, and her hungry eyes stared down at me like I was a feast she was ready to enjoy.
I stared right back, although I was sure my gaze was as dark as the magic swirling in my soul.
“You’ve been here for weeks,” she said. “And even though I’m immortal, I’m beginning to get impatient.”
“Impatient for what?”
“You.” She lowered herself down onto her knees at the edge of my bed.
“Not gonna happen.’” I sat up and leaned against the headboard. “Now, what’s on the breakfast menu this morning? Bacon? Sausage? Ham? All of the above?”
“I’m going to have to lure more men here to keep up with your voracious appetite.” She grinned.
“What can I say?” I shrugged. “It’s far better than the bland porridge we’d have otherwise.”
“That it is,” she agreed. “But I’m hungry for something other than breakfast.” She crawled closer to me, like a cat, and stopped when she was right in front of me.
“And what’s that?” I challenged.
“Your submission to me.” She pulled one arm out of her strappy dress, then the other. It slid off her, into a small pile at her knees.
She wore nothing underneath it.
I narrowed my eyes, and shadows darkened the room. “Never.”
“You’re so tempting when your eyes turn black like that,” she purred. “It makes me want you even more.”
“How’d you guess? That’s exactly my intent.” Sarcasm dripped off me nearly as much as dark magic.
She recoiled, snarled, then quickly recovered. “You look tough and talk tough, but you’re forgetting one important thing.” She smiled like she’d already won. “I’m a sorceress. This is my island. I’m in control here. I’ve been waiting for you to come to me willingly, but I’ve grown impatient.”
“What’re you going to do?” I sat up on my knees, so I was at the same level as her. “Force yourself on me?”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” She twirled a strand of her hair, and then ran her finger down along her breast. “And you’re going to enjoy it.”
“Like hell I am.”
I reached for my magic, but she blasted me with hers first, freezing me in place. I tried to move, but my body wouldn’t listen to me.
Panic squeezed my lungs.
I was trapped.
She tilted her head and studied me like I was an expensive piece of art she was considering purchasing. “That’s better.” She reached for one of the straps of my nightgown and pulled it down, like she had with hers. She did the same with the other strap, and my nightgown fell to my knees.
We faced each other like mirror images, both of us stripped down to nothing.
I tried to move again, but I couldn’t.
Anger surged through me like a volcano about to erupt, and I stared her down, daring her to try anything further.
If she did, she’d burn for it. I was going to destroy her. I might have been powerless to say it, but my magic was still there. And every moment she held me down, my magic pushed harder outward, like a balloon ready to pop.
“You’re perfect,” she said. “And you’re mine.”
She flicked her wrist, and her magic jerked at me. One moment I was on my knees, and then I was laying flat on the bed.
I tried to scream, but I couldn’t move. Instead, the scream joined with my magic, fueling the storm raging inside me.
You took away my life, I thought, and I hoped my eyes got across my fury. I’m not letting you take my dignity, too.
She crawled over me and hovered there, her gaze roaming up and down my body. The corner of her lip curled up into a small smile. “You’re going to come crawling to my bed every night after this,” she said. “Just wait and see.”
She slowly lowered herself down, pressed her lips to mine, and slipped her tongue inside my mouth.
Die, you crazy bitch, I thought, and then my magic blasted out of me and into her like a bomb, surrounding us in a suffocating explosion of thick black smoke.
The smoke blew around like a hurricane, blinding me. It was like white noise everywhere. I breathed in, and it filled my lungs, pushing its way inside of me. The power was all consuming. I needed more of it. So I opened my mouth and sucked it down, until the last bits of it entered my body and my magic was back where it belonged.
Instead of the ceiling, I looked up at the clear blue sky. I tried to move my fingers, and they obeyed my command.
I was free from Circe’s magic.
I sat up and looked around in shock.
Because I was no longer in the palace. I was still on the island, but all that remained was scorched rubble. It was like someone had dropped an atomic bomb. Except I felt no pain, whatsoever.
I glanced down at my body.
Ash covered me. I studied my palms, which were coated with it.
What had I done?
“Torrence Devereux,” a voice boomed from in front of me.
Four men and three women in black clothes that I could only describe as medie
val stood about ten feet away. They all had silver hair and glowing silver eyes, except for one of them.
“Reed.” I pushed myself up, stumbled slightly, and hurried toward him.
I was only halfway there when two of the men appeared by my side. Before I could blink, they snapped a cuff around each of my wrists.
They burned like they’d come straight out of a fire, and I screamed.
A person behind me pulled my wrists behind my back. The cuffs must have welded together, because I couldn’t move my arms.
The man who’d snapped on the first cuff pushed down on my shoulders, and I fell to my knees in the rubble. The pebbles dug into my skin. But the cuffs cooled down to normal temperature, so they no longer seared my skin.
The six of them surrounded me in a semi-circle and stared down at me with their creepy silver eyes. They looked so alike that they had to be siblings.
“You’re indecent,” said the woman with the longest hair. She removed her cloak, moved toward me, and wrapped it around my shoulders. “There. That’s better.”
I reached for my magic, and the cuffs burned again. I screamed, and sweat gathered on my skin. Tears ran down my face.
I tried to teleport away, and it hurt even worse. Red, hot, scorching, agonizing pain.
Reed pushed through the silver-haired people and crouched beside me. “You can’t use your magic with the cuffs on,” he said. “You have to stop trying.”
I glared at him and reached harder.
Pain sliced through me so intensely that I collapsed into his arms. He held me tightly as I tried to breathe, and just like he’d promised, the burning stopped when I stopped trying to fight.
“Why are you doing this?” I pulled away to look at him. “Who are these people?”
“Do you promise not to try fighting again?” he asked.
“Are you going to answer my questions?”
“I see you haven’t changed much,” he said with a small smile.
“Wrong.” Shadows covered my sight, then more pain from the cuffs, and I screamed again. The pain only disappeared when my vision returned to normal.
The Faerie Plague (Dark World: The Faerie Games Book 5) Page 24