I drew in a shuddery breath, remembering all the moments with him when I’d struggled to stay on the right side of magic. He had helped me. He’d given me focus. “Okay then. I chose the light and mastered the magic I have. Does that mean I’m ready for the rest of my magic?”
“I hope so. Because you’re going to need it.”
“I’m ready.”
“Good.” She stepped toward me, and I braced myself.
“What’s going to happen?”
“You’ll see.” She raised a hand and rested her fingertips on my forehead. A shiver raced through me, then the world spun into blackness.
10
Seraphia
I gasped, stumbling back as I blinked frantically, trying to clear my vision. When it returned, all I could see was white. Swirling, endless, blinding white.
And it was so damned cold.
I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself as I squinted into the snowy landscape. Snow pelted my face and gathered around me. The wind howled. There were no mountains or hills—just endless flat land.
“Hello?” I called, turning in a circle to find my mother or Hades.
They were nowhere to be seen.
I was alone in a cold white wilderness. Flat plains of snow stretched into the distance, smooth and perfect and coldly terrifying. I could get lost out here.
Hell, I already was lost.
Where was everyone?
Why had she sent me here?
A test.
No one was given great magic without a test, even if the magic had been theirs to begin with.
Still shivering, I rubbed my arms. What did I have to do in this test?
Find my magic, obviously. But where the hell was it? There was nothing.
I spun in a circle once more, but it was all the same.
Well, if I couldn’t see it, then I’d have to feel it.
Praying that the idea would work, I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, trying to feel for any magical signatures in the wild. There had to be something that would give me a clue.
Finally, I got it. The faintest scent of something green, like grass.
I opened my eyes and followed it, trudging across the snow. Fortunately, moving raised my core body temperature. My skin still felt like ice, but I wasn’t going to keel over dead. I called that a win. And what was a little frostbite when trying to save the world? I could heal myself if I had to, or Hades could.
Hades.
It was easy to think of going to him for help. No matter how determined he was to do wrong, I knew he’d help me. Because I knew why he was planning to pursue his dark goals.
The cold seemed to give me clarity in this.
He wasn’t inherently evil—I knew that. Even though he’d been made of the darkness, there was still light in him. He chose it whenever he chose me. And he was choosing me. He believed he could save me from Tartarus by taking the Crown of Destiny.
I shivered, hoping there was a way to prove him wrong. Because I really didn’t want to end up in that miserable hell.
I shook the thought away, focusing on the task at hand.
Fates, it was cold and lonely. The howling wind made it worse, screaming at me that there was no one there to help me. No one to care.
Focus.
It had to be the magic that made me feel that way. Sure, I was alone. But this was a magical challenge. Of course I was alone. I didn't need to fall prey to a ridiculous fear.
Up ahead, a tiny speck of black appeared on the horizon. It neared me quickly, and I realized it was Echo. The little bat fought his way against the wind to join me, and I smiled.
“Echo!”
He reached me and fluttered at my side.
“Here to keep me company?”
He squeaked.
“Thanks, pal. Do you know the way to my magic?” He nodded and flew forward, head down as he beat his way through the wind.
Thank fates for familiars.
I followed him, the scent of green things growing stronger. The air even got a little warmer, though maybe that was my imagination.
Soon, we neared a forest. The massive pines were covered in thick white snow, looking like something out of a fairytale. I even had a small animal to help me, like all proper princesses.
Except I might freeze to death. That wasn’t very fairytale-esque.
Echo shot between the trees, and I followed. They rose tall on either side of me, silent sentinels watching my progress.
A shadow flashed in the corner of my vision, and cold raced down my spine. I whipped my head in its direction, but it moved too fast for me to see.
“Hello?” I called softly.
Nothing responded, but another shadow flashed by to my left. I turned, trying to see it, but there was nothing there.
Damn it.
I shivered and searched the trees around me, catching flashes of darkness every few moments. They were growing closer. And the magic that came from them felt distinctly dangerous.
Echo hovered close to me, as if worried.
“Are they dangerous?” I asked him, watching one dart between trees. It was a beast of some kind, about the size of a wolf, though I couldn’t quite make out its form.
Echo nodded, and my heart thundered faster.
They were coming for me. No question. My mind raced with fear.
I needed to protect myself. But with what? These trees couldn’t fight a shadow.
Help, I called out in my mind.
I needed help.
An image of the Night Wolves from Hades’ realm flashed in my mind. The Children of Cerberus had defended me before.
Come to me, I called, having no idea if it would work. It felt crazy, but instinct drove me. Come to me.
The shadowy monsters neared me. Darting between trees, they moved so fast it was impossible to keep track of them. They were nearly on me when the first of the Night Wolves appeared.
At the sight of the large gray animal, relief surged through me. The dark gray beast growled and crouched low at my side, his massive body poised to attack. His fur ruffled at his neck, and his muzzle pulled back from glittering white fangs.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
One of the dark shadows charged, and the Night Wolf lunged at it, colliding in a blur of fur and shadow.
More Night Wolves appeared. Prowling around my legs, they growled and gazed into the forest around me. Shadows flashed between the trees, taunting my wolves.
Then they charged. Though their forms appeared to be ephemeral, made of mist and magic, I caught sight of very real looking fangs.
My army collided with them, snarls and growls sounding around me. Ahead, Echo picked up the pace, flying faster. I ran after him, lungs burning as I plowed through the snow. The fight continued behind me as the Night Wolves battled to keep the shadows away. The fight passed by in a blur as I followed my senses. Something dragged me forward, a deep knowledge that what I sought was ahead.
Finally, I spotted the ancient oak. It was tiny and withered, without a single leaf. The entire thing was coated in ice, and it reminded me of the terrible havoc that Chronos was wreaking on earth.
This was different, however. I didn’t feel Chronos here.
No, it was just me, and this ice was not his.
Echo flitted around the tree, and I raced up to it, catching sight of the warm glow deep at the base of it—almost like something was trapped inside.
My magic.
It was trapped in this tree.
I fell to my knees at the base of the oak, pressing my hands to the trunk. The ice burned my skin, but I didn’t remove my hands. My power pulsed inside the tree like a second heartbeat, and I ached to get it back. I couldn’t melt the ice—I didn’t have that ability—but there had to be some way to get my power out.