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House of Night must be protected. She shut her eyes and felt her power rise. It was time to close the wards again, to keep them safe from the outside while she figured out what to do. Using the strength of the moons, she pictured the shimmering wall forming, locking in her territory, separating the land from Hel’s, from the rest of Runevale once again. The hairs on her arms rose, her skin prickled as the magic set into place. As long as the moons hung in the sky, the wards would hold. But with their marriage bond, he’d be able to go through. Her blood from the ceremony ran through his veins. It would take time to lock him out.

“I don’t understand,” War said. “Did he hurt you?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat and tears streamed down her cheeks. Fury and sadness warred inside, and her chest felt like it was splitting open. “More than I could ever say. He ruined me.” Those words shattered her composure, and her knees gave way and cracked against the stone road.

War crouched down before her and lifted her chin. “You are the goddess of night. No one ruins you.” He didn’t ask why, or push her for answers, he just scooped her up off the ground and brought her to his home.

Two days later, Hel barged into War’s house. The door crashed against the wall with a crack. From the second-level bedroom Valeen stood in the doorway, trying to calm the rush coursing through her. She knew she’d have to face him at some point. He’d spoken to her through their bond, wondering why he couldn’t find her, why the people were in an uproar about the ward blocking the night territory. Some of her people were locked out and some of his locked in.

She wouldn’t answer.

He begged her to tell him what was wrong. She shut him out. If seeing him with Varlett, if hearing what he said was agonizing, this bond between them was torture. She couldn’t be separated from him even in another realm.

But someone must have seen her, and War leave together, bringing him here.

“Where is she?” Hel’s voice was cool, even.

From here she could only see his black boots and legs, as well as War’s. “She doesn’t want to see you.”

“Did you really think you could come into my house and take my fucking wife? Where is she?”

“I didn’t take her. She left you.”

“Bullshit. What did you tell her? I know you’ve had feelings for her. I can see the lust in your eyes when you look at her.”

“You know why, don’t act like you didn’t do this to yourself.”

“Valeen!” Hel shouted. “Valeen, come talk to me.”

Tears trickled down her face.

War groaned. “Remember when you said, ‘I don’t fall in love, War. I want bragging rights. Didn’t you even have a wager at some point?’ Well, she finally figured it out.”

Silence.

Hel’s boots shuffled back a couple steps. She imagined they stared at one another; a truth of another time Valeen hadn’t been privy to.

More silence.

Until War said, “You’re just like Synick.”

“That’s not true. Did you tell her that?”

“I didn’t have to.”

“Valeen,” Hel shouted. “I may have said those things, but that was before I knew you. Before I loved you. I was a fool, alright. You mean more to me than anything in any world. Please come home. At least talk to me.”

She wished she could believe him. He sounded so truthful, as if he meant it, but she saw him, heard the truth with her own eyes and ears. And with Varlett of all people, with his brother’s betrothed. The thought of her kneeling between his thighs, tugging at his pants made her want to vomit. He confessed that it was the dragon princess he loved, and Valeen was only for power.

The god of mischief, indeed.

“If she wanted to come out, she would.”

“You tricked her, didn’t you?” Hel snarled. “You dare betray me? Lie to her and get her to fall for you behind my back. You’re supposed to be my best friend, my brother.”

“That’s not what happened. And I thought you’d changed. I thought you were a better person because of her but I was wrong. Everything is just a game to you.”

“You’re fucking my wife, and you think I’m the wicked person?” The house began to tremble with Hel’s magic, the walls creaking, a crack opened in the ceiling above Valeen’s head. She’d have to go down there and intervene if a fight broke out.