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“Do you not see you are worth this fight?”

“Thane,” she choked out, warm tears sliding down her face. They weren’t from the pain. She looked back at Atlanta, water swirling faster around his lower half, a blue trident in his hand. “If you attack him, Valeen will come for you, and she has Soulender. They have an alliance. If you leave now, I won’t tell her what you did to me. What you did to me for years.”

Atlanta narrowed his eyes. “I will leave but don’t think this is over, whoever you are.”

Thane pressed forward, pushing his chest into her waiting palm. “You know exactly who I am, and I hope this isn’t over. Say when and where. It isn’t Valeen you need to be afraid of.”

Atlanta looked him over again, scrutinizing every inch. “Ah, I see. War, the fallen god. Mortal and vulnerable. I remember now. If it weren’t for the trouble you caused Valeen, I wouldn’t even know you at all. You’re nothing, and not worth my time.” He lowered his chin and said to Katana, “We’ll speak again soon.”

He waved his arm down his torso, water moved around him in a great whirl, and then he was gone, with nothing left but a puddle. Katana’s shoulders sagged, and she nearly crumbled to the ground in relief. The tightness in her chest was like a wound-up ball of twine, until Thane put his swords away and took hold of both of her arms to inspect her face.

“Are you alright?” Thane asked. “That must hurt. I can heal it.”

Katana crumbled into his chest, gripping the front of his tunic, and sobbed. “I wish I was strong like Valeen. I wish I could fight him, but I never could. When it comes to him, I am… pathetic. Even after all this time.” Her body shook with sadness, frustration, and relief that Atlanta didn’t hurt Thane. She wrapped her arms tighter around him. All Mother Above, he could have died. She could be holding his lifeless body right now. Atlanta had killed for less.

“You shouldn’t have to fight him, but Katana, you are strong. You stood your ground. You should be proud of yourself.”

She lifted her face to look up at him. “Thank you… but you should not have done that. He is dangerous. You scared me.”

“I don’t want you to be afraid for me. I will protect you. You don’t have to protect me.”

“Promise me you will not fight him again.”

He shook his head, then wiped a tear with his thumb. “That is a promise I won’t make, Katana.”

Chapter 34

VALEEN

Valeen felt the connection she always had with Hel vanish, leaving her cold. Her skin pebbled and the hair on the nape of her neck stood on end. The glass of water in her hand slipped and shattered over the table at Nerium Oleander. The pieces exploded upward and cut into the flesh on her hands and forearms. She barely noticed the sting or the blood dripping onto the wood.

Hel said if he or Thane died, I’d feel it.But he couldn’t be. It wasn’t even an hour before she spoke to him outside her father’s old smithy. After a few deep breaths, she searched for him through their bond. His end was cold and empty. Like a hollowed-out tree.

Panic clawed its way through her, and she opened her mind to him,Hel, where are you?

Silence. Long painful silence.

“What’s wrong?” Presco stood beside her. His voice sounded far away like he was at the other end of a long tunnel. “Valeen.”

She focused again, he wasn’t gone, he couldn’t be. If he’d been in mortal danger he would have told her, she would have felt it. If he was dying, he would have at least said goodbye in her mind.

But what if it happened too quickly?

Tears blurred her vision, while blood slid down her hands,drip drip drip, onto the floor.

“Val,” Tifapine wailed. “You’re bleeding. Oh, no, no, no.” The sound of her little feet scampered away.

Presco’s large hands cupped her face and forced her to look at him. “Valeen, what is wrong?”

She blinked, bringing him into focus. “It’s Hel,” she breathed. “I can’t feel him.” Maybe he just wasn’t answering. Maybe he was in Runevale and couldn’t hear her. She closed her eyes and searched for him again.Hel, where are you?The silence that answered caused a sharp pain in her chest. He was as much a part of her as her own beating heart, and she’d certainly know it was missing.

With fear written all over his face, Presco dropped his hold and took a step away. “As in… he’s gone?”

Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I don’t know. All Mother, it can’t be.” She swiped at her face. She wouldn’t accept it. There had to be an explanation. “He said he needed to look at an old book that was left in the Mages Tower down south and that he’d return this evening.”

Tif was suddenly on the tabletop with a cloth. “For the bleeding.” She pushed it into Valeen’s hand. “Although it already looks like it’s stopped.”

The front door to Nerium Oleander opened with a click and Aunt Evalyn came through, carrying an envelope in her hand. “This was in the door. It’s addressed to Valeen.” Her brown eyes lifted to her. “This is what they call you now, isn’t it?” She dashed across the room and snatched it from her aunt’s hand. “What hasgotten into you, Laya? What did I miss? I was outside for five minutes.”