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She tore open the red serpent seal and before she even read a word, she recognized his perfect elegant handwriting.

Val,

I had to do something to save you. Don’t follow me.

~Hel

The words,“Don’t follow me”made the hairs on her neck prickle. Raising her chin, the fear of his death vanished, and she was suddenly furious with him. The only way she wouldn’t be able to feel him was if he was no longer in the realm of theliving. Hel wasn’t dead but he was among them in the underrealm.

Why would he go there? To return the ring? She pushed the letter into Presco’s chest and shoved her fingers into her hair. All Mother, she’d killed their brother.

The demons were natural enemies to the gods but now the feud was personal. They’d kill Hel before he even had a chance to explain why he was there. And if they happened to listen long enough for the ring to be returned, they’d kill him out of spite or trap him there as they’d done once before.

“Varlett isn’t well because of the demon prince’s ring, and since we haven’t found a way to break the connection, he must be trying to stop Varlett from dying. For me.”

Presco’s throat bobbed as he peered down at the letter. “That would be the logical solution, but you don’t think he went to the underrealm?”

“That stupid, reckless bastard,” she hissed. “That’s exactly what he did!”

“Am I missing something?” Aunt Evalyn had a hand on her hip. “Who are Hel and Varlett, and are you talking about the land of the dead? I heard about the supposed sightings ofdemons a few months ago but… what does this have to do with you?”

There wasn’t time to catch her up on everything that had happened. She’d planned to introduce Hel to her and explain everything when he was present. It wasn’t exactly easy to tell her that she was married to the elf Aunt Evalyn knew as the Black Mage. Explaining Presco was her dragon friend from her previous life had been difficult enough. “I have to go.”

“Go where?” Aunt Evalyn whirled as Valeen rushed past her.

Valeen pulledopen the lid of her large brown trunk. Inside gleamed her Raven armor, cleaned and polished from the last time she’d worn it into battle against the goblins.

The trunk scraped loudly as she dragged it past Presco, setting it in front of her dresser. Jerking open drawers, she pulled out her thick, black, battle-ready pants and the long-sleeved top that went underneath the armor.

“You can’t seriously be considering going after him.”

“I’m not considering it. I am going after him.”

“Valeen,” Presco’s voice lowered. His jaw muscles feathered, and he pushed up his glasses. “It’s too dangerous. He?—”

“Is everything to me!” She pulled off her top with the bloodstains, and Presco immediately turned his back to her. “This is the underrealm! You’ve never been there. It is dark and evil and death. We barely made it out with our full power, and that was when War was with us.”

“All the more reason you must stay here.”

“He would come for me.”

Presco sat in silence with that.

“Besides, if Varlett dies down there, so do I. I can’t wait here hoping for the best.”

She quickly dressed and slid on her armored chest piece, then her greaves and vambraces, then raised her right arm so Presco could access the buckles. “Secure this for me.”

With a frown, Presco turned and worked on the buckles. “If you’re going, I’m going.”

“I will not ask this of you.”

“You don’t have to ask.”

“Let me rephrase, you’re not going,” she said. He finished the last tie, and she secured her weapons belt on her hips, then summoned Soulender to her palm. She didn’t know if she’d be able to pull it from the aether in the underrealm and slid it into her dagger holster. With her Raven-winged helmet under her arm, she was out the door. Presco was right beside her.

“You are my queen. I go where you go.”

Guards at the bottom of the stairs turned toward them as they descended. “Lady Lightbringer.” The soldier sounded concerned. “Should we be preparing for an attack?”