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Hel tilted his head. “You’re really going with that?”

“Yes.”

“So fuck the past, huh?”

He glared at him. “I like Thane better, don’t make it more than it is.”

“No, you’re shedding that part of you. The part that is my brother.” He waved his hand up and down his cousin, “You’re all elf now.”

“You are my brother, Hel, whether my name is Thane or War. But I will stay here as High King when this is over, so it’s Thane.”

“Fine.” Hel didn’t like it, he’d called him War for hundreds of years, but it wasn’t his choice. He’d already taken the most precious thing in Thane’s life—Layala—so he would give him this. They walked shoulder to shoulder down another dank and musty corridor. “I still think it’s best we get rid of Synick so no one can ever know where the Sword of Truth is.”

“Except we don’t know how he is here. What if he gets let out again?”

“The dead are supposed to stay dead. They can’t just let things out. The demon princes can’t even leave themselves without the help of a god or goddess, and the gods can’t let out the dead, so something else happened.”

“What?”

“Maybe Valeen created a momentary rip in every realm. I don’t know. We may never know.”

Thane stopped and faced him. “How do you think Morv got free?”

“The council sent him to assassinate us. Obviously they used their power to open the gateway. Even if they couldn’t leave Runevale themselves, they clearly were able to communicate with people outside Runevale. They have spies and assassins from all over. I’m more than certain they know the portals are open. We need to be prepared for anything they’ll throw at us.” They came to another door and pushed through. The cells down here were entirely empty. A poor use of space, honestly. There had to be at least a handful of people who needed to be thrown into a cell for a crime. Thane’s annoying elven sister and mother for starters. He’d only seen the pair for a few minutes and already wanted to snap their necks. Gods, they’d been gone for a day and Orlandia blubbered like an infant when she saw herson return. “What do we know about the demon prince’s power, Thane?”

“You acceptedThanequickly.” He rubbed his chin. “And their power is fueled by the dead.”

“Exactly. Even if they could let him out, they wouldn’t. His soul is worth thousands of any mortal and without their third brother and his ring, their power is already weakening. And I can still call you War to be an asshole if you prefer.”

Bright sun slipped through the outer edges of the door and then with a flick of Hel’s wrist it opened and fresh air burst into the dungeon tunnels. An unknown set of guards waited outside and dipped their chins upon seeing their king and his cousin. He was still waiting to hear what the rumors around the castle staff would be about Hel and the king’s former betrothed,Layala,clearly sharing a room together.

Hel wasn’t going to hide their relationship on anyone’s account, least of all peasants and the gossip columns of thePalenor Scroll.Though he’d taken care of that problem months ago when he cut off the writer’s hands and tongue. He doubted anyone else would dare write about his wife. And if the elves at large figured out he was the Black Mage—well, at least they’d have some fucking respect. He didn’t like playing second fiddle to their king.

“Did Katana say how she came to be here?” Hel asked.

Thane shook his head. “She doesn’t remember. She mentioned believing she was meant to help Valeen somehow, but that’s all.”

“She was married to the primordial Atlanta. He might come calling once he learns she is alive, and if my instincts are right, and they always are, he’ll be a problem. She would have asked about him by now; shit, she would have wanted to go to him if he wasn’t. When you die and come back the first person you want to go to is your lover.”

“Maybe she doesn’t love him.”

“Find out.” Hel tapped a finger against his chin. “I wonder what she is capable of. Will she be an asset or a liability?”

“Not everyone is a pawn on a chessboard for you to use.”

“No, there are also knights, bishops, rooks, and kings and queens, and then there is the hand moving them. Leif, Piper, even Presco, are pieces, you and I are the hand.”

Thane chuckled. “And Valeen?”

“Is the angel on my shoulder. The only thing that keeps me from wiping the board clean. Because if it were only me, I’d take my army and burn through every city I could in Runevale, watching as the pale ones grew in number and let the streets run red.”

Thane’s deep green eyes flicked over him, no shock or disappointment. He was too used to Hel’s antics for that. “You’d be killing thousands of innocent people, and someone would eventually get to you. It wouldn’t simply be the council who would see you as a threat. All the gods and goddesses would.”

Hel raised a shoulder. “I said if it wasonlyme. Now, I can’t do that. It risks her life too much, and I have a reason to live. I won’t die again only to be reborn and forget it all.”

“How long do you think we have before they bring an army? I’m guessing weeks, not months. It will take time for them to gather their forces, but they’ve been waiting for this.”

Hel dragged his tongue over his bottom lip. This question had kept him up most of the last two days. “So have I.” He was itching for this battle and to watch the council fall.