Page 11

“Yes, and therefore, unknowingly giving up her will over not only where her soul remains but also the souls she controls. All of which will only be restored to her when meeting our father, for only he has the power to grant it back.”

“Hold up… so you’re telling me that our biggest worry was that Garmr would kidnap Ella so as to use her powers, but now you’re saying that she has none… am I the only one seeing this as a good thing?” Orth said and well, he had a bloody good point there.

Lerna’s eyes widened as she thought about it.

“I suppose it is, although that still doesn’t solve the problem of her being bound to the Underworld.”

“Nor the fact that her fucked up uncle is still after her.” I pointed out with gritted teeth.

“No, but at the very least it gives us time to plan and fighting him in battle will be easier if he doesn’t have his greatest weapon by his side,” Koro said, making me sneer at the way he called Ella a weapon.

Which is why I was quick to inform them of my only reason for being here.

“Let’s get this straight, I have only two goals here, find my woman and ensure she is safe, then I am going to kill that son of a bitch, Garmr, and this time, I am going to rip his fucking head off!” I said, before turning around to look at the mountain.

I had never been so determined to kill something before in my entire life. Then I looked back to Lerna and Koro, as well as his sorcerous, who had remained silent during this whole exchange. After this I told them,

“Now you are either with me or not, but I promise you one thing… nothing is going to take Ella from me, do you understand?”

“But…” Lerna started to say, but she was quickly interrupted.

“We understand, HellBeast, I more than most,” Koro said whilst looking down at the woman he loved. Something that instead of creating bitterness inside of me, it gave me hope. Because I knew now what he too had to gain from Garmr’s demise…

Freedom to fully claim his own Fated.

“Now where were you headed?” I asked her, assured for now that they understood.

“Before the royal guard hunted us and took me, we had been on our way to the Gate of Hermes.”

“The gate of Hermes?” Orth asked, wanting to know why, as we both knew of the Gods messenger and Ambassador for the Deities.

“We were trying to get a message to you, asking for your aid,” she said, only this wasn’t directed at me, but at her husband. Koro reached out to run the backs of his fingers down her cheek, his bindings also reaching out and caressing her as if his curse was soothed by the feel of her.

“But you said soldiers came?” I asked, needing to know more, and keeping the focus solely on my girl.

“Yes, but knowing we wouldn’t outrun them, I led them away, so they focused on me, not Ella.”

“That was very courageous of you, my love,” Koro praised, his hand tightening around her waist where he held her to him.

“I would do anything for her, you know that, besides, she saved me at the gates of Hades,” she replied, looking to him and then to me. Her account of which I was eager to hear. And thankfully I didn’t have to wait long, for her story continued.

She went on to tell us how it all began, including how Ella ended up jumping through that portal to begin with. How they had the same spell cast on her blood that Garmr had. How if a single drop of blood were to fall, that her sister would give her a way out before Garmr could get her.

Because the one thing Garmr couldn’t do himself was to cross over to the mortal realm.But what he could do was send his minions. HellHounds, like the one I had fought, had fed from her powers, making them stronger. HellHounds that would have kept coming and at a greater rate than her souls would have been able to fight back. The only thing to close the portal was if she had left the realm. Meaning if she had stayed to fight, it would have ended up welcoming Hell on Earth…literally.

Knowing this, Lerna told us that she and Koro had a backup plan in place when learning of Garmr’s next move once the Summoning Games had not gone to plan. They had a witch that was loyal to Koro cast a double spell. A spell that mirrored another so as it wouldn’t be recognized by Garmr. So that not one portal but two would arise with the spilling of her blood. A portal whose energy fed from that of a Summoner, and therefore would stay active until Ella entered one.

Which meant that she had no choice that night and she knew it. Something she must have felt at the time. However, this meant that she was now out there somewhere, navigating her way through the unknown and this time…

She was…

Unprotected.

5

WHEN THE LIGHT SHINES THROUGH

ELLA