Page 24

Monty

Friday Afternoon

Hel’s Castle

S koll was pacing back and forth in front of Hel’s empty throne, as if daring me to step any closer to his queen’s place.

The creature of fire and bone had never seemed so intimidating, but I ignored him, nonetheless. I had no intention of crossing that line. Not when she was in such a bad mood. Dark Haven had gone to hell, and I no longer trusted her.

A fact I was not bothering to hide.

Hel’s ice proceeded her, frosting every surface it reached as she stalked in the throne room. Her face was a mask of pure fury and her robes billowed behind her.

I’d never seen our queen so disheveled. Everything about her seemed dull, from her hair to her clothes.

It was a sure sign of the times. The omega was struggling.

That didn’t make me trust her more.

“How did you let this happen?!” Her voice was little more than a feral growl. Apparently, I would be the scapegoat for her frustrations. Typical.

My jaw clenched at the accusation and for once I felt no fear of what she thought or wanted. She couldn’t get rid of me as she’d always threatened before.

Not if she wanted her little prophecy to come to fruition.

Just that fact alone bolstered my confidence. The lack of fear and already rising anger was a dangerous combination I’d have to be wary of.

Stepping over the line could hurt more than just me. Harlow was the one who truly mattered. I wouldn’t put it past Hel to try and use her against me.

“Me? I was vehemently against making deals with slimy, backstabbing humans. Even after your warnings, he put Harlow in solitary and caused an uprising within our ranks. He knows how to ward me out of anywhere he wants, including the rooms of that fucking wing of his. Vane has obviously gone rogue.”

Hel slammed her fist to the side of the throne as she sat, ice shattering and exploding around her as a storm picked up, a visual depiction of her emotions.

Skoll looked like he was enjoying every minute of the chaos, batting his paw at icicles as they shattered in front of him.

“You don’t understand what’s on the line. I’d sacrifice you and every one of your shadowy minions to make sure nothing got in the way,” she challenged, finally sitting back in the throne even though she was still breathing like a caged animal.

Hel didn’t even seem to flinch as the ice destroyed her precious palace.

My fury was at a breaking point now. She all but admitted that she had no care about how she reached her goal or who she hurt in the process.

Hel didn’t get to let Dark Haven and the human world descend into chaos with no repercussions.

“Need I remind you it is my little human cleaning up this mess right now? That she needs every one of us you promised to her. You cannot dispose of me. Though, I will be hunting down Vane with no remorse now. He’s broken any deal we had.”

The storm picked up at my insolence, it wasn’t going unnoticed, but a smile still formed on her face. Knowing it was for show was more than a little off-putting. But I was done being yet another minion for Hel.

I had Harlow to think about, and I realized in this moment that I’d risk it all for her.

Then again, I shouldn’t be shocked by the revelation. She’d been mine since we met.

It was hard to think of her then. Harlow was broken when we met, descending into madness thanks to the trauma she’d endured. I’d already despised humans, but seeing her like that made me want to eradicate them all myself.

I likely would have if given a real chance. Hel’s leash had a hold of me then.

Now Harlow was a strong, amazing woman. She’d found herself in Dark Haven. Embracing her diagnosis wasn’t easy but she did it.

Accepting it was half the battle and once she did that, she’d grown in strength and confidence.

Harlow was already a better woman than Hel could ever be.

In fact, Hel wasn’t worthy of the throne she sat on in my opinion. I’d been loyal, given the best of myself to her, and this was how she repaid me.

“You won’t get the chance.” She said it so confidently I knew this was yet another thing only she was privy to. I was getting really fucking tired of her trying to keep us in the dark.

We were merely puppets to her.

“Keeping Vane alive will do us no favors. But he’s no longer our biggest concern,” I said, walking forward and tossing a stack of newspapers down on the raised platform for her to see.

Skoll growled and I stepped back, watching as the creature scooped it up in his maw and carried it over to its master.

Hel flipped through them, jaw tense.

“Will you destroy the entire human realm just to have your prophecy come to light?” I may not know the details, or the outcome, but she had made it known that whatever vision the seer saw was worth risking everything for.

“Do you think I truly care about what happens to humans?” she countered.

Her voice wasn’t as sharp now but I didn’t relax. It could change at a moment’s notice.

I’d never seen her this desperate in all of our centuries together. There was a feral glint in her eye that was new.

Whatever her goal was, she was making it very clear that she’d do anything to reach it. She was far more dangerous now than ever before.

“No, I don’t,” I said drily. “But Odin does.”

Hel was out of her seat and in front of me at the mention of the god’s name. With a twist of her hand I was raised in the air but I didn’t flinch. She would never lose control to the point of ruining her own future and I’d endured her wrath on more than one occasion.

“Do not mistake your place here, Ivar,” she seethed. “You do as I say, not the other way around. Threats will not be taken lightly.”

“Oh, do put him down.” The amused voice had the storm dying in an instant, and I dropped, catching myself before falling to the ice-clad ground. “I expected more composure out of you, Daughter.”

Loki. The trickster god.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse.

I’d encountered a few gods over the years and they always swept in imperiously. It was a flurry of demands, arrogance, and disaster. The aftermath they left behind along with Hel’s anger was never easy to calm.

“Father,” she said, voice wavering slightly. She stepped back as if his presence alone made her want to put distance between them.

Even if I was angry with her, I was still her commander. I’d never seen a being Hel feared until this moment, and I placed myself in front of her.

The god stalked forward with amusement on his handsome, pale face. The alpha was cocky and chaotic. I’d enjoy it if I wasn’t so on edge.

“You clearly have my blood flowing through your veins, Hel.” He chuckled darkly as he came into view.

The god was lithe, with long, wild, red hair that flowed around him with every movement. He wore dark jeans and a tight-fitting emerald green shirt that showed a hint of muscle pushing against the thin fabric.

The modern clothes looked strange on a god but they only made his glowing, vivid green eyes stand out more.

“The other gods have taken notice of the strange events linked to your demons, and they’ve sent me on a little errand to find out just what you’re up to down here.”

He let out a string of maniacal laughter but his eyes sparked with anger. Loki was not happy about being forced to keep her in check. Or perhaps he didn’t like being questioned about his offspring in front of the gods.

No matter the reason, he was here now, and even I knew that wasn’t a good omen.

My body was still in front of hers and I kept it there as she turned her back on the god. A long inhale was the only sign she was regaining her composure.

Hel, to her credit, took her throne and watched him come closer with her head held high. She was a proud ruler and one who wouldn’t even let the gods get in her way. It was a reminder of why I’d followed her so closely all these years and why her allowing things to go to shit was so infuriating.

“How long do I have before they’re breathing down my neck?” she asked instead of giving an answer.

“Is she always this evasive?” He turned to me.

Despite my loyalty and resolve to not give him anything, I found the answer coming out against my will. His flex of power was impressive, but it wouldn’t gain him allies here.

“Yes.”

His lips curled into a playful smile.

“I do love making big, scary monsters become obedient,” he teased as he passed me, giving a little wave of his fingers.

“Don’t mess with my commander,” Hel warned him, but Loki pretended not to hear.

“Earthquakes? Feeding openly on humans at a rate even the gods can detect? Did you think the increase in their presence at Dark Haven wouldn’t be seen?” he asked as he reached her.

With a snap of his fingers, a throne bigger than Hel’s appeared across from hers and he sat down, the two facing off.

Though he didn’t have a commander and a demonic pet flanking him, his throne was a show of power on its own.

Hel merely shrugged. I felt a wave of annoyance fill the air from Loki and his power pulsed in the air. His green eyes simmered with malice at her lack of respect and his fingers tapped a staccato rhythm on the throne.

She was dancing across that line and I couldn’t save her if she took it too far.

Loki’s anger was wrapped in chaos and simmering under the surface. Hel didn’t hide hers, ice creeping over toward his throne already.

“Oh brr, there’s a draft in your castle, dear.” He made a show of shuddering before his laughter filled the air again.

Hel huffed in exasperation. “You know what is happening, Father. This is how the seer foretold it.”

“With a few sprinkles of changes, sure,” he called her out. “You know the rules, Hel. And the consequences. Odin would like me to remind you this realm could be taken as swiftly as it was gifted.”

“Then who would he deem unworthy enough to be thrown down here?” she taunted with enough venom to make the god before her laugh. It was no secret that our ruler did not like the cards she was dealt. What did she expect with a half skeletal form? She couldn’t exactly be the goddess of sunshine and rainbows.

Perhaps she was different before she created us. Helheim may have changed her.

Would the same happen to Harlow?

“Ah, Daughter, you underestimate the amount of enemies Odin has. However, you know that I’m no stranger to mischief. I’ll be staying to see how this unfolds. And unlike you, I have no restrictions in the human realm. Let’s go explore, Monty .”

My blood froze in my veins at his use of Harlow’s nickname for me. Before I could protest or even say a word, I was pulled from Helheim.

Soon we were both standing in the courtyard of Dark Haven Institute. Traveling with a god was much smoother than with my shadows. It helped to face off with a god I didn’t trust without the added frustration of being disoriented.

We stood apart from each other in the now-empty courtyard. The portal was silent which was... suspicious, but I’d take it as a win for now.

Two gargoyles stood vigil, waiting and watching in case it were to change.

Not trusting the god, I kept my gaze locked on him, waiting for whatever he planned next.

“She’s lying to you, Ivar,” Loki said with a raised, perfectly manicured eyebrow, before heading for the portal. “This is already progressing to a point of no return. My daughter is lucky I like chaos.”

“This was the work of a human she made a deal with and some demons who have mostly been eradicated,” I told him.

Though, I had no fucking clue why I was being so forthcoming with information. He must have sensed my unease because he chuckled.

“It’s one of my finer qualities, Ivar. You can’t lie to me,” he said with a shrug. That was news to me. Admittedly, I knew next to nothing about this god.

Heavy footfalls announced Kol’s arrival. I stepped back as he approached, allowing him into the conversation. I wasn’t usually so giving, but it was my own test of sorts, gauging the gargoyle’s loyalty.

If he didn’t put Harlow first, then he was no ally.

Loki looked him over with heat in his green eyes. He cocked one slender hip to the side and bit his knuckle as he watched.

“Oh, aren’t you a big thing.”

“Loki,” Kol said, bowing low enough his wings shattered a birdbath onto the sidewalk. He gave me a silent nod as he stood, acknowledging me with a calculated gaze.

I’d expected animosity, a war with the gargoyles like we’d had in the past, but this time they’d arisen among a war that already pegged us as allies.

Harlow united us, yes, but so did the rogue demons ready to throw caution to the wind. They were a risk to us all.

“Gargoyles, demons, and humans, oh my!” he teased before waving his hand in a sweeping motion over the courtyard and disappearing.

“What is he doing here?” Kol questioned, turning in a circle to see what was happening.

“Likely leaving us guessing and adding even more chaos to our lives,” I spit out before stalking forward, making sure the portal was still a small fissure. It looked the same, the fires of Hel still burning just under the surface.

“You can’t stop this, demon,” Kol warned.

Something he tried to remind me of every time we met. We were not friends, nor allies.

Not when he was trying to take what was mine.

He was also still somehow under the delusion that he was following Hel’s orders and he could trust her.

It would bite him in the ass soon enough.

“As far as ranks go, gargoyle, you don’t outrank me,” I reminded him. “Harlow decides for herself. If you think she wants a stone monstrosity, then you’re a fool.”

We both may work for Hel, following her orders, but Kol’s group had been added as a failsafe to Dark Haven while my demons had run these halls for years.

Hel had given Vane the power to upend everything we worked for, stood for, but I wouldn’t show a sliver of weakness to this gargoyle.

Despite their cockiness, the gargoyles were no better than we were. They were simply another of Hel’s little pets.

I hated that Dark Haven needed them. That I would need their help. However, that did not mean I’d bow to him. Kol could fuck off with that attitude, it would certainly not win any sympathy from Harlow.

He smirked before crouching down and launching himself into the air, heading for the roof where more of his gargoyles were standing vigil, a mixture of stone and creature, ensuring the demons didn’t overstep their bounds.

It served as a reminder that I’d lost control of my troops.

For now.

I’d get my demons back, even if it killed every other demon and gargoyle in the process.