Page 35

Harlow

Thursday Evening

First Floor Conference Room

T ensions rose as I had a silent standoff with the adviser. The warden was apparently off securing the grounds, which I doubted even needed done with the gargoyles and Monty keeping watch.

It was an excuse to avoid me, or a reason for the adviser to have me alone. I didn’t know them well enough to tell the difference yet.

Someone had cleared out the conference room and replaced it with a formal dining room. It was over-the-top and a show of station and power, one I had no interest in.

From the silver dishes and the gaudy decorations, they’d spared no expense.

Expenses that we shouldn’t be wasting. Not when devastation was overtaking Dark Haven.

It was impossible to tell if it was to show they were above me, or trying to pretend I was an equal. But I had no interest in either.

“This is ridiculous,” I finally stated. “What is it you wanted to speak about? Just speak.”

Gravik took off his mask. It was likely another moment to unsettle me but I’d seen far scarier demons in both my head and reality. I raised an eyebrow, staring into his void-black eyes. He was worlds apart from Monty in looks, but he still had the jagged fangs and dark, blue-black skin.

His nose was long and hooked, narrow like a bird’s beak. His mouth wasn’t as wide and leering as Monty’s but his fangs stuck out farther, making me wonder how he even spoke. It looked like quite the mouthful.

No one came out to deliver food and I wondered if this was like a prop in a play. Who knew demons were so damn dramatic.

“Hel has high expectations of you,” Gravik said. “I’m simply trying to ensure that her confidence isn’t misplaced.”

“She still has yet to clue me in on what she expects, other than closing the portal. I am a human, one who thought that the demons were part of my hallucinations until a month ago. So, if she expects me to do anything, I’m going to need some more information,” I stated, giving nothing away as a mask of indifference portrayed on my face.

“You figure it out. That’s your destiny,” he said, as if that gave me a single fucking answer.

My laughter surprised us both, but I was done being nice.

“Then your demons will escape. One dagger and a vague call to action is hardly enough to change realms.”

“Failure is not an option,” he said. His calm exterior had finally given way, the dull fire now flaring to life as he stood, throwing his chair to the wall. Monty and Kol were next to me and stepped forward in warning. “Too much is at stake for you to fail, human. Stop being a fucking child and do your job!”

“Then tell me what my fucking job is, you useless bastard!” I screamed right back, standing so abruptly my chair fell to the floor, and I slammed my hands on the table as I leaned over it. “But if this is how you’re going to conduct things, count me out of these little meetings. I owe you nothing. Honestly, I owe Hel the same. You both crashed into my life, demanded impossible things of me, and are acting like I’m being stubborn. All the while you’re setting up fake dinners and doing little shows of useless power. Fuck you for ever thinking I’d be some compliant little princess doing your bidding. That was never going to be me.”

Monty snorted out a laugh next to me; that had Gravik turning sharply.

“A commander who has failed his post continuously does not get to laugh at me!” His anger culminated into a fiery blast he launched at us. Kol swept me out of the way as Monty dodged the attack.

My demon grew until he barely fit in the room, expanding his form to match his rising anger. Gravik kept his actions neutral, almost bored, and that was enough for Monty to slam his shadows toward him. There was a rise of cursing but my monster simply laughed.

“You can lie to yourselves about what is truly going on here and where your loyalties should lie. But I am no failure. If you need me to show you your true place, I will gladly do so.”

A choking cough followed but Monty gave him no time to recover. His shadows filled the room, blocking out my view that wasn’t already obscured by his magic.

When they finally fell away, we were alone.

“That went well,” I breathed out to Kol, the only one still in the room with me.

“That was the opposite of good, mate,” he said, missing my sarcasm completely. I patted his arm and stepped away, shaking out my clothes that were now covered in ash.

“I refuse to show weakness to these assholes Hel is sending. They have no authority over me. If they want to give me no real direction, I can’t just ‘figure it out,’ this is a goddamn portal,” I ranted. He leaned against the wall, wings outstretched and one foot up to rest on the wall as his silver eyes watched me pace. It was way too fucking sexy but I wasn’t done with my tirade to truly appreciate him.

“Something I’ve been considering is that she can’t tell you,” Kol pointed out.

That had me stopping in my tracks, mulling over the implications of that possibility.

“What would stop her, she’s a goddess… the Queen of Helheim?” I countered.

“If Helheim exists, think about all of what your small boyfriend calls Norse Mythology. That means it would all exist, correct?”

I snorted at the ‘small boyfriend’ comment, knowing he was talking about Hiro. Roman and Hiro weren’t small by any means, just tall and lean and tiny compared to literal demons and gargoyles.

Then I considered what he said and let it settle in my brain. “You mean the other gods exist.”

“Oh, of course we do,” someone said. Kol didn’t move but I did, jumping back and spinning around.

The man was sitting on the middle of the table with his legs crossed and an excited grin on his face. He had flowing red locks and a brushing of makeup on his face.

His suit was a bright green with a pattern of Viking ships on it.

He plucked a blood-red rose from the centerpiece and studied us with a grin on his face.

“Who are you?” I demanded, then winced, realizing he’d called himself a god.

Yes, Harlow, piss off literal gods.

Both Monty and Kol were relaxed in his presence at least, which had me breathing normally again.

“Loki,” he said. “And your big, sexy gargoyle is right. Let me impart some wisdom on you, Harlow.”

“How do you know my name?” I asked. This was unsettling. His presence was imposing and if I was not way over my head before, I knew I was now.

“God, remember.” He chuckled like I was being purposefully funny. “My daughter has a plan, and I won’t tell you what it is but you should watch your back. You’ll need more than an entourage and a chip on your shoulder to make it through this. But I do offer you this. Call on me when you’re desperate, but I will only come once. And it will come with a price. Be sure you’re willing to pay it.”

“Thank you,” I breathed out, unsure if I could trust this god or not. But the fact he was even allowed to be this close to me meant I shouldn’t discount him yet.

“That’s the most important thing, Harlow. Never forget what I said. One day, I’ll demand a favor of you in return,” he finished.

“Only if it does not cause harm to others, my men, or myself,” I said. “Or challenge my morals.”

He smiled like this was the best conversation ever.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be just fine.”

Monty

“What is the meaning of this, Ivar?” Gravik sputtered out as I forced him back through the portal and into the throne room of Hel’s castle.

“I would like to know that myself,” Hel drew from her throne. She was less than impressed at my insubordination, but I no longer gave a fuck.

“We’re done with this,” I said. “You no longer get to try and intimidate Harlow or me. Whatever part you are both playing in this rebellion better come to light, and fast. My patience is wearing thin. Before you can spew some nonsense about killing me off, you can’t. Harlow knows exactly where I’ve gone and she would do nothing for you. She’d let the world burn in my honor.”

“You’re getting a bit too complacent, Ivar,” Hel said in a low, icy voice. The omega’s eyes were burning as she stared me down.

She stood and came toward me, her size growing as she walked, so I did the same to match energy.

“What are you doing, Hel? What are you planning?”

She smirked, and I knew I’d guessed right, that there was something unfurling behind the scenes. She was playing puppet master and I’d be damned if I’d be her puppet.

“That’s not for you to know, Ivar. For now you will learn your place and do your job. Keeping your demons in line. Stay in Dark Haven and keep the peace,” she ordered.

“You’re allowing a rebellion? Do you wish to look weak?” I asked in a tone that had her lashing out. My mask never faltered as I simply took the fiery blow. It burned, my skin cracking as a vein of lava tore it apart, sizzling and corrupting but never dwindling.

It wasn’t my first, and I knew it wouldn’t be my last.

I’d endure it all for Harlow. She was mine and I would allow no one, even Hel, to take that away from me.

Every time Harlow’s purpose was brought up, it felt more and more like a death sentence. I would not lose what was mine for the greed of others.

“I’ve said my piece. I know you will not be giving me more information; I just need you to know that you are losing support in Dark Haven, and fast.”

“Gods. Dark Haven. Humans? You think I care about any of that?” she mused as she took her throne once more. The human half of her face tipped up in an arrogant smile.

She was no longer the righteous ruler of Helheim, the one who kept her souls, demons, and gargoyles in line with a firm and just hand.

She was now corrupt and plotting something I knew would shake this realm to its core.

I just hope we all fucking survived.

She was ruining the balance we’ve worked years to keep.

The gods took notice and so had her commander.

Would she have anyone left if it all fell apart?

Drake

Blood and ash whirled around me as I ended another wave of demons trying to escape the grounds. Working side by side with a group of gargoyles was now my new normal. We’d created a quiet, unspoken camaraderie I respected.

It had been clear for a while now it was us against the demon rebellion. There was no energy left for petty rivalries. This had escalated well beyond that.

“Drake.”

Something in Ivar’s voice had me holding my tongue and going to him, letting the gargoyles keep the demons at bay for now.

“What’s wrong, now?” I asked, letting my exhaustion show for a moment. If Ivar was coming to me it likely wasn’t a good thing.

In answer, I was covered in shadows. He deposited me in the same basement room he had before, though this time there was light and he stood in front of me.

“The dinner was a trap to taunt Harlow. A power play.”

His words had my blood boiling. I told them it likely was, but she was determined to not show weakness. How she equated compliance to weakness, I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t forcing her to not go.

“What happened?”

“Gravik lashed out when she called him on his bullshit,” he revealed. “Then he told her failure wasn’t an option, got angry, and lashed out at me.”

“Is she hurt?” My words were barely audible through clenched teeth.

“I took him back to Helheim before he could hurt her.” Ivar glanced down at his arm, and I saw fractures in his skin, the surface smoking still, and knew something had escalated.

“What happened to you?”

He let out a dark chuckle. “I don’t trust Hel anymore,” he admitted. For a demon who was given his position by Hel, this was a big jump from when we first met.

“I think Kol is growing more suspicious as well. It doesn’t make sense for her to allow this to happen. If you can come here and handle things, why can’t she?” He nodded but didn’t argue my claims.

“She’s planning something, admitted to it but won’t tell me what, and our girl is in the midst of it. When I can’t be here, watch over her. She’s not safe and won’t get out of this unscathed.”

“Where are you going?” I demanded. Anger flared at what he was insinuating. “You can’t abandon your post, Ivar. There’s too much at stake.”

Demons were slipping through to the world, or trying to. It took every gargoyle on the perimeter of Dark Haven to stop it from happening. I’d even given up in the halls to be here which left the patients remaining vulnerable.

This was no longer a problem but a full-blown civil war.

“I’m not. But I don’t know if Hel will retaliate,” he admitted with a bit of worry lacing the words. “Things are changing. You and Kol both have to keep her safe.”

“We will.” With my promise, he whisked me back to the spot we’d just left and was gone again. My mind was reeling from his unspoken words.

Ivar feared for his existence.