Page 47

Monty

W hen I was whisked away from that courtyard, I never expected to find myself in Hel’s prison. The obsidian walls were damp and it smelled of death and blood.

“Hello, Ivar.”

I looked up at the bars only to see Hel standing there. She’d lost the arrogance she’d held in the meeting just hours ago.

“I’m sorry I had to betray you. You were loyal.” It was strange but she almost sounded like she meant it. She was now contradicting everything she’d reinforced earlier.

“If you kill Harlow, then you better kill me. Otherwise, I will spend every moment of eternity hunting you down and repaying the favor.”

“Harlow was always destined for Helheim, Ivar. There was nothing you or I could have done to stop it. This was how things were supposed to unfold. She was strong, fiery, throwing wrenches in every plan I had. But it’s still coming to pass.”

“You trust Gravik and Askaal to finish your orders?” I asked coldly. “They would just as soon betray you for power as they would slaughter Harlow for fun.”

“Oh, they will, but that was foretold as well. They won’t be given a second chance,” she promised. “I’ve learned long ago that demons aren’t truly loyal to anyone but themselves. Look how easily you turned away from me.”

“I followed you until you put her life on the line,” I pointed out. It didn’t really matter anymore. She’d made her choices, put her plans into motion, there was no turning back. Whatever loyalty I had was long gone. “Let me out, Hel.”

“You would only stop me and ruin everything I’ve worked for, Ivar. I can’t do that. I can’t even promise that you’ll ever get out of here but at least you get to stay in here with the thought that Harlow will be alive again, in Helheim.”

“If she loses her humanity, then she won’t be the same person,” I protested. “You’ve taken everything good in Harlow and tossed it away.”

“Most of her humanity was torn away by a cruel world and an illness that has haunted her every waking moment since she became a teenager. She thinks I was oblivious to her struggles, but I watched every single one. Harlow means more to me than I ever meant for her to. I regret that this is how things had to end but I’ve served Helheim long enough. The time for change is here. Goodbye, Ivar.”

“The gods would never let you leave,” I protested. I’m not sure what she was trying to do but the fact that this was all for an escape filled me with even more disgust.

What once was blind loyalty and trust was now replaced with raw hate. It ebbed and grew with each new betrayal, and it would fester for years to come.

One day I would hunt her down, kill her for what she’s done.

For now, I was forced to watch her walk away.

“There’s a replacement. Why would they care?” she questioned, pausing before she was out of sight. “The gods have far bigger issues than ensuring that I’m here. As long as someone’s doing the job then that’s all that matters.”

Realization hit me like a fucking avalanche. “Harlow?” I questioned, putting the pieces together. “She’s your replacement.”

It was no longer a question.

“She’s going to be magnificent one day, Ivar. I hope that you’ll be by her side, you’ve earned that position. You’ve done everything I’ve asked of you and more.”

I laughed bitterly. “You used us all just so you could run away. It’s cowardly, beneath you.”

“Apparently, not.” She huffed out a laugh. “I’m going to find my own alpha, a real life. One that isn’t in the snow. Goodbye, Ivar. I’m sorry.”

She disappeared then, leaving me once more in my quiet cell. I could feel Harlow calling for me, and I gripped the bars, crushing them between my fingers as I tried to go to her.

They were made to contain demons like me and refused to bend. I couldn’t go to her. She’d die without me, not knowing what happened or why.

Pain exploded in my chest, so sharp I stumbled backward. My hand gripped at it like it was something tangible.

The bond I’d always shared with Harlow was ripped from me brutally. It was barbaric and left me writhing in a pain that ran soul deep.

I already knew I’d have to feel her die, but this?

This was indescribable. I’d never felt so torn or alone.

Harlow had been in my life for so long I didn’t know how to live without her.

Hel had killed the one person that ever meant anything to me.

She’d caused havoc and pain and ran, leaving us to pick up the pieces.

If I didn’t get out of here, then Helheim would fall with her. There would be no one to keep Harlow safe against the demons and souls who wanted nothing but power. That was my job and she’d locked me down here like a fucking traitor.

My only hope was that she’d find me before they ruined her.

Who would she be if she did arrive? Someone different, a new version of herself that would never quite be the same.

Would she love me still?

The drip of water down the wall and movement in the building above, a mix of disembodied voices and the clatter of chains were the only company I had for the next several hours as the pain tore through my chest.

I couldn’t feel Harlow at all now and I knew she was dead. Hel had put her stock in this one vision, and it was coming to pass.

Pain and anger were so strong I slammed my hand against the wall to get any semblance of relief. I didn’t care about the pain radiating through my arms as I tore into the flesh, the pain kept me grounded, kept me from losing my fucking mind.

There was still a part of me that hoped Harlow would make it. She was strong.

A different version of Harlow was better than a world without her.