Page 66

Harlow

The Castle

M y leg bounced with nervous energy as I sat between the two beds. I’d already kicked everyone else out of the room, ready to take the heat for my decisions when they awoke.

The fact I got Stravos out was an accomplishment on its own. If not for my role here in Helheim, I doubted I would have succeeded.

Crew stirred and I sat up straighter, staring him down and willing his eyes to open.

He’d died long before Layne, and I was terrified I wasn’t fast enough. Bringing him here had been a risk. There was a chance the corruption could cause damage to the realm or kill him completely.

This was also my first and only attempt reconnecting souls to bodies and creating wraiths. Helheim’s power accepted them, and that at least helped me hold onto hope. It was as if the realm recognized what happened and knew he shouldn’t be punished for it.

I was so distracted that I didn’t notice his eyes blinking open until I heard him speak.

“Layne?” Crew’s voice was rough as he struggled to sit up. I remembered waking up in the mists, confused, disoriented, and naked. At least I’d conjured them clothes and a bed.

“She’s still healing,” I said gently. His gaze found mine and from the look of horror and concern, he remembered everything that had happened the last few months... weeks, whatever it was.

The time change was impossible to figure out.

“Harlow . . .”

“Listen. I don’t doubt that your mind was corrupted, Crew. It’s not really me you need to apologize to, it’ll be her. You left, caused chaos, and a battle that led to her murder,” I pointed out. It was harsh, but this wasn’t the time to beat around the bush. “You have all of about three minutes to make your decision. Do you plan to figure this out and stay with her, or do you want to leave before she wakes up? You’re not a human anymore, Crew. Your compulsions are gone. I know how you felt about demons and Helheim, but now you’re a part of it.”

“You brought me here? You did this?” His eyes were full of shock and fury. Even now he was clinging to a pain that no longer mattered.

The realm came to my aid, snapping out at him until he was forced to step back. I stood at the threat, my body growing in a show of power. It fed through the soles of my feet and flowed through me, rising in intensity until I felt more like Helheim than myself.

My face didn’t falter as I stared him down, not saying a single word until he’d sat in his chair and calmed down.

When he’d visibly chilled out, I let the power recede until I was normal again.

“What the fuck am I?” His eyes were still wide but at least he wasn’t acting on raw anger anymore. That was one thing he better lose like he lost his humanity.

“You’re a wraith. Not quite human, but immortal. You won’t have powers that I or my men do, but you’re being given a second chance,” I said, waiting for that to process before dropping an icy dose of fear. “And if you don’t handle it well or wish to leave, I’ll exile you. You’ll likely die as a human on Earth in the mess Hel made. If you do, your soul will be forfeit, there will be no afterlife.”

“Can I ever go back?” he whispered. “To Earth. Without losing my soul?”

“I don’t think so,” I answered honestly. They’d been infused with extra power to rejoin their soul with their bodies, but nothing more. Helheim wasn’t willing to give it and I respected that. “I’ve never seen a wraith go through that didn’t have extra power. I can’t guarantee you’d survive.”

He turned his head and stared at Layne. It was a lot to process but I doubted he had much time to do so. Emotions were warring across his face and I didn’t envy the shitshow he had to sort out. I’d had to do the same thing on my own. I woke up alone and without someone to answer my questions.

“She died there?” he asked, looking back at me.

“Right after you did,” I confirmed. “We thought we got all of the demons when your leaders attacked, but apparently one was hiding in the ashes and rubble. She walked in, saw you, screamed in pain, and drew his attention. He slaughtered her without a second thought. Stravos tore his head off for his crimes and we brought you both here.”

“Why did you bring me here with her?”

“For her,” I said simply. “Even if you are an idiot who deserved to pay for what you did, she loved you. If you decide to walk away this time, that’s on you, but I had to try. You weren’t given a fair fight. Here you get to find a purpose and live without the stress of Earth.”

My explanation seemed to bring him some peace. His shoulders sagged and he nodded once, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as if he were nervous, or maybe it was a human reaction to all the information he was processing. I was never close enough to Crew to read that easily.

“Stravos is going to kick my ass.”

“I am!” The words echoed from the hallway. Crew let out a dark laugh but it was every bit self-deprecation. It was as if the haze was gone from his mind and the gravity of his actions was finally settling in.

“You’re lucky all of us don’t kick your ass at this point.” He didn’t argue that. “When did they take you over?”

“When I was still in Dark Haven. It started as whispers at night. Then I heard them in the daytime or anywhere I went. It was impossible to ignore. Then I started blacking out. It wasn’t long after that happened that I wasn’t in control anymore. I got to watch my body say and do things I would never have done on my own. It was awful.”

He looked over at me with eyes that pleaded for me to believe him.

“I saw it in your eyes,” I said. “They shifted back and forth between that poison and you. The last time they shifted back, it took over completely. That’s when Monty had to kill you before you tried to hurt me and set back our mission.”

“And here you are, cleaning up my mess, too.” He sighed.

Crew leaned forward and clutched at his dirty, ragged curls.

“You are a dumbass,” Layne rasped out. Her voice was as hoarse as his had been but seeing those blue eyes open and alert was enough for a sob of relief to escape me.

I shoved Crew out of the way as he rose from his chair, so I could claim her in a hug, holding her tight.

“I’m so fucking glad you’re alive.”

“Am I? Because I distinctly remember dying,” she joked.

“When your bestie is a badass queen of the underworld, death isn’t the end for you,” I sassed right back, even if my voice broke on another sob. “I’m glad your sarcasm didn’t die with you.”

“You really are a badass,” she agreed, seriously this time.

Crew cleared his throat and I barely held back an eye roll.

“Listen, I’ll give Stravos the good news and give you two a moment. I’m down the hall, curve to the left, follow our loud voices... when you’re ready for a break,” I said that part to Layne before walking out.

Stravos was still standing guard on the other side of the door.

“She’s awake,” I reassured him. “You can go see that she’s all right.”

“I knew you wouldn’t fail her,” he said with a relieved smile that said he was, indeed, freaking out.

“Go in when you’re ready. Don’t kill Crew. I worked too hard so he could live,” I said as I patted him on the shoulder. “Give her a few minutes to kick his ass first.”

His quiet laughter followed me down the hallway.

The guys were sitting around, trying to look casual, but clearly waiting for me. Roman and Hiro were on their feet the moment I walked through the door.

“Is she all right?” I didn’t miss the fact that no one asked about Crew. They weren’t any happier with him than I was.

“They’re awake,” I confirmed as I sat down. Kol, who’d been leaning against the wall, swooped in, picked me up, and settled me on his lap. I leaned into his chest, rubbing my cheek on him and breathing in his crisp and dark scent, letting it wrap around me and chase away the tumultuous emotions of the past few days.

Our lives had been so insane, I felt like we hadn’t gotten a moment to exist as a group and I hated it. When this was all over, I was throwing a fucking party for this realm, then declaring we’d be out of commission for a week.

“Is Crew pissed off?” Drake asked. “Do I need to go knock some sense into him?”

I snorted at that. “No, I’m pretty sure Layne is doing that right now.”

Monty had been leaning against the far wall until now. He let out a laugh and rejoined the group. It was still hard for my monster to give into the pack life. He was still himself in so many ways, but he was trying to connect with us, and I loved him for that.

“It didn’t go well, here she comes,” he announced. I swear the demon commander sounded eager for gossip.

Stravos charged in first like he was leading Layne here, then jumped out of the way as she stormed past.

She looked livid as she stopped between us and paced on the rug, giving everyone in the room an audience to her impending mental breakdown.

At least she only had to deal with normal emotions and not the shuffling of moods and emotions she would have had before.

“He’s so fucking dense, I swear. Even after dying for his ass in Dark Haven and coming back to life, he’s being an idiot. I don’t understand how one singular man... or whatever he is, can’t get the concept through his thick soul. Just because I love Stravos, doesn’t mean I don’t care about him. Never did I demand he be in a poly relationship. If he doesn’t want to be, fine, but he needs to make that decision and fucking stick to it!”

She threw her hands up as she finished. Every one of us looked like we were watching a performance, eyes tracking her movement and barely blinking so we didn’t miss a thing.

Clearly, entertainment was scarce in Helheim.

Then Crew stomped into the room a moment later and excitement built between their audience.

“Fight, fight, fight,” Monty muttered. Hiro and Drake lost it, covering their laughter with a cough when Layne glared at them.

“Woman, you didn’t even let me finish what I was explaining to you!” he growled out. It wasn’t far off from all the other arguments we’d witnessed in Dark Haven.

She whirled around at his tone and poked a finger right in his chest, jabbing him hard enough he stumbled backward.

“No, you were fucking gaslighting me. If I wanted smoke blown up my ass, I’d fucking ask for it. I am not forcing you into anything, Crew .” She spit out his name like a curse.

Crew deflated, his voice dropping down so even I had to strain to hear him.

“Why wasn’t I enough for you? Why couldn’t you just choose me?”

“Aaaand there it is.” Roman winced. “Have you not been listening at all, dude? She chose you, and she chose him. Not that complicated.”

Layne wasn’t done with him and she had no sympathy for his broken, pathetic tone. In fact, it seemed to piss her off more.

“Stravos is amazing. You haven’t even given him a fucking chance. I’m not asking you to let the gargoyle fuck you, I’m just telling you that I’m going to be with him, too. And you know what he’s done? Not fucking turned on me and abandoned me like you did.”

She had a point. Crew was always angry about his past and being left behind and he did it to the one person who was always in his corner.

“What else was I going to do? I was watching the woman I loved, the one I stayed in that awful place for, leave me behind.”

She turned and grabbed a throw pillow, screaming out her frustration into it before she finished.

“Not true. I never wanted to end things with you. Just because you can’t understand it, doesn’t mean that my feelings aren’t valid. I love you both. As we both know, life is too short to hold back. I refuse to have this shitty conversation anymore. So, either get on board or you can fuck off.”

My eyes drifted to Stravos who stood by the doors, watching them fight with a conflicted expression on his face.

“You may as well come and join the circus,” I called out to him. He hesitated until I pointed to the empty spot beside Roman.

Crew’s expressions darkened at the mere sight of him. You’d think death would cure his jealousy, but clearly, he wasn’t one for letting things go.

“See, how can I compete with that?!” Crew demanded. He turned to the rest of us like we’d give him an answer. He would get no sympathy from any of us. We worked this out with far more dicks than Layne was asking for. I might not have had a normal human choice, thanks to a prophecy and a bond being involved, but I don’t regret a single one of them.

“You don’t,” Hiro said. “It’s not a competition. If you want to be with Layne, be with her. Your relationship has nothing to do with Stravos, just as theirs has nothing to do with you.”

“Exactly!” Layne said in exasperation, waving wildly at him. “It’s like explaining things to a brick wall. You guys talk some sense into him.”

Layne stomped over, snatched my hand, and dragged me off with her. We made it as far as the throne room before she ran out of steam.

“Hey, this isn’t on you. You were clear in there and now he has to figure it out,” I said when she closed her eyes and let out a sad sigh.

“You know what’s wild? Even after that whole thing, I don’t feel so overwhelmed I want to scream. It’s just a normal range of emotions. I never thought I’d get to experience that.”

“It is weird. It took me a while to adjust to my lack of hallucinations. They were a constant feature in my life and now it’s just reality or magic,” I agreed. “But that aside, I don’t blame you for being mad. I’m sorry your afterlife is starting with a fight.”

“I am, too, because this is wild. We’ve got time to actually spend together without meds or shit getting in the way,” she said. “Thanks, Harlow. For being the one person who actually cared enough to get to know me. You’re the only real friend I’ve had. The guys were friends, but not like this.”

“You were the same for me,” I promised. “We’ll figure this out. Who knows what we can do when I actually understand my powers and this realm.”

She flopped down on the floor, spreading her arms and legs as she stared at the crystalline ceiling. The clicking of claws on the ground announced Skoll entering.

I hadn’t seen the demon dog since we’d been back, and I felt bad I’d been so in and out.

“There’s a good boy,” I cooed as I crouched down and scratched his flank. Layne froze at the sight of him, but seeing my reaction, she didn’t freak out when he went to investigate her.

I’d watched him avoid all of my guys, so when he curled up at her side, resting his skull-clad head on her stomach, I couldn’t help but smile.

“God, I need a drink. Why is there no booze in this realm?” Her eyes were wide, but her hand went to the creature, petting him and slowly relaxing.

A loud burst of air announced an intrusion, Loki popping in beside us. Skoll let out a grunt but didn’t stir more than that.

“I’m surprised he’s out of hiding. He didn’t take to Hel for a solid year,” he noted. “Ask and you shall receive, my newly dead friend.”

The God of Chaos enjoyed the show and loved to show up just at the right time. At least this time he came bearing gifts, holding what looked like a wine bottle with a language I didn’t know, adorning the bottle.

Layne sat up and took the offering, not even asking a question before popping off the top and chugging. Skoll moved again to snuggle in beside her, only giving a brief side-eye for moving on him.

When Layne came up for air, she swiped a hand across her mouth, eyes wide but excited.

“Holy shit, that’s amazing. If this is what booze of the gods tastes like, sign me up,” she said with a hiccup. Clearly, the alcohol was strong.

“Glad to see you out of that place,” Loki said with a wink, letting his eyes sweep over her. “And don’t worry, I can send more.”

She blew him a kiss before taking another long pull of the dark liquid.

I shifted as Loki turned his attention to me. I knew what was coming and I wasn’t ready for it at all.

“Did you figure anything out about our arrangement?” he asked.

“Well, I know I can put souls back in their bodies and create wraiths. I told you before, if there is a soul to be found or some way to save her, I’ll try,” I told him. “What’s the urgency? Have they closed in?”

“Odin and I may not be the best buddies in the world,” he snarked, “but the gods talk. He’s getting closer every day and has the entirety of the godly realm looking for her. I don’t think I can save her. She’s a pain in the ass but she’s my daughter. All she wanted was a chance at freedom and love.”

“Helllll, even I cannnn sympathize with that,” Layne slurred, wobbling as she tried to stand up next to me.

“Why don’t you sit,” Loki said as he conjured a chair and gently pushed her into it. I’d never seen him be so soft with anyone.

Interesting.

“Good idea,” she agreed. “Hey, you want some, bestie?”

Despite my better judgment, I took the bottle she offered. It was somehow still just as full as when Loki gave it to her but I didn’t question it.

The taste was amazing. A mix of flavors, both sweet and tart, burst over my tongue. It was better than anything I’d ever put in my mouth.

Despite the urge to, I didn’t drink as hard as Layne did, taking one drink before handing it back. Even that one sip had my head swimming in the best way.

I turned back to Loki and gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile to keep him from arguing with me.

“I’ll try my best.”

“Your best better save her life.”

The warning was clear.

If I failed, he’d make me pay.