Page 61 of Tricky Princess

What was this?

His father was helping Ellea free souls? There was no way.

Maybe he was always like this, underneath all the politics and old ways, Garm said.

“Enough, mutt,” Ros growled, and everyone looked at him. He gave them a bored look and quickly changed the subject. “What I want to know is why Billy was here so often.”

“Besides sneaking around with Garm?” Sam joked.

“Wilhelmina was a great and feared warrior before she became a familiar,” Asmodeus said. “She was actually one of the first familiars after the Gods retired. She was changed by Loki himself.”

“We don’t talk about that, my king,” Billy said with tight lips.

“Things are bound to come out,” he added with a knowing look.

Billy didn’t respond, only chugged her wine and looked sideways at Garm.

Great and feared warrior before the Gods retired?

Ros remembered bedtime stories from his mother of a legion of warriors that had gone to Hel with the Gods, a legion of female warriors. Only a handful had come to this realm.

“Loki?” Devon piped up. “The Loki?”

Devon’s warm skin had paled to the color of cardboard, and his food loudly fell off of his fork. Ros was confused as Devon looked between Billy and Ellea several times with his mouth gaping like a fish. It was just Loki, the God of Chaos and…

Gods, he was an idiot.

“It makes sense why you were so invested in tricksters,” Ellea said to Billy from across the table.

Where her tone could be seen as accusatory, it was filled with wonder and understanding.

“We don’t have to talk about this now.” Billy’s eyes held the same openness as her witch’s.

“Please talk about this now,” Devon whispered.

Always the one to want to learn, no matter the circumstances. Ros was happy to see that glint of Devon he loved so much.

“I’ve learned a lot while I’ve been here,” Ellea added. “I want to hear your side—when you’re ready.”

“Want to go for a walk soon?” Billy asked with a warm smile. Ellea nodded and went back to eating, acting like they weren’t discussing her being a descendant from the God that started it all.

“You can come too, Devon,” Ellea said, and he melted into his chair.

Ros had to go to the library first thing tomorrow and pull up everything on Loki. It had been too long since the history of the God had passed his mind. He glared at Garm from across the table.

What have you been hiding?

Garm raised his chin and glanced at Billy. This went deeper than Ros could have ever imagined.

23

Ellea

Light iron blades clashed in the fighting pit as sand sprayed, glinting in the early morning sun. Ellea wiped her face with her forearm. The dirt and morning humidity clung to her. It felt strange to train with Ros again after working with Azzy and Florence, but in a good way. If nothing else, she was glad to have some alone time with him.

“I saw Viatrix before I came down here,” Ros said, swinging his blade in a wide arc as Ellea dropped to a crouch, holding hers above her head and blocking his strike. “I was trying to find a few books, but she said that you have them, along with another number of volumes on the history, politics, and geography of Hel.”

“You know I like to read,” Ellea answered, hooking his leg and forcing him to the ground with a loud thud.