When Loki's consort and soulmate marries his rival to save their son from a curse, a prophecy leads to consequences even the God of Chaos couldn't predict.
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The Unseelie Goddess of War's revenge against Asgard's Dark Prince puts him in a no-win s...
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Despite the amused banter going back and forth between Shannon and Elatha—even if I only heard Shannon's comments—a coldness seeped into my soul. Hela's anger was the bitter blast of Jotunheim's wintery peaks. And like the relentless weight of a glacier, we were liable to be crushed beneath it. A harsh contrast to the continued fiery spike of pain drumming into my brain.
It hadn't occurred to me that Hela would be angry we weren't renewing our intimacy.
Before I'd left after we'd finished forging Laevateinn, I'd helped her reconcile with her consorts, mediating the grievances between them. That she'd expect... that she wanted... it hadn't entered my thoughts at all. I'd completely underestimated her pride and need for ego stroking. Stupid. Such a stupid mistake that could cost us everything.
Or was it this lingering head injury that didn't have me thinking straight?
Norns. I'd endangered my consorts, and they had no idea how volatile Hela could be. Although I was immune to her fire, my consorts weren't. Not even Shannon, with her ability to manipulate fire, would be able to withstand the full force of Hela's rage. Especially not here in Helheim, when Shannon couldn't recharge her energy easily or quickly.
And Hela wouldn't hesitate to kill them to make me pay.
When she'd accepted they were my soulmates and shifted to Hades, I let out a quiet exhale. Too soon to be relieved, but I hoped it meant the worst of the danger was past. Giving him the power module seemed to take away most of his anger, as the negotiation went pretty much as I'd anticipated. I'd known he'd bluster and yell. That, I'd expected.
After all, it was a fair deal that gave him what he really wanted without a pesky soul to deal with.
Yet he got his revenge by refusing to give us his token.
Those final parting words told me how deeply I'd screwed up. My heart sank deeper into the icy pit within me as I paid my respects by rote, then let the servant lead us back through the long, dark halls to our chambers.
Stomach knotted and churning, my feet were leaden bricks.
I'd doomed us.
There was no way I'd be able to get all of us past the guardians of the bridges and gates, through either the Demon Gate or Ghost Gate and past the massive hellhound. It didn't even matter which hellhound. Both were equally deadly.
Shannon closed the door on the servant and after shedding my armour and weapons, I laid face-first down on the bed, rubbing my temples and trying to think past the pain. If we were completely recharged, we'd have the energy to fight. Working together, we could defeat the giant guardians of the bridge and gate entrance. That much I had confidence in.
"What are we going to do?" asked Shannon as she joined me on the bed.
Elatha sat on the other side of me. "Can we fight our way out of Helheim?"
