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“Don’t mess with my commander,” Hel warned him, but Loki pretended not to hear.
“Earthquakes? Feeding openly on humans at a rate even the gods can detect? Did you think the increase in their presence at Dark Haven wouldn’t be seen?” he asked as he reached her. With a snap of his fingers, a throne bigger than Hel’s appeared across from hers and he sat down, the two facing off.
Though, he didn’t have a commander and a demonic pet flanking him.
Hel merely shrugged, and I felt a wave of annoyance fill the air from Loki. His green eyes simmered with malice at her lack of respect and his fingers tapped a staccato rhythm on the throne.
His anger was wrapped in chaos and simmering under the surface. Hel didn’t hide hers, ice creeping over toward his throne already. “Oh brr, there’s a draft in your castle, dear.”
Hel huffed in exasperation. “You know what is happening, Father. This is how the seer foretold it.”
“With a few sprinkles of changes, sure,” he called her out. “You know the rules, Hel. And the consequences. Odin would like me to remind you this realm could be taken as swiftly as it was gifted.”
“Then who would he deem unworthy enough to be thrown down here?” she taunted with enough malice to make the god before her laugh.
“Ah, Daughter, you underestimate the amount of enemies Odin has. However, you know that I’m no stranger to mischief. I’ll be staying to see how this unfolds. And unlike you, I have no restrictions in the human realm. Let’s go explore,Monty.”
My blood froze in my veins at his use of Harlow’s nickname for me. Before I could protest or even say a word, I was pulled from Helheim. Soon we were both standing in the courtyard of Dark Haven Institute. Traveling with a god was much smoother than with my shadows. It helped to face off with a god I didn’t trust without the added frustration of being disoriented.
We stood apart from each other in the now-empty courtyard. The portal was silent which was... suspicious, but I’d take it as a win for now.
Not trusting the god, I kept my gaze locked on him, waiting for whatever he planned next.
“She’s lying to you, Ivar,” Loki said with a raised, perfectly manicured eyebrow, before heading for the portal. “This is already progressing to a point of no return. My daughter is lucky I like chaos.”
“This was the work of a human she made a deal with and some demons who have mostly been eradicated,” I told him. Though, I had no fucking clue why I was being so forthcoming with information. He must have sensed my unease because he chuckled.
“It’s one of my finer qualities, Ivar. You can’t lie to me,” he said with a shrug. That was news to me, then again, I knew next to nothing about this god. Kol approached then so I stepped back, allowing him into the conversation. I wasn’t usually so giving, but it was my own test of sorts, gauging the gargoyle’s loyalty. If he didn’t put Harlow first, then he was no ally. “Oh, aren’t you a big thing.”
“Loki,” Kol said, bowing low enough his wings shattered a birdbath onto the sidewalk. He gave me a silent nod as he stood, acknowledging me with a calculated gaze. I’d expected animosity, a war with the gargoyles like we’d had in the past, but this time they’d arisen among a war that already pegged us as allies. Harlow united us, yes, but so did the rogue demons ready to throw caution to the wind.
“Gargoyles, demons, and humans, oh my!” he teased before waving his hand in a sweeping motion over the courtyard and disappearing.
“What is he doing here?” Kol questioned, turning in a circle to see what was happening.
“Likely leaving us guessing and adding even more chaos to our lives,” I spit out before stalking forward, making sure the portal was still a small fissure. It looked the same, the fires of Hel still burning just under the surface.
“You can’t stop this, demon,” Kol warned. Something he tried to remind me of every time we met. We were not friends, nor allies. Not when he was trying to take what was mine. He was also still somehow under the delusion that he was following Hel’s orders and he could trust her. It would bite him in the ass soon enough.
“As far as ranks go, gargoyle, you don’t outrank me,” I reminded him. “Harlow decides for herself. If you think she wants a stone monstrosity, then you’re a fool.”
We both may work for Hel, following her orders, but Kol’s group had been added as a failsafe to Dark Haven while my demons had run these halls for years. Hel had given Vane the power to upend everything we worked for, stood for, but I wouldn’t show a sliver of weakness to this gargoyle.
Despite their cockiness, they were no better than we were. They were no more than another of Hel’s little pets.
I hated that Dark Haven needed them. That I would need their help. However, that did not mean I’d bow to him. Kol could fuck off with that attitude, it would certainly not win any sympathy from Harlow.
He smirked before crouching down and launching himself into the air, heading for the roof where more of his gargoyles were standing vigil, a mixture of stone and creature, ensuring the demons didn’t overstep their bounds.
It serves as a reminder that I’ve lost control of my troops.
For now.
I’d get my demons back, even if it killed every other demon and gargoyle in the process.
ChapterTwo
Harlow
