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She laughed and waved me off like I was being funny. There was nothing amusing about the situation. Poor Drake had even lost his fight, looking more defeated than anything.
“Who is my father?” Drake asked. I’d never heard him sound so lost, and Roman and I moved over. When I wrapped my hand around his, he squeezed me hard enough it hurt. I would never protest. He needed me. “You let me believe all this time that he was some monster taking advantage of a sick woman. When, in fact, you’re the one who made her this sick.”
“I didn’t make her sick, I just made it a little worse. It kept her safely in her own mind. No harm, no foul, isn’t that the saying?” She was so narcissistic she couldn’t see how fucked up this truly was.
“The saying is that you’re a fucking monster,” Roman said. “Haven’t we all suffered enough? Humans are not here to just be used by you and you’re sick, twisted games.”
“Oh, but you are.” She laughed coldly. Now Monty and Kol were holding us all back. This bitch and all of her audacity needed to be knocked down several pegs.
“Who is my father?” Drake ground out again.
“I have a feeling you’ll find out soon enough. You don’t need me for that. Now. I believe Harlow came here with a question.”
Ice trailed down my spine, making me shiver even harder against the cold. There was no turning back now. This was my chance for final confirmation, to force her to admit what she’s asking of me.Not that she’d care.
“Am I supposed to sacrifice myself to close this portal?” Her smile stretched across her face. It was downright wicked, even contorting the skull side in a true show of emotion. When she spoke, there was a hint of relief in her voice.
“See, I knew you’d come to the conclusion eventually. I gave you a dagger for a reason, Harlow, it’s almost time for you to use it.” The cold way she said it was a blow in itself. I knew she only cared about herself and the realm, but it hurt to know she thought so little of my life.
Everyone yelled at once and I could barely make out who was holding who back.
“Guys,” I growled, stopping the noise for a moment before turning back to her. “Tell me one good reason why I should lay my life down for this? Do you truly think they’ll all just take this without protest? Hell, the human world gave me nothing but hell, why should I try and save them? You don’t get to just use me.” She studied me for a moment like she couldn’t comprehend my refusal.
“We all have a role to play in this. Your role just requires a bit more pain.”
Kol moved in front of us again. “Why betray us? Why would you give me a mate just to rip her away with no second thoughts?” The pain in his voice had my chest warming. The Kol I met the first night he woke up was far different than the gargoyle I was listening to now. This one had true emotions, and had formed connections. Honestly it was the only reason I was giving this mate thing a real chance.
“She’s no longer the leader you thought she was,” Monty said with disgust. “She’s not a great Queen of Helheim, in fact, she’s nothing more than a desperate bitch.”
Hel moved with a preternatural speed to square off with her former commander.
“I’ve done everything I can for this place! Do you think I asked to be thrown down in Helheim to spend my days among demons and souls, never to be seen by anyone again? Of course, unless they need something from me, right?”
She was so bitter, her tone so harsh and full of disgust. She’d finally revealed the true crux. She hated this realm with everything she was and the gods who threw her down here. Hel was full of disgust, hate, and regrets.
That was a dangerous combination.
I couldn’t hold my tongue. “What good is closing the portal, then? How does that help you? Why would you be compliant to the gods’ wishes?” It was so fast I thought I imagined it, the corner of her mouth tipped up.
She wasn’t being honest, there was something we were missing. And every secret we missed could mean our death. Or mine.
“There’s no turning back now, everything’s in motion. It’s all turning out exactly as it was foretold.”
“The future is always changing,” I said, but there was no real conviction there and she knew it.
“You’re dismissed,” she said, waving her hand. Suddenly we were back in front of the elevator again.
Of course the warden was nowhere to be seen.
“This isn’t happening, Harlow. I don’t give a shit what she wants you to do. You are not going to kill yourself for her,” Roman bit out.
“I’m not,” I agreed. “She’s hiding something, though. Did anyone else see the smirk on her face? It was right when I asked why she was doing what the gods wanted. There’s something else, something bigger than this.”
“Bigger than demons infiltrating Earth, killing humans and causing havoc? What could be bigger than that?” Roman questioned.
“I don’t know, and I don’t necessarily want to find out.”
ChapterTwenty-One
