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“I’m not,” I promised. “I have too much to live for. I’m not just going to give up my life, I’ve worked too fucking hard to get to you guys. I can’t just walk away for the greater good. But I do think there’s going to be a very strong conversation with Hel in my future.”
Before he can argue any further, the doors of the library slammed open. The sound was deafening and brought us to our feet, my hand on my dagger.
Loki ran in with several guards behind him. They screamed out for him to stop but he looked like he was having the best time of his damn life.
“Time to go, kids. It’s a little bit early, but can’t help that now,” he announced, grabbing onto us and whisking us away.
We were dropped back into the common room. Of course Loki was nowhere in sight. He liked to cause chaos, not spend the time to see the aftermath.
“What the fuck just happened? Where did you go? Where did he take you?” Drake demanded as he looked over Hiro while Monty checked me for wounds.
“We’re fine,” I promised. “I feel better and he took us to a library.”
“A library?” Drake asked, keeping his words slow and careful.
“It was a library of the gods, apparently,” I explained. “And I think I have a few things to tell you.”
“Gossip?” Layne asked. I didn’t even realize her and Crew were perched on the window seat. The only one missing was Kol.
Drake paced until Hiro yanked him down to his side on the couch. Monty leaned against the walls, waiting for me to speak. The last thing I wanted was to say these words out loud, but they deserved to know.
Hiro was right, I wasn’t alone. I even had Layne and Crew on my side. Though, Crew was reluctant.
“I spoke to Hel yesterday. It’s the reason I got drunk,” I started.
“I knew something else was happening,” Monty said. He was almost smug about it. Ever since I found the other guys, it was like Monty was trying to prove his worth. But he didn’t have to, Monty had been around the longest, he was already part of me before I even stepped through the doors of Dark Haven.
“Sacrifice. The only way to close the portal is a sacrifice. And of course, not just anyone, she chose me.”
“No,” Monty said, refusing to even entertain the answer. “Nobody is going to touch you, Harlow. We won’t allow it.” My chest clenched at his use of we. Monty was reluctant at first but over the last few weeks he’d looked to Drake, Kol, and even Hiro and Roman to protect me as well.
“She said she couldn’t tell me outright, but she did promise me that death wouldn’t be the end for me, which I find not at all reassuring.”
Monty’s mouth spread into a wide grin. “You would make a sexy demon,” he purred before suddenly sobering. Likely realizing he was against the whole death thing. He’d told me only days before he liked my humanity. “But that won’t happen. You won’t be dying anytime soon, Harlow.”
“Seriously?” Drake questioned, shaking his head at Monty’s initial lecherous comment.
Emotions were too high so I spoke before it could turn into a fight.
“It doesn’t matter anyway. She said I wouldn’t be a demon or a soul. I’d be some new misfit to really drive home the fact that I don’t belong anywhere.” My words were a bit dramatic but I was barely holding on.
“That’s so fucked up,” Layne whispered. My poor friend was near tears. “She said you’d be the one to fix things, how could she set you up for this.”
“I don’t want to die. But there are very few options for closing portals. Willing sacrifice is the top of that list.”
“If you think we’re going to let you walk up and kill yourself, you’re delusional,” Monty bit out. “Fuck Hel and everything she’s fucking ruined.”
Drake narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re not suicidal, are you?” It was a fair question. I’ve been acting strange, drinking, and the news I just delivered wasn’t great.
I shook my head and leveled each of them with a stare I hoped conveyed what I was feeling.
“No, I’m not. I have too much to live for, and I don’t want to die for Hel. I don’t trust her or anyone but you guys.”
“Then we find a way,” Drake said vehemently, brokering no room for an argument.
Drake’s promise was nice, and I clung to those words and let them fill me with hope.
For now, at least.
