Chapter 34
VALEEN
V aleen felt the connection she always had with Hel vanish, leaving her cold.
Her skin pebbled and the hair on the nape of her neck stood on end.
The glass of water in her hand slipped and shattered over the table at Nerium Oleander.
The pieces exploded upward and cut into the flesh on her hands and forearms. She barely noticed the sting or the blood dripping onto the wood.
Hel said if he or Thane died, I’d feel it. But he couldn’t be. It wasn’t even an hour before she spoke to him outside her father’s old smithy. After a few deep breaths, she searched for him through their bond. His end was cold and empty. Like a hollowed-out tree.
Panic clawed its way through her, and she opened her mind to him, Hel, where are you?
Silence. Long painful silence.
“What’s wrong?” Presco stood beside her. His voice sounded far away like he was at the other end of a long tunnel. “Valeen.”
She focused again, he wasn’t gone, he couldn’t be. If he’d been in mortal danger he would have told her, she would have felt it. If he was dying, he would have at least said goodbye in her mind.
But what if it happened too quickly?
Tears blurred her vision, while blood slid down her hands, drip drip drip , onto the floor.
“Val,” Tifapine wailed. “You’re bleeding. Oh, no, no, no.” The sound of her little feet scampered away.
Presco’s large hands cupped her face and forced her to look at him. “Valeen, what is wrong?”
She blinked, bringing him into focus. “It’s Hel,” she breathed.
“I can’t feel him.” Maybe he just wasn’t answering.
Maybe he was in Runevale and couldn’t hear her.
She closed her eyes and searched for him again.
Hel, where are you? The silence that answered caused a sharp pain in her chest. He was as much a part of her as her own beating heart, and she’d certainly know it was missing.
With fear written all over his face, Presco dropped his hold and took a step away. “As in… he’s gone?”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I don’t know. All Mother, it can’t be.” She swiped at her face. She wouldn’t accept it. There had to be an explanation. “He said he needed to look at an old book that was left in the Mages Tower down south and that he’d return this evening.”
Tif was suddenly on the tabletop with a cloth. “For the bleeding.” She pushed it into Valeen’s hand. “Although it already looks like it’s stopped.”
The front door to Nerium Oleander opened with a click and Aunt Evalyn came through, carrying an envelope in her hand.
“This was in the door. It’s addressed to Valeen.
” Her brown eyes lifted to her. “This is what they call you now, isn’t it?
” She dashed across the room and snatched it from her aunt’s hand.
“What has gotten into you, Laya? What did I miss? I was outside for five minutes.”
She tore open the red serpent seal and before she even read a word, she recognized his perfect elegant handwriting.
Val,
I had to do something to save you. Don’t follow me.
~Hel
The words, “ Don’t follow me ” made the hairs on her neck prickle.
Raising her chin, the fear of his death vanished, and she was suddenly furious with him.
The only way she wouldn’t be able to feel him was if he was no longer in the realm of the living .
Hel wasn’t dead but he was among them in the underrealm.
Why would he go there? To return the ring? She pushed the letter into Presco’s chest and shoved her fingers into her hair. All Mother, she’d killed their brother.
The demons were natural enemies to the gods but now the feud was personal. They’d kill Hel before he even had a chance to explain why he was there. And if they happened to listen long enough for the ring to be returned, they’d kill him out of spite or trap him there as they’d done once before.
“Varlett isn’t well because of the demon prince’s ring, and since we haven’t found a way to break the connection, he must be trying to stop Varlett from dying. For me.”
Presco’s throat bobbed as he peered down at the letter. “That would be the logical solution, but you don’t think he went to the underrealm?”
“That stupid, reckless bastard,” she hissed. “That’s exactly what he did!”
“Am I missing something?” Aunt Evalyn had a hand on her hip. “Who are Hel and Varlett, and are you talking about the land of the dead? I heard about the supposed sightings of demons a few months ago but… what does this have to do with you?”
There wasn’t time to catch her up on everything that had happened.
She’d planned to introduce Hel to her and explain everything when he was present.
It wasn’t exactly easy to tell her that she was married to the elf Aunt Evalyn knew as the Black Mage.
Explaining Presco was her dragon friend from her previous life had been difficult enough. “I have to go.”
“Go where?” Aunt Evalyn whirled as Valeen rushed past her.
Valeen pulled open the lid of her large brown trunk. Inside gleamed her Raven armor, cleaned and polished from the last time she’d worn it into battle against the goblins.
The trunk scraped loudly as she dragged it past Presco, setting it in front of her dresser. Jerking open drawers, she pulled out her thick, black, battle-ready pants and the long-sleeved top that went underneath the armor.
“You can’t seriously be considering going after him.”
“I’m not considering it. I am going after him.”
“Valeen,” Presco’s voice lowered. His jaw muscles feathered, and he pushed up his glasses. “It’s too dangerous. He?—”
“Is everything to me!” She pulled off her top with the bloodstains, and Presco immediately turned his back to her. “This is the underrealm! You’ve never been there. It is dark and evil and death. We barely made it out with our full power, and that was when War was with us.”
“All the more reason you must stay here.”
“He would come for me.”
Presco sat in silence with that.
“Besides, if Varlett dies down there, so do I. I can’t wait here hoping for the best.”
She quickly dressed and slid on her armored chest piece, then her greaves and vambraces, then raised her right arm so Presco could access the buckles. “Secure this for me.”
With a frown, Presco turned and worked on the buckles. “If you’re going, I’m going.”
“I will not ask this of you.”
“You don’t have to ask.”
“Let me rephrase, you’re not going,” she said.
He finished the last tie, and she secured her weapons belt on her hips, then summoned Soulender to her palm.
She didn’t know if she’d be able to pull it from the aether in the underrealm and slid it into her dagger holster.
With her Raven-winged helmet under her arm, she was out the door. Presco was right beside her.
“You are my queen. I go where you go.”
Guards at the bottom of the stairs turned toward them as they descended. “Lady Lightbringer.” The soldier sounded concerned. “Should we be preparing for an attack?”
“Always be prepared for an attack,” she said, and slipped her helmet on. “I will be gone for a day or two. Thane is not here. Be prepared for anything. Listen to your commanders.”
“Lady,” he breathed, and the other guards all looked at each other. “That would leave Princess Talon as the head of command.”
“No.” She shook her head. “Presco is head of command. He knows more about war and defense than anyone else here.” She patted his shoulder.
“Lady Lightbringer ,” Presco hissed with a glare. “We have more to discuss.”
She strode ahead and quickly pushed through the front doors.
Once she hit the bottom of the stairs, she hurried down the pathway to the stables.
Presco grabbed her arm and jerked her to a stop.
He’d never touched her like this before.
Her gaze dropped to his big hand gripping her arm.
His talons were out, then lifted to his face.
“Listen to me,” he pleaded. “If you and Hel don’t make it, it could be thousands of years before… you can’t leave. You must stay. If at least you live, you’ll be able to help him remember when he’s reborn.”
After all this time, she barely got him back. Even talking about him dying and being reborn was out of the question. There was no telling when or who he’d be reborn to. It could be hundreds of years. Then even if she found who he was born to, she wouldn’t want to see him until he was an adult.
“You have the rune to travel through the portal back to Ryvengaard should neither of us make it out.”
“ Valeen .” It was a cry.
“I’m not going to die. I refuse, and you know how stubborn I am.” Valeen lifted a shoulder. “Besides, I should be the one to return that ring. I was the one who stole it to begin with. I will see you soon, Presco.” It was best if this goodbye wasn’t dragged out. She didn’t wait for him to respond.
Midnight trotted over to the fence, and she popped open the gate.
Using her magic for a boost, she hopped onto his bare back and without looking at her closest advisor and friend, she nudged his sides.
Grass and clods of dirt flew up behind him as they made for the bridge.
Mist from the waterfall moistened her skin.
Hooves clopped loudly over the stone as they raced across the ravine.
A shadow above blocked out the sun. Valeen looked up to see Presco in dragon form flying with them.
Midnight reared up as they approached the stone portal in the unnamed forest. The sun still shined high in the afternoon sky, so she didn’t have to worry about the monsters that lurked in there.
She slid down and stroked the sleek black hair on his neck.
“Go home, Midnight. The underrealm is no place for a horse.”
He tossed his head side to side and snorted.