Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Helheim was cold, dark, damp, and dreary.

In other words, the Norse afterlife was Blackpool.

Max didn’t share my view. He spent the first few minutes pointing every which way and raving over the layers of silt; such was my reward for allowing a magma monster to tag along.

“Do you think it would be okay if I soak up the ambience?” he asked.

“You mean that literally, don’t you?”

He crouched down to touch a jagged icy rock. “The topography is so different from the inside of a volcano. I’d love to incorporate a souvenir.”

“Oskar is our only souvenir. We’d be pushing our luck to leave with anything else.” Although Helheim wasn’t like the underworld where a few pomegranate seeds would bind you there, there could still be a minor, long-forgotten rule I wasn’t aware of. I wouldn’t want Max to be stuck here forever because he added a pretty pebble to his collection.

Max saluted me. “Understood, boss. ”

I consulted the map on my phone. “Let’s walk a bit and look for landmarks.”

Max pointed to the ground. “Does that count?”

A large skull stared back at me. “I don’t recognize the shape.” Whatever it was, it wasn’t human.

A serpent slithered through an eye socket. Max jumped.

“You’re made of rocks. What are you worried about?”

“I don’t like snakes.”

“They don’t bother me.” Mice, on the other hand, were a different story. In my experience, people either fell into the snake camp or the rodent camp, but never both. When I’d mentioned this to Kane one night, he’d said it was because one was a predator, and the other was prey. I hadn’t thought of it from that angle until then. Funny what we can learn about someone from their seemingly benign preferences.

I focused on the offering of paths ahead. There were no signs. No visible indicators on the horizon either.

“A yellow brick road would be helpful about now,” I remarked. It was difficult to discern which one might be safest for unwelcome visitors.

None of them, most likely.

In the end, we chose the straight and narrow path. Nana Pratt would approve.

The road was misleading. Beyond the horizon, it dipped, leading us through a deep valley, so dark that we couldn’t see our hands in front of our faces. We each tripped once but managed to avoid any injuries.

“Why haven’t we seen any souls yet?” Max asked.

“Because this valley is pitch-black.”

“Wouldn’t they glow?”

“They’re not jellyfish, Max.”

“You’re a goddess of ghosts. If they attack us, you can order them to stand down, right? It doesn’t matter that it’s a different pantheon? ”

“We don’t need to worry about the souls of the dead. They won’t be interested in harming us.”

He shot me a curious look. “Then why is this so dangerous?”

“Because the souls of the dead aren’t the only inhabitants of Helheim.”

From the valley, we trudged up a hillside and into the light until we reached a fertile field where wildflowers bloomed. The colorful landscape was in shaper contrast to the void of the valley.

“This is unexpected,” Max said. “I thought the whole realm would be dark and dismal.”

“This isn’t a place of misery or punishment.”

A large shadow passed over us, drawing my attention skyward. “Damn,” was all I could muster.

Max looked up. “What is that?”

‘That’ was best described as an eagle monster with a dragon-shaped body, claws, horns, and large eagle-like wings.

“His name is Hraesvelgr. His name means corpse eater, if that helps you.” The eagle monster’s wings were so massive that he could generate hurricane force winds simply by flapping them.

The cherufe shuddered. “I thought this place wasn’t for punishment.”

“It isn’t.” Although according to the map, we bordered Niflheim, which was. I decided to omit that part. “Hraesvelgr’s purpose is to watch over Helheim and keep the status quo.”

We watched as the giant eagle monster turned to loop back toward the field.

“Do you think he senses living creatures?” Max asked.

“I imagine so, since our presence upsets the status quo.”

Alarm passed over Max’s features. “What do we do? ”

“We need a lift, don’t we?” I stuck up my thumb and started walking backwards through the field.

“Have you lost your mind?” Max shrieked.

“Your voice gets impressively high-pitched for someone with your build.” I stopped walking as the eagle monster came in for a landing about twenty feet away. Flowers blew past us, causing a few petals to get tangled in my hair.

Hraesvelgr sniffed the air.

Max stood perfectly still beside me. “Do you think he can see us?”

“There’s nothing wrong with my vision,” the creature replied.

Max collapsed into a pile of rocks.

“It appears your friend has fallen to pieces.”

I shook my head at the cherufe. “I can see that.”

“You do not belong here,” Hraesvelgr said.

“Our stay is only temporary.” I hoped.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Hraesvelgr. You keep the status quo in Helheim.”

“Indeed, which you are not.”

“Is that why they call you corpse eater? You eat the bodies of those who trespass?”

“It is rare to receive unwelcome visitors. This is a realm the living would prefer to avoid, which begs the question—why are you here?”

“We’re looking for someone. A shade.”

“And what do you intend to do when you find them?”

I couldn’t tell him the truth. He’d never let us escape with a shade. “Oskar was taken from us too soon. There were things left unsaid between us. My friend Max agreed to accompany me to find him so I could say my piece.”

“You’d risk your life for a single moment?”

“Closure is crucial to my healing,” I said. I pushed my luck. “Any idea where the newer shades tend to congregate? ”

Hraesvelgr considered me. “If I take you there myself, will you promise to leave immediately after the deed is done?”

“I promise.” The creature didn’t specify which deed, so technically I wasn’t lying.

“Why would you offer to take us?” Max asked, fully reassembled.

“Because the sooner you’ve said your piece, the sooner you leave. Status quo restored.”

“You could just boot us out now,” Max countered. “That would be even faster.”

“Whose side are you on?” I hissed at him.

“Yours. Definitely yours.” Max stepped closer to the creature. “This isn’t a trick? You won’t fly high and then tip us off?”

Hraesvelgr stared at the magma monster. “Who hurt you?”

“Let’s go,” I urged, before our winged taxi changed his mind.

I helped position Max’s bulky frame first, then slid on the creature’s back behind the cherufe. I held on for dear life as the eagle monster took to the skies. His wings spread so wide, they obscured most of the view below. I wouldn’t have enjoyed it anyway; I was far too concerned with keeping a white-knuckle grip on the creature’s scales.

We sailed over hills and valleys until landing in a barren field. I helped Max to the ground.

“I am not meant for flight,” the cherufe said, visibly shaken.

“Follow the music and you should find your friend,” Hraesvelgr said. “I’ll look for you when I return.”

“You’re leaving?” I tried to hide my relief.

“There’s another disturbance in the realm. I’m needed.” Wings stretching wide, he shot into the air .

“What will we do when he finds us trying to leave with a shade?” Max asked.

“Hide.” I strained to listen for music. “Do you hear anything?”

“No, but I feel the vibrations.” He pivoted toward a hill. “This way.”

As we crested the hill, the sound of lively music reached my ears. Small houses dotted the landscape, leaving a square open between them. Based on the crowd of souls gathered there, some kind of festival or celebration was in progress. A group of musicians played in the center of the square.

The aroma of grilled meat reached my nostrils as we continued down the slope. My stomach rumbled in response.

“I guess they want new arrivals to feel at home,” I said.

We merged with the crowd. Revelers had plates piled high with their favorite food.

Max observed the seemingly endless trays. “I don’t even eat food, and I want to live here. Sign me up.”

I agreed. Helheim seemed much happier than the underworld I’d visited. Of course, I’d only seen parts of my homeland. There could be sections like this that I’d forgotten.

Max handed me a beer stein.

“We should start asking about Oskar.”

“You can do that and still enjoy yourself.” He tapped the bottom of my stein. “I’ll live vicariously through you.”

I set down the glass. “No souvenirs. That includes anything in my digestive system.”

I mingled with the crowd of souls, stopping every few feet to inquire after Oskar. Spirits shook their head and moved away from me, as though sensing my otherness. Interestingly, no one seemed bothered by the presence of a magma monster. People never ceased to amaze me, even in death .

I tapped random men on the shoulder, inquiring their names.

“Oskar?”

A golden-haired beauty sized me up with a smirk. “If you like.”

“It’s not about what I like. Is your name Oskar?”

His smirk faded. “No, but his is.” He pointed to a man by the yew tree. I hadn’t even noticed him until this moment. Average height. Average appearance. If the word ‘average’ was accompanied by a photo, it would be Oskar’s face staring back at you.

I called to Max and gestured to the man by the yew tree.

Noticing our attention, Oskar smiled and abandoned his tree. “Good day to you both. You seem a bit lost. Are you new arrivals?”

“They’re looking for you,” the golden-haired snitch said.

Oskar’s nondescript eyebrows inched up. “For me? Why?”

Max nudged me. “Don’t forget the potion.”

I hadn’t forgotten, but I didn’t want to frighten Oskar. It seemed more sensible to explain the situation first and then douse him. “In a minute,” I said.

Max glanced at me in alarm. “Didn’t she tell you to sprinkle it on him the second you found him?”

“Seems like overkill.” Oskar didn’t strike me as anxiety ridden. Quite the opposite, in fact; he seemed perfectly at peace. And my experience with witches was sufficiently lackluster that I felt a slight need to rebel against her orders. She’d never know, and once I’d fulfilled my end of the bargain, she wouldn’t much care how I did it.

Golden Boy looked from Max to me. “What exactly is going on?”

“We’re here to take you home,” I told Oskar.

“Home?” He surveyed the area around us. “Isn’t this my home now? ”

Golden Boy ignored his question. “If you want to take him, you’ll need permission, but I very much doubt you’ll get it. Helheim is a one-way trip.”

“Whose permission?” Max asked.

“Hel’s,” I replied. “She’s in charge of this domain, hence the name.”

“Who is she?”

“A demigod. Daughter of Loki and a giantess.” I cast him a sidelong glance. “Have you heard of Loki?”

Max shook his head. “I didn’t have access to much information in the bowels of Chilean volcanoes. Not an ideal environment for books with all that heat and magma.”

“Loki is widely known as a trickster god,” I explained. “Full of mischief and devilry.”

“And does his daughter take after him?”

“I don’t know, but I’m warning you just in case. If the world suddenly tilts on its axis, don’t trust what you see.”

Shaking his arms, Max jogged in place for a few seconds, as though psyching himself up.

Oskar raised a finger. “Do you mind if I ask where you intend to take me?”

“To your beloved,” I said. “To Erika.”

Oskar grabbed the Golden Beauty and thrust him forward like a human shield. “How did she find me?”

Okay, that wasn’t the response I’d expected. “Are we talking about the same Erika? Tall, gorgeous…”

“Terrifying,” Oskar added, still cowering behind Golden Boy.

“I guess she is a little on the terrifying side,” I admitted, “but I’m surprised you would feel that way about someone you love.”

Oskar scoffed. “Love?”

“Must be a trauma bond,” Max said. “Lots of people mistake that for love. ”

The look of pure terror on Oskar’s face had me questioning the story we’d been told. I tried to recover my bearings. “Are you telling me Erika isn’t the love of your life?”

Oskar laughed. Good grief, even his laugh was average—somewhere between a chuckle and a guffaw. “You’ve seen her. Do you honestly believe someone like me would be the love of her life?”

I held up my hands. “I don’t judge. People are attracted to each other for all sorts of reasons. I assumed you have traits that appealed to her, like maybe you’re funny and make her laugh.”

“I don’t make anybody laugh,” Oskar said. “I’m as dry as unbuttered toast.”

Max snorted with laughter. “Now see, that was funny to me.”

“I don’t even belong in Helheim,” Oskar said. “I petitioned to be transferred here from Otherworld because I worried she’d try to find me. You have no idea how much paperwork is involved in a move like this.” Oskar cast a furtive glance around him. “She must have a spy in Helheim. It could be anyone.”

Now I was thoroughly confused. Why didn’t he want to be found by Erika?

I looked at the golden-haired beauty. “Would you mind giving us a minute alone?”

He cut a quick glance at Oskar. “Do you want to be alone with these intruders?”

Oskar nodded. “It’s okay, Ivar. Thank you.”

Ivar pointed at his eyes and then pointed the same two fingers at me.

You’re keeping an eye on me. Got it .

“Please don’t take me to her,” Oskar pleaded. “I’ll give you anything you want.” He paused. “Well, I can’t offer you much in Helheim, but I left riches behind in your world. ”

“Is that what Erika wants?” I asked. “Your valuables?”

“In a sense.”

“I’m going to need you to be a little more forthcoming, Oskar.”

He raked a hand through his hair. “I worked for an auction house before I died. That’s where I met Erika. She seduced me, told me she loved me, then asked me for a favor.”

“Boy, Erika has her whole blackmail thing down to a science.” At least she hadn’t used one of her daughters for this particular scheme. “What was the favor?”

“She asked me to steal an item before it went to auction.” He offered a weary smile. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“That you’re the ideal thief.”

Oskar’s eyebrows inched up. “Is that really what you’re thinking?”

“Yes. You’re nondescript. Probably trustworthy. Who better to slip in and out of a room unnoticed? What was the item?”

“A mistletoe arrow.”

I slapped my forehead. “You’re the guy.”

Oskar frowned. “You know about this?”

“Not in great detail. My friend is a regular at auctions in and around New York City. He mentioned that the arrow went missing, and someone died.” For once, The Corporation wasn’t to blame.

“Did someone catch you and kill you for it?” Max asked.

“No. I decided to do a little research on the item after I stole it. I know, I know. I really should have done my work beforehand, but I’m pretty sure Erika had been using a spell on me to keep me sweet on her. Once the spell started to wear off, I was able to see her clearly. In truth, she frightened me.”

“I guess you didn’t like what you found out,” I said .

He shook his head. “The mistletoe arrow was the same one used to kill Baldur during a great feast of the gods.”

“And you believed Erika wanted to use it for a similar purpose?”

He nodded. “I pretended I hadn’t managed to acquire it yet and asked her a few questions. If she’d only wanted it as a piece of history, I would’ve given it to her, but it was clear she had more nefarious plans for it.”

“She actually admitted that to you?” Max asked.

“She thought I was still under her thrall.”

“Typical witch,” I murmured.

“I went straight home and hid the arrow. She discovered from a news report that it had been stolen and figured out my betrayal. She came looking for it and begged me to tell her where I’d hidden it, but I refused. That’s the reason I’m here.”

“To hide from her?”

“Well, yes, but I mean that’s how I ended up dead in the first place. She killed me.”

Okay, I wasn’t expecting that .

He lowered his head. “Next thing I knew, I was sailing on a boat to the afterlife with a group of other unfortunate souls.”

“Why would she kill you if you were the only one who could tell her the location of the arrow?”

“Erika is impulsive and temperamental. I’m sure she realized her mistake immediately, but there was nothing she could do.”

“Except devise a plan to drag you back to her,” I said.

“I have no doubt she ransacked my home afterward, but she wouldn’t have found it there.”

“I don’t understand,” Max interrupted. “She had to know Oskar would resist coming with you.”

“She did, which is why she gave me the potion and made up some cockamamie story about his anxiety.” I tugged the vial from my pocket and held it up. “She wasn’t kidding about silencing him. That’s probably the only point of this.” It made sense. I wasn’t familiar with any stories that involved a soul needing a potion to leave Helheim. I should’ve known better than to trust a witch.

Oskar pointed to the vial. “She told you to use that on me?”

I nodded. “Here’s my dilemma. If I don’t bring you back, someone dies.”

“She chooses those she deems disposable,” Oskar said. “She must’ve decided it was a life that could be lost.”

How dare she decide that sweet Alessandro was expendable. Erika wasn’t even a goddess. Where did she get off believing she had the right to determine someone’s fate?

“Alessandro is a friend of mine, and I can assure you that he doesn’t deserve this.”

“Erika is ruthless. She will do whatever it takes to get her way.”

“And I guess you knew that if you went to all the trouble of switching afterlifes.”

“I should’ve known she’d find me eventually. She has all of eternity on her side.”

“This is quite the conundrum. What do we do?” Max asked.

I tapped my foot, thinking. “If I can get the mistletoe arrow before the deadline to deliver Oskar, then I have leverage.”

“You heard the man,” Max said, his voice rising. “Erika is impulsive and temperamental. What if she finds you first and kills you and Alessandro both?”

“You can’t let her have it,” Oskar insisted.

“I wouldn’t actually give it to her,” I said. “I’d only trick her into believing I would so that she’ll release Alessandro from her magic.”

“Or you could use the arrow against her,” Oskar suggested. “I didn’t have the stomach for it, but you might.”

“That isn’t my style, Oskar.”

“If you’re going to threaten her with it, you’ll need to show proof that you have it or she won’t believe you.”

“Do you trust me enough to tell me where it is?”

“The fact that you wouldn’t use the arrow against her despite all the harm she’s caused tells me everything I need to know.” He gave us the location of the arrow as well as the means to access it.

“Thank you, Oskar. I’m sorry for what happened to you. It wasn’t fair.”

“Life is unfair,” he replied. “I must say, so far, death has exceeded my expectations. Helheim is a delightful place to spend eternity if you enjoy beer and charbroiled meats, which I do.”

His words made me feel better about sending all those ghosts to the afterlife when I first moved into the Castle.

“You don’t worry about anything here? No monsters?”

“No snakes?” Max added.

“Not in our section of the realm. I’ve heard there are dangerous areas like the shore of corpses.”

“Yes,” I quickly agreed. “Not a vacation spot.”

“There’s also a dragon, but it’s only supposed to bother bad people. I haven’t seen any signs to the contrary.”

I decided to spare him the gory details of Nidhogg’s exploits and let him enjoy his meat and beer in oblivion.

“I’m sorry you and your friends got dragged into this,” Oskar said. “I should’ve realized she wouldn’t stop at my death.”

“It isn’t your fault. ”

“What if you can’t get out of here? I’ve heard leaving is impossible.”

I opted not to tell him about the four men who failed to return before me. “Try not to worry about us. We got ourselves into this. It’s our job to get ourselves out again.”

“Godspeed,” he said. “Thank you for not taking me to save your friend. I know it must be a hard decision.”

I was beginning to think there was no such thing as an easy decision.

We left Oskar to his festival fare and consulted the map to decide on an exit strategy.

“Not trying to leave with a shade might make getting out of here a little easier,” Max said.

“Possibly.” I studied the map. “Can you swim or will you sink?”

“I can incorporate air into my body like a cork and float. Why?”

“Because it looks like we’re going to need to cross a river and we might not have a boat to do it.”

“That doesn’t sound too difficult.”

“First we have to make it through the cave.”

Max gave me a sidelong glance. “What’s in the cave?”

“It isn’t what’s in the cave. It’s what’s guarding it.”

He contemplated me. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

We followed the map in the direction of the river. There were two large bodies of water in Helheim—the river that delivered souls to the realm and another river within Helheim’s borders. Given the distance we’d traveled, this one had to be the latter.

“Hey, what do you know?” Max said, relentlessly chipper. “A bridge to cross.”

Up ahead, the river roared beneath a rickety wooden bridge .

“No sign of a troll,” I joked. “Maybe we don’t need to pay a toll.”

A glimpse of movement on the bridge told me we had more to fear than a troll requesting payment. I inhaled sharply.

“What’s wrong?” Max asked.

“Stay still.” I ducked behind the cherufe and peeked at the guardian of the bridge. A chainmail coat covered her torso and arms. Long flaxen hair flowed from beneath her iron helmet. In one hand, she gripped a sword. In the other, a shield.

“Lorelei!”

I spun around at the unexpected sound of my name. A familiar figure in a brunette topper rushed to join us.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded in a hushed tone. “You were supposed to wait.”

Alessandro blinked, seemingly affronted by my reaction. “I worried you might be in trouble.”

“We might be, but you could only confirm that by being here, exactly where you’re not supposed to be.”

He appeared genuinely perplexed. “Should I leave?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You’re very confusing.”

“That’s a deity for you. Sending mixed signals since time immemorial.”

“We’re about to cross this bridge,” Max said, “but there’s an obstacle.”

Alessandro’s gaze landed on the guardian. “Wow. That’s one blockade I’d like to ram. I don’t think I’ve ever been more turned on.”

On the one hand, I was glad for him. His hollow cheeks suggested he was in desperate need of the energy.

On the other hand, ew.

“Her name is Modgud,” I told him. “She serves under Hel. ”

“She’s hot.”

“I’m hot,” Max said. “She’s merely attractive.”

The incubus closed his eyes in reverence. “It feels very good to be in her presence.”

“Then get closer because you’re up.” I nudged him forward.

The incubus resisted. “Have you forgotten how I look?” He gesticulated wildly at himself. “I’m hideous.”

“You’re not hideous, and this is your big chance to prove you’ve still got sex appeal.”

“What do I do? Seduce her as a distraction?”

“Tell her your name and reason for being here. She should let you cross.”

“If it’s that easy, then why not all approach her together?”

“Because having a good-looking guy approach her on his own is far less threatening than all three of us.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I can be a little intimidating,” Max added.

“And she might sense my inner goddess. If we’re lucky, the only thing she’ll sense about you is that you’re someone she’d like to know better.”

Max plucked an iron helmet from his body. “Here. I was going to melt this down and add it to my body, but you need it more.”

I gaped at the helmet. “Where did you get that?”

“At the festival.”

“After I told you no souvenirs?”

Alessandro reluctantly accepted the offering. “Thank you, I think.” He put on the helmet. “Better?”

Max scrutinized his head. “It’s very becoming.”

Alessandro paused to stare at him. “I haven’t considered a volcano monster, but…”

“Expand your sexual horizons later.” I pushed him forward .

“What will happen if she doesn’t fall for his charms?” Max asked.

I pointed. “See that basket at the foot of the bridge? It isn’t for apples.” I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants as I watched Alessandro approach the guardian.

Modgud noticed him and planted herself at the foot of the bridge. “Hail to you,” she said.

Alessandro bowed. “My queen.”

“I am no one’s queen. That honor belongs to Hel.”

The incubus seemed to remember his instructions. “My name is Alessandro. I would like to cross the bridge.”

Her gaze raked over him. “The living do not belong here.”

“No, which is why I’d like to return home, along with my friends.” His arm swept toward us.

Her eyes narrowed at the sight of us.

Too soon, Alessandro .

“I do not understand. How did you get here?”

“It’s a long story.”

She tightened her grip on the sword’s handle. “Good thing I have an eternity to hear it.”

Alessandro swiveled toward us, splaying his arms in a helpless gesture. “See? Hideous.”

“Am I going to have to fight her?” Max whispered. “Because she looks tough.”

All the stories I’d read about Modgud suggested she was levelheaded and reasonable, two qualities in our favor.

“I have another idea.” I emerged from my hiding spot and approached the bridge. “Hail, Modgud. I am Melinoe, daughter of Hades and Persephone.”

Modgud drew her sword.

“Whoa, whoa.” Alessandro flattened his palms in a placating gesture. “Nobody wants a brawl.”

My stomach muscles knotted. “We’re all on the same page. As I understand it, your job is to keep the dead from returning to the land of the living, yes?”

“Yes,” the guardian said.

“As you’ve already ascertained, we’re alive and all we’re trying to do is cross this bridge so we can return to the realm where we belong.”

Her eyes narrowed. “If you’re alive, why are you in Helheim?”

“Does it matter for your purposes? You want us to leave, and we want to leave.”

“Same page.” Alessandro wiggled his finger between them.

She looked past me at Max. “You have no shade with you?”

“No, only three living creatures who were duped into coming here by a cunning witch,” I said.

I held my breath and hoped the truth would set us free.

“I cannot allow you to pass without a challenge. Choose your champion.”

The truth really wasn’t pulling its weight at the moment.

Max took a step forward. “It’s me. I’m the champion.”

“Max,” I snapped.

“Very well then … whatever you are. If you defeat me, you and your companions are free to pass.”

“And if I lose?”

She pointed the tip of her sword at the basket.

Alessandro swallowed a cry.

“I can do this,” Max assured him.

“Take my sword.” I started to unsheathe it, but Max waved me off.

“I don’t need that. I’m a walking weapon.”

“No killing,” I warned him. “Defeat means disarm.”

Alessandro motioned to the basket. “I think you’ll find it means dishead. ”

If Max killed Modgud, Hel would sense the guardian’s demise and then there was no way we’d be permitted to leave.

Modgud readied her sword. “I’m waiting, champion.”

“Un momento, por favor.” The cherufe turned back to us. “You know what this place has that Wild Acres doesn’t?”

“Lots of dead Norsemen?” Alessandro volunteered.

“Besides that.” Grinning from stone-shaped ear to stone-shaped ear, he gestured to the right. “Molten rock.”

“I thought we agreed not to take souvenirs.”

“I think we’re past the point of worrying about a security risk.”

He was right, and Magma Max would be far more potent than Mud Max. “How can I help?”

“Don’t die while I change my composition.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Max began to fall apart, literally. Pieces of rock and twigs dropped to the ground as he shed his woodland features in favor of stronger armor.

“You’re displeased with me,” Alessandro said quietly.

“It’s fair to say I’m not pleased.”

“I’m not used to that.”

“With what?”

“Women being displeased with me.”

I looked at him. “We’re not dating, Alessandro. I’m trying to save your life without dying in the process.”

“Sex and death are fused together in my mind.”

“You and Freud would have a lot to talk about.”

“Do you think Oskar is on the other side of this bridge?”

Right. Time for the bad news. “Oskar isn’t coming.”

Alessandro balked. “You couldn’t find him?”

“No, we found him. Turns out he and Erika aren’t soulmates. Oskar is hiding here—from her. She killed him.”

Alessandro’s face grew ashen. “We’ll both die. ”

“Not on my watch.”

“Are you truly confident or is this bravado?”

I shot him a quick look. “Does it matter?”

“I suppose not.”

A newly fortified Max strolled toward the bridge. Modgud stood rooted at the foot of the bridge, swinging her sword in a casual manner.

“She looks confident,” I said.

“Confidence in a woman is very sexy.”

I elbowed him in the ribs. “Remember which team you’re rooting for.”

Max stomped on the bridge with a heavy foot. The rickety structure rippled, but Modgud managed to remain upright. Max dodged her flurry of blows. I was impressed by the ease with which he moved given his size and build.

“He’s a good fighter,” Alessandro observed. “I wish there were more of him.”

“He left his volcano precisely to avoid that scenario.”

Alessandro cupped his hands around his mouth. “Cherufe, cherufe, cherufe is on fire,” he sang. “We don’t need no water…”

I silenced him with a look.

“What? I’m offering moral support.”

“Offer it quietly. I’m trying to think.”

Despite Modgud’s skilled cuts and thrusts, her blade was no match for the cherufe’s natural armor. Her rising frustration was evident with each rebuff.

“You’re unlike any creature I’ve fought before,” Modgud said, breathing heavily.

Max put her out of her misery. A giant molten fist struck the blade. A resounding crack followed. Modgud watched in disbelief as the blade broke in half. She lifted her gaze to Max .

“Well fought, creature. You shall pass.” Hanging her head in shame, she stepped aside and let Max through.

Alessandro and I hurried to the bridge. The incubus paused beside her. “You’re magnificent. I could watch you all day.”

Modgud allowed herself a tiny smile.

I grabbed Alessandro’s hand and pulled him across the bridge.

“I broke her sword,” Max said, once we’d made it safely across.

“It was her choice,” I reminded him. “She could’ve let us go without combat.”

“Worth it,” Alessandro said. “Watching you both gave me the energy I need to escape this place.”

Max clapped him on the shoulder. “Glad to help.”

To our left, I spotted a steady stream of shades. “That’s our path out of here.” If the map was accurate, these were the shades entering Helheim through the cave. “We’ll have to swim against the tide, but the shades should lead us to the cave’s exit point.”

My theory proved correct. The shades were too shellshocked to notice us as they emerged from the cave. An image flashed in my mind as I passed them. A ferry teeming with souls. Charon at the helm. Me standing at the gate with Cerberus beside me, trying to put the new arrivals at ease.

I shook off the memory and plunged into the darkness of the cave. Souls passed right through us as they continued their journey into the heart of Helheim.

“This is creepy,” Max said. “Take me back to the festival.”

Alessandro perked up. “There was a festival? Was there live music?”

“Yes, and all kinds of beer.”

Their conversation continued to buzz in the background as I focused on the path ahead. My heart leaped when I spotted patches of light ahead. Almost there.

The patches of light grew brighter and rounder as we approached. My stomach plummeted as the realization settled in. Those two patches of light were, in fact, eyes.

And they belonged to the guardian of the cave.