Highway to Hel

by S. E. Babin

  I wanted to tear the roof off this place, and I wanted to punch Loki in the kidney for lying to me. He said he wasn't hurt.

  He was. My husband's face was battered and swollen. Both of his eyes were black and he sat pressed against the bars of his cage, hunched over. He held his ribs and every time he moved just a little, he winced in pain. Tears filled my eyes and rage almost overtook me. Morrigan put her hand on my arm just as I started to reach out for him. Her eyes went silver and the bond opened a tiny sliver.

  I'm here, Loki, I whispered down the bond.

  His eyes glinted emerald and he squeezed his eyes shut.

  You shouldn't be.

  But I am. Morrigan shut down the bond again. We stood there staring at the man who'd caused us all such pain, and I began to plot.

  Twelve

  Morrigan touched my face and I turned to look at her. She mouthed, "Trust me."

  My eyebrows rose, but I nodded. She'd gotten me this far, so why wouldn't I? Her eyes flared silver and black smoke rose from her skin. Once again, she pressed her index finger to her lips.

  Then she touched me.

  My eyes flared wide and I struggled to get away from her as a thousand stings touched my skin. She held me firm.

  Can you hear me?

  I blinked. The voice was in my mind. I stared at her and she nodded once.

  I can, I said. How in the world did you do that?

  We don't have time to talk about that, she said. It requires trust. Loki's condition is dire. We need to get him to Eir.

  My husband's eyes had fluttered shut and his breathing was ragged. Why isn't he healing?

  I can only assume the cage has a magic dampener on it. One of Hel's own inventions.

  Oh, I said deadpan, how clever of her.

  Even if we release him from the cage, the dampener will take a while to wear off. We need to get him to help as soon as we can.

  What if Eir doesn't want to see us?

  Her eyes narrowed. She will. Freya, we can do this one of two ways. Right now, they don't know we're working together. I can stay hidden and you can ambush them. If you do, I can remain hidden, helping when and where I can. I can also get Loki out of here while you distract them.

  Or?

  Or we can both do this together and reap the consequences. Right now, I am neutral in this. The Morrigan doesn't fight on a side, she explained. Not usually.

  What do you want to do?

  I'll do whatever you want, she said. Her face was open and honest, and I believed her. I think if I were to stay hidden, Loki has a better chance.

  Whereas I might die in a tomb of obsidian, I said wryly.

  She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe.

  Hel stepped in, announcing her presence with shadows. The candles in the sconces went out and while they didn't provide much light in the first place, without them it seemed like we were outside at midnight on a moonless night.

  "Hello, boys," she purred. "How's our resident trickster doing this morning?" She wore black leather and glided down the stone walkway. She peered in to see Loki and clicked her tongue. "I'm afraid you've abused him a little too much." Hel's lips pursed. "If he doesn't get help soon, he'll die." Something flickered in her icy gaze, something that looked a little like worry.

  But that would be impossible, wouldn't it? Hel didn't worry about anyone except herself.

  "Who cares if he lives or dies?" Thor boomed, his voice like thunder in the room. I winced at the sound of it.

  "There will be a lot of people very upset to hear about the demise of Loki," Hel purred. "Freya most of all."

  "Freya," Odin sneered. "It would be my greatest pleasure to be the cause of her sorrow."

  "Well," Hel said as she ran her fingers over the iron bar of his cage. "She is quite powerful. I'm not so sure I'd want her for an enemy."

  I bared my teeth at her, even knowing she couldn't see me. Too late, bitch, I thought.

  Morrigan pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. Whoops. Didn't realize the bond between us included thoughts.

  Only the really strong ones, Morrigan sent back. Something about this seems odd, don't you think?

  I sent her a wary glance. What do you mean?

  Watch Hel, Morrigan said.

  I have been.

  Closer. She's toying with him. Morrigan straightened and worry flashed in her eyes. I think she knows we're here.

  Impossible, I said, though I didn't really know if it was or not. Isn't it?

  It should be. Why didn't she stop us?

  A horrible thought occurred to me. Because she wants us here. Loki warned me about this. He said this wasn't as it seemed.

  What it seemed like was Hel having major daddy issues, Morrigan growled. Odin and Thor throw a massive wrench into everything.

  "There are others who love Loki," Hel ventured, her gaze fixed steadily on my ex-husband. Her dark fingernails tapped quietly on the bars. I would have thought it was a nervous gesture, but Morrigan's brow creased.

  What is she doing?

  She's ... communicating. Or trying to. She shot me an incredulous glance but turned her gaze back to Hel's fingers. It's the Runic alphabet. She paused. I think.

  I'm going to do something, she said. It's pretty stupid.

  Umm, I think we're far past that, I said.

  Morrigan crept around the cage and touched Hel's arms. If she didn't know we were here, she definitely did now.

  Hel's magic flared like a starburst around her before she controlled it. Odin and Thor took a step back.

  "No need to be angry with us, Hel. We agreed to this deal. Are you reneging or something?"

  Hel's throaty voice echoed in my mind. Your husband seeks to deal with the life of Loki. Bargain with me and I will strike a deal to spare him.

  I opened my mouth and shut it. Suspicion made me tremble. I didn't like having her voice in my head or having any kind of link to her.

  Why should I bargain with you? You tried to destroy my town.

  No, darling, she purred. Odin tried to destroy your town. I could have razed it to the ground and you wouldn't have been able to do a thing to stop it. She turned in the guise of looking Loki over, but she looked right at me, even though I shouldn't have been visible. Her ruby lips curved in amusement.

  I could have taken everything from you. But you're here now. Your town will recover, especially now that you've realized your wards were compromised. Loki still lives. Bargain with me, witch, and I will spare his life, Odin and Thor be damned. They're terrible rulers and always have been.

  Loki is your father, Hel. Shouldn't you be doing everything in your power to spare him without bargaining?

  Loki is a terrible father, she said turning away. We both know it. Loki does too. But he is my father, and I would not take his life out of spite, regardless of what you must think of me. This is your last opportunity, Freya. Bargain with me or I will honor the terms of my deal with Odin.

  A smile curled my lips even though it shouldn't have.

  Hel ... Hel was a trickster.

  Just like her wounded father.

  I looked at Morrigan. She was suppressing grand amusement. We'd been thoroughly played.

  What are the odds of us getting out of here alive?

  Hel spoke to Odin. "I've done what you asked. Freya will spend years trying to recover what she lost and the trickster lies here for you. But the terms of the deal have changed."

  Low, she whispered back through the link. Better if I'm on your side. Almost nil if I'm not.

  And how do I know you'll honor the terms of our deal since you're going to betray Odin?

  Simple, she said, I'll bind myself.

  Morrigan's eyes widened in horror. What in the hell was everyone's deal with binding themselves to me? This is not something Asgardians did, and I was not in the habit of keeping a harem of bound gods. Loki was a fluke. Hel had almost ruined my life.

  Do it, Morrigan urged. If she's
willing to be bound, she will honor the terms of your agreement. She has to.

  We can't do the binding right now!

  Morrigan smiled at me. I can.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity fuck. I looked down at my husband. His breathing was rapid and shallow.

  "Changed?" Odin roared. "And why is that?" He trembled with anger and the stone shook around us.

  Done! I shouted through the link. I was going to regret this. Hurry, Morrigan!

  Morrigan gave me a worried look but nodded and placed her hands on both of us. The floor was beginning to tremble beneath us as Odin raged.

  Hel merely met his gaze. "Because I made a better deal," she said.

  I jerked as the binding completed between us. Morrigan stepped away. She gave me a nod, but her gaze was sympathetic. I did the best I could, she sent through the link. We can discuss the terms I made later.

  Hel agreed?

  She didn't have to, Morrigan said, cool amusement in her voice. You both agreed to be bound so I took a little ... leeway.

  I swallowed hard. Do I need to be worried, Morrigan?

  She shrugged. Not from me. But you just bound yourself to the goddess of the underworld, Freya. That's what you should be worried about. As far as I know, Hel has never agreed to anything like this. Ever. There's something she wants and she sees you as a way to get it.

  Oh boy, I said wearily.

  Odin's face went purple with rage. The first chips of stone fell around us.

  Hel's voice came through the bond. Get ready to act, Freya. Do not hesitate. Throw everything at him. If you hesitate, we both die.

  I swallowed hard, never thinking my reckoning with Odin would come this soon. Morrigan?

  I'll get him, she promised.

  Got it, I said to Hel.

  Morrigan dropped the cloaking on me and disappeared before my eyes. I stepped out from behind the cage.

  Loki no longer stirred and my heart lurched at his still form. I fixed my face into the cool, neutral expression I'd worn for almost my entire time as Odin's wife. "Hello, husband," I purred, remembering at the last minute that he still hadn't realized we were no longer married.

  Thor's eyes widened comically and he took one big step backward. "Freya?" A laugh boomed from him. "Where the Hel did you come from?"

  Thor was such an idiot. "Just decided to pop in for a while after I heard you and Hel were trying to make a deal."

  Odin took a threatening step forward. "You." His beard trembled with his anger. I met his beady amber eyes. To think I once thought him handsome. Power radiated from him and stone fell around us. I walked away from the cage forcing his gaze to follow me. I wanted to give Morrigan the best possible chance she could to get Loki out. Hel stood, leaning against the wall, amusement flickering in her icy eyes. She'd better help me if I needed it or I swear to the gods, I'd end her.

  I held out my arms. "Do I not receive a kiss from my darling husband?" I purred. "It's been far too long."

  Odin's bushy eyebrows furrowed, but he was a man who could not resist touching a female. If she were soft and comely, Odin thought he was entitled to her. I knew he wouldn't be able to resist it.

  One of my eyebrows rose. "Odin makes me wait?" A light laugh tinkled from me. I dared not look at Morrigan or even Hel. "Perhaps you've grown soft, old man," I chided. Disgust shivered through my body. I hated myself when I was with him. I never fully realized it. I did not like the person I'd become when I was with him.

  I itched to look over at Loki, but I couldn't risk it. Odin might be a fool for a skirt, but he was brilliant at war. He lumbered over to me, his enormous bulk shifting with each step. Thor wolf-whistled and grinned at the both of us, and I prayed, not for the first time, he would not be the one to step in as king if Odin were deposed.

  When I got back ... if I got back, I was going to find out exactly how he'd slipped the Norn's leash. And then I was going to make him pay.

  He grabbed me by the waist, his meaty fingers digging into the small of my back as he hauled me against him. Odin smelled of cooked meat, ale, and a spring sky. I forced my expression to stay pleasant, but as good of an actress as I was, I could not feign desire. But Odin didn't care. He never had cared. He took what he wanted and left the ruins of what was left discarded around him for someone else to pick up.

  As soon as he'd closed his eyes and was poised to claim my lips, I allowed a small smile of satisfaction to claim my lips.

  Right before I shoved every ounce of stored magic I had right into his burly chest.

  The room exploded in pink and white light at first before it steadied into the warm orangey fall colors of my war magic.

  He still held me, his hands frozen on my waist. I leaned to whisper in his ear.

  "Don't you ever put your hands on me again, you filthy piece of Asgardian waste." I shoved him away from me, magic still pouring out of my body.

  Thor stood frozen in place, his mouth open in an O of surprise.

  "If you know what's good for you,” I said, “you'll stay out of this."

  Thor nodded and promptly disappeared, much to Hel's amusement.

  Stone continued to fall around us. Odin choked on my magic. He stood, bent over at the waist, struggling to breathe. I could tell the moment he began to break my hold. It would take a lot more than that to kill him.

  "Hel?" I questioned.

  "Not going to finish him off?" She pushed herself from the wall and studied her fingernails.

  "I can't," I said. "I'm not powerful enough."

  She frowned at that. "Says who, Freya?"

  "Says me. Now can we get the Hel out of here?"

  She grinned and flicked her fingers at Odin. He disappeared instantly. "Sorry," she said, "I don't like to leave company alone when I'm not home," she said.

  "Where did you send him?" I asked. I rushed over to Loki's cage and almost sagged with relief. He wasn't there. Morrigan had kept her word.

  "Jotunheim," she said and chuckled. "The giants will keep him on his toes for a while." She sobered. "But he'll be back."

  "The binding," I began, but she cut me off.

  "Is fair," Hel said. “Morrigan did not betray you. "However, I wish to visit with you once your Loki recovers. There is a matter I wish to discuss with you. The binding will keep us both honest until then, okay?"

  I nodded with some hesitation. "Fine," I said slowly. "But you won't be allowed into the settlement unless your intentions are honorable."

  She smiled at me. "I wouldn't expect anything else." She snapped her fingers and the cage disappeared. Her mouth thinned. "I just want you to know I am not responsible for Loki's condition." Hel cleared her throat and looked away. "That was all Odin and Thor's doing."

  "But you're responsible for allowing it," I said, my voice full of censure.

  A grim smile crossed her lips. "You must have never bargained with Odin before." Her voice was light, but her point stung. "You should leave," she said suddenly. "Loki and Morrigan are with Eir. He's not out of the woods yet."

  I nodded, unsure whether or not to thank her for her help. She wanted something. That much was obvious.

  "You're welcome," she said. "Now shoo." She wiggled her fingers at me.

  I sighed. Now that I could use my magic without getting caught, I did so without waving goodbye. That seemed a little too much for me right now.

  Thirteen

  I stood before the gates of the Healing Mountain, hesitating to go in. Everyone was welcome here and the mountain itself was protected by one of the only good things Odin did in his time as king. This place was considered neutral territory and off-limits for any kind of attack or skirmish.

  So far, everyone had respected Odin's edict. I thought it might be because everyone who couldn't be helped by their own magic ended up here. I'd never stepped foot in here before, nor had I ever met Eir.

  I was just about to raise my hand to push the gates open when they swung open of their own volition.

  I took a deep breath and stepped in.


  Fog swirled around me, and I couldn't see a thing for a few long seconds. Suddenly, just as soon as it started, the fog disappeared and I found myself in a city of white.

  The buildings were white. The signs on the buildings were white. Even the stone beneath my feet was white. I looked around in awe, my eyes squinting at the brightness of it all.

  A woman appeared in front of me, dressed all in white, and wearing bright golden eyeliner. "You are here to see Eir, yes?" she asked.

  I nodded.

  "Follow me, please." She turned and walked away leaving me scrambling to catch up with her. The woman was on the petite side with long blond hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a golden tuxedo with a golden bow tie. She looked like a traveling performer and I idly wondered how much glitter she left everywhere she went while wearing that get up.

  "How long have you been here?" I asked the woman as we walked.

  "All of us were born on Eir. No one ever leaves," she intoned politely. A shiver ran down my spine. Instead of sounding sweet, it sounded creepy.

  "Have you ever wanted to visit anywhere else?" I ventured.

  "Why would I when everything I ever wanted is here?" The golden woman took a sharp right and veered off into a darkened alleyway.

  I frowned at it before I stepped inside. This would be the perfect place for an ambush, my brain whispered to me.

  What were they going to do? Throw glitter at me? I chuckled to myself but sobered after a moment as I thought about it. Glitter in the eyeballs was no joke.

  The woman stepped in front of a large metal door. "She's inside. You're the only visitor scheduled today, so I can only assume you are here to see the Trickster?"

  I nodded. "How did you know I was coming?"

  She smiled at me, a secretive little look I didn't like much. "Eir knows many things and she passes on to us what she sees fit." The door opened before us and she held out her hand. "After you, please."

  I hesitated for a moment but finally stepped in.

  A dizzying sensation overtook me and I swayed on my feet. I gasped in fear and clutched my chest as I struggled to breathe.