“That’s very important information,” Fen said. “We must think of a new plan.”
“Yes,” I agreed.
Hel sentenced another soul to hard labor. She was done in a jiff. We were hardly interrupting her day. Or was it night? Impossible to know.
Once Hel made it back to her throne, she glared at us, her expression more intense than before. “I haven’t forgotten my order,” she said. “Tell me what it is you have for me, or die.” Everything was so matter-of-fact with her.
“Like I said, I have news for you…”
She inclined her head, waiting for me to finish. Very slowly, the beasts crept in around us. They’d been given some kind of signal that we’d missed.
Fen dropped my hand, his hackles up. “What is this?” he snarled. “You call your dogs on us? You think they will stop me?”
“No, Brother.” She sighed. “I don’t believe they will stop you. At least, not this lot. But, you see, I have an unending supply, and they multiply quickly. Not to mention, I’m bored.” She glanced pointedly at me. “I grow tired of waiting.” The beasts snarled and barked at the prospect of getting to taste fresh meat. “I’m certain my dear pets could rip apart the Valkyrie before you could kill them all, which would be interesting to watch. I wonder what color her aura will be when she’s dead. I’m thinking it might be light yellow.”
This was the part where I remembered Mersmelda telling me that Hel was a fan of pain and agony.
“There is no need to sic your beasts on us,” I said. “The news I have to share is that…I’ve found someone better to replace Baldur in his seat of honor, someone who is your equal match.”
“There is no one better than a god to occupy the throne next to me,” she replied, her tone haughty.
“I’m talking about another god,” I said. Well, a demigod. “One who is eager to meet you and has dreamed of being able to rule next to you his entire life.”
Hel stood quickly, making me stumble. Fen caught me with his arm. “No one rules with me. I lead this realm alone.”
“Of course you do,” I amended, clearing my throat. Dumb mistake. “I should’ve been more careful with my words. I meant that this god is eager to be your companion in any way you see fit.” I jumped on the vanity bandwagon, adding, “He has told me that he thinks you are…an unparalleled beauty.”
“You lie,” she said.
I’d hit a nerve.
“I’m not lying,” I assured her. “I was shown his earliest memories by the raven Mugin. They were all about you and this place. He is your true companion, unlike the god of light, who seems…a bit distracted.” We all glanced at Baldur, who stared off into space somewhere above my head. The beasts inched closer. I could sense Fen’s unease, which would quickly morph into anger and action very soon. I had to keep talking. Convincing Hel was priority number one. “Honestly, you can’t be satisfied with Baldur. He’s clearly no match for you. You need someone alive, like you.” Was she alive? Half alive? “Someone you can have a conversation with and…actually touch and feel.” I’d had to choke those last words out. Imagining Hel in any way amorous was akin to dousing my eyes with acid.
By the look on her face, I might have gone too far.
Maybe Hel didn’t like being touched?
“There is no one in any of the realms who fits your description,” Hel declared. “If there was, I would know it.”
“Are you a seer?” I asked. She inclined her head but didn’t answer. “I’ll take that as a no. I was told by a powerful oracle that he’s your match, and like I said, Mugin, Odin’s agent, showed me his memories. I saw him as a boy fantasizing about Helheim. He’s wanted to come here his entire life.”
“Why? No god would come here willingly.” Her tone was definite. “No one visits this place unless they are dead.” She gave me a sharp look. “Or they’ve been exiled.”
I’d piqued her interest. I had to keep going. “You’ll have to ask him when he arrives,” I said, laying the groundwork. “I know what I saw in his heart. And I’ve spoken to him. He’s ready to come here.”
She settled back in her seat, crossing her arms. “I do not accept it. I am content with the god of light as my companion. There are none who possess as much beauty as he. I am finished with this conversation.” She gave a short, staccato whistle, and all the beasts began to snarl. “If you want to live, leave me. I will figure out your punishment soon. Follow the beasts—”
“Wait,” I said. “I have a tiny request before we go.” It was risky to ask, but I had to try. “You said I could talk to my brother if I gave my blood to the river. Can I do it now?”
Hel peered at me like I’d lost my mind.
Maybe I had.
“The deal remains the same,” Hel said. “The river requires your blood as payment.”
Fen was alarmed. “You cannot give Gjoll your blood,” he said vehemently.
“Why not?”
“Because then the river will know you.”
“Why is that a bad thing?” I asked.
“Because it just is,” he argued.
“Isn’t where we go when we die already fated?” I asked. “I will either go to Valhalla, or I will come here. Does it really matter if the river has my blood?”
Fen turned to his sister, seething. “Vow to me right now that if Phoebe gives her blood to the river, it cannot call her back to this place.”
“I do not control the river,” Hel said, her tone back to bored. “The chit won’t be able to talk to her brother without some kind of offering. He must become corporeal and, to do so, it will take blood.” She ended on a shrug, like it meant nothing to her one way or another.
“Please don’t do this, Valkyrie,” Fen implored, holding both my hands. “You aren’t familiar with our worlds yet, but blood is potent and can be used against us. This is exactly why my sister wants you to give it to the river.”
I bit my lip. “I understand,” I said earnestly. “But we came down here with a purpose. Without achieving our goals, we have no life together in Asgard. I want that life, and I hope you do too. I have to speak with my brother at some point. I have to know what he thinks about everything and get his permission. We can’t take him out of here without his cooperation.”
“Then I’ll give my blood to the river.” Fen glared defiantly at his sister.
“Then only you will be able to speak to the god,” she said. “One payment per person.”
She had to be making this up as she went along, but it didn’t matter, since she was the boss.
“Fen, it’s going to be okay,” I soothed, reaching up to stroke his face. “I believe in fate. It’s what brought us together. It’s what made me a Valkyrie, and that’s why we’re here. I have to speak to Baldur. If the river pulls me back here, then it’s meant to be. We can’t do this without the god of light’s help.” I looked at Hel. “How much time will I have with him?”
“That depends on how much blood you offer,” she said.
“Will the conversation be private?” I asked.
She shrugged. “That can be arranged.” I didn’t really trust her to keep her word, but it was better than nothing.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s do it.”
Fen stayed my hand as I reached for Gram. “Please don’t.” He glanced at his sister. “There must be another way.”
“There is not,” she stated firmly. “As I informed this Valkyrie before, you are both anomalies. There is no precedent for this. Living, breathing beings do not just waltz into my lair. I cannot force Baldur to become corporeal. There must be a sacrifice in order to do so, as it changes the fabric here.”
I didn’t trust her, but we weren’t going to change her mind. “I will pay the price you ask.” I gently broke away from Fen as I drew out the dagger and walked toward to the river.
Flames erupted near me, but I didn’t even flinch. It was becoming commonplace. Hel ignored this new soul in favor of watching me perform the sacrifice.
Fen came forward
to stand by me, his face set.
I held my palm over the river and gave up a silent plea. Please let this be the right decision.
Then I pressed the tip of Gram into my flesh.
22
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Nothing happened as my blood made contact with the water. I was a little disappointed. I’d half expected it to bubble or, at the very least, make a cool sizzling sound.
Once it was done, I faced Hel. She betrayed nothing. It was hard to know if I’d made the right decision.
Beside her, Baldur’s form began to solidify.
I rushed toward him, Fen right behind me. Hel commanded, “Not so fast, Brother. You and I will take a walk together as the siblings reunite.”
Fen gave me a look. “I’ll be fine,” I reassured him.
He leaned over and gave me a lingering kiss, murmuring, “I’m certain my sister and I will have an enlightening conversation. Enjoy your time with your brother.”
I nodded. As they left, I rushed up to Baldur’s throne.
He was almost fully corporeal.
His face broke out into a wide grin when he noticed me. “Phoebe! What are you doing here?” After he spoke, he shook himself as he glanced around. “I am still here, aren’t I? It wasn’t a dream? I lose time in this place. One moment, I know what’s going on. The next, everything is fuzzy.”
I reached out to embrace him, and he hugged me heartily, though he didn’t try to stand. I wasn’t sure if he could. His eyes were still clouded. “Yes, you’re still here,” I said.
“How much time has passed?” he asked.
“Not much,” I answered. “I have good news. Fen and I have a plan to get you out of here.”
He grinned. “I didn’t think such a thing was possible. Where’s the woman?” His head swiveled as he looked around the space. “The one with the”—he brought a hand up to indicate the side of his face—“facial scarring.”
Scarring? Was he serious? Half her face was missing.
I drew his hand into mine and bent over so we were eye to eye. “She left with Fen. Do you know her name?”
He looked a little confused, then he leaned in to whisper, “I’m in Helheim, correct?”
“Yes, you are.” I nodded.
His expression was happy, even given the circumstances. Even in Helheim, the god of light couldn’t help but shine brightly. “I lose time. I’m sorry.”
“There’s no reason to be sorry. It’s not your fault,” I said. “Have you interacted much with Hel?” Surely he had. “The woman with the…facial scars.”
“Briefly…I believe.” That meant they hadn’t talked a lot, which was good.
“It won’t matter soon anyway. As I said, we have a plan to get you out of here. But I needed to talk to you first and make sure it’s what you want. I want to respect your wishes.” He stared at me, his eyes not completely focused. “Baldur, you have to tell me, do you want to leave this place?”
“Oh, yes,” he answered readily. “Staying here is a pretty dismal option, is it not? Will I get my body back? Or will I be invisible forever?”
“Um.” I didn’t really have an answer for him. I assumed he’d be corporeal. “I think you’ll get your body back, but I’m not sure exactly. I’m fairly certain Hel knows exactly what she’s doing and can wield a lot more power than she’s letting on. We’re going to run out of time together soon, and I have a lot to tell you.”
“Phoebe”—he squeezed my hand—“I just want you to know that I appreciate all of this. I want to hear everything, but I have to let you know, in full honesty, I may not remember much. When my body disappears, everything gets fuzzy. This place plays with my mind.”
“I understand,” I told him, patting him on the shoulder. “If you don’t remember, I promise I’ll be here to remind you. The first thing I have to tell you is that I’ve misplaced something very valuable, but once I find it, we’ll be working tirelessly to convince Hel that another wants to come and take your place.” I had no choice but to level with Baldur and let him know his half brother was going to be the one to fill in. I didn’t really want to, but there was no getting around it.
“Who would come here in my stead?” Baldur’s concern was sincere. This would be a crappy place to call home for most.
“The demigod Vali,” I answered. “Our half brother.”
Baldur’s expression was aghast. “That can’t be! Vali cannot come here in my place. He’s a gentle soul, though many are afraid of him because of his size and strength. He is misunderstood. Sentencing him here would surely kill him.”
I stood, wringing my hands. I had to convince him otherwise. Our lives depended on it. “You’re going to have to trust me on this,” I said. “Vali wants to come here. It’s his destiny to save you. He loves you. He told me himself that you’ve always been kind to him.” Baldur appeared like he was going to argue with me, so I rushed on. “There’s more. Since he was a little boy, he’s dreamed of Helheim. He’s yearned for this place. I’ve met with him, and he’s agreed to come—willingly. We just have to convince Hel that she would prefer Vali over you so she will let you go.”
“He really wants to come here? You’re certain?” Deep furrows lined Baldur’s forehead.
“Yes,” I answered. “I promise I’m not lying to you. Vali and I had a face-to-face conversation. I’ve seen some of his earliest memories. This is what he wants. I swear it. He’s meant to do this.”
I heard voices. Fen and Hel were on their way back already.
Baldur began to fade. “No!” I took hold of his hand in an effort to root him in place. “Stay with me for a few more minutes. We aren’t finished.”
“I will try to stay cognizant as long as possible,” Baldur agreed, nodding.
In a rush, I said, “I’m not sure how all this will play out. Hel has to give permission for Vali to come here. Try to encourage her to do so when you talk to her next.”
“I will do my best.” He was almost fully incorporeal, but we were still able to communicate. “I must ask, was my mother very angry?”
“Yes. She was beyond inconsolable.”
“I take it that’s why you’re here.” His voice faded to a stilted whisper, a smile still on his lips.
“That’s correct,” I said. “She would have nothing less than exile. She even sent me here before my trial was completely over.”
“That sounds like her.”
And just like that, he was gone.
In his ghostly form, he no longer recognized me standing before him. I waved my hands in front of his face, hoping to get a reaction, to no avail.
“That won’t work.” Hel’s tone was angry. Her chat with Fen must’ve not gone well.
I stepped away from Baldur. Opting for magnanimous, which might work better, I bowed my head. “Thank you for letting me speak with him. I appreciate it.”
“It had nothing to do with me. You paid the price,” Hel said.
Fen’s face was set. He reached for my hand. “We agreed I would take you back to my room with me. We will stay there until further notice.”
I raised my eyebrows, glancing between the two. “Okay.” I couldn’t exactly say we needed to head to the labor camp to search for the jewel.
“We will retire now,” Fen told his sister.
She nodded just as another burst of flames erupted on the river. I glanced behind me. There were quite a few fiery souls in need of attention.
“I must get back to work,” Hel answered indifferently. “The beasts will escort you.” On command, the beasts, who had backed away while they were gone, came forward, snarling and snapping.
She headed toward the river as Fen began to lead me away.
I knew better than to question him right away, but the intensity in his movements was alarming.
Something had happened on their walk.
It didn’t take us long to arrive at Fen’s cell. I wasn’t sure how the beasts were going to lock it up, since
they didn’t have opposable thumbs, but I didn’t care.
Fen herded me into the room at almost a full jog.
He slammed the door, and I turned to face him, breathless. “What’s going on?”
Running a hand through his hair, he began, “She’s toying with us. This is all a game to her. She intends to kill us.”
I backed up against the wall. “Did she say that for certain?”
“She didn’t have to,” he replied. “What she said for certain was that she couldn’t let our presence here get out to other realms, or in her words, ‘Bodies of all kinds would find their way here.’ She is not willing to allow her realm to be a refuge or place for those who are ‘alive.’ So she will kill us, likely sooner rather than later.”
“Well, I’m glad she tipped her hand,” I said. “At least now we know her intentions. The only chance we have to gain the advantage is to get the stone back and use it to bribe her. If we give her something she wants more than keeping us here, we win.”
Fen’s expression took on an even darker cast. “She told me that if we leave this room, she will punish us severely.”
“Did she ask how I escaped before?”
“She indicated that she knew you would escape—even going so far as to say that she thought you would have done it sooner. Apparently, it was a test.”
Puzzling. Like everything else around here.
“Did I pass or fail?”
“She didn’t say.” Fen paced in front of me. “My sister showed me a glimpse of her true self.” Fen never, ever looked scared, but he was coming close now. It made my blood run cold. I’d never seen Fen so much as quake once in the face of danger. “We have underestimated her. She’s vile and full of hatred. She means to do us harm, and I believe she will do so.”
“I’ve felt something was off with her the entire time. She’s devoid of any feeling. I’m not sure she’s even capable of empathy.” Having half of her face missing didn’t exactly help in the emotional understanding department. “We’re just going to have to work quickly to convince her that having Vali here is necessary, and once he is, she has to let us all go.” It sounded impossible out loud. “For any chance of success, we first have to find the stone, because without it, we have no leverage whatsoever. I don’t think I can get Vali here without it.”
Exiled: (Phoebe Meadows Book Three) Page 17