Page 225 of Dark Haven Omegaverse

“Uh, Harlow. Why am I a human glow stick?” Hiro gasped. His skin was literally glowing as if Helheim’s fire was illuminating in his veins. It was stark against his pale skin but made him even more handsome, in an otherworldly way. It was just the right amount of ‘other’ to keep him confident.

“Human is definitely not an apt description. I’d say you’re something different, more in line with Harlow or a wraith,”Monty said as he walked around the man in question as if he were studying him.

Hiro shifted from foot to foot but didn’t shy away from the attention.

A throat clearing behind us had several of my group moving in front of me.

“Guys, he’s a god, not an attacker,” I said as I shoved my way to the front. “Valgri, I’ve got all of my men now.”

“And your powers are stronger, your connection to Helheim radiates from you,” he said as he studied me, a small smile playing across his lips. His voice was as calm as ever. “Perfect timing.”

My eyes narrowed at the comment. Damn, we couldn’t even have a moment of peace in this realm.

“What happened?” I demanded, barely stopping myself from adding ‘now’ onto that statement. Shit was piling up from the moment we woke and hasn’t stopped yet.

“Things have escalated at Dark Haven and beyond. I have news,” Valgri said as he pulled out what looked like a high-tech version of an iPad. He let a small smile form at my shock but didn’t keep it for long as the video started.

“There are riots in the streets of Cleveland, Sacramento, Las Vegas, and New York City tonight, adding the riot count up to one hundred cities across the United States alone,” the newscaster said as explosions and screams echoed in the night behind her. The poor woman looked haunted, like this was the least of what she’d witnessed in the previous days.

“Wait, I thought the demons only lasted for minutes?” I demanded. “Their reach shouldn’t be beyond the cities surrounding Dark Haven.”

“That would have been correct, before Hel threw the portal open wide. Now they don’t have to leave such a large part of themselves tied to this realm.”

“Shit.” This was so much worse than I thought. “How do we stop it, then? I can’t just travel throughout the United States at will.”

“No, you cannot. But the moment you cut off the portal, they have no way to get back. Think of them like batteries. At some point their power will drain even as they feed, and they will have to return. If there’s no portal to find on this side, then they fade. It would take time for the world to find peace again, but it would be a significant start.”

“And who do I leave here?” I demanded. “You’re not from Helheim and we aren’t separating again.”

“That’s not a choice I can make, it is yours alone,” he said with a shrug. “I suggest you spend the evening discussing it and figure out where to go from here. But know the longer you wait, the more damage is done. The gods are stirring and will step in if you hesitate. This is the chance to prove your worth as a goddess.”

“Noted,” I said as I turned away, dismissing him. It was rude, but he was right, this was a decision for us alone.

When he was gone, I sat next to Roman again, the weight of the realm and the world back on my fucking shoulders.

“Who do we leave in charge?” Roman asked, placing his hand on mine.

“Elkan?” I asked, glancing up at Drake. “We can bring him back to Dark Haven once it’s safe. Or bring Sarah here for him.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Drake agreed. “Give Zetta power to assist.”

I hadn’t considered giving the wraith power, but I was willing to try. The moment I nodded, he called out to Zetta, and she appeared as quickly as she had every time, as if she were lurking around the corner.

For the first time, she lost her professionalism as we watched her with weighted expressions. Her eyes widened as she blinked at me.

“My Queen? Why am I suddenly terrified?”

Harlow

The Castle

I’d tuned out Monty twenty minutes ago. He hadn’t stopped droning on about how I had to do a show of power for the demons to take me seriously.

He hadn’t noticed my eyes glazed over yet, but I had already accepted I would not win over demons by handing out cupcakes and high-fives. I told him as much, but Monty didn’t even stop to take a breath.

The longer I was in Helheim, the stronger I felt. Emotions were one thing, but I could easily differentiate what had to be done from my feelings on it.

Plus, the demons would reform eventually even if I had to retaliate.

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