Page 228 of Dark Haven Omegaverse

“Thank you. Bring enough to arm yourselves as well. My group will need three and I’ll need something as well.”

“I’ve got something perfect,” he said with an unhinged giddiness. It was the first time I’d heard one of the lower demons infuse their voice with pride without something malicious tied in.

Monty had chosen well.

“What about the demons remaining here?” I asked when it was just us again. Monty looked out over the barracks.

“They may have questioned you at first, but these demons know their duty. If they haven’t escaped the portal yet, then they won’t try now. That or the portal was blocked when we came back. It’s under the castle.”

Yet another thing I didn’t know about Helheim. I was getting really fucking tired of being in the dark. How was that not one of the first things they told me?

“Is someone guarding it? Otherwise, I’d hardly call that blocked,” I pointed out. “Outside of the wraiths flitting silently in the halls, and us, no one has been around.”

He shrugged.

That’s reassuring.

“There’s a second entrance to it as well, underground, leading outside of the city,” Monty added on.

“Of course, there is.” I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, trying to keep my defeat under wraps. “I’m not even surprised she built her castle over it so she could feed on the power like a dragon hoarding its treasures.”

“It also gave her a chance to escape at a moment’s notice,” he added fuel to the flame. “Hel did everything with intention and was far more sadistic than any of the beings she governed.”

The conversation was cut short as the demons returned with an armload of weapons. Except the quartermaster who held a long, obsidian box. His grin was twice as wide as he stood in front of me, and I couldn’t help but return it.

For the first time since arriving in Helheim—not just my men or the wraiths working in the castle—someone had accepted me as their Queen.

He respected me and now ensured my safety. Maybe queens shouldn’t have a favorite, but this adorable, weapon-creating demon was now mine.

“You can present them at the castle,” Monty said as his shadows consumed us all, whisking us from the barracks and depositing us in the center of the throne room.

The demons moved to place their weapons in front of the throne, keeping their own in their hands as the quartermaster held out his box.

I took it with steady eye contact, weighing the heavy box in my hand and wondering what weapon he chose for me.

“Here you are, My Queen.”

“What’s your name, quartermaster?” I asked before opening the box.

He looked surprised at first, but answered, nonetheless.

“I’m Lir.”

“Well, Lir, I appreciate the gift,” I said, giving him a bow of my own.

The grin was back as he stepped away. “My weapons are forever at your disposal,” he promised. He seemed almost humbled by my response.

Bending down, I placed the heavy box on the floor and opened the lid. My excited laughter filled the air as I pulled a spear from its casing.

The base was made from a black and white stone that swirled together like a dark mist. The tip of the spear was sharp enough I wasn’t even willing to test it out myself.

A bright glow emanated from it as a sign that Helheim had assisted in making the weapon.

It was perfect and exactly what we needed to take back Dark Haven. I had little time left before the gods took it back for us, and I couldn’t let that happen.

I’d worked too fucking hard to make this place my home, and I would not be unmade on the whim of an angry god.

“Put your weapons among the others for a moment,” I ordered. The demons did so without hesitation.

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