Page 19 of Outcast

“Your power is forfeit,” I said.

Watching the power drain from his body and the realization of what was happening dawning on his face, was everything. The cackle that escaped my mouth was unlike me, but this power was a heady thing. Having a never-ending wealth of magic at your fingertips, an entire realm full of creatures at your feet, it was something I had to appreciate.

“What are you going to do with him, kill him?” Monty questioned as he watched the scene unfold before him.

My eyes never left the warden as I answered his question.

“I was thinking that I would do the same to him as Hel tried to do to you three. We could put his ashes in a cell or separate them into multiple so he can’t put himself together again. Even if he did over time, he’d be trapped inside.”

Then maybe the guards he pushed for so long, or the prisoners he’d tortured unjustly, could have their turns exacting revenge.

“How does an eternity of torment and reminders of your failings sound? Hmm, Askaal?”

Again he tried to say something but my hold on him was unrelenting. This time I didn’t give a single fuck what he had to say. His fate was sealed.

“It’s funny to me. You knew what I was back in the human world. You were well aware of my future position here and the plans Hel put into place. Did you really think you were powerful enough to sweep in and take over before I could? Or that because I was a human, I’d have no power here? Hel was not stupid, but it appears you definitely are,” I taunted him.

He shook either out of fear or rage as my words settled over him.

“Hel would never leave this realm in your hands. No matter how much she hated being stuck here, she wouldn’t risk her escape for you. It would only end in failure and send the gods after her even more ferociously,” I said as I walked closer, squeezing the magic tighter. “The moment you killed my men was the moment that you signed your death warrant.”

With that, I squeezed tighter around his neck, separating his head from his body with a wet sound that was soon taken over by the raining of ashes onto the stone floor below him.

Monty didn’t even hesitate to use the shadows to separate the ashes into two cells, the bars reforming with a wave of my hand.

Now that he was out of the way, I had one last order of business to take care of before I could go back to Drake. Then we could find Hiro and Roman.

“Who was the head guard here?” I called out. A man stepped forward and I turned to Elkan for his reaction.

Elkan gave a noncommittal shrug. “He worked under the warden for all the years I’ve been here. I can’t speak for his worth.”

It seemed the only choice I had was to take risks and punish those who defied me.

“Would you be dumb enough to cross your queen?” I questioned. His eyes flitted from me, to Elkan, Kol, then Monty before going back to me. He dropped to his knees, bowing his head low enough it brushed the dirty floor.

“No, my queen, I would not betray you. We were forced to do what the warden wanted, and what Hel wanted. I’ll be just as loyal to you as I was to her.” Not exactly a reassuring statement, but it rang with honesty.

“Then you will be the new warden and you will fix this mess. I will be back often to check on your progress. This includes the men I’ve chosen to be at my side. You will treat them with the same respect, they speak for me.”

“Yes, my queen.”

Helheim and I were so in tune, I didn’t have to question how much power to send into him. I left it up to the realm to decide what and how much he needed, and the moment I felt the power halt, I pulled away.

“Send word if you need us,” I told him. “I have more of the realm to see. I’ve gotten what I came for and I’ll be taking these three with me. You will not under any circumstances let the former warden out. He is to remain here unless I say otherwise.”

“Understood,” the warden said before letting out a shrill whistle. The guards all fell in line behind him as he led them away. They were the most well-organized group of demons I’d seen since being introduced to this world. It was at least a little reassuring to see. Maybe they wouldn’t fuck this up in my absence.

“Elkan, was there anyone else who needs to be released before we go?” My adviser shook his head.

“The others are free to go, their cells are still open. They’re far too weak to travel and you can’t give power to everyone. Only time will heal them, you’ve done enough.”

“Then are you ready to meet your son?”

I’ve never seen a demon pale but I swear Elkan’s color changed and he looked uncertain. It was such a human emotion that it would have been funny if not for the fact his human emotion was exactly what set him apart from the other demons. In fact, it helped me more than anyone else had been able to. I’d take wins wherever I could get them in this life.

Without further question, I swept them all toward me and back to the castle, reaching out for Drake’s energy and using it as a guide.

Even before I opened my eyes, I knew I succeeded. The air was no longer damp and stale. Instead, it was fresh, and a warm breeze blew through my hair. I hadn’t realized how bad it was until I was here and took a deep breath of the clean air.

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