Page 32 of Outcast

“Thank you,” Drake said sincerely, surprising us both by giving her a gentle hug and entering the room.

“Death changed him,” she muttered, the broken laugh that followed turned into another sob. “Harlow. I saw him kill you all.”

“Apparently Hel was right, it wasn’t the end. But they’re alive because of Loki. And you should meet someone,” I said, pointing at Hiro and Roman.

“Roman... you’re a gargoyle?” she gasped before her eyes narrowed on Hiro. “Oh my god. Hiro? You’re alive and you!”

“I am,” Hiro said with a toothy grin. “And a lot less human apparently.”

“Sign me up. Fuck being human,” Layne muttered. “We’d have starved if not for tall, dark, and winged over there.” She hooked her thumb at Stravos who looked more than a little shellshocked.

“Catch us up to speed?” I asked. It wouldn’t be easy to get through but hopefully she could fill in more than a few blanks. “Like where did Crew go? Why is Dark Haven empty and out of power?”

“The moment you guys disappeared, the portal exploded. It was like a tidal wave of shadows and demons, and they rolled right over Dark Haven and into the city. The gargoyles were destroyed but I don’t know how they had time to do it,” she said, pacing back and forth. I missed my playful, smart friend. This was a shadow of herself.

“That was likely Hel,” I admitted. “She escaped and put me in her place.”

Layne raised her eyebrows. “So my bestie is a goddess now?”

“Queen, goddess, whichever you prefer,” I teased. “I’ve got some badass powers, but I never eat or sleep. Bonus, I’m no longer crazy?”

“That is a bonus,” she muttered darkly. “Stravos managed to get me meds or I’d be a fucking mess.”

“I’m so sorry.” She stopped and gave me an unamused look.

“Yeah, because you wanted to watch them slaughter your guys and then die,” she snarked. There she was.

“How is Sarah?” I questioned. That brought a smile out.

“Strangely, when the demon flood stopped, she changed. She’s a person again,” she explained. Then her smile fell. “I think that was the final straw for Crew. Everyone was gone, he saw you guys die too, then she was miraculously better, or mostly there.”

“And he was still the same,” I said, coming to the same realization. “You can’t just get rid of impulses and mental health disorders without dying. Sarah was different. Hel admitted to essentially making her crazier for her own gain.”

“Of course she did. What a bitch,” Layne muttered. “But I haven’t seen him since. I don’t know if he’s alive or not. The city has been really quiet but the news is terrifying.”

“How are you watching the news?”

“The diner across the street. It still has power and a freezer of food. We go there for meals. Or at least Sarah and I do while Stravos watches from Dark Haven freaking out that he can’t join us,” she admitted. “I’d leave the owner money if I had it, but I haven’t seen another soul in weeks.”

“How long were we gone?” I gasped. Weeks? It felt like we just woke up in Helheim.

“Remember, time is different between worlds,” Monty stated.

“It’s been months,” Layne told me. “How long did you think it was?”

“Maybe a few short days,” I said with a shake of my head. “This whole new life thing is fucked up.”

“Why are you back? Why come back here?” she asked.

“You. Sarah. And I have a portal to close. Somehow,” I admitted. She sagged in relief that we’d come back for her, and I hated that she’d been so alone.

“Harlow!” The urgency in Drake’s voice had the rest of us piling in the small room. Sarah looked different. Less haggard and more aware. But the moment I saw the pure whites of her eyes, I knew she was having a vision or whatever it was.

“An even exchange is the only answer. They loom on the sidelines waiting for their chance. Gods are angry. You are the hope.”

Sarah’s prophecies were always choppy and disjoined, but I’d assumed it was her mental health. Now I was realizing it was how her powers worked.

“An even exchange?” I muttered. “I can’t exchange my life again, it’s gone.” The frustration had me growling, and I stepped away from Sarah so I didn’t freak her out. Dark Haven had always been surrounded in riddles and now was no different.

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