Hellbound
Tina Glasneck
For those who inspire me to never give up!
#lokilove forever!
Contents
Blurb
Characters & Places
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
About the Author
Read More from Tina Glasneck
Hellbound © 2018 Tina Glasneck
Cover by Ravenborn Covers
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
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Blurb
Everything is a chess match, and Lady Hel is in it to win it!
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It’s been five years since the invasion. When the gods rewound time on Midgard to fix the latest shenanigans of Lady Hel and Loki, they made a mistake. In their haste, they left pockets of magic behind, and the Dark Elves have not retreated but hunkered down. They’ve continued to cull humanity.
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Yet Sif isn’t going to let that happen.
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Sif is sneaking out of Asgard with the help of Heimdall to clean up the mess that the gods won’t touch. By day she trains with the Valkyrie and by night, she’s slaying those Dark Elves who remain.
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Everything has consequences. When Njord goes missing, she is tasked to go in search of him—with Thor. But this jaunt in Midgard has its repercussions.
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And Lady Hel will use this to her advantage.
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Lady Hel is back in Helheim, and this time, she is after her beloved, as it is only through the crown that she can resurrect him, the Alder King. The only problem is, she will have to send one of her magic-using Wielders—a modern-day mage—to locate the magical stones strewn throughout the realms to bring the once Mad King back to life.
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In this fight of betrayal and redemption, broken promises, bad magic, and enmity are all the ingredients needed to spark another battle and unveil hidden secrets.
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How can you trust those who betray you?
Characters & Places
Alfheim: The realm of the elves (Light Elves).
Asgard: One of the nine realms in Norse Mythology; the location of where the Aesir (the gods) live.
Baldr: The god of light, previously killed by a mistletoe arrow. He now resides in Helheim with his wife, Nanna.
Dark Elves: Reside in the realm of Svartalfheim, invaders of Earth; also called Dökkálfar. The Dark Elves live underground and are often mistaken for dwarves.
Dwarves: Dwarves are known as master smiths and the creators of many of the gods most cherished items, such as Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. They are believed to live within stones or boulders; they are humanoid, but unlike the current understanding, dwarves were not considered to be short.
Dis (plural disir): An ancestral spirit.
Elves: There are two different types of elves – light and dark elves. Light elves are connected to the gods, and are considered by many to be demigods, and extremely beautiful.
Fenrir: Known as the “great” wolf, is the son of Loki, and the brother of Lady Hel.
Freyja: Norse goddess, married to Odin, stepmother to Thor. She lives in Asgard. It is thought that both Frigg and Freyja are the same goddess, just two different representations of the same goddess. Freyja is the goddess of love, war, and sex. She is also the leader of the Valkyrie; while Frigg is seen to denote beloved.
Garmr: Lady Hel’s faithful dog.
Harley: The reincarnated Erlking or Alder King, and Lady Hel’s mate.
Helheim: Also called Hel, is one of the places the dead are received. Lady Hel rules it. Helheim means covered and cannot be compared with the Christian Hell of torture, fire or brimstone. Instead, some sources reference Helheim as a cold place, but still where feasts are held (such as is the case for the god Baldr, who is now there).
Heimdall: He is a Norse god, who is considered to be the gods’ watchman. He resides at the entry to Asgard.
Jörmungandr: Also called the Midgard Serpent, he is the son of Loki and brother of Lady Hel. It is prophesied that at Ragnarok, he will kill Thor.
Lady Hel: The ruler of Helheim, a final resting place for the sick, elderly, and those who have not died with honor.
Loki: Loki is the god of mischief, the mother of Sleipnir, and the father of Lady Hel, Fenrir, and Jörmungandr, as well as Vali and Nari/Narfi.
Midgard: Earth, is referenced as the term Midgard in Norse mythology.
Naglfar: The ship made of the dead’s nails and hair.
Norns: The three goddesses of fate.
Odin: He is called the All-Father, king, and ruler of Asgard. He is married to Freyja, and the father of Thor and Baldr.
Ragnarok: The final battle of the gods, prophesied to be the end of everything.
Svartalfheim: The realm of the Dark Elves.
Siegfried: Lady Hel’s faithful servant.
Sif: The incarnate celestial key; she is a college student trying to find her way in this brave new world, accompanied by her friends: Ola, Kristen, Chi, and Emily.
Sleipnir: Odin’s eight-legged horse, and the stallion son of Loki (who Loki bore as a mare).
Sparkle Fyre: She is Sif’s dis and only around six inches tall.
Thor: Norse god of Thunder and is considered to be the god who protects humanity. He fights with his hammer, Mjolnir.
Verdandi: She is one of the three Norns (sisters). She is said to be responsible for the present.
When they came, many thought it was the end, but I knew it was only the beginning of the end.
Chapter 1
Lady Hel
“Ola, where are you?” Lady Hel paced before her tufted black leather throne seat in her stark white room and continued to cast her gaze on her scrying mirror. Her inky-black hair flowed loosely behind her she stomped in her leather and metal boots. She popped and un-popped her wrists, as sparks of magical fire flicked from her fingertips.
The green and red magic wafted upwards like steam. She stirred it, allowing the magic to rise up her darkened arm. T
he green was new, different, and surely a sign of Harley.
The door to her throne room swung open.
“Siegfried, I asked not to be disturbed.”
Garmr, her wolfhound, rose from his position next to her throne, came to her side and began to growl in the direction of the now-opened doors.
In walked Verdandi, one of the sisters of fate. Her multicolored hair, youthful appearance, and eyes that saw everything, scanned the room.
“Great to finally see you resettling back into the realm of the dead, Lady Hel, on the throne where you belong,” Verdandi said.
Her realm was just that, the place where the dead continued to exist, but all realms continued to have their place, rarely mixing.
“I know you have your reasons for helping me?” Lady Hel questioned.
Verdandi nodded. “There is a reason for everything, dear Hel. The broken always need something to help them overcome, a chance to cope and move forward. Through the help of a tribe, the victors rise. I can help all of those broken shards come together, mend wounds, and reveal the hidden.”
Hel sighed. Over the years, Verdandi had always spoken in riddles, not quite concise or clear. “How does Sif fit into this?” Hel asked.
Sif, the gods’ chosen one, was now in Asgard, and so far, she’d been a catalyst used by the gods to begin this unstoppable wheel of destruction.
“She has her place in this plan, but you must rest assured and do as instructed, dear, as that is the best way to get the most benefit and to be reunited with your love.”
Hel attempted to ignore that bit, as surely it was just the bait to keep her on the hook. Her love, Harley, was dead, buried in the ground with her own two hands, and unable to descend to her side, lost to her somewhere in the realms, unknown to her.
If she closed her eyes, for the briefest of moments she could almost imagine him there, and smell him nearby, feel his comforting presence around her. They’d only been together for a couple of weeks in his latest incarnation, before Thor had killed him.
Thor, the one god who always wanted the best for Midgard, but who’d instead spiked her ire.
How long had the gods stood on their necks not allowing them to rise? They would pay, this was her desire, even if it took everything she had. They took away the only thing that made her existence worthwhile—love.
Harley had made her body burn; even more, he’d made her heart feel whole. No more of a life lived in shadows, but with a fulfilled sense of purpose.
No scrying helped, as if the gods had hidden him from her.
Verdandi ignored her question. “What you have in mind is quite dangerous, Hel. But that at least is better than simply licking your wounds.”
Hel straightened her shoulders. Regrouping for the next phase was not the same as licking her wounds, but in dealing with Verdandi, she’d long ago stopped caring about her delivery, but more of the end result.
“Well then, I take it that you’ve come to bring me news of what is next?” Hel took a seat on her throne. “Or at least to suggest as to where this ever-growing list of things will go?” It wouldn’t be long before her brothers and father arrived, and would want to know the new plan—how do they bounce back after the latest perceived failure? Better of course.
“You needn’t worry about your Ola,” Verdandi said. “Send her to City Hall, and there she will encounter the false Dark Elf. She needs to exit this realm so that she will not be affected by the time shift. Once there you will send word to her as to what she must do.”
She, one of the women of fate, smiled, and Lady Hel knew that something else rested just behind that smile.
Verdandi began to chant, and on the far wall, an image appeared; first a haze until a figure took shape. “Ola?” Hel asked.
“Above, the gods are attempting to rewind everything to how it once was, but there is much that they cannot do: pockets will remain, and in those pockets, others will arise—allies, who wish only for a chance to fight at your side and stare the gods in the eyes. Even more, Njord is heading to Midgard to help.”
“Another opportunity?” Hel asked. There was always a story in motion, her seeking the truth, connections, and reparations for the gods’ failure.
“Opportunities are all around us. It is up to you to use them.”
With nine worlds, twenty-two heavens and numerous gates guarded by the Order that connected it all, what surprise could these pockets of magic bring?
“Are you sure the crown can help?”
Lady Hel knew she could trust Verdandi about as far as she could push the universe into another realm. Verdandi was in this for her own purposes, a purpose not revealed, and not asked.
“For so long, you’ve been treated as less, and no one has regarded you as more. The gods cursed you, but this shall be your chance of true redemption. When I found you, I knew this was the opportunity you needed, dear Hel.”
“Found?”
When you were just a speck of dust cradled in your mother’s womb, I knew what you would become, and intervened so that you would not die. They would have sought to kill you, but I—I seek to bring you your crown, dear Queen, goddess of Helheim.”
Hel knew that this would not be a path of gold and roses, but more of broken promises and thorns.
“I’ve been here to show you those things, and to help you get to where you must be, but for this, to work, you need to embrace the power of life. And for that, you will need the crown, the Erlking’s crown. We go after the crown. Then you can resurrect your king.”
She watched Ola pass over. The scene quickly shifted, and high above the city, in a self-contained pocket, she watched more elves pile into Midgard led by their deadly inquisitor, Amra.
“Oh, now this is getting interesting.” Hel clapped.
“It’s just the beginning of death and destruction.”
Chapter 2
Lady Hel
Siegfried, Lady Hel’s faithful servant, opened the large French doors and in stalked her sullen father, Loki, with her brothers Fenrir and Vali, still in their wolf appearance.
“I take it you have finished your tour?” she asked, and nodded as Siegfried, her faithful servant, opened her throne room doors. “Leave us,” she announced to the waiting throng, all ready to see and serve her.
With the room empty of spectators, snow and ash mixed, fluttering in bright benign swirls of varying shades of gray, red, green and blue—a mutual recognition of the beauty of life and death.
Lady Hel sat on her throne in Helheim, tapped her chin with her blackened hand, and watched her brothers, Fenrir and Vali pace in wolf-form. Seated, she could stare out at all present in the throne room, all family, and rarely together.
Encased in the white room, the walls began to shimmer then glistened, and the mirror-filled wall projected the time, place and people of her liking. This was the closest she’d be to omniscient, and all-knowing—big brother style.
Currently, her other brother rested in the underwater caves, far from the torrential river, where he could rest until the perfect time.
“We lost, and they have again made a mockery of us,” Fenrir growled.
As expected, the gods had responded and not only had they rewound time, and set Midgard back as it once was, they’d also taken Sif with them to Asgard. No more was Midgard a dystopian overran by Dark Elves. Her brother, Jörmungandr, the Midgard Serpent, had helped to clean up any of the Dark Elves who’d remained.
She shrugged. Casualties of war, of course, and something that accompanied every great battle.
But she’d achieved that which she’d wanted: and freed both of her brothers from their captivity, and now to move on to the next point in her plan. Everything else was of no consequence.
The old Lady Hel might have returned to her kingdom and ruled without a thought, but they’d taken away her love, her Harley. But this was a prime opportunity to go after what she wanted while the gods might be distracted.
Now, they would feel her wrath. There was no other e
nding until she squared off with them.
He had been her everything, and they’d taken him.
Everything would fall into place, as the great women of fate, the Norns, had predicted. She was the goddess of death.
“Do not worry, dear brother. This was expected, and wanted,” Lady Hel assured him.
Her gaze shifted over to her father, Loki, who slouched and still plucked off petals from another blue flower. His energy wasn’t as golden as usual, but bluer.
“You were not supposed to get that close to dear Sif, father,” Hel said and frowned. She’d seen her father infatuated many of times, but never like this, never to this extent. It was as though he couldn’t shake it.
“She was such a bright light,” he whispered.
“She is also destined to belong to Thor,” Hel reminded him, “Or have you forgotten that you are not welcomed in Asgard?” There was no way he’d ever be able to be near her again, and that too was just another casualty of it all. Who knew the god of mischief could fall so hard? Women were usually benign for him, but this one was different. “You weren’t thinking. This is bigger than just that of your heart. You have to stay focused. You know the plan.”
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