“We’ll be right there,” I called, and Kara turned and walked back to where the others waited.
“Don’t let go, as we have something to do,” I whispered.
“And what is that, exactly?”
“To save your master. With Erich out of the way, the only way possible will be for us to go to where she is, and your blood can do that.” I slowly gave Leif my dagger, and he sliced through his hand, causing blood to pool in his palm. I hoped it would work. But I’d only been able to travel through time with Hel’s rune, not on my own. “Once we enter the portal, don’t let go. We have a problem to fix.”
Kara looked too cheery, waiting. Like she knew something. Instead, she simply shook her head.
Both Leif and I scurried down off of the hay cart toward the large portal that would send us back to the world we knew.
“Looks like you’re going to get that second date after all, love.”
Holding on to Leif’s hand, I didn’t plan on letting go, and we entered the portal. “Jaz, the Dragon Queen, awaits, we see, take us to her, we command thee.”
Away we went.
Epilogue
TINK
Richmond, VA, November 13, the Present
Well, that didn’t work.
I stared at Kara leaning against the wall next to Erich’s apartment door. She didn’t say a thing. Instead, she nodded, waved, and disappeared.
Yep, it didn’t seem so easy to pull anything on a Valkyrie. Reporting to work tomorrow was going to be strange.
“Nope, didn’t work,” I stated. I couldn’t help the disappointment in knowing I’d failed. But Leif didn’t seem to mind. Finding Jaz wasn’t going to be a simple portal jump. Instead, the portal opened right in front of Erich’s apartment door. The floor creaked under our weight, and still, I held on to Leif’s hand, who leaned in close and kissed me.
And that is how Erich found us.
Erich ripped open the door. “Finally you two are here. I wasn’t sure how long it was going to take.” He didn’t say anything as to us kissing in front of his door. This had to be quite dire.
The good thing: he still remembered her.
The bad: Erich looked like crap. Bags hung under his eyes; his trimmed hair was wild, standing on end like he’d been running his fingers through it every five minutes.
“Why didn’t you answer my text? Why are you two together? Never mind, something is wrong,” Erich began.
He turned and stalked back into the living room where I found his friends, Minsk, Ajax, and Sasha seated on the sofa. They, too, seemed to be unsure if they were in purgatory or a new version of hell.
“All right, we have to figure out a way to get Jaz back,” Erich proclaimed.
It was like déjà vu. We’d been through this before.
“What have the books said?” Minsk asked. “Erich couldn’t look.”
“We could do an internet search and see what comes up,” Ajax interjected.
Yep, Jaz had cast a spell that their memories would remain intact, and even with the latest change in the timeline, that hadn’t erased what she’d done.
“I’ve already checked out every possible source,” Erich said, now pacing. “The facts are askew. Nothing speaks of any of this occurring in Étretat, but in Corsica, in 1792, not 1799. Everything is mixed up. I know when it happened, and I know that Fenrir had the blessing of those from the pantheon. I can’t ask them for help. We have to do this ourselves.”
“But things are not like they were during the first time we had this conversation,” I said.
“First time?” Erich, Minsk, Ajax, and Sasha all asked at once.
All eight pair of eyes rested on me. “Yes, this entire conversation is a repeat. Yes, Jaz is missing, but the facts of who you are now have changed, Erich. You came to your powers differently than with the heart of a dragon. That is an alternative reality.”
Erich frowned. “Are you saying the timeline is broken?”
“I’m saying that right now, you are not only up against Fenrir. Even my magic, which is twice as strong, wouldn’t let me go to her. This will need to be a concerted effort, and I think powers are working against it. But maybe you have another way.” I reached into my pocket and withdrew the draconite that Erich in the past had previously located. I dropped it in his hand, and as soon as the draconite made contact, the memories from then melded with those from the original timeline. He crashed to the floor.
“What does this mean?”
In the original timeline, I had a journal of Jaz, which I’d had in a messenger bag. I glanced around the room to instead find the book on Erich’s bookshelf.
“Where’d you get this from?” I asked.
“Mia dropped it off for you.”
I smiled. “Mia needs a raise because we will require her help to get Jaz back.”
Erich cradled his head between the palms of his hands. “I’m not interested in the details of how she lived. I want to know how I can get her home.”
“I know you love her. I will help you find her.”
“No,” Leif interjected, “we will all help.”
“So, are you ready to get started?” I turned to everyone. “And this demands almost the impossible.”
‘What’s that?” Minsk asked.
“Can’t be harder than last time,” Leif muttered.
“Unfortunately, it will be. We’re going to need to find a realm hopper and pull off a grand heist.” I steeled myself against what this all could mean, this sticky quagmire.
“What are we looking for? I can travel almost anywhere,” Erich admitted.
“The legendary Alder King’s time stone. When Jaz has both stones, she should be free.”
Silence descended on the room. The Alder King was Lady Hel’s lost beloved. Would she understand Erich’s and my duty to save Jaz? Or would she see this as a great betrayal. No one crossed Lady Hel.
“And I take it you know someone, love?” Leif prodded.
“Yeah, there is a woman we’ve been tracking down at the university, who we’ve had our eyes on. Her name is Ola, something or another. She is the hopper with the talents to open the gates. She might be able to help.”
“Then what are we waiting on? Let’s get started.” Erich clapped his hands like it was a football huddle instead of the gathering of a rescue party.
The sun was waning, and I could feel the draw on Leif. Soon he’d have to change into his work clothes as Lady Hel decreed. I didn’t understand the crow part, and maybe that was a part he was going to come to control, only to be Leif after his nightly duty.
Heading out, I dragged Leif behind me. “Are you going to tell him what you know? I know you have more information.”
I shook my head. “He doesn’t need to get hurt by that.” We raced down the stairs, to the apartment building’s front door. Before we could exit onto the street, as the sun was about to set, I watched the color drain from Leif’s face; he grew weak, and a knot formed in his clenched jaw, like he was biting back anguish and pain.
“Shh.” I attempted to calm him. “Don’t fight it. That will make it worse. Go, looks like you have your own work to do.” I blinked, and my handsome vampire had changed into the grim reaper. Large black wings surrounded us, and a scythe was in his hand.
I leaned forward and placed a peck on his cheek. A promise for more to come. He was mine in all ways, and I couldn’t wait to see where this would go, despite the complications.
Leif, sullen, sought to turn away, and I grabbed his arm, turning him back to me. Even appearing like the Grim Reaper, he was mine, and I, his.
“I love you.” I leaned forward. He needed to feel my love, the ardor that beat within. The best partner for a Grim Reaper had to be one already dead, after all.
He pressed his lips to mine, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His lips possessed mine. It was a kiss filled with more than promises and more of togetherness. We’d journey together and create greatness.
He stole m
y breath away, and seeing his slight smile, I knew he felt the same way.
Glancing down, even my outfit gave way to that again of a hunting assassin. Just like he must bring death, I did, too.
“I take that back. We both have work to do. See you at your place later.”
When this journey started, I never even thought it possible we’d be a couple united by death. Choices were not always black and white. Instead, life’s choices were filled with missed opportunities, and if we were lucky, we’d have a chance to rediscover what we’d lost the first time around.
Yep, between the two of us, we’d clean this city up of any paranormal scum.
The sound of a woman’s shrill scream cut through my thoughts.
Showtime.
Vampires ready to eat the latest offering, care of the local university’s night classes. I raced toward the sound with supersonic speed.
They just didn’t know that they’d be dining in Helheim.
* * *
The End
Dear Reader, Thank you for joining me on this journey. If you’d like to know when the next book in the series goes live, join my newsletter.
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If you’d like to know more about the adventures of the new reaper, Leif, in a new series, please drop me a line and let me know, as well. I am adding a side for him and Tink to my ever growing list of stories.
Want to learn more about Lady Hel. Learn more about the Hell Chronicles along with the other fabulous books within the series!
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About the Author
TINA GLASNECK, a USA Today bestselling author, enjoys creating stories that combine history, mythology, and Norse Gods. Her tales include murder and magic. Someday she might just fancy a trip to Asgard, too, and find out what all the fuss is about!
Also by Tina Glasneck
Want want from the Dragons? Check out the other stories in the series:
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A Dragon’s Destiny
A Dragon’s Desire
A Dragon’s Heart
A Dragon’s Witch
* * *
Want more dragonology? Check out The Dragons Series: Origins . This series stars Baldr and Nanna.
A Dragon’s Rising
A Dragon’s Awakening
* * *
Want more of Lady Hel? Check out the Hell Chronicles!
Hell for the Holidays
Hellish
Hellbent
Helltown
Hellbound
Hellraiser
* * *
Find more books by Tina Glasneck by visiting her website!
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