Page 132 of Dead Heat

I grabbed Alessandro’s hand and pulled him across the bridge.

“I broke her sword,” Max said, once we’d made it safely across.

“It was her choice,” I reminded him. “She could’ve let us go without combat.”

“Worth it,” Alessandro said. “Watching you both gave me the energy I need to escape this place.”

Max clapped him on the shoulder. “Glad to help.”

To our left, I spotted a steady stream of shades. “That’s our path out of here.” If the map was accurate, these were the shades entering Helheim through the cave. “We’ll have to swim against the tide, but the shades should lead us to the cave’s exit point.”

My theory proved correct. The shades were too shellshocked to notice us as they emerged from the cave. An image flashed in my mind as I passed them. A ferry teeming with souls. Charon at the helm. Me standing at the gate with Cerberus beside me, trying to put the new arrivals at ease.

I shook off the memory and plunged into the darkness of the cave. Souls passed right through us as they continued their journey into the heart of Helheim.

“This is creepy,” Max said. “Take me back to the festival.”

Alessandro perked up. “There was a festival? Was there live music?”

“Yes, and all kinds of beer.”

Their conversation continued to buzz in the backgroundas I focused on the path ahead. My heart leaped when I spotted patches of light ahead. Almost there.

The patches of light grew brighter and rounder as we approached. My stomach plummeted as the realization settled in. Those two patches of light were, in fact, eyes.

And they belonged to the guardian of the cave.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Alessandro’sdeep brown eyes lost their spark. “Dear gods, what is that monstrous beast?”

“That’s Garm.” And right now that monstrous beast was the only thing standing between us and freedom.

The incubus grimaced. “This guy is scarier than the eagle monster I saw.”

My head jerked toward him. “You saw Hraesvelgr?”

“Whatever its name is, I managed to hide before it saw me.”

“You were the other disturbance in the realm,” I said, more to myself.

“I figured the eagle monster was the reason for all those dead bodies on the shoreline, so I stayed put until it flew away.”

My mouth fell open. “Hold on. You crossed the shore of corpses by yourself?”

He gazed at me, unblinking. “What? Like it’s hard?”

“Did you see the dragon?” I asked. I would’ve been far more frightened of Nidhogg.

He broke into a grin. “How do you think I caught up with you? She gave me a lift.”

“Nidhogg gave you a lift?” I repeated, incredulous.

“What can I say? Even dragons find me appealing.”

I was glad to see he was regaining his confidence. I opted not to tell him that Nidhogg was responsible for sucking the blood from the bodies of murderers as a form of torture.

“Why in the Helheim did I bother to take your place when you clearly could’ve done this yourself?”

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