Tharion sighed, bubbles flowing from his lips. Captain Whatever, indeed.
The River Queen fancied herself a benevolent ruler who wanted the best for her people, yet she treated her subjects as harshly as any Asteri. Tharion wended between the mussel-crusted pillars of a dock, various crabs and bottom-scavengers watching him from the shadows.
Something had to change. In this world, in the hierarchies. Not only in the way Ophion wanted, but … this imbalance of power across all Houses.
Tharion pried a bike tire—for fuck’s sake—from between two rocks, muscles groaning. A giant blue crab scuttled over, waving its claws in reprimand. Mine! it seemed to shout. Tharion backed off, gesturing to the trash. Have at it, he conveyed with a wave of his hand, and with a powerful thrust of his tail, swam farther along the quay.
The glowing firstlights cast ripples on the surface. It was like swimming through gold.
Something had to change. For him, at least.
Ruhn laid the Starsword on his father’s desk as the Autumn King stalked through the study doors.
The top buttons of his father’s black shirt were undone, his ordinarily smooth red hair a bit out of place. Like someone had been running their hands through it. Ruhn shuddered.
His father eyed the sword. “What is so important that you interrupted my afternoon meeting?”
“Is that what you’re calling it these days?”
His father threw him an admonishing glance as he slid into his desk chair, surveying the bare Starsword. “You smell like trash.”
“Thanks. It’s a new cologne I’m trying out.” Considering the insanity of the last hour, it was a miracle he could even joke right then.
Agent Daybright had been in his mind, screaming at him to wake up. That was all he’d known before he’d started puking water and the gods knew what else—he certainly didn’t want to know—on the Aux training center floor.
Cormac had left by the time Ruhn mastered himself, apparently wanting to quickly search the area for any hint of Emile or Sofie. Bryce had still been in shock when Ruhn managed to ask what the fuck had happened.
But she’d told him enough—then kicked the Starsword toward him in the empty training hall and left. Which was when he’d rushed over here.
Flame sparked at his father’s fingers—the first warning of his impatience. So Ruhn asked, “What’s the lore behind this sword?”
His father arched a brow. “You’ve been its bearer for decades. Now you want to know its history?”
Ruhn shrugged. His head still pounded from the blow the Reapers had given him; his stomach churned like he’d been drinking all night. “Does it have any special powers? Weird gifts?”
The Autumn King swept a cold look over Ruhn, from his waterlogged boots to his half-shaved head, the longer hair scraggly thanks to the sewer trip. “Something has happened.”
“Some Reapers tried to jump me, and the sword … reacted.”
A light way of putting it. Had Bryce stayed away from the sword all these years because she somehow sensed that in her hand, it would unleash horrors?
He didn’t want to know what his father would do with the truth. A sword that could kill the unkillable. How many rulers in Midgard would scheme and murder to attain it? Starting with his father and ending with the Asteri.
Maybe they’d get lucky and the information would be contained to the Reapers. But the Under-King …
His father stilled. “How did the sword react?”
“Shouldn’t a father ask if his son is all right? And why the Reapers attacked?”
“You appear unharmed. And I assume you did something to offend them.”
“Thanks for your vote of confidence.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“How did the sword react in the presence of the Reapers?”
“It glowed. They ran from it.” It was only a half-lie. “Any idea why?”
“They are already dead. Blades hold no threat to them.”
“Yeah, well … they freaked.”
His father reached for the black blade but halted, remembering himself. It wasn’t his blade to touch.
Ruhn reined in his smirk of satisfaction. But his father watched the various globes and solar system models across his office for a long moment.
Ruhn spied their own solar system in the center of it all. Seven planets around a massive star. Seven Asteri—technically six now—to rule Midgard. Seven Princes of Hel to challenge them.
Seven Gates in this city through which Hel had tried to invade this spring.