“What is she?” Irkalla asked.
“A necromancer. Maybe the most powerful in all existence. She used to use snares like the one that grabbed Irkalla—she might well have been the person to invent them. Abaddon, like you, Nate, was created to be a weapon. But over time she became cruel, vicious, and full of rage at those around her. If she contacts you in any way, do not engage her in a fight.” He strode toward me and took hold of my face in his cold hands. “Promise me, Nate. Promise me you won’t fight her. She will kill you.”
I nodded. “I have no intention of fighting her. But if she comes for me, I’ll throw everything I have at her.”
Grayson appeared to be relieved. “Wait for me in Tartarus. I’ll come with answers.” He turned and walked toward the door.
“How do you know her?” Selene asked before he could leave.
Grayson paused at the door and looked back at us. “She was my friend.”
He left the room, leaving us with questions we would have to wait to hear the answers for.
“Road trip,” Irkalla said after several seconds of silence. She steadied herself. “Just so we’re clear, I’ve never seen one of those damn snares before, you?”
I shook my head. “No, I haven’t. And you’re not coming on this trip. We can’t be certain that you’re a hundred percent. I’d rather you stayed here and helped Olivia and Tommy. I’m concerned that whoever did this will try again.”
Irkalla looked annoyed for a second before nodding. “Yeah, I’m fine here. I could use the rest, I guess. Make sure whatever happened to me is absolutely gone. I’m almost sure the snare was able to grab me because I’d never seen one like it before. I just didn’t know what I was meant to do to get around it. The more I fought, the tighter it grasped. Not the most fun thing I’ve ever done.” Irkalla sat back on a nearby chair. “I think I’m just going to take a moment to rest, if that’s okay.”
“I saw my mother,” I said softly. “She told me that Valkyrie weren’t a species. That they’re necromancers who specialize in a very specific form of necromancy. The fact that this man died in battle meant I could screw with the snare. I’m not sure I could have done it otherwise.”
“You saw your mother?” Selene repeated, concerned.
I nodded. “She put a construct of herself in my head when I was born. My father did the same, but I still have no idea who he is, so I don’t get to see that one. She said I need to find the Valkyrie if they’re still alive. That they’ll help me find her.”
“We’ll find her,” Selene said.
“I know, but that’s for another day. Right now this is more important. Erebus, the nightmare inside of me, is a construct, too. My parents did something to give him the kind of personality he has; he didn’t explain more. The more I learn, the less I know.”
Selene, Irkalla, and I left the morgue and made our way back up to the ground floor, where we found Zamek and Tommy in deep conversation. The cleanup crew was pretty much finished, but a lot of people were bringing in family members to stay under Tommy’s protection while this whole thing continued. No one was sure who the enemy was, and while that continued, so would the uncertainty over exactly how safe and secure everyone was.
Irkalla wished us all luck and went off to get some rest. She probably wasn’t very happy about not being a part of what we were doing, but it was for the best.
“The jet is ready to go to Tartarus,” Tommy said. “It’s the one Hades loaned to Mordred and Morgan, so try not to break it.”
“Take care of yourself, you hear me?” I said, hugging him.
“You, too. Try not to get into too much trouble.” He stared at me for a second before laughing. “Sorry, I almost said it with a straight face.”
I smiled. “I would hate to work for you.”
“I’m an awesome boss, and everyone loves me. I bring them cake every Friday—how can they not love me?”
I left the building and got into a black SUV and found Zamek inside. “I wondered where you’d gone,” I said.
He picked up the battle-axe from the seat beside him. “Needed to go sharpen my axe. I get the feeling it’s going to get a lot of use.”
Selene entered the SUV, and we were taken to a nearby airfield, where we boarded the jet. There was a time, in the not-too-distant past, when flying terrified me. Since then I’d jumped out of two helicopters to wage war on my enemies. Flying was never going to be my favorite mode of transport, but until someone finally invented a teleport that worked without risk of disintegration, flying was the best I had.
So, I gritted my teeth and spent the journey drinking whiskey and trying very hard to get some rest. I had the feeling I was going to need it. At some point I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew I was jolted awake from the landing at the private airport in Mittenwald.
It was a short drive from there to the Wolf’s Head compound near Lake Ferchensee. The security at the gate let us in the second they saw that it was me, with most of them saying hi and asking how I was before we drove in. The last time I’d been at the compound, they’d been attacked, and I helped defend the place. I really hoped it wasn’t going to come to that again, and judging by the number of armed guards patrolling the area, anyone trying had better come armed for a long, protracted battle.
Selene parked the Range Rover we’d been given at the airport, and we all got out into the wintry south-German air. There was plenty of snow on the ground, and it crunched underfoot as we were motioned by one of the guards to move toward the command building at the far end of the compound. I was grateful for the warm clothing and new boots that Sky had supplied when we’d reached Germany, and hoped that those who had gone off to find Elaine weren’t having too much trouble. The second the thought entered my mind, I became fully aware that it was the pot calling the kettle black, but the point still stood.
Sky walked out of the command building before we’d even reached it, and smiled. Sky had been born to a Native American father and a European mother who had been murdered when she was a young child. Hades and Persephone had taken her in and raised her as one of their own. She walked over and hugged Selene and me before introducing herself to Zamek.
“I’ve never met a dwarf before,” she said.
“They’re not all as great as I am,” Zamek replied, shaking Sky’s hand.
Sky laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind if I ever meet more. Olivia told me you were on the way. You want access to Tartarus, is that right?”
“We need to see my father,” Selene said. Her tone was solemn, and I knew she wasn’t exactly thrilled to be here under such unpleasant circumstances.