Page 1 of Outcast
ChapterOne
Harlow
Mist distorted my vision. It was heavy and thick, hanging in the air, filling my lungs with each breath.
I shivered against the cold. I was naked but somehow hadn’t gotten hypothermia yet. Even my bare feet smacking against the frozen ground weren’t blue yet. Apparently sacrificing myself to a realm I never cared about came with a perk or two.
Tiny crystals of snow and water clung to my eyelashes and obscured my view.
Not that there was anything to see. It was a sea of mist and ice that had no beginning or end, an endless walk I had no choice but to continue.
I’d stopped once and learned my lesson. Something hid in the mist, waiting to strike. The huge creature slithered closer the moment I stilled. On instinct, I ran and when I looked back, I was alone again.
That was hours ago, but if I continued, they stayed out of sight, and that was a lesson I only had to learn once.
The downside? If I kept moving, I was isolated completely. There were no hallucinations to keep me company, and the hardest part was the realization I may never see my men again.
Monty was gone, and if they killed the others, what was stopping them from finding him and doing the same. Kol had a chance of being reborn... but did Drake?
I’d begged Loki to take Roman’s body back. Hiro, however, was an alter. There was no guarantee he’d be able to make it through to the afterlife in whatever form Loki gave him. I trusted the god more than anyone else to help, he’d taken a shining to us, and I prayed that’d be enough for him to get creative.
A low rumble shook the ground, pitching me forward onto my knees. They hit the ice with a crack and pain radiated through my cold limbs. My teeth ground together against the ache, and desolation settled into my chest. I wanted to cry, and it took several steadying breaths to calm myself down. A level head would keep me alive... or whatever I was.
An acrid, warm stench tickled my nose and it was in that moment I’d realized I’d lost valuable time. My body tensed and it took every ounce of courage to look behind me. I was met face-to-face with an all-white creature. It looked like a giant, terrifying beetle. Beady eyes stared down at me and pincers taunted me.
It was the serpent behind it, the size of a building and twice as long, that really scared me. Staying still had been my downfall, so I was on my feet in seconds. I lurched forward, sliding on the ice as I aimed to put distance between us.
The deep rumble and scraping as they followed me meant they no longer cared if I moved or stayed. I knew nothing of this land, but I knew if I let them catch me, I was dead. Again.
A streak of red caught my eye, and when I glanced over in pure panic, I saw none other than my favorite trickster god staring back.
“Loki!” Relief would be an understatement. He didn’t speak as his kelly-green eyes sparkled with excitement while he glanced behind us at the predators trying to make me their next meal.
As quickly as he had arrived, he was gone again. The rumbling had stopped and a small squeak had me chancing a glance back to see a tiny bug and snake scurrying away from me. NowIwas the giant in the equation and didn’t hesitate to squish them underfoot, the gross squelch sending a shiver through me.
I would not take a chance trusting that Loki wouldn’t make them titans again in a few minutes.
“Loki?! What the fuck?!” I screamed out in frustration, ranting until my throat was hoarse. With the cold, it didn’t take long.
My legs weren’t tiring so I pushed forward. Another long stretch of walking ahead. I just prayed to whatever gods could hear me that there was a true destination ahead.
The sight of Loki had rekindled the hope that my men made it to Helheim. That was the true reason I could keep pushing, knowing they would likely be at the other end.
And Helheim help them all if they weren’t.
A soft glow shone in front of me, stretching wide and towering into the mist above me. I couldn’t see the beginning or ending, nor did I want to touch it to find out if it was safe.
The only other option would be turning around, and there was no part of me that could fathom doing that walk all over again. Even without two of the creatures hiding in the mist this time.
“You have to, Harlow,” I reasoned with myself. “Please let me into Helheim.” With a bravery I didn’t truly feel, I reached forward and touched the barrier. I half expected to be shocked or thrown to the ground. Instead, it tingled along my skin and slowly pulled me forward like a vortex, claiming me. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or afraid.
There wasn’t enough time to second-guess as I was sucked into the barrier and spit out the other side. I sprawled on the ground where I landed, staring up into the sky above.
The mist was gone and the air warmed around me. Despite the ice that covered the ground, it felt like summer against my skin.
“Welcome to Helheim,” Loki called out. I leaned up enough to find the god sitting happily on the ground about ten feet away.
“Where are they, Loki?” I demanded.
