“I said I was fine,” I heard her say more firmly. “Don’t make me annoyed.”
“All right.” The voice now sounded a little nervous. “Just doing my job.”
As soon as I heard the door close, I stepped back into the room.
Ali’s silver eyes flashed with worry. “You have to go.”
“We both need to go. It’ll be quick, I promise.”
She let out a long sigh, and I caught the faintest hints of a smile at the corners of her mouth. “It’s really hard to turn down someone who faced a horde of draugr to save your life.”
“I was counting on that answer.” I began to scribe the portal spell. In seconds, it hummed in front of me.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere we can talk privately.”
I gestured at the portal, indicating she should step through. She flashed me a wry smile—like she wanted to be annoyed with me but couldn’t—then stepped through. I followed close behind.
When I came through, she was standing with her back to me, before a row of twenty-foot glass windows affording a spectacular view of Boston. Moonlight streamed over her silver hair, her form-fitting clothes. From where we stood, I could see both the frozen expanse of the Charles River and the marble walls of the Citadel.
Ali pressed her hands on the window, her breath clouding the glass. “This is amazing. Is this one of the old— What are they called again?” Her brow furrowed for a moment before she thought of the word. “Skyscrapers. But most of them are falling down.” Her eyes flicked up to meet mine as she figured out where we were. “Except for the Prudential Tower.” Ali breathed a low whistle. “Nice choice for a meeting spot.”
I gestured at the room we were in. “Exactly right. We’re on the very top floor of the Prudential Tower. A thousand years ago, this was a fancy restaurant. Rich humans would come here to eat expensive meals while they looked down on the city.”
“Are we safe?” She nodded at the enormous windows that ringed around us. “Anyone could see in, right?”
“No one can make it up here on foot. The elevators broke hundreds of years ago, and the stairs are blocked by ice. The only way in is by moth or portal, but we’re fifty-two stories up and the wind is fierce. Very few moths can fly high enough.”
“Okay,” said Ali, seemingly convinced by my explanation. “So what was it you wanted to tell me?”
Ganglati can you give me a hand?
Certainly, answered the shade.
Without speaking, I reached up and took off the Helm of Awe. I placed it on the floor in front of me, then took a step back.
Ali’s eyebrows furrowed, then suddenly, her eyes widened. “You figured out a spell to remove the helm?”
“Temporarily, at times. You didn’t notice when I helped you bury the body? I was able to walk around outside the Citadel then. Prior to that I had to get Gorm’s permission to leave the Citadel.”
“I didn’t think of it,” she said as she eyed the helm. “I guess traveling through portals is a bit disorienting for me. So, what kind of spell was it?”
I took a seat on top of one of the old restaurant tables. “I didn’t use a spell. There were none strong enough to break the bond.”
Ali cocked her head. There was something about the curiosity in her eyes that made her irresistible. “I don’t understand. How did you do it?”
“I had to enlist help.”
Ganglati, I said to the shade. Reveal yourself.
For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, I felt the shade move within me. Frigid and cold, he filled my veins with ice. Wisps of black vapor began to rise from my skin.
Across from me, Ali’s eyes widened, and I heard her whisper for Skalei on instinct. “Galin. What did you do?”
“I struck a deal.”
“You did what?”
My mouth opened, and Ganglati spoke through me in an icy voice. “It’s so nice to see you again, little Night Elf.”
Ali stared. I wanted to tell her not to worry, but Ganglati was in control of me now.
“You don’t remember me?” said Ganglati. “Marroc’s companion. We met in Helheim …”
Recognition sparked in her eyes. “The shade from Helheim.”
“None other,” said Ganglati.
“What did Galin agree to do for you?” said Ali suspiciously.
“Just a boon for my people. And I need your assistance,” added the shade.
She gripped Skalei tighter. “Oh, Hel no. You won’t even tell me what we’re doing?”
“I’ve heard about your little problem with the Wyrd.”
This got Ali’s attention. “What do you mean?”
“Isn’t it true that you want to break the bond that connects your souls?”
She crossed her arms, cocking her head. “Okay. What are you offering?”
“If you agree to help, I will take you to the Norns.”
Chapter 31
Ali
I stared at Galin—or, rather, the shade that controlled him. He was rigid, his back ramrod-straight. Black mist rose from his skin, and his hair swirled about his head. His beautiful golden eyes had turned pitch black.
As terrifying as he appeared, he’d just made a pretty compelling offer. A chance to break the bond that bound my soul to Galin’s.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked.
“I need you to steal Levateinn.”
Again? I crossed my arms. “And how would I do that?”
“I thought you might know, since you’re the expert thief and assassin.”
“Well,” I said, thinking quickly, “if I had Galin and his portal magic to help me, I might be able to do it. But how will I know you’ll follow through on your end of the bargain?”
“A shade cannot lie.”
True. “Okay, then I’ll consider it. But I’m going to need to speak with Galin first. Can you return him?”
Slowly, Galin’s eyes cleared, and the black vapor began to dissipate. He shuddered visibly. “That was unpleasant.”
I stepped closer to him. “Tell me what you agreed to do for the shade. Wait,” I said after a moment, “I think I know.” I bit my lip, thinking back to the conversation he’d had with the shade in Helheim. The memory sparked in my mind. “He wants you to raise his queen, Hela, the goddess of the dead. Isn’t that right? You said you could use Levateinn to bring her back, right?”
“Precisely.”
This seemed like a terrible idea. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to raise the dead goddess of the underworld? It seems like that might have consequences.”
He gave a shrug. “Probably not, but making safe decisions isn’t my strength.”
“I’m starting to understand that.” And yet, knowing Galin, I wondered if he had something else up his sleeve—a way out at the last moment—exactly like he’d done today with the portal. Getting out of insane situations clearly was his strong suit.
So how much confidence did I have in him to handle this?
With a shock, I realized that I was actually starting to trust him. But I’d keep this assessment to myself; if his plan was to turn the tables at the last second, he’d be hiding it from the shade.