Crown of Crimson (Underworld Gods 2)

“Well, now what?” I ask him.

He shrugs and opens his mouth to say something.

But before he can say a word, I’m suddenly grabbed from behind by pairs of hard, skeleton hands, and yanked down a hole into total darkness.

Chapter 2

Death

“The Betrayal”

Shadow’s End has seen better days.

Vipunen said the damage would be superficial, but it’s not from where I’m standing, at the foot of the entrance to the cave with all of Shadow’s End before me, the castle stacked on top of the rocky outcrop like a set of iron knives.

Parts of the castle roof have caved in on some of the turrets, and a block of stones along the east wall has crumbled away into the sea, which is thrashing violently against the rocky shore. The wind here is sharp, the clouds unnatural. This isn’t real weather and it’s not of my doing.

This is all Rasmus.

How the fuck is that even possible? How could that redheaded skinny shit conjure up the power and the magic to do this to my castle?

And why the fuck did it take me this long to realize that he’s Louhi’s son?

I don’t know how long I stand there for, like a fucking idiot, staring at my home, my castle, my land, and stewing in self-loathing and hindered by inaction, but suddenly there’s a black blot in the sky and in moments Sarvi is landing before me.

Sir, Sarvi says, flapping its wings as its cloven hooves reach the ground. The unicorn sounds panicked for once. I’ve been looking all over for you.

“I was seeking counsel,” I grumble.

The unicorn looks over its shoulder at the castle and then back to me. I was afraid of the worst when I couldn’t find you. I haven’t had any time to figure out what’s happening, though the attack seems to have stopped.

“You were worried about me? How thoughtful,” I say dryly. “I was filled in by the giant, only a little too late. Hanna is gone.”

Gone? Sarvi’s eye widens in its socket. How?

“I don’t know exactly, other than Rasmus came back for her and she left willingly. He created this storm as well.”

Oh. Sarvi says. She left willingly?

I grunt, feeling the humiliation inside me turning into anger, molten and waiting. “When was the last time you saw her?”

We were in the crypt. She was at the altar, waiting for you.

My throat feels dry and I attempt to swallow. “How did she look?”

She looked… Sarvi trails off, watching my face with caution. Beautiful. Like a queen.

I thought as much.

“She wasn’t crying in protest?”

Sarvi shakes its head. No, sir. She seemed to accept her fate. So to hear that she’s left willingly…can you be sure about that?

“I can’t be sure of anything, but the giant doesn’t lie.”

No, but perhaps Rasmus is the liar here. Who knows what he told her in order to get her to leave.

“Are you trying to make me feel better?”

I’m trying to make sure you retain your control, sir. I’ve seen what happens when you lose it.

He’s referring to Surma. How quickly I killed one of my oldest advisors when I found him harassing Hanna. I don’t regret it for a moment, but I was operating on pure violence and impulse. Perhaps a bit of pleasure too—the feeling as I snapped Surma’s fragile bones between my fingers was indescribable. Almost as good as coming inside Hanna. But not quite.

I flex and unflex my hands, the leather of my gloves creaking, trying to dissipate the tension running through my veins. “Did you know that Rasmus is the son of the she-devil?”

If Sarvi had an eyebrow to raise, it would. I beg your pardon?

“Louhi,” I practically growl. “Rasmus. That walking carrot stick is the son of Louhi.”

How is that possible? I heard her consort was infertile.

I frown. “Where did you hear that?”

Around, Sarvi says carefully as it paws its black hoof against the ground. I’m not one for gossip, but I do hear a lot. In the castle and outside of it.

I ignore the unhelpful fact that my position as ruler of the realm has kept me out of the loop, so to speak. “So then, what did you hear about my ex-wife’s lover?”

That Louhi had been trying for a long time to conceive a child with the shaman and wasn’t able to. But that was a long time ago. It’s hard to say when exactly, but perhaps they found success through a spell.

“And why was I never made aware of this?” I grumble.

Forgive me sir, I thought you knew. And I know you well enough to not bring up something like that unless I want my week to be ruined. Anything to do with Louhi is a, well, a rather delicate subject.

That brings out a growl from me. I knew that part of the reason why Louhi left me was because she wanted to gain magic from a shaman, and Ilmarinen, as useless as he is, fit the bill. I always assumed he would teach her spells or give magic to her. I also didn’t think that she wanted anymore children after Lovia and Tuonen, especially as she shows zero interest in them.