Hel's Huntsman

18 - Follow me

Kayson

‘You should have broken that motherfucke.r’s neck!’

‘Yeah, and the bastard would have just healed and gotten right back up again.’

Adder chuckles. ‘Then you could have broken his neck repeatedly until you were satisfied.’

I should have ripped Lucifer’s spine out; that is what I should have done! Talking about my mate like that deserved death!

Goddess, who does that?!

I don’t give shi.t who he is nor how old the fucke.r is. I don’t even care that he and Hel once had a thing; it was years ago. What I do care about is the fact that the prick was beyond disrespectful to Hel. I saw the look of mortification on her face when Lucifer said what he said. Throughout all the years he has existed, he still hasn’t learned how to treat women with respect!

I had to get out of there before my anger got the better of me. I would have done more than punch Lucifer if Hel hadn’t yelled for Adder and me to calm down.

I’ve never been a man to rush in and kill just because someone has pissed me off. But I’m not shy with my fits, either. But by the Goddess, I could kill Lucifer!

I haven’t even taken in the beauty of the forest Hel made for me. I’m too angry. Hel even managed to bring light to a usually dark and dull place.

I take a deep breath and pull back the anger while sliding my hand over the bark of the beech tree beside me. I close my eyes and let peace wash over me. Anger is all well and good, but it expels too much energy, and you never know when you’ll need it. Always pull it back and save it for another day. That’s not to say Lucifer will get away with what he said, but he’s a pointless piece of shi.t in the grand scheme of things.

Movement behind me has me turning my head. I don’t sense any danger, but one can never be too careful, even if I am King here.

“Hello, Kayson.”

I sigh and turn around. “What do you want, Faylen? I’m really not in the mood. Your mate…”

“Is enough to make anyone murderous.” Faylen finishes with a laugh. “Yes, Lucifer can be tactless sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” I roll my eyes. “I suppose you know what the fool just said.”

Faylen nods. “Yes, he told me. I’m sorry about Lucifer. You just have to learn to ignore him.”

“Easy said than done.” I fold my arms over my chest. “Is there something else you wanted? Or did you follow me simply to apologize for your mate’s vulgarity?”

Faylen smiles. “There is something important we need to talk about, Kayson.”

“And what might that be?”

Faylen moves closer, her beauty shining by the light surrounding her. “The vision your cousin Ivy saw six years ago.”

I roll my eyes. “Which one?”

“The one where you and Hel were killed.”

I drop my arms, my attention completely on Faylen. I don’t know why she’s bringing that vision up or how she even knows about it. But it’s taken me a long time to get through a day without thinking about it. When Ivy eventually told me about what she saw, it scared me, and I don’t scare easily. Just the idea that someone could overpower my mate and kill her ripped my gut to shreds.

“What about it?”

“I must warn you, what I am about to tell you is not something to be taken lightly. It concerns the fate of your child and that of the world itself.” Her voice is soft and melodic, like the whisper of the wind through the trees.

I narrow my eyes.

What the hell is all of this about?

Why can’t she just get to the damn point?

Faylen steps even closer, her eyes boring into mine. “That vision will become a reality, but we must not let it, Kayson.”

‘What is this woman mumbling on about?’

‘I don’t know, Adder! Let the woman talk, and we’ll find out!’

‘Alright! Damn, you don’t need to yell at me.’

‘I know, I’m sorry.’

Adder huffs and retreats into the far reaches of my mind.

“Before you accepted Hel as your mate, someone ought to have revealed the prophecy to you both. It is said that your son will be born with powers that rival even the great Odin himself, and with those powers, he will change the world. But it is also written that if Hel were to bear such a child, she would die trying to protect him from those who wish to take him from her. And you, Kayson, would die trying to save her.”

My heart is pounding in his chest as I narrow my eyes. “Wait, what? You’re telling me that if my son is born, we’ll all die? But why? Why would anyone want to harm my son?”

The woman sighs softly. “There are those who fear what your son might become. Odin will see your son as a threat, just as he saw Hel and her brothers as threats. However, this time, Odin will not merely take the child and send him to a place like this, or chain him to a wall in a cave, nor throw him into the sea as he did with Hel and her brothers. No, he means to kill the boy.

“There are also those who believe that your son must be stopped at all costs, even if it means ending his life before he can even live it. For one to hold so much power will change the world. Then, there are those who wish to take your son for their own. They seek to twist his destiny, to use his power for their own gain.”

I grit my teeth while my knuckles turn white from how hard I’m clutching them. “What the hell is this power?”

“A descendant of Selene and Loki will have powers like no other. Every power Loki possesses, every power Selene has, not to mention Hel and yourself, and the boy will be unstoppable. Odin will not allow the child to live if it means he outpowers the old bastard.”

I breathe deeply while scrubbing my hands over my face. “So, you’re saying that the only way to stop what Ivy and apparently dozens of others have seen is to simply not have a child? To crush Hel’s dream of becoming a mother to our son? The one thing she longs for?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, Kayson. But if you and Hel want to live, then don’t have this child. The boy will become someone even you will not expect. His powers will be so strong that he could destroy the whole world in the blink of an eye.”

Oh, my Goddess. This is ridiculous. My father told me not to trust visions or prophecies. Yes, they may well come true, but not in their entirety. People see a little of something in the future, and though their intentions might be good, they get things wrong.

Take Odin, for instance. He feared Loki’s children, especially Fenrir, because of a prophecy. He locked them away from the world, fearing they would bring for Ragnarök. Prophecies can become self-fulfilling if you misread them. All Loki’s children needed was someone to love and show them a better way to let go of the anger they felt toward the All-Father for what he had done.

I’m not saying that one day Odin won’t get what’s coming to him, but Loki’s children all have loving mates and children for whom to live. They no longer have the desire to kill Odin. However, Hel deserves the future my great-grandmother promised her. That’s where I come in, and I will not take my mate’s dream from her. There has to be a better way.

“Why would Selene show Hel her future, including our son, if this was to be the outcome?”

“Selene knew not of the prophecy then. But she knows now.”

I shake my head. “This is ridiculous. Do you have any idea what it’s like to love someone who does not even exist yet? To love them so much you would do anything for them?”

“No,” Faylen smiles. “I can’t say as I do.”

I nod. “Well, Hel and I do. Kaiden is in our hearts as if he were already alive. That boy will live because he is part of me and a part of my mate. This stupid prophecy is just that – stupid. Didn’t Odin learn from the last time?”

Faylen chuckles.

“I will protect my son, no matter what it takes. I'll make sure that those who threaten him never get close.”

Faylen smiled sadly. “And that’s where it all goes wrong. All the good intentions in the world won’t save you and Hel from what’s to come.”

“Right.” I chuckle darkly. “Look, I understand what you’re saying. But the point is, I don’t buy into this prophecy shi.t. Yes, I’m mindful that terrible things could come our way. But I won’t give up my son for someone else’s desire to be the be-all and end-all to the damn universe!”

Perhaps I’m being unreasonable. If Kaiden will be this all-powerful man who puts fear into Odin and all around him, then I should rethink this. But I can’t because I love him so damn much already. It doesn’t matter that he hasn’t been born yet.

How could anyone give up their child because of fear?

Sure, everyone has their own reasons for doing so. Yes, I’m stubborn, and I should consider the bigger picture.

But why can’t I seem to give a shi.t?

“Could you have given up your children if someone had told you they could end the world?”

Faylen smirks. “Not even if it came true the very next day.”

I nod. “I’m not a stupid man, Faylen. I understand what you’re saying. I know it will be a fight to keep Kaiden safe. But I will do whatever it takes.”

“You are a good man, Kayson. But you must understand the gravity of the situation. Prophecies shape the course people take in life. It alters the way some behave and the way they react to things. This is not a fight that you can win alone. You will need allies, and you will need to learn about your son’s true nature. Only then can you hope to succeed in keeping him and your mate safe. Hel’s anger holds no bounds, and it is she who will bring this prophecy to fruition.”

I have more faith in my mate than that. I will explain everything to Hel, and I will keep her calm enough to get through this.

Faylen gestures for me to follow her deeper into the forest. “Come with me; I will take you to someone who can help you. Someone who knows more about the prophecy than even I do.”

“And where is this place you’re taking me? If Hel senses me leaving Niflheim, she’ll think I’ve left her because of what Lucifer said. I won’t have my mate think that because I will never leave her. Especially not because of your stupid mate and his massive mouth.”

“I know that.” Faylen smiles. “Then I guess we should find your mate and explain things.”

I shake my head. “No. I need to speak with Hel alone. This conversation is between Hel and me. Once we’ve spoken, I’ll call for you, and then we can go see whoever it is you want me to meet. Not a moment sooner.”

Faylen playfully rolls her eyes. “You’re as stubborn as Selene. Do you know that?”

I shrug. “I’ve heard it once or twice. But still, it’s the right thing to do.”

Faylen sighs. “Fine. But don’t leave it too long, Kayson. I have a feeling your son will be here sooner than any of us think. You have so many people who love and care for you. They will all be by your side, but you need something foolproof in order to win the fight that is coming your way.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes.”

There is nothing I won’t do for my son, regardless of if he arrives tomorrow or in ten years’ time. I’ll keep Hel safe, though I have no doubt my mate will be the one keeping us all safe.