It would have sat even more ill with me to leave her if I hadn’t seen her body turn to smoke and then rainbow light as I ran past.

 

Unfortunately, it encouraged the giants to press the attack. Mike had the sense to grab the spear so its owner could not retrieve it.

 

He was even more angry. And I could only reassure him to a point. “She’s not dead.”

 

“I know. But it still hurts, doesn’t it.”

 

I could spare him only a nod before the spear thrower was on me with a pair of short knives. I batted them away, and although I did not kill him, I disarmed him.

 

Literally on the left side, leaving him howling and clutching at the stump. “That’s for Thruor,” I growled as I kept running upwards.

 

What I saw at the top was inevitable. I knew in my heart it would come to this.

 

Surtur stepped onto the top landing, and he had Kanesha. She was wearing a gown of lilac, all the way down to the floor. He had indeed dressed her as a princess.

 

I did not stop to think why, because he also had a blade to her throat.

 

“This is for me now,” I said to Mike. “Get the dwarves out of here.”

 

“Really?”

 

I nodded. “Trust me. Jorun?”

 

She handed me the medallion, without a further word. Then they fled.

 

Well, retreated. But I was letting them go. In fact, I was more or less begging them to go. Then I turned to face him.

 

“I have sent three of your men to Hel’s Realm,” I told him. “Unless the valkyries like the souls of fire giants.”

 

“And I will send this one there for sure if you take one step closer.”

 

Which I did not. I looked at her. At him.

 

I trusted my sister, but I still would not let this happen.

 

“Sheath your sword,” he told me.

 

I did so.

 

“Now you can come up.”

 

Which I also did. I didn’t need weapons to fight, but I knew one move and I would be dealing with Hel for my lover’s soul.

 

One false move…and this had already gone south.

 

Or perhaps it had gone exactly where it needed to go.