Another time, I would have jumped at the opportunity. But I was tired and cranky. I’d started my day at the crack of dawn being insulted by naiads, and ended it with a totally creepy encounter with a hungry ghoul who’d apparently fixated on my tasty, tasty emotions. In between, I’d learned that it looked like we were dealing with a murder; I’d managed to further alienate my estranged best friend; and Cody’s response to my declaration of affection could pretty much be summed up as dismissive.

“No,” I said. “Look, I don’t think Al’s coming back tonight. I’ll keep my doors locked. Mrs. Browne will be here in a few hours.” I put my hand on the doorknob. “I’m staying.”

Cody placed his hand flat on the door, holding it shut. “No, you’re not.”

“Yeah, I am.”

He raised his voice. “No, you’re not!”

Before I could summon a suitably immature retort, a dune buggy pulled into the alley.

Oh, crap.

Cody lifted one hand to shield his eyes against the glare of headlights. “Hey, there!” he called out. “This isn’t a through street.”

The headlights blinked out, and a large figure climbed out of the buggy, raising its left hand. The spear-headed rune Teiwaz, indicating one of Hel’s guards, shimmered silvery on its palm. “Daisy Johanssen?”

I sighed and lifted my left hand in answer. “Yeah, hi. Nice to see you again.”

The figure inclined its head. Now that I wasn’t blinded by headlights, I could make out who and what it was. To mundane eyes, it would appear to be an ogreishly tall, long-haired, and bearded man sweating profusely—and I do mean profusely, actual rivulets running down his skin and dripping from his beard to puddle on the concrete beneath him. I, on the other hand, saw an ogreishly tall man with bluish skin rimed with melting frost, his eyes as pale and colorless as dirty slush, icicles dripping from his head and chin to puddle on the concrete.

Cody’s hand dropped instinctively to his holster. “What in the hell is that?”

“Frost giant,” I said. “His name’s Mikill. It means ‘big,’ right? Or ‘large’?”

“True.” Mikill lowered his hand. “Daisy Johanssen, I am bid to summon you to an audience with Hel.”

Great.

Chapter Fifteen

Fifteen

At least it put an end to my argument with Cody. Even a stubborn werewolf on the down-low knew I couldn’t ignore a summons from Hel herself.

“I don’t mean to belabor the obvious, but will he”—Cody lowered his voice—“melt?”

I shook my head, climbing into the passenger seat of the dune buggy and putting on my seat belt. “Not anytime soon.”

“So, you’ll—”

“I’ll see you at the station!” I had to shout the words as Mikill clambered into the driver’s seat and turned the key in the ignition. “Tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay!”