Death's Mantle: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Revelations Book 1) (23 page)

“I wonder if Ian and Amy are having nightmares too?” she mused, surprising herself by speaking their names aloud for the first time since that day. Part of her knew she should find them, should talk to them about what had happened, but she knew if she did, they’d try to tell her lies. They’d try to tell her it wasn’t her fault Malcom had died even though she’d used Thor’s Hammer, Mjolnir, to cave in his chest while he held the demon Jormungand long enough for her to deliver the coup de grâce. They would tell her he was more than ready to sacrifice his life to save the day.

True, Malcom might have been. But she wasn’t ready to let him make that sacrifice. No, he’d forced her to sacrifice him. And now he was gone, leaving her to deal with the guilt of his death all alone.

“Malcom, why did you go and leave me?” She gritted her teeth and glanced back toward the building behind her. “Would I be waking up with random people if you were here to hold me?” She swallowed down the thought before it could take root, before it could burn her in fresh flames of guilt. No, when it came to 
that
guild, avoidance was better. If she could avoid it long enough, maybe the nightmares would fade too.

Even if they didn’t go away, even if they haunted her until the end of time, she didn’t want to step back into that world again to find out if Malcom was still there, still somehow alive. Reliving terrible memories was one thing, forging new ones was quite another. Deep down she recognized she was being selfish, but that didn’t really change her opinion of the matter. If something else happened, Ian and Amy could take care of it themselves.

She was done. And they couldn’t make her come back. She wouldn’t let them. Not even if it would bring Malcom back. Which it wouldn’t. No. The world would have to find a way to keep on spinning without her.

“The universe wasn’t very smart when they picked me as one of its defenders.” Kim stifled a sob as she reached her car and unlocked it. The beep of the door echoed through the empty parking lot. She pulled the door open and stared at the pile of energy drinks and fast food wrappers littering the passenger side of the vehicle. “I’m a mess.”

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GLOSSARY

I’ve decided to include a glossary of certain terms found within this book. This list, more or less, falls into line with the actual mythology although I made some of them up, some are twisted to fit my story, and others are from my other books.

Atropos
 – One of the three Greek Fates. She is known as the cutter, deciding when a person must die. She inhabits one of Sabastin’s computers.

Balder
 – A Norse god. He is killed due to Loki’s trickery.

Bellum
 – The Latin word for War. This is what the Horseman of War is called throughout the book.

Blue Prince
 – A god of space and time from 
The Lillim Callina Chronicles.
 He currently lives within the body of Caleb Oznek and is the counterpart to Morgan, The Red Queen.

Brokkr
 – A dwarven smith. He created Mjolnir and many other objects.

Caleb
 – A member of the Dioscuri. He wields the sword Incinerator and is host to a being known as the Blue Prince.

Clotho
 – One of the three Greek Fates. She is known as the spinner, determining how a person will be born. She inhabits one of Sabastin’s computers.

Cyclops
 – A monster from Greek mythology with one eye.

Dioscuri
 – A group of supernatural warriors from 
The Lillim Callina Chronicles
. Their job is to fight monsters and keep the world safe for humans.

Fames
 – The Latin word for Famine. This is what the Horseman of Famine is called throughout the book.

Fenris
 – A giant wolf who will break free of his bonds at Ragnarok and kill Odin before being killed by Vidar. He is the first of Loki’s monstrous children.

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
 – Four beings who will signal the coming of the apocalypse from the book of revelations.

Gleipnir
 – A magical rope created to bind the Fenris wolf until Ragnarok.

Gungnir
 – A magical spear wielded by Odin. It is said to never miss its target. It was crafted by dwarven smiths.

Haijiku
 – A Japanese word meaning “Being defeated.” It is the name of the sword used by the Dioscuri in 
The Lillim Callina Chronicles.

Hades
 – The Greek god of the underworld.

Hel
 – The third of Loki’s monstrous children. She presides over the realm of Hel which is home to the restless dead.

Incinerator
 – The sword used by Caleb. It is powered by the Giant Surt.

Jormungand
 – A Norse monster known as the world serpent. He is the middle of Loki’s three monstrous children. During Ragnarok he and Thor will kill each other.

Jotunheim
 – The land of the frost giants in Norse mythology.

Loki
 – A trickster god from Norse mythology. He is technically not a god, but is instead a giant. He is the father of Fenris, Jormungand, and Hel. He will fight on the side of the giants during Ragnarok. He was sealed away following the death of Balder. He is also the blood brother of Odin.

Lachesis
 – One of the three Greek Fates. She is known as the allotter, and decides how a person’s life will unfold.

Lillim
 – The main character from 
The Lillim Callina Chronicles
. She is the daughter of Sabastin.

Mantle
 – An important role passed from one person to another.

Mjolnir
 – The magical hammer wielded by the Norse god Thor. It was crafted by the dwarven smith Brokkr.

Morgan
 – A god from 
The Lillim Callina Chronicles
. She is the Red Queen and is the counterpart to the Blue Prince.

Mors
 – The Latin word for Death. This is what the Horseman of Death is called throughout the book.

Muspelheim
 – The land of the fire giants in Norse mythology.

Odin
 – The king of the Norse gods. He is the god of wisdom and will be killed during Ragnarok by the Fenris wolf.

Polyphemus
 – A cyclops from Greek mythology. He fought Odysseus on an island when the Greek hero was lost at sea.

Ragnarok
 – The Norse version of the apocalypse. During this time the world is reduced to ash and many gods, giants, and monsters are killed. Afterward, the world is reborn.

Sabastin
 – The former leader of the Dioscuri and father of Lillim Callina from 
The Lillim Callina Chronicles
.

Sleipnir
 – An eight-legged horse that is ridden by Odin in Norse mythology. It was birthed by Loki.

Surt
 – A fire giant who will consume the world in flames during Ragnarok. He will also kill the god Freyr. This is the spirit that inhabits Caleb’s weapon, Incinerator.

Thor
 – The Norse god of Thunder and lightning. He wields the magic hammer Mjolnir.

Vali
 – A Norse god of Vengeance. Thought to be either the son of Loki or the son of Odin.

Vidar
 – The Norse god of Vengeance. He is the son of Odin and kills the Fenris wolf during Ragnarok to avenge his father’s death.

Victoria
 – The Latin word for Victory. This is what the Horseman of Conquest is called throughout the book.

Yggdrasil
 – The world tree. Its branches extend into each of the nine Norse worlds.

Zef
 – A god of death called the Black Prince from 
The Lillim Callina Chronicles
. He is the counterpart to Rhapsody.

Table of Contents

• Amy 01:01
  
• Malcom 01:01
  
• Ian 01:01
  
• Ian 01:02
  
• Malcom 01:02
  
• Ian 01:03
  
• Ian 01:04
  
• Ian 01:05
  
• Kim 01:01
  
• Kim 01:02
  
• Kim 01:03
  
• Kim 01:04
  
• Ian 01:06
  
• Kim 01:05
  
• Ian 01:07
  
• Malcom 01:03
  
• Kim 01:06
  
• Ian 01:08
  
• Kim 01:07
  
• Ian 01:09
  
• Kim 01:08
  
• Malcom 01:04
  
• Amy 01:02
  
• Ian 01:10
  
• Malcom 01:05
  
• Amy 01:03
  
• Ian 01:11
  
• Ian 01:12
  
• Amy 01:04
  
• Kim 01:09
  
• Malcom 01:06
  
• Ian 01:13
  
• Kim 01:10
  
• Amy 01:05
  
• GLOSSARY