Read Online Arthur Quinn and Hell's Keeper by Alan Early - Free Book Online Page B

worked. When she was gone, you took off the ribbon, setting Hel free. But you couldn’t have known what this would do.’
    Arthur thought of his mother’s grave back home in Farranfore. He thought of the gravestone with the little framed picture. ‘We buried her, though. How could she survive underground?’
    â€˜She’s half god. Loki survived a thousand years underground; Hel can definitely survive a few years.’
    â€˜If she’s so powerful, then why hasn’t she freed herself from the grave?’ Ash pointed out. ‘Just wipe the coffin and earth from existence? Or why allow herself to be buried in the first place?’
    â€˜Quite simply, she isn’t powerful enough. She’s been asleep for so long she needs Loki’s presence to restore her fully. It was the same with the Jormungand. Even I felt stronger when Loki turned up.’
    â€˜I don’t understand,’ Arthur said, suddenly loud. ‘Who’s alive? My mother or Hel?’
    â€˜Both. Two personalities are trapped in the one body, like two sides of the same coin: that of the original child, human and good, and that created by Loki, godly and evil. Rhona had been in charge for twenty years. But with the ribbon removed, right now Hel is ruling the coin. She’s much stronger than Rhona and as soon as Loki releases her she will suppress your mother’s personality and be completely in charge.’
    Arthur looked deep into Fenrir’s gold-coloured eyes. ‘You have to help us,’ he pleaded.
    The wolf-man got up, shaking his head, and walked away. ‘I can’t,’ he said. ‘I won’t face him again. I just need to get away.’
    â€˜Get away to where?’ piped up Ellie. ‘If Loki wins, there’ll be nowhere to hide.’
    Fenrir looked at her with sad eyes.
    â€˜I don’t care,’ he said. ‘I’ve lived long enough. There’s no point in fighting a hopeless battle. I just want to spend my remaining days in peace.’
    â€˜But–’
    â€˜You have no idea the unimaginable pain he can inflict on me. I won’t do it. Besides, there is nothing I can do against Hel. Only Arthur has a chance of stopping her.’ He turned to the boy. ‘The only way that I know of to defeat her is if Rhona can regain control of the body. And you’re the only one who might be able to get through to Rhona, to give her the strength to do this.’ He stood in the doorway, shoulders hunched stubbornly. ‘But you need to go now. Loki and Drysi are probably already on their way to find Hel. They tricked me into telling them who she is.’

    No one spoke on the way back to the car. They’d left Fenrir on his boat, realising that he’d told them all he could. Despite final pleas from Ash and Ellie, he had refused to change his mind about helping them. So, reluctantly, they left.
    As they walked back to the Beetle, Ellie said quietly, ‘It’s up to us.’
    Silent nods between the rest of them indicated they were all in agreement. Only Arthur didn’t nod. Now they knew where Hel was, they had to assume that Loki was headed there too. They just had to reach her before he did. No discussion was required; they all knew what had to be done, even if they didn’t know how to do it. Ex turned on the ignition and they set off once more.
    When they were nearly out of the city and Ex had to figure out which motorway to head for, he broke the silence.
    â€˜Where is your home exactly, Arthur?’
    â€˜Farranfore, Kerry,’ he replied monotonously from the backseat. ‘But there’s no point in going. Loki will get there before us. We’ve lost.’
    â€˜We haven’t lost,’ said Ash, trying to sound more cheerful than she felt and break through the wall of despair that seemed to have enclosed Arthur since he had learned the truth. ‘Not yet. We can still reach there first.’
    â€˜No, we