Despite the “terrorist attack” I passed all of my finals and had to worry about graduation.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to actually walk. Surtur might be well occupied, but there were other people who wanted a piece of me. And people were suspicious. There was only so much that could go on before whatever mechanism made people not want to see the truth started to fail.

I was a trouble magnet and I was glad I wouldn’t have to go to school any more. It was too regular, too obvious a target.

But Kanesha convinced me I had to do it anyway. I wondered if I could hide my sword under the gown. I decided against it – there would be metal detectors and fooling those gave me a headache. I’d have to rely on…well.

On the fact that the biggest threat was busy and anyone else I could deal with hand to hand. Or with whatever weapon I could get. Thruor had been drilling me on improvised weapons lately. You couldn’t always count on being armed.

And as it approached, I realized I was more nervous about being on stage. Which was stupid. Nobody was even going to notice me in the crowd. Not the way they’d noticed Kanesha. She was smart. I wasn’t in the same way.

Our graduation robes were blue and red. I didn’t look good in the particular shades chosen, but again, nobody would notice me. I wasn’t even sure I’d get an audience at all.

If I did they’d have to be careful. I officially didn’t have family. But I had friends. And unlike prom, nobody was hassling me about inviting Kanesha.

And my father. Who had better, I thought, behave. With him there, though, I was even less worried about somebody causing trouble. We got the mayor as speaker.

But when I stood with the others, I realized I had a good audience after all. Not just Kanesha and my parents – both of them for once – or Clara, who was sitting with her classmates. Charles Sarlac had shown up. Thruor. Angrboda. And…I was sure, absolutely sure, Mike was sitting next to Thruor.

I was fairly sure nobody else could see him. But it made my heart do weird things in my chest. He had been something very special to me.

No, he still was, and I had to stop thinking like that. Even as I had the thought, he seemed to solidify in my vision.

Yes. He was definitely there. And…was that Father Will?

I had family. I had plenty of family. Not all of them family of blood, but that didn’t matter.

Loki and Odin showed family of choice were just as important – and just as likely to screw each other up. All of my nerves went away. I was able to accept my diploma without shaking, and while I was sure nobody else noticed me, most of the people I cared about were here. I was even pretty sure I saw at least one raven.

And nobody attacked. I was going to get to celebrate again. And then shake the dust of this place off of my feet – an attitude I knew I shared with most of the other young people on stage.

Nobody wanted to stay in school. Except teachers, I thought wryly. Kanesha, of course, intended to spend much of her life in places like this.

I hoped loving me wouldn’t get in the way of that.

Loki waited until the next day to show up. “Well played.”

“I…” I tailed off. “I couldn’t let them die. I couldn’t go with him either.”

“So you stalled until help showed up.”

“Odin sent her.”

Loki nodded. “Well, sent is probably the wrong word. She likes you. He probably just sent a raven to tell her you were in trouble.”

“She was grumbling about nagging ravens.” Beat. “They do talk rather a lot, don’t they.”

“Not that much more than ordinary ravens. If you listen properly.”

I made a note to do so next time I heard a raven. Or even a crow. They were smart birds, after all, not that much less smart than humans. “Point.”

“I’m glad you managed…”

“I’m glad nobody died. They’re calling it terrorism, too, but they can’t find the suspects and nobody’s quite sure why they suddenly gave up and disappeared.”

“Surtur is in real trouble,” Loki mused. “But if he can dodge the assassins for a month or two, they’ll decide he’s strong enough to continue to put up with.”

“I’m not a horrible person for hoping he doesn’t?”

“Not at all.”

I decided not to mention Kanesha’s desire to deal with him herself. “Then again, that would be a trickster thing, wouldn’t it? Put your enemy into a position where his other enemies do the job for you.”
That got me a sardonic, one-sided grin. “Of course. Especially if you can’t fight him yourself. But he’s canny and he’s been in charge a long time.”

“In a culture where assassination is a reasonable way to get a promotion,” I mused. “Yet another reason not to want the job.”

“Well, you could also make people like you enough that they don’t want to assassinate you. That’s never occurred to him.”

I laughed. “Or maybe he’s just not that likable.” A pause. “He must have some redeeming qualities, though.”

“Everyone does.”

I thought about it. “Yeah. Even the evil entities I’ve met have been nice in some way or other.”

“We’re all a bit good, a bit evil. It’s a question of which we let dominate us.”

“At any given time.” I glanced at him.

“I have reasons for everything I do,” he said, quietly. “Trust me on that.”

I realized that I did.

We went to an all ages club. The downside to celebrating here was not being able to drink. The upside of going to an all ages club was that Clara and Seb could join us.

“I don’t think it’s over, but…”

“We can hope, right?” Kanesha turned dark eyes towards me. “I can hope.”

This had to be harder, in some ways, on her than on me. Or…no. As much as I loved her, I couldn’t read her mind. Wouldn’t if I could, for that matter, because I loved her.

Angrboda shrugged. “I don’t think he’ll bother you for a bit.”

“I was told killing him wasn’t my job.”
Angrboda glanced sidelong at me. “You’d probably enjoy it, though.”

I considered that. “I don’t know. Beating him up, I’d enjoy. I think I have too much of my mother in me to enjoy killing.”

She laughed. “I’ve seen Sigyn…well, never mind. She’s every bit as capable of killing as I am. As you are.”

“There’s a difference between being capable of it and enjoying it,” I noted. “I enjoy fighting. I don’t mind killing when I have to.”

I glanced at Kanesha.

There was a bit of a grim set to her face. “Doesn’t it depend on who it is and what they did?”

I got the feeling she would enjoy killing Surtur. No, not enjoy. “Kanesha…”

“I would be quite satisfied to take Surtur out. Enjoy’s probably the wrong word. And I know I can’t, I know he’d kill me in five seconds. But…”

And I knew that was the real reason why she hoped he wouldn’t come back, hoped he would be taken out by internal politics or whatever it was he was dealing with. Because she didn’t appreciate that feeling in herself.

“There’s nothing wrong with that feeling,” Angrboda said.

Clara nodded in agreement, then went back to cuddling Seb.

“But acting on it?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that feeling,” the giantess repeated. “What’s wrong is letting that feeling rule you so you do something stupid.”

Kanesha let out a breath. “Okay.”

I rather thought Angrboda was right. “Plus, it’s hard to control our feelings. We should worry about our words and actions instead.”

“Exactly. Or not, if your name is Loki.”

I laughed out loud. “Careful. If we speak his name too many times he might show up, and that might be awkward.”

“Not any more. We’re pretty much over each other and into friends now.”

I glanced at Clara and Seb. Who were still cuddling. “How about we stop talking about dark stuff and just enjoy the music?”

“I thought you were never going to shut up,” Seb quipped.

So, we enjoyed the rest of the evening and I stopped worrying about Surtur altogether.

I knew Odin couldn’t intervene. If he did, then that too would start the war.

I knew he was watching. I straightened my shoulders. “No.” It wasn’t even a not negotiate with terrorists thing.

And the temperature in the room dropped about twenty degrees.

“No?” came an acid voice from behind me.

“You!”

I stepped to one side, knowing exactly who was behind me.

Allies in Jotunheim.

“Me.” Angrboda said. “Now, stop this foolishness, because I am not going to let you start the war.”

“Let me? I have my guard with me.”

She laughed. “Yes. Outside. And you are in here with me and Loki’s daughter. Fool.”

As she moved past me, she handed me my sword. She must have broken into my place to get it.

Or maybe the sword had broken out. It wasn’t like it wasn’t alive, after all.

Surtur narrowed his eyes. “I had wards, and she was unarmed. I am not that much of a fool.”

Wards that might have stopped Angrboda if she hadn’t had a bit of help.
And giants fought all of the time. The blade in my hand, I approached Surtur. “Release the girl and leave or we’ll give you…”

“…a good spanking,” Angrboda finished, unslinging her axe with a grin.

He couldn’t die here, neither could we. Not permanently. But apparently he didn’t want to take on both of us. In the illusion or far seer or whatever, the giant released the girl.

I wondered if that thing went both ways. I moved forward, but Surtur vanished in a puff of flame.

Of course, that left the giants outside free to act. They didn’t. Maybe without him to give orders, they realized killing hostages was dishonorable.

“He just crossed a line. You might not have to worry about him any more,” Angrboda said softly.

“Would be nice. But I don’t think it’s going to be that simple. Thanks for showing up.”

“Hard to ignore those pesky ravens when they start nagging.”

I laughed. “Odin couldn’t do anything himself or even send Thor or something without risking starting Ragnarok, but nobody cares if you get into it with Surtur.”

“Exactly. Now, tell me you’re done with exams.”

“Done, yes. In a hurry to get drunk on your beer again…”

She clapped me on the shoulder hard enough to make me stagger. “Then let’s celebrate here. Find that lover of yours.”

I grinned. “Works for me.”

The small army of fire giants outside, I suspected. “You have more honor than this. Why so desperate?”

“You will find out. Now, come.” He extended his hand to me.

I couldn’t go with him. I couldn’t not go with him. True, I wasn’t responsible for the actions of my enemies, but…

Right now would be a very good time for backup to show up. I didn’t care what kind of backup.

But if I went with him…

He lifted his hand to show what was happening outside. That they’d grabbed a bunch of people.

Then I realized Clara was one of them. And she was up to something. On her own, though, I doubted she could cast a spell powerful enough to do anything but get herself killed.

Then she flickered. Well, at least she could do that. It didn’t matter. I’d placed an obligation on myself to protect these people.

Help, I thought, hoping it was loud enough for somebody to hear. I was dangerously close to panicking.

I could see the cops showing up. They weren’t sure what was going on. They were more people to get killed.

“I’m not going to give you much longer.”

“If I go with you, then the war will start and all of these people are dead anyway.”

Come on. Somebody had to be aware of what was going on.

“But you will…”

“No. I am not responsible for your foolish choices. A king does not start a war.”

“A king does what he has to to stay…”

“…alive?” So, he was under threat. He thought that in addition to ensuring his victory I could stabilize his position.

It was not my task to kill him. “You think I care about whether you live or die? Because I don’t.”

“And if whoever…”

“I’ll cross the bridge of your replacement being worse than this when I come to it.” Maybe he would back down.

In truth, I knew I was stalling.

One of the fire giants grabbed a girl. She screamed.

How was he…no, he was probably instructing them the same way I was calling for help, desperate.

I felt, then, the sense of raven’s wings.

No.

They waited until the end of finals. At least, I’m pretty sure the pulled fire alarm was just somebody trying to get out of an exam. It happened almost every year.

Last ten minutes of my last test. My last test of high school. Unless I took college classes…

…and the fire alarm went off again. So did all of my instincts. There was a fire exit at the back of the classroom close to my seat. I had it open in what had to have been record time, propping it back as people streamed out.
Except me. I waited for last, sniffing the air. There was an actual fire this time. I could feel it, sense it.

It called to me. It wanted me.

It wasn’t just any fire. I didn’t have my sword, I didn’t risk that when actually on campus and at school.

I had a feeling this time I wouldn’t need it. This wasn’t a battle for that kind of weapon.

He was here.

He was here in person and I wanted to run. Instead, I let everyone else rush out into the parking lot and then walked to the other door. Opened it.

I could sense him. I could follow his aura. He was in the gymnasium.

That was where another exam was taking place. He’d set off the alarms with smoke, now he stood there.

“Ah, you’re here. The rest of you can go now.”

They fled, almost knocking me over as they rushed through the door.

He walked towards me.

“You think this will get me on your side?”

“I can’t play games any more.” He fixed his eyes on me.

“If you take me by force, you will not just deal with me.” That was a promise. I hoped Kanesha was safe.

“Only if you tell them. If you come with me, then nobody dies today. If you don’t…”

I swallowed. I couldn’t fight him. I could sense now…he wasn’t doing anything to conceal his aura.

He couldn’t hurt me physically.

“You intend to start the war now. Over me.”

Could that be what the prophecy really meant? It could, I knew. You could start something without being responsible for it.

“I can’t let you do that.”

But if I didn’t, he would start killing people. On the other hand, he’d let his hostages go.

What supported his threats?

Needless to say? I got drunk.

Not stupid drunk, but drunk enough that I had a not entirely clear memory the next day of singing twisted, heathen-ized Christmas carols with Angrboda in the street. Oh, and a hangover.

“You have a hangover?” Kanesha asked, far too loudly.

“Angrboda…took me…girls night out.”

“In Jotunheim?” I could see her shaking with silent laughter. “I’ll get you some water.”

“Just wait until it’s you,” I grumbled.

“I know better than to drink frost giant beer.”

“I am supposed to be able to take frost giant beer!” I winced as I accidentally raised my own voice too high.

I recovered pretty quickly, of course, but I wasn’t about to do that again. Well, okay. Until next time. I knew there would be a next time.

And Kanesha was going to tease me for the next month.

“Did you do anything stupid?” she asked once I felt well enough to join her for breakfast.

“Singing.”

“Well, you aren’t that bad…when sober.”

“…I think it got kind of bawdy.”

“Of course it did. What was with her anyway?”

“She got dumped and picked me to drown her sorrows with.”

Kanesha laughed. “Why would she pick you?”

“For extra awkward? I didn’t have the heart to say no.” My head was still kind of fuzzy. “At least it’s not a school day.”

“At least.”

“But I do have to study. Grrr. I should have thought of that.”

Her parting comment as she left me to do just that was, “Yes, you should.”

I did manage to focus enough to study, which as finals were about to happen was a good thing.

Literally about to happen. My first one was tomorrow. And I’d let somebody talk me into underage drinking. What had I been thinking?

I’d been thinking that I needed to relax. I’d been right. But I shouldn’t have had quite so much frost giant beer.

And wine. Now I recalled there was also wine involved. Which I hadn’t expected.

Well.

Maybe one day I’d go back there, but for now I had to study. And hope nobody attacked anything in the middle of finals.

That didn’t mean I trusted him. Now the seeds of doubt had been sown, they were very hard to shake.

Which I had a feeling was part of the point. If he was a bad guy, then I had to be careful. If he was not, then the demons had gone a long way out of their way to make me suspect him.

Which meant that things could only get worse if his father showed up. So, I was absolutely certain that would be the next thing that happened.

It wasn’t. Because life could never actually be that predictable for somebody like me. No, the next person to show up was Angrboda.

Who was melting again. I let her in my new place.

“What happened?”

“Somebody burned my old place down.”

“That was rude of them.” She sniffed. “You have better wards.”

“Should have done it before. I know enough witches.”

“Witches,” she pronounced as I found a cold soda for her, “Are very handy to know.”

“You know a bit yourself, as I recall.”

An evil grin. “Just a bit.” When I handed her the soda, ice appeared in the can.

I laughed. “That’s…”

“Easier than pouring it into a glass.” She let it cool a little further, then drank.

I opened a can for myself, but didn’t bother with the ice, deciding it was cool enough without. “So…”

“So. I promise, this is a social call.”

I laughed. “What happened?”

Her lips quirked. “There was this young man…”

“…you got dumped. You really should go to Thruor. She’s allowed to drink.”
Angrboda laughed. “That’s only a law on Midgaard, kid.”

“Point.” Did I want to go chasing off through the Nine Realms with her? Probably…yes. I knew there was something horribly awkward about developing a friendship with your father’s ex.

But I couldn’t help but like her.

“So…” She finished her soda. “Want to come paint a town red? That’s the saying, right?”

I laughed. “It is.” She took my hand and there was a faint rainbow swirl. We emerged in…a frost giant town.

“I’m going to stand out.”

“Oh, everyone knows who you are. Don’t worry. Nobody ever starts a fight in this bar.”

As soon as we stepped inside, I could see why. The bar keep was approximately the size of the bear I’d hunted with the dwarven sisters. Angrboda tugged me to the bar.

“So, what happened…” the bar keep started. Then fell silent as Angrboda glared at him. “Got it. Your usual.”

I decided, bravely, “And one for me too.”

He looked me up and down. “Well, huh. You’re slumming it.”

I snorted. “Not really. You can’t tell me you never see my dad here.”

He laughed. “Not never, no. But not your mother.”

I considered that. “My mother isn’t big on bars.”

He slid a tankard of something across to me. It was beer. Or beer-ish anyway. Very cold, but I expected that.

Very strong, which I also expected.

Apparently it was a good idea to Thruor too, as she ordered a large bowl of chocolate and chocolate mint.

“Having a bad day?”

“Having a frustrating one,” Thruor admitted. “Concluding in that. We haven’t seen the last of that guy. He was too stupid.” She glanced at Derek.

Derek nodded. “But why would he deliberately give me his name?”

“Maybe he’s hoping you’ll accidentally summon him. Or maybe he was trying to make us more suspicious of you.” I let out a breath. “I mean, he could ward against me seeing stuff. Maybe you are on his side.”

To his credit, he only bristled a little.

“I think I can verify that he isn’t,” Thruor said. “No offense, Jane, but I’m quite a bit more experienced at dealing with souls than you are.”

“None taken.” She was a valkyrie, after all. Dealing with souls was her job.

She turned to look at Derek. I couldn’t see what she was doing, so I drifted closer to Kanesha and munched on my ice cream.

“What is she doing?” Kanesha whispered.

“Scanning him.” How else could I put it.

“That’s kind of…”

“Weird? She’s not reading his mind or anything like that.”

I sensed that light presence again. Glanced to the doorway. Sarael was standing just inside, watching, carefully positioned where Derek couldn’t see him.

The angel was up to something. Probably something good. Probably something amusing. The trickster angel, I thought.

But in no danger of falling. Maybe he’d make some changes, something that would…

Or maybe the humorless stuff was all an act anyway.

“You’re clean,” Thruor said, eventually. Then she glanced at the door.

So did Derek, but Sarael was already gone.

“You have a guardian angel for real, I think. He has a sense of humor.”

“You know him?” Derek seemed surprised.

“We’re rivals. We’re not enemies. Anyway. Be careful. That was a full blown demon lord that came after you.”

“And intentionally gave me his name. I’m being set up, aren’t I?”

“Probably. You need to get one step ahead,” Thruor said. “And be very careful. I don’t want to see you in Hell, after all.”

I was very much inclined to agree with her. Now he wasn’t trying to kill me, I rather liked Derek.

The door didn’t break in.

It shattered. The place was apparently every bit as rundown as it appeared. And I was promptly face to face with a war demon.

I swung, and my blade went straight through it. Make that the illusion of a war demon. “Nice one.”

Why not a real war demon? Probably to get me off balance. “I’m here for Derek.”

“Of course you are.” The demon formed out of smoke. “It’s too late.”

“No it isn’t. You’ve been trying for him for months. He’s stronger than you.” I hoped I was right.

I hoped that horrible feeling that he was compromised was just me being paranoid and cynical.

“Want to see for yourself?”

“You just don’t want to fight me.” Keep him talking, I thought. Keep him talking while the others found a back door or whatever Thruor had in mind.

He laughed. “You aren’t worth the effort of fighting.”

Well, that was a better reaction than launching himself at me. I wasn’t confident I could beat him. “Okay. Show me.”

He turned and descended into a basement which, surprise surprise, was done up as a movie summoning zone. Best way to put it.

Derek was sitting there, a sardonic grin on his face. I narrowed my eyes, but still saw no taint on his soul. Then again, this demon had blocked me before.

“I suppose you’re going to tell me you’ve seen the light now?”

“I’ve seen where the real power is, yes.”

But I’d see it. I’d sense it. Instead, I sensed a vague presence of light. I laughed inwardly.

Sarael.

The angel with a sense of humor. The one who liked my dad.

“Well, then, nothing I can do here.” Come on, Thruor, I thought. Come on.

There was a back door into the basement. It was one of those cases where the place was a bit of a slope.

Thruor and Kanesha came through it a moment later. The demon whirled, startled.

“I…”

Derek abruptly said something mostly in Latin. The demon yelped and vanished.

“What…”

Derek laughed. “What a bloody idiot.”

“What did he do?”

“He was so wrapped up in himself he didn’t realize I was lying to him and he…”

“…handed you his true name on a platter. World’s stupidest demon.” I was laughing too.

“You knew.”

“I was paying attention. You had help, though.”

“I did?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Somebody was helping hide your aura from him. Not from me. It was quite amusing, though.”

“Well, then.” Thruor was not quite laughing. “Let’s go get some ice cream.”

That sounded like a very good idea to me, and probably an even better one to the person who had just been kidnapped.