Rainbow swirled around me. “You won’t get into trouble for this?”

Thor grinned. “Not this time. I have permission.”

I almost stumbled a moment later. Man, I really was hurt. But then a hand reached for me. I took it…and the pain faded away immediately.

“I leave her in your hands, Eir.”

I looked up at the goddess of healing. “Thanks. I really need patching up.”

“You do.”

He wouldn’t have brought me here if I was in real danger of dying, and it wasn’t long before I was feeling better. “Thanks.”

“What hit you?”

“Four fire demons and a succubus.”

“…you did pretty well, then.” Eir studied me. “I suppose I should send you back, though.”

I knew I couldn’t stay longer than was necessary. Not a moment longer, in fact. “I have a girlfriend who’ll be worried,” I quipped.

“Indeed.” She studied me again. “Well. I think you’re up to the task.”

“Of looking after Kanesha? She’s the one who looks after me,” I couldn’t help but joke back.

“Of…well…whichever path you follow.”

That implied there were choices. “I won’t start Ragnarok.”
She smiled at me a little sadly. “One day it will no longer be possible to avoid it.”

“Well, we can put that off for a while, right?”

One hand twined in her braid. “I hope for a long time indeed.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Me, reassuring a centuries-old goddess. But then, she was healing and hope and life.

“Thank you,” she said, gravely. “You will always be welcome here.”

Then she lifted her hand and in a rainbow swirl I was neatly deposited outside my apartment. Why not inside?

Maybe because it was my apartment they couldn’t just port in. Something to ask Thruor on, now she was apparently out of mourning. Or whatever she had been doing. Instead, I went inside, where all of my instincts told me Kanesha waited.