Feuds. Well. Feuds happened. I hadn’t wanted this one, but I had to end it. I knew the way to do so was to take out their spirit bomb creator.

Preferably without killing them. I’d rather make them see the error of their ways.

I did almost want to kill whichever of the two had thrown that bomb. Not knowing which one it was, though?

And besides, I wanted to save that for if they really asked for it, even if they had me itching for my sword.

I didn’t appreciate being called a demon. I did wonder if I’d have become one if I’d said yes to Tyz’vel.

He’d promised to teach me the trick. The trick of stepping outside the cycle of life and death. I realized I didn’t want it.

Of course I didn’t. I laughed, not just inside but out loud. “We create ourselves.” She’d said that, Thea.

We create ourselves, and we are what we will ourselves to be. It was true of mortals too. They just did it through their choices.

Their choices. And I had some too. The fire? I thought about it, and realized I had a choice.

To accept that particular thing or set it aside. But I couldn’t make that choice without understanding what it meant. I didn’t understand it. I understood it as a weapon.

I understood it as something that was being offered to me.

And Surtur ruled the realm of fire. I wasn’t making that choice until I’d talked to Odin. Preferably not through a bird, even if I did like the birds.

I needed to know what I was getting myself into, and the offer of fire power could be a proposal, for all I knew.

But if it wasn’t, if it was something I did want and I turned it down?

The fire giant was there. I crossed the street again. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Working on the issue with the hunters with spirit bombs. I’m going to find the witch making them and deal with her.”

“With luck she’ll deal with herself,” the giantess said, grimly. “Usually, witches who start messing with those end up blowing themselves up.”

“That would solve the problem.” And I wouldn’t feel too bad about it. People blowing themselves up through their own stupidity?

That wasn’t my problem.