The ghosts came back by the time we made it to Mike’s place. “Thea? Mike?”

Mike opened the door. “Thea’s not here. She went tearing off…there are apparently ghosts everywhere.”

“There are.”
And as a chooser of the slain, Thruor had her own connection to death and things that were supposed to be dead. She was probably trying to put things back.

That also explained Freya’s interest. “I need to talk to somebody.”

Mike nodded. “What can I do?”
“Would you and Kanesha mind going on patrol? Looking out for freaked out people?”

Kanesha grinned at me. “I can do that.”
She didn’t see it as me getting rid of her. Which it really wasn’t. Freya was trying to get my attention, I was sure of it.

The two of them left, Mike shooting a glance over his shoulder. “I’ll track you down once I’ve talked to her.”

I went into the house. I still had a key…Mike did trust me to that degree, at least.

I headed straight for the kitchen and raided the fridge. Apple juice, cheese, crackers.

The moment I had it out, the knock came on the door. I opened it, and she stepped in, looking much more grim than the first time I had seen her.

“Anansi.”

She nodded. “My warriors are incapacitated.”

“I sent Mike and Kanesha on patrol. The Valkyries are…”

“…trying to fix things. The artifact that was stolen. I tried to destroy it,” she said, simply. A pause. “Loki didn’t steal it.”

“He didn’t?”

“He was trying to find a way to get rid of it for good.”
And got careless. I frowned, then nodded. “And he didn’t find anything.”

“No, he didn’t. I now wonder if it might not be better to…” She frowned.

“If I come up with a way, I will…but…”

“You want to use it.”

I nodded. “I thought if we used it on Surtur.”

“You would end up with his fire powers, and he would be weakened.”

“But now I’m remembering that if I kill him they might try to make me queen of Muspelheim.”

Freya laughed ringingly. “A truly frightening fate.”

“But…but I already do have fire power.”

She nodded. “You have some fire giant in you. And some frost giant. It’s not surprising one or the other would manifest.”

“If that’s all it is…” Then I didn’t have to worry. “But I feel…inhibited from using it. Maybe it’s just that I associate it with the guy who wants to seduce me.”

“Maybe.” She studied me. “We have more important things to worry about. Hel’s trying to strengthen the boundary and she’s spoken to Hades. It’s also after the solstice, which helps on that front.”

“It’s Halloween,” I noted.

“Not a coincidence. The time death is already weakest.”

So, Anansi had planned that part of it. But I knew what she meant about it being after the equinox. Persephone was with Hades, and I had a feeling she was the scary one of the two. “I plan on stealing the artifact back from Anansi.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. Yet.”