I took him to a late night deli, sat him down and bought him soda.

“Okay. There’s…”

“I know. I thought we had a truce. Apparently, the truce is over. Except that they’re smarter than this. Did they tell you to go after me yourself?”
His head hung. “I thought…”

“Okay. So you’re stupid and in violation of a truce.”

“I thought you were…”

“But you…oh, you don’t believe me.” I grinned. “You just don’t want your butt kicked.” I cracked open my own can of soda, took a swig from it.

“Uh…”

“Be honest. You thought you had some kind of cosmology thing that would let you beat a minor deity, and now you know you don’t…”

“Yeah. So, maybe I can beat you another way.”

“If there was any danger of me starting Ragnarok, then sure, you could try talking me out of it.”

“I dunno. If somebody was offering me a chance to be…you know…a princess and all.” He blushed.

“Wouldn’t you rather be a prince?”

He looked awkward. “Doesn’t the prince do all of the work?”

I tugged out my phone. I’d promised to let Clara talk to them, but…

“Who are you calling?”

“Somebody to set you straight about a few things. Somebody you aren’t afraid is going to set the entire planet on fire.”

I hit the speed dial. “Zaid, tell me you’re there.”

“I’m with Clara. What’s up?”

“Got a kid here who thinks mortals can fight gods. More courage than sense. And I think you’re the one they need to talk to.”

“Why don’t you come over and join us?” came the voice from the other end. “If they’re that brave…”

“I don’t want to pull them in. This is about something else.”

“We’re at my place. You know the address, right?”

I nodded and hung up. “Drink your coke. We’re going to show you some reality.”

He wasn’t about to argue with me.