I’d not actually been to Zaid’s place before, although I had the address. It was a dingy little basement apartment, if anything even smaller than my place.

Typical DC if you weren’t rich. I wasn’t even sure what Zaid did for a living other than write books about Egyptian gods, which probably didn’t make them that much money.

“Uh…”

“Just come on in.” The door wasn’t locked, although I could tell it was warded.

Zaid and Clara had, of all things, a world map out on the table.

“Any progress?”

“We’re pretty sure she’s at least on Earth somewhere. Which isn’t helpful, but it does mean this isn’t a complete loss,” Clara said with too much cheerfulness.

Zaid looked at me. Then at the young man. “This is the one who thinks they can take on gods?”

At the pronoun choice, the man blinked, kind of ducked his head. “I thought. Somebody told me gods were as powerful as you believe them to be.”

Zaid’s ringing laughter seemed almost feminine for a moment. “Oh dear. That’s circling again. It’s a misunderstanding.”

“Given she could have kicked my butt easily, yeah.”

Could have and didn’t. That probably counted for something. “They need to be convinced I’m not going to start Ragnarok tomorrow so I can be queen consort of Muspelheim.”

Zaid laughed again. “Oh dear. It’s those people again?”
“They’re unauthorized, although they may have been told to say that if caught.

His eyes kept flicking between us. “That…not that pronoun.”

Zaid looked at him. “Then which one do you want?”

He looked down again.

“Hey. Zaid and Clara don’t even know you. I don’t know your name. It won’t get back to your family.”

“I’m…Rob…Bobbi.”

“Progress,” Zaid said. “You might have to leave her with me, though.”

Bobbi blushed scarlet.

“I figured. That’s why I brought…her…here.” Given how little Bobbi looked like a she, that was even harder than they. “But I wouldn’t mind a progress report.”

“What are you doing?” Bobbi asked.

“Looking for a missing supernatural.”

Clara nodded. “The problem is…”

“If we could find her by scrying, we’d already have found her,” I pointed out, gently.

“You’re going about it wrong, then,” Bobbi said nervously. “Make her find you.”

I had no idea how to do that, but I knew she was right.