Monica, a scarf over her head, met me after school. “I’m not sure…”

“I’m not sure I’m stopping it. Right now, there are certain fire giants…”

“I’m more worried about a frost giant,” she said, quietly.

“Look, if I try to negotiate with Surtur, he’ll hit on me.” A pause. “How much do you know?”

“Angrboda and Loki.” She shrugged. “And fire giants. Looks like the fire giants start it, but Angrboda’s likely to…”

“…finish it, by some means or other. I know the fire giants start it. Probably the same ones that killed a bunch of people including a mortal Angrboda had an interest in.”

“Oh…crap. Then she might start it.”

“Six of one, half a dozen of the other, and it doesn’t really matter. How are you holding up?”

“I’m…coping.” She smiled slightly at me. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Can’t help it.” I offered a smile back.

“This is my test, not yours.”

“Eh. I’m overprotective.” And what would happen at the end of it? I didn’t fancy attending her funeral.

Then again…knowing what I did? Funerals weren’t nearly as sad as they might have been. Not here, anyway.

She grinned. “Of course you are. One day you’ll have more to protect. That’s a promise.”

That grin seemed a little wan, though. Forced. Enough that I didn’t ask her what she knew or had foreseen. I wanted to know. I didn’t want to ask her. “As long as I don’t fail.”

“I don’t think you will. But for right now, we need a plan to keep that fight from…”

“How do the Vanir get involved? And are we talking Freya’s warriors or full blown minor deities?”

“Both. And…I think they’re trying to keep things more focused.”

I nodded. “Sounds like Freya. So. Maybe the trick is to move it. The middle of the Mall is not a good place.”

“The fire giants don’t care at all. Angrboda doesn’t care much less than that.”

“Freya might, though. Maybe she’ll have some ideas, but when I tried to talk to her, she was busy.”

Monica nodded. She looked so fragile physically, but I could see something else. See or feel. I could feel her strength growing, almost too much for her body.

I didn’t want to know more than that. “But her representative said he’d try and see if she could find the time.”

“Can’t ask…” Then she frowned, swaying on her feet.

“Monica?”

I caught her before she hit the ground.