I started to doubt whether he would not be almost right away, though. It was Odin. He did what was necessary, often regardless of who it hurt.

I knew that. I supposed what I didn’t understand, or didn’t want to understand, was why what was happening to her was so necessary. What we would gain from it.

Maybe I needed centuries of perspective to understand. “So…we can…”

“We can contain it.”

“And Kara can cover it up. Part of me wants to help Angrboda beat on them.”

“You certainly have grounds. I wouldn’t have interfered this time, but you were facing poor odds.”
“I appreciate it. I’m not feeling like getting my butt kicked today. But I also have a responsibility.”

“You have learned much responsibility.”

Did that make what Odin had done to me worth it? I rather thought it did. “Being surrounded by fragile people does that.”

Freya half-grinned. “Yes, it does, although I don’t think your Kanesha is that fragile.”

“She certainly tries not to be.” But no matter how tough she was, she was still fragile compared to me.

And I was fragile compared to the goddess who stepped into my apartment after I did. I knew that. Inexperienced, young. Fragile.

Freya made me feel all of those things in a way Loki, or even Odin’s messengers didn’t. Maybe I had a certain amount of desire to be like her. Maybe, if I was really honest, I had just a bit of a crush.

Obviously not anything I’d act on, but I was allowed my feelings. So was Kanesha. I wasn’t ever going to be the kind of girlfriend who tried to police my partner’s brain. Especially as I wouldn’t be surprised if we did develop telepathy one of these days. The more experienced and powerful gods certainly seemed to know what I was thinking a good part of the time.

“That’s because you think loudly.”

I laughed, but blushed a little. “Is it…”

“It’s a knack. And I don’t think anyone had taught you how to not be so loud. We should fix that.”

“I’d appreciate the lesson.”

She nodded. “I’ll teach you. I’m better at it than Thruor and you don’t want to trust Loki.”

I grinned. “He wouldn’t hurt me.”

“He would thoroughly embarrass you.”

I paused, then moved into the kitchen. “Oh, I could get plenty of revenge if he did that.”

I could see her lifting her hands through the corner of my eye. “Not getting involved in that.”

I laughed.