It probably was just that Loki could make anyone laugh. I was sure Sarael would be back to his serious, near-emotionless self next time I saw him.

Unless that was a mask he was expected to wear and we’d caught his guard down. Maybe it was all about maintaining an angel’s reputation.

Well, nobody expected me to be sexless, humorless and overall boring. People expected me to kill things. I didn’t mind that.

Maybe he didn’t find being that way boring. We still had a succubus to catch, though, and I feared she was now rather on her guard. I hoped she wasn’t, but I feared she was.

Also that she would attack again, and try to catch me – or worse, Kanesha – on my own this time. I wondered if there was any way I could give her an edge.

Actually, there was one obvious edge I was pretty sure I could get my hands on somehow. A decent weapon. I really wished Thruor was still around, or still around more. I’d talked to her a couple of times.

She was still too upset, perhaps. But as I thought about her, I felt a ping on my radar. Not Thruor.

Kara.

I waved to the valkyrie and crossed the street. “How’s she holding up?”

“She’s holding up fine. She’ll be more present soon, she says. In the mean time, you called?”

“I’d like to get Kanesha some kind of decent weapon.”

Kara nodded. “I’ll talk to her.”

I had my sword with me and tapped the hilt. “Nothing special, just…something to give her a bit of an edge when I’m not with her.”

“Still having succubus problems.”

I nodded. “And Surtur problems. Although he had the cheek to try being nice to me.”

“He’s a fire giant. Their moods change with the wind.”

“What does that make me?”

She grinned. “A mutt.”

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or hit her – but she was only being accurate. I was a mixed breed. “I’m not that volatile. And it’s one more reason not to marry him. I’d never keep up with the mood swings.”

“Or you’d be an anchor for him. But it’s your power he wants.”

“He wants to protect his people, or so he claims.”

Kara’s lips quirked. “That too. Maybe one day he’ll realize the best way to do that is to stop starting wars.”

“Isn’t that fire giant nature, too?” I was faintly amused that a valkyrie was talking about not starting wars.

“Perhaps.”