A lot of space. Odin might not harm me, but he was certainly well up for messing with my head, putting me in difficult situations…

I rather thought that he expected the same of others that he expected of himself, and given what he expected of himself? That could be a lot. But I knew that.

Surtur always messes up somehow. That was oddly comforting. And oddly disconcerting. Had he tried this before?

Had he tried to seduce other women? Of course he had. For somebody like that to be single…

But why didn’t he…why had he never gone to Odin and suggested a truce. Because Odin wouldn’t give him one?

Because he absolutely did not trust Odin. I didn’t blame him, but at some point somebody had to trust somebody.

“If nobody trusts anyone,” I said out loud. “Then we’re going to end up with a war.”

It felt like profound wisdom, but it was probably so obvious to people who’d been around longer than me that it didn’t count.

Except, perhaps, Surtur. Maybe that was his problem.

He wanted to protect his people. If that was true, I could use that, and I was certainly not above a bit of manipulation.

Then, I was jumped. My fault for thinking instead of paying attention. I went down, but I rolled with it, got clear of whoever it was and threw a punch before I even thought.

“Ow!”

That wasn’t a demon’s or a giant’s voice. “Don’t attack me, then.”

The young man peered at me. “I thought…”

“I was somebody else?”

That, of course, was when the succubus showed up. Not the big powerful one, but the same one of her minions I’d fed laxative.

“I found you.”

“Get out of here,” I told Mistaken Identity Guy. He was already backing away. With a shiner. He was lucky I hadn’t broken his nose.

She smiled, though, and he hesitated. “And this one…”

“Oh, leave him alone.” I rolled my eyes. “We can talk. If I’d wanted to really hurt you, wouldn’t I have already?”
The kid managed to break and flee, to my relief.

“Why did he attack you?”

“He claims he thought I was somebody else.” I shrugged. “My quarrel’s with your mistress, not you.”

“Why bother, godling?”

“She annoys me.” It was a facetious, shallow answer, but it felt like something a demon would understand.