“I’m not actually going to kill him,” I said at breakfast. “But I’m going to stop him.”
“Because he’s threatening the things that matter to you. Whatever those are.”
“Excuse me for not telling you that.”
And then the door was kicked in. I looked up. “Thruor. Please join us.”
People were fleeing through every possible exit. Apparently valkyries showing up in Muspelheim was cause for fear.
I was sure she was not alone either. No, I glimpsed Bjorn behind her. The kid gave me a thumbs up.
“Do you actually need rescuing?”
“I need somebody to go to the stables, knock out the two guys there and retrieve my sword. Other than that…” I half shrugged at her. “We’re having an interesting political conversation here.”
The fire giant cop looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him up. “You told me you weren’t working for Odin!”
“She isn’t.” Thruor smiled.
She said nothing more. I watched him deflate like a pricked balloon. “I’m leaving now. I hope you didn’t tell Surtur you had me, so you’re spared the embarrassment.”
“When you…”
I shook my head. “Worry about keeping kids from getting lost in those tunnels. Let this be over your head. But be ready.”
“I am. There’s a storm coming.” He looked at Thruor. “There’s always a storm when the valkyries ride, and when they come here…”
“I am here,” Thruor said. “So we don’t have to.”
And I knew she trusted me more than I realized. That our relationship had shifted. That she wasn’t just my mentor any more.
Kara came in with my sword, sheathed. I took it from her, feeling oddly a little more whole for the weight of it. “Let’s go.”
Nobody dared to stop us. Thruor offered me a hand up behind her. “So…” she asked.
“They’re draining the energy to fight wars, but it’s being held somewhere. If we can release some of it then everything will be fine.”
“For now.”
I nodded. “But fine until it’s supposed to change. It’s not. Not yet.”
“I knew we could count on you.”
“Don’t count on me yet. I have no idea how to fix this.”
She nodded, then the steed whirled and we rode off into the early morning.