I really had no idea how to fix it. But sitting in my new apartment…this one big enough for me and Kanesha, although still not fully furnished…I felt a lot more able to tackle the problem.

 

And perhaps I’d sowed a seed of…doubt? If somebody else got rid of Surtur it would fit the prophecy I had got from Monica and solve a lot of my problems. Unless that somebody else was even worse.

 

Somebody who would, for example, start the war now without me rather than later with me.

 

But the only way I could stop him from setting fire to something else…I could not kill him. My sword wanted to.

 

My sword was distinctly annoyed, and I sensed the edges of that. Well, the sword did not get to decide what we did next.

 

I did.

 

Kanesha came in, struggling through the door with books. I moved to help her. “Hey.”

 

“Hey. Please try not to get yourself arrested next time.”

 

I had, of course, told her the entire story. Which she found inordinately amusing, much to my annoyance.

 

I didn’t appreciate my partner laughing at me. Even if it was funny. Even if I would probably be joining her eventually. It had the feel of one of those things that would be hilarious once time had mellowed it some.

 

“I’ll try.”

 

“And by the sheriff, too.”

 

I managed a grin. “He sure acted like one. I wonder if my dad would have any insights into the problem.”

 

“If he had, wouldn’t he have already said something?” She was stacking the books somewhere convenient but untidy. I didn’t care. I didn’t exactly plan on doing much entertaining of people who were not my friends.
Friends wouldn’t care about a few stray books. I certainly wouldn’t.

 

“Point. But that assumes he isn’t still hoping I’ll fail.”

 

She frowned. “It does.”

 

“I know part of my job is convincing him not to pull the trigger, but…”

 

“But he probably still thinks, at least to a point, that it’s the right time.”

 

“Exactly. We can’t rely on him for help. Thruor saw some stuff, but she’s not that sensitive to fire.”

 

“And I can’t even…”

 

I moved to hug her. “Kanesha, you’re the best of all of us. You don’t let anything stop you mixing it up.”

 

She laughed weakly. “Which may get me killed one day.”

 

“I’ll try and keep that day in the future.” It was my job to protect her, after all, even if she did sometimes try to reverse things.

 

Even if she did keep up as best as she could. But one day…I knew she would fall. Knew it in my heart.

 

The only thing that kept me from pushing her away was the knowledge that she knew it too.