It stayed with me through the next day. Yngva had brought a dagger. I wanted to keep it for myself.

 

It was beautiful. The hilt was well bound and it was equally balanced for throwing and stabbing. The steel had red in it.

 

Oh, I wanted to keep it. I certainly did not want to destroy it, and that might give me some idea what I was up against. Beauty.

 

Stolen beauty, of course. It was not mine and if I did not destroy it I should probably return it. But that didn’t stop me from spending time admiring it.
Then I tried to work out how it was made. Was the red in the steel fire or blood? I feared it might be the latter, but I sensed no hint of such sacrifice.

 

Fire, then, bound into the steel to temper it, to make it stronger.

 

To make it, I suspected, particularly good against frost giants.

 

Balgefa was jealous.

 

No, I would not keep this thing, as gorgeous as it was. I would not claim it for my own.

 

Would destroying it release the fire? I probably did need to talk to somebody else with fire nature.

 

An efreet, Zaid had suggested, but I knew only one and had no desire to ever be alone with him. Of course, maybe I wouldn’t have to be alone.

 

I called Zaid. “I have a dagger.”

 

“Want me to…”

 

“Call him. Just don’t leave me alone with him or I’ll end up slapping him.”
There was laughter from the other end. “That’s a motivation to do exactly that.”

 

It probably was, if Zaid was as annoyed with the guy as I was, but he was here, he was already aware of who I was.

 

He was the best prospect. While I waited, I stared at the dagger as if it would release its secrets to my gaze alone. It took them about thirty minutes to get here.

 

“So, letting me in your place?” the efreet asked.

 

“To help. Don’t get ideas.”

 

“Will you put in a good word for me with Derek?”

 

“That’s up to him. This is about stopping Ragnarok. And besides, I’m sure I can find something you want. Other than a kiss.”

 

Zaid was laughing silently. I gave them a dirty look, and then indicated the dagger on the table.

 

“Oh, now that…” He frowned. “That is gorgeous.

 

“You aren’t getting it.”

 

A laugh. “I don’t want it. But it is a fire blade…what does this have to do with stopping Ragnarok?”

 

I told him.

 

I didn’t want to tell him everything. But I did.