The twins showed up after breakfast. “So…”

 

“So? I explained…”

 

“You explained drunken incoherence last night.”

 

I laughed a bit. “Who’s fault was that? Anyway. We supported a noblewoman named Helgr who thought she could defeat Surtur in fair challenge.”

 

“He cheated.”

 

“No. He won fair.” I let out a breath. “But then refused to give us the traditional night and day. We had to flee pretty hard.”

 

Ebba nodded. “Of course he cheated. But if he beat her, that cements his position.”

 

“The land is still with him, for some reason.”

 

“The land probably has Stockholm syndrome,” Kanesha joked.

 

I glanced at her. “You might be right. Old patterns. Familiar evils. Or maybe he does still love his realm.”

 

Ebba nodded. “He does. I suspect he is torn between dying to save it and trying to save both it and himself.”

 

“And somebody has to be sacrificed.”

 

“Let’s make it him.”

 

I shook my head. “If his heart isn’t in it, it not only won’t work, but we won’t be able to do it. We can’t just kill him.”

 

“Maybe we can,” Kanesha mused. “I’ll think about it.”

 

I smiled. “Everyone needs to think about it.” Of course, part of me might have argued that she couldn’t know much.

 

But she did. No goddess with eternal wisdom, but Kanesha was the smartest person I knew with the possible exceptions of my father and Odin.

 

Ebba nodded. “Everyone should try to come up with plans and then put it together. Jorun, why don’t you give Kanesha the tour.”

 

Kanesha recognized the dismissal, but didn’t argue with it. My only surprise was it being Ebba who wanted to talk to me privately, not Jorun. I had always thought Jorun liked me more.

 

After the two left, she turned to me. Then sighed. “My people prepare for war.”

 

“I know.”

 

“I want to trust you to end this, but I don’t.”

 

“That’s fine. I don’t trust me either.”

 

She paused, and then laughed. “Good. People who trust themselves to succeed tend to fail.”

 

I grinned, although it was still weak. “So, what did you want to talk about in private?”

 

“Well, Jorun is going to talk to your lady about keeping her safe, but I have a feeling that’s…”

 

“Kanesha won’t accept being hidden away somewhere.”

 

“If she fights in this battle she will die.”

 

“It’s her choice. I’m not going to wrap her up in cotton wool.”

 

Ebba considered that. “Then perhaps you will succeed after all.”

 

“Because I let the people I care about help me instead of trying to be the one sole protector.”

 

“It definitely helps. Now…I want to show you something.”