“Ha. She told you it wasn’t her style?” Loki leaned back on the park bench he was sitting on.

“Let me guess. She’s no good at it.”

He nodded. “No better than her father. Both of them have always needed help not to be bulls in china shops.”

I shook my head. “But you could potentially teach it to me?” Asking him did feel like taking a step to his side, and I remembered the raven. In my mind it looked down its beak at me disapprovingly. This, though, could be useful.

“If you want to go down that road.”

“Meaning?”

He shrugged. “You know what I am.”

“By choice or just by nature?”

He lifted his hands. “How can you ever know which is which? How do you know you’re choosing to do something as opposed to just being who you are?”

I considered that. “If it’s a difficult choice, then it’s a choice.”

“Good one.”  A pause. “I can teach you. I won’t even attach any strings to it. But Thea…”

“Thea didn’t seem too disapproving.” Which probably proved he was right about her not being any good at it as opposed to ethically opposed. “I think she saw my point. Besides…that bike of hers.”

He laughed again. “Oh yes, the bike.” Amusement shone in his hazel eyes. “I think you should think about it.”

“You aren’t going to push me into anything? Like say handing over horns?”

“Not this time.” He stood up. “Jane…be careful.”

“From you?”

“I know something of what might happen, sometimes. Not as much as Odin does, but glimpses. You are in immediate danger, so, be careful.”

“Danger of what?”

“Falling afoul of a male who has his mind on only one thing.”

“I can handle him.” I knew who he meant.

“I know you can, but you still should be careful. Even the weakest can bring us down if we aren’t paying attention. Or get cocky.”

“From you?”

He laughed and then just turned away. As he walked away, he seemed to get older. Or, perhaps, it was a trick of the light.

Nah.