“Be careful,” Thea said. “He probably is some kind of demon or dark spirit.”

“Or a rival.”

She considered that. “Rivalry, yes, but it doesn’t tend to lead to people being beaten up. And it’s not as much as people think. If he was worried about physical violence. You saw his reflection, right?”

“Right. Does that mean he wasn’t a vampire?”

“No. It’s actually some kinds of demon that forget their reflections. It would have meant he wasn’t really there and lost that detail of the illusion.”

I laughed. “Got it. So, he was probably physically present and I could have beaten him up. I just didn’t want him to know I didn’t know what he was.” I felt myself blush a little.

“Smart. He’d have taken advantage of your ignorance, although it sounds like he wanted to take advantage of you.”

I felt myself blush a lot. “Uh…”

“And you wouldn’t have turned him down, either. Like I said, be careful.”

I looked at Thea…one of these days I’d work out in my head to think of her as Thruor. And it came out without thinking, “He’s not as hot as you.”

She laughed. “I’ll take that exactly the way it was meant.”

I was blushing and looking away at this point. “I…uh…”

“Look at me.”

I did, with an effort.

“I’m not going to take you up on it because I don’t have that kind of interest. But if you do, it’s not a problem. Trust me.”

I thought of Loki and horses and nodded. “Alright, except…look. I tried talking to the GSA about it. About how I feel. He told me I was just confused and needed to make up my mind whether I liked boys or girls.”

“Oh boy. One of those.” She reached out and put the back of her hand against my cheek. I shivered.

“You do not have to make up your mind. You have to be true to yourself and your own nature. And while it’s true that’s still in flux right now, this may be part of it. And if it is, then it’s very important.”

I pulled away a little from her hand. “Thruor….”

“Very important for everything you are and everything you have to do.”

I couldn’t see how it could be, but if I didn’t have to choose? I trusted her more, and it felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders.

I didn’t have to choose?