“No.” Even as I said it, my stupid heart knew otherwise. I did like him. Maybe too much. I winced and looked away.
“Just don’t forget you’re a part of this equation too, okay, Myra?”
“My opinions?”
“Your feelings.” She tipped her head down to catch my gaze. “You deserve to love someone too, you know.”
“I don’t—”
“Someone who challenges you mentally and keeps you on your toes emotionally. It might not be Bathin, as a matter of fact, maybe it shouldn’t be Bathin, but it should be someone. You deserve love. And no matter my circumstances or Ordinary’s or the job’s or anything else that you’re carrying like you’re the only Atlas in the whole danged universe, you deserve to have love. To be loved. Okay?”
“Sure. Fine. Whatever.”
She slapped my shoulder. “It’s more than ‘sure, fine.’ It’s yes. You deserve a yes. Also, how about: ‘thank you for reminding me that life isn’t all about work, big sister.’”
“Do you want that on a cake?” I asked.
“Yep. Red velvet, butter cream frosting.” She opened the door and stood.
“I’m all outta frosting,” I muttered. But she heard me.
“I’ll just keep reminding you until you give in and believe it. Or bring me a cake.”
“I got it. I deserve love.”
“Say it like you mean it, sister. ‘Cause even I can tell you don’t.” She crossed the yard to the path that wound around the back of the nice three-story house.
“Would it kill you to let it go?” I asked.
“Nope. But I’m not going to.”
And that, right there, was what I was afraid of. But I didn’t say anything, because we’d had enough honesty for the day.
Chapter 9
“You call this an altar?”Raven asked.
Frigg slugged him in the arm. Hard. She was a deity and could pack a wallop.
“Didn’t ask your opinion,” she said. “And I never said it was an altar. That was Delaney.”
He glanced over at Delaney and tipped his head. “How does this look like an altar?”
Delaney pointed to the five huge fir trees that surrounded us. “When you look around us, all you see is trees. But when you look to the sky?”
Raven did just that, and so did I. The tops of the trees carved a perfect five-point star out of the sunset sky, a whorl of orange and bubble-gum pink clouds swirling through the deepening blue.
“Not bad,” Raven said.
Frigg made a noise of agreement. “It’s old. And strong. It will hold the powers without the complication of them being in some small containment where they can be easily stolen. Like a water bottle.” She raised an eyebrow and gave Raven the stink eye of all stink eyes.
Raven, well, Crow, had been stupid enough to leave the god powers he was supposed to be guarding in the old furnace of his glass-blowing studio. The powers had been stuffed in a water bottle and stolen.
It had been the beginning of a lot of trouble that had ended with the gods all leaving Ordinary.
He leered at her. “Like you didn’t have a good time. Someone had to shake things up around here.”
“If you’re staying,” Delaney said, “you need to release your power to me, Raven. And through me to this place of safe holding.”
