I jolted awake, my head smacking hard against the wall behind me as I scrambled away from the man, but my room was empty. The Æsir hadn’t found me. I released my breath slowly, shakily, willing my heart to calm down, and scrubbed at my sore eyes. My hands came away wet, and I stared at them, confused.
What was I dreaming of that made me cry? Or was I just that afraid?
Shaking the cobwebs from my head, I grabbed my phone, then blinked rapidly to make sure I was seeing the time right. I glanced at the orange light coming through the window over my bed. I’d slept the whole damn day away.
Not like there was anything to do, anyway. I sighed and leaned against the wall, a black cloud descending over me. There was so much swirling around in my head, it was hard to focus on any one thing. I rubbed my head, my body craving action my mood wouldn’t allow. Baking was my go-to for break-ups, but it would only remind me of what I’d just lost.
My eyes stung and I wiped them angrily. If I didn’t do something, fight my way through this, depression would keep me in bed. I forced myself out of my room and into the shower, hoping the hot water would help wash everything away. All the secrets, all the lies, all the fear and uncertainty, the dregs of the nightmare clinging to my skin.
I shuddered at the memory of the distinctive hammer, the only piece that remained after I woke up. I hadn’t been kidding when I’d wished for a place to practice without being detected. If my powers picked now toreallystart waking up, maybe it meant something bad was about to happen.
Yeah, like a demon attack?
Okay, yeah, maybe those demons got things started, but I had a feeling I was about to be pulled into a fight far beyond me. Hell had restarted the war on Heaven, demons had apparently been coming after me for a couple years, and I was still hiding from Norse gods who wanted to do who-knew-what to me for being born. Growling to myself, I shut the water off, the smell of my coconut shampoo lingering.
If my dad eased back on his protection because he thought I could handle myself now, then I would be caught up in this mess whether Lucifer was around or not. Demons might not be too big an issue, as long as there weren’t too many, but I’d probably freeze up in panic if someone like Thor dropped down in front of me. No, Loki wasn’t that cruel; there was a huge difference in power level between the demons I fought and my pseudo-uncle, and he wouldn’t leave me to fend for myself against another god.
Not yet, anyway.
I hoped.
I dried and stood in the middle of my room, debating between clothes or pajamas. The sun was setting, but I didn’t want to be cooped up inside another minute. There were still a few more hours before dark, so I threw on some loose pants, a tank top, and sneakers, then pulled my hair into a ponytail. I stared at Lucifer’s amulet for several seconds, then grabbed my regular carnelian necklace, tucking the pendant down into my shirt where it wouldn’t batter my collarbone. It was daytime, so demons wouldn’t be an issue.
As I passed through the living room, my eyes stopped on the uncracked TV.
Looking over my shoulder, her bedroom door hung open—a good sign Sophie wasn’t home. I could ask her about it later and pay her back. I hit the sidewalk running, looking out of place among the bundled-up residents of my neighborhood in only my tank top. I ignored the stares and headed toward the bay, passing Sophie’s gym and the park, then made a left when I hit the Harborwalk.
It felt weird to be out jogging without Sophie. It was the only exercise she could talk me into, and we usually only did it on warmer days. Even with other people around me on the trail, I felt more alone than ever. I tried to shut my thoughts out and sink into the surrounding noises, on the heavy footfalls of the other runners around me, the cars driving nearby, the water, the overall atmosphere of Boston.
My breathing leveled out as I found my pace. Depression wasn’t a frequent occurrence, but it happened to me enough to know physical activity like running or baking helped most of the time. When it didn’t, Sophie or my mom would bring me chocolate and we’d binge whatever movie genre I was in the mood for—usually 80’s movies, but it varied as widely as my taste in music. The key was to force myself when all I wanted to do was wallow in bed for weeks, and I’d done an okay job since high school.
I turned around at the community center at L Street Beach, intending to head back only to find a huge blonde guy right behind me. After the nightmare I’d just had, terror seized me, and my power flared around my fingertips. He held his hands out, warding off my impending attack.
“Wait!” he said, green eyes wide with the Sophiee panic I felt. He was built like a tank, but if I kept my distance from those muscles, I could hurt him enough to get away. “I’m not here to hurt you, I promise.”
My eyes darted around the area, suddenly realizing no one else was nearby, and I took a step backward toward the beach. “Were you following me? Who are you?”
“My name is Nathan, you’re Alexis, and yes, I was following you, but I have a good reason.”
Well, at least he was honest about it. I moved slowly away, hoping to circle around him. “Okay, yeah, I don’t play with the whole stalker thing, so you should probably go back where you came from. I’d rather not hurt you either, but I will if you make me.”
I didn’t sense the overwhelming power of a god, but he could’ve had it masked as easily as my dad usually did. Then again, he could’ve been human, too. My gaze hung on the sword at his hip, and my mouth went dry. Fighting a human might be easier, but I couldn’t just kill him like I did the demons in the park.
And if he was Æsir, I didn’t stand a chance at all.
He followed my gaze to the weapon hanging from his belt loop, then his eyes snapped back to mine. “It’s complicated to explain. Can we talk for a second?”
“You can stay way over there and talk, buddy.” I pointed to where he stood. “If you come closer, I won’t be held responsible for what happens to you.”
He hesitated, then took a step back, and I cocked my head curiously. I was only five-and-a-half feet tall and he was a half-giant. Was he taking me seriously? He nodded and leaned against the low wall along the path.
“Is there a way for you to… uh, turn your power down some? It’s hard to think so close to you.”
My eyes widened. If he could feel my power, then he was definitely somethingother. But what kind of other? I concentrated and pulled it back in as close as I could manage. Nathan’s shoulders visibly relaxed, and he took a deep breath.
“So? What’s this all about?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, this is gonna sound weird, but you’re in danger.”
