I gave her a withering stare and she lifted her hands, but the anger was nearly spent after the physical exertion. All that was left in its wake was exhaustion, both physical and mental, and a need for answers, though I wasn’t ready to see him again until I had a conversation mapped out in my head. Fate may have had us in its ultimate design, according to my dad, but that didn’t meant I had to accept every fucking situation I found him in.
“You’ve been at this a while,” Sophie said, placing a gentle hand on my arm as I settled into another fighting stance. “Maybe what you need is to just go out and have a good time.”
My hands fell to my sides, my muscles screaming with relief. I hadn’t worked them that hard in too long. Across the mat, Nathan perked up.
“That’s a good idea. I actually asked Sasha to leave Ace and Silas watching over the beach and make the trip up here.” He flushed and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “I hope that’s okay. You two seemed to hit it off yesterday. I thought it’d be—”
“No, that’s perfect. I like her,” I interrupted, turning back to Sophie. “You wanna join us? I have no idea where we’ll end up, but it could be fun.”
She thought about it for a few moments. “Are you sure a human wouldn’t ruin this demigod party? I’m assuming this Sasha person is one, too, right?”
“You’re Lexi’s best friend,” Nathan answered with a smile. He moved to the edge of the room and grabbed his phone where he’d left it on the floor. “You are more than welcome to join us. Does Boston have karaoke or anything? What’s fun around here?”
Sophie gasped dramatically. “We do have karaoke, but there’s this awesome dueling piano bar on D Street I’ve been dying to go to!”
“D Street?” Nathan snorted a laugh. “A bar on D Street, a gym on K Street. Boston went all out on street names, huh?”
I shook my head and started for the door as Sophie grabbed her bag. “Don’t forget, we also have more than one Washington Street.”
“This place is confusing,” he muttered, following behind us. “Small towns are so much easier.”
“Small towns don’t usually have karaoke or dueling pianos,” Sophie retorted, sticking her tongue out.
Nathan laughed. “Touché.”
She gave him a hungry look I recognized all too well, then turned back to me, hooking her arm through mine as we left the gym. “So, I’ve been working all day and need a shower before I do anything else. Find your friend and I’ll meet you there in an hour?”
“I can ask Loki to pick you up, if you want,” I suggested. “He’s been relegated to my personal chauffeur lately, but I don’t think he minds.”
“Mmm, a demigod is one thing. An actual god might be too much for this girl to handle.” She fanned her face, drawing out the southern in her accent.
I gave her arm a squeeze. “An actual god might be the only thing that could handle you, Sophie. Maybe Nathan could set you up. He’s a little more well-connected than I am.” I winked at the big guy and his cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink.
“I’ll consider that,” Sophie laughed. “Go find your friend and I’ll see you soon.”
Nathan and I kept walking after Sophie left us, and I steered him in the direction of the bakery. Construction had started along the back of the store and was coming along more quickly than I expected, a small parking lot taking shape. I was tempted to go inside and check on things, but Lucifer was on the schedule today with Chloe and Zoomy, and now wasn’t the right time for the conversation that needed to happen. I couldn’t sense him inside, but that didn’t mean anything.
As if sensing my darkening mood, Nathan nudged me. “Sasha says she’s at a tavern on,” —He narrowed his eyes on his phone— “L Street? Seriously, who made these decisions?”
I nodded, a hint of a smile tugging at my mouth. “Hey, Loki? Will you take us there?”
“You only had to ask,” he replied from behind us.
We’d barely had time to turn when the world shifted and suddenly we were standing on a sidewalk at the corner of L and East Eighth. Cars were parked along both sides of the streets while traffic moved along steadily. The smell of different foods fought for dominance, the Irish pub competing with the two Italian places on the other corners. The dark wood paneling on the outside of the tavern portion of the building gave it an old-world feel, which didn’t conflict as harshly as it should have with the shingle-style siding of what I assumed was a living space above it.
But Loki was gone before we ever saw him. His voice whispered through my head, though, and warmed my chest.
Whatever you need, daughter mine, you shall have.
“Why did she come here?” I asked, heading for the wash of heat emanating from the open front doors.
“Oh, she’s a big Matt Damon fan.” Nathan chuckled, throwing one last glance over his shoulder. “I’m surprised she never made this trip sooner just to come here.”
“I have, actually.” Sasha looked us over as she leaned against the wall just inside the door. “They just have fantastic food. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity while I was here. What the hell are you wearing?”
The blonde was bundled up in a thick coat, eyes darting between me and the grey clouds that threatened snow outside. I shrugged and held my bare arms out. “I’m made of lava, remember? I don’t get cold.”
She snorted and shook her head, leading us back outside. “Nathan said you needed a distraction. What’s the plan? We got another demon incoming or what?”
