"Do you have a favourite?" Daisy asked.
"I'm going to have to look around more before I decide anything like that," I responded. "But the bee is amazing."
My cousin beamed. "I'm proud of that one. It took weeks to get the wings to look as if they were actually flying, but I'm so happy with how it turned out."
"You should be."
She let out a satisfied sigh. "And this is an amazing turnout." She looked around the room at the dozens of guests who were caught in various conversations and admiring her work.
"No more worries?"
"Oh, plenty. But your sleep potion meant that I've had enough rest so I'm able to manage it better. So thank you."
"It's what I'm here for."
"It really isn't. Ah, this is who I'm looking for," she said as she reached a woman with light blue hair tied up in an elegant twist, and a dress that skimmed every part of her.
Daisy cleared her throat, but not before my heart started beating faster at the prospect of the woman who was about to turn around. I knew who it was, there was no way I didn't, but that only caused complicated feelings about what it might mean.
Hel turned, a brief look of shock on her face before she covered it with a winning smile. "Daisy, the place looks fabulous," she said, leaning in to kiss my cousin on each cheek.
As much as I could work out how the situation in front of me had happened, I was still a little surprised about it, especially as I'd had no idea that the two knew one another.
If only I'd gone through with my promised research into the Norse pantheon, then I might have had some inkling of what was going to happen today.
"This is my cousin, Clara. And this is Hel, Thor's niece," Daisy said.
Hel looked at me, her lips twisting up into a knowing smile. "Good evening, Clara."
The way she said my name filled me with reminders of our night together, and that was going to be a hard thing to forget, even when I was in the middle of a crowd of people.
Someone called Daisy's name, and she let out a sigh. "I'm going to trust the two of you to make the rest of the introduction," she said. "Enjoy." She waved and headed off into the crowd.
"It's an unexpected pleasure to see you here," she said with a slight smile, already making me feel a little flustered.
"Likewise."
"Daisy's your cousin?"
"And Thor is your uncle," I responded. "We could have saved this if either of us thought to use names the other night."
She laughed. "So, what do you think of the gallery?"
"It's very pink," I said, looking around.
Hel snorted. "That's love gods for you. They live for the drama. The only ones who can rival them are death gods. We really are the worst."
"Right, you're a goddess."
"In more ways than one," she responded while raking her gaze down me.
My whole body heated in response. She shouldn't be affecting me like this. "That's not very one night of you," I murmured.
"Flirting isn't sex," she responded. "And I've been drinking, so no sex for me tonight."
"That's a strict rule."
She shrugged. "It's a rule nonetheless. And yes, the whole place is very pink. Jinx events tend to be like that. I do enjoy the open bar, though." She waved towards the bar that I couldn't imagine lived in the gallery full time, but was clearly functioning as a proper one.
