"You care for this one," Hödr said finally. "You care a lot."
Thor glanced at his brother. It still astounded him how someone who had no physical sight saw so much. They’d never spoken about it, but he often wondered if Frigg had bespelled him because she felt guilty that Vali had been born only to kill him and avenge the death of Baldur.
"I do," Thor admitted.
Hödr nodded and laid his hand on Thor's shoulder. "It's good you've found happiness and made peace with the past. You would have missed out on something amazing with her if you hadn't."
Thor blinked at Hödr. "What do you mean?"
"With Surtr. Forgiving him for Ragnarök, and realizing it had to come about. I mean, if nothing else, it allowed us to come here, and you to find her."
Thor's mind whirled. "What are you talking about? I haven't forgiven Surtr. I will still avenge us for what he did."
Hödr’s eyes narrowed. "Is she aware of that?"
Thor looked at Hödr, then at Elle, and back to Hödr. Dread snaked through his gut.
"Why would Elle care about my plans to avenge us with Surtr?"
Hödr's eyes widened, and an expression of guilt mixed with shame crossed his face.
Thor's throat dried.
Elle’s abnormally warm skin. Her raw, untapped power. A strange connection between them. Her flaming hair. The golden flecks in her eyes. The way Frigg had taken her in. The way Odin had known her. The way Val didn’t seem to like him, and her need to protect Elle from him. And now Hödr. Hödr, who couldn't see with eyes, but saw beyond what others did.
Frigg’s words floated back to him.
"Be careful."
"I am not going to hurt her."
"I didn't mean her. I meant you.”
No. It wasn't possible. Couldn't be.
"She's a fire giant," Thor said.
Hödr stared at him unblinkingly, pain crossing his face.
“Tell me,” Thor commanded.
Hödr didn’t speak.
Thor grabbed his wrist and squeezed. “Tell me what you saw.” It wasn’t a command, but it came close.
Hödr sighed and removed his wrist from Thor’s grip before running it through his hair. "She's Surtr's daughter. Can't you sense the power flowing through her? The faint smell of smokiness to her skin."
Thor got up from the table so fast his chair tipped backward and crashed to the floor. His heartbeat slammed inside him. His temples throbbed as the lights flickered.
Everyone stopped moving. Lightning crackled outside, and thunder rolled across the top of the building. Time slowed as Elle turned and their eyes connected.
Surtr's daughter. Elle is Surtr's daughter.
The smile she wore fell. Lightning hit the floor next to him, knocking Hödr out of his chair.
"Thor!" Odin yelled. "Enough."
Val jumped in front of Elle. Twin silver and golden blades protruded from her wrist bracelets. Val... Valkyrie. How had he not seen it? How had he been blinded?
