“How so?” Lt. Lindsey asks.
“We gather a large group of people, and the second the Door begins to open, we remove them. We have time while the Door is opening to evacuate and put up a barrier.”
“It’ll be faster than last time,” Torin says. “Every time a Door is opened, it’s easier to be quicker at it. But it could work. I agree with Riley. We know he’s coming, so let’s pull him into our playing field where we’re prepared for him.”
Lt. Lindsey shakes her head. “Absolutely not. We cannot risk the lives of all those people.”
“If even one wolf escapes our confinement, what are you going to do about it? We can’t kill it. We can’t stop it,” I say.
“You’re willing to sacrifice us; might as well sacrifice some randos too,” Mickey comments.
“I’m not willing to sacrifice any of you,” Lt. Lindsey says, looking pained at the idea. “I just…”
“I’m joking,” Mickey says. “I know we have few options.”
Lt. Lindsey sighs. “I wish we had more. And maybe if the man is gone long enough, we can acquire more. I will speak to the others about the idea of setting up a trap and let you know, but I have my doubts they’ll go for it.”
“Torin, don’t you know any other gods who can help?” Mickey asks. “Maybe a sexy single one?”
“I never left my land until I came here. I only know a few gods, including the one I banished. There were a couple otherswho came to me. One is not a fighter, and the other would jump realms by the day. Finding him would be as hard as keeping Mickey awake for a solid eight hours.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Mickey says.
When Lt. Lindsey dismisses us, I ask her if Torin and I can go train. She insists we can train here, but I inform her I want to use magic that I would need a large open area for, and she waves us off. So Torin grabs his stapler and heads into the “sex box,” aka the elevator, with me.
Once back at his palace with an undead on call if something were to happen, we head outside to an open area where Torin picks up a practice sword before addressing me.
“You once said you went through an academy. Were you taught with weapons?”
“I’ve primarily fought with my magic, but I did have a love for martial arts and learned a wide variety of techniques that include knives and swords.”
“Good,” he says as he sets Kit to the side and places another practice sword in my hand. “Let’s retrain your brain how to fight.”
“Oh fun. By the way, Mickey wanted me to tell you he was bringing steak and lobster for dinner.”
“What is lobster? Is it like donuts?”
“No.”
“How disappointing.”
“I have a feeling you’re going to like it just as much as donuts. They’re animals from the sea.”
“Sea donuts.”
“No, just… you’ll see,” I say as he swings the sword at me, leaving me to dramatically miss and get hit right in the side with it.
“That was a love tap.”
“Oh, you love me now?” I tease.
He just freezes and I realize I broke him again.
“Stop thinking so hard; it was a joke. Remember, our relationship status is ‘Riley.’”
Torin relaxes and smiles at me. “I do like the status of ‘Riley.’”
“I kind of like it.”
