“So tell me the truth.”
I glanced around the room before returning my attention to her.
“Why this?”
The question wasn’t about the room.
“Did you choose it because you thought it was what I’d want?”
I took a step closer.
“Or because it’s what you want?”
For a moment she didn’t answer.
Her gaze drifted around the room, the ropes, the frame, the careful intention of the space.
When she looked back at me, there was no uncertainty in her expression.
“I chose it because it frightened me.”
The corner of my mouth twitched.
“That’s generally not considered a selling point.”
A faint smile appeared.
“No. But it felt honest.”
She took a slow breath.
“The first time I walked into Midgard, I was pretending to be someone else. Every decision I made came through that lens. Hecate would have chosen what looked impressive. What shethought people expected. What she thought would keep her in control.”
Her eyes held mine.
“I don’t need her anymore.”
The words landed somewhere deep inside me.
She glanced around the room before looking back at me.
“Raia told me what Asgard was. What it meant to the people who built it.”
A small shrug.
“Mari supplied commentary.”
I laughed.
“Extensive commentary, I imagine.”
“Very extensive commentary.”
The corner of her mouth lifted.
“But what stayed with me wasn’t the stories.”
Her gaze never left mine.
