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“You’ll recognize hiet me a scone”

She flew out of the shop like Super Musli me to pay for our order

I got two large coffees and two scones and found a table outside

Spring had arrived early in Boston Patches of dirty snow still clung to the curbs like dental plaque, but the cherry trees popped hite and red buds Flowery pastel clothing displays blooh-end boutiques Tourists strolled by enjoying the sunshine

Sitting outside, comfortable in my freshly laundered jeans, T-shirt, and deni in three years that I hadn’t been homeless

Last March, I had been scrounging froe in the Public Garden, hanging out withto stay alive

Then, two iant I’d woken up in the Hotel Valhalla as one of Odin’s einherji warriors

Now I had clean clothes I took a shower every day I slept in a coht I could sit at this café table, eating food I’d actually paid for, and not worry about when the staff would force

Since otten used to a lot of weird stuff I’d traveled the Nine Worlds ods, elves, dwarves, and a bunch of ical sword that presently hung around my neck in the for conversation without in New York and made her life difficult Apparently North Aods We had a full-blown infestation

All of that I’d learned to accept

But being back in Boston on a nice spring day, hanging out like a regular mortal kid?

That felt strange

I scanned the crowd of pedestrians, looking for Sanize him when you see hiuy had, and why Sam considered it life-and-death

My gaze fixed on a storefront at the end of the block Over the doorway, the brass-and-silver sign still gleamed proudly: BLITZEN’S BEST, but the shop was shuttered The front door as papered over on the inside, with aBack soon!

I’d been hoping to ask Samirah about that I had no idea why my old friend Blitz had abruptly disappeared One day a feeeks ago, I’d just walked by the shop and found it closed Since then, there’d been no word from Blitzen or Hearthstone, which wasn’t like them

Thinking about this made me so preoccupied I alht on top of me But Sam was correct: he kind of stood out It’s not every day you see a goat in a trench coat

A porkpie hat edged between his curly horns A pair of sunglasses perched on his nose His trench coat kept getting tangled in his back hooves

Despite his clever disguise, I recognized hioat on another world, which is the sort of bonding experience you don’t forget

“Otis,” I said

“Shhh,” he said “I’nito Call me…Otis”

“I’nito works, but okay”

Otis, aka Otis, climbed into the chair I’d reserved for Sam He sat on his back haunches and put his front hooves on the table “Where is the Valkyrie? Is she incognito, too?” He peered at the nearest pastry bag as if Sa inside

“Sao reap a soul,” I said “She’ll be back soon”

“It hed “Well, thank you for the food”

“That’s not for—”

Otis snapped up Saan to eat it, paper and all

At the table next to us, an older couple glanced at oat friend and smiled Maybe their mortal sens

es perceived hi

“So” I had a hard ti cru to tell us?”

Otis belched “It’s about my master”

“Thor”

Otis flinched “Yes, him”

If I worked for the thunder god, I too would have flinched when I heard Thor’s naod’s chariot They also provided Thor with a never-ending supply of goat ht, Thor killed and ate the, Thor resurrected therow up you do not have to take a job as a oat