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Nike gave me a sad s very hard right now to save your life Focus, and you’ll see"

I concentrated and felt a soothing warh olden glow covered ht I heard Daphne screah her voice sounded faint and far away Suck it up! Don’t you dare die onto heal me," I whispered

Nike nodded "And your Professor Metis too"

The goddess walked over and sat down on top of the checkout counter No, that wasn’t quite right She didn’t seelide as much as float, as if there were so herher perched on the counter and swinging her legs back and forth like a kid made me smile

"You know, Nicka on the checkout counter I did it once, and he yelled at me for five minutes"

Nike smiled back at me "I won’t tell him if you won’t"

She patted the counter beside her, and I walked over and hopped up onto it, raceful and effortless than hers had been Sitting next to the goddess made me aware of the power that rolled off her in continuous waves That cold, beautiful, terrible power that oddess who and what she was-victory itself

We sat there in silence for several oddess

"Did I-did I save Logan?" I finally asked, unable to bear the quiet any longer

Nike nodded "Yes, you broke the spell the Reapers had placed on the Spartan boy He is himself once more Physically, he should be fine in a few days"

"And otherwise?"

She shrugged "It is a very extre a soul into another body, especially one as foul and rotten as Loki’s The god hiht not have been in the auditorium, but the Spartan boy was still linked to Loki No doubt he saw and felt things that he wished he didn’t-horrible things He will have to deal with that Plus, the boy hurt you He will have an didn’t mean to do it," I protested "He didn’t mean to hurt ine he’ll come to see that-in time"

The way she paused before she said the last tords made me shiver In time? What did that edup my spine

"So what happens now?" I asked "Will the Reapers try the transforain on someone else?"

She shook her head "The ritual can only be attean was the best candidate the Reapers had-the only candidate, really The Reapers knew they only had one shot at him, which hy they had his stepmother watch over him all these years Besides, they’ve used up almost all of Apate’s jewels froh left to atteain So you don’t have to worry about that Loki is trapped in his own ruined body-for now"

The way she said that made me shiver as well, but I focused on the other questions I wanted answers to

"Why wasn’t Loki there today? At the auditoriu hiht fail-or that you ht find a way to save your friends," Nike said "I’m proud of you, Gwendolyn You savedht of the dead bodies that had been piled on the stage, and all the others ould have been hurt or killed during the battle I didn’t know that I deserved Nike’s praise, but at least I’d saved Logan Still, I knew the goddess wouldn’t have come to me without a reason

"So what happens next?" I asked "What will the Reapers do now that the transformation ritual has failed?"

Nike looked out across the library, her eyes distant and far away In thatone of her visions of the future

"Since Loki is still trapped in his own body, he and his Reapers will o after objects that they think will help the war Weapons, aric Some with obvious power, and so, Gwendolyn"

The goddess turned her gaze to "

I’d figured as s was sort of beco of ain

"Okay," I said "So tell me what artifacts you want me to find and where they are"

She shook her head "You know I can’t tell you that I can only guide you"

Yeah, yeah, the gods weren’t supposed to etting their Chaured she’d say so like that, but hey, it didn’t hurt to try

"You knoe really need to find a way around you only being able to tellelse when it coic Why not this? Because, honestly, I would love a map or a list or a picture or whatever you had in mind"

My voice trailed off Wait a second I had seen a picture-the fresco on the ceiling-the one with all the people, weapons, and creatures on it The one that was always cloaked with shadows, the one I’d never been able to see before

I eyed the goddess, but she just sic loopholes I was really starting to hate theet it At least, I think I do But in case you’ve forgotten, I didn’t do such a great job protecting the Helheier," I said "I don’t want to find the artifacts only to let the Reapers take theer"

"That is always a risk," Nike replied "And it is not just athe artifacts It’s ht hands as well In a way, that’s more important than whether or not the Reapers find the artifacts first Weapons and aric, but in the end, that is all they are-weapons and armor It is the people and creatures ield them and their intentions that really matter It is their free will that hed There she went speaking in riddles about free will again, so Metis always talked about in myth-history class I had free will, and I made my own choices, which hat the Reapers wanted to take away froot it Really, I did Lesson learned

Still, all the talk about artifacts and people made me think about my friends and the iteo

"Is that why Daphne has Sigyn’s bow?" I asked"And why Carson has the Horn of Roland? They tried to give the artifacts back to Metis, but they just keep reappearing in their dorhtforward, but Carson doesn’t have a clue what the horn does He’s played it and played it, and nothingLoki a headache that night at the Garate"