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They didn’t know the details, though That all I had to do was find soical artifact that would supposedly let me kill Loki, as pretty much all-powerful and evil incarnate

No pressure or anything

Nyx cocked her head to the side, staring up at the other kids She gave a tentative little growl, hoping that someone would drop to their knees and pet her, but the low sound only made the other students shy away froh Most kids at the acadeical creatures like Fenrir wolves, Ne but kill them

I was the last one in line, and, finally, it was my turn to order I scanned the ister

"Give me a bottled water, a jumbo pretzel with nacho cheese sauce, and a dark chocolate brownie," I said

Silence

I peered around a display of blueberry ister, reading through a celebrity gossipever The woman was old - even older than Grand, white hair that seeown she wore Her eyes were as black, bright, and shiny as a bird’s, while dark wrinkles streaked across her face, alrooves were filled with shadows instead of just sagging skin She licked her thunoring h I’d stepped up to the counter as soon as the Viking in front of hed Raven was here today I should have known

Raven ran the coffee cart, one of theon the security council, overseeing members of the Protectorate when they cleaned up cri kept in the prison in theI didn’t know exactly why Raven had all of these jobs, since she didn’t seem particularly qualified for any of theazine or another, but everything iuess that’s all the Powers That Were really cared about

I cleared azine I repeated my order, and sheupthe with my bottled water and brownie I reached into my jeans pocket, drew out a ten-dollar bill, and handed it across the counter to her, careful not to let ers brush hers Not only could I flash on objects, but my psychoht now, I had no desire to see how bored Raven was sitting at the coffee carthot peppermint chocolate for folks

Still, as I looked at her, it seeh there was so underneath her features the sa beneath all the statues on caure out what you’re hiding with all of those wrinkles," I said

Raven raised her bushy eyebrows atShe’d never said anything to me, so I had no idea what her voice sounded like, whether it would be light and lilting or the cackle and crackle of an old crone

She handed e, sat down on her stool, and stuck her nose back in her rabbed my food, and hurried down thebeside ainst the floor

I stepped behind the counter, laidon the floor next to a large gray wicker basket Grandivenout while I orking I crouched down and unclipped the leash froh I left the collar on her

"I have to go to work now, so stay in your basket, okay?" I ers

Nyx leaned into h Then, she plopped down on her cute, pudgy, baby belly, tucked her tail over her nose, and closed her violet-colored eyes She’d been co to the library with me for several days now, so she knew the drill

"The fuzzball has the right idea," Vic said, his half of ainto a wide, loud yawn "Wake me when there are Reapers to kill"

"I wouldn’t drea up on the sarcasm in my voice "Hmph!" he huffed, then snapped his eye shut

I left Vic in his scabbard and propped the sword up next to Nyx Despite his snit, I knew that Vic would give a shout and let , and that Nyx would co happened to Vic I liked that the two of them could watch each other’s backs, especially these days, e all knew that Reapers could attack anywhere, anytime - even in the Library of Antiquities

I plopped down on a stool and logged in to the coed it on the counter I dunked my pretzel into the war bite when a door opened in the glass office co tips on marble sounded A moment later, a shadow fell over me, and someone cleared his throat

"Yes, Nickamedes?"

"You are late, Gwendolyn," he said "At this point, do I even have to say again? Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say as usual, or as always, or even for the u my pretzel in his direction "I’ve been in the library for ten minutes already I was at the coffee cart See?"

Nicka as actually being behind the counter working"

I rolled ht the two of us were just destined to disagree

"And will you please look at ether, raised my head, and looked up at hiuy in his forties, with ink-black hair and blue eyes You could tell how lean and muscled his body was, despite the dark blue sweater vest, shirt, tie, and black corduroy pants he wore I wasn’t trying to be rude by ignoring hi on my food Really, I wasn’t But Nickamedes looked so much like his nephew that it made my heart clench Because the librarian was yet another reone

"Thank you," Nicka his arain, and I think that"