I stood motionless among the ashes that had once been Valper Galilei. The monastery burned around me, flames consuming everything. The stone cracked and blackened as fire devoured centuries of history.
"Damn it all," I whispered, my voice lost in the roar of the inferno.
Another dead end. More wasted time while Koneko remained in Loki's grasp. Every second counted, and I'd just squandered precious minutes on this worthless piece of trash.
I clenched my fist, and the flames around me intensified, feeding on my fury as it consumed everything else without mercy.
Valper's mind had been useless. A labyrinth of madness and twisted experiments, but no clue to Loki's whereabouts. The god had kept his pawn in the dark, feeding him just enough information to be useful but never enough to be a liability.
Odin. I needed to speak with the All-Father himself. Only he would know all of Loki's hiding places, his contingencies, his weaknesses. But getting an audience with the head of the Norse pantheon wasn't as simple as making a phone call.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Rose's number.
I still found it strange calling her Rose. Rossweisse had asked me to use that nickname after she returned from Asgard last month. She wanted something more personal, more intimate. The way her eyes lit up whenever I called her made the adjustment worth it.
"Rose," I said when she answered, her sleepy voice immediately making me regret the late hour. "I need you."
"Leon?" The sleepiness vanished instantly. "What's wrong?"
"It's Koneko. Loki has her." My voice cracked slightly, raw emotion breaking through. "I need to speak with Odin. Now."
A moment of silence as she processed this. Then, determination in her voice: "I'll arrange it. Where are you?"
"I'll come to you," I said, already focusing on her location. "Be ready to move quickly."
I ended the call and took one last look at the destruction I'd created. The monastery would burn to its foundations, leaving nothing but ash and mystery for the authorities. I didn't care.
All that mattered was the next step. Rose would help me reach Odin, and the All-Father would give me what I needed—willing or not.
I teleported directly to Rossweisse's apartment, not bothering with the door. One second I was standing in the burning monastery, and the next I was in her living room.
She was already dressed, her silver hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, Valkyrie armor gleaming in the dim light. Her eyes widened slightly at my sudden appearance, but she recovered quickly.
"Leon," she said, taking in my appearance—clothes singed from the monastery fire, face streaked with ash, eyes burning with barely controlled rage. "You look terrible."
"I've been better," I admitted, voice rough.
She stepped forward, reaching out to touch my face. Her fingers were cool against my skin, grounding me back to reality. For just a moment, I let myself lean into her touch, drawing strength from her presence.
"Tell me everything," she said.
So I did. Briefly, without embellishment. Koneko's disappearance. Valper's uselessness. The dead end.
Rose listened without interrupting, her expression growing grimmer with each passing second.
"Loki," she finally said, spitting the name like it tasted foul. "That bastard never learns."
"I need to speak with Odin," I said, meeting her eyes. "He's the only one who might know where Loki would hide."
Rossweisse nodded, already reaching for her phone. "I'll arrange it, but..." she hesitated. "You know what he's like. He's not exactly the most reliable deity."
"I don't care if he's drunk, distracted by women, or in the middle of one of his infamous visits to those 'clubs' he loves so much," I growled.
Rose typed something on her phone, then pressed it to her ear. The conversation was brief, mostly consisting of her saying "Yes" and "Understood" several times before hanging up.
"He'll see us," she said, tucking the phone away. "But we have to go to him."
"Where?"
A slight grimace crossed her face. "The Asgardian Embassy... and he's currently entertaining guests."
I understood her discomfort immediately. Based on Rossweisse stories, the last time Odin had "entertained guests," it had involved three exotic dancers, a case of Norse mead, and an incident that had required Rossweisse to pay damages to a hotel that I'd never seen her so embarrassed about.
"I don't care if he's hosting an orgy with the entire pantheon," I said flatly. "We're going now."
Rose nodded, summoning a teleportation circle beneath our feet. The runes glowed bright blue, etching themselves into the floor of her apartment.
"Leon," she said softly, just before the magic took hold. "We'll find her. I promise."
I didn't respond. Promises were meaningless right now. Action was all that mattered.
The teleportation circle flared, and we vanished in a flash of light.
=====
The Asgardian Embassy was nothing like what most people would expect. No grand hall of Viking warriors or ancient Norse architecture. Instead, it occupied the penthouse suite of one of the city's most luxurious hotels, complete with panoramic views and gold-plated fixtures.
Typical Odin. The old pervert never could resist excess.
As Rose and I stepped out of the teleportation circle, I immediately heard raucous laughter and the clinking of glasses. Odin was indeed entertaining guests.
Rose led the way, her face a mask of professional detachment as we approached the main sitting room. She pushed open the double doors without knocking.
The scene inside was exactly what I'd expected: Odin, the one-eyed ruler of Asgard, reclining on a plush sofa with a drink in one hand and his other arm around a woman who was definitely not a dignitary. Several other scantily-clad women hovered nearby, along with what appeared to be representatives from various supernatural factions, all enjoying Odin's legendary hospitality.
The old god looked up as we entered, his single eye focusing first on Rose, then sliding to me. His expression shifted from jovial to something more calculating.
"Well, well," he said, his voice carrying across the room despite its casual tone. "If it isn't my favorite former Valkyrie and the man of the hour. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
The room fell silent at Odin's words. The various supernatural representatives exchanged glances, clearly uncomfortable with my unexpected arrival. The women seemed to sense the sudden tension and began to quietly move toward the edges of the room.
I didn't bother with pleasantries.
"Loki has taken someone from me," I said, my voice low and controlled. "I need to find him. Now."
Odin studied me for a long moment, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. Despite his disheveled appearance—long gray beard slightly unkempt, formal robes partially unbuttoned—there was nothing unfocused about his gaze. The divine intelligence behind that single eye was as sharp as ever.
"Everyone out," he said suddenly, not looking away from me.
No one questioned the command. Within seconds, the room had cleared, leaving only Odin, Rossweisse, and myself.
"The nekomata girl, I assume?" Odin asked, setting down his glass. "Koneko, was it?"
I nodded once, surprised he knew. "You've been watching."
"I keep tabs on interesting developments," Odin replied with a casual shrug.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The playful, lecherous persona had vanished, replaced by something far older and more dangerous. This was the All-Father, the god who had hung himself from Yggdrasil for nine days to gain wisdom, who had sacrificed his eye for knowledge.
"Loki has always been problematic," Odin said, his voice hardening.
"I don't need your sympathy," I cut in. "I need information."
Odin's eye narrowed slightly. "Demanding, aren't you? Help like this doesn't come free, boy. Not even from me."
I clenched my jaw, understanding immediately what he was getting at. "You want a favor."
"Smart lad." A smile spread slowly across Odin's face. "There are always prices to be paid when gods get involved."
I didn't bother hiding my distaste. My face twisted into a scowl as I considered the implications. Owing a favor to the ruler of Asgard was dangerous—gods were notorious for calling in debts at the worst possible moments, often with interest.
"Leon," Rose whispered. "We don't have a choice."
She was right, and I knew it. My pride wasn't worth Koneko's life. The Oracle is still a few days away from manifesting and I don't have the luxury to wait.
"Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "What's your price?"
Odin's eye gleamed with triumph. "Nothing specific at the moment. Just a favor to be named later."
"As long as it's reasonable," I added quickly.
Odin laughed. "My dear boy, when have I ever been unreasonable?"
"Do you want the full list, or just the highlights?" Rose muttered, just loud enough for me to hear.
The old god ignored her comment and stood, moving to a large magical projection that appeared with a wave of his hand. It showed the Nine Realms of Norse cosmology, each glowing with different colors.
"This is a map of the realms," Rossweisse explained quietly. "The nine worlds of Norse cosmology."
"Loki wouldn't risk staying in Asgard," Odin said, his finger hovering over the brightest realm. "Nor would he use any of his known holdings. Not after what happened with his children."
His finger moved downward, tracing through the projection until it stopped at a dark, icy region. "Niflheim," he said. "The realm of ice and mist. It borders Helheim, the realm of the dead."
"Why there?" I asked, studying the projection.
"Because it's the one place I rarely look," Odin answered honestly. "The boundary between Niflheim and Midgard—your world—is thin in certain places. And Loki knows all of them."
He zoomed in on a specific area, revealing what appeared to be a fortress of black ice nestled in a frozen mountain range.
"This was once a temple to Hel, Loki's daughter," Odin explained. "Long abandoned, or so everyone believes. But Loki has always been close to his daughter. She would shelter him, especially now."
"Can you send us there?" I asked.
"Us?" Odin raised an eyebrow, looking at Rossweisse. "You're going too, my dear?"
Rose straightened her shoulders. "Of course. Leon needs all the help he can get against Loki."
Odin laughed, a deep rumble that seemed to shake the walls.
"The quiet, dutiful Valkyrie finally developed a backbone! I'd be proud if it wasn't so inconvenient."
He returned to the sofa, retrieving his drink. "I can send you to the edge of the fortress grounds, but no further. Loki's wards would detect my magic if I tried to breach them directly."
"That's enough," I said. "Just get us there."
Odin studied me for another long moment. "You know, most who have gone against Loki with that look in their eyes haven't returned."
"I'm not most people."
"Clearly." He drained his glass and set it down with a decisive click. "Very well. I'll send you. But first—" he held up a finger "—a warning, freely given."
I didn't have time for this, but something told me to listen.
"Loki won't just kill her," Odin said, his voice grave. "He'll make you watch. Make you suffer. Make you feel every second of it. That's how he works. He doesn't just want revenge—he wants to break you."
"I know what he wants," I replied, my hand unconsciously clenching into a fist. "And he'll fail."
Odin studied me for another moment. "You know, Loki is more dangerous now than ever. A wounded animal is always the most vicious, and he's lost too much to be reasonable."
"I'm not planning on being reasonable either," I replied.
"Fair enough."
Odin's eye fixed on me, seeing more than I wanted him to. "But remember this: rage makes you strong, but it also makes you blind. And against Loki, blindness is death."
He stood again, raising his hands. A complex magic circle began to form on the floor, norse runes spinning and locking into place.
"One more thing," he said, as the magic grew stronger. "Loki doesn't just want revenge—he wants Ragnarök. The end of all things. Your suffering is just a bonus."
The magic circle flared bright, enveloping Rossweisse and me in golden light.
"Remember our arrangement," he said, his voice taking on an edge of seriousness. "I'll collect eventually."
I nodded grimly.
"Oh, and Rossweisse," Odin called out as the teleportation took hold. "Do try to keep your boyfriend alive. I can't collect from a corpse!"
The world dissolved around us, and the last thing I saw was Odin's knowing smile, as if he had already seen how this would all play out.
I didn't care what he knew or didn't know. All that mattered was finding Koneko.
And making Loki pay.
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