Page 5 of Inferno

“Right?”

He takes a few steps forward, closing the distance between us. “You seem to be in a persistent state of self-torture."

Every muscle in my body stiffens. “I’m not.”

Odin smiles knowingly. “Denial is no good for a man.” His smile slips when I cross my arms over my chest disrespectfully. “I can see I need to get to the point.”

“Please.”

Odin might be my god, but he’s a dick. I’d never say that to his face, of?—

“You don’t need to,” he says as if I’d spoken. “I can hear your thoughts, Inferno, or have you forgotten?”

Shit.

“Yep. Heard that too.”

I take a deep breath and clear my mind. “Sorry, Sir.”

Odin waves a hand dismissively. “I have something that might bring you some peace.”

“Peace?” I shake my head. “Impossible.”

“You doubt me?”

“You? No. The idea that a man who was burned alive can feel anything but heartache and pain? You betcha.”

“Then maybe I should just show you,” he says as he grabs my arm.

When we shimmer, I expect to find myself in Odin’s quarters, or at least somewhere in Valhalla, so I’m surprised when I don’t recognize anything surrounding us when we reappear.

I turn in circles to try and make sense of our location.

“You’ve never been here,” Odin says calmly.

“Where is here?” I snarl.

“Vermont.”

“The human world?”

As far as I know, Odin’s never left Valhalla, unless it was to attend a meeting of the Gods. But those take place in the heavens, not among humans.

“Follow me,” he says as he starts to walk down the road.

I hesitate before lifting one foot, then the other, to trudge after him. It’s dark, and the moon is high in the sky.

Fuck, I miss this.

“I know you do,” Odin says.

“Where are we going? Why have you brought me here?”

I have so many questions.

“You’ll see,” he replies cryptically.

Several minutes later, he stops near a mailbox and turns to his right. I stand next to him and do the same.

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