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Loki lowers his eyes. "I never believed you until now."
"There she is. The Raven. You might not be able to see her wisdom, yet. But it's there, and it's a weapon," he says.
"Is she a goddess?" Ash asks.
It's a question not many of my past boyfriends ever asked.
"Call her a much needed protector," Odin says.
My face turns hot. My hands have latched onto the table.
Am I shocked? Yes. My breath barely moves from my lungs as Odin continues.
"I have been waiting for this day for a long time, you know. But the coming of revelation is hardly as joyful as it may seem. The truth is often difficult to parse. It requires great sacrifice," he says, sighing heavily. "Truthfully, I believe war is coming.”
Loki leans forward. "If we are gods, why would war matter? We could just die and return again," he says.
"Have I taught you anything about the high realm? That is not how our life works. Do you remember what happened during the Ragnarök wars?" he asks.
Loki tries to remember, but he can't. "No, father. I cannot."
"When a god dies, his memory is wiped clean. I barely made it out alive, so I could honor Asgard and the Nine Worlds. But that's another story entirely," Odin says, pausing only to take a giant gulp of mead. "It takes a god many lifetimes to return to the physical realm. If we lose the war over the lifespan of the world, we will have no Earth to return to. Our quest will be finished, and time as we know it will come to an end."
"Shit," Loki grunts.
"What powers do we even have?" Ash asks.
He lifts his cane to smack my head. "Powers? Is that all you can think about? Sacrifice goes a long way to teach people. Remember, there once was an empire that killed a man for telling the world about love. I think we all know how that story ended," Odin says.
Ash can't hide his dissatisfaction. "At least he could cure people and turn water into wine. All I get are maddening hallucinations."
"I sense your fear, and it is not becoming. You will find the way in due time," he says. "With the emerging of the Fallen One, I fear war is once again on its way. The only thing I fear more is love."
Finally, I speak up. "Love? Why on earth would you fear love?"
He looks at both Ash and I. I have a feeling I'm not going to like what he's about to tell us.
"Love blinds the eyes when sight is of the upmost importance. It allows a man to justify his stupid and reckless actions," he says. "Now, listen carefully. War and death are something I don't take lightly. We could lose everything."
I glance at Ash out of my peripheral, feel the urge to defy what the old man just told me. After all, we aren't in love. This is just... something else. Not sure what the word is, but it isn't love.
Right?
Right.
"I am not the Raven you warned Loki about," I argue. "I am just a regular woman who made some bad choices. I don't have any powers. No special sight. I've never done anything meaningful in my life. I worked on Wall Street, for God's sake."
Odin lowers his eyes. No tears are present, but it feels like his soul is weeping. It hits me hard. "I have had these visions all of my life. You are one of four. The cosmos is in grave danger. Now is not the time for self deprecation," he says.
"Who are the others? You need to give me more to work with," I say.
His forehead creases with concern. "That, I cannot answer with certainty. What I already know will only hinder the final outcome. Undoubtedly, Lucifer will know who and where they are," he says. "He thinks of himself as a gatekeeper. He thinks he can reclaim the throne of the gods. He is horribly mistaken."
Loki chuckles and takes a sip of his mead with pride. Foam rests on his upper lip. I, on the other hand, have no thirst.
Odin quickly interjects. "Please do not laugh at his folly. For he will be a formidable foe. It is possible some will perish trying to bring him down. He will attempt to take control of entire arm
ies, raising the dead to serve on his side. Innocent people will be used in his quest for power," he says. "My visions are all falling into place. Soon, the earth will glow with flame. The tides will rise. All of Earth's sins will be visible. You need to live up to your name, son. Help these travelers with their journey."
