❦ Chapter Four: The Daughter of Loki

❦ Eva Skau ❦

I was silent. I stared hard at my feet. Embarrassment burned on my cheeks and my neck. Tears brimmed in my eyes. I waited for the jeering to start, for everyone to scramble away from me. I waited for the name calling and the teasing.

It never comes.

When I look back up, my vision blurred with tears, none of them are staring in horror at me. None of them are inching away from me. None of their faces are twisted up in disgust. None of their eyes are narrowed. None of them are sizing me up, to see how I'd handle in a fight.

Kaiana reached out. "Eva. Just because you're the daughter of Loki, it doesn't mean we're gonna freak out and stop being your friend. I mean, you're parents don't make you who you are. You make you who you are. Besides, despite your fondness for pranks, you've always been a good kid! What reason have you ever given me to ditch you because of your father? Name one."

I thought. I didn't have one. I just shrugged. "None?"

"Exactly."

I looked at the other Norse demigod, Theodosia. "And you don't hate me either?"

Theodosia shook her head. "I mean, Loki did save my mom one time, so..."

"Wait, what? I'm not familiar with most Norse mythology," Kaiana said, holding up a hand. "Please explain."

Theo gladly launched into the story. "So one day this guy, a builder, shows up in Asgard. He basically offers to build a wall around Asgard to keep it safe from any kind of attack. But his price was Freya's hand in marriage, the sun, and the moon—he could build the whole wall in three seasons. Freya was like 'No way!' and the sun and the moon took her side, obviously." Theo took a breath. "But Loki disagreed. He thought a wall would be perfect to keep Asgard safe, so he convinced the others to make a counteroffer: if the builder could finish the wall in one season, he could have Freya, the sun, and the moon. Lokie said it was an impossible task, and really—it was." Theo took another breath. "The thing was, this builder was probably like a giant, just disguised. And he had this stallion—this stallion was incredibly strong and wicked fast. The greatest in the nine worlds. But, as the season drew to a close, the wall was almost complete. Freya started to panic. The sun and the moon were horrified. The others chose to blame Loki."

At this, I wanted to shrink inside myself and disappear. Though I knew the story, it still seemed to point out Loki's silvertongued words.

"But Loki decided he had to make things right. The stallion was the problem, of course, so Loki decided he had to get the stallion out of the equation. So he shape-shifts himself into a gorgeous mare. It took one look for the stallion to chase after Loki. Without the stallion, the builder didn't complete the wall in time and Freya, the sun, and the moon remained safe. So, Loki saved Freya from who-knows-what kind of fate," Theo finished. After a pause, she added, "And the eight-legged flying horse named Sleipnir came out of the stallion and mare-Loki."

"Thank you," Kaiana said.

Theo nodded. "Of course." She looked back at me. "See? I have every reason to be grateful."

"I wonder who are Norse caretakers are," I sighed.

"Me too," Theo frowned. "Oooh, I hope we get Mallory!"

"Well today's your lucky day!" said a voice from the kitchen. It was red-headed, Irish Mallory Keen.

"YES!" Theo cried.

"What, am I not accepted?" another girl said, coming around the corner with a green hijab covering her hair.

"Samirah al-Abbas," Mallory chided. "Up against me, you have no chance."

All of us laughed.

"Who else is here with us?" I asked. "Like, as 'caretakers'."

"Well, there's me for one," a girl said. She had her hair in a braid and wore a purple shirt emblazoned with SPQR and white pants. "I'm Reyna."

"I'm here, too! I'm Kayla Knowles," said a girl with green-dyed hair. She wore the orange Camp Half-Blood tee Kaiana was always in.

"Anyway, nice to meet you, but introductions have to wait," Reyna said. "It's time to go to orientation. Come on, demigods."