Page 132 of Fallen Gods

I force a smile. I’m sure it looks as fake as it feels, but I can’t be good at everything, can I?

“Good phone call?” Reeve asks.

Gods, I want to punch him. “Lovely, thank you.”

“Delighted to hear it.”

We walk through the lobby and into the elevator together.Please don’t press the emergency stop button, please don’t press the—

He presses the emergency stop button.

“I really need this to not be our thing.” I go to my corner of the elevator, and he goes to his. “What do you need to tell me that you can’t say in the dorm or at the party or in front of Aric or your little snake?”

“Cute.” Reeve folds his arms, looking at me with a serious expression. “Hunt’s in a few hours,” he adds.

“Yeah. So?” I ask. “Not exactly a reason to kidnap me in an elevator. What’s going on, Reeve?”

“I know what you did,” he growls in a low voice. “And now you’ll know what I can do.”

Something’s not right, not with the way his voice suddenly sounds gravelly, not with the gleam in his eyes. I lunge for the button to open the doors, but at the same moment, Reeve is shoving me up against the side wall. Heart pounding, I heave forward to get him off me, then kick him backward. He stumbles and then faces me.

“Is that all?” He laughs. “I expected more from the daughter of Odin.”

I throw my right fist. He spins out of the way, dodging me completely, and grabs me by the throat. His fingers tighten.

I knee him in the groin, and he immediately goes down, releasing my neck. There’s no time to regain my breath. I shove my palm against his chest and use my other arm to cut off his air.

“Don’t pick fights with someone stronger than you,” I say. “It’s embarrassing.”

“Stronger than me?” He laughs again. In the next breath, he vanishes.

What the fuck?

He reappears, standing on the other side of the elevator, arms crossed, leaning back arrogantly.

I blink and blink. Did I really just see that?

“Let’s try this again, shall we, Rey?” The air cracks and humsaround us, and then his eyes flash a bright white as he whispers with a grin, “I’m Loki. Nice to meet you.”

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Rey

Loki? Giant of Jötunheim Loki? I thought Loki died in the wars, too. This is bad, so very bad.

And yet, it also makes so much sense. I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner. Reeve has always been the jokester. Leading all the fun and games on campus. Never taking anything too seriously.

Of course he’d be the God of Mischief.

By the time the elevator hits the second floor, he’s dropped two more bombs. One: No, Aric doesn’t know, and two: If I breathe a word to anyone, he’ll kill me.

Then he’s gone.

I clench my fists in the middle of the hallway. I’m too in shock to even open the door and enter my room. Not about thehim threatening my lifepart—my life has been on the line here from day one. But not telling his brother… Aric would be gutted.

Did Reeve—Loki—always know? Or is he just remembering now?

My father said “they” were asleep, that the ones stuck here didn’t have memories of the war, that he used the last of his power to wipe them all—akindness,he said, to keep them from remembering the suffering. Since his power is waning, could that mean their memories are coming back? And that their powers are returning, too?