It was the oldest of the Norns, the one who looked like a kindly old grandmother except for the fact that her fingernails were long, silver talons and, now that I got a closer look, the fact that her eyes were as colorless as mist.

“Yes, my lady?” I said politely.

“Listen well, young Daisy.” Her voice sounded like it came from far away, like some whole other dimension. Maybe seeing the past, present, and future simultaneously will do that to a person. “When the time comes, think on the words the vampire spoke to you today and find a key hidden within them.”

Okay, not what I expected. “Umm . . . any chance you could be more specific?” I asked her. “At least point me in the direction of the right vampire?”

The Norn gave me a vague smile. “The answer lies within you.” With that, she picked up her bucket and resumed her duties.

Huh.

Mikill revved the engine and cautioned me to keep my limbs inside the vehicle as we raced back up Yggdrasil II’s hollow interior.

“You said the Norns wouldn’t have any counsel for me yet!” I shouted above the sound of the engine as we emerged.

“So I said upon your arrival,” Mikill replied. “Perhaps you are not entirely the same person upon your departure, Daisy Johanssen.”

Between coming and going, I’d pledged to kill if necessary, something so grave it made worrying about the Seven Deadlies seem trivial. I let that thought sit in silence for the rest of the drive home.

Mikill delivered me to the alley at some late o’thirty of the night, only just too early for Mrs. Browne to have fired up her ovens. I thanked him for the ride, and the dune buggy sputtered away in a fine mist of frozen pellets, the frost giant’s beard wagging in the wind of its passage.

I climbed the stairs to my apartment, my steps leaden. Despite having taken a nap, I was tired beyond tired. It wasn’t just that this was the longest day of my life and I’d begun it sleep-deprived and hungover. From Meg Mucklebones onward, the day’s seemingly endless series of encounters had taken a serious toll on me.

Mogwai was nowhere to be found, and the apartment felt empty. I filled his bowl, then went straight into the bedroom. I unbuckled my belt and sheathed dagger, laying them carefully on the dresser. I tried to reconstruct every conversation I’d had at the House of Shadows tonight, but I was just too damned tired to concentrate. Instead, I fished the Oak King’s token from my pocket. That was certainly the day’s highlight. I took a moment to sit on the edge of my bed, gazing at the silver acorn in wonder. I couldn’t resist raising it to my lips, letting my breath mist the gleaming metal.

Okay, Daisy. Put down the magic whistle.