‘The Wolf’s father,’ gasped Alfi. ‘He was here …’ ‘I don’t understand,’ said Freya. The others stared shell-shocked where Sleipnir had been tethered. Roskva opened her mouth and then closed it. Her shoulders slumped. ‘Will someone please tell me what just happened!’ screamed Freya. She kept looking at her shaking hand, which had held Idunn for such a brief moment. ‘I had her, I had her …’ she wailed. ‘Shut up!’ raged Snot. ‘Just shut up!’ He clamped his hand across her mouth. Freya flailed at him and he released her, roaring like a mad animal. ‘Somehow Loki slipped into the sleeping army disguised as Sleipnir,’ said Roskva tonelessly. Her face was ashen. ‘But how? How?’ ‘He’s a shape-shifter,’ said Alfi. His voice was bitter. ‘He’s a liar, and the father of monsters.’ ‘And he’s been hiding with us the whole time …’ said Freya. She was having trouble taking this in. ‘If I’d known I would have torn out his throat,’ snarled Snot.
