“So for Magic Problem-Solving 101, we headed to the training room and blew stuff up.”

“I wanted to keep things as normal as possible for the trainees, so I led my usual morning class. I called it Magic Problem-Solving 101. The trainees called it Whatever Works.”

“It seemed weird calling a teenager 'sir' but I'd learned to be careful with immortals. They tended to get offended easily. Then, they blew stuff up.”

“It blew my mind that this stuff had survived for two thousand, three thousand years. ”

“Swords can’t solve every problem.”

“Zia," I said, "that's a goddess. She defeated Bast. What chance do you have?"Zia held up her staff and the carved lion's head burst into flames - a small red fireball so bright, it lit the entire room. "I am a scribe in the House of Life, Sadie Kane. I am trained to fight gods.”

“So Beckendorf was pretty popular?" Leo asked. "I mean-before he blew up?”