Odin looked toward the sky beyond the corridor, his expression growing colder. "The Aether has seen the light of day again. Those maggots living in the darkness will never stand idly by. As long as Malekith has a breath left in him, he will follow the scent of the Aether to our doorstep."
The king of the gods turned and waved a hand at Lucian. "Warrior of Midgard, let Thor accompany you on your tour of Asgard. War is imminent. I must muster Asgard's legions to guard against a surprise attack by the Dark Elves, so I will keep you no longer."
It was a dismissal.
Thor stepped forward, still wanting to argue, but his gaze swept over Lucian and found his expression calm.
Thor forcibly swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. He grabbed Lucian's arm and strode out of the hall.
Only after they had left the main hall's golden doors and walked several dozen meters along the Suspended White Jade Bridge did Thor stop.
He glanced around, saw only the gleam of the guards' halberds nearby, then leaned toward Lucian and lowered his voice to a near whisper. "You have a way, don't you?"
Lucian looked at the suddenly perceptive Thor. "You don't usually seem this sharp."
"I'm just impulsive, not stupid!" Thor rubbed the bridge of his nose, his eyes fixed on Lucian. "When my father said there was no way just now, you didn't look disappointed at all. You were like that in New York too, completely confident. Since you could bring Jane here, you must know how to get that damned thing out."
Lucian leaned against the white jade railing and looked down.
Below lay Asgard's Golden Canal, its golden waves lapping against banks built of white stone.
"I have a way."