“
The last I saw of Percy and Annabeth, their Prius was turning the corner on First Avenue, Percy singing along with Led Zeppelin on the radio, Annabeth laughing at his bad voice.
Alex crossed his arms. "If those two were any cuter together, they'd cause a nuclear explosion of cuteness and destroy the Eastern Seaboard.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3))
“
I’ll admit that I was staring. Suddenly my whole perspective had flipped inside out, like when you look at an inkblot picture and see just the black part. Then your brain inverts the image and you realize the white part makes an entirely different picture, even though nothing has changed. That was Alex Fierro, except in pink and green. A second ago, he had been very obviously a boy to me. Now she was very obviously a girl.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2))
“
Look, some people prefer they,” Alex said. “They’re non-binary or mid-spectrum or whatever. If they want you to use they, then that’s what you should do. But for me, personally, I don’t want to use the same pronouns all the time, because that’s not me. I change a lot. That’s sort of the point. When I’m she, I’m she. When I’m he, I’m he. I’m not they. Get it?”
“If I say no, will you hurt me?”
“No.”
“Then no, not really.”
She shrugged. “You don’t have to get it. Just, you know, a little respect.”
“For the girl with the very sharp wire? No problem.”
She must have liked that answer. There was nothing confusing about the smile she gave me. It warmed the office about five degrees.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2))
“
I didn’t learn a thing,” I promised Alex. “You are still a mystery wrapped in a question mark wrapped in flannel.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2))
“
He turned to leave, then hesitated. "One more thing."
He walked up to me. "I've also been thinking about your declaration of undying love or whatever."
"I didn't - it wasn't -"
He clamped his hands on the sides of my gooey face and kissed me.
I had to wonder: was it possible to dissolve into chocolate on a molecular level and melt into a puddle on the carpet? Because that's how I felt. I'm pretty sure Valhalla had to resurrect me several times during the course of that kiss. Otherwise, I don't know how I was still in one piece when Alex finally pulled away.
He studied me critically, his brown and amber eyes taking me in. He had a chocolate moustache and goatee now, and chocolate down the front of his sweater vest.
I'll be honest. A small part of my brain thought, Alex is male right now. I have just been kissed by a dude. How do I feel about that?
The rest of my brain answered: I have just been kissed by Alex Fierro. I am absolutely great with that.
In fact, I might have done something typically embarrassing and stupid, like making the aforementioned declaration of undying love, but Alex spared me.
"Eh." He shrugged. "I'll keep thinking about it. I'll get back to you. In the meantime, definitely take that shower."
He left, whistling a tune that might have been a Frank Sinatra song from the elevator, "Fly Me to the Moon".
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3))
“
Maybe it was just my imagination, but before Alex went down the ladder, she gave me a look like You okay? Or maybe she was just wondering why I was so weird, as per usual.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3))
“
So can I ask…?” I waved my hands vaguely. I didn’t have the words.
“How it does work?” She smirked. “As long as you don’t ask me to represent every gender-fluid person for you, okay? I’m not an ambassador. I’m not a teacher or a poster child. I’m just”—she mimicked my hand-waving—“me. Trying to be me as best I can.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2))
“
Honey?” I asked.
“Don’t you dare call me that,” Alex growled. Possibly he was kidding. I didn’t want to ask.
”
”
Rick Riordan
“
Sometimes, you have to flaunt the weird, my friend.
-Alex Fierro
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3))
“
And you've got to flaunt the weird, my friend.
I'm going to quote you on that.
You'd better.
Alex Fierro and Percy Jackson
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3))
“
Somebody sent those wolves to retrieve something—maybe the same something I’m looking for.”
Alex considered. “You think Loki sent the wolves.”
I shrugged. “Loki’s gonna Loki.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3))
“
We watched Alex walking away.
"What just happened?" I asked him.
There are no words for it in sign language, he said.
”
”
Rick Riordan (Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead (Book 3))
“
AWWW, YOU two are so cute together it makes me sick. So I’m going back to my own room.”
I’m not sure Mallory and Halfborn even heard me when I left, they were lip-locking so hard. Seeing them like that almost made me miss Magnus. Almost.
”
”
Rick Riordan (9 From the Nine Worlds)
“
Alex allowed herself the space of three heartbeats to grieve. I could count them, because that gross muscle between Pottery Barn’s hands was still beating.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3))
“
Alex promised to keep watch. At least I think that’s what she said. She could have announced I’ll invite Loki into camp and kill you all in your sleep! HAHAHAHA! and I still would’ve passed out.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2))
“
Also, I kept thinking about Alex Fierro. You know, maybe just a little. Alex was a force of nature, like the snow thunder. She struck when she felt like it, depending on temperature differentials and storm patterns I couldn't possibly predict. She shook my foundations in a way that was powerful but also weirdly soft and constrained, veiled in blizzard. I couldn't assign any motives to her. She just did what she wanted. At least, that's how it felt to me.
”
”
Rick Riordan (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #1-3))
“
Sometimes, you have to flaunt the weird, my friend.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3))
“
Amir? Blitzen? Anybody?” a voice asked. “Jeez, I could rob this place blind and no one would know it.
”
”
Rick Riordan (9 From the Nine Worlds)
“
Alex Fierro gave me two thumbs up. At least I think that was the gesture. It was hard to be sure from this distance.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3))
“
I just heard a rumor via the underground weapon network that Surt, the fire lord of Muspellheim, is hatching a new nefarious plot!”
“Oh my gods!” I cried. “There’s an underground weapon network?
”
”
Rick Riordan (9 From the Nine Worlds)
“
I’d been stuck in one gender my whole life. It never bothered me. Now I wondered how that would feel for Alex. The only analogy I could come up with wasn’t a very good one. My second grade teacher, Miss Mengler (aka Miss Mangler), had forced me to write with my right hand even though I was left-handed. She’d actually taped my left hand to the desk. My mom had exploded when she found out, but I still remembered the panicky feeling of being restrained, forced to write in such an unnatural way because Miss Mengler had insisted, 'This is the normal way, Magnus. Stop complaining. You’ll get used to it.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2))
“
An algiz stone I hastily borrowed without asking from Hearthstone’s rune bag. (If he didn’t want me to take it, then why did he leave his room unlocked?)
”
”
Rick Riordan (Mission Road (Tres Navarre, #6))
“
As we paired up, somebody’s arm curled around my waist. Alex Fierro wedged herself next to me, wrapping a blanket around our heads and shoulders. I looked at her in amazement. A pink wool scarf covered her head and mouth, so all I could see were her two-toned eyes and some wisps of green hair. ‘Sh-shut up,’ she stammered. ‘You’re w-warm and s-summery.’ Jack led the
”
”
Rick Riordan (Magnus Chase: The Complete Series #1-3)
“
Alex was a force of nature, like the snow thunder. She struck when she felt like it, depending on temperature differentials and storm patterns I couldn’t possibly predict. She shook my foundations in a way that was powerful but also weirdly soft and constrained, veiled in blizzard. I couldn’t assign any motives to her. She just did what she wanted.
”
”
Rick Riordan
“
What tipped you off—about Stan, I mean?” I asked.
“Couple of things,” Alex replied. “He referred to Blitzen as the dwarf and claimed you hadn’t been in. Knowing how terrified you are of Sam—”
“I am not!”
“—I thought it was unlikely you’d skipped the shopping spree. So, I tested his story and called your phone. When I heard my ringtone, I knew he was lying about you being here. But the biggest clue? He refused to sell me anything. I mean, come on.” He gestured to his pink cashmere sweater vest and tight lime-green pants. “A real clothing salesman would have seen dollar signs the minute I walked into the store.
”
”
Rick Riordan (9 From the Nine Worlds)
“
As we paired up, somebody’s arm curled around my waist. Alex Fierro wedged herself next to me, wrapping a blanket around our heads and shoulders. I looked at her in amazement. A pink wool scarf covered her head and mouth, so all I could see were her two-toned eyes and some wisps of green hair. “Sh-shut up,” she stammered. “You’re w-warm and s-summery.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3))
“
But for now, we had fireworks. We had our friends, new and old. I had Alex Fierro next to me, holding my hand.
”
”
Rick Riordan
“
Truly, Alex Fierro, you have risen above what we would expect from one of your kind. To
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2))
“
Oh, no, rest easy!” Njord said. “It will most likely be personal combat to the death. You should bring a couple of friends along. I would recommend the attractive one, Alex Fierro.” I wondered if Alex would be flattered by that or grossed out, or if she’d just laugh. I wondered if Alex’s feet were as well-groomed as Njord’s. What a stupid thing to wonder about.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3))
“
He thrust his hand in the air and summoned his sword of pure white flame. The gods and goddesses cowered. Throwing his head back and laughing, Surt grew to his full giant size. “You minor, forgotten, pathetic deities! So easy to bend to my will. Not one of you would dare to defy me!”
I chose that moment to shape-shift into a bee, buzz up Surt’s teeny-tiny nose, and jab him with my stinger.
With a howl of pain, Surt dropped his sword and shrank to his previous size. I changed into my true form.
“I dare.”
I whipped one end of my golden garrote around his neck and yanked it tight. Then I snatched up his flame sword and with one upward flick, sliced off his pubescent nose. “Jack and Magnus send their regards.”
Surt lunged for me. I transformed into a bighorn sheep and head-butted him right where his nose used to be. Then I changed back to human, tightened the garrote until his eyes bulged, and threatened him with his own sword. “Come at me again,” I warned, “and you’ll regret it.”
I surveyed the stunned deities. “If one einherji can do this, imagine what all of us can do. And will do, come Ragnarok. We are not destined to win, but we will fight with honor. We would welcome you on our side of the fight. But, if you must side with him”—I gave the garrote a vicious tug and was rewarded with a gurgle from Surt—“know this: I will personally hunt you down on the Last Battlefield of Vigridr and see that you are sent straight to Ginnungagap. The choice is yours.”
The deities vanished.
”
”
Rick Riordan (9 From the Nine Worlds)
“
Does Alex Fierro bother you?” I asked. “I mean…her being transgender? Like, with you being
religious and all?”
Sam arched an eyebrow. “Being ‘religious and all,’ a lot of things bother me about this place.” She
gestured around us. “I had to do some soul-searching when I first realized my dad was…you know, Loki. I
still don’t accept the idea that the Norse gods are gods. They’re just powerful beings. Some of them are
my annoying relatives. But they are no more than creations of Allah, the only god, just like you and I are.”
“You remember I’m an atheist, right?”
She snorted. “Sounds like the beginning of a joke, doesn’t it? An atheist and a Muslim walk into a
pagan afterlife. Anyway, Alex being transgender is the least of my problems. I’m more worried about her…connection to our father.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2))
“
Does Alex Fierro bother you?' I asked. 'I mean... her being transgender? Like, with you being religious and all?'
Sam arched an eyebrow. 'Being 'religious and all,' a lot of things bother me about this place.' She gestured around us. 'I had to do some soul-searching when I first realized my dad was... you know, Loki. I still don't accept the idea that the Norse gods are gods. They're just powerful beings. Some of them are my annoying relatives. But they are no more than creations of Allah, the only god, just like you and I are.'
'You remember I'm atheist, right?'
She snorted. 'Sounds like the beginning of a joke, doesn't it? An atheist and a Muslim walk into a pagan afterlife...
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2))