"Galahad wants you to have the space to be able to become a different guy here," Magnus says, still staring down at his bottle of mead. He takes a sip. Yep, it's still like the creamiest sweetest cold brew. When he closes his eyes, it's almost like he's back in the Feast Hall of the Slain, next to -- gods, he misses Alex. "Instead of, I guess, who you'd become if you weren't here." He glances up at Lancelot then. "Galahad was my biggest supporter when I decided I wanted to stop being Fighting Guy, and now I guess instead of sparring with our swords all the time--" or, more accurately, trying a little every day to see if he could last one second longer without Galahad disarming him, Galahad is so cool "--we just let them date each other instead and do better things with our time."

Okay, that's less central to your point, Magnus! Get back on track! "Also he's like a brother to me. Which does not make you my dumb deadbeat dad, by the way. I already have one of those."

Sorry, Fray, he prays, as his own words register, just to be safe. But you kinda are. Amen, Magnus Chase -- your son, in case you forgot.

"Anyway, so I'm inclined to let him call the shots on this. But you have to understand: I have a code. A really important code that I live by."