I just came from Bunker Hill,’ I told Sam. ‘Hel offered me a reunion with my mother.’

I managed to tell her the story.

Samirah reached out as if to touch my arm, then apparently changed her mind. ‘I’m so sorry, Magnus. But Hel lies. You can’t trust her. She’s just like my father, only colder. You made the right choice.’

‘Yeah … still. You ever do the right thing, and you know it’s the right thing, but it leaves you feeling horrible?’

‘You’ve just described most days of my life.’ Sam pulled up her hood. ‘When I became a Valkyrie … I’m still not sure why I fought that frost giant. The kids at Malcolm X were terrible to me. The usual garbage: they asked me if I was a terrorist. They yanked off my hijab. They slipped disgusting notes and pictures into my locker. When that giant attacked … I could’ve pretended to be just another mortal and got myself to safety. But I didn’t even think about running away. Why did I risk my life for those kids?’

I smiled.

‘What?’ she demanded.

‘Somebody once told me that a hero’s bravery has to be unplanned – a genuine response to a crisis. It has to come from the heart, without any thought of reward.’

Sam huffed. ‘That somebody sounds pretty smug.’

‘Maybe you didn’t need to come here,’ I decided. ‘Maybe I did. To understand why we’re a good team.

Rick Riordan