Book 1: Mirage [Thor]

Chapter 18

It felt warm, was the first thing Anya remembered. Slowly, everything was beginning to come back as the darkness faded away. And the pain wasn't there, which for a moment made her panic thinking she died and was stuck in the unknown. However she could feel her fingers and toes, the rising and falling of her chest so death hadn't taken hold just yet. Her eyes felt heavy and continued to move the fingers, even if it wasn't much. It was something to hold onto until she gained enough strength to actually wake up.

Something touched a cheek that caused an unseen shiver to run through the young woman's body from the contact and warmth. It was so gentle but from the rough calluses and strong fingers knew it was a male. And it never pulled away, caressing the agent's face.

It felt like ages before Anya felt her eyes begin to open. The vision blurry and struggling to focus. Eventually, a high ceiling above became outlined, intricately designed, and unfamiliar. The young woman had no idea where she was but didn't have enough strength to be alarmed. And then a face filled her view. One that made Anya fill with relief and nearly cry when seeing someone familiar. She tried speaking to him, but the throat felt completely dry making any noise impossible.

"I will get the healer," Thor said.

Anya wanted to reach out and beg for him to stay. Though her arms felt too heavy, lying helpless on the bed. A woman approached observing her responses and health for nearly an hour before turning away.

"She is still weak," the healer stated. "And needs rest. But you may move her if you wish to leave these quarters." With a nod, the god came into view once more. "I will see to her progress in the coming days."

Thor lifted Anya from the bed as if it weighed nothing, holding her close while moving through the halls. Another wave of exhaustion hit her along the way, closing her eyes and resting her head against his chest. Without armor it was rather comfortable. The new mattress the agent laid on was much more comfortable than the one with the healer. Pillows propped her up just a bit so she wasn't staring completely up at the ceiling and able to view the room. A bedroom, by the looks of it, and Thor's based on the contents inside. She would have blushed, but even that was a struggle.

She felt so embarrassed when the prince had to help her drink some water as he placed the rim of a goblet to her lips. It was so satisfying that Anya consumed three glasses so the scratchy texture of her throat began to feel soothing again. Thor sat on the edge of the bed watching the mortal carefully afraid he would have to rush off and find the healer should something go wrong. She could see his worry in his expression as she continued to move her fingers every so often atop the sheets that covered her body.

"Where are we?" she asked weakly.

He smiled at her voice. "You are in Asgard," he stated. "My home."

She gave a small smirk. "And I can't even see it for myself because I'm too weak to move... of course."

Thor chuckled. "Maybe another time." Though sadly the god knew his father would never allow it.

"New York... What happened?"

"We won. Though my brother is still on Midgard in the hands of our allies."

Her brows furrowed. Why wasn't Loki here already?

"You were slipping away, your life hanging in the balance. There was no time to grab Loki before it was too late."

Anya could not believe what she was hearing, surprised the prince had gone to such lengths to save her. And on top of that leave a criminal on Earth with the possibilities of him escaping during his absence. It was then the young woman remembered where the pain came from glancing towards the affected area and wondering just how bad the damage was.