Fix You (Loki Romance)

Chapter 35

The Midgardian Library of Alexandria, lost to flames and time, was rumored to have been a meager fourth of the size of Vanaheim's treasure.

Kenna related this to Rowan as they walked the length of an endless corridor. "But there's stories of a library even bigger and older. No one knows what it's called but the people were older than Asgard and they knew everything. They even built the original Bifrost for us."

"How do you know that?"

"There's stories and rumors in a lot of history books." Kenna's fingertips bounced along beloved spines. "I wish we knew about them. But they say the race died all at once. No one knows anything about them. They had a weird nickname. Something or other."

There were twelve staggering floors with ladders that stretched to each ceiling. They ran up the steps to look over the first banister.

"I wish I could live here." Rowan sighed. "H-have you read them all yet?"

She shook her head and traveled up the next staircase. Stopping at an unmarked section, she climbed the ladder and pulled a book down, as if she had memorized its position. "I bet my dad has."

Rowan pulled on a spine curiously, studying the heavy tome on marine life in Alfheim. "I'm not such a good, a good reader." He mumbled.

"It's okay. I'll help if you need it. How old are you anyway?"

"Seven."

"Me too!" She grinned.

He looked up at her. "You're tall!"

She laughed. People often said she was tall for her age and mature enough for to fool anyone into believing she was at least twelve.

"Do you have anything, anything easier?" He asked. "I don't know what this says." He pointed to a word. She leaned over to study it.

"Acclimated. It's like to get used to something. You'll like these." She led him to a section of easier books but he stopped midway and stared. She smiled. "Do you like maps?"

"I'm really good at... Ge-gee-oh..." He frowned.

"Geography?" He nodded and pulled down a scroll. Satisfied with this choice, he followed her back to a dim little alcove on the third floor. They say cross-legged from each other

A door opened below them. Feeling her father searching mentally for her, she waited patiently for him to climb the stairs to them. Loki stepped up and peeked into the little alcove. Rowan looked up, surprised and nervous. He started to stand. Loki held a hand up and shook his head.

"Good morning." He murmured. "I was only checking on you. I hear you bothered Cook today."

"Only a little." Kenna smiled sheepishly. She unfolded the cloth and handed over a few cookies.

Loki chuckled, taking them. "Good girl." He patted her affectionately before moving on.

Kenna turned back to find Rowan frowning at her. "He feels weird." He whispered.

"What?"

"You don't feel it? Like, like something's rolling off him that you can't see..."

"Magic?"

He shook his head. "No 'cause I don't feel it on you."

"I'm not as strong as he is."

He looked closely at her and then nodded and turned back to his scroll. Kenna did the same. They stayed like that for hours, rarely talking. Even when they did, Rowan would simply say something softly and she would reply. He would pause and then nod, going back to his book. Loki came to check on them once more and then left the library. Ebony came some time later.