Enamoured with a Mortal

Chapter Two

Three Months Earlier

When I awoke well rested and healed I expected yellow light flickering in through the curtains and the feeling of her seiðr next to me. Instead I was met with the harsh white light of an Asgardian healing room and a complete lack of her seiðr. It wasn't even that she wasn't next to me, it was that I couldn't feel her at all. I bolted upright, panic ensuing as I realised that I'd returned to Asgard and she hadn't. The last thing I remembered was her taking to the sky as I finally succumbed to my exhaustion. When my eyes fully adjusted to the room I noticed my brother and father watching over me as both Eir and another healer tried to steady me. The dizziness from the sudden movement was present, but I pushed through it, determined to get answers even as both my father and brother refused to meet my eye.

"Where's Kaya?" The healer fussing over me attempted to get me to lie back down, daring to suggest I should relax. I didn't even bother fully listening to her, continuing to glare at my brother. He was the one who knew, he was the one who refused to answer me. "Where is she, Thor?"

"I'm sorry, brother." I went to lunge for him, summoning my daggers to my hands, when Eir's hand firmly grasped my shoulder and prevented me from harming him.

"You–"

"I tried!" His outburst was unexpected, even my father dared to show his surprise at my brother's tone. It was unlike him to sound so angry, or at least so desperate. "It took all of my might just to destroy her shield, Loki. By the time I did she was gone and you were unconscious! It didn't look like you were healing and I... I didn't have a choice."

I shook free of Eir's grasp on my shoulder and in the next moment I found myself in front of him with one dagger at his throat and the other at his right hand wrist waiting for him to call for Mjølnir. My rage consumed all rational thought, and I found myself hating him more than I ever had before. Far more than my jealousy at his position, at his praise, at how easily he soaked the attention ever did. He was meant to be the protector of our people, the only one who had ever truly been considered the future king of Asgard. There was meant to be a reason why he was the only person ever truly considered as a successor to the throne. The warrior. I vaguely noticed Odin gesturing to Eir out of the corner of my eye, but I didn't care enough to notice. Thor didn't summon his weapon, he didn't even move. He just met my eye contact without hesitation or care. Swollen blue eyes surrounded by red, clear evidence that he had been crying. Even with this realisation I couldn't stop the words coming out.

"You had a choice! You should have left me, you should have gone after her!"
"Loki–"

"You had a choice and you should have chosen her. You... you were meant to help me protect her. You..." I had to stop to catch my breath, to prevent the sob rising to the surface. I didn't have time to feel pity or sorrow. I didn't have time to cry. Not until I found her. Not until she was safe. That all consuming thought caused me to back off, taking my daggers back to the subdimension.

I let myself explore the section she so neatly kept her things in before. Certain items were still there such as books and her blanket. However, so many of her clothes were missing, as were many of the weapons she kept ready to reach at any given moment. She was defenceless, even if she managed to break out of their control. Knowing this, I left my daggers where she would usually keep hers. I hoped soon they would be gone. So she took items out of our subdimension, that had to have been done with seiðr and willingly, so before Miller... Miller. My whole body tensed. Somehow I'd forgotten. And once more I had to remind myself that I didn't have the time to explore my murderous intent fully, even if I did want to spend time detailing exactly how slowly I was going to kill that mortal. First, I had to find her.

"How long has it been?"

"Loki... don't." I sighed, refusing to look back at Thor, too worried I was going to snap again and knowing I would need him at my side. I did my best to stay calm, or at least to not show any emotion.