The Goddess of Fire

7 Treason

"Thank you, you can go now," he says, his voice devoid of any warmth or empathy.

As Loki turns away from me, his dismissal stings more than I anticipated. All this time, I've tried to maintain my composure, to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. But his indifference finally breaks through my defenses, and the tears I've been holding back begin to flow freely down my cheeks.

His words hang in the air, heavy with finality. It's clear that he has no intention of offering me the comfort or support I so desperately crave. With a bitter taste in my mouth, I realize that I'm alone in my grief.

"Is that it? Is that all you have to say?" I demand, my voice cracking with the weight of my sorrow. "Our mother is dead, and you turn your back on me."

But Loki remains silent, his back still turned to me as if my words are nothing more than a distant echo. Frustration wells up inside me, mingling with the grief that threatens to consume me. Without thinking, I step into his cage once more, closing the distance between us with determined strides.

"Loki!" I call out, my voice trembling with emotion as I reach out and grab his arm, turning him around to face me.

I reach out and gently grasp Loki's arm, turning him back to face me. In his eyes, I detect a flicker of defiance, but also a glimmer of something deeper, something buried beneath the facade of indifference. As he reluctantly meets my gaze, I can see through the mask of meanness and mischief he wears, catching a glimpse of the brother I once knew.

My voice trembles slightly as I speak, the weight of my words hanging heavy in the air. "I need my brother," I murmur softly, the vulnerability in my tone belying the strength of my conviction. "I need you, Loki."

For a moment, there is silence between us, the air thick with unspoken emotions and unresolved tension. Then, slowly, almost imperceptibly, I see a shift in Loki's demeanor. His expression softens, just barely, and a hint of vulnerability creeps into his eyes.

Loki's words hit me like a physical blow, each syllable cutting deeper than the last. The icy chill in his voice freezes me in place, his disdainful gaze searing through the fragile remnants of hope that linger within me.

"You don't need me," he sneers, his words dripping with venom. "You're not my sister, and she was not my mother." He strides closer, his presence looming over me like a dark shadow. "Your mother is dead," he continues, his voice devoid of any trace of compassion. "Now leave, before I press you through the force field that is keeping me inside this cell."

I feel the weight of his words bearing down on me, crushing the last vestiges of my resolve. The realization that the bond I had once cherished with my brother is nothing more than a cruel illusion sends a wave of despair crashing over me.

With a heavy heart, I take a step back, my gaze locked on Loki's retreating form. The pain of his rejection cuts deep, leaving me feeling hollow and alone in the vast emptiness of the prison cell.

As I exit the prison, a shroud of sorrow envelops me, tears threatening to spill from my downcast eyes. Just as I approach the solace of my chamber door, Thor intercepts me, his presence a silent sentinel against the backdrop of my anguish.

"Ember?" His voice is a gentle beacon in the darkness, drawing my attention to his cloaked form.

"What are you about to do?" I respond, my voice barely above a whisper, betraying the turmoil raging within.

"I need you, sister," Thor's words carry a weight of urgency and unspoken longing, echoing the tumult of emotions swirling within me.

"What I am about to ask if you is treason of the highest order. Success will bring us exile and failure shall mean our death." He begins.

Thor brings me to a secret place located in one of Asgards darkest alleyways, I enter the room where I see Haimdall standing against the wall, Sif, Fendral and Volstagg seated at a table in the middle of the dark room.

"Malekith knew the Aether was here he can sense its power. If we do nothing he will come for it again but this time, lay waste to all of Asgard. We must move Jane off-world." Thor continues as I look at him across the table.

"The Biftost has been shut down and the Tesseract locked away in the vault." Sif adds, questioning how we can leave Asgard.

"There are other paths off Asgards. Ways known only a few." Heimdall says.

"One, actually." I add, knowing the only person who can know these secret paths.

"No." Volstagg says as Federal looks down in defeat.

"Loki."