The Ides of July // Loki - Book 1 ✓

Chapter 8: What Do I Do?

"I DON'T KNOW what you were thinking, bringing her here," Magnus says, pacing the far side of the room.

The entire wall is covered with a grid of frameless LED panels displaying a crystal-clear live feed of the New York City skyline. It's dark, so Eren can only see Magnus' silhouette as his body blocks the view of the sparkling city lights.

"She's an asset," Eren tells him again, trying not to roll his eyes. "She can be useful to our organization."

Magnus scoffs, "Useful? To what end? Writing a scathing article in the Telegraph?"

Dim lights fade on, illuminating the two men in the minimally decorated room. The three walls not covered with LED panels are unblemished, and the only furniture in the room besides a modern desk is a single black leather sofa, a lamp, and a small wet bar. A delicate tinkle of glass echoes across the room as Magnus opens a decanter of whiskey and pours himself two fingers worth of the amber liquid in an elegant crystal tumbler before savoring his first sip.

Eren leans forward from his seat on the sofa, studying Magnus carefully, "What other options do we have? What success have you had in eliminating the threat of attack? Surely other members of the organization are not satisfied with your progress, or lack thereof."

The other man freezes, his brown eyes turning to steel as he tightly grips the glass of whiskey. He uses his other hand to adjust the black silk tie around his neck without removing his gaze from Eren. Most men would wither under such a look, but Eren stares back at him unblinking.

"What do you propose?" Magnus asks.

A small smile curls up the edges of Eren's mouth, "We send her in."

*****

Anna

A deafening sound shakes Anna back into consciousness, and her eyelids flutter open. Startled, she tries to sit up as the sound returns again, banging into her eardrums while she attempts to blink away the fog clouding her senses. She's sitting up in a small bed with a thin white comforter draped over her lap, and a faint waft of vanilla and spice hits her nose. She's no longer in the infirmary, she realizes, and her heartbeat jumps in her throat as her eyes widen in the dark.

The door opens slowly, a small crack of light illuminating the room so Anna can see a tiny wardrobe, an upholstered red armchair, and a bookshelf covered in titles indistinguishable from her perch on the bed. Another round of rumbling turns her head back to the door, where she realizes it's Eren knocking gently against the wood. Her shoulders relax an inch, and she exhales slowly.

"May I?" He asks, gesturing toward the armchair.

She nods, and he opens the door further to allow himself entry. He flicks on a table lamp resting on top of the bookshelf before sitting down, and the room is flooded with a warm yellow glow.

"What happened?"

Eren grimaces, "You fainted."

"What?!" Anna replies, her cheeks flaming red hot with embarrassment. "I...I haven't..."

"It's fine," Eren reassures her. "I shouldn't have shown you those photographs. You, well...you blacked out and hit your head."

That explains the splitting headache and the brain fog, at least, but Anna still can't believe that she fainted. It isn't exactly a typical occurrence for a healthy young female to up and tumble over, unless you're a high born lady in a historical romance novel which she is most definitely not. She runs her hands through her hair, brushing a thick brown wave away from her eyes, and shakes her head. Tears begin to well up behind her eyelids, and she blinks them away, wiping her finger under each eye to prevent any stragglers from creeping out.

"Are you..." Eren starts to say, sitting forward in the chair and leaning toward her. His face is marked with concern, and his dark eyes are staring intently at her.

"I'm fine," she interrupts. "I mean, I'm not fine. Clearly, but...it's been a long day."

She refuses to let herself replay the image of Rifat's death again, instead forcing herself to meticulously examine the edge of the comforter covering her. A single threat sticks out from the seam, so she tugs on it, wrapping it around her index finger twice before it slips off and unwinds.

"I understand," Eren replies. "If you'd like me to leave--"

"No," Anna says quickly, looking up at him. "Don't leave. I need...I could use someone to talk to."

Eren studies her face for a moment, and she returns her eyes to the loose thread on the comforter. After a few moments of silence, she notices he has leaned back in the armchair, eyes closed tight, as if debating something internally. Suddenly, he opens his eyes and meets her own, black against blue.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," he tells her, causing a lump to form in her throat. "I want to tell you that you'll be safe now, that we can keep you safe, but we don't know for certain."

"What do you mean? I don't understand any of this," she replies. "Rifat, he was a good man. His daughters. What have we done that...why is this..."

Her voice trails, and Eren stands, pacing slowly in front of the lamp. His tall, muscular frame blocks the light, causing shadows to dance across the room. He exhales, then turns toward her.

"We don't know. Anything," he replies. "I'm sorry, but we haven't a clue."

Anna bites her lip, "Then what do we do? What do I do?"

He stops pacing and runs a hand over his face, his forehead creased with worry.

"There's one possibility, but it's dangerous. If it were to go wrong--"

"Tell me," Anna interrupts, her fingers clenched tightly in a white-knuckle grip around the edge of the comforter. "Now."

"We send you to New York," he says slowly. "To Stark Tower. To Iron Man."

Now Playing: "Hurricane" by Halsey.