Darkness Vanquished (A Loki Love Story) Book 3 in Darkness Series

This Is Real

(His point of view)

I hear the eerie ripping of flesh as its flaming metal slices through his neck, severing his head completely away from his body. A dull thud echoes through the air as it lands on the hard ground at my feet. The rest of his body falls back. Blood spews out over the mud.

I let out an exasperated breath whilst staggering in disbelief that he is finally dead. Still trembling from my adrenaline, I let my sword fall down against my side as its flames immediately burn out.

A deafening silence falls over the land whilst my eyes scan the field, watching as each remaining warrior is frozen in their stance. Each of them have their eyes glued to the lifeless giant at my feet. But the silence is broken by a slight sniffle from over my shoulder. I immediately turn to its source, finding that she is smiling at me so brilliantly that I almost forget to breathe. As I take in the flawlessness of her face, something inside of me bursts. She is really here. She is not dead...she is here. With me. She is alive!

"Loki." Her voice is a hymnal from the gods, chiming sweetly in harmony with the ocean breeze and the blue sparrow's innocent melody. My name on her lips does something to me. I have heard her speak it so many times before, but this time it is completely different.

I release my sword from my grasp, letting it fall to the ground. I take a single step in her direction, already feeling my heart weeping beneath my overwhelming emotions. But I stumble, suddenly feeling as though I weigh a thousand pounds as the reality of it all attempts to sink in.

"Christine.... " You are alive.... Oh my gods.... you are alive....

"Y...you're......a....alive....." I mutter. I fall to my knees just in front of her as tears begin forming without my mental consent. You are alive......my gods.........

"Loki!" She lunges forward, colliding into my body. I fight from losing consciousness as the feel of her arms weave themselves around my neck, pulling me into her embrace. I whimper from the sensations gushing upon gaining her euphoric touch. I am frozen all over again, hardly able to believe that she is really here, that she is really holding me this way. I swallow before taking a deep breath in. Roses and lavender plummet right down into the very center of my soul, thus summoning my frozen stature to melt instantly. In my utter state of indescrinable disbelief, I immediately wrap my arms around her waist and bury my face into the hiding place of her luscious, chocolate locks of hair. And I break. I break as I never have before in all of my life.

I am trembling horrifically as I dig my fingers into the fabric of her gown, almost tearing into the cloth as I cannot hold her tight enough. I cry out in sobs against her porcelain skin, letting my tears fall without restraint. She is alive. She is truly here, holding me once again in her angelic form. She is alive. We are both alive!

I sob uncontrollably, whimpering without the slightest sign of restraint.

"Christine...Oh my gods, Christine.... " I can hear her own sobs as she clings to me with her unwavering strength. Her face is deeply buried within the crevice of my neck. I feel the moisture of her heated tears as they drip down onto the exposed skin underneath my chin. Her lips press against my neck, sending a new wave of heat streaming throughout my veins. I want to pull away and look at her face, but I cannot will myself to release my death-like grip on her.

I have prayed for this moment for what seems like an eternity. I had feared that I would never get the chance to hold her like this ever again, and my nightmares came true as I witnessed her take her last breath. I had fallen apart at the seams as I was forced to leave her broken body there in that dark cell. I was internally tortured in ways that I could never put into words. But now, it somehow all seems worth it, in some strange, twisted manner. It was all worth it, for now I have truly come to learn of who I am, of whom I was born to be. I have learned to forgive, to look for the good in others. I have learned when to speak and when to remain silent. I have learned to love fearlessly. To live fearlessly. I have learned that what my mother had said was true. Love is, in fact, the greatest power in existence. It binds us. It connects us. It is all around us. Even if we choose to refuse its will, it will always find its way back. And in that, I have realized that her love for me will outlast the hands of time, as will mine for her. I could ignite a furious hel of a fire with the tremendous love that I feel for her. I could conquer the universe five times over, bend any ray of light, overcome any trying obstacle with the power that flows from the emotion that I feel in her presence.