Emprise [Fólkvangr End, Book 2][Loki Fanfiction]

Chapter Three - Eitur

“I would hardly call it fun. Character building, maybe,” I laugh. And then I add, “But there was certainly a bit of time for fun for Loki and me.” Jane blushes and laughs and Thor stares at me blankly. 

“Right then...” I carry on, turning around. “Loki’s passed out, so it’s probably best if we get him inside.”

“What happened to him?” Jane asks.

I smile to myself, “Stubbornness.”

Jane and Thor follow close behind as I dart back up the stairs, pressing my hand tightly against my side. The skin stretches with my long strides and I am very much aware of the pain that somehow seems to have spread. Faintly, my right hand is tingling. 

Frey is waiting at the top of the stairs, his hands on his hips, watching me carefully. I roll my eyes and him and lead the band of men into the palace. I look back over my shoulder at Thor and Jane, right behind me and next to Frey. 

“Thor, Jane...this is Frey and...well, actually I don’t know any of the other men’s names.”

“Pleasure,” I hear Jane say as I turn back around, leading my way through the twisting corridors. It’s almost like I never - 

“Left,” Thor says from behind and I veer towards the left hallway instead of the one I was going to take. Just kidding. It’s just as confusing as when I left. I run my fingers across the smooth stone of the wall beside me and find myself putting my weight against it. Our rather large gang finally gets to Loki’s room and I open the door for everyone to pile in. Loki is placed on the bed, rather indelicately, by the largest of Frey’s gang, and while everyone stands about in confused and unbearable silence, I go to Loki’s side. I bend over him and brush his hair out of his eyes and off his face. I kiss his forehead gently, propping myself up with my right arm. My arm trembles beneath my own weight and the pain sears suddenly, feeling as thought a new wound has been cleaved right through my flesh. I let out a soft whimper and my body lets itself go. I collapse over Loki, unable to get myself to stand and I start to panic. A simple wound should not have done this to me. 

I am aware of Frey leaning over me, flipping me gingerly onto my back and I mutter something incoherent which he manages to understand. My view of his face is obscured my black spots threatening my vision, dancing around the edges of my sight. He lifts my shirt up and curses loudly, gesturing Thor over. 

“What happened to you?”

“D-dragon...” I murmur, trying to roll onto my stomach and away from them, both prodding at me. 

Frey’s eyes widen, “Poison, then?”

Thor seems to nod in agreement. I push them off of me. “I...I’m fine. I’ll be...fine.” I get to my feet.

And then I hit the marble floor. Hard. I try to move myself even slightly, but nothing is responding. 

“Dragon poison is fatal,” Frey says from somewhere above me.

“Even for immortals?” I hear Jane ask quietly. I gasp in pain, my body unconsciously writhing on the floor. 

“Yes,” Frey answers so quietly it almost escapes me, but unfortunately, I hear it. 

Someone wraps their arms around me and pulls me into a sitting position, and I am fairly certain its Thor. He uses his shoulder to prop up my lolling head and it passes through my mind that I should apologize for  being dead weight. 

Always a burden, Valkyrie.

“Give her to me,” someone hisses and I am passed through hands, despite much arguing. “Open that drawer...no, not that one, the other one. Imbecile. Yes, yes, I would appreciate some haste. Hand me that vial.”

I am faintly aware of someone’s hand running up beneath my shirt, across my blisteringly hot skin. So hot I could tear myself right out of it. I regain some ability to see, albeit blurrily, and I can make out Loki’s face, brow furrowed in concentration. Not looking at me, but through me. His hands are suddenly cool, firmly pressed into my skin as he withdraws one and brings a vial to my lips, pouring something down my throat. He places a hand over my mouth as I cough and sputter, whatever it was, burning and scalding its way down my throat.

“Shush, gentle heart,” Loki whispers, running his hand along my throat. I fold over in his arms, feeling drastically better, but my body feels ravaged. Loki holds me tighter and tighter until it feels as though there is no longer me and only him. I feel his fingers in my tangled hair and I can taste my own salty tears in my mouth. Loki picks me up and places me on his bed. I watch as he stumbles, catching himself on the bed frame. 

“She needs rest, give us peace,” Loki says quietly. Everyone stands around, doing nothing.

“Brother, you are not well either - ” Thor begins to protest.

“I will rest when Valkyrie is well.” My hero. “Now, leave us be. I need to tend to her.”

There a bit of grumbling and shuffling and Loki turns back to me once the door is shut with a decisive thud. I lay shivering and he picks me up with ease before returning me to the bed and pulling the covers over me. 

“How are you feeling now?” He asks, delicately wiping the hair stuck to my sweaty forehead. I open my mouth to answer but instead my stomach comes rushing out and empties itself onto the floor. I stare down at it.

“Should my vomit be black?” I manage to croak. Loki magics it away and smiles at me faintly. 

“Well, you’re well enough now to speak. That is good news,” he sniffs and then starts carefully stripping out of all of his clothing.

I groan, “What are you doing?”

He pulls the covers back and crawls in beside me before covering us both again. He reaches down gently and begins to take off my clothes, wiggling me out of my boots and pants and ultimately my shirt, the gash in my side still bright red and oozy. Loki pulls his body against mine and I feel his warmth. He lays his hands against my wound and presses down, drawing a gasp from my lips. 

“I apologize, but my magic is depleted and this...this is the best way for me to - ”

I laugh lightly, “I do not mind.”

He frees one hand to brush my hair aside and he presses a kiss to the back of my neck. “Do you feel well?”

“Better,” I sigh. For a moment, though, it feels as though I may lose my stomach again, but I swallow hard and keep my stomach intact. My skin feels tacky and I am aware of how sweaty it is as Loki touches me. His hand strokes the side of my face, fingers lingering over my temple and suddenly everything about my body feels heavy. My eyelids droop and I let out a sleepy groan.

“You son of a bitch.”