The Disorder (Book 1)

Chapter 29

A shadow in the far corner shifted, revealing Loki's infamous daughter, wearing black combat boots, black skinny jeans and a Metallica T-shirt instead of the elegant gown Aubrey last saw her in. A fat streak of eyeliner was surrounding her living eye, and her smooth black hair was braided with her dead grey hair down her back.

Loki laughed. "I see you dressed for the occasion."

As a reply, Hela sneered at him.

Aubrey tried to act as if she had never seen Hela before by forcing herself to feel fear, horror, and disgust. But it didn't seem to matter, as Loki either wasn't paying attention, or he was used to that reaction from people. Aubrey was fine with both.

Instead, he just told her, this is Hela, she's going to separate us. And then turned his attention back to his daughter.

"Well, let's do this!" He said excitedly, slapping his hands together with a giant grin on his face. Aubrey could only guess that he was excited to get her powers and to regain the ability to think with no one listening.
She couldn't help but feel the same way.

He laid on the dusty floor alongside Aubrey's body, fidgeting in his excitement. Aubrey, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. Afraid that her plan might not succeed, that her family would be separated or used for Odin's purposes, and that it would be all her fault.

But she couldn't focus on that right now, she had to remember her goal and keep her eyes fixed on it. She couldn't worry about the outcome; she could only try her hardest to beat Loki at his own game.

Hela stepped forward, placing herself between them. Kneeling among the dust, she placed two of her dead fingers on Loki's forehead and two of her living fingers on Aubrey's forehead. Her living eye slowly closed, and strange, murmured words escaped her mouth.

Now was Aubrey's chance. If she could reach the front of Loki's mind, if she could take control for a second, just that last second, then maybe the spell that would give Loki all of her powers would be cast on her instead. Maybe then the spell would be reversed, and maybe she would receive Loki's power instead of him receiving hers. Maybe, just maybe, she could do this, for her family.

Aubrey didn't like how many 'maybe's and 'if's where in her plan, but it was worth a shot.

A pull was tugging at her consciousness, and she knew it was time.

Then, she was racing. Her consciousness sped to the front of Loki's mind as he chased after her with equal persistence. She was close. So close to overpowering him that she could feel it, but he was gaining on her. And fast.

He had finally caught on. But she could not let that bother her. All her hard work came down to this moment. What felt like months of careful lies and planned deceit was crashing down around her to give her this one opportunity. This one shot to set things straight. This was her only chance. And it was a game of all or nothing.

By now she could see the light, and she felt him trying with all his power to beat her to it. With a final leap she tumbled across the finish line.

The only problem was that she wasn't sure who crossed it first.

Aubrey woke up in her own body, gasping. She knotted her fingers in her hair, grateful to be back where she belonged.

Loki? she thought.

No answer. Just blissful silence. She sighed in relief.

Unfortunately, there was still the concern of who was drained of power and who was given it. But she would have to cross that bridge when she got there.

A scrambling sound made Aubrey open her eyes. Her muscles ached, but she ignored them because what she saw made her stomach tie itself up in knots.

Loki was hastily pulling himself off the floor and running to the broken door. Aubrey sat on her elbows watching him go, the rose and note gripped in her hand so that the thorns made blood drip between her fingers and onto the concrete.

She didn't go after him. She didn't move. All she did was watch as her greatest adventure fled to the street and as far away from her as he could get.

When he reached the broken door, he turned, looking over his shoulder. His expression was unreadable, though his eyebrows were slightly scrunched together in what Aubrey hoped was concern, or maybe even regret.

But the look only lasted a second, because she blinked and he was gone.

She glanced up to find that Hela was still there. She looked at Aubrey and smiled a knowing smile, as if she had seen Loki do this to a countless number of people. But it was wider somehow, fuller.

"You beat him, you know," Hela said. "I felt it." She somehow grinned wider still, "my dad is running around Midguard, powerless. Just like one of those pathetic humans. Good job, kid."

Hela somehow managed a wink at Aubrey, quickly exaggerating the gesture in her living eye before disappearing in a plume of black smoke.

Aubrey felt like laughing. She had done it! Loki was so much less of a threat to her and her family in this powerless state. He would still be after her family, sure, but he had no way of telling Odin and no way of tricking her with his magic.

She laid back in the dust for awhile, overwhelmed by the pride she felt in herself before she remembered the letter Loki had left her.

Scrambling back into a sitting position, she cautiously opened the hastily folded paper, anxiety nearly ripping holes through her chest.

And finally Aubrey's curiosity was quenched, for in large, smeared charcoal letters were these three words:

'I'm so sorry'

A/N:
There is so much I want to say about this chapter that I won't even get started for a fear of the longest Author's Notes ever in the history of Author's Notes. So I'll let you do the talking, if you would like, leave a comment for me about what your thoughts were as you read! And, as always, be a lamb and push the vote button if you enjoyed!