Heart Of Stone

Chapter 31

Odin steps down from his throne and walks over, inspecting my arm carefully. Then he touches it, causing me to scream out in pain and withdraw. "Hm... yes, it's true..." he murmurs. I have to hold back a glare, but Thor and Loki don't. "Father, she is who she says she is!" Thor snaps. "You do not have to harm her!"

I wipe my tears away quickly while Odin watches me carefully. "How do you heal?" He questioned when he saw it wasn't reversing on its own. "Water will heal it," I reply, picturing the water. It calms me a little, to know that I can most likely reach it once we are done here.

Odin only nods. Thor has left with intentions of returning with water for you, Loki informed me telepathically. I glanced over discretely and realised that Thor indeed had removed himself from the room. Thank you, I say to Loki, intending to repeat it to Thor when he returned. He gives a slight nod.

Odin continues to speak with me for a short time longer. He is interested in my heritage and the history of my kind as well as Loki's curse and the effect it had upon us. He was appalled at how it effects me the way it does even several generations later.

At long last Thor returns, claiming he filled a bath in the room I am supposed to stay in for me. I thanked him, not opposed to the idea. It sounds like a lovely idea to just relax in the water.

Odin finally dismisses us, saying it is too late for too much more discussion and that we may stay for only seven days due to upcoming traditions for what Loki telepathically informs me is what Midgardians call Christmas, according to prior knowledge from Thor.

Thor and Loki show me to the place I'll be living in while on Asgard. Like the rest of the Asgardian architecture I've seen so far, it is lined with generous trims of gold. "What do you think?" Loki asked me.

"It is lovely," I say politely. I knew Loki wouldn't mind much if I called it a horror, but around Thor I was not quite as comfortable jesting the room. Especially since they were so nice as to let me use it. I know I have no true business here on Asgard and that if it wasn't for the curse I most likely wouldn't be welcome here. Besides, it is a nice room.

As expected, Thor grinned while Loki didn't seem too bothered as to how I chose to answer. "You should get to that bath before the water grows cold, Lady Lexis," Thor suggests, bowing to me jokingly. "As I shall," I nod, bowing as well. Thor laughs heartily and Loki gives a slight chuckle, so I just smile along, then I say my goodbyes before retreating behind the door.

The bath is just as wonderful as I predicted it would be. I take care to really scrub myself clean, not wanting to look like I've been rolling in mud during my stay here. I wash until I'm spotless, then finally step out. Another benefit to being a siren is that I don't wrinkle when I spend too long in the water, so my skin is as smooth as ever.

After I use a towel to dry myself, I change into a robe I found in the wardrobe and climbed into the bed. For being big and soft, it was not the most comfortable of beds and I tossed and turned throughout most of the night, trying to settle down.

I gave up in the somewhat early hours of the morning, deciding to get ready for the day if I can't sleep. I have a nice bath, get dressed and brush my hair. As I'm brushing out a particularly stubborn knot, a knock Sounds at the door.

I place down the hairbrush and automatically pick up my barb, but I leave it in its retracted form. When I open the door, Loki is standing there, much to my relief. I put my barb down. "Loki, how may I help you?"

"I could not sleep," he said, looking me over, taking in my brushed hair and my clothes. "I see you also had troubles."

I didn't even have to say a word, I just held the door open and he smiled slightly, accepting the invitation. We sat on opposite ends of the bed so as to be reasonably close to talk, but not risk touching one another.

"You did not want to sleep," I'm the first to speak. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. "No," he answered. "You do know I could have helped you sleep," I point out. "I know," he nods. "But I find it more productive and enlightening to speak with you, Lady Lexis."

I smile slightly. "In your mind, you are the the most powerful, but to trick your mind into believing such a thing is beyond even my own capabilities." "That is strange," he remarks. "I found I could do it with very minimal effort, almost as though it was previously accustomed to the thought."

I chuckle, causing a smile to twist his usual line of indifference upward. Then he rises from the bed. "We might as well begin our search. Shall we wake Thor or let him sleep?"

"Sleeping Beauty may rest for his full century's nap," I reply. "Unless his presence is necessary or wanted, of course."

"Not at all," Loki smirked. "In fact, it would do me some good to remove myself of watchful eyes for a short while." I cock an eyebrow. "You have a watchful mind, not a watchful eye," he points out. "An accurate account," I agree, satisfied.

He leads the way to a grand library, where books occupy every available surface. He glides through the room as though he owns it all, selecting two books from a shelf. He offers me one. "Hopefully we will find answers in these books," he says. I nod and we begin reading.