Fight to the Surface (Sea Prince Trilogy #2)

Chapter Fourteen

"Nothing to concern yourself with." He scowled with surprising anger and perhaps shame.

"Loki." Percy drawled.

"It's nothing."

"That's not nothing!" Percy yelled, feeling his own temper rise. Loki stayed silent. "So I'm supposed to trust myself with you, but you'll tell me nothing yourself?"

Loki hesitated. The demigod had a point. No plan worked without a form of trust. Not when the two had to co-operate so closely. Resigned, he sat on the bed once again next to Percy, who now sat upright. He stared expectantly at the demigod with hardened, but vulnerable eyes.

The sun once again allowed nine silvery cross-stitch scars to be revealed. They hovered above his lips, puncture marks that would never fade.

Stitch marks.

"Loki, what-"

"All gods have their sources of entertainment." He said quietly, trying to keep his voice level. Even today, he still awaited the day the gods of Asgard would fall, and he would not help. In fact, he'd like to be the instigator of it, and he'd laugh as they fell.

But as of now, it wasn't a story Percy needed to hear. Not while he was trying to escape his own gods with minimal casualties and injuries. If anything it would worsen his views.

"What happened?"

Loki looked away, unable to hold that oceanic green gaze.

"I lost a bet." He said. It was the very simplified version. He would say nothing of how they laughed as it happened, how they relished in his pain and watched his retreat to his quarters, eyes full of glee that finally someone could cause physical damage to the demon Trickster.

Percy gave him a deadpanned stare. He knew all too well that wasn't the full story, perhaps the base of it, but not the whole thing.

"It was my fault anyway." Loki said. Perhaps it partially was, but the punishment was far unnecessary. "I shouldn't have cut off Sif's hair."

"Bullshit." Percy stared.

"I made a bet and insulted somebody's pride, confident I could win and I couldn't." Loki growled. He didn't want to delve into the story much more than that, but he ended up doing so anyway, telling Percy of all the things he just vowed he wouldn't. "The children of Ivaldi are prideful. I was sent to get magical hair extensions for Sif, along with a few gifts from a smith, Dvalin. His brother Brokk interfered with a bet that he could make three things better and if he did then my head was his.

"I agreed, naturally. Even despite my interference I was positive I would win. But I didn't.

"We took the bet to the gods of Asgard themselves and they judged. I lost. Not a single person lifted a finger to help me. I managed to wiggle out of getting my head sliced off because he bargained for my head, yet he could not take it without damaging my neck, which was not as promised. But still my head belonged to him."

Loki didn't plan to give details, even now it was simplified. But he was caught in the moment, mind stuck in the past. He continued.

"I was held down by one of the Aesir as he stitched my lips together. No preparation, just straight into it.

"And they just laughed.