To Withstand the Force of Storms (A Loki Laufeyson Fanfic)

Chapter 10: Harder Harmonies

"I thought about how there are two types of secrets: the kind you want to keep in, and the kind you don't dare to let out." –Ally Carter; Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover

***

Even her veins are beautiful. Standing out against the white of her skin, the blue is like a topaz teardrop running down the length of her face and neck. Her pulse throbs at the side of her neck, a steady beat. Loki almost regrets what he has to do.

Bringing the dagger up to Annaka's throat, he slices quickly, watching the vein break open and like raging rapids the blood flows out and onto the ground, slowing slightly once she hits the floor.

Loki throws the dagger away carelessly, stalking away victorious. A wicked smile appears in the darkness ahead, aglow from the whiteness of his teeth. Red eyes follow, opening slowly and maniacally, the color of Annaka's blood that pours onto the floor.

A grimy, skeletal hand reachs out for him—

Loki jerks awake and feels it immediately. He needs to get out of the castle.

"Where are you going?"

Loki cringes at Annaka's voice behind him. 

"Nowhere," he answers. "Just for some fresh air."

Annaka doesn't protest, at least he didn't think she would until he was almost out the door.

"Why can't you tell me where you're going?" Her voice is so quiet and calm that it makes Loki turn around and go back to her, sitting next to her on their bed.

"I'm not going anywhere you need to be concerned about," Loki promises. "I had a nightmare. I'm just going for a walk."  

"You go for 'a walk' every night," Annaka says almost accusingly. "I followed you once. You leave the castle."

Loki sighs. "I do, sometimes. It's just for a walk around the village."

Annaka grimaces. "Right."

Loki bites his lip and looks away. "I'm sorry that you worry about me. I'm sorry I make you worry. I just—"

"Do you know what I find remarkable?"

Loki blinks slowly. "What?"

"I find it quite unbelievable that you can love me," Annaka starts. "I always thought when we were growing up that you were too involved in your schemes and in yourself to hold a steady relationship with someone. I'm not saying that it's like, a miracle that we fell in love or anything, I just mean it's nice that you've finally laid back."

Loki smiles softly. "Who couldn't fall in love with you, though?"

"Your father."

"He doesn't count, I hate him," Loki says. "You're wonderful. You soar above everyone else in every way."

Annaka grins. "And you're right there in the clouds with me."

Loki leans in to kiss her, a tired and love-struck kiss that sends them both reeling.

Annaka pulls away first. "Go on your walk. I'll be here, probably sleeping."

"Sleep, my queen." Kissing her one last time, Loki leaves, almost sorry for what he's about to do.

***

"Where is he going?" Annaka demands an hour later to the twins. Leyna yawns and shrugs; Linnet just blinks repetitively, obviously confused.

"Where's who going?" Linnet mumbles.

"Loki! He leaves every night to go somewhere. He leaves the castle," Annaka expands.

"Did you try asking him?" Leyna asks.

"Yes! All he says is that he's going for a 'walk'," Annaka says sourly. "What does that even mean?"

"That he needs alone time to think?" Linnet suggests. "Annaka, I think you might be completely overreacting about this whole thing. Maybe he is just going for walks."

"Every night though?"

Leyna shrugs. "I used to do that, but then I would fall asleep on the spot and forget everything the next morning."

Annaka stifles a smile, not having the guts to tell her that she caught her sleepwalking once. "Still, I'm worried. What if he's doing something bad?"

"Who, Loki? Doing something bad? He would never," Linnet says sarcastically.

"I'm serious. Please help," Annaka responds, feeling a headache coming on.

Leyna suddenly perks up. "Maybe he's going to Mortem Mountain."

"Where?"

"Well, you know the mountain range?" Annaka nods. "Mortem Mountain is the biggest of them."

"Why would he go there?" Linnet asks. "There's nothing but dirt and creepy ass caves."

"Wait, isn't there a legend that goes with that?" Annaka remembers reading about the history of Asgard, and she swears there was something about that mountain in it.

"Yeah! The tale of Mortem Mountain. I forget how it goes..." Linnet says, suddenly looking more interested.

"I remember," Leyna says before launching into the story. "It says that back in the day when the mountains were just forming, a dark omen overtook the highest of the three (Mortem Mountain, obviously)."

Annaka thinks about the bad omen her father mentioned the previous night.

"It's said that Death himself lives up there, hiding, waiting until the time is right for massive destruction to the universe. Some have gone up looking for Death, but no one's ever found anything. They all come back empty handed."

"So the bad omen is Death?" Linnet clarifies.

"Precisely," Leyna says with a nod.

"Is that where Loki's going?" Annaka wonders aloud. "Why would he want to fiddle with Death? I mean, he likes tricks, but don't you think that's a little far-fetched?"

"Annaka, Death isn't up there," Linnet says confidently. "It's just a lonely mountain."

"Then why does he continuously journey up there?"

The twins just look at each other, shrugging.

"Maybe there's something else up there that's taking his fancy," Leyna suggests.

Annaka almost scoffs. "Like what? Are you proposing that he's cheating on me?"

"No, no!" Linnet exclaims. "I think she means there might be something like a game plan up there, y'know? Like, he's planning something and hiding it up there where no one will find out about it."

"I think you should confront him about it," Leyna says seriously. "No one should keep secrets; they're dangerous."

Annaka nods. "I agree."

***

"Why would I go up there?" Loki asks later that night when Annaka does confront him about it. "There's nothing but dust and animal skeletons."

"How do you know that?"

Loki falters. "I've journeyed up there before with Thor. Trust me, there's nothing."

Annaka believes him up until she notices his twitching hand. You know what they say: liars are fidgety.