Author's Note: Yay! 500 reads! In celebration I'm posting a chapter. Also I'm bored. Also, I just need to move on from this chapter so I can move ahead. This chapter isn't grand, but there's fun time with Loki and that's good. Also, important details revealed! Egad! Okay, so comment and vote, my loves! Thanks!
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Something cold touches my shoulder and I jerk awake, panicked. “Wha—where, where is Loki?”
“I am right here,” Loki looks down at me like I am a total idiot. I rub my eyes and sit upright, my body feeling like it may have been better off crookedly bent over the stupid chair. Everything aches intensely and I arch my back but try not to let it show. I get to my feet and nearly fall onto my face, my legs surprising me with their numbness. Loki catches me by the arm and he rights me back onto my feet. I clutch the edge of the chair for stability, pulling away from Loki. He doesn’t look terribly bothered and he simply walks away without another word. I jump up and down the second he is out of sight, shaking my legs in a desperate attempt to get the blood rushing back into them.
“Arghhh!” I exclaim breathlessly. I nearly fall over again and I groan. I limp after where Loki disappeared to. The door is closed and I frown suddenly. No, no, he did not. I twist the handle desperately, already positive that he’s locked it from the other side. I struggle with it before dropping my hands to my sides as I give up. An idea strikes me and I sidle up to the door and press my cheek to it so that I may speak through it to Loki.
“You know, I guess I didn’t realize that being God of Mischief just meant you are God of Acting Like a Child,” I comment calmly, trying to taunt him. There is silence on his side of the door until it slams open and I try to dart out of its path. The edge of the door catches me in the chin, and the pain sears through my lip. I can taste the blood staining my teeth. Loki stands before me, his hands curled into tight fists, face flushed red.
“Asshole,” I mutter, words slurred by my mouth full of blood. I look down at my hand for a fleeting moment and when I bring my gaze back to Loki he lunges at me, tackling me to the ground with full force. A cry of surprise escapes my lips as my head hits the ground—hard. I push against his solid chest, trying to get him off of me, but he keeps me pinned down with his legs about my hips and his hands on my shoulders. His hand draws towards my throat and grips it tightly. I kick my legs, but it accomplishes nothing.
“Get…off!” I struggle to get the words out, but he does not relent. He only looks down at me, emotionless, green eyes piercing through me, a peculiar glint alight in them. My focus on him steadily starts to blur and I can feel the lightness in my head. He’s going to kill me…
Loki leans close, his lips tickling my ear, “It would be in your best interests to prohibit your relentless tongue from insulting me further.”
“I’m sure it would,” I manage to spit out. His grip loosens and my feet touch the floor, and I double over, gasping, desperate to fill my lungs. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“I was not going to kill you. You are so prone to overreacting, Valkyrie,” he purrs like nothing has happened. “Besides, I could not kill you if I tried.”
“Yeah, okay…” I roll my eyes and rub my neck. I am so tired of his flailing me about by the neck. It’s really starting to become a problem.
Loki’s eye twitches and I stare at him. I straighten up, “Did you mean it? You really can’t kill me?”
“Well, I could, if I had my magic. However, seeing as you’re immortal now, it really doesn’t much matter,” Loki shrugs and I stare at him. “Why are you looking at me in such a disturbing way?”
“I’m not immortal…” I breathe out and he cocks his head, looking at me like I am an idiot.
Loki takes a step towards me, crossing his arms over his chest. “They have yet to tell you? Fascinating.”
“No, no, no. Nope. This isn’t funny, Loki,” I sniff, crossing my arms over my chest, bringing the both of us to a defensive standstill. “I—”
The sudden knocking at Loki’s door startles us both and I turn to look toward the door.
“Brother? Brother, are you in your chambers? What have you done with the Lady Valkyrie? And know I do not mean one of the Valkyrie, as I know you are quite fond of them—”
I look at Loki and he merely arches an eyebrow. “Ew.”
Loki waves his hand randomly but then looks to the door and a frown tugs at his lips. “You truly are bent on making my life difficult, are you not?” He marches toward the door and opens it himself, Thor barging in past him.
I give Thor a casual wave and tired smile, “Hey, champ.”
“Lady Val…are you intact?”
I shoot a glance at Loki and he is just shaking his head, off in his own world.
“I…of course I’m intact. Why…does that often happen?”
Silence.
“Greaaaaaat.”
“Yes, well, I have come to retrieve you for a meeting of the Council,” Thor says, abruptly changing the subject. I cross my arms over my chest.
“Really? I just thought that I was going to get some alone time with Loki today,” I frown. I have plans, Thor! I just need to push the right buttons to get Loki to be more…amiable.
Loki laughs, “I think we had plenty of alone time in the bath last night.”
Thor looks surprised, and I shake my head. “No, he means I watched him take a bath…um, not like that. I was babysitting him…I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. This all sounds wrong.”
“Yes, well, we best be going, my lady,” Thor offers his tree trunk arm to me. I reach out but then I hesitate.
I curl my fingers back into loose fists. “Hey, we need to talk about something. Right now.”
Loki straightens up, suddenly much more interested in the conversation. I bite down on my lip a bit, unsure of how to broach this subject. How do you ask a god, who was, mind you, previously just myth to you, if you’ve been suddenly given immortality? It’s ridiculous. I’m not that important. I’m only here to help them out and get the hell back to Earth. They don’t need me around much longer, much less do they need me immortal. I certainly don’t need to be immortal.
“Loki told me that I’m immortal and I was just…uh…I guess I was wondering if this is true and if it is, why? Because that just seems a little beyond crazy to me, and I mean, why would I be immortal anyway? How does that happen? I’m sure I would have noticed…”
“It’s true,” Thor says simply, looking at me.
I look at Loki, “See, I told you!” I pause, panning slowly back to Thor. “I’m sorry…what?”
Thor shrugs, “You were granted immortality upon your arrival at Asgard. As a member of the Aesir—”
“The what? What is happening right now? I can’t…” I stop and run my fingers through my hair, pulling at the roots. “I guess that explains why I felt so ill when we first got here…”
“Among other reasons,” Loki mutters bitterly.
“I assumed you were aware…” Thor says slowly, placing his giant paw on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. I shake him off.
“No, nobody told me that I can no longer die.” I bite down, fingers curling up again. I’m not mad at Thor, I swear. Okay…only a little bit.
“It is a gift from Odin himself, my dear,” Thor seems confused by my tone.
“I don’t want it. Especially not from Odin. Here,” I take Thor’s hands in my and shove at him. “Take it back!”
Loki scoffs, “It does not quite work in such a way, I assure you.”
I turn to glare at him, but something in his eyes stops me. Like there is a whole separate meaning behind his words. It seems to be that way with him a lot—one thing comes out but the hurt…the real raw meaning is hovering just behind the surface. I take a step towards him out of instinct, but when he pops an amused grin, I shake the instinct off.
There is another knock at the door and all our heads turn to it. I shrug, “I guess I’ll get this one, though I can’t imagine who it will be now…”
I wrap my fingers around the cool handle and pull the door open. My face falls.
“Mom…”