"What were you thinking?" I yelled at him, worry clouding my thoughts.
"This needed to be dealt with, I had no choice." Loki stated calmly, standing in front of me.
"There is always a choice," I countered. "And look where your choice has landed you," My anger was born from worry, I knew that. However, I couldn't stop it from tainting my words.
"I will admit to a slight lack of judgement on my behalf," He conceded.
"SLIGHT lack of judgement? Slight lack of judgement? This is a bit more than a slight lack of judgement," I knew I was ranting now. Luckily there was no one else in the library. If there was, then they were pretending to not hear our exchange.
"Well, I was hoping that you would be able to assist me," Loki said dryly. I knew that was the nicest request for assistance I would get from him.
"Why did you not go to the healers?" I asked wearily.
"I have, you are a healer in training," he replied, leaning on the back of a chair slightly.
"I meant the proper healers, you fool," I knew that my knowledge was nowhere near as complete as theirs and my skills were pale in comparison.
"How dare you call me a fool? I am a prince," His eyes flashed at me, but I wasn't concerned.
"I wasn't exactly supposed to do this," He admitted after a few moments of silence.
"And so now you are coming to me for help. Well, you must be truly desperate," I smirked at him, laughter dancing in my eyes.
"If you are quite done…." Loki trailed off, but I could see a few drops of sweat gathering on his brow, and that worried me.
"Sorry," I replied demurely, "I am not entirely certain how to slow this, let alone stop it," I told him seriously, my hand resting just over his forehead.
"That is not reassuring," Loki replied, slowly sinking into the chair he had been resting on.
"I am aware of that," I pursed my lips in thought, "Could you tell me the exact spell you used? It may narrow things down."
Loki mumbled something, and I looked at him blankly before he repeated it a little louder.
"You WHAT?!" I burst out, shocked, " No, no, no, this is an even worse than I previously thought." My thoughts were going at a million miles per hour, the consequences of the curse flashing through my brain before I could stop them.
"There is something that can be done, correct?" Loki's voice held a note of concern, one that I only identify from the amount of time I had spent with the younger prince.
"Yes, there is," I reassured him, sitting on the floor opposite him. "You should have gone to the healers!"
Just because there was something that could be done to stop the progression of the backfired curse from harming him, did not mean that I knew how to effectively do it.
After flicking quickly through the book on curses and cures I had been studying when he walked in, I thought that I could possibly at least slow the progression of the curse. I wasn't sure that I was a strong enough magician to full rid him of the curse, but that had never stopped me before today.
"Okay, I need you to let your guard down entirely," I said calmly, wanting to seem professional despite the butterflies in my stomach. "I need to get into the very core of your magic."
"Will this hurt?" He looked me in the eyes, trying to determine if I was going to be foolish enough to lie to the lie-smith.
"I have no idea, possibly," I sighed, running a hand through my loose hair.
"I hope this will work," I muttered, not at all confident in what I was about to do. "Though I suggest you lie down," I added.
"Lie down, on this floor?" I got a raised eyebrow at my suggestion.
"Well, I get the feeling that you would not want to be standing up for this," I countered.
Before I could say anymore, I was no longer standing in the library. The walls around me were covered in elaborate tapestries and bookshelves, and the room was intricately decorated. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Loki had transported both of us to his room.
"And this will not cause any chatter in the palace," I grumbled sarcastically.
"Let them talk," Loki smirked as he made himself comfortable on his bed.
With a final desperate prayer, I knelt beside the bed and began the process.
"How do you feel?" I asked, looking at the awakening figure of my friend.
"My ribs feel as though Mjolnir just hit me about thirty times," He grimaced, attempting to sit up.
"But is the curse still burning through you?" I queried.
"No, that has stopped," He replied, hissing a little as he got to a sitting position.
"I did it," I breathed shakily, "I actually did it." I sank to the ground almost giggling in relief.
"Thank you Rachel," Loki nodded to me, "though I feel rather achy." I rolled my eyes, even though I had effectively just saved his life he still had to find a way to complain. Typical.
"I would suggest that you go to the healers for a check up, say you feel unwell or something," I advised from my place on the floor, my legs too shaky to attempt standing up.
"You do not look so well yourself," He replied, leaning across the bed to look at me. "You look tired."
"I feel as if I could sleep for a week," I admitted, "And there's something else that doesn't feel right," I added.
"A small tingling through your fingers when you use your magic?" Loki asked curiously, the room gaining a green tinge as he used a little of his own magic.
"Indeed, how did you know?" I decided that lying on the floor, while cold, was actually quite comfortable.
"I feel it as well…" Loki trailed off, both of us worrying that something had gone wrong.
"Oh dear…" This time I trailed off.
"What is it?" This was the first time I heard serious concern in his voice.
"I have a thread of your magic woven through mine now, and vice versa," I whispered, not willing to look the youngest prince in the eyes.
"I could think of worse people to share my magic with," he replied cheekily. "You are exhausted, I can tell. Go to sleep, I will stay here," This reminded me why he was my friend. He could go from snark to kind in seconds, and there is no one else in this realm that would have even attempted a curse like that.
I crawled up onto the bed and Loki pulled the sheets over me, taking a seat beside the bed and opening a book.