AN: So I've been down with a cold for a few days, though I hope I'll be able to get a few chapters up. Also thanks to lokiworshipper13 and everyone else for following my story!
Ch7
Mellonah was upset more that he had gone into her room without asking, than she was that he was reading her family history.
Accepting the book from him,Mellonah allowed her hand to run over the soft leather cover, then opened it to a section that she knew too well.
" Randy and Clara's bodies were shredded, it was only by Randy's tattoo and Clara's birthmark that we were able to identify them. Mellonah, herself, appears unharmed physically, but she now caries the memories of how they died in front of her." Mellonah paused knowing that no one but the most trusted of family and friends knew what she was about to tell this man, "She also caries a great demon within her. I fear for her, she is only three years of age, and now must be both jail and jailer to this monster of old. Her soul to jail it, and her mind to keep it imprisoned."
Mellonah looked at Loki, waiting for some reaction, be it good or bad, to come from him. He sat back into the chair with a pensive look on his face as he gazed into the fire before them. Mell' turn her attention to the fire as well, as the book sat gently in her lap.
His voice startled her when he spoke, "How did they die?"
"It...," she sighed recalling what happened that day, "It slammed into the side of the car, sending us against the guard rail, my father told my mother to take me and run. He told her that... that he would hold it off, but that he knew that he wouldn't live to see us again. They both got out of the car," closing her eyes, Mellonah could almost see it happen again in front of her young eyes, "Daddy ran towards it, and a blast of some kind flew from him and hit it, as my mom snatched me from my seat. I got a good look at it as she ran with me, a large black mass in the form of a canine with silver eyes ringed in red. It engulfed him, and all I heard were screams and bones breaking, then came after us. Mom had made it quite aways from the beast, when she set me down and told me that she loved me and that she was so sorry. She asked me to forgive her one day. I didn't understand then what she meant. She turned and faced the demon. It slammed into a barrier that she had erected and before it broke through and killed her, my mother invoked a spell that I later learned my own father taught her. The spell, upon my mother's death, would seal the demon within me until my life left from my body."
All but the flames were still when Mellonah finished her tale. She had only told her grandmother and two of her cousins about what happened that day. Now she had told a man that she knew next to nothing about. Her thoughts turned for the worse. Would he use this against her, would he tell others, would he himself cause harm to her?
Without thinking Mellonah spoke almost in a whisper, "Are you the true Loki of Asgard? The God of Mischief and Lies?"
"Yes." he answered her in a whisper.
"I see," she stood and set the book on the table between them, "I'm going to make dinner, it should be ready in half an hour if your hungry."
Loki's hand shot out and caught her own, but before words could be said his skin started turning blue. Yanking his hand back Loki stood in shock, backing away from her, "How did you do that! You have touched me before with out that happening!"
Mellonah didn't bother to look at him to know what he spoke of, "It was never true skin to skin. There was always some kind of barrier between us. Be it clothing, the salve, or my own Life Energy. I try to not allow true contact with others. As this house will not let you lie, my very physical makeup will not allow someone or something to hide behind a mask." she started walking to the door, "It is a mystery that I haven't been able to solve."
She left Loki in the library and went down to the kitchen to start preparing some grilled fish. Grabbing the things needed for dinner, Mellonah didn't think much, her movements were robotic as she prepared dinner for the two of them. She didn't realise that she had spaced out, not until the plates were on the table, and Loki was standing in the kitchen entryway. His eyes guarded, and his face blank, Loki sat down and began to eat the food that she had prepared.
Mellonah sat as well but didn't eat much, her mind was now going in circles, to preoccupied by the thoughts of the demon within her. When her thoughts or mood became dark it grew in strangth, but it had becomed attached to the people in her life. Almost protective of them, and looking at this person in front of her she could feel its protective instincts start to well up. Not even two days had really passed and it would kill for this man, for this god. Did that mean she would also? Could she become so attached to someone in such a short time? Someone whom she didn't know anything about?
Glancing up at Loki, it dawned on her that he maybe more hungry today, seeing as he didn't eat lunch.
"Do you want some more? Or maybe a dessert?"
Loki's eyes locked on her when the first word came from her. She could see his eyes lighten. The color became a lighter green, not by much though, as a slow smirk came over his lips. "What kind of dessert?"
Mellonah glanced up at the ceiling, then over to her fridge, "I might sill have some custard. I know that I got some ice cream while I was out, it's chocolate chip cookie dough."
He returned to what was left of his meal and answered in a flat tone, "The custard will be fine."
She thought that she heard a slight disappointment in his answer. Shrugging it off as nothing, she got up and opened the main fridge, sliding out the small dish that could be held in two hands easily, Mellonah closed the door. Grabbing a spoon, she set them both down next to him.
They finished the rest of the evening in near quite. Mellonah did the dishes when they were done eating, then sat in the recliner picking up a crochet project that she had left next to it a few days before. Keeping an ear on Loki, she guessed that he had gone back up to the library, as she could hear him walking right above her. After some time she glanced at the clock in the kitchen and saw that it was almost two in the morning. Quickly she finished the row that she had been working on and put it back next to the recliner. Turning off the few lights that she had on, she absent-mindedly turned on the one in Loki's room, and headed up the stairs. Ducking into the library to inform him that it was really late, only to find him asleep on the chair with a book loosely grasped in his hands, Mellonah felt that she would keep him safe. Even if it was only in her own home, she would fight to keep him safe from further harm.
Gently she slid the book from his grip, marked the page, and placed it down on the table. Turning around she left to get an extra blanket. Walking into her own room she retrieved a blanket that her own mother had made before she had even been born. The quilt was thin but warm, and would serve her purpose. Walking as quietly as she could, Mellonah went back to Loki, and when she spread the blanket over him the back of her hand grazed his jaw. She watched as that small area that her hand had touched turned an icy blue, it was like looking at a thick part of glacier ice, and there was also light lines of raised skin.
Mellonah pulled slowly away watching as the blue color of his skin and the ridges disappear under the spell of normalcy. Finally after his appearance returned to its normal state, she turned from him to place another log on the embers, leaving the library to her own room she went to bed.
The next few weeks passed in a similar manner that the last day had, more or less. Waking up, making breakfast, cleaning a little, practice her dancing or working on one project or another until noon. Then she made lunch, cleaned some more, and either continued to work on a project or she went for a run. Once dinner time came and went, she had resolved to meditate in the room that was always locked.
The room was sparse of decoration and furniture. Only a few large pillows and a desk covered in different candles and incense made up the furniture. As for the decorations one wall held a few blankest that were so old that they probably belonged in a museum, the one right a cross from that had a large dream catcher, and every wall had a couple of candle lit sconces. The genital light green walls and ash wood floor were to aid in providing balance.
It was in this room she was able to still her mind, understand the demon within her a little more, and to train her energies.
After it was well into the night Mellonah found herself either passing Loki's closed-door with him sleeping or walking up to the library to find him still there. If he was still awake she would tell him the time and head to bed herself; but there were plenty of times that she found him fast asleep in that same chair. When this happened she covered him with that same blanket, as it had been left on the back of other chair folded from the last time, put another log on the fire that was surely going, and went to bed.
So it was a surprise when, after finding him asleep in what was now his chair, she had just finished covering him when his hand shot out and ensnared her sleeve covered wrist. Mellonah stilled completely as their eyes locked. Her hazel ones with his deep green ones.
His voice was hushed as if he wasn't fully awake, "Why do you continue to care for me when I am fully healed? Why not force me out... do you not know that you are willingly allowing a monster to stay here in your home?"
Mellonah allowed a kind but tired smile to overcome her, "Even a so-called monster is in need of a friend." she slowly kneeled in front of him placing her hand on the arm latched to her own, " Of a place that they can call a safe haven, that has people who care for them."
She took a deep breath as she continued, "This place may not be a fortress, and I may be one from the lowest race that you know, but you are safe here and with me. I will not divulge your secrets to anyone, nor will I stand aside and allow harm to come to you. I do not abandon my kin or those that I would give my friendship to."
Loki slowly slid his hand down to hers as he spoke, "Then you should know the true face of one that you," his hand grasped her own slowly allowing his true form to come forth, "Would call 'friend'."
His skin slowly turned blue and the ridges on it appeared and in a few moments she saw that which had been carefully hidden from the cosmos. Eyes as red as rubies, skin the color of deep arctic ice, and ridge like markings covering that skin. His hair was still as black as an abyss and his physic hadn't changed. In fact the emotion behind his eyes hadn't changed either. Uncertainty, fear, and betrayal.
Moving her hand from his arm she moved it towards his face, "May I?"
Hesitating for a moment, Loki nodded, and her warm hand came in contact with his chilled cheek. The markings there didn't feel any different just raised, adding texture to once smooth flat skin. She could feel the natural cold that would harm anyone that wasn't of Jotun blood trying to harm her. So her body responded by putting up a thin barrier where their skin met. Just enough to protect her from being frozen, but still allowing her to see him as he was born.
"You still don't run in fear. Why it that?" Loki looked like he was confused by her actions, "I am a monster to even your people, a god as well. I could kill you with ice or magic... or even my bare hands."Mellonah continued to look at him imploring him with her eyes to continue, "Yet you remain... here holding the hand of a monster... touching its face. Why? Why Mellonah do you not fear me, hate me, scorn me?"
She bowed her head as her smile widened then rose not only her head, but stood as her hand that had been holding his moved to the other cheek, "Because I am your friend Loki. No matter your form, or your past. A person can change if they want to. I'll only tell you this, do not harm those whom are under my protection. I will not stand by and allow them to be harmed, just as I will not stand aside if you are being harmed."
A dry laugh escaped him,"Where were you when I was a boy."
"Hmmm, the universe was contemplating if one of my ancestors was to be born?" her head cocked to the side bringing her hair to drape over one shoulder, "Now my dear superior friend it is late and I need to sleep."
Stepping back from him Mellonah broke the contact allowing the spell to cover his true appearance. Smiling she walked out of the library and to her room to get some sleep.
As she was closing the door, she saw Loki leave the library, when only one thought went through her mind, 'I hope that he will find peace here.'
Mellonah woke with a start! Something was wrong, she could have sworn that-
"Gah!" the shout came from downstairs, or was it outside? Either way Mellonah was up.
Dashing out of her bed, blankets flying around the bed and room, she sped down the stairs in her long nightgown and checked around the room. Empty. Seeing that Loki's door was wide open she hurried over, but it was also empty.
A loud crash could be heard from outside. Mellonah didn't waste anytime, sliding her sandals on and grabbing her cloak, she ran out the backdoor towards where she thought the sound came from. There was barely any light out so it must have been early in the morning, Mellonah wondered what was happening here this early. She ducked after hearing a high pitch whistling, just dodging a large spear of ice, she became upset. Something was threatening her home, her land! Continuing on at a slightly slower pace, she found the source of the disturbance.
"Oh no! Loki..." she saw him get thrown through a tree then hit a second.
Running forward without much thought, Mellonah kneeled over him as two large humanoids came closer.
"So much for the trickster." the deep rumble reminded her of the start of an avalanche, "You will die here for your treachery, Loki of Asgard. Attempting to destroy Jotunheim, after killing our king! I will enjoy tearing you apart."
Quickly removing the cloak from her own shoulders, she placed it over him before she stood between him and this unknown male.
Squaring her shoulders and raising her eyes to meet the Jotan's, Mellonah did her best to keep her voice neutral, "I warn you know, Jotan, this is my land and you are unwelcome here at this time. I advise you to leave, and I will forgive the transgressions that have been made."
She did expect them not to take her seriously, but she didn't expect them to laugh at her, "Well now, a prince is being protected by a foolish mortal peasant? Do you know of his sins Midgardian? Are you aware of what he,"the first Jotan pointed behind her at Loki, "Has done!"
"I am not aware of all that he has done, however!"Mellonah could feel anger creeping up on her, so she took a moment to regain her composer, "However... he is under my protection as of this moment,"
"Mel', don't." his raspy voice whispered on the wind.
"And I caution now that you take your leave without doing further damage." Mellonah ignored Loki's warning, he was her friend, and she had told him just hours earlier that she did not abandon her friends.
"And what will a puny, powerless, Midgardian female like you do if we do not." the second Jotan grinned as he spoke.
" I will defend what is mine to protect."the last word was purred as mellonah started to focus on what she hoped would not come to be," And if I must I will send your heads back to Jotunheim...personally."
