Chapter Ten: Aged

"The memory of the aged becomes clearer and clearer with time. It has no pity."

-Andrea Camilleri

…

"Are you serious?"

Edith sent him a disagreeable expression of her own as they moved toward the shoddy mansion, but he quieted – as he'd learned that particular slant of her brows meant she wanted him to be silent.

Loki was certain he wouldn't be able to say anything kind so he listened to her silent suggestion.

The driver, while clearly of questionable mental capability, did not appear to be playing some joke on them.. His lips pursed in obvious displeasure of the hovel...it was even worse on the inside...there wasn't even a full roof at the top. What sort of would-be engineer wouldn't even fix his own home? This man was hopeless...certainly he was better off for Loki's possession of the frail human body.

"Thank you very much for the help." Edith stated when the man finished carrying in their bags and she offered him a tip before he headed away.

"Are you sure you want him to leave?" Loki asked, amused at the way she repeated her exasperated expression. "This place is haunted."

"That's not funny." Edith frowned at him. Regretting having told him about her abilities...if she'd of known he'd make fun on her when they arrived she wouldn't have.

"I'm not joking...I can feel something mystical here...something that lingers..." Loki remarked, bending down near the center where light came down from the hole. Edith sighed lightly, annoyed at herself for the fleeting thought of it giving him a heroic image. He was just some thing inside her Thomas...

"...more than one something..." he murmured, watching the floor as if he could see through it. Edith frowned at his abstract comments.

"That's hardly helpful." She remarked. "Don't try to scare me. You said you could help Thomas finish his machine. We'll be doing that. In the meanwhile, we should explore a little and find appropriate places to sleep."

"I'm not certain I'd designate any of this space as appropriate for living." Loki retorted, his nose crinkling in distaste at the idea of having to stay here. Clay came up through the floorboards as he walked back toward Edith and the steps that would take them deeper into this cursed place. "You'd likely both be better off selling it and burning the house to the ground."

"I will not burn his home when he's not here." Edith refused. "Come on...there seem to be bedrooms this way."

"Lead on my lady." Loki replied. He was still distracted. There was mystical energy in the air, it was the sort he'd only seen on rare occasion. Even for someone as old as he, ghosts weren't an overly common experience. It took not just spirits that were somehow wronged as the human legends seem to tell...but a place where whatever wall separated them and the living grew thin. This mansion appeared to be one such place. He couldn't know how many spirits lingered here, or what they might be capable of.

"Oh...this is a nice room..." Edith remarked, sounding as surprised as Loki had to admit he felt. It was rather nice. There was some dust, but as no one had been here in months that wasn't surprising. Other than that things were meticulously organized...lots of needles and thread's, books, linens. Most of them Darker reds.

Edith started to step inside, frowning when her chest bounced from Thomas' outstretched arm. She opened her mouth to protest but his other hand settled over it. He wasn't even looking at her, he'd just expected her to start speaking and interrupted. If his face wasn't so serious she would have bit him...and the temptation was certainly there...

"There's something here...it lingers...you can't see anything?" Loki asked. This would be easy enough if he had full access to his powers...but in this body his abilities were limited. He was growing stronger but he couldn't pick out what exactly had set off his apprehensions...just that it was something.

"No...why should I see something?" Edith asked, she was tempted to ask him if this was all to just tease her but his face was still scanning the room – searching for something he seemed to be able to feel but not see. She followed his gaze, suddenly taking the warning more seriously. She'd seen ghosts before after all...and this man claimed to be a god. Perhaps he had senses she didn't even if he was possessing her Thomas.

"He's mine..."

Edith curled her fingers around his still outstretched arm. She would have leapt straight into the room if his strength wasn't so much greater than hers. She spun around faster than she ever had before. She could still feel the warmth of breath just below her ear, the slight perfume she couldn't place...the possessive tone in the breezed words. There was nothing behind her in the hallway...

"Stop, stop it. Edith!" Her name called out made her calm down enough to realize she'd been trying to run right into the room...part of the floorboards were creaking beneath her and cracked a moment before Loki lifted her away from them...if he hadn't been here she'd of fallen through. She stared at him...wishing it was her Thomas and not this other creature...

"What did you see?" He asked her, bringing her more back to the present. She took a deep breath to try and steady her nerves, then a second.

"I didn't see anything...I heard a whisper. I heard someone say 'he's mine'." Edith answered. "Do you think..."

She didn't want to say it aloud...the concept that Lucille could be haunting them from beyond the grave was both absurd and terrifying. What could they possible do if that was true? Was it even Lucille? Why would someone want to frighten her into a trap if it wasn't?

"Hatred then..." Loki commented, pulling her a few steps up the hall and away from the room with the dangerous floorboards. He didn't want to see how this body would take such a drop. Instead he was considering. Hate was a strong motivator...he knew that well enough after his own experiences...so if it was the sister he was regretting killing her as opposed to just leaving her comatose. Too late now...little he could do to change it.

"For me." Edith replied to his earlier comment. "You were right...we shouldn't stay here."

"Do you know where they may keep a carriage? Or horses? Our ride has abandoned us." Loki pointed out. He wasn't going to argue. He didn't want to remain in a place with dark spirits anymore than she did. If it could summon Lucille to haunt Edith..who knew what other spirits might come to haunt him if he stayed too long...

"Well, I saw a stable area...we can go look." Edith stated, now on board with not being here. The drafty halls and holed ceiling she could have handled...an undead and angry Lucille? That was another story all together. If even the normally nonplussed creature in Thomas was nervous, she knew it was only logical to take every precaution. She wouldn't give up getting the house back, but she'd definitely like to only be here during the day...

Loki followed Edith's lead, frowning at the various impressions he could feel from the building...but it was all muted. He may as well have been trying to make out details while trapped in murky water...it was difficult to see what lurked in the seaweed...

They descended back to the first level and walked through a dining area and kitchen before finding their way out to a stable. While it was fortunate to have a carriage, threadbare would be a generous description. However, they wouldn't be able to test it without a horse.

"Damn..." Loki muttered, frustrated at the weak form he possessed...with his powers he could take them away from here much easier...

"We'll have to at least stay the night." Edith said in resignation. "We can walk back tomorrow during the daylight."

"Yes, you're correct." Loki answered her honestly. "We'll need to stay in the same room, and don't give me that look. If there is a particular vengeful spirit we won't want to be alone."

"You...you're right." Edith hated to admit it...but she doubted she'd be able to rest at all if she was alone – assuming she had any chance even with her strange guardian with her.

"We should find what information we can while we're here...we are stuck after all. Do you know where the supplies would be for a fire. I can build one if we have a place and the needs." Loki offered. She looked cold, and this place had the sort of chill that crept into ones bones. The cold didn't bother him, but he knew a supernatural chill would be harder to cleanse than a normal one. "It would be wise if we found something to make for food as well."

"All right...let's go back then." Edith sighed and lead the way back to the kitchen. Between the pair of them they found supplies to start a fire in the large hearth. Thomas/Loki got to work on the building of a fire while she scoured through shelves for food and tea. She prepared the pots and kettles as they would need them...adding some vegetables.

Lucky for her she used to sneak away and learn how to cook from the help. She'd always been told her mother loved to cook and bake and despite being a lady of enough means to never need to make her own meals she wanted to learn. If she had done as her father liked and instead focused on social events she certainly would be much less comfortable this evening – her stomach was already growling.

"There..." Loki had gotten a fire built rather quickly. At least he could do that much. She started the water boiling and began to put tea into glasses. He came over to sniff at the bag and then shook his head.

"No tea." He remarked. It was supple but he didn't trust the stuff...there was an acrid scent that most wouldn't be able to pick out...

"Tea is a staple here. We are in England. Besides, it'll warm us." Edith replied...wondering why he was having a sudden refusal.

"There's something wrong with it...something that was blended in." Loki answered. "Was this the only tea?"

"No, there were some other brands and mixes." Edith answered. "Do you want one of those?"

"I'm not sure...I think we should stick with vegetables and water for now..." Loki answered...it wasn't as if he hadn't used poison himself in the past. If this vengeful spirit was Lucille he knew that was a part of their usual path...

"All right." Edith didn't have it in her to argue. She couldn't know what was intended by the ghost but she was willing to trust Loki with this. It would be a bit bland, but better than not eating at all. "Well, once we eat, then what?"

"We should find what we can around the house...try to figure out what is causing the strange energy here. We might be able to stop it." Loki answered her, amused at his sort of playing the hero. He had to admit that this place was different than most. He certainly didn't want to allow any vengeful dead into the world. Lucille would be the least of their problems...

"All right." Edith agreed.

They ate in silence and then wandered the house for a while, making notes of the first floor and the layout before moving to the second. They decided to wait on the lower floors until they had more daylight. When the sun started to wain they found a bedroom to retire to. Loki crafted a fire to keep them warm and they changed. They had yet to bathe but as they were hoping to return tomorrow they decided not to try in this dilapidated manor. Instead they simply changed clothes and got into the bed, one on each side.

Edith frowned at the idea of sharing a bed with him again, she'd avoided it once she discovered that the body of Thomas wasn't actually Thomas. She wasn't one to be unfaithful. That didn't mean she didn't still miss him, or enjoy the view of his chest behind an unbuttoned shirt. Still, she set pillows between them and did her best to rest. He didn't seem to share her worries, and his breath grew even before much time had passed. He must have been as exhausted as she felt. If it wasn't for her busy and fearful mind she'd likely be asleep as well.

However, she could still remember the feel of breath, the slight perfume in the air. The loathing inherit in the whisper in her ear that afternoon. The goading that tried to send her into a trap...this place housed ghosts that wanted to end her. That were jealous of her. She hoped her placing pillows between them would be enough to at least temporary placate Lucille's spirit. So far, so good...but that didn't make it easier to sleep with the memories so clear in her mind.

Edith glanced at every creak of the house, each whine of the air through the ancient walls. She expected to see a ghost at any moment. What she didn't predict was the sudden cry of pain and terror from the man beside her.

End Chapter

Whew. Still enjoy a Edith/Loki dynamic. She's very stubborn and he's...well unimpressed by most things XD. I shall return to this when I can. I hoped to get up a chapter by Thanksgiving but I figure the next day isn't too bad. Hope everyone had a great dinner and a safe weekend!

-Aura

To my reviewers:

Thank you for all the kind words. I appreciate it. Still struggling a bit with my son but this (fiction) is a good escape when I get the time.

Fan-de-carlisle-cullen – Well, Loki would just say it wasn't his body. Lol.

Jess – Yeah, Edith being so feisty is one of the reasons I really liked her.