"We should stop this and rest - on solid ground." Loki declares suddenly when he notices I've awoken.
Thor eyes him suspiciously before dipping his head in agreement. "Just not too long. We have to finish this quickly – for our sake and Asgard's."
Loki nods respectively as he slows down the ship and drops it to the ground. Thankfully this landing is nicer than the last. Tentatively I touch my sides, feeling for any bruises or sore spots. My left hip is tender to the touch and my shoulder feels pretty banged up as well. My knee below my sore hip spasms as my fingers push lightly on the bone. I cry out softly, biting my lip and pushing the pain away. This job – this duty – requires me to be strong and tough. Not weak. I get to my feet slowly – aching muscles warning me with dull throbs. I'm forced to step aside quickly as Thor comes to Jane's side and pulls the blanket farther along her calm body.
"She still sleeps," He says to Loki, who doesn't even look. "But she will be safe here in the ship. I want to look around this deserted planet of Svartalfheim and see what mysteries it's been hiding all this time after the Dark Elves fell. I trust you won't go far, brother?"
Loki jumps over the side of the craft, casting a grin to Thor. "That's yet to be decided."
As Thor packs up his things and glances worriedly at Jane, I scramble over to my master. Following him like a puppy dog. He rounds a huge mass of rubble, where a thin stream runs. Loki crouches down, cupping his hands awkwardly due to the handcuffs. I do the same and bring a bowl of cool water to my face. It's soothing, washing off the stress and the worry. Below me, my reflection contorts in the ripples. When it calms, I see a thin girl made of utterly and absolutely nothing. Only alive through magic. I bring a hand to my chest – feeling for a pulse.
"Are you ready for what's yet to come?"
I turn to Loki, dropping my hand and pressing my shoulders back in an attempt to feel strong. "Are you?"
He chuckles. "Always trying to prove yourself, aren't you?"
"Well you're not exactly easy to please."
He stands. Dusts his hands off on his pants like he owns the world. I dare another look at my reflection, noting my messy hair. Suddenly self-conscious I comb my fingers through it, supressing a wince as the knots rip. The menacing Asgardian kicks at the dirt with his black boots, and glances back to where we came from. Thor's nowhere to be seen, and the ship is just a distant dot.
"It's safe to say we're alone now."
I nod at his observation, waiting patiently for him to continue and eager to see where he takes this conversation. He tosses me a piece of fruit and orders me to peel it. I do, seeing that he would have difficulties with his tied up hands. The sticky juices drips down my fingers as I pry open the skin. I hand him the fruit; he eats it quickly.
"You understand what you are to do?"
"Yes," I sigh. He had quizzed me ruthlessly through his mind during the first part of the flight, making sure I understood my directions perfectly. I did not want to run over it again. "I won't forget."
"Good. Once the Aether is in my possession, Odin will have to let me rule. There will be no way around it and I'll finally be the king I was born to be."
It's my turn to stand, the plan floating through my thoughts. I would need as much energy as possible if I was to cross the barrier again and distract Thor long enough so Loki could steal the Aether. This plan of his relied on me a lot. It made me quite uneasy. I hesitate, wanting to phrase this next bit just right so he won't hurt me. Or worse.
"Loki… I don't mean to question you, but from what I've heard this Aether thing is dark. Dangerous. Even Thor said it would consume you. How do you know you can handle such dark forces?" I dip my toes in the water, letting it run between my toes and soothe the cuts on the souls of my feet. "How do you know it won't kill you?"
"You doubt me," He says simply. A strand of his midnight hair falls into his crystal eyes like a splash of night across a morning sky.
"What makes you think that you're invincible?"
He cocks his head at my words, an amusing smile growing on his lips. He saunters forward with a great aura of dominance. I quickly step back – onto my bad leg. My hip groans as I move, causing me to stumble backwards. The rough land has no mercy on me when I fall. A moan slips from my mouth so quietly but Loki still hears. He waits as I resurrect myself and wipe my hands onto my dress, leaving a smear of dirt against the white material. Then he extends a hand towards me. "Where does it hurt?"
"My hip and knee. Shoulder too." My eyes stay downcast as he places his hand upon me. I shudder at his touch. From his fingers comes a trail of shimmering light. Just like that the pain is gone. I gasp in gratefulness, but he just frowns.
"I'm running out of sympathy, dear Auz. Careful where you tread."
I risk a look into his eyes. The connection so raw and bare before he turns his back towards me. I can't help but slide my gaze down his tall figure, soaking in the details of his masculine frame. Why, oh why must he be so untouchable!? He walks along the side of a broken metal sheet of what must have been a ship from long ago. His fingers trace along it. Still his back is to me.
"Turn around," I whisper. "Turn around and look at me."
He does. Down my spine a trail of shivers goes, causing my skin to prickle. His stare is penetrating through me, slicing into my core and digging me up from my fears. I see my life flash in the shadows of his eyes. He treads carefully to me. His steps echoing a lonely rhythm.
My breath is shaky and soft. "I know I'm not the only one vulnerable to this."
"This?" His whisper is raspy. "This? These feelings will weaken me."
My throat tightens at his words. These feelings. He feels it too. I can barely find the balance to step closer to him. My entire body slightly trembling at the intensity of this moment; the fragility of what's transpiring. One wrong move and it's all over. I'm over.
"This cannot be," He says with a voice slightly louder. "This cannot be!"
I shake my head. "No. It can."
"You are wrong." He hisses.
Tears burn in my eyes at his denial. "All that time in the cell… the books, the games, teaching me how to live… what purpose did that then have?"
He does not say anything. My throat is so thick I can hardly whisper. "Why did you create me if not to love me?"
He looks away, breathing in a choppy breath. After a moment of silence he turns back, sorrow turning into bitter madness. Whispers turning to desperate shouts. The world holding its breath as it watches us break down. "You're just my creation. Just my creation! YOU'RE MY CREATION!"
The blow from his screams hit me hard. Tears start to trickle down my cheeks. Foolish girl. Stupid, stupid, foolish girl. Why did I ever think that he would love me? Why had I ever thought that a painter would fall in head over heels in love his painting? I grasp for anything to say, but no words can seem to form in my mind. Loki's face is a masterpiece of despair. I can't take my eyes off him.
"Scream at me!" He shouts. "Scream at me!"
"No. No." I shake my head. "NO!"
The scream falls from my lips and shatters on the floor. A thousand unspoken words dangling lifelessly in the air between us. I find myself counting the seconds until the silence breaks.
One. Two. Three…
I'm aware of a low thumping inside of me.
…Seven. Eight. Nine…
It pulses and throbs, growing and growing.
…Eleven, Twelve...
It's stronger than ever.
…Fifteen, sixteen..
My heartbeat.
At that moment our bodies collide. Painter and painting. God and creation. His handcuffed hands grasp mine, pulling me into him. I have to stand on my tip toes just so our mouths can connect, searching and finding. The taste of him is all I could live off of. I release one of my hands from his own and place it upon his cheek, allowing myself to perform the gesture I had felt so many times. His skin is cold. Soft. A rugged pain falls across his face when he pulls away, fear crawling in like an insect.
"How did you ever manage to breach my walls?"
His memories find their way into me and I see the helpless little boy hiding in the shadow of his brother again.
Never has evil been so blue-eyed, gentle, and defenseless.
Alright - I know that Thor and Loki never stopped in the movie, but I added it so I could make this work!
Secondly, I credit the last line of this chapter to an image of Loki I saw online that had those words on it. I did not write them, but thought they fit perfectly. Also a thanks to Stilwater Rundeepo for the metaphor of the painter and painting - I hope you don't mind that I used that!
& that's all for today xoxo