Chapter 11

Lifa and I get to the Throne Room door and turn to wait for Loki as he takes his leisurely time walking towards us. After a good thirty seconds he finally catches up and pushes past us into the large room. Instantly, his mood changes and he turns to look at me, mischief playing behind his green eyes.

"Must I really wait after you so eagerly pulled me here?" he asks cooly.

I let out a short laugh and come to a stop next to him. "This is the way you're gonna play it, huh?" I say lowly.

He grins briefly before turning to face his father who stands at the bottom of the large stair case. Odin walks towards us, flanked by Frigga. Thor, Lady Sif and Fandrall stand to our right. I glance at Thor who gives me a reassuring nod. Fandrall nods politely at me, no hint of seduction anywhere, thank the gods. He must have finally realized his creepy attempts at flirtation were getting nowhere.

"Thank you for bringing him, Lady Freya," Odin says.

I raise an eyebrow. He's never used 'lady' when referring to me before; something's going on.

"You're welcome," I say. I walk so that I'm in front of Loki before continuing. "It took him some time, but I think my words finally won him over."

Loki scoffs. "Hardly."

I glare at him over my shoulder then turn back to Odin and Frigga. "Do you need me for anything else?"

"Yes. But first I must inform you," he looks at Loki, "of the terms of your release."

Loki's fists clench but he doesn't say anything.

"First and foremost," the Allfather begins, "you are only being let out on the assumption that you and your magic both have the capabilities to reopen the Bifrost. If and when the Bifrost is opened, we will approach the subject of what to do with you again, but until then, Freya will be your guardian. You must always be in her company save for hygienic purposes and when you are asleep. When it is time for you to retire, I am giving Freya a key to—"

"A key?" Loki snarls. "You say you give me freedom but still you give my guardian a key? This girl should not be my guardian, she does not need a key. I do not need a key!"

"You know why I am doing this, Loki," Odin says, unperturbed. "It is for your own protection as well as the protection of those around you."

"My own protection? From whom?"

"Yourself."

"I do not need protection from myself, you old fool!" Loki hisses.

"Do you not? Then perhaps protection from those not so forgiving as this girl. Honestly, I am surprised Freya fought for your freedom after what you did to her city. I would have thought that on seeing you, any mortal would have run, fearing the destruction that you caused and that you could cause again."

I glance between them, biting my lower lip nervously. Loki's jaw is clenched and every muscle in his entire body is tense and quivering. His normally emerald green eyes have darkened, becoming the color of a forest in a storm, the color of a forest on fire. There's a flash of red and Loki yells, launching himself at Odin.

Without really knowing what I'm doing, I grab the god's arm and swing myself in between him and Odin. Loki's eyes briefly flick to me but a moment later, he is staring his father dead in the eye. He leans forward and I press my hand that isn't gripping his arm against his chest to keep him away from me and away from Odin. He doesn't look all there, something in him has snapped in these few moments with his father and I'm afraid of what he might do.

But all he does is speak. And when he does it is so quiet that if I weren't sandwiched directly between them, Odin would be the only one to hear it. "I should have let it happen."

I turn as much as I can between the two men and look at Odin who stands behind me. His whole face would be emotionless if it weren't for the small flicker of surprise at his son's words. A flash of triumph flickers across Loki's face and a moment later he takes a step back. I let go of his leather jacket that I don't remember wrapping my hand around. He inhales sharply and rips his arm out of my other hand. Then he turns, walking a few steps away from us, his shoulders rising and falling with angry breaths.

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly through puffed cheeks, unsure of what I just witnessed. Whatever it was, though, was personal and both of them new exactly what the other was talking about. I cross my arms and look at the Allfather. Odin nods at me but his eyes stay fixed on Loki. I walk over to where Loki stands and stop next to him (staying a good three feet away, but still next to him).

Odin Allfather clears his throat and Loki faces him.

"To continue, henceforth both of you will be expected to attend council meetings involving the Bifrost, it's well being and what we are going to do with you." He looks at me when he says this.

"Me? What about me?"

"We have been talking about—"

"Wait a minute! There have been meeting about me and no one's told me?" I shoot a pointed look at Thor who, at this moment, happens to be engaged in a very urgent conversation with Sif.

"At the time, we did not think it necessary," Odin says.

"We? You mean you talked to people and you all thought it would be okay to not include me in meetings about me?!"

"I made the final decision—"

"Yeah, obviously. You are the Allfather after all," I mutter.

"Do not interrupt me. I have been far too lenient so it would do you good to quiet your obnoxious habit of blurting out whatever comes to mind!" Odin's yell echos off the walls around us and I bite my lip, ignoring Loki's chuckle.

"As I was saying, I made the final decision to not tell you about the meetings because I knew that you would soon be attending them. Although I did not foresee Loki's release, he is your responsibility and consequently will be attending them as well."

I nod. No interrupting, don't even speak until you get out of here.

But then you'll be alone with Loki, part of me whispers. Alone. With Loki. After that outburst and the sense that he wanted to kill something.

Greeeeeat.

"The first meeting will be held in two days time. I am assuming this will give you both time to get to know each other enough to get along and also figure out what you will say and what you will do."

"What do you mean?" Loki asks.

"What I mean is that you, Loki, must control yourself. We will need to find a way for you to only use some of your magic to open the portal because I do not wish to remove the disk fully from your skin." Odin turns to me. "And you must learn to hold your tongue when it is not your turn to speak."

I roll my eyes but nod. "Fine."

"Good. Lady Sif shall send for you when it is time for the meeting, but until then you are free to do what you wish. Do not get in trouble."

"Yup. Where's the key?" I ask.

Odin eyes me skeptically. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small gold key attached to a silver chain. I walk forward and he hands it to me. Slipping it over my head, I cross my arms.

"I'm not gonna lose it," I say in response to his skepticism.

"Try not to."

"Yes, sir." I curtsy as sarcastically as I can then turn. "Come along, Loki. We have to bond for the next two days."

He follows me out and Lifa follows him. We walk down the hall in silence. I glance at Loki, surprised at how easily it was to get him out of there so quickly. A minute more of silence passes and just as I am about to say something, I am slammed against the wall and Loki is in my face, his forearm pressed against my throat.

"Do not even think about using that key," he hisses.

"And don't you even think," I growl, "that you can just threaten me and I will do whatever you say."

"You seem to forget, child, that even without my magic I still have the capability to snap your pretty little neck." He leans in so that his eyes are level with mine. "And to do that would bring me much pleasure."

"Would it?" I whisper.

"It would."

"Then go ahead."

He and Lifa blink at me, and both say, "What?"

I try to smile, but it feels more like a grimace. "Go ahead, do it. If you do, you'll go right back into your cell. Everyone will know that you did it and there will be no getting out. Ever. So go ahead, Loki. Snap my pretty little neck." I stare him in the eyes, daring him to do it.

Loki wraps his hand around my neck and my stomach drops. He's actually going to do it. I didn't think he really would. Gods, I really have to learn to shut up!

I swallow the ball of nerves forming in throat. "Well?" I ask.

He begins to squeeze, but then he lets go.

"I will not kill you," he says quietly.

The statement and the way it is said catches me off guard and I don't say anything. Loki purses his lips at me and Lifa and I watch as he sighs, turns and continues on down the hall.