Like a Hurricane

Chapter 12 – Running out of time

„What has happened to you?" Dana gasped as she spied the silver lock of hair that now adorned Chantrea's deep brown tresses. Chantrea looked at her sister pointedly, keeping quiet. It took a second or two before Danna realized the answer. "Oh."

"Indeed."

"We need to hurry home."

"That won't solve my problem."

"Would a 6'2" Nordic god with a sassy attitude solve it?" Dana asked without missing a beat. Chantrea coughed, chocking on her saliva. "Are you attending the Mabon ball with him?"

"Whoa there, stop for a moment!" Chantrea put up both her hands. She thanked whomever was looking over her that they were in her private apartments, with nobody around. "What gives? Just how did you come up with this crazy idea?"

"You swooned and he looked concerned."

"It's way more complicated than that!"

"So you do confess it has crossed your mind! Hah!" Danna yelled in victory.

"You're twisting my words!" Chantrea protested.

"Then tell me, big sister: do you like him?"

"It's not that si-"

"It is. No need to complicate things. Forget everything else. Do you like him or not?"

There was silence for a long moment while Chantrea collected her thoughts and came up with an answer. Danna was too curious to know to make a noise. She felt she had the upper hand and knew how precious silence could be at the right moment.

"I think..." Chantrea looked up at her with big, wide eyes. "I think I could come to... to..."

"Say it!" The tension was too much for Danna in the end.

"He's not bad in the looks department and he's intelligent."

"You've always liked intelligent men."

"And how would you know that, baby sis?" Chantrea's eyebrows rose in question.

"I've found your journals."

Chantrea was too shocked to speak for a moment.

"You read them?!" Her voice rose an octave near the end as she questioned her sister. "You had no right-"

"You left them for anyone to grab. I had every right."

That was hard to argue.

"I didn't remember anything," Chantrea attempted to save the situation.

"So you do like him."

"Can we just drop the topic?"

"Either this or we talk about page 394?" Danna felt generous, she gave a choice to her sister between two topics, albeit neither of them was one she wanted to possibly talk about.

"Okay, I like him," Chantrea replied immediately. She stood up suddenly and got dizzy. She steadied herself and walked over to the balcony.

"Are you sure you want to go outside in your condition?"

"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."

"That should be your motto. You know, with all the yolo thing going around-" Danna started, but her sister cut her off:

"I absolutely have no idea what you're talking about."

"Good for you, sis, good for you."

Danna followed Chantrea to the balcony.

"Are you going to talk to him?"

"Who?"

"Don't be like that," Danna protested. "I thought we're done with the denying part."

Chantrea turned to the horizon, sighing. The sun was in its zenith in the sky, brilliantly shining down on Asgard. Only two more days until the Mabon festival.

"Maybe."

"Listen, I know you're old-school," Chantrea looked at her sister as if she grew another head, but it didn't deter Danna from continuing her speech, "But sometimes, you have to take things into your own hands, you know."

Chantrea pondered over these words. In her thoughts, she had already run through several scenarios, and were many steps ahead.

"He's dangerous," she said as a final attempt at trying to convince herself not to follow the path that has opened up before her.

"So are you," Dana reminded her, and Chantrea took her words to heart. So was she. She didn't even remember the last time she had enjoyed her full power. She missed it. She missed being agile and formidable. Hell, she even missed the time when she could quickly stand up without side effects and it had only been a few days! What was she so afraid of? Commitment? Or betrayal? She had suffered her fair share of those, and time and again she had proved to herself she could survive. But for her heart, it might be the last time if it shatters again. Still, it was better to live broken-hearted than being dead. Beats it every day.

Chantrea had decided.

Now that she was determined, she looked at her sister, who perked up at her excited gaze.

"Help me find a dress that goes with this new hairstyle!"

"As you wish," Danna bowed her head, laughing.


After they had decided on the dress, Chantrea went off in search of Loki. Her senses were dulled, thanks to the Waning, so she could only rely on her human practices. Still, it wouldn't do well to go around especially asking for him, would it?

First, she went to check the library. He wasn't there. Next, she walked through the corridor where the door to his chambers were located, but she didn't even need to stop to see he wasn't there – his guards were nowhere in sight. Chantrea continued for the gardens. Again, nothing. She was running out of ideas on where to check for him. Tired, she sat down for a moment and looked up at the sky. A light, autumn breeze fluttered through the garden, making her hair stir up. The silver strand obstructed her view. When her vision cleared, she thought she saw him: on top of one of the many towers of Asgard's palace.

She had to find him! Chantrea stood up and went in search for the stairwell that would lead her to Loki. She walked through winding corridors and twisting stairs. She had to hurry, otherwise she would risk him being already gone from the spot where she had seen him from below. It felt like a race against time and her attention was focused on the task.

Chantrea got lost several times, until she didn't even know which part of the castle she was in. In the end, she was out of breath and completely lost. The long corridor she was standing in was completely empty. It didn't have any windows, but torches lit by magical fire ran on the length of one wall, providing light. She was most definitely close to the top, but she could imagine no reason why she would feel a pressure as if she were underground. Her sense of direction was messed up and she had to lean on a wall to catch her breath.

As soon as she touched the metallic wall, an imagine entered her mind. She jumped back immediately. Looking suspiciously at the wall, nothing else happened. Chantrea looked up and down the corridor. It was still empty. Still, she could swear she had heard people a second ago...

It happened when she touched the wall. Taking a deep breath, she calmed down and reached out, again. This time, she was prepared for the onslaught of images and sounds and let them wash over her, until her brain could sort through all the sensations.

She was in a ballroom, but could feel a slight breeze. She saw the candles in the chandeliers flicker and music flew gently in the air. A familiar piece was being played. Chantrea walked forward and suddenly, the crowd of people opened up before her and a familiar face greeted her. Chantrea's breath caught. She hadn't seen him in a century! She felt a silent tear escape her eyelashes, but wasn't sure if it was illusion or reality. It did not matter, anyway. At that moment, it was her reality. Her memories not long after she was cursed. Not knowing who she was and the fact that she was immortal, she fell in love with a mortal man.

He was a gentleman and cherished her. She played the violin, he was a soldier.

Another tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered it was the last time they saw each other. He had been drafted for the World War and she... she died with him, only to return to life after a few seconds. She held onto the bittersweet memory. A waltz was playing in the background, and he led her firmly, but gently. She loved being in his arms. He kissed her forehead and took a step back. He said something, but she couldn't hear him. His image became fuzzy.

Then he disappeared forever.

Chantrea sucked in a deep breath and stumbled a step back from the wall. The emotions these memories had brought with them left her feeling reeling. She was dizzy and unstable. Her heart was in pieces and all it took was to remember someone from before. When life was so simple as a mortal. When she had a clean sheet.

She clutched a hand over her heart as her legs collapsed.

"Whoa, there!" Her brain processed the voice, but it was slow in recognising it. Chantrea became aware of someone holding her by the hips. She was leaning against somebody, with all her weight pressing on them. She took a deep breath, but it was hard to come out of memory land.

"Do you want to sit?" The voice asked. This time, she recognised it as Loki. Chantrea turned her head to the side, so she could peer up at him.

He looked a bit... concerned? Could it be?

"You caught me," she said, completely surprised.

Loki was speechless for a moment, not knowing where to put that remark.

"I think it's better if you sit down," he said eventually, furrowing his eyebrows and he gently lowered her to the ground. Somehow, he had managed to manoeuvre her into his lap as he sat down on the cold floor.

Chantrea didn't notice the two guards lingering close by. They looked as if they were part of the shadows lining the walls. There was no furniture, no windows, no doors, nothing on this long, empty corridor.

"How did you end up here?" He asked, brushing back Chantrea's hair. His movement stopped as he stared at the silver lock between his fingers.

"I was looking for you," she said honestly. The filter between her heart and mouth did not work. Not after this trip back in time.

"What happened with your hair?" he asked gently.

That jarred her out of her melancholic, in-between state of mind. Chantrea's eyes sparkled and a little life returned to her. She struggled to get off of him, but Loki grasped her wrists. He spared a look in the guards direction who had come closer.

Chantrea settled down with a huff and the guards receded back into the background.

"How did this happen?" Loki asked, releasing her hands and playing with the silver lock of hair. Chantrea looked away, pushing away her feelings and memories. She still felt vulnerable. Exposed. Loki's sharp eyes didn't miss that.

"Noth-"

"Don't!" Loki warned her. Chantrea looked into his eyes, keeping her face carefully blank of emotion.

"I'm not well," she eventually decided to say.

Loki gazed into her eyes for a long moment. He leant very close, so close, Chantrea thought he would kiss her. His eyes flickered in the guards' direction for a moment and a smirk appeared on his lips.

Chantrea was suddenly reminded of her earlier dream. Her eyes widened, and she went very still. All the memories the wall showed her were gone, except the painful feeling in her heart. But another feeling, excitement, and something warm appeared beside the feel of loss, as she sat in Loki's arms.

Loki leant even closer as he cupped her face. Involuntarily, she closed her eyes and leant in. He kissed her forehead. Just like the man in her memories. It was a kiss full of promise. Suddenly, she grabbed him as he was leaning away. He couldn't disappear, not like that man... that man whose name she couldn't even remember, even though she mourned him still to this day.

She realised she didn't want Loki to leave her. She felt completely at peace in his arms. The dangerous edge she had mentioned to her sister, kept her senses alarmed, but as Dana put it, she was dangerous, too. Not in this state, though...

Loki was waiting to see what she would do next. Chantrea thought he looked mildly amused.

"Do you dance?"

"Not if I can help it."

"So you know how to dance."

"Unfortunately, yes..." he replied with and irritated sigh.

"You must accompany me to the Mabon ball."

"Absolutely not," he didn't miss a beat replying.

Chantrea's jaw went slack. That was the most humiliating rejection she had experienced in her lifetime! Maybe second, right after what her parents did to her. She knew it wasn't good for her health if she held onto to old grudges, but some things were just hard to let go of.

Not Loki's shirt, if he were being like this. Chantrea leant back, but didn't make any movement to stand up. She was at eye-level with Loki this way and didn't have to look upwards when talking to him. It was comfortable for a change.

"Why not?" She asked, indignant. It took courage to ask him! Even if the whole thing was over in a second.

Loki sighed and moved around. Chantrea realised he wanted to stand up. Hiding her disappointment, she moved over and stood up before he could. Loki straightened to his full length. Chantrea did the same and glanced up at him. One of her hands went on her hip.

"So?"

Loki smoothened his shirt, which was a little crumpled by her handling. He took his sweet time answering.

"I am to be sentenced at the Mabon ball, have you forgotten?" He asked, his green eyes flashing in anger. Yep, she totally forgot.

He turned around, but Chantrea reached out to grab his sleeve.

"What?" he looked over his shoulder.

"Can you lead me back to my room? I have no idea where we are," she looked at him, sheepish.

He was looking at her, trying to decide if she was being serious. Then he sighed, nodding. Chantrea quickly fell in step next to him. She flashed a quick smile at him, but he was stoic. His thoughts were probably on the looming date. Chantrea felt stupid, grinning at him like an idiot when his situation was so serious.

Her smile melted away at her next thought: both of their situations were serious. The deadly promise of The Waning made her features darken. The silver lock of hair became wider and a constant reminder of her running out of time.

To be continued...


A/N: Hey there! I've managed to write a few chapters during NaNoWriMo, so I'm going to post them, one at a time. I just need to edit them. This being the first. I hope you like it! Tell me your thoughts :)