"Loki?" Natalia let her fingers run along her sleeping husband's jaw.
"Hmm?" the prince hummed, half-asleep.
"Can I go with you tonight?" For days, Natalia had been asking him this question and Loki always responded with a resounding 'no.'
"My answer will not change, Natalia…" Loki forced himself to fully wake up. He propped himself up on his elbows and cautiously eyed his wife. "Even with Jane to help me, there is no telling how many witches we will summon. I refuse to put you and our child at risk. You need to stay here." The prince and Jane Foster had agreed to attempt a summoning during the nearest Blood Moon, which was to happen tonight.
"But what happens if you're outnumbered? Worse-what happens if they refuse a peace treaty and kill you?" Natalia sat up, her hand cupping her stomach.
"This is why I need you to trust me," Loki advised. He leaned in to kiss her, but she turned away. "Jane and I can handle these matters on our own. We can't protect you at the same time, Natalia. If worse comes to worse, Jane and I are to leave the forests and catch the attention of the guards. You should see the traps Thor set up yesterday!" he continued. "Clinton devised a tripwire that will seize one by the ankles and hoist them up into the tree."
"Does it even work?" Natalia folded her arms across her chest. She hated how Loki was planning on taking such risks.
"Well," he chuckled, "Volstagg fell victim to it. My Brother said that it was quite the sight…" He hoped Natalia would laugh at the mental image of Thor's portly friend dangling from a tree by his ankles, but she only rolled her eyes. "I swear that come tomorrow morning, I will be right here at your side."
"You better be," she muttered. "And I expect lunch in the gardens," she added with a huff.
"Of course, Natalia," he smiled.
Sif trotted alongside Thor as they walked towards the mouth of the forest. The bright red glow from the Blood Moon in the sky was enough light to illuminate their path. "I have a bad feeling about tonight," Sif admitted in a deep, false voice.
"Do you think something will happen?" Thor asked. "The last time you had a bad feeling in your gut was right before all of the horses escaped the barn and we needed to chase after them," the blond mused, chuckling at the memory.
"That was years ago…" Sif mentioned. Her manly voice faltered as her heart skipped a beat.
"It's too amusing to want to forget!" Thor flashed his companion a sideways grin.
Sif shrugged his comment off. The fact that Thor remembered something so trivial didn't mean anything. To him, Sif was just one of his strong male friends and nothing more. She shook her head of the thought. Natalia's occasional teasing about her and Thor as a couple was putting false hopes into the warrior's mind.
"I will be ready for whatever comes our way tonight," Thor announced. "And I expect the same of you."
Sif nodded as they split up to take on their nightly shifts.
"Take my hands," Jane instructed. The prince reached for her hands and she closed her eyes, looking up into the dark sky. "Now concentrate, as you would for a normal spell, just don't put forth as much energy-tonight, we are much stronger…"
Loki nodded as he took a deep breath and felt the power course through his veins. "Should we not use more energy, though?" he inquired. "If we wish to summon a strong witch, we need more power."
"Trust me, my Lord," Jane assured him. "Simply feel my energy-focus." She gently squeezed his hands.
Loki shut his eyes and began channeling some of his magic, feeling it pulse throughout him in the form of green wavelengths. The power ran from his heart, straight to his hands where he suddenly felt it mix with an unfamiliar source. Jane Foster. Her energy felt much gentler than his, warm, even. Loki felt Jane's hands slip away from his, allowing for the prince to open his palms and unleash a strong wave of energy up towards the Blood Moon. Opening his eyes, he saw that both he and Jane's powers sent forth a bright star into the sky. The woman wasn't lying about the Blood Moon's aid to witches-even after casting the spell, Loki felt ready to take on the world with all the magic he felt rushing within him. "I've never felt this powerful before," he noted, gazing up in between the breaks in the trees.
"You've only recently awakened your skills," Jane commented. "In time, you'll become stronger during the Blood Moon. Be sure to take extra care, though," she forewarned him.
He nodded, recalling Odin's words about power and corruption. Loki had the perfect life and he wasn't willing to shatter it all because he couldn't control himself. "Is that what separates us from them?" he wondered. "The use of power?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Jane sighed. "Those witches have lost themselves-the first sign is the red eyes. After that, there is no return…"
"No redemption for the damned…" Loki muttered.
The two waited in the cold darkness, keeping quiet as they heard leaves rustle and the wind howl. Loki only wished to return home to Natalia. The warmth of their bed was tempting him. He only wished that if someone was to appear, they would do so soon. The prince couldn't keep his wife and child waiting up. He was sure that Natalia wasn't going to sleep until he returned to her. "Five minutes," Loki whispered. "Then we leave."
"Shush!" Jane hissed. "Do you feel that?"
Loki noticed an abrupt drop in the temperature. A thick fog encircled the couple before two figures finally emerged.
"Well, well…" a blonde woman began, standing before Loki.
She had long blonde hair and her flawless, porcelain skin made her to be the prettiest witch Loki had ever seen. However, the blood-red orbs made him cringe.
"The royal Prince of Asgard!" She playfully curtsied with her tattered black dress. "So a Pureblood has finally been caught…" she licked her lips, staring hungrily at the man before her. "Shame those hunters couldn't save you…"
"Take a closer look at who brought him here, Amora!" a woman with short, curly blonde hair hissed. "Jane," she sneered. "The goody-goody!"
"Unless she's had a change of heart," Amora noted. "Is that what happened, Jane?"
"You're both wrong!" Loki summoned a ball of green flame into his hand.
Amora and her companion took a cautious step back. "Another witch?"
Loki proudly grinned. "Not just any witch. I am Loki Laufeyson! I trust you recall that name…" He raised a brow as he looked between the two women. Both silently glared at Loki for a moment.
"We were told our Prince was slain by Odin," the witch with short hair spoke up. She had an angry look in her eyes as Loki stared her down. "He met the same fate as our King and Queen…"
"Do not doubt him, Yelena!" Amora snapped. "Look at his face and tell me you do not see King Laufey himself!"
So Loki looked like his Father? He folded his hands behind his back, unsure of what to say in return. All that mattered was that they believed him. Now came the trickier part… "And as your King, I have a request."
"You expect us to listen to you while you live in Odin's kingdom?!" Amora spat, appalled.
"He is your King! King Laufey!" Jane shouted at the women.
Yelena rolled her eyes. "Working hand-in-hand with Jane makes this no better! What sort of trickery are you trying to pull?"
"I wish to make an arrangement with you as King Laufeyson," he began. "And as your King, I need you two to spread word of this news to all witches alike." Unbeknownst to Jane, Loki's plan was much further thought out. "I wish to form an alliance with the mortals-hear me out!" he quickly added as the women sneered at him. "This is all in order to take down Odin, thus giving me my throne early." He noticed Jane's eyes widen, but he raised a hand to keep her quiet. "Once I assume the throne, the witches who have been peacefully coexisting with the mortals will attack and steal the blood of every living being, thus giving us complete control." He forced a devilish grin.
"You are a cold man, my Lord," Amora grinned. "However, the mortals will fail to take kindly to us…"
"Then for starters, no more attacking," Loki ordered. "Give it three Blood Moon's time. The humans will begin to disregard witches, making us even more inconspicuous. The treaty will begin with simply leaving humans alone. Once peace is restored, I will give word to Odin that maybe witches are not ones to be feared anymore… Perhaps they have become afraid and wish to surrender," Loki mused.
"Which will make things more unexpected when we kill!" Yelena giddily growled.
"Exactly," the prince nodded. "Will you spread word of this to the others, then?" Loki asked. "Absolutely no attacks!"
Yelena nodded, but Amora shook her head. "You suggest we wait several month's time… That seems a bit long. How can we be sure that your word is even true?"
Loki chuckled in reply. "If you knew of my hatred towards Odin for keeping my parentage a secret, you will understand my desire to betray him."
"Make a blood oath with me, then!" Amora suggested. "So that when all is said and done, I will be your Queen," she slyly grinned.
Loki didn't wish for them to figure out that his words were all lies, so he agreed, even though it pained him to think about deceiving Natalia. He was doing this for her, though. When the time for his grand plan to be put into action, he knew that Odin's hunters would be ready to kill and protect the royal family. Loki watched as Amora summoned a dagger and made a clean cut across her palm. She handed Loki the knife and he did the same. He pressed his hand to hers, unsure of the sort of contract he was making. After the deal, the two blondes vanished, leaving Jane and Loki all alone.
"What was all of that!?" Jane demanded.
"My plan," Loki promised her, healing his hand with his magic. "Don't worry. I specifically told them once Odin was dead… The hunters will guard the castle, even if witches are no longer deemed as dangerous. I have an entire family to protect," he gravely added.
Jane narrowed her eyes. "You're a fool. If things don't go as planned-"
"We made a blood pact," Loki reminded her. "They accept me… Now if you don't mind, my wife needs me." He disappeared before Jane could have another word in edgewise.
Loki reappeared in his own bed, curled up right beside his wife who was fast asleep. He smiled and placed a hand on her stomach. Nothing was ever going to break his family. That Loki was sure of.