AN: This is the Grand Finale of 'Dissonance'. It is a very long, very involved chapter and I hope I did it justice. There will be an epilogue to wrap things up, but this is it!

"This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight

I look around, but I can't find you (raise it up)
If only I could see your face (raise it up)
Instead of rushing towards the skyline (raise it up)
I wish that I could just be brave

I must become a lion hearted girl
Ready for a fight
Before I make the final sacrifice

We raise it up, this offering
We raise it up"

~ 'Rabbit Heart' By Florence + The Machine

Gods, a son and a daughter…

Loki had never dreamed that he would be in the position he found himself in now. He had never even fathomed that he would even produce one heir to his bloodline, let alone two. Now, as he walked back and forth through the halls of the Palace Library, all of the events that had led him to this place in his life hit him in an intense wave.

Happiness was a rare thing for him, especially since the day he had confronted Odin about his true parentage. From that fateful day on, he had always thought himself to be the outsider, a villain- definitely not someone who would ever be a father. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he leaned against a great stone pillar. He pinched the bridge of his nose, resting his elbow in his free arm.

How wonderful it would have been had he been a king. How much he could have given his wife! Yet, despite those thoughts, he knew that the family he had started with Anja was his and his alone. There was no doubting that he belonged with her and their children. Aric grew stronger daily, and Little Leena was but a few weeks old at this point. He reopened his eyes at that, an uncontrollable smile stretching his alabaster features. His daughter was barely old enough to see the world clearly, and yet she possessed the same qualities that her mother did. He could already see that. Her eyes were like two little moonbeams peeking out from a complexion that was only slightly lighter than Anja's…

"Loki."

Loki was broken from his reverie by the sound of his brother's voice. Thor had returned a week after Leena's birth, but Loki had not seen him until today. His emerald gaze looked back at Thor's, piercing the god of thunder as he waited on him to speak.

"What?" he said dryly.

Thor looked Loki over once, coming to stand next to him. "I offer you my congratulations," Thor said solemnly. "I just saw Little Leena this morning."

Loki licked his lips, keeping his arms crossed and letting the pillar support most of his weight. "She is beautiful, yes?" Loki said after a moment, not thanking Thor but merely shifting his weight away from the pillar so he stood at his full height. Thor smiled softly, nodding. Loki furrowed his brow, waiting on the oaf to say something. When he didn't, Loki decided to bow out. The silence was entirely too awkward to his liking. "Anything else?" Loki said flatly, putting his best attempt at making another person feel stupid to work.

Thor scratched his head, red cape swishing with the movement. "As you know, the elves of Svartalfheim and Asgard are still at war."

Loki rolled his eyes, nodding. "Of course."

Thor stroked his beard thoughtfully, gazing down the row of books that was closest to them. "They still want vengeance for Amora's death."

Loki bit down on his lower lip, nodding. He knew that Asgard had gone to war to protect him. He was not a fool. A part of him, perhaps the younger portion, knew he should be grateful for the sanctuary that many in the realm did not think he deserved… And yet his pride was far too much a barrier for him to ever acknowledge help from those that- at least in his eyes- did him wrong.

"And what of it?" Loki said after a while.

Thor cocked his head to the left, studying Loki. "The elves, as I am sure you know, are highly gifted in the art of realm penetration." Loki nodded. He had heard much about this magic of the elves. He had manipulated his abilities to mirror the effects countless times before he had fallen. "I worry for your children," Thor finished.

Loki looked at him blankly, blinking once. "Well, they are not yours to worry over, are they?" Loki said softly, turning away from Thor altogether. "I can handle my own family's protection, Thor," Loki said over his shoulder.

"Brother," Thor called.

Loki stopped once more, eyes fixed ahead of him.

"I am going back to the front with father."

Loki turned to meet Thor's gaze. Everyone in Asgard knew that the frontlines were among the most dangerous in the field of battle. "When?" Loki said, deathly quiet.

"Tomorrow." Loki looked down at his feet, letting out a huff of irritation. "Brother," Thor said quietly, pleading Loki to turn back around fully. "Let us forget the past. I want to be a part of your family… and I wish for you to be a part of the one you used to be again."

"I have taken my vows, Thor. What more do you want of me?"

Thor shook his head, looking down sadly. "I want you to be happy, like you once were."

Loki pressed his lips together in a fine line, meeting Thor's unwavering gaze for a solid minute before he bowed to Thor and left the room without so much as a backwards glance.

He would have to think on what Thor had said eventually, but in that moment all he wanted to do was return to his wife.

*o*O*o*

Anja furrowed her brow at the sound of her daughter crying in the other room. It was very late in the night, quite possibly already the wee hours of the morning. Her eyes opened, peering up at the canopy of her and Loki's bed. Idly, she slung the covers off of her body, taking care not to disturb Loki's sleeping form.

She hadn't been asleep, not fully anyway. Her body had taken up its old habit of insomnia, something that had not plagued her since she and Loki had been married. She had not told him of this habit, nor did she plan to, and the fact that her daughter was awake most of the night was ample enough excuse for the dark circles that had retaken up house under her eyes.

She slipped into her robe, walking down to the small room that was within Loki's chambers. There was a small crib in the far corner of the room, and that was where Leena's cries were coming from.

"Little Leena," Anja cooed, ignoring the shaky feeling of her limbs and bending down to pick her daughter up. Leena's arms and legs flailed a bit, but the child was still too young to move all of her body. Anja kissed the soft swirl of dark hair on Leena's head, bouncing her up and down on her shoulder in the moonlit room. "Mother is here, My Darling," she whispered, holding the babe against her shoulder. She sat down in the small loveseat of the room, knowing full well that the little girl was hungry.

Anja unbuttoned the front of her gown, letting the child nurse as she smiled down at her. Leena's cries stopped abruptly as she latched on. When the little one was finished, Anja rested her head against the back of the seat, closing her eyes for a moment as she sat in the dark room.

There had been many things that went through her head, often latching on and staying with her for hours. Most of them were worries. The darkness had not returned to her since Amora's death, but deep down she knew that her time was still limited. She was tired in her bones, something that she would never have been able to imagine the feeling of until she had felt it. It was not a physical tiredness that consumed her, but a magical one… and her powers were exhausted.

"Anja?"

Anja's eyes opened as she looked up at Loki's form, shrouded in the shadows of the doorframe.

"She's almost asleep," Anja said quietly, looking from Loki to Leena. Leena let out a little yawn, a small coo falling from her lips. Her silver eyes were sleepy, and every so often she would close them… only to jerk herself awake once more.

"As you should be," Loki said quietly. "We have a nurse for that, My Love. You needn't worry about losing out on your rest."

Anja blinked. She was very tired, and the dark circles under her eyes were testament to that. Ever since Leena had been born, she had spent sleepless nights rocking her to sleep. Loki had told her time and time again that they had nursemaids for that type of work, but to Anja, it was more of a motherly duty to be there for her daughter. She had made it through with Aric, after all, and she saw no reason to deprive Leena of such attentions.

"I told you," she said quietly. "I do not mind."

"Are you alright?" Loki asked quietly, slipping onto the seat next to her. Leena let out a coo, yawning again as he wrapped an arm around Anja and kissed her temple. "You look rather distant." He reached over to the sleepy baby, taking her from Anja and rocking her gently. It had taken a good amount of time, but Loki was able to hold the child with all the ease in the world by now.

Anja smiled back at him, meeting his gaze. "Forgive me," she said after a moment. "I was thinking."

"Thinking of what, may I ask?" he whispered mischievously, looking down at Leena and smiling through the darkness. Anja took in a deep breath, a slight breeze from the open window stirring her free flowing dark curls around her face.

"I am tired, Loki," she said quietly.

He sat up a little straighter, meeting her gaze. She closed her eyes as the fingertips of his free hand brushed the dark circles under them. Even in the darkness, the dark bags under her eyes were prominent. "How can I help you?" he said quietly. "I told you there were nursemaids to help with Leena. If it is a matter of sleep deprivation-"

"I know, Loki," she replied. "It is not… It is not of a physical nature."

He quirked an eyebrow up at that, bringing the hand that had been under her eyes around to the side of her face and forcing her to meet his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Anja chewed her lower lip, looking down. "I am not… as strong as I once was," she said finally. "My powers… are weakened… And then I think on what Amora told you about my darkness and how it would kill me eventually."

"Anja, no. Elena told me you were free of that-"

"That was when I was pregnant," she said softly, looking down at Leena. "Loki, I fear that perhaps our daughter was a temporary cure."

"No." Loki said abruptly, standing up and jerking her up with him. Leena let out another wail. "I told you that you would be safe with me," he said quickly. "I told you. I promised… You are fine."

"Leena was my savior for a little while," she said quietly. "But I can feel it in my heart that my aura is not what it used to be… and I think you can sense it too."

Loki chewed on his lower lip, shaking his head. "Then I will get you to a healer," he said. "We'll go right now."

Anja pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. "Twas only my thoughts," she said softly. "I am more concerned with Leena and Aric right now."

Loki pressed his lips together in a fine line, looking down at his daughter. "I cannot lose you," he whispered. Anja tilted her head to the side. "I… you hold me steady, Anja. I… I fear the man I may become if you are not here anymore…"

Anja pursed her lips, looking back at him. He still wouldn't meet her gaze. "You would be the father that Leena and Aric deserve," she said after a moment. "I know you would."

"Such faith you have in me," he said softly, standing up to put Leena's now sleeping form down.

"A faith that has been tried and tested, but that has remained nonetheless," she said as he came back to her and offered his hand to help her up. "I love you, Loki," she murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. She could feel his lips in her hair as he replied in kind. "I want you to promise me that you will keep them safe… should something indeed happen to me," she said quietly after a moment.

Loki nodded, brushing her hair behind her ear as he kissed her nose. "I promise," he whispered, letting his forehead come to rest on hers. "But I will never let you go." He kissed her forehead as his arms tightened around her waist. "Because I love you too damn much."

*o*O*o*

Andrew was down by the river, bare toes slapping against the stones as he ran up and down the bank. He was throwing stones into the river water, the flatter ones skipping on occasion. Not that he was trying to make them skip, he merely needed a way to get his frustration out of his system.

He had a new cousin, or so his mother had told him, a little girl. He had refused to go see the child when Selena had asked him if he wanted to. Despite his father's desperate attempts to explain the situation that his Aunt Anja had become a part of, Andrew felt in his heart that her marriage to that scum had been a betrayal. With an outcry, he threw the last of the largest pebbles he could find into the flowing green depths of the river water.

"Little Warrior, I feel your pain," Amora's voice reached Andrew, and he spun around, looking for the source of the enchantress.

"Lady Amora?" he said quietly, dropping the stone he had in his hand.

"I am over here, Master Andrew," she said quietly, her voice like water as Andrew made it to look at the shallow portion of the river. Just like that day in the fountain so long ago, he could make out Amora's reflection in the turning waters. "This war must be hard for you, Little Warrior. You are too young to fight, yet you must watch your father go off to battle. Such pain for one so powerful."

Andrew bit his lower lip, studying Amora carefully. "My father knows his duty. So do I."

Amora's reflective state gave him a small smile. "I understand," she said after a while. "But how simpler things would be without this war. You miss your father, do you not?" she said quietly.

Andrew looked away, slightly ashamed to admit that to this woman. Warriors were supposed to be strong, were they not? "A little," he admitted, going down to rest on his knees in front of Amora.

"It must be terrible," Amora said quietly, her blue gaze looking back at Andrew's. "If I were there, I could end this war quite easily," Amora said quietly. "I have great influence over the elves."

Andrew raised an eyebrow, looking down at Amora. "How?" he said softly. Something didn't feel right, and his instincts were pricking.

"I need just a bit of magical abilities to bring me back completely," she said quietly. "Without them, I will surely die… and I fear the two realms will be locked in war for millennium to come…"

Andrew pursed his lips, looking down at the enchantress. "How… how much power?" he whispered.

Amora smiled at him, and he found himself in a sort of trance by the beautiful woman before him. "Just a small amount, but a very powerful small amount." Andrew's eyes went wide as he watched the same hand made of water come forward from the fountain and stretch out as if to shake his own. "You could be my champion, Little Warrior," she said softly, comfortingly. "And then I could end this war…" Andrew licked his lips, leaning away a bit from the hand. "But alas, I am fading quickly. Soon I will be little more than a shade… and my return will be impossible. I can bring balance back to the realms, Little Warrior. I know you harbor ill feelings towards the man that married your dear aunt. He was my undoing, Young One. He is the cause of this…"

Andrew tilted his head to the side before leaning back towards Amora.

"I can help you," Amora said quietly. "But you must help me first." The watery hand stretched even further towards Andrew, and he studied it for a moment longer… before his small hand reached out to take the formation in front of him.

It was a strange feeling, and he found himself paralyzed as the little light that was always in his gut started to fade… and the water that had been part of Amora's hand turned solid under his grasp. Then his world fell away to darkness and the last thing he saw before he blacked out was Amora's tall form standing over him… and an evil smile on her once beautiful features before she evaporated into thin air, leaving him alone on the river bank.

*o*O*o*

Anja's eyes shot open from the nap she had been taking. Power. Sheer power had hit her in a wave, waking her up from the doze she had fallen into. Leena was taking a nap in her crib, and Aric was in her lap at that very moment.

He raised his head from where he had been resting it at her shoulder, taking his mother in as he spoke. "What is wrong, Mother?" he whispered, little hands coming to rest on her shoulders. He had felt her jump… and she knew her emotions were still directly tied to his.

"N-nothing," she managed, running a hand through her hair as she stood up with him in her arms. "I need you to stay here though, alright?" she set the child down on the ground, but he toddled behind her, clinging to her skirts.

"Is it Amowa?" he said softly, still unable to pronounce his "r's". Anja looked down at him, wide-eyed.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, My Darling," she said again. She reached for the rope that would ring a bell to summon a maid. "I need to go somewhere though. I think… I think your cousin needs me." Aric's green eyes went wide as the nursemaid showed up to take care of him. Anja bent down to look at her son, cupping his cheek in her hand before she kissed his forehead. "I love you," she said quietly. "Never doubt that."

She knew not why she felt so desperate to remind her son of that, but something in her gut told her that things were about to go very, very wrong.

*o*O*o*

"Andrew!" Anja called as she made it to the gardens. "Andrew, darling!"

Anja had not taken the time to stop anywhere along the way to the gardens, simply settling for teleporting to her destination. Andrew was nowhere to be seen though, and she felt panic rise up within her as she thought about where her nephew was.

By the time she made it down through the woods, it had gotten very dark. She used a bit of simple magic to light her way, but she was quickly out of breath from the strain of keeping the flame as she made it down to the river.

Her heart nearly stopped to see Andrew's form, slumped over and hardly stirring on the ground… His once very powerful magic aura was nonexistent, and as she realized this all she could detect of his aura was the steady pulsing of his heart.

"Oh Andrew," she said quietly, bending down to him. Without thinking, she had him scooped up in her arms. His eyes were closed, and she didn't know how long he had been like this… but his heart beat steadily under her trembling fingers as she checked his pulse.

She needed to get him back to Selena's. His powers were nonexistent at this point, and she realized exactly who was to blame a second too late as her hand came in contact with a piece of parchment pinned to Andrew's cloak.

*o*O*o*

Princess,

I do believe it is high time we met again. If you wish to save this brat, you must come to me by midnight. I hold his powers in my arsenal now and wish to put an end to your misery once and for all. The only way the child will ever wake up again is if he regains his powers… something that I will only do should you die at my hand or death take me. Did I not tell you that you had a little over nine months, My Lady?

Meet me at the end of the Bifrost by midnight. Come alone, or the boy will die. Not even your precious lover may aid you. Do not fret, his time will come too.

Much love,

Amora.

Anja was practically seeing red as she glared down at the smooth script of Amora's hand. She was standing outside of Andrew's chambers, fighting back tears as she listened to Elena and Selena talk over the sleeping boy. Amora had gone too far this time. She had threatened too much, too innocent a life.

She chewed on her lower lip, looking down at Amora's proposition. In her heart, she knew she was going to go out there within the hour. She wondered vaguely how Heimdall would allow the enchantress to be out there, but then again, Amora had done far more difficult things than kill a highly trained gatekeeper.

Bile rose in her throat at that, and she inhaled sharply. A tear escaped the corner of her eye. How was she to get out of this? How was she to beat Amora? Amora, whose powers were multiplied ten-fold with Andrew's while Anja's were practically divided by the darkness that was eating at her soul?

With a final act of defiance, Anja crumpled the parchment, peeking back into Andrew's quarters, and a distraught Selena. In a burst of strength, everything that she needed to do became clear.

Fandral was gone. Thor was gone. Loki could not help her. Andrew was dying… and so was Anja. In the end, she knew exactly what she was going to do. She had known all along, from the point that Loki had uttered the possibility of dark magic to her. She had always known that it would be her own undoing. She could only hope that she could kill Amora before she lost control…

Her children would grow up, whether she was with them for a month more or a year more. But did she really want them to remember her as a fading shadow of a woman? That would surely be her future at the rate the darkness within her was progressing. Loki had claimed it was gone, that she was safe… But she knew that wasn't true. It never had been. Her daughter… her beautiful, weeks-old daughter, had allowed her a bit of time to live happily with Loki. That was all she could truly ask for, truly expect.

In her heart, she knew she had been dead the moment Loki had introduced her to the dark side of her magic. The power within her was too great, too much to remain unaffected. She would go out to Amora, she would summon the darkness… and she would kill the witch that dared harm her or her family.

Amora would pay… and so would Anja, but the price was something that Anja was willing to give.

Justice would be dealt, and two murderers would die that night: a life for a life.

*o*O*o*

Anja pushed through the darkness of the night, the lamplight of the streets of Asgard her only source of comfort. She stopped short, ears pricked as she realized someone was behind her. Then his aura met her senses and she closed her eyes as she realized who it was.

"Loki," she murmured, turning back to look at him. Her hair was wild, eyes red from crying as he made it to her.

"Selena told me what happened," he said quietly, coming up to her. "She said you had started back towards the palace so I tried to catch up with you." Anja swallowed hard, unable to meet his gaze. "I am so sorry, Anja," he whispered, embracing her. "Amora will be stopped. I promise."

Anja sniffled, failing at concealing the tears that had built up within her. She had been going to the Bifrost at that very moment, and she could see it not a hundred feet in front of her.

"I know she will," Anja said quietly, anger rising within her. She could feel her strength returning as she pulled away to meet Loki's gaze, and she watched as his eyes went wide to see her eyes glowing silver. Before Loki could blink, before he could breathe, she had pressed her lips to his. Hard.

It was a chaste kiss, one that she was completely in control of and he completely at her mercy. She closed her eyes, ignoring the tears that streamed down her cheeks as she did so. She wanted to remember his kiss wherever she would go after this life. Even if she was met with the empty void of space, denied of Valhalla, she knew she would be alright with the memory of the feel of his lips against her own.

She sniffled as she pulled way, meeting his gaze before she kissed his cheek. "Anja?" Loki said, clearly confused. Anja inhaled shakily.

"Tell Aric and Leena I love them," she whispered.

Loki furrowed his brow, obviously confused. "What do you mean-"

"I love you, Loki," she said desperately. "So very much. I do not blame you for anything that is about to happen. Know that."

"Anja-"

"I can stop her," Anja said. "Right here. Right now." Darkness flared up within Anja once more and her eyes retained the mirror-like state of her darkness. There was fear in Loki's gaze now, clear as day in the lamp-lit air. Then the fear turned to sadness as he realized what she was saying. "I have to go," she whispered. "She has called me out to fight for Andrew's life."

"No." Loki said desperately, grabbing her by her upper arms. "No. Anja. I won't let you." Tears of hurt and sadness were building up in his eyes. Oh, how she despised the hurt she knew he was going through. She wanted to kiss away his pain, fight his fears… and it hurt her even more to know she couldn't, that there would never be a chance for that after tonight.

Anja sniffled, fighting the tears that were about to spill over her own eyes. "I have to," she managed as a tear rolled down her own cheek. "It's all I can do to save Andrew."

"Anja-"

"Don't do this, Loki…" she took in a deep breath, looking back towards the end of the ruined Bifrost, the dull light of the rainbow bridge throbbing like a heartbeat. It felt like it was counting down her own limited heartbeats in that moment. "Listen to me."

"No-"

"Loki, you have to listen. Take care of the children. Please. I love you."

"I'm not going to let you go."

"You have to!" she gasped out, the words flying from her tongue. "It will restore peace. Our children will be safe… and so will you." Despite the many ways Loki tried to rationalize a way out of this situation, he knew in his heart that this was the only way. Thor was gone, Odin was gone… But he could sure as hell go with her. "You have to let me go, Loki," she said finally.

"Never. I will not let you face her alone. I always told you I would protect you."

"And you have," she replied. "But now it is my turn to protect you." She brought a palm up to his face. "Loki, look at me." The emerald of his eyes met hers, and she looked straight back into it, remembering that green, the intelligence… and the love. "You have to let me go."

She stepped from his embrace suddenly, and the darkness within her took over as she elevated a bit off of the ground. His cold hand did not stop her when it came up to grab her wrist. She could feel dark energy come from her heart and send a current into Loki. She did not look back when he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Out of nowhere, she could feel the cool and familiar silver of a bow and quiver appear in her hands, courtesy of the summoning of the dark energy within her.

*o*O*o*

"I never thought you would show yourself, Little Anja."

Amora's voice made the hairs on the back of Anja's neck stand up and she suppressed a shiver. "I'm here for my nephew," she said quietly, her voice a queer echo as her form lighted on the edge of the Bifrost, nothing more than a few inches separating her from the glowing bridge. Heimdall's limp form was several hundred feet behind her. He had obviously been thrown to the side by Amora.

Amora was looking over the precipice of the bridge, her back to Anja before she turned slowly.

"Yes, Andrew certainly served his purpose in my revival," Amora said softly, meeting Anja's gaze. The silver in Anja' gaze did not go unnoticed. "And his powers are certainly wonderful to experience. One forgets so easily the simplicity of a child's magic… a power untainted by darkness or evil…"

Anja simply glared at Amora, a bit of her old self coming back as she faced her death head on.

"Thanos wants you dead," Amora said quietly, absently. "He wants you away from Loki."

Anja tilted her head to the side, unable to comprehend why Amora was telling her this.

The Amora's face broke into an evil smile. "I want you dead too," Amora continued. "Your death at my hand will give me what I want- do you know what that is, Little Anja?" Anja shrugged, her hand coming to rest at the bow on her back. She would not use it unless she had to. She needed to use her abilities to defeat Amora. "I want a bit of your lover too."

Anja's nostrils flared at that, her darkness threatening to surface. "Loki would never-"

"Oh, but he did," Amora said quietly, conspiratorially. "We were lovers once… I would have thought he would have told you that."Anja's mouth fell open as she stared at Amora wide-eyed. This woman was lying. Loki had assured her that he and Amora had never been… intimate. "Oh, that look on your face is one I have waited for a very long time to see," Amora said quietly with a chuckle as she advanced on Anja. "But unfortunately, our time is running out… but I wanted some of your last thoughts to be of what he has done to you in the late hours of the night… and how, over a hundred years before he had ever laid eyes on you, he did the very same things to me-"

At that, Anja's dark energy erupted, the silver of her gaze magnifying to where her pupils were hardly visible anymore. She slung dark magic at Amora. The Enchantress dodged it. Barely.

Amora smiled again, slinging her own abilities at Anja. Theirs was a deadly dance, a battle of evils and wills. Anja lost all track of herself as she kept attacking Amora. All she knew was that she was going to win, no matter what it took. No matter how much she lost of herself. This woman had gone too far against her. Somewhere, Anja was able to register a battle cry, and it took several moments to realize that the cries were coming from her own lips.

Anja, or the creature that Anja had become, thought she would win. She had Amora at the very edge of the bridge, pushing the enchantress back, back, back… until a pain in her chest stopped her dead in her tracks.

With a gasp, Anja fell down not two feet from where she had Amora against the edge. She curled in a fetal position, her heart thudding loudly in her ears and at a pace so quick it sounded like the beats were running together, like a hummingbird's wing.

She could make out Amora laughing as the witch realized that the darkness had finally destroyed her body, and Anja barely noticed as Amora's booted foot came over to kick her so she was facing up. The starry sky met Anja's gaze briefly before Amora's face entered her line of vision.

"Even with all that power…" Amora said softly, brushing a bit of hair out of Anja's eyes. "You are still weak." She put a hand to Anja's throat, raising her up to look in her eyes. "Goodnight, Sweet Princess. I wish I could say you were a worthy adversary." And then a metal blade raised above Anja's chest, preparing to pierce her heart.

She closed her eyes, vaguely able to make out the sound of Loki calling her name.

*o*O*o*

"Anja!" Loki cried out, running on winged feet to the end of the Bifrost. She had knocked him out cold not five minutes ago. She shouldn't have been in this position already… No, he couldn't take it. He could not watch Amora do such a thing to his wife…

He knew Anja heard him as she turned her head to him from where Amora had raised her up, blade poised at her throat. He could make out the trail of tears on Anja's face, even from such a great distance, and he before he knew it, he was teleporting through the air directly to Amora and Anja.

There was a period of slow motion in the split second it took Loki to reach them. Anja closed her eyes, opening them once more as they glowed silver, before she knocked Amora's hands off of her throat and she flung her captor over the edge of the bridge.

If Loki had gotten there just a split second sooner than when he did, he could have stopped Amora from grabbing onto Anja… and pulling his wife down through the depths of space with her. The arm of Anja's he had been reaching for slipped through his fingers, and Loki let out a cry of despair as feelings of grief he had never thought himself capable of feeling for another overpowered him and he fell to his knees at the edge of the Bifrost.