"Jessica…"
Suddenly the pain is gone; it takes only a moment to register the voice. It leaves both fear and longing coiling around my heart.
"Loki." I whisper, staring up at him. I'm still on my knees from where I doubled over in pain. But I'm no longer in Steve's and my room.
His expression is dark, despite having my memories back, I can't read it even slightly. "I told you I would come for you." He said neutrally.
I try to keep my breathing steady, swallowing, I push myself to my feet. "Take me back."
"No." He sneered, leaning towards me. "No, I think I'll keep you here a while longer. Tell me," He sauntered around me in a wide circle. "Does he still love you?" When I don't answer, he's suddenly holding me by my hair. "Does he?" He bellows into my ear.
"Yes." I hiss back, clenching my fists against my sides. If I go to hit him, I won't be getting out of this alive.
"And do you love him?" He asked in a sickly sweet tone. "Does he make you quiver with delight?"
"I still love him." I growl back.
Loki leant close by my ear, breathing softly on it. It did nothing but cause me further panic. He was holding my hair so tightly I could feel tears building but I refused to start crying, not here, not for him.
"You seemed so entranced by how my Asgardian cell differed from yours." He said, leaning back, "I decided to give you one of your very own." He released my hair, dropping it with disgust and stepped back. I glanced around and realised where we were. I had been so intently focused on Loki I hadn't realised the golden glimmer around us wasn't his room or another area of the palace. We were in the cell he had been locked in when our dreams became interwoven.
"You can't just lock me up in here." I tell him, I'm trying to sound strong, but there's definitely a wavering of pleading in my tone. "You can't."
"I can do what I please." He snarled. "You certainly did."
"You took away my memories!" I almost shout at him. "What did you think would happen? That's I'd die alone waiting? I didn't even know you existed!"
He opens his mouth to reply but he stops himself. "It matters not."
"Of course it bloody well matters, you're imprisoning me!"
He hesitates, staring at the ground.
"Well?" I demand.
His eyes flash up to look at mine, almost black with anger. I falter, what if I've pushed him too far.
"I thought you would choose me!" He croaks out.
There's a pause between us. "I thought you would remember and choose me." He says more softly.
I shake my head slowly, taking a step back. "You came to me in the middle of the night, threatened me, threatened the man I love and you gave me these horrible memories of things you had me do. You made me a monster, Loki. And you thought I'd willing run back into your arms at the snap of your fingers?"
His eyes soften, he's thinking about what I'm saying, he's weakening on his resolve. "You're not a monster. Not you. You could never be…"
"You had me torture people." I cut him off. "You had me kill people. You took away my free will but I still did those things, Loki. I still have to live with them."
He pauses. "I love you." He whispers.
"No," I shake my head, biting my lip. "You love power. You love power so much you were willing to sacrifice me, the real me, who loved you entirely, for the type of queen you wanted." He doesn't answer, looking away from me. I raise my arms up. "Well did I do the job well?" I ask bitterly. "Did I exceed expectations?"
"You will remain here." He tells me quietly.
"For what? Until when?" I snap.
"You will remain here." He repeats, fading away. Of course it was only an illusion. The golden walls become a little more transparent and I can see the other prisoners now. Uncomfortably I sit down on the floor and wrap my arms around my knees. A prison cell in Asgard; who would think to look for me here? When would Steve realise I wasn't coming downstairs to meet him to start the search for Bucky? I didn't even get to say goodbye to Steve.
