"Lightning?" she repeated.

"Yep. If I hadn't liked you so much myself, I might have shipped you with Thor."

Aella's doubtful look glided across his face. Was he talking about Rota or her?

Probably neither of you. Why do you care?

Aella shook off the question and focused on the thought that had shot through her head before Loki had made that stupid remark. "That lightning that hit me... where after my powers awakened... That wasn't a coincidence, was it? But what does it mean? Am I possessed by her?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "You've hidden the intelligence that characterized Rota very deeply, didn't you? Rota didn't suddenly "take you over". You are Rota. When she died, she somehow turned back to her baby-form, or whatever you want to call it, and for some reason she made sure your memories – or at least the most important ones – came back around your maturity." Loki ran a hand across his smooth chin. "I wonder how she did it. It sounds like a power that's beyond the might of a Valkyrie. Especially one that's dying."

The last sentences Loki spoke, didn't really land. She thought about the confession of her mother: that she'd been a foundling.

It was true. It fitted the story.

Still all this was too much to comprehend. Had she really lived another life? "Then where are my other memories?" she wondered out aloud.

"Clearly she only passed the most important ones."

His eyes were glistening, there was a sparkling enthusiasm she didn't fully understand. Especially not when she drew an ironic conclusion.

"That wasn't much. That all Valkyries have died, that you've locked them up and that I should especially not trust you."

The sparkle in Loki's eyes seemed to extinguish. "Well, even Valkyries make errors in judgment now and then. To prevent you from making another one: we really should go back now. No matter how fantastic it is to be around you, I have a little more ambition than staying in your head until it's getting dark here for good."

"Yeah? You want to lock up more people in the soul catcher?" she asked on a just as sarcastic tone. "You might have an idea of how they're feeling right now."

"Not at all. Nobody is crying in pain here. Compared to the place where they are, this must be some kind of Walhalla."

A cloud passed over Aella's face. Why was she still surprised by his insensitivity? Now and then a treacherous affection sneaked up on her, but only for a little while. She had to guard her heart better, so she wouldn't give Loki the chance to betray her.

For that moment would come. Every cell in her body was convinced of that. Still he was right; they indeed had to leave this place. The question however was: how? Usually she died. Should she ask Loki to plunge a blade through her heart?

She didn't want to give him that pleasure. Furthermore they were already beyond her memories, he'd told her. She wasn't sure she would return to this place.

"I really don't know how to go back. Normally I have already woken up by now."

What if Loki's presence was too much for her mind? What if he was the reason she couldn't travel back?

"Think about the room in which you were lying. Think about the kid. Wait, I'll help you." For a moment his appearance faltered, then Hayes stood in front of her.

Relief was flowing through her veins, until she realized it was nothing but an illusion. Hayes wasn't really here. She searched for the peace in his eyes, but they were too alert, too compelling.

She squeezed her eyes, searched in her memories for his calm face, his friendly smile.

"Hayes," she whispered to herself. "I wanna go back to Hayes."