Epilogue
Jane stepped out of her cave, freshly washed from the trickle of water her humble abode provided. The heat hit her instantly, as it did every time she ventured to the surface no matter the time of day. On Earth, the deserts were cool, if not downright cold, at night. Not here. The only relief she got was underground.
She breathed in the dry air, and shifted her gaze from the endless ocean of sand before her to the night sky. The stars were out in full force, each one named, tracked, and catalogued, all recorded in her mind and later etched in the walls of her cave. There was no paper and certainly no computer lying around waiting to be used. Just like there were no plants or trees that would provide the resources necessary for clothing oneself. Her flannel shirt and pants had long ago unraveled into nothing. It took several decades to get used to baring herself in public. Not that there was anyone to see her.
The denizens of the planet Arrakis—she'd named it—were settled far enough away to not know she existed, let alone witness her naked flesh. It was entirely possible they wouldn't even understand the concept of modesty. They were covered in scales and nothing else, and didn't seem bothered in the least by it.
They were an interesting species, lizard-like and relatively humanoid, solitary yet social when needed. Their scales provided protection from the punishing sun and prevented moisture loss. If she was purely human, she would've perished in a couple of days.
Jane walked to the side of the rocky outcropping and climbed to the top. She knew every groove and ridge by heart, worn smooth from the thousand years she'd spent utilizing them.
When she'd first arrived, the treacherous journey to the peak had been more than a challenge. She'd fallen and broken practically every bone in her body. She'd cracked her nails and slit her fingers on the sharp edges. Scrapes and bruises had become her new attire.
The beating she took learning how to rock climb was what had really brought about the demise of her clothes. Her hands had grown stronger, though. Just like every inch of her. Gone was the soft scientist, sitting in a lab all day. Here, she was Tarzan, queen of the desert, with rocks for friends and sand as her enemy. Immortal she may have been, oblivious to discomfort she was not.
Clapping off the grit and dirt from her hands, she surveyed the flowing landscape. As harsh as the world was, it had its own beauty. Gold-flecked sand glinted under the light of double moons. The dunes, rippling from the gentle breeze, sparkled like the countless stars filling the sky. There were no desert flowers to sweeten the air, but it was rich in its own way. At times, Arrakis reminded her of New Mexico, of home. Those moments were the hardest.
Her skin prickled as the area around her crackled with energy. She tapped into the latent power swimming in her veins, drew it to her fingertips, and slowly turned, looking for the source of the disturbance. The Tesseract was safely tucked away in her cave, hidden in the wall bearing a depiction of the World Tree it'd created.
"Jane?"
The masculine voice had her spinning around and shooting out a bolt of energy. It was a man, Loki by the look of it, but she wasn't going to let that fool her a second time.
He redirected her attack off to the side with a swipe of his hand and stared at her. His stance didn't suggest hostility. If anything, he was at ease, possibly a little taken aback.
"Who—" She cleared her throat. The last time she'd spoken had been hundreds of years ago. "Who sent you?"
He laughed harshly. "You truly do not recognize me?"
"I know the image you hide under." She circled him, power still coursing through her veins. She let it flare for effect. "Show yourself."
Unintimidated, he lifted his brows and watched her with curiosity. All of his movements were exactly as she had remembered. Even the glint in his eye was perfect. The imposter was good, she'd give him that.
"I take it you've been visited before," he asked, his voice hard, as if the realization he was not the first upset him.
She shrugged, unwilling to give away any more information. "I'm losing my patience."
"As am I." He closed his eyes and breathed out.
Stopping in front of him, she watched as a familiar sensation skittered down her back. He was doing something with magic. To himself.
Blue replaced his pale skin, lines formed on his forehead, and when he opened his eyes, they were red. He was now the spitting image of a Jotunn, but not just any Jotunn.
Loki.
Her chest tightened. There was one way to discern if this was another, more well-thought-out, scheme to steal the Tesseract. Hundreds of years ago, she'd learned how to use its power to negate magic. One touch and she would know the truth.
She stepped to him, slowly in case she needed to dart away or dodge an attack. The frightening feeling he really was Loki made her heart pound a dizzying rhythm.
Their breaths stalled as she leaned in closer. Their gazes were locked onto each other as if nothing more important had ever existed than this moment. A breeze swept up behind her, seemingly pushing her to him, anxious for them to reunite.
The tip of her finger brushed the smooth fabric of his jacket.
And nothing happened.
Tears stung her eyes and she smiled. His name escaped her lips as a whisper. Emotions clogged her throat and prevented anything more concrete from forming, but it didn't matter because he'd heard her all the same.
"Jane." He grabbed her as if to never let go again. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he kissed her. His lips were both eager and hesitant. It had been too long, but not long enough to forget the feel of him or the delicious tingles he left in his wake. She twisted her hands in his hair. The strands were shorter than the last time she'd seen him, but just as silky. His scent teased her nose, driving her hunger for him. She lifted to her toes, tried to feel more of him against her, but he suddenly pulled back.
"Forgive me," he said again, then planted another quick kiss. It went on like that several more times before she could take no more.
She leaned back and looked him in the eye. "What is it, Loki?"
He stared at her as if she might disappear any moment. "I searched for you. I never stopped. Every day, I entered the Void and failed." His jaw hardened. "I failed you."
She shook her head, but he continued on.
"And you were left here." He glanced around them for the first time, and an expression of pure revulsion overtook his features. "On this wretched planet, miserable, alone, vulnerable, and—"
After zapping him with a jolt of energy to stop his downward spiral, she said, "Firstly, I'm not a china doll. I can take care of myself. And I've learned more of the cosmos in my time here than I would've otherwise. Eric was right, the Tesseract shows only the truth."
He looked away, still not appeased, but she grabbed his chin and turned his face to hers. "When you eliminate the ways that do not work, you eventually find the one that does," she said, paraphrasing a brilliant man from her distant past. "They were not failures, Loki. Each attempt brought you closer to me."
She traced a finger over his brow, across his cheekbone, then to the corner of his mouth, taking in every detail she could. A thousand years had aged him slightly, but he was no less becoming. "You did it. You're here. Now, kiss me already."
He smiled, the mischievous one she loved most of all. "I might have to do more than that if you're going to stand there flaunting what I have envisioned and craved for so long."
She blinked at him. The sight of him was driving her crazy as well, but that was expected. Wasn't it?
"It's torture, I tell you."
Now, he was being overdramatic. "What are you going on about?"
He cupped her bare bottom and pulled her closer to him.
Oh. She'd completely forgotten she was nude.
"Tell me you didn't greet the imposter in such a way?" he asked.
"Well—"
"Jane."
"He certainly didn't get a chance to lay a hand on me."
"Good."
He swept her up and lowered her gently to the ground that was now mysteriously covered in plush blankets. Before she could tease him about it, he possessed her lips and tongue with his own. His hands roamed over her, explored every curve and crevice of her body until a thick haze muddled her brain.
She breathed out, gazing half-lidded up at the two moons drifting in line with each other. The convergence was the whole point of her late night expedition. Then, she closed her eyes, feeling Loki's breaths caress her skin, and they too moved together as one.
Author's Note: hopefully those last two chapters put you through the ringer. Lol. That's my job. But hopefully, you're also satisfied with the ending, and with the way the story and characters evolved.
The epilogue is my favorite chapter out of the whole thing, and not because it's the final one. :)
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed. You all kept me going. Seriously. And thanks to my kind, but not too kind (because she gave me the truth rather than compliments that would've boosted my self-esteem but not my skill of writing) beta, Dream Flight, and to my amazing sister who was with me from the first thought to do fan fiction.
Easter egg: Arrakis is the name of the planet from the novel Dune. I'm curious as to how many people knew that.
