Perplex

Perplex: To make someone feel completely confused

"Then, who better to teach you?", Odin turned back to Fury. An automated path directed his eye to the bottom left of the shiny black bookcase. "Bottom row, sixth book from the left",.

Fury turned to the bookcase with a furrowed brow, quickly darting her eyes to the dark green leather-bound book. There was nothing special about the novel barring its massive volume.

"...Wha-", Fury wanted to question him further but he was gone.

The plush black carpet underneath the shelving cushioned her feet from the surrounding hard gloss flooring. It was the largest square of carpet she had ever seen. It extended from the bookshelf to the timber-framed twin doors that lead to a humble balcony.

The Book. Her hand reached for the soft leather, bringing the heavy book into her lap with crossed legs against the soft rug. Her fingers flicked through hundreds of pages of spells and incantations for longer than she had intended. It was dark outside when she flickered her eyes to the window, she had become more entranced than she thought. Fury tore her hands away from the pages, glancing to the colourful lights that danced against the black sky, like nothing she had ever witnessed on earth. Pages flickered wildly from the book in her lap. Her sight snapped back to the novel that seemed to shuffle through the pages by itself, landing on page 882.

"What?", Fury slid the book of her lap, taking a deep breath of uncertainty. No. She couldn't. Her flaming blue orbs settled back to the leather-bound book of shadows, rereading what she had already known to be true.

It was a spell to summon the dead. A quick incantation of rhythmic words. She spoke them aloud and waited. Nothing. Her wide eyes glanced around the excessively large room. Nothing. She placed the book down on the mantle of the fireplace, breathing a calming breath. There was no reasonable answer to do it. She didn't want any part in witch craft. Yet She did it anyway. It didn't work. She was lucky it hadn't.

"Is that disappointment I see?", The low voice crept from behind her, startling her almost half to death. No. She turned on her heel to meet the familiar emerald eyes that shined against the dark decor. A knife hovered in his hand. He looked pissed. About what she didn't know. Those emerald orbs locked onto her in a frightening sneer like a wolf warding off a hunter.

"Loki", Her voice set off the God who slashed at her with the silver knife. She stepped back quickly. Thinking herself stupid to dodge the attacks of a ghost. "Argh," He nicked her. How did a ghost harm her?. She didn't have time to ask before he was slashing at her once more. Fury launched herself at him, flattening them both against the black carpet. She heard the knife slide from his grasp. He tossed her body off him with ease, swiftly pinning her down with his weight, his hand hovered at her throat. Meeting her blue orbs with a disorientated expression on his face, hesitating in his action. The weight from his knee pressed heavily against her chest, making it harder to breathe underneath it.

"Fury?", He asked with a vacant expression, darting back and forth between her and the knife. She breathed out heavily while trying desperately not to squirm under the pain of his leather-bound knee that pressed harder against her sternum.

"Surprise", She spoke with humour, waiting for his next move. His green orbs observed the room, touching the bookshelf with his fingertips as if it would disappear. He was bound in the same black tunic with golden chevrons matching his shoulder plates that held in place a sweeping cape with an underside of dark green. A statement of royalty in Asgard and a show of being a pretentious douche by her standards. He was a prince and he wanted everyone to know it by the size of his room or the amount of gold plated against his skin even by the power he exuded. She became lost in the thought that created a small smirk against her lips. If he could only read her mind.

Loki moved his knee off her chest, allowing her to stand. She did so cautiously, watching the unsavoury expression wash over his once calm face. He swept up the knife on the floor, holding it in his hand as a pointer while he spoke.

"You tricked me", He pointed the dagger's sharp end toward her with accusation. She imagined him circling her like a vulture, waiting to peck at her skin. Fury crossed her arms over her chest with a smile that bared her sharpened fangs. His eyes narrowed to her. "But there is always a truth within a lie. Tell me yours",

"My name is Fury and you are predictable", Fury launched her elbow past her waist, meeting the shadow that towered behind her. He grunted upon impact with his waist, smiling an impressed smirk. She wanted so badly to meet her fist with his jaw but she needed his help.

"Will you stop trying to kill me for just a moment!?", She hissed between clenched teeth, surrendering a few steps away from him.

"Oh, my, I sincerely apologise, Executioner.", He followed her footsteps, towering over her with unsettling malice. Fury rolled her eyes with irritation, regretting her decision with every passing second. "Was it rude of me to try to kill you? I do apologise. I assumed since-"

Her hand reached for the Book of shadows, resting it against her forearm. It silenced his ramble.

"Oh please, do go on" Fury smirked, flipping through the pages to number 882. She didn't remember reading that he would have a corporeal form. She thought he would appear ghostly. Less annoying maybe. She figured it had to be the engrained magic that allowed him to possess a solid form. This room was the centre of his sorcery. His dark magic was embedded in the white gloss floor, perched on the golden trimmed ceiling, hidden within the dark walls. It was a guest that would never leave. It had cleared the entire wing of its population, leaving only Loki to himself. Now no one.

She hadn't realised he had stopped talking until she met his emerald eyes that bore into hers with a drilling frustration. Her eyebrows were furrowed with thought, sitting the book down on the green chair next to the shelf.

"How do you know what was spoken between Odin and I?", Fury asked with an accusation, almost bowling over the man who soundlessly followed close behind her.

"If you haven't felt the magic within this suite you are truly a pitiful sorcerer.", His words were sharp and venomous. Fury breathed out with agitation. How had she gotten so far off topic?

"Then you'll know that my veins held the Aether", She silenced him completely. His eyes narrowed toward her, waiting to see her statement as a lie. "I'm willing to let you find out why", Fury's offer made his eyebrow raise with intrigue.

"In exchange for tuition?", Loki completed her thought with a smirk, intertwining his fingers against his chest.

"Exactly", Fury nodded her head with agreement, waiting for an answer.

"You do make a compelling offer",