Chapter 22
April was sitting at the kitchen table engrossed in the contents of a flimsy piece of parchment when Loki returned to the cottage. He had considered teleporting straight into the room but didn't think she would find it amusing. She would probably have one of those heart attacks mortals were so prone to getting.
She quickly met his gaze. The wariness was still there, though it was diluted considerably now. Curious, he nodded towards the parchment. "What are you so riveted by?"
"Pizza delivery menu," she frowned up at him thoughtfully. "Though I'm guessing you'll have no idea what a pizza is."
On the contrary, he remembered his brother gushing irritatingly about Midgardian food as they were returning to Asgard after the fiasco with the Avengers. Pizza had been described as fondly as one might a lover, along with something called shawarma. Pity Thor hadn't covered his ears as well as his mouth. That way he wouldn't have had to endure his mind-numbing I love everything about Midgard prattle.
But he thought it better to feign ignorance where April was concerned. He wanted to keep his true identity a secret as long as possible. Flexing his fingers, the menu disappeared from her hand and reappeared in his own. He scanned the contents. "Hmmm…bread, cheese and topping. Hardly a culinary marvel. We have similar fare on Assga-" He stopped, realising his mistake. "Where I come from."
"I'm going to make an order. Any of the toppings take your fancy?"
"Didn't we just eat?"
"That was hours ago. I'm starving."
This pleased Loki. He wasn't particularly hungry but he wanted to encourage her. He magicked the menu back upon the kitchen table. "Order the largest and most extravagant."
Her 'why am I not surprised' look amused him and he was rather disappointed that she didn't say it aloud.
"It will be the most expensive," she pointed out.
"I am sure we can come to another magical arrangement to cover the expense." He started for the living room. "I will read my book until we dine," he added dismissively.
She quickly rose from the table, her chair scraping nosily on the tiled floor in her haste. "And I'll make that order."
"Your appetite has returned with gusto it seems," he teased.
"I need the energy with you around," she blurted, though she looked a little nervous when he sharply met her gaze, worried she had overstepped the mark.
He grinned to set her at ease. "You do indeed."
As he settled down upon the sofa with his book, he listened, with half an ear, as she made the order. He caught the words supreme and deluxe which sounded extravagant enough.
Afterwards, she returned to the kitchen for a while and he could hear water running and objects clattering. Eventually the fussing ceased and she returned to the living room. He was conscious of her sitting down in the chair opposite him but he refrained from looking up from his book.
"Can I ask-" she started tentatively.
He slowly turned the page, making her wait a few moments, but finally his eyes flicked up to her. "What?"
She perched on the edge of the chair restlessly. "Have you always had magical abilities? I mean, were you born with them, or did you learn the art?"
During his long life few people had cared enough to take an interest in his sorcery. He had to admit April's continued fascination was titillating. He closed his book. "My mother taught me."
April blinked her surprise. "Your mother? She is a sorcerer too?"
"She was."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
There was a moment of strained silence and then April gave him a small smile. "She must have been very powerful."
Swallowing down his grief, he managed a twitch of a smile in return. "She was," he returned gently. "Formidable in her own way."
"And your father?"
Internally Loki flinched. Such a shame she had to spoil it. "I have no father," he declared evenly, struggling to suppress his anger.
April was wise enough not to pursue the subject and Loki suspected she had picked up on his animosity. He could see it in her eyes. Instead, she asked: "What does magic feel like? You know, physically. Does it hurt? Or is it a pleasurable sensation?"
She was leaning forward so eagerly, almost childlike in her wonder. Loki found it quite endearing. Carefully placing his book to one side, he relaxed back into the sofa and folded his arms. Cocking his head, he observed her intently. "It depends."
"On the strength of the incantation?"
He nodded. "When I am conjuring something simple, like the butterflies for example, I barely register any feeling now, just the merest hint of a sensation. It is so natural, like breathing. But something more potent can border upon pain and leave me fatigued. Though it is rare that I need to use that extent of power." He smiled. "But most of the time it feels pleasurable, yes."
"Is it a warmth? A tingling? Does it tickle?"
Amused, his eyebrow twitched. "Tickle?"
"Well, I don't know. I'm guessing here."
"No, it does not tickle. Or tingle. Warmth is closer. Sparking though my limbs. Becoming a heat, even a burn, depending upon the intensity of the incantation." He didn't mention the freezing burn of his Jotunheim heritage. It was still too raw, something he was struggling to accept or acknowledge.
He frowned at her, disconcerted. "This is unfamiliar. I've never had to describe my magic before."
She looked surprised. "You mean no one has ever taken an interest?"
His folded arms tightened, his fingers pressing into his flesh angrily. "Where I come from, magic is looked down upon. I come from a world of warriors not sorcerers."
"Really? That's crazy. Surely magic is far more powerful than a sword! And more sensible!"
Her words stirred a warmth inside and his fingers relaxed their painful grip."One would think so but sadly it is not the case."
"Their loss!"
He chuckled. She really was good for his ego. They shared small smiles, their eyes locking until April looked down at her hands, uncomfortable. Eventually she met his gaze again. "Does the power come from inside you?"
He had to applaud her enthusiasm. Thor would fall asleep at the mere mention of sorcery. "It manifests inside, but the source comes from outside.' He gestured to the room. "It is all around us for the taking. Light. Energy. Call it what you will. You just need to know how to harness and manipulate it."
"It sounds a bit like the Force."
"The Force?"
"Oh, it's just from a movie," she dismissed, seeming a little embarrassed that she had mentioned it. "Star Wars. It's not a real thing. But what you described sounds very like it."
Her gaze idly roamed the space between them as if she was trying to see the energy he spoke of. "It must be so wonderful," she sighed wistfully. "Having that power at your fingertips. Even something simple like conjuring butterflies."
"It has its moments."
"Could it be taught…" She hesitated before adding warily: "…to someone like me?"
Loki snorted. "You? A mortal's life is far too short to even begin to grasp the basics!"
April glared at him. "Why do you keep doing that?"
He frowned. "Do what?"
"Say that word with so much distaste. Do you hate us mortals so much?"
Her outburst caught him off guard and he was momentarily lost for words.
"Well?" she prompted angrily. "I'd really like to know what we have done to deserve such hostility."
What he wanted to say, what was in his nature to say was: I am a God and your kind are beneath me, but the hurt in her eyes stopped him short. The truth was, he didn't feel April was beneath him. He was actually enjoying her company. And not just because he wanted her beneath him for a totally different reason.
Cornered, he shrugged. "When one lives for so long it is only natural to feel…" He refrained from using the word superior, accepting a measure of tact might be preferable "…more advanced…than those with much shorter lifespans."
"Why?" she flared. "We still live and breathe the same. A day is simply a day whatever being lives it."
As much as she charmed him, he could not allow himself to indulge her on this subject. She would never understand. "I'm afraid I must beg to differ, my dear."
She refused to back down. "But a mortal could do more good in their short existence than someone who lives thousands of years. It's how you live your life, not how long you live it!"
A loud melodic bell suddenly chimed out, making then both jump.
April turned towards the front door. "That'll be the pizza delivery." As she stood up she gave him a look of bitter resignation. "Looks like you've been saved by the bell."
REVIEWS ALWAYS APPRECIATED, THANKS! :D