Loki turned and slowly made his way to the door, mostly wanting to see if Paige would follow. For he knew if he captured her attention, he was one step closer to capturing her heart.
Paige turned and followed him. What, no teleportation? She teased. Good. I've been wanting to see the rest of this place. It's a shame I've not been free to wander the halls.
Loki smirked and finally turned to see her. She had followed, after all. "Allow you to see the rest of the fortress whilst you were so eager to flee? I would truly be a fool to have done so." He stopped and waited for her to catch up.
Paige shrugged. It's not so much that I was eager to flee, but rather that I was sick of being in that room. She looked around her, marveling at the ancient stone halls. So, where are we? Are we still on Earth? Or have you kidnapped me entirely away?
"How was I supposed to know you would not flee? As you Midgardians say, I am not a mind reader." He smirked and gave a small shrug. "Or perhaps I should use a different metaphor." He offered her his arm with a small nod and a twinkle in his eyes. "This is Lyndhurst Castle. Perhaps you've heard of it or.. .read of it? No?"
Paige blushed a bit and slipped her arm through his. But, when he told her their location, she stopped dead in her tracks.
Wait... Lyndhurst? This is Lyndhurst?! Oh, my gosh! My father used to bring me here when I was little. Most of the rooms were locked ,though. Oh, my gosh... how did you manage to get Lyndhurst for us? Just us. Oh, my gosh. This is fantastic! She turned and hugged him, nearly bursting with joy. To think I've been in Lyndhurst this whole time!
Loki chuckled. "A bit of trickery was involved." He held up a hand before she could ask or protest. "Do not fret, I harmed no one while purloining this property. We will not be disturbed here, and I doubt the infamous Avengers would think to seek us out here." He rolled his eyes. Sometimes his brother and friends could be such idiots. "But, in answer to your question, yes. This is Lyndhurst."
Paige noticed when he rolled his eyes. You don't hold them in very high opinion, do you? I don't blame you. They did ruin your plans the last time you were here. She continued walking again, taking in the beauty around her. Have you ever told your brother why you tried to take over Earth? I mean, about the whole "fate worse than death" thing? Surely he'd understand.
"Tell him?" Loki scoffed. "I have spent my entire life living in his shadow. Why would I try to explain to him something he could never understand?" He shook his head. "No, it would never work now. Not after what I've done."
Paige lightly slid her hand down his arm until she was holding his hand. She didn't mind how cold his skin was. But he's your brother. Wouldn't he at least care to know what you've been through? She sighed and shrugged. But, I do understand what you mean. When I told my mother about the tortures I went through, she responded with "Oh, I'm sure it was all necessary, dear. Those doctors knew what they were doing. You're just exaggerating." Paige narrowed her eyes and held his hand tighter. I guess only certain people in this world were gifted with understanding.
Loki intertwined his fingers with hers. Yes, certain people were gifted with understanding. Paige was one of the few. Her understanding went well beyond her mortal mind. She knew what it was like to be tortured, to hurt. To feel betrayed.
"Let us speak of happier matters," he changed the subject, directing their steps toward the door to the outside world. The lawn would be perfectly manicured, he had seen to it that the groundskeeper remained on schedule, without ever knowing he and Paige were there. He smiled to himself. Mischief, indeed.
Paige smiled when she saw the beautiful lawns. Their walk through the halls of the castle had taken time, and now the sun was nearly set. All around them, in the air, flew delicate fireflies, lighting up every now and again.
This is all so beautiful, Paige commented, Thank you... for everything. She walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, smiling at the beauty around her. As she sat there, a firefly landed on the grass in front of her, and she snatched it. Do you have creatures like this on Asgard? The ancient peoples used to think these insects were fairies, lit up by magic. But, it's all very scientific. They contain luminescent chemicals that light up when combined. The insect can control when it lights up. They glow to communicate with each other. Lovers calling out across the field, never once using word or sound.
Loki watched her play with the tiny mortal creature and folded his hands behind his back. "We do not have such creatures. However, when the moon shines brightly on the garden my mother planted, her Moonflowers bloom brightly. They are my favorite."
Paige released the firefly from her hands and smiled up at her prince. When you take me there, you'll have to show me. And, while we're on the subject of the Queen, what is she like? Do you think she'll like me?
/
Well now she'd really done it. Kitania sighed and moved to flop onto the bed. She'd run him off, just like every other potential friend she'd ever had. Why was she so stupid? She should have known better than to try to sing something. He had started crying. Crying, for Pete's sake! Sure, she'd heard of music moving people to tears, but his weren't tears of joy or emotional attachment. They were tears of pain.
And she, better than anyone, knew the difference.
She curled her knees to her chest as tears welled up in her own eyes, gathering for the things she'd lost. Eyes closed, tears streaming down her cheeks, she sang to herself. A song she had learned to appreciate and relate to a long time ago.
"Home is behind / The world ahead / And there are many paths to tread / Through shadow / To the edge of night / Until the stars are all alight / Mist and shadow / Cloud and shade / All shall fade / All shall fade."
She didn't know why she felt compelled to, but Kitania always kept a knife in her bag. A sharp one. Probably due to the stalker Demetri had recently taken care of. And in case she ever went too far down the slippery slope that depression set before her. Not that it would do any good. She pulled it out now, toying with it. Rolling it over and over in her hands. She couldn't hear anyone else in the house. The blade glinted against the bright overhead light.
While Drake sobbed in the room across the hall, he did not realize he was controlling the shadows around him. Or, rather, were they controlling him?
A dark shade slipped away from him, and into the room across the hall. It gathered into a corner of Kitania's room, taking on the shape of a human, but remaining merely a shadow. It watched her for a moment before it spoke.
"You shouldn't do that," a soft voice, barely noticeable, hissed. It did not hiss in an evil tone, but rather more like as if a snake were speaking.
Tears still streaming down her cheeks, Kitania heard a whisper from the corner. Instinct took over.
She stood, spun, and threw the knife. Thankfully, it slipped through a shadow and embedded itself in a wall, hurting no one. Her respiration doubled and she backed toward the opposite wall. "What are you? Who sent you?"
"I am darkness, sent by my master," the shadow hissed. "The bitterness in you radiates like fire. Why were you going to hurt yourself?"
Kitania rolled her eyes and swiped at the tears, still in defense mode. "It's not like it would have worked anyway." She pulled her arms around herself in a tight hug, shriveling into herself at the sight of this weird shadow creature in her room. "I'm not bitter, just... scared. And confused. And who's your master, huh? If he cares so much, why didn't he come, instead?"
"My master is detained." The shadow disappeared from where it stood in the corner and reappeared on the wall behind Kitania, now closer to her. "He grieves over the loss of the one he loves. He is being comforted by his friend, across the hall."
"I can't trust anything you say," Kitania deduced. "Darkness brings lies, wanna know how I know that? I've been acquainted with you for a long time, Darkness. I know the song of your people. This. This right here..." She turned the volume on the keyboard all the way up and crashed her fingers against the keyboard to create an eerie tune, "is the song you crave. But I also know that Darkness can't exist where there's light, where there's good and not bitterness. So you know what? Take this!"
Kitania turned on him, her flat palm facing his dark form, and flexed her fingers until every bit of light inside of her ripped out in a beam of spectacular white. Healing energy sapped her strength, bit by bit, and then she collapsed to the floor, utterly spent.
As Kitania blasted the shadow with light, it did not scream. Instead, a piercing scream could be heard from across the hall.
Drake, suddenly overwhelmed with pain, screamed loudly and collapsed to the floor, convulsing violently.
"Drake? Are you alright?" Demetri reached down and felt that his friend was violently shaking. "Mama! Mama, come quick!"
Dr. Sara rushed to the back of the studio and stood staring at the two unconscious young people. Drake, who was still convulsing, demanded her attention. "Demetri, Kitania is also unconscious. Go check on her."
De stood up and went into the room across the hall. He stooped down and began gently shaking her. "Kitania, wake up."
Someone called to her from the fog beyond her unconscious state, and Kitania climbed the cliff inside her mind to get to it. She thought she recognized the voice, but she couldn't be sure. She was so tired. She had thrust so much healing energy into the shadow that she thought she might have finally done it. Killed herself.
Instead, she found herself climbing from the fog in her mind to reach out to whoever had summoned her. As consciousness hit her, so did the ache that always followed a severe use of her power. She gripped her stomach and groaned, rolling her head to the other side to try to dull the pain. As per usual, it didn't work. All she wanted to do was sleep.
"Mama, she's awake but unresponsive," Demetri called. "What should I do?"
"Call for our people." Dr. Sara stated, still kneeling next to Drake. "We'll take them to the lab and run some tests. This can't be a coincidence."
It took half an hour for what appeared to be an ambulance to arrive. Men in EMT clothes picked the two unconscious kids up, placed them on stretchers, and wheeled them downstairs. An hour later, Demetri was sitting in a hospital-like room, waiting for Kitania to wake.
Meanwhile, his mother was still working on reviving the living shadow.