The pool was a solitary one, an oasis shrouded in secrecy by steep, sheer rock faces rising high above its depths. There was only one way to come upon the place and only one way to leave. Back at the furthest edge of the pool the steep cliff jutted out like a slate pier. It was the kind of resting place for a siren to call men to their doom. The water was a deep aquamarine with a crystal sheen on the top as though some God had scattered the surface with diamonds.
Loki walked through the overgrowth to the clearing; his journey had led him through this thick, canopied forest for many hours. It was a paradise and in Loki's knowledge it was only because she made it so. This Earth was killing its beauty, but she? Why she brought a glowing hue wherever she went. The cliffs made the sunlight tunnel down its expanse as it danced with the diamonds on the water. Loki came forward and stood by the edge, he looked around, his sight and hearing tuned for any hint of her. He had travelled several places before this one after the hint from Dr Hendelman, he came upon this purely by chance. But unlike the other's he knew she was here, there was such a strong sense in the place, the sense of her. The longest of moments seemed to stretch out teasingly before him. Where was she? Loki had been almost driven to distraction in her absence, there were only two things he wanted, one of them was her. He would have her. At last the water some way out bubbled and rippled as its depths yielded and with the majestic grace of a sea creature she rose up from the water. The soaking tresses beamed like gold as they hung sodden over her form. She was miraculous to behold. Wiping the water from her face, only her head and shoulders visible to him she stared at him. Her eyes turned deep violet in surprise and her lip tightened.
Evadine was majestic beauty, a goddess in her proper setting. The sight of her made him feel strong and weak simultaneously and he experienced both anger and agitation at beholding her. Since her banishment the longing to see her had made him forget anger and injustice but seeing her now it all flooded back. She truly had told him nothing. Evadine remained where she was, small ripples expanding around her as she treaded water but those eyes stayed fixed, their sharpness saying much more than her face betrayed. They read 'tread carefully or you may be sorry.' Despite their warning Loki spoke.
"You know why I am here?" He said, his voice echoing all around.
"Your voice suggests you imagine someone took something that was yours."
"I have thought of little else since your banishment."
"Not of power would-be King?" She said quipped.
"Come out of the water."
"It is my home."
"Your home is Asgard!"
"No more than Asgard is your home." She said simply. "Where we are is not always where we are from."
Loki felt frustration run through him, her impossibility an enthralling obstacle as it always was.
"Your friends here gave you away." He smirked.
"I told them you would come one day, I protect my friends with knowledge, I was not betrayed here."
"I have come to redress the treachery that was done to you."
"And bring me home?"
"Your place is back amongst us."
"By your side?" Her head cocked a little in curiosity.
"You question me, do you doubt me?"
"I have faith that at the moment there are things bigger than you. Whatever greatness you are it is not your time."
"It must be ours! We were wronged!" He urged his voice a little louder. Evadine looked at him a moment she seemed to soften and she said.
"Will you swim out to me then?"
Loki contemplated before removing his over coat and wading into the pool. He was surprised how quickly the depths consumed even his tall frame until at last not far from she he was submerged up to his shoulders. The cool, crisp water refreshed his well-travelled frame but the weight of his clothes even challenged his strength. Now close he watched her acutely, she was unpredictable and the softness had vanished.
"What now?" He piqued.
"What do you wish?"
"I came to…"
"Claim me?" She laughed. "I am not yours."
"You matter, that is enough."
"Oh." Her eyebrow rose with amusement, this irritated him. "What do I mean then?"
Evadine inched a little closer, their gap narrowing, his body flushed with anger and desire.
"You are a fixed mark in a false universe. I see ways to bring truth, you I know will see much the same."
Her hands rested on his shoulders, his strong and weak paradox continued inside yet he did not reach out to hold her, he knew that she would be lost to him if he did.
"How do we find truth?" She asked, searching his face and seeing no mewling passion of a lovesick boy, he was in earnest, deep earnest.
"We conquer."
Evadine pushed herself off him and swam some distance away on her back, the mocking tone of old returned to her voice, it cast him back to their times looking out over Asgard.
"Then return to shore would-be King, we do not share this truth."
"I demand that you listen to me!" He bellowed, this made her start and turning over she dived into the depths and was gone. Loki suddenly became frantic with anger and shamed weakness; he looked about him for ripples or bubbles betraying her, nothing. He looked to the slate jetty, nothing. Desperate he ducked under the depths and looked wildly about but all was blurred. Rising again with a heaving breath he heard her voice call from the shore.
"Who are you to demand?" She said, her voice emotionless it was more like the universe spoke its question through her. Loki waded out to the shore and stood a little from her, both were dripping wet, their robes hanging heavy about them. Physically he was distracted beyond belief by her; it was as though she had been formed exactly as his ideal. She was not perfect; her eyes were a little too large to make her perfect. But that made her all the more for him. He overcame the baser urges for he was driven by a purpose bigger than his worldly desires.
"I am Loki." He replied, his voice deep with truth, Evadine waited for him to say more but he did not, in faith she took a step towards him a hand one again resting on his shoulder.
"From where do you come?" She asked, his expression tightened with anger, the anger of the truth of his birth. Evadine smoothed her hand to his cheek, no answer came from him. "Poor would-be King, I have found my home, you have not."
The last part was spoken with such a tinge of tenderness it softened his anger yet strengthened his iron will to get justice for her. His feeling for her was so strong he wished to be all that he could be to match her; she was like the water that she swam in, ungraspable. But then he understood.
"You are truly of Earth?"
"From an Earth long ago." She explained, pulling her hand away. "An Earth that is not this one."
"That man Hendelman said I would find you near water, so what are you?"
"They called us something once I believe, a long time ago. I don't remember how I came to be on Asgard, I suppose I was brought there."
"But you have powers… they feared you for it… my fa…" Loki stopped, unable to say that word. "What can you do?"
"I feel it best not to explore anymore and I haven't since coming here, it has done me nothing but ill."
Loki grew angry with her settling for her lot, he took a few steps from her with an exasperated growl and she watched him as though watching a child throw a tantrum.
"You do not see your potential, what you are, the truth."
"What is this truth you want people to see?"
"That there is much in life that is a lie, especially on this world and the one we have left… it needs to be crushed this lie."
His voice was so passionate and intense that Evadine could only look at his large, dilated pupils and the words rang in her ears. As Loki looked upon her blank expression he was confused, what was going on in that mind of hers, he wished he knew. For a long while they stood examining the other in suspended silence, one knowing the other too well, the other knowing nothing at all. At last she placed he hands upon his shoulders, smiling slightly and she said softly.
"We must not tread this path, come home with me. You need to rest."
The response was a painful seizing of the tops of her arms by his vice like grip. Those wide eyes now boared into her's as she was yanked close to him, her feet forced on to tiptoes so her face was near to his.
"How can you rest…" He almost snarled with frustrated passion. "When there is so much out there for the taking?"
"Let go of me."
"How can you sleep soundly in your bed, when the world's axis could tip in your favour?"
Evadine did not struggle in his grasp however painful it was, she knew he did not mean to hurt her, he was petulant and bitter. Swallowing hard she took a deep breath and said.
"Whatever you wish to do you must do alone. If you came to claim me for your endeavours you are mistaken."
He looked at her first in disbelief then in anger. Releasing her arms he pushed her from him.
"So be it, keep this little bit of the Earth for as long as you can have it." He spat bitterly, turning from her. Evadine did not know how to appease his will in him or how to change herself to match his ideas. Without a further thought she touched his shoulder and surprisingly he turned back to her without struggle. His face was still tense but the anger had gone, his eyes were darker. She took his face between her two hands.
"It is good to see you; you are all that I have missed."
Completely in sync they locked into a passionate embrace, her mouth crushing against his. Now all that they missed the night he had thrown her to the floor and wounded her came to the fore. It was a rushing torrent of denied passion and deep affection between two who were not gentle people. Loki was unyielding like rock but even that could be eroded and morphed into something else by water. Here she was, challenging him, yet the rock was not ready to be changed. So instead where words failed they succumbed to their passion there in the secluded paradise, a culmination in all that they felt before they were to part ways by their choosing.
