Authors Note: (Shorter chapter this time, but Loki makes his debut. Looking for suggestions on a plot twist, what should the gift be that Frigga and The All-Father sent Khaleesi? Is Khaleesi's dream really a vision of the future? You decided! Let me know what you think)
"As your bony fingers close around me
Long and spindly death becomes me
Heaven can you see what I see?"-
Depeche Mode, Dream on.
Ch.12
Loki collapsed onto the stone floor of his cell with gasping wheezing breathes he coughed until he nearly vomited what little contents he had left in his stomach. He screamed into the blackness of his confines palms of his hands sweeping across the dirty floor. He'd over estimated what it would cost him to teleport his clone. He had gotten greedy in his pursuit of his would be wife.
He had only meant to watch her, get a moment alone without that meddling mortal always at her side. Of all the petty humans for his brother to send he had to pick that one. Rolling onto his side Loki tried to ease the pain tearing through his skull. He felt as if the bones in his body had been rearranged. He had been foolish to let his emotions get the best of him. He should have simply left when she was still unaware of his presence. Oh but the way she had looked so peaceful and leaned into his touch he had allowed himself to be seduced by the temptation of feeling more. He would not make that mistake again.
His anger bristled like fire against his skin, her words echoing in his ears. A child, a child! A simple dream or not it had caused his rage to boil over. Locked in this cell and enduring his punishment was beginning to take its toll. He had grown very tired very quickly of his father's idea of repentance. And his brother's visits were not helping. That lumbering oaf thought if he sat there outside the cell long enough Loki would find it in his heart to change. He knew now his brother would eventually hear of his antics. The archer would no doubt be scouring the estate for him, bent on murderous vengeance, and when he failed to find the trickster he would be run to Thor and seek his help.
He'd begun to suspect that Barton was catching on to his little visits; he'd caught the human patrolling the property in the evenings and early dawn. The runes that had been placed on the property during its construction had done exactly as he had planned. Of course that was more than a lifetime ago and his original intention had been to only amplify his power to allow him faster teleportation. But with the stripping of his magic it had changed purposes. He was skilled enough to use its low frequency to channel himself in a weak form for small amounts of time. He may have been without his original powers but he was still a god. The only problem was if he used too much physical energy to transport his corporal form he could kill himself.
He had done almost that.
Loki shifted onto his back, tomorrow when the punishments began again he would pay quite dearly for his over indulgence. A strange part of him felt oddly remorseful towards his actions it was a sensation he was quite unaccustomed to acknowledging. The way the fear had crept into her eyes, the horrible way she had cried out. He had never been one to harm women, but he found himself not in his right mind when he thought upon the way things had transpired for him.
He still felt scorned from his brothers last visit, he had been oddly quiet and when he had asked him of her welfare he had simply stated she wished not to tell him. Ha! She told him to say nothing? No doubt Barton had filled her head with this laughable idea of rebelliousness. The archer was overstepping his boundaries. He was sorely mistaken if he thought that his actions would go unanswered.
He had to act quickly, he wanted his magic fully restored and out of this disgusting pit hole. If change is what they wanted then he would change. No one ever said he had to mean it. It was time they started treating him the way he deserved and he had every intention of making Barton pay dearly for his trespassing.
Closing his eyes he forced himself to lie still he could hear the rats scuttling about in the corners. All at once smiling to himself in the darkness. Let Barton grow weak in his temporary heaven; let him seek solace in what did not belong to him.
Loki knew exactly how to torture him, slowly and intimately in every way he feared. He just had to be patient.