PART EIGHT

Loki rested his chin on Sera's head hoping it would make her feel better. He knew it probably wouldn't, but when he was younger and he was crying, his mother often cuddled him like this to make him feel safe when he was scared.

Sera suddenly burst into tears. Loki thought he might have done something wrong by trying to show her some compassion. But when she buried her head into his chest and neck, he knew he did the right thing.

He sat there cradling her in his arms until she had stopped crying "Sera?"

"Yes?" She sniffled. Sera didn't try and move away from Loki's embrace.

"Were you in the fire?"

"Yes."

"Were you hurt?" Loki said beginning to worry a little.

"I'll live" She said drowsily.

Loki put his hands on Sera's shoulders and leaned back to look at her. Her top was covered in blood on one shoulder, he noticed he has some on his shirt as well, a lot of it.

Sera head was hanging slightly as if she was about to fall asleep.

"Sera," He swallowed nervously "Can I see where you're hurt?"

She gave a drowsy nod.

Loki moved her blood matted hair which covered her right shoulder, her neck was bleeding, and it was badly burnt. Loki got his hand and gently moved her top so he was able to see her shoulder, it was badly burnt too. She was losing a lot of blood.

Loki didn't know what to do. He was shocked. He leaned towards her and hugged her. "Sera, it's getting dark," He looked up and the quickly darkening sky "I'll take you home"

Sera was getting drowsier by the minute due to blood loss but she managed to speak "I don't have a home, I didn't want to tell you and the others because I thought you wouldn't like me anymore" She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I will always like you, my parents wouldn't approve of me and Thor being friends with you but we would have done anyway" He said hugging her tighter. Sera winced with pain. "Oh your shoulder I forgot!"

Sera was beginning to fall to sleep on his shoulder, but Loki knew it wasn't due to tiredness. He needed to fix her shoulder, but how? He needed to get her out of this alley and somewhere safe.

Loki moved away and began to stand up, gently lifting Sera with him "Sera, we need to go somewhere else okay?" He said softly to her.

He put her arm round his shoulder and placed his hand on her hip to help her walk. They made their way through the back streets of the town in order to escape from people's gaze and the guards Loki's parents had probably sent out to find him. They walked until they came to the meadow which connected to the castle grounds after a few acres.
There was a sharp cold wind blowing across the meadow, Sera started shivering, Loki stopped and eased Sera to the ground while he took off his jacket to give to her. He rapped it round her and then helped her to her feet and they carried on.